Page 29 of Reptile Dysfunction
“How do you have the energy for all this? In the two days I’ve followed you, you’ve worked from dawn till dusk, and beyond,” she says, gesturing to the night sky. “I haven’t seen you snap at anyone or complain or even take a breather this whole time. How do you manage to stay so positive?”
I smile, grateful that my hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I know this sounds like a cliché,” I tell her gently. “But I genuinely feel like the luckiest man on earth. Serving my community has always been my dream, and for whatever reason, I always saw my path as lying in politics. But it wasn’t always easy for me.”
Charlotte looks puzzled. “What do you mean? Everyone here loves you. Even I’m starting to come around, so you’re obviously doing something right,” she adds with a wry smile.
“I’m very happy to hear that, but I guess you missed a few things when you were researching me,” I tell her with a look that suggests ‘research’ is a generous term. She looks a little sheepish in return, and we both smile, knowing that that’s now behind us.
“Before I ran for mayor in Curiosity, I ran for the same position in a place called Sweetwater. Sweetwater is mostly human-populated, and I was one of the only gorgons in the town. The others pretty much kept to themselves, and the townspeople liked it that way. But I truly believed I could make a difference if I ran for office. I thought I might even be able to shift public opinion on gorgons if I could prove to them that I really just wanted to help.”
I sigh, remembering all the horrible things I had to go through back then.
“They didn’t accept you,” Charlotte says gently, preempting the end of the story.
“No, they didn’t,” I reply. “In fact, they as good as ran me out of town. That’s why I feel so lucky to have found Curiosity. Somehow, against all odds, I got a second chance at achieving my dream. And I’ve spent every single day since my inauguration repaying this city for its kindness. I finally feel like I truly belong, and I mean it when I say it’s a privilege to serve Curiosity and the people in it.”
For a moment, Charlotte is silent, and all I hear is our footsteps against the cobblestone pavement, beating out a rhythm in unison.
“Well, Curiosity is lucky to have you as its mayor,” she finally says in a small, soft voice.
I never expected to hear those words come out of her mouth, but when they do, I realize how relieved I am to hear them.
I’m about to say something else when Charlotte suddenly stops.
“This is me,” she says, gesturing to the apartment building behind her.
“Ah, well,” I say, trying not to show my disappointment that our conversation is over. “I hope you have enough to start writing the article. And let me know if you need anything else.”
I stretch out my hand to shake hers, and she clasps it.
“I will,” she says, the tone of our conversation suddenly becoming very formal again. “Thank you, Mayor We – Mason.”
“Thank you, Charlotte,” I reply with a smile before turning back into the quiet streets of Curiosity.
17
CHARLOTTE
As soon as I close my apartment door behind me, I let out a sigh. Not only because I’m exhausted from the last two days of running around after Mason, but because my entire view of him has shifted significantly.
“What a day,” I mutter under my breath, trying to decide what to do now.
I wish I could just throw myself down in bed and fall asleep, but even though my body is tired, my mind is still very much at work. And how could it not be? There’s so much to process.
Instead of going to bed, I head into the kitchen and pull out a bottle of port. I figure a nice little nightcap might help me wind down and will give me some time to think.
When I open my cupboard, though, I realize all I have in there are coffee mugs.
I go digging in one of the many unpacked boxes that arrived just after I did in search of a glass. Finally, I unearth the glassware box, but as I’m pulling out a port glass, I realize it’s wrapped in a page from the Tribune.
When I look closer, I realize it’s actually a piece I wrote myself. One of the first I penned after Derek and I got together. A rush of anger and hurt comes flooding back. These are the feelings I’ve done my best to push down since the day I told Derek I wouldn’t put up with his lying and manipulation anymore. Since the day I was fired from what I thought was my dream job. Since the day my friends and colleagues began whispering about me behind my back.
Never in a million years did I think Derek would stoop so low, but I suppose that only gave more credence to my suspicion that I never really knew him at all.
The worst thing was that Derek had far-reaching influence, and where he didn’t, I can only guess he shifted into someone whose voice was more respected. It didn’t take long after being fired from the Tribune to realize that no paper in Chicago would take me.
I still don’t even know what Derek said, but it must have been bad because all I got were closed doors. When I finally got this gig at the Curiosity Herald, I thought that, at the very least, this might be a chance to escape that madness. But looking down at the paper in my hand, I realize he’s managed to follow me even here.