SIDE FOUR:
Tatum POV
"Okay, everyone this is Tatum. She looks like a child because she basically is one. Despite that fact she is your new boss." Mitchell introduced me to my team with the roll of his eyes. "She's barely qualified but I guess she has good ideas or something... This is Ethan, Jana, Nova and Peter. You may talk amongst yourselves now."
With that Mitchell walked away. I don't think he's ever going to like me, but I can live with that. He's not the one who signs my checks.
"Hi, I'm Tatum." I smiled softly setting my stuff down at what I was told would be my desk.
We had a very large shared office space within the campaign headquarters. With my desk area being the largest since I'm supposed to be in-charge. Luckily, my team doesn't appear to be too much older than me. Mitchell already told me I'm the youngest staffer on-board but my constituents only appear to be about four to five years older than me at the most. Which is a relief. I would be mortified if I was supposed to tell thirty-something year olds what to do.
"Soo.. You're supposed to be like Dalton's girlfriend?" The one I believed is named Nova raised her eyebrow.
Mm... And to think I had been nice enough to bring them all breakfast burritos. "All right, everyone who has enough sense to know how to behave in a workplace, please grab a burrito from this bag." I set it down on the table in the middle of the room. "I'm not a hard ass by any means, but I have to say... That bullshit was the worst first impression you could have made on the person who is now your immediate superior."
Nova rolled her eyes, "It was a harmless fucking question."
"You're an adult. I'm not gonna explain to you why that statement was wholly unnecessary and extremely problematic. As for everyone else, if you have any question regarding the merits by which I received this position; address those concerns with Mitchell or HR like you're supposed to. If that's settled can we get to work?"
"I don't care why you got the job, you brought food. Good choice." Peter interjected in between bites of his breakfast burrito.
Cool.
"Honestly they don't pay me enough to care." Ethan shrugged much more interested in his finger nails than the conversation at hand, "I would even be here if they weren't offering college credit."
"Great, sound like that's settled. Let's get started." I wheeled the whiteboard over to the center of the room. "You can keep eating but I would start taking notes. We're going to completely overhaul your social media strategies." I began to write in big bold letters on the whiteboard:
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL.
"What does that mean exactly?" Jana interjected now sitting in her chair, burrito in one hand and her iPad in the other so she could jot down notes.
"This is the first step of our many new social media initiatives. The Harris campaign hasn't been forming connections with young voters at the rate it needs to. And we all know young people don't actually attend town halls, and political rallies. We will be holding one via Instagram Live. Because it's not that young voters don't have questions or don't care about the issues—"
"But if they're leaving the house, it's not to watch some middle-aged white guy speak in an arena to a crowd of other middle-aged white people." Jana finished, and I'm not mad at her take on the issue. I wouldn't have said those exact words but she's not Black so she can.
"Exactly." I nodded my head. "I want to see mock-ups for posts promoting this event by the end of the week and I also want a list a of young activists we can reach out to help advertise. Do not reach out to influencers, okay. We want people who have legitimacy in this field, not beauty bloggers."
No shade to influencers but there's a reason they aren't CNN commentators but rather film makeup tutorials on YouTube. While they have massive platforms, they do not have any substantial political connections and their opinions on these matters don't carry even a semblance of the weight they believe they do. No one cares who Kylie Jenner is voting for her input is immaterial. Whether she's aware of it or not it's the truth.
"I'm sorry, but how do we get the activists to agree to even advertise this event? Like you said, he's not very well liked by people our age." Ethan questioned.
"We're going to offer them a seat on the discussion panel for the first half of the event before the questions become open to general public. You are offering them the chance to speak their truths, party to a presidential candidate. Trust me, they'll be interested."
"Damn.. So that's how she got the job."Peter mumbled, I only smirked in response.
"Be sure you forward me those messages to proofread before sending them out to the activists. Nothing gets sent out of this office without my approval first." I made my way back over to my desk, taking a seat in the swivel chair. I pulled my laptop out of my bag and opened it up, beginning to start working myself as well.
