Mayor Frederick Sewid had been a holy terror all week. His borrowed secretary had been severely reprimanded on the morning of Monday, January 16 when she had been caught reading an Internet article that Fred himself had them read. Within 24 hours of the posting of Rita Potter's article, Dr. Susan McKinney was in the mayoral office taking Fred's pulse and blood pressure and demanding he calm himself. To aid the doctor Fred told her something that very few knew. She had been sympathetic and promised to keep her patients privacy, but also insisted he calm his temper.
Throughout the week, Fred was advised by the cities lawyers that the article was on fine legal footing. Not a word of it was litigious. Fred did the only thing he could and sent a city-wide memo to the employees of Alexandra telling them to please be on the lookout for Rita Potter or anyone that might seem to be working for her. He could not, of course, have Rita or anyone that appeared to be working for her tossed off of Alexandra like fish bait off the docks. Nor could he have the unspoken demand uttered using print or voice. As a result the memo was a bit odd, but anyone who had worked under Fred Sewid for more than 10 minutes understood its meaning.
Of course most of them had read the article by Tuesday morning, which made Monday's memo more than crystal clear.
Fred worked through the week as usual without a single word being spoken about that article, its words or its damming pictures. He met with the town council on several occasions, laying down a plan he had been thinking to himself very carefully about. Despite his reputation, the Council knew Fred was of very sound mind and his plan went into motion with discussions but no objections. Only his nightly phone conversations with Shirley kept him from stroking out in abject rage.
But it was now Friday night and the town offices were now closed for the week. Fred went straight home and made a dinner for four, trying a relatively simple pasta dish.. She had been pleased with his new and ultramodern apartment and he was pleased she was pleased. At some point he hoped that she would live with him in it … even so high as to hope she would be his wife as well.
First, however, they had to survive this scandal.
Mayor Shirley Douglas arrived at Fred's door looking emotionally exhausted. It had been the week from hell. Her assistant, Louise had coached her through some prepared statements but she had been largely lying low. She had taken small meetings with people she knew well and trusted in town and reviewed budget and policy statements where words and numbers simply swam in her head. Fred had kept her sane with nightly phone calls. Shirley wanted to call Roberta, know if she'd read the horrible article, reach out to her, but Roberta still wasn't talking to her and right now it was especially hard to be patient.
To add to her grief she had ordered some personal "products" from her niece Megan's shop, requesting discreet delivery, and the box had been stopped by the Cedar Point post station and flagged as a suspicious package. Nick had the presence of mind to at least call her before one of his officers blasted it open in public or called in the bomb squad. She had to confess to him what it contained and he called off his team and delivered it himself, beginning their second awkwardly personal and unfortunate conversation of the week, the first being his warning about the article by Rita Potter.
Megan was in the bathroom applying mascara when she heard Adum coming in the door to their home. The morning sickness was mostly over now and she felt well and happy "Hey!!" She called out "Almost ready!"
Fred hears Shirley's key in the door and moves to it, realizing she obviously isn't a solicitor. As she automatically takes off her coat and shoes, he moves to put his arms around her. After a moment, he speaks into her soft hair. "I know this is where I'm supposed to say 'I'm sorry', but I'm not. And I have a plan, I didn't tell you about." he pulls back and his eyes are soft, kind and loving. "And no, it isn't murder. The fucking council won't approve that." he huffs.
Adum leans against the door frame of their bedroom, dresses in a decent pair of slacks and the best of his replacement sweaters for this personal meeting at the mayors house that actually has his stomach in about 35 perfect square knots. He looks at Megan and smiles. "You know you shouldn't cover up all that radiance, right?" he teases. He doubts he'll ever get her to go no-makeup, but the attempt would be entertaining. "Ready? I guess. I've never been to Fred Sewid's house for dinner before. No one has. We all just assumed his door opened into some alternate dimension." he bites his lip and then smiles "Anyway ... come on, baby. Lets go."
Megan giggles "I love you and I know you love me with and without makeup. I wear it for me though. It's a confidence booster. Maybe I should bring some for Aunt Shirley....god that fuckin bitch from the Scribbler." She makes for the stairs as she's still fastening an earring while she walks. She quickly pulls on a pair of tasteful black knee high boots over her black leggings. She's wearing a simple off the shoulder purple cotton dress with a black tank top under it since the shoulders slide down as part of the style of it. She turns around and pulls on her jacket after, ready to head to the car.
