Opposing Affair

Chapter 2: Rising Stakes

Julianna

The next morning, I am sitting in my office with my team Nick, Cassie, and Nadine at a large table covered with laptops and papers. We’re focused but tense, reflective of the high stakes as the campaign enters a crucial phase. The polls still remain a fifty-fifty split, but I am determined to change that. Suddenly, Nick motions for silence, pointing to the television where a breaking news segment is starting.

In political news, controversy surrounds presidential candidate Julianna Daniels as new allegations about her college years resurface. Rival candidate Tom Harrison claims to have evidence of misconduct that could question Daniels' suitability for office.

Nick turns towards me with concern. "Julianna, we need to address this immediately. Harrison is going on air with what he claims is proof."

I'm livid that he thought he would be able to use my past against me. I have nothing to hide so I'm ready. "We knew this might come up; let's stick to our strategy,being transparent and telling the truth." Although it was true for the most part, I had nothing to hide, but it’s also a lie because I am hiding one key detail and I’m afraid that Tom figured it out.

I continuing watching the interview and Tom hold some documents in his hand. He holds up papers to the camera, his voice grave with malicious intent.

"These documents show a pattern of reckless behavior by Julianna Daniels during her time at college. We must ask ourselves, is this the kind of candidate we want in the oval office? A stripper!”He’s an old b***h with nothing better to do. Pictures of my days in college appear and there is a picture of me drinking alcohol from a bottle. There is also another one taken, one I was not aware of at the time. I was wearing exotic blue lingerie, and I was on stage on a pole. The camera blurs out the inappropriate parts, but the message Tom is sending is clear.

I sit and watch although I am partially nervous about if this would affect my election. My team scrambles to come up with ways to respond. "This is a defamation of my character. Yes, I made mistakes—I’ve never hidden that. But I’ve learned and grown from them. That’s what shapes us as leaders." I know the viewers are going to be expecting a press conference following his act, so, later on, I prepare for a live response on a major news network. I feel calm and determined but also nervous as I sit in the makeup chair, going over my notes.

Aliana, my makeup artist blends the foundation onto my skin, "You okay, Julianna? You’ve got this. Just speak from the heart."

Looking in the mirror, I steady myself. "It’s all you can do, right? Speak from the heart."

“Yeah, and the viewers will believe you. You are human and allowed to make mistakes. You were young when that scandal took place.” It still does not excuse the fact that I was an exotic dancer for politicians. Back then, I hated that they were able to live a double life and never get called out for it. When it came to me, my mentor found out what my work was, and he wanted me to do more than just dance for my spot in politics. I shake my head not thinking about the secret I’ve kept all of these years. It still haunts me to this day.

Nick yells, “We start in five, Senator.”

I smile, “Thank you.”

I stand and gather my papers before walking out of my dressing room and into my conference room. I sit at the head of the conference table and look at the camera. Nick nods, giving me the signal. “Good evening and thank you for joining me tonight. I stand before you not just as a candidate, but as a person who believes deeply in the power of redemption and growth. Tonight, I address claims from my opponent designed to question my character. Yes, in my youth, I made errors in judgment. But those mistakes provided profound lessons that have informed my dedication to service and integrity. Let's not focus on tearing down each other with past faults but on building a future where everyone can rise from their challenges."

I let out a breath. "I stand here, open to scrutiny, because the values we instill in our leadership matter more than mistakes we’ve learned from. I hope my journey can be a testament to that."

—

Ramello

I watch intently as Julianna sits in the chair; her posture composed but her eyes betraying a hint of the storm she's weathering. She flashes that gorgeous smile before speaking. "Good evening and thank you for joining me tonight. I stand before you not just as a candidate, but as a person who believes deeply in the power of redemption and growth. Tonight, I address claims from my opponent designed to question my character. Yes, in my youth, I made errors in judgment. But those mistakes provided profound lessons that have informed my dedication to service and integrity. Let's not focus on tearing down each other with past faults but on building a future where everyone can rise from their challenges."

“She is good.” I said more to myself than anything.

Grace, my campaign manager checks her tablet. "It's escalating, Ramello. Harrison is pushing hard with these allegations.”

"It’s a character assassination tactic, pure and simple. We can’t let politics be dragged down like this. It’s bad for everyone. Start gathering evidence that disproves these claims. I want to make sure the truth comes out."

She nods and walks away. I pick up my phone, dialing a trusted advisor. "Marcus, it’s Ramello. We need to talk. It’s about Harrison's play on Julianna Daniels. I want to do something about it."

"Are you sure, Ramello? Getting involved could backfire on your own campaign," he asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah, it’s not just about the campaign. It’s about integrity. Start digging for the origin of Harrison’s so-called evidence. And check our sources too. We need to counteract this not by attacking Harrison, but by bolstering the truth."

“Okay. I’ll check in tomorrow.” I hang up the phone and then decide to send an email to Julianna.

Julianna, I've heard about the recent attack against you. While our campaigns are rivals, I believe in fair play and respect. We’re countering the false narratives where we can. Politics should be about truth and progress. Stay strong. -Ramello Rhodes

What is wrong with me? Truth and progress?! I never reacted in a way that would put my campaign at risk. Let alone the rumors of romance sparking between us has been trending since the debate. Julianna is everything I do not want in a woman. While she’s beautiful, she's too free-spirited. But I respect her ambition to win. As an African American in politics, there’s a slim chance that we would become president. Her bravery tonight impressed me—way more than I care admit.

