The weight of the political world was heavy on Chris Cuomo when he realised in a matter of hours that he would be one of the primary faces of the world he thought he loved so much.
Maybe pop would've been proud of me.
For a moment, he hoped they'd lose the election, that he wouldn't be the person that would be the face of these meetings, messages, what America was standing on.
"Hey handsome," an angelic voice tore him from his thoughts, eyes shifting from the TV to her face, "what can I get for you?"
Chris looked up meeting her eyes. A gorgeous shade of grey looking back at him, making him sit up as he watched her lean one hand on the table ready to take his order.
"Uh... just a coffee, please," Chris nodded, satisfied with having some caffeine in his system that would surely not calm his nerves.
But the woman made no move, instead, her eyes remained on him. She frowned knowing he would need more than that to sustain himself.
"You sure? You're gonna be here awhile," she said, tilting her head to the side. An air of innocence surrounded her, one that made Chris attracted to her in a way he couldn't explain.
Maybe it was because this world was so far removed from the one he was being thrust into.
Chris arched his brow, looking up at her wondering how she knew he was hiding here, "How do you-"
"It's my job to know," she winked, smiling down at his surprised features, "you like burgers?" She asked, to which he nodded, "great, I'll be right back,"
Chris watched her go, smiling and laughing with a few other customers as she made her way back to the kitchen.
His eyes moved to the TV when she was out of sight, groaning at the election coverage. If only he could escape from it. No, if only he could go back and take his name out of the running.
"Cheer up, it's not all bad, Mr. Cuomo," she said, coming back with his coffee; his burger wouldn't be too far behind.
She knew a tortured soul when she saw one. It was half her job to talk men like him back from a ledge.
"Yeah... well, I just don't think I knew what I was getting into," Chris sighed, running his fingers through his hair that was already messed and loose from the product he put in it that morning.
She nodded, looking back over her shoulder before she called out.
"Hey Jim! I'm going on break," she called to the man at the counter who nodded at her before she sat down in the booth across from Chris, "why don't you eat your food and tell me all about it?"
Another staff member set the burger in front of him and Chris' mouth watered at the sight of it. It only now set in how hungry he was.
So Chris did. He ate arguably one of the best burgers in the world and told her all about what he was feeling.
"I knew it was pressure, of course, it's the Vice Presidency," Chris chuckled, wiping his hands on the napkin, "but it's just... it's all real now,"
There was something liberating about spilling everything to a complete stranger.
She nodded, she knew what he meant. The idea of something often seemed better than the reality. It's how she felt when she moved to D.C. but she had never felt more alone.
"It's all terribly boring, I'm sorry," Chris chuckled, shaking his head and sitting back in his seat to cast another glance over her face.
"No! Not at all, sorry," she said, realising she must've looked bored for him to assume such nonsense, "I was just thinking about what you said,"
