Mr. President

"Not someone," I say, "Bob fucking Walker."

I can see the realization of it dawn on her face. There's a moment of recognition, and she seems to agree. The more I think about it, the more sense it continues to make.

"I'm on it," she says.

"And one more thing," I continue. "Arrange a televised press conference."

When?" she asks.

"For tomorrow night, I can't waste any time."

"What are you going to say?" Tracy asks.

That's a damn good question. I'm wracking my brain.

"Truthfully, I don't know," I reply. "But I'll figure that out."

Tracy nods, making notes in an app on her cell phone.

"Oh, and another thing," I say. "Just make sure Ashley is there."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? She stormed out of here, and seemed pretty upset."

"Just do it, please—it's important."

Tracy reluctantly nods her head, as if she's resigned to the idea and there's nothing she can do about it. "Okay, I'll do my best."

"Thanks, I believe in you, Tracy."

"That's a lot of pressure," she grins.

"I know you'll make it happen," I say, patting her on the shoulder.

As Tracy leaves the office, my mind continues to spin like a top, twirling through every possible scenario, every possible narrative that I could give at tonight's press conference.

What I know for certain is that I'm not giving up Ashley.

I'm not giving up the presidency. No. We’ve done too much good. We’ve fixed the country too much. Too many people are still left to help.

I pace around the office like a tiger pacing inside of a cage. I feel that every muscle in my body is tense, and ready for action.

If Bob Walker thinks I'm going to step out of the arena with my tail tucked between my legs, he's sorely mistaken. If there's any fucking man up to this challenge, it's me.

I remind myself that that this is where I am because I took chances. I knew from the beginning that it was a risky endeavor. And still, I took that risk.

Why? Because at the end of the day, life favors the bold. That's the honest fucking truth. That's where real success can be found.

Show up. Be bold. Fake it if you have to.

I don't give a fuck what anyone says. I will always take my chances.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do tonight.

Roll the dice. Spin the roulette wheel. Play my hand.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to fucking take my chances in front of the entire world.

An idea starts formulating in my brain. I can feel a switch in momentum, and I feel like I'm onto something. I don't give a fuck if anyone thinks that this is the craziest idea ever.