I chewed on my bottom lip as I suddenly thought about something, I quickly opened up an Excel spreadsheet on my computer. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt you while you're working but I'm curious— what policy of the Harris administration do you agree with and disagree with and why?"
My team was compromised of young voters, not exactly within the age ranges of 18-24 more like 21-26 but still it will be good to pick their brains regarding these issues. Seeing as they are the youngest people in this office.
"Climate-Change, I agree with his stance on that issue. He acknowledges it an immediate concern that needs immediate action which is the only stance of have." To my surprise Nova was the first to speak up. The rest of the team nodded their head in agreement and I tracked the data accordingly in the spreadsheet.
"What else?"
"I disagree with his stance on LGBT+ protections. Senator Harris made some sort of vague remark about supporting all people but that does nothing to support that community specifically." Ethan explained, "We need workplace protections, housing discrimination protections. We need these things passed on a federal level and rather than giving a tangible action planned he spewed that moderate bullshit."
Ethan has some fire in him... I like that.
"I agree with his stance on abortion, he's pro-choice. As he should be it's not up to men to determine what a woman can and cannot do with her body." Jana stated, "But I disagree with his stance on reparations which thus far is nonexistent."
Noted.
I continued complying my list. Before it was complete I had also added they agreed with his proposed initiatives as it pertained to instating federal protections that address sexual harassment in the work place, his expansion of federal assistance programs. However, they felt his immigration proposals were not comprehensive enough to affect any significant change in those systems. I was just putting my finishing touches on the document, when none other than Andrew himself walked into the room. Everyone fell completely silent, understandably. Moments before we were critiquing his platform and now our boss is standing in front of us.
I sighed softly, I had kind of been making it a point to avoid him since the weekend.. Now he's here, holding baby Carter.
"Sir, is there something that we can help you with?" I tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, glancing up from my computer screen.
A wide gummy smile spread across Carter's face at the sight of me and he began to squeal excitedly reaching in my direction. "Actually, I came to see how your first day was going. Carter also wanted to know." He let out a small chuckle handing the babbling child to me.
I frowned at Andrew. This is beyond inappropriate. My team already thinks I was given this job because of my relationship with Dalton and subsequently Andrew, walking in here handing me his baby is doing very little to quell those concerns.
"It's going fine. As long as the team doesn't mind Carter is more than welcome to hang out with me for a bit, but we really should be getting back to work." The child in my lap seemed more than content, his focus on chewing on his fingers.
"As long as the kid stays quiet he can stay." Peter mused not even bothering to look up from his computer.
"He's adorable, I don't have a problem with it." Nova beamed, batting her eyelashes.
You have got to be shitting me. She has a crush on Andrew. I get why, anyone with eyes can see that he's extremely attractive. Now I know why she was so bitchy to me earlier. This explains so much.
Andrew nodded. "Like I said I want to know how your day is going." He leaned up against the wall, "Its standard to check-in with my teams at least once a day, so tell me what you're working on."
"Mitchell said to email him at end-of-day with a summary of work completed. I'd be more than happy to 'CC you on it." I stated politely a small smile on my face, hoping he would w the hint.
He did not. "Why would you do that and I'm here now. So someone catch me up."
"Tatum has us working on revamping our social media strategies, right now we are working on a Virtual Town Hall. She came up with it as a way to connect with young voters and she has us reaching out to young activists with prominent platforms to help advertise and to sit on the discussion panel." Ethan explained he looked so nervous. I immediately felt bad.
"That's a great idea. I want a full report on this town hall, all of the details—"
"— I can write one up and email it to you!" Nova's hand shot up in the air.
I internally rolled my eyes, like bitch you are grown. Simmer the fuck down, this isn't high school. She's all excited to do extra work that she won't be compensated for, she's playing herself.
"I was thinking more along the lines of over dinner." Andrew stated. "You all work really hard, it's the least I can do."
"I mean I'm not gonna say no to free food." Peter shrugged his shoulders.
"Same." Jana nodded.
"I would love to go." Nova smiled, we all knew she was going.