Shirley leans into Fred "You have no reason to be sorry. And you've dealt with so much more of this than I have. The press has never attacked me so...personally. How do you get through it? And what's this plan of yours?"
Fred chuckles slightly. "You've never been a demon. Becoming associated with me .. they probably figure you've just been hiding your dementia for a while is all." he takes her hand an leads her to the couch, sitting. "No word from Roberta?" he is hoping she managed to call her mother since the last time he and Shirley talked. "Oh .... my plan ... I should keep it a surprise and just tell everyone when Brate gets here. But I'll tell you if you insist." his eyes twinkle, but not like a demons.
Shirley shakes her head "No. Roberta has not called." She sighs "Or answered my emails. I miss her Fred." She swallows hard "Gwen sent me a little hello and a silly video to watch. That helped. I'm not sure the kids know about the article...god I hope not. I can wait for the Brates so you don't have to..."
She breaks off as there is a knock at the door.
Megan feels suddenly nervous to be dining with the town's mayor. Her aunt was one of course too but she grew up knowing Shirley. The two of them connecting romantically was adorable to her but all the stories she'd heard about Mayor Sewid made her apprehensive. She found herself holding Adum's hand a little bit harder than normal as they waited.
Adum knocks at the door and takes in yet another deep breath. Sewid was not acting at all normal, in his opinion, but the last week had been nightmarish. If it wasn't life or death, no one in the government wanted to talk about it. But most had read the article and, considering this meeting the article had hit on the relationship at least. but .... Fred Sewid and sweet Shirley? It was ... unimaginable.
Fred hears the knock and hugs her again. "I think if they read it, they would have called." he assures her, although he knows he could be VERY wrong. He opens the door, and smiles a bit. "Brate. Mrs Brate. Come on in." he holds the door for them. He can only imagine these kids are just about dying for information. "Have a seat. We can talk while I put the dinner on the table."
Adum moves in and starts taking off his coat and boots. Fred Sewid setting out supper. He wondered if perhaps the bullet wound was having some kind of delayed effect and this was all some kind of hallucination. "Thank you, Mayor Sewid." he smiles over at Shirley. "Mayor Douglas. Um .. Shirley."
Fred actually chuckles as he heads into the kitchen. "For gods sake, Brate. Call me Fred. And don't have a stroke in my new living room. I've had enough damn problems this week." he begins to plate up the meals and set them on the table. "I think we should begin with the near miss postal scandal. Wouldn't you agree, dear?"
Adum blinks. "Fred. Yes. Fred." and he blinks again at the very idea of the word 'dear' coming out of Fred's mouth. He looks between the women, feeling a little lost.
Shirley immediately goes to hug both Megan and Adum "Thank you both for coming. Megan, what a lovely dress on you! We do need to talk about that package you sent me." She laughs "Come in and sit. Perhaps mailing it from your home address if I order again. They flagged it as suspicious at the post office because it came from a postal box. I had a very awkward chat with Chief Callahan...." She giggles like a schoolgirl as she drops into a chair "You should have seen his face when he brought it over."
Megan's hand flies to her mouth "Oh Aunt Shirley! I'm so sorry." She sits with her at the table and then starts laughing and looks at Adum with guilt and then back to Shirley "OK Adum doesn't....know...everything...." Since Fred called Shirley dear she just says the rest of her thought now "about you two being a couple."
Shirley looks at Adum sincerely "Sorry dear, the papers did get some of it right."
Adum looks between all three of them now. "What package?" his gaze settles on Megan for a moment. "You didn't." he accuses her, knowing Megan did do mail orders. Then he looks between Fred and Shirley. "Couple...." he adds, lamely.
Fred finishes plating. "Come and eat, if you think you can stomach it." he suggests and gets Shirley's chair for her. "Tell them the story, Shirley love." he moves to sit himself. "A good beginning might be 'In a hole in the ground there lived a troll.' or 'It was a dark and stormy night' also works."
Adum moves to the table and gets Megan's chair almost without thinking. This was beginning to feel like he'd fallen down the rabbit hole.
Shirley looks amused by Adum taking in the info about she and Fred and sarcastically clarifies "A couple, as in romantic, and I daresay sexual partners. We'll do the honest thing one day and get hitched even, like you kids." She winks at Fred "In a hold in the ground, there lived a Fred. A 16 year old Fred who could make all the girls swoon, including me. We dated when I came to the island for the summer to stay with my grandmother but it didn't work out then. Then we briefly connected again before I married Elliot....and this is the part I'm glad the papers don't know yet. Roberta is Fred's. I didn't know at first, but she is. I thought she was Elliot's and that Fred wouldn't want kids then anyway, so I made the biggest mistake of my life. We told Roberta at Christmas and she hasn't spoken to me since. It's killing me. The only thing keeping me going through it is Fred. We realized we still loved each other at the winter formal, well after it. And here we are."
