Page 45 of The Reverse Cinderella

“So to Barneys where there is cheap beer and cheap nachos?” Piaget asked.

The group agreed and split a cab since it was a special occasion. Once at the bar, they managed to snag a table at the back. Max went for the usual run of orders. Piaget took off the suit jacket and popped off her shoes happily.

“Have you returned the application for mayor yet?” Dix asked. She knew that Piaget had been holding off on it, delaying.

“I thought I’d procrastinate until the last possible minute,” Piaget sighed. “At first, during tonight’s debate, I thought that it would be a good thing if I dropped out. Mr. Bailey seems like a really good candidate and I don’t want to split the vote making Mayor Johns get elected again. Plus, when I stumbled, I just thought I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go through any more debates.

“Then everyone came through for me and asked those questions, the really easy ones for me that I’d already had practice with. It shows how many people are supporting me and want me to do this. I can’t let them down,” Piaget fiddled with a coaster. “I’ll finish the application and get it in before the deadline. I can’t believe so many people believe in me.”

“Why wouldn’t we believe in you?” Adam asked, puzzled.

“I suppose I’ve had so many years where people didn’t believe in me that I’m surprised that people do now,” Piaget shrugged.

Dix grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Well we believe in you and want you to go for it. You’re amazing Piaget and we’re happy that you’re our friend.”

“Totally,” Adam agreed after Dix elbowed him.

Max came with their orders and the group happily chatted about how much they had managed to irritate the current mayor.

The next evening Piaget looked at the pile of papers she was surrounded by. There was the application that she was nearly finished that had to be done tonight. There were questions for the next debate that she was supposed to be prepared to answer. “This is crazy. I’ll never learn it all. When I go on stage it all flies out of my head anyways.”

“You don’t need to. You only need to know the basics of everything and the direction you want to go in on the issues. Focus on the positive directions to get people to follow you,” Max took another slice of pizza, his eyes not straying from the game. “Focus on ten things to learn about. Be an expert on four of those things for your campaign.”

“How do I get to be an expert on homelessness and what the city does to help people living on the streets?” Piaget asked. She felt entirely overwhelmed.

Max thought for a moment. “You could live outside for a while. Use the amenities and experience it for yourself.”

“Or I could utilize the expert that I already have sitting beside me,” she smiled prettily at Max, hoping he’d take the hint.

“What do you mean?” Max asked, his attention fully hers now. “You know I’ll help you out.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”

“What do you say to being my running mate?” Piaget asked.

Max laughed. “There’s no vice-mayoral position. That’s not how it works.”

“There are councilor positions,” she countered. “You could run for one. The application process doesn’t close until midnight. You could still do it. And I could really use your help. It would be so nice to have someone else at city hall who knows the issues and is a friendly face.”

Max slung an arm around Piaget’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze, leaning his head against hers. “That’s a cool thought but didn’t you say that you had to fill out all sorts of forms online? Including an address? Which I don’t have?”

“Oh,” Piaget felt deflated. Here was an opportunity for him, one she was certain he would be great at and he was disqualified just because he didn’t have an address. Then, as usual her mouth spoke before her brain could think. “Move in.”

“What?” Their eyes met and for a moment they were both speechless from her blurted-out words.

“Move in,” she repeated softly. “I need a roommate and you need an address. Then you can run for councilor.”

For a moment he looked a little disappointed before turning his attention back to the game.

“What? I think you’d be great on city council. You know the issues, you talked me through so much of it already. You volunteered to summarize all this for me. You’re smart. You care. You’re charming. I think you could do it.”

“You think I could?” he asked, a little hurt.

“I know you could,” Piaget replied. She did believe he could. Max was amazing. He already knew more about this sort of thing than she did and she was the one running for the position.

“That’s the only reason you want me to move in?” he asked quietly.