Mandy was ready to answer some tough questions. She had never been on TV before, except as background at a campaign rally or two, and here she was – about to hit prime time. Speaking live to the nation about the most intimate of subjects. That had not been part of the plan, but in Washington she learned you had to roll with the punches…
It was January, the capital was buzzing with gossip as the new president was sworn in. A Democrat, after twelve years of Republican chief execs, was hailed by the people who make such pronouncements as a cultural milestone. For Amanda DuClark it meant she could start her job search.
“Everyone calls me Mandy.”
The black woman who was Senator Cuthbert’s chief of staff made a big show of her disinterest. Mandy tried to grin accommodatingly with her pearly whites, but even crossing her long and tan legs she received no discernible response from the civil servant.
Occasionally the woman mumbled “good” or “okay” as she skimmed through the resume and letters of recommendation procured via “outside work” for her professor. But the strong lines of the woman’s face never relaxed, which made the twenty-four year old break into a nervous cold sweat.
As she dropped the resume to the table, the woman looked her eye to eye.
“I’m Claudia.”
She already knew this (Claudia Gower was a revered name in California’s political circles), but Mandy smiled and shook her hand.
Claudia got up and turned the lock on the door, the faint noise of office work wisping past the solid oak. She spun around and looked at Mandy, folding her arms as she scrutinized the young woman. Her thick red lips puckered as Mandy’s stomach nervously churned.
She walked to the desk and leaned over, pretending to look for something. Her generous rear couldn’t be held in by much by her miniskirt and the perfectly spherical muscles swayed under Mandy’s nose.
“Oh I’m sorry”, Claudia said unconvincingly, “I was just double checking your C-V. Great stuff.”
“No problem.”
Claudia sat on the solid oak desk, its strong black color contrasting nicely with her light brown thighs, inches away from Mandy’s face.
“Did you know I went to CalWest State too?”
“I’ve heard that, somewhere.”
“Worked with Professor Gosarian too.”
“Cool.” Mandy swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat.
