Debate day finally arrived.
Kitty had flown in from D.C. the night before to ride with her For the Win team to the University of Wisconsin for the event. She’d stayed the night next to the Democratic offices at a boutique hotel called Maple and Main.
“Sorry it isn’t a four-star,” Dot said when she arrived. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to apologize. The Inn was adorable.
“It’s perfect,” Kitty said, though she eyed the chintz fabric with a skeptical eye. “I like quaint.”
Dot wasn’t sure she believed her but appreciated the effort at feigning comfort. She and Kitty had a quick drink at the self-serve bar in the hotel sitting room and caught up. She briefed her on the plans for the bus ride to Madison.
“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything,” Kitty said.
“Team effort.” Dot wanted to make sure Rose, Fletcher, and the volunteers got due credit.
“It’s appreciated,” Kitty said. “And if all goes well, we’ll win in November.”
“And you’ll get a win bonus,” Dot said, her hand immediately flying to her mouth in shock that she’d just said that.
Kitty froze for a moment but recovered, a softness coming over her eyes. She nodded slowly and waved her hand dismissively. “That’s right. It’s standard for all consultants, though. It isn’t something special just for me.” Her voice had a defensive bite.
“Oh, I think it’s great,” Dot said, trying to recover and lighten the moment. “And I sure hope we win. And that you get your bonus.”
“There’s a lot more riding on all this than the bonus, which isn’t that much money anyway,” Kitty said.
Dot tried to hide the skepticism she felt. To her, half a million dollars was... a half a million dollars.
Kitty took a sip of wine and continued, “After all, we have a country to save.”
“Indeed,” Dot said, matching Kitty’s grave tone.
Kitty laughed, giving Dot’s shoulder a small push. “Come on, don’t be so serious.”
Dot decided to embrace the moment and laughed, too.
“Tell me more. What else is happening around the state I should know about?” Kitty sat back ready to listen to whatever information Dot could share about voter preferences and local concerns. They chatted for another thirty minutes, and then they both decided it was time to get some sleep.
On her walk home that night, feeling safe in the quiet suburban town, Dot thought how awkward the bonus talk had been, but admitted how Kitty had been very open about it. “And why shouldn’t she get paid what other consultants got if they turned in a victory?” Dot thought. She vowed to be more like Kitty Bell and not care so much what others thought about her.
But she’d have to do that another day. For now, she needed to focus on job one—the debate.
THE NEXT MORNING,Kitty sat with Rose at the front of the bus, looking chic in tall, high-heeled boots, a black leather skirt, and a royal-blue silk turtleneck and matching felt-wool blazer. Her engagement ring was blinding.
“Is she marrying a royal?” Harper asked, sitting next to Dot, and well out of Kitty’s earshot.
“Almost. In Washington, he’s definitely a princeling: a high-flying lobbyist named Casey Morgan.”
“Sounds like they make the perfect couple,” Harper said. “There’s gotta be a catch.”
“I’ve been looking. Haven’t found one yet,” Dot said.
Rose had finally taken off her Packers swag and wore an ivory twinset, blue knit pants from Eileen Fisher, and her white “dress” sneakers. A vintage red, white, and blue donkey pin she’d had since Walter Mondale’s campaign completed her outfit.
“I’ve never been able to wear heels like that,” they heard Rose say to Kitty, pointing to her boots. “They’re very... sexy.”
Kitty placed a hand on her arm. “Don’t be surprised if I’m crying by the end of the night. They’re already killing me.”
The bus rolled along Highway 60 to Madison. The guests ate their made-to-order wraps, and Mimi’s “Make Wisconsin Blue Again” frosted cookies were a big hit. She’d even thought to bring wet wipes for everyone so that they didn’t smear blue dye on their clothes.
After lunch, a local struggling comic who Dot hired for entertainment led a Wisconsin trivia contest from the front of the bus with a microphone: