“Great.” Lucien patted Nick’s shoulder. “I’ll see you then.”

“Wonder what that’s all about,” Nick said to Sam.

“I guess you’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” He noticed Graham signaling to him and led Sam over to a table where Graham sat with the Virginia Democrats.

“We’d like to have a word with you upstairs, if you can spare us a few minutes, Nick,” said Judson Knott, chairman of the party.

“Sure,” Nick said with a perplexed glance at Sam.

“I’ll, um, just wait for you here,” she said.

“You’re welcome to join us,” Graham said. “This involves you, too.”

Sam looked at Nick, who shrugged. “Okay,” she said.

They followed the other men to the elevator and then to the Abraham Lincoln Suite. Nick took a moment to check out the incredible blue and gold suite, thinking he’d like to bring Sam there sometime when they could be alone. He accepted a short glass of bourbon from Judson. Sam declined a drink. Richard Manning, the party’s vice chairman, had also joined them. “What’s this all about, gentlemen?”

They gestured for Nick and Sam to have a seat at the dining room table.

“We have a proposition for you, Nick,” Judson said.

Nick glanced at Graham and then at Sam. “What’s that?”

“We’d like you to finish out John’s term,” Graham said.

Nick almost choked on the bourbon. “What? Me?”

Under the table, Sam grasped his arm.

“Yes, you,” Judson said.

“But you have any number of people better suited. What about Cooper?”

“His wife was recently diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. He’ll be announcing his resignation from the legislature the day after tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Nick said sincerely. “How about Main?”

“He’s been carrying on with his son’s first grade teacher for years, and his wife filed for divorce yesterday. It’ll be hitting the papers any day now.”

“The party’s having some troubles, Nick,” Manning drawled. “We need someone of your caliber to step in and get us through to next year’s election. We’re hoping Cooper’s wife will have recovered enough by then to free him up to run.”

Nick couldn’t believe they were serious. He wasn’t the guy. He was the guy behind the guy. He named ten other Virginia Democrats he considered better suited to the job and was treated to a variety of disqualifying details about their personal lives that he could’ve lived without knowing. She’s expecting twins, he’s gay and in the closet—wants to stay there, he’s got financial problems, she’s caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s. It went on and on.

“Listen, you guys,” Nick said when he had run out of names to float. “I appreciate you thinking of me…”

“You struck a chord this morning,” Judson said. “With your talk of humble beginnings. The data is highly favorable—”