Megan is giggly at first and then looks touched and weepy, her pregnant hormones in full swing. She wipes at her eyes "Oh my god Aunt Shirley...that's so beautiful and so sad.....and Fred..." She looks at him and back to her great aunt just sniffling.
Adum listens, still feeling a little stunned. "I'm not saying you can't have sex, or anything, it's just." he sinks into his chair and reaches for Megan's hand when she begins crying. "So ... you got back together after ....." he can't make himself do the math. "A lifetime apart."
Fred chuckles at the beginning of the story and he takes Shirley's hand. "Roberta will come around, or I might have to show her where she got that temper of hers." he sighs. "When Roberta was conceived, I didn't think a family would have helped me in political office. I wasn't told. Hell, it took me the better part of a decade to know for sure." he squeezes Shirley's hand. "But ... better late than never. I even showed my sweet side getting this unit on the 16th floor." he looks over at Megan. "Goodness, girl, no need to cry about it." he half jokes, half chides with half a smile to soften his words. "MOST of my reputation is deserved, Megan. I was very bitter when Shirley and I broke up and my first years in office weren't easy ... closing down that damn school didn't happen exactly as I planned, but the Academy is doing good ... so I'll take it." he shrugs and offers the choice between wine and juice for his guests, remembering Adum once had a struggle with the bottle.. "In any event, it is all a moot point. I have plans now we're back together and Shirley has a lubricant dealer." he is teasing the young folks.
Shirley pats Megan on the arm "Oh sweetie. We're OK...I mean once Roberta is. I appreciate your concern though Meg. And wine please Fred....oh I could use a glass after this week!"
Megan sniffs, smiling sweetly at them all "I'm normally not quite this sensitive but since you're sharing secrets I'll tell you ours. I'm pregnant. Everything makes me cry right now. Which is better than everything making me puke...the phase before this one. And juice please" She looks sheepish and gestures at her abdomen.
Shirley beams "Oh my goodness!! It couldn't happen to two better would be parents. Congratulations you two...three!" She has to laugh "That makes my week kids!"
Adum nods, beginning to come back to himself. "Juice please." and then Megan makes the announcement and he smiles.
Fred pours wine for himself and Shirley and juice for the newly expecting parents. "Well congratulations." he smiles at them and looks at Shirley with a slight laugh. "That makes me even gladder I've made my decision. Might make your week even happier." he announces and finally sits as well. "Dig in! We have plenty to celebrate." he still hasn't revealed his plan, and he knows it, but Shirley knows he DOES like to tease.
Shirley thanks Fred for the wine and then pokes him "You smug so and so. What HAVE you got up your sleeve?" She takes a bite of her Shrimp Alfredo linguine and beams at Fred and his cooking.
Megan bursts into a short lived but new round of tears at her aunt's gushing and then takes the juice "Thank you." She looks very curiously at Fred.
Adum looks curious as he tastes the food. It wasn't bad. He glances over at Megan when she breaks into another short storm of tears, but his eyes also turn to Fred.
Fred chuckles as he tastes his own cooking. It seems that following the directions does help. Finally he swallows. "Alright, alright." he looks around the table. "I had actually planned to die at my desk." he announces. "Alexandra has been my life, even though we've had a relatively bad relationship in my childhood. But once I became mayor, I was able to make many changes and ... well this island has been my family. And I've been very protective of it." he looks at Adum. "I remember when you were born ... and your growing up from a boy into a man. When Chief Winters passed, I took his advice to make you Chief, despite your age. Haven't regretted that decision one second." he rests his wrists on the table and looks at Adum, carefully. "After you were shot, I realized that it wasn't fair. Stolen away from your wife ... yes I had heard about your marriage. Believe I grumbled something about that soft hearted Shirley Douglas. Anyway ...." he shrugs. "Your popularity has never been higher. Josh Green took command and was stellar in HIS capacity as Chief. I really should have given him the post, but Winters wanted you to have it and Josh wasn't QUITE up for it then. Now .. I think he is." he mods and moves his linguine around his plate. "After this delicious little sex scandal broke, I decided I am, quite frankly .. too old for this bullshit anymore. I have a reason to live in Shirley here. And damn it. I'm going to take it. Talked to the Town Council and they agreed immediately." he nods and fills his fork. "All we need now, is for you to say 'yes', Adum." and he eats.
