Girl Power by Dee Dawning Read Free Book Online Page A

mean?"
    "Your women's party. Is it going to fly?"
    "We're going to try our best. Is there something you want?"
    "Sally, I know we didn't always get along, but I always admired your skills."
    "Well, we sat on opposite sides of the aisle. Actually, I felt the same about you. You're a good politician, Maddy."
    "Was. I was a good politician."
    "Whatever do you mean?"
    "I'll be frank with you. My party doesn't want pro-choice moderates any
    more. I was looking to keep my seat as an independent, when I discovered
    something better, your new SAFE party. Great acronym by the way. What does it
    stand for again?"
    "Stand Aligned For Equality."
    "I love it. I went to your website and was impressed. Sally, I want in. Are you accepting former republican politicians as candidates?"
    "For the House?"
    "Ah-huh."
    "Maddy, we'd love to have you."
    About an hour after Sally hung up, her intercom buzzed again.
    "Yes, Millie?"
    "You have a call from Dixie Jenkins."
    Dixie Jenkins? Who's she? "Ask her what she wants."
    "Yes, Ma'am."
    Sally thumbed through an appropriation bill she'd received the day before.
    "Sally."
    "Yes, Millie."
    "She wants to join the party and run for office."
    "Thank you. I'll take the call, but if anyone else calls, take a message."
    "Sally Cummings, can I help you?"
    The woman on the end of the line spoke in a singsong, southern accent. "I
    hope so. My name is Dixie Jenkins and I am a currently a representative in the
    Lower House of the great state of Virginia."
    "Yes, Ms. Jenkins, what can I do for you?"
    "I'm interested in running for the House of Representatives under your new
    party's banner."
    "Really. Tell me more."
    After Dixie explained her background and reasoning, Sally asked, "Dixie, do you have an email address?"
    "Certainly."
    "I'll email a couple forms for you to fill out. Email them back a.s.a.p. and we'll get back with you. What is your email address?"
    "d-i-x-j-e-n-k-i-n-s at live dot com."
    "Thank you, Dixie. We'll get that right out to you, and thanks for calling."
    After ending the call, Sally went into the reception area. "Millie, I'm going to see Lindy. Take messages."
    "Yes Ma'am. Here's another call that came in, from a Florence Petersen in St Paul, Minnesota."
    "Let me have it. Keep taking messages. I'm going to run over to Lindy's for a minute."
    "Hi Lindy."
    Lindy glanced up. "What brings you to my humble abode?"
    "This." Sally flipped the message on Lindy's desk.
    She picked it up. "Florence Petersen, D, MN, wants to join, run for U.S.
    Senate." She looked up. "What's wrong with this?"
    "Nothing, except now that word is out, it's the third call I received in little more than an hour. Did you put my name and number out?"
    Lindy pursed lips sideways. "Yes. You are the president of SAFE and our
    most visible person."
    Sally frowned. "That's fine. Put my name out, but I'm an elected official. I shouldn't take calls about SAFE in my congressional office. Have them call
    someone else, like you."
    Lindy raised her hands. "I can't. I'm too busy working on SAFE, for my
    regular clients and now your Senate campaign. I'll tell you what I can do
    though."
    Lindy handed two sheets of paper to Sally. "What this?"
    "A lease for our SAFE National Committee office."
    "Committee office?"
    "Certainly, you realize if we're going to be a credible party we have to have a large Comittee office."
    "And it's…?"
    "In a mostly vacant office building in Silver Spring, near Washington D.C ."
    "Jesus, we need people and you hand me a big empty building."
    "We'll get the people, but we need someplace for them to be and go."
    Sally started to read the lease. "Hmm, good location, twenty thousand feet.
    My God, the place is huge. How will we ever fill it?"
    "Too small is a problem, too big is a blessing."
    "Oh my God! The rent." Sally lowered the lease. "We can't afford this. The rent is twenty thousand a month."
    "No, that's what the rent would be if it wasn't the owner's charitable
    deduction. The only thing the office will