Oh, boy.
Mimi might be a novice in the game of politics, but she knew enough to know they were embarking on what essentially seemed like a game of chess. By declaring what he expected, Zeke had made a bold offensive move. It was now the council’s turn.
Doug was the brave soul to step up to the plate. “Perhaps we could look into one car? Or maybe even purchasing a couple of used cars from another city? Without too many miles, of course.”
“And then there’s the problem of overtime,” Bruce said.
“Where did you get these numbers?” Larry asked. “Seems a little premature, don’t you think? Budgeting overtime without even knowing if you’re going to need it.”
Mimi bit her tongue. As a cop’s wife she knew how important overtime pay was to an already meager salary. If it wasn’t for the overtime and the extra money Zeke had earned working off duty security, they would have never made it in his early days as a patrol officer.
“What’s this on line seven of the budget?” Denise asked. “Continuing Education?”
“My officers need quarterly training to keep up with current practice. Most of it is safety related, but some of it involves sensitivity training. I’m sure the council doesn’t want Whispering Bay to end up on the front page of the New York Times,” Zeke said dryly.
“Absolutely not,” Pilar was quick to chime in. “As the city’s attorney, I agree. The police department definitely needs quarterly safety training sessions
.”
Larry made a show of impatiently flipping through the rest of the notebook. They asked a few more questions about different items on the budget. Zeke answered them curtly, but always careful to keep on the edge of politeness.
After what seemed like an eternity, Doug ended the questioning by thanking Zeke for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come talk to them. Zeke left without once making eye-contact with her (except of course when he’d made his big announcement). The whole thing was strange. Is this how it would be between them from now on? She supposed she should be grateful he was acknowledging their time out. She just wished he’d acknowledged it in private with their families first.
The door had barely closed behind him when the room exploded with conversation.
“I say we give him half of what he wants,” Larry said.
“He’s an arrogant SOB, that’s for sure.” Bruce’s gaze flicked toward Mimi, as if expecting her to respond.
Hearing Bruce call Zeke an arrogant SOB made Mimi want to punch him the nose. She and Zeke might be having problems, but he was her arrogant SOB, damn it. She fought to keep her expression neutral.
“I don’t think wanting the best for your department makes you arrogant,” Pilar said.
“No, but his attitude sure does.” Larry sighed. “Let’s go to the next item on the agenda.”
The meeting broke up an hour later with no real resolution that Mimi could see. She and Doug were alone in the conference room. Pilar had excused herself twenty minutes earlier and the rest of the council had bounded out the door the second Bruce dismissed them.
Mimi stuffed her papers into the new leather work tote bag she’d bought as a congratulatory gift to herself when she’d been elected mayor. Had it only been a few months ago? She thought she’d done her homework for today’s meeting, but she realized now she was woefully unprepared to handle delicate small town politics as they existed in Whispering Bay.
“Don’t worry,” Doug said, sensing her mood. “This was just the first meeting of the year. We have till April to approve a budget. There’s lots more where that came from.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” Mimi muttered. “I’m just trying to figure out how I can keep myself from strangling Bruce.”
Doug looked at her thoughtfully. “I figured the two of you had some history.”
“Just a little.”
“Bitter election?”
“Not on my part.”
He hesitated a few moments before he said, “I had no idea about you and the police chief. Otherwise, I would have prepared you.”
“Warned me, you mean? No worries, Zeke and I are grown-ups.”
“Any kids?” Doug asked.
“A seventeen-year-old girl going on thirty and a precious twelve-year-old boy who still hugs me in public. But I hear that won’t last much longer.”