“Don’t worry, I know we’re not a couple. But we’ll get better service if theythinkwe are.”
“Oh, sure. Ha. Okay.” Dot thought it was a little weird and controlling, but she was also hungry.
Over the course of the meal, they ate several small dishes. The smashed cucumber dim sum was Dot’s favorite appetizer, and Fletcher’s was the chicken and dill dumplings. They ordered two entrees: salt and pepper shrimp and kung pao chicken. For dessert, they shared the mango crème brûlée.
Throughout dinner, Fletcher made her laugh with stories from his childhood, and she found him very entertaining and charming. He was smart and well-read.
They had a very similar vibe on political issues. After her cocktail, she wondered if they could be a couple after all.
“Believe it or not, I was an awkward child,” he said. He’d switched to nonalcoholic beer since he had the keys.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“I was. I grew tall so quickly that everyone thought I was a lot older than I was. So it was kind of hard to be a little kid. I had to grow up kind of fast.”
“You consider yourself grown up now?” she teased.
“Ouch! But I’ll allow it,” he said. “What were you like as a young girl? I bet you were cute.”
“Oh, I was a big troublemaker and was always in detention and had to go to juvie for a bit.”
“No way!”
“Totally not,” she said. “I don’t know, I was... normal. Had a lot of good friends from different groups. I was in theater and worked on the yearbook. That kind of thing.”
“Did you ever think you’d be here today?”
“At a gourmet restaurant with a guy working to get Democrats elected in Wisconsin? Definitely not.”
“Same. But I’m glad we’re here.”
She raised her glass to his. “Me too.” They finished the last sips of their drinks.
“I’m so full. I won’t need to eat at all tomorrow,” she said.
“That might be a good thing. Can you imagine how bad the food will be at this?”
“Don’t be a snob, Fletch! I know you love cheese curds as much as I do.”
“Admittedly, they’re delicious.”
“Hey, let’s quickly go over what we want to show them tomorrow about the FTW efforts so far in Cedar Falls. I was thinking I could point out the new social media post ideas they could copy across the state. Our engagement for get-out-the-vote was solid last week.”
“I like that. And I can show them how I’m using AI prompts to get better results from the contact spreadsheet. I’ve literally got it down to a science.”
“Perfect. I’ll send Kitty a note in the morning detailing our plan. Have you noticed she’s been irritable lately?”
“A little. But she’s just under her own pressure. She’s got the five-hundred-grand win bonus and the cover ofWashingtonianon her mind. Ignore her when she gets snappy. You’re doing an awesome job.”
“You think so?” Dot asked, seeking reassurance.
“I know so. I see it every day. We have great new volunteers who only signed up because of you. And the office is cheerful and productive. Can’t ask for more than that.”
“Thanks, Fletcher. I needed a boost of confidence.”
“You’re the most confident person I know, Dot.”
“If you only knew.”