weekends. Callie convinced Billy that he stood a much better chance with Kacey, so, as most pre-pubescent boys do, he went for it. Their relationship lasted almost a week, which in sixth grade, is like a lifetime.
They had gone to separate elementary and middle schools, Callie in Kingston, Kacey across the bridge in Wilkes-Barre, until Kacey convinced her parents to move five miles away so the girls could attend the same high school together. It was at Valley West where Callie looked after Kacey and they became the most popular girls in the class of ’99. During their senior year, Callie refused to run for homecoming queen, because doing so meant she would have to run against Kacey, who had dreamed about winning the crown since the fifth grade. Not only did Callie refuse to run, but she garnered enough votes from friends to guarantee Kacey the victory. Kacey never forgot the gesture, one that Callie put almost no stock in. “It’s what friends do,” she said afterwards without giving it a second thought. They spent alternating weekends at each other’s homes and would go on vacations with each other’s families. Kacey’s wavy auburn hair and soft facial features had always drawn people towards her, but as pretty as she was, she wasn’t Callie. In all the time they’d spent together, Kacey never heard Callie utter a word about her own looks, but would make it a point to tell Kacey she was the prettiest girl in the room. Kacey knew better, but liked that Callie always went out of her way to make her feel special.
“Do you like this job better?” Callie asked, referring to Bob Kravitz finally promoting Kacey to the political section of the paper.
“I really do.”
“It’s too bad they didn’t assign you to the social page,” Callie said as she slowly lifted her right hand from under the table and raised it in front of her face, pretending to move her pony-tailed hair out of her eyes.
“The social page? That’s newspaper hell. Why would you…” Kacey stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the ring in front of Callie’s mouth. Her scream reverberated throughout the eatery. Rightfully assuming everyone had to be gawking at her, Kacey quickly covered her mouth and screamed into her hand, “Oh my god, Cal, when did this happen?”
“Two nights ago,” Callie said. She raised her other hand in an attempt to settle Kacey down. “Now, before you get angry at me, we didn’t tell a soul. My parents don’t even know yet…you’re the only person that knows.”
Kacey grabbed Callie’s hand and brought the ring closer for inspection. “How could you do this to me?” she said while she checked the stone for blemishes and coloration.
Callie laughed at her best friend, “It’s all about you, is it?”
“Damn right,” Kacey said, ogling the two-carat diamond.
“We just wanted to share something between ourselves. Please don’t be upset with me,” Callie begged for understanding from the only person she actually wanted it from.
“Okay, I’m going to forgive you this one time, but next time you’d better...”
“Next time?”
“You know what I mean. When you get this kind of big news…wow, this is so awesome.” Kacey released Callie’s hand and pulled a napkin from the dispenser on the table.
“Are you crying, Kace?”
Kacey wiped the tears from her eyes. “Yeah, so what? One of us has to.” Kacey blew her nose gently into the napkin. “I’m just so happy for you.”
“Aww, thank you,” Callie said, releasing the band around her hair and letting the long brown strands fall just past her shoulders.
Kacey took a moment to gather herself. “How did he ask you?”
“Believe me, it wasn’t all that romantic. We were arguing over my dad’s rule, ya’ know…”
“The Sleep In Your Own Room Rule?”
Callie nodded her head. She was comforted by the familiarity of her best friend. “Yup, that’s the one. Anyway, he basically says why get married when we have everything we want now. You know the same old BS he’s always saying. Then he acts like he’s leaving and gets down on one knee, reaches under my pillow, pulls out a box and...that was kind of it.”
“It’s about time,” Kacey said.
“I know, right?”
“When we gonna celebrate?”
“We were thinking next weekend at the beach, but I’ve got it rented out until September. Sort of sucks.”
“We gotta do something…”
“We will, we’re just not sure yet.”
“I hope you’ll call me and let me know,” Kacey said with a mischievous smile.
“Ha-ha, very funny. What about you? Still seeing David?”
“Not anymore. I guess he didn’t like that I asked him whose panties were under my bed.”
“Ouch.”
“Whatever, better now than later.” Kacey glanced at her watch then took a sip of water from the glass in front of her.
“Cal, I have to get to the Hill for Lank’s press conference.”
Kacey’s comment jolted Callie. “Lank’s press conference?”
“Yeah, we heard about it around 11:30.”
Callie, who had been a little uneasy broaching the subject, jumped on the opening and took the conversation where she wanted it to go in the first place. “About Lank. I don’t know him all too well and I have no idea about this campaign money you wrote about.”
“Don’t know what it is Cal, but it feels to me like there’s something bigger here.”
Callie knew there was, but wanted to hear what Kacey thought about it before offering any opinion. “What makes you say that?”
“Not really sure. Instinct, I guess.”
“Anything’s possible, but keep in mind, this is D.C.,” Callie said, leaving her comment vague on purpose.
“This one just feels different,” Kacey said.
Callie pulled a carrot off Kacey’s plate and took a bite. “How did you find all this out?”
“Yesterday I get this e-mail, from whom I have no idea, Senator Lank has been getting cash payments from a developer,” Kacey said as she ate a spoonful of the chocolate dessert then tapped her mouth twice with a napkin. “Seems to me the Lank bill had more to do with Jonas Foster than it did the public good.”
Callie hesitated for a moment acting surprised. “You mean the Lank-Gorman bill? What does that have to do with Jonas?”
“I’m not really sure.” Kacey shook her head as she swallowed some water. “Cal, you really don’t know anything about this?”
“I really don’t.”
“Off the record?” Kacey asked.
“Off