Adum has been listening as he eats, but thinks he may have gotten lost. "Say yes to what, Sir?"
Fred chews and swallows, then dabs at his lips. "Oh ..." he pretends he didn't realize he hadn't made himself clear. "To becoming mayor of Alexandra after I retire."
Megan had been listening with interest to the history as it was explained by Fred and was taking a sip of her juice when he clarified for Adum and sputtered, looking at Adum. THAT was a big question!
Shirley nodded along while Fred talked and then chuckled as he got to his point. She wasn't surprised by it and it made total sense to her. She patted Megan on the shoulder and looked at Adum "It's the logical choice dear."
Adum had fork halfway between plate and mouth when Fred clarifies. Then he dropped it. He realized he wasn't speaking, but he was processing ... and processing quickly. That had become a part of his nature over the years. He looks at Megan. His wife. What she had gone through when he had been shot and nearly died. Now she was pregnant. The chances of him being shot again as a cop were low, but it wan't impossible. He could still die in the line of duty. Realistically, he felt he had already played his miracle card. Did he want his child ... maybe his children ... to have to live with his being killed in the line of duty? For Megan to have to raise their kids alone? he looks at Megan for along time and leans over, kissing her on the cheek. "If you are alright with it, baby." he tells her. "I'd like to do it. Safer job. More money. Josh can handle the chief job. I know he can." he turns to Fred. "Would there be training?"
Fred nods and takes his wine. "There would be training." he confirms. "I'll show you what to do. And more importantly who to talk to first to get what you want, when to dig in your heels and when to use that Irish charm in places I simply blew up." he actually winks and sips.
Megan nods at Adum, tilting her face into the kiss and says, a bit stunned "Of course I'm fine with it Adum." She looks at Fred with questions "Can you just appoint him though without ruffling feathers? You don't have to call an election? I'm not really good with politics....."
Shirley just sits back, letting Fred field it all. It will unfold how it's supposed to. She watches her grand niece, thinking of their baby to be and the terrible autumn. They deserved more security and happiness for their family.
Adum looks at Megan and smiles and then back at Fred. "Then I'll do it." he listens to Megan answering the questions and watches Fred. In may ways this little man was probably going to be his family someday.
Fred smiles at Megan. "I ruffle feathers. Call it a gift." he teases. "But yes, I can appoint anyone I want, as long as they aren't incompetent. That's one of the provisions when the Council decided to not even hold an election unless someone filed the papers to run against me. SO it's a provision at this point. If someone wants to run against Adum in the future, they only have to file and ... they're be an election. Saves money in the end." he sighs. "There are many things to being mayor of this island town that make people not want to take it on. Whether you believe in curses or not, the crime rate in this city always skyrockets in October. Not as if this were Vancouver to Toronto or even Niagara Falls, but for our population ... all hell breaks loose. And of course, you know all about the Olin." he pauses. "You will be tempted to have it torn down and the earth salted." he sighs. "I wouldn't advise it. The one time I tried ... that October remains the worst on record. If I wasn't superstitious before then .. I am now. A member of the First Nation came even ... he said ... that area should be as ignored as possible. So ... I do." he clears his throat. "But enough about that, Mayor Brate." he teases. "Lets celebrate. I know Shirley is probably dying to know all about this baby."
Megan looks a little uncomfortable on the subject of the Olin but then grins at Fred. She's starting to like this new old boyfriend of her great aunt's already. She knew he owned what people had said about him, but there was more to him and she was glad of it. She can't help but laugh at Fred calling Adum Mayor Brate and shakes her head "Adum, I know you'll be amazing at the job. I'm just still wrapping my head around it. And that Potter woman's going to have a heyday with you being married to someone who is a business partner in an adult shop. At least this time she'll be correct in reporting, instead of assuming a B&B is a brothel. Screw her. Maybe I should send her a dildo in advance. We can call it a press release." She tucks in her napkin and takes a big bite of pasta, looking pleased with her own joke.
Shirley looked solemn about the Olin and the Octobers and then positively cracks up at Megan's suggestion. "How about those thingies that go in the rear dear? Because that's where Rita Potter can stick it! I would like to know about your baby of course, but one last bit of business. During the course of this conversation I made a decision. I'm calling a civic election in Cedar Point, and I will not be running in it."
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