When the Daily Journal interviewed sources within the Trask campaign, they expressed misgivings that the Mayor's daughter would only serve to alienate voters. Indeed, in head-to-head matchups, it's clear that there is a point to the fears. Most voters in New York City seem to favor Parker Trask, who they see as having fixed the schools, lowered crime and taxes, raised employment levels to record highs, as well as tackled and solved the chronic housing shortage that was leading to astronomical rent increases during prior administrations. Faced with these accomplishments, voters in New York City are more willing to overlook and forgive what they see as personal failings and idiosyncrasies of Mayor Trask.
However at a state level, Mayor Trask begins to lose popularity once the borders of New York City are on the horizon. In rural country sides and small towns and villages outside of the metropolitan area, it's actually the Governor, campaigning on an anti-city base that draws the most votes.
"Listen, you'll hear a lot of stuff about the Mayor and how he's gone around doing all these women and keeping pretty girls around him, and now he's gotten close to his stepdaughter—not that he's doing anything at all—and you can tell these are New York City values. Those values don't apply to rural upstate New York. We don't have crime problems that Mayor Trask can solve because we don't have crime. Because we don't have New York City values," the chairman of the Governor's upstate New York operation commented on the record.
With polls at historic levels of closeness and the election approaching, the individual actions of each candidate will be what determines this election. That means their actions will be scrutinized even further.
And that just means more juicy details for you!
Parker
The vibration on my wrist wakes me. It's my Apple Watch reminding me that I have a meeting with Susan in 10 minutes. I look over at Amy. She's sleeping peacefully. I smile at the way the sun catches her hair as it cascades down her shoulders.
It takes everything in me to resist the urge to reach over and press my lips to her warm skin. To touch her lips. But fuck, I remind myself that I have to stay focused.
I smile. What the fuck is happening to me? One minute, I'm New York City's bad boy "Pleasure" Trask, and the next, I'm … what is it exactly that's happening?
I guess I'm just hung up on this girl. Amy. And she's not just any girl; she's my stepdaughter