I close my office and say good night to my team before getting in my car and driving off. As I’m heading towards my home, I notice a car pulled over. A woman is leaned forward with her head on the steering wheel. I park and get out to approach the vehicle. I knock on her driver's window, and she jumps up giving me a full view of her face.

Unexpectedly, Julianna looks up at me with me wide, teary eyes. s**t! She quickly wipes her tears and displays a smile that didn’t fully reach her eyes.

“Ramello Rhodes, what are you doing here?” Her voice is a little raspy.

“I was making sure I didn’t have to call the police. Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“I’m fine. You didn’t have to go through all of this trouble.” She’s lying. I’ve never seen Julianna Daniel’s vulnerable and right now, it’s tugging the strings in my heart. She’s always confident, ready to counter any attack that’s thrown at her, but right now this isn’t her.

“It’s no trouble. Harrison pulled a b***h move.”

She chuckles. “It’s giving sassy vibes.”

I find myself smiling at her. “But you handled it with Grace. Mad respect to you.”

“Thanks. But it only gets worse from here. My car stopped and I guess, I just broke down.”

I peek around and notice that her car was not running. “Maybe you need a jump. I have my cables in the trunk.”

“You really don’t have to do that, I can call my driver and- “

“I’m already here, Julianna. Let me take a look.” My tone is a little more authoratative and she looks like she wants to protest but stop herself.

“Okay, fine.”

Is it wrong that I found her obedience sexy? God this is not how this is supposed to go. I don’t want to like her, she’s my opponent. I jog to my trunk and grab the cables. She gets out of the driver side as I lean in to pop the hood of her car. Her scent is a mix of jasmine and honey that compliments her well and it does something to me. I walk around to the front of her car and connect the cables to the battery before going back to start it up. It didn’t bulge. I gave it some time and then started it again. It didn’t work.

“What’s wrong with it?” She asks.

“I don’t know. It could be something with your engine.” I try to think about how I can help her.

“I really need to get home to my daughter. Her babysitter has plans tonight and I promised I’ll be home in enough time.” I knew about her daughter and even seen pictures of the little version of Julianna.

“I’ll make sure you’ll get home. Let me call for a tow truck and I’ll give you a ride.”

After she reluctantly agree, we get in the car and wait for the tow truck to arrive. About twenty minutes later, we’re driving on the road towards her house. The ride is quiet for the for majority of the ride with small conversations. The ride is about a half an hour and before we know it, we are pulling up in her driveway. Her house is massive, but it isn’t a mansion. The outside is welcoming with fresh manicure lawn. A small water fountain is displaying different colors as water is springing out of it. The brick layout is impressive.

“Your home is beautiful,” I compliment

“Thank you. My late husband and I bought it before Selah was born.” I heard about the passing of her husband about four years ago.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Her lips quirk slightly. “Thank you. It’s been four years, but it still feels like a nightmare.” There is a pause, neither of us know what to say next. I admit I did not expect the night to go like this and did not expect to enjoy having her in my presence outside of our campaign.

“I should go,” she says softly.

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

“Ramello, thank you, but you have done more than enough.”

“What type of man would I be if I let you walk to the door by yourself? My mother would knock me senseless if she knew that I didn’t make sure a lady is safe.”

She chuckles a little. “Smart woman.” She squints her eyes, “You know, you are not what I expected you to be.”

I am intrigued by her comment and raise an eyebrow. “What did you expect me to be?”

She shrugs her shoulder. “I don’t know. I guess I expect you to be reserved, calculated, and very dominant. Out of all three of those things, you are definitely one of them.”

This conversation just got interesting. “Which one,” I challenge.

“I’m not gonna tell you,” she giggles. “But seriously, thank you for everything.” We get out of the car and walk up to her door as she reaches into her purse to grab her keys. She puts it into the doorknob, but the door is already opening and a beautiful little girl in her princess pajamas and wild curly hair is standing at the door. She observes me, giving me the same look Julianna would during our debate.

“Mom you’re late,” she scolds. I scoff, holding in my laughter.

“And you’re not in bed, why?”

The little girl lets out of breath. “Because I heard about what the other guy tried to do to you and I watched your press conference. You did great, Mommy.” That caused me to smile. She is definitely a mini Julianna. She looks over at me again and smile.

“Hi, thank you for bringing my mommy home. My name is Selah.” I smiled as I knelt down to her height.

“It’s no problem, Selah. My name is-“

“Mr. Rhodes. You’re my mom’s opponent in the presidential campaign.” I see she’s gonna be a future politician. “Of course I want my mommy to win, but if she doesn’t and you do, I won’t be too mad as long as it’s not the other guy.”

“Selah!” Julianna shouts as her cheeks flush. “I’m so sorry, she’s a little outspoken.”

“It’s fine she’s adorable.”

“Do you like my mom? I saw the way you were looking at her during the debate.” Okay, did she just put me in the hot seat? If an eight year old girl could spot me watching Julianna, maybe the viewers did as well which is why there’s speculation. I could only laugh.

“Selah! Okay, it’s time for bed,” Julianna interjected.

“I’m so sorry, Ramello.”

“It's okay, really. I can respect her question and to answer that question, little lady, your mom is a beautiful woman, and we have a lot of respect for each other. She’s a great politician.” I look up at Julianna and something flickers in her gaze before she turns her head.

“You politicians with your vague answers,” she jokes. She’s a wise little girl. I found myself laughing way more than usual.

“Okay, say good night to Mr. Rhodes.” Selah shakes her head in defeat. “Good night, Mr. Rhodes.”

“Good night, princess Selah. Good night, Julianna.”

She smiles, “Good night, Ramello.”