"Ugh.. I don't even want to but I'm not gonna be the lame one who doesn't show up," Ethan conceded with the roll of his eyes.
"Well I hope you all have a nice time. I have to study, I have midterms coming up." I was lying through my teeth but Andrew didn't know that, nor did he have any means of proving it.
"Not be intrusive.. But you sort of have to come." He shrugged nonchalantly, "It's your idea and this is your team. We can't really meet without you. But if you need to study we can always go out a different day."
He's a fantastic politician. He's good at deflecting, he's also subtly manipulative. He makes sure he gets the results he desires. For example right now, he's turned the tables and now I'm the bad guy if I say 'no'. I'm the one standing in the way of this sham of a team bonding gathering.
"I guess I can always study later." I mumbled as Carter stood up in my lap babbling excitedly.
"Great you all can decide where you want to eat and let me know. I'll be back at the end of shift." I only relaxed once I saw him walk out of the room and back down the hallway.
"Dada?" Carter looked at me with quizzical eyes pointing towards the door.
"He'll be back soon, buddy." I rubbed his back, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
"Okay he is actually sex on legs." Nova fell back into her chair dramatically.
Ethan quickly whirled around in his chair staring at her as if she has two heads. "Yes he's gorgeous but ma'am that's potentially the future President. Lusting after the next leader of the free world is thirsty as fuck. Just be less."
"Can you please refrain from using expletives in the presence of America's baby? That would be fantastic." I held up Carter in the air over my head causing him to giggle.
"Oops, sorry baby."
"It's not like he knows what we're saying." Nova shrugged.
Peter shook his head, "I actually have a two year old little sister so I'd beg to differ. They definitely know what we're saying."
"That's true. I'm the oldest of four." Jana twirled around in her swivel chair, "Where are we going to eat? I'm starving."
"I say Cheesecake Factory." Peter stuck a finger up in the air.
"Yes. Fried macaroni balls? It's happening." Ethan agreed and there was similar remarks in agreement from Jana and Nova.
I found myself zoning out of the conversation. More enraptured within my own thought. Andrew can't be like flirting with me right? Because he's married and my boyfriend's older brother and Dalton and I are practically betrothed. He even heard his own mother refer to me as family... No.
Even if Andrew wasn't a faithful monogamous family that he paints himself out to be to the American public, he wouldn't cross that line. That line is career-ending. Not to mention I've seen Claudia, I'm definitely not his type. He's probably just too nice for his own good and I'm reading way too much into harmless interactions. He genuinely seems like a sweet person.
"Hey." The sound of a familiar voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see Dalton leaning against the doorway the same way his brother had been minutes before.
They may not share DNA but they're so alike, they basically have all of the same mannerisms.
"Well someone is mighty popular.." Ethan bummed throwing a cheeky glance my way.
"What are you doing here? I'm glad to see you... But I don't show up at your job like this."
The Harris men obliviously don't think about how their actions will alter others' perceptions of me. We'll definitively be having a talk about that, because this kind of behavior absolutely cannot continue. I'll never be taken seriously here if it does.
"I don't have a job." Dalton countered causing me to roll my eyes.
"I don't show up to your practices like this." I fixed my previous statement. I respect his boundaries and I give him his space, he should respect mine.
"I wanted to take my girl out. Now I'm bad the guy. Tough crowd."
"We actually have a work thing, but you should come." Jana offered.
Ugh, I know she's just trying to be nice but she really shouldn't.
I gave a tight-lipped smile. "That's a great idea. But in the mean time, we are all still on the clock." I stood from my desk, going over to Dalton and handed him his nephew. "So go bother your brother or something, I'll see you later." He leaned down to peck my lips but I took a step away from him before he had the chance to.
I mouthed the words, 'not here' shaking my head then turned away from him. "Okay so now that we are rid of all interruptions can we please resume the work we get paid to do?"
This day started out so well, but now I feel like I've gained the respect of my team only to lose it in seconds. Maybe Mitchell was right... Maybe I'm not cut out for this job.
Characters:
Listed in order:
Jana, Peter
Ethan, Nova.