Conservative Affairs by Riley Scott Read Free Book Online Page A

since Ian was out of town? She stepped up, way above her pay grade, because neither of us wanted to be the fall guy.”
    Gabe had tried time and time again to smooth things over, but Jacquelyn was angry, jealous perhaps that the new girl was in the loop and she was not. Jacquelyn wasn’t accustomed to being on the outside. As communications director she was the staff member who spent the most time with Madeline. Unfortunately, she also was the office gossip.
    “I know,” Jacquelyn conceded. “But she didn’t have to yell at me. I mean, can you imagine having a staff member yell at you in front of everyone in the office over an issue that you brought to the forefront of everyone else’s attention? I mean, if it weren’t for me, no one would have known, and Jo couldn’t have rushed in and come to Stratton’s rescue. I just think it’s unfair, that’s all.”
    “Enough!” Gabe had heard this argument at least ten times already and couldn’t take it anymore. “Jacquelyn, listen to yourself. Of course, it’s unfair. It’s an unfair situation and not just for you. Don’t forget that a woman we all respect and admire had her world turned upside down today, okay?”
    Even though he knew better than to take the side of one staffer over another, he couldn’t help but come to Jo’s defense. “Besides, Jo was doing what she felt was right, and I think her actions were admirable. Should she have yelled at you? No, probably not. But she was the one who had the courage to walk into Stratton’s office and do what neither you nor I wanted to do. She was also the one who had the insight to take Madeline out of the office and make sure that she was going to be okay. And for the record, when she ‘yelled at you in front of everyone,’ she did so in your office with the door shut and there was nobody in there but the two of you. Otherwise you wouldn’t need to be telling me about it. So maybe you should just get off her case and get back to work or you should just go home.”
    “Fine, Gabe. Take her side.” Jacquelyn glanced around the empty office. They had sent everyone else away in order to frustrate the media, who had started turning things into a circus after hearing an on-air teaser from Channel 15 about a bombshell report that it would be airing on the evening news. It hadn’t revealed the nature of the story, but it had featured a picture of the mayor and her husband.
    The two of them had handled the media queries, providing reporters with the mayor’s “no comment” statement as well as doing what they could in “off the record” conversations to protect Madeline—maybe even build some sympathy for her. Until they heard from Ian, her chief of staff, or Madeline herself with more detail or direction, there was little else they could do.
    Now, in the quiet of the office, it was as if they were the only two soldiers standing on the battlefield.
    Gabe watched Jacquelyn slam shut her laptop and pack her briefcase. He hoped she would go home soon. He would stay. He wanted to be here in case Jo came back, something which looked increasingly unlikely with each passing hour. He wanted to see if she was okay. She had seemed almost as upset as Madeline when they left, and he couldn’t understand why. Before today, there had been times when he wasn’t even sure that she liked working for Madeline. Today, though, things had been different—as if Jo felt protective toward Madeline. Whatever had happened during that breakfast over the weekend that Jo had mentioned had caused them to bond. It didn’t matter, he supposed. He was just thankful that Jo seemed to have made that connection to her job now, that she wanted to be a part of the team even if it meant babysitting an upset mayor.
    Glancing at his BlackBerry for the hundredth time since she and the mayor had left, he sighed.
    “She’s not going to call you back, you know.”
    “Who?” He asked the question, knowing Jacquelyn didn’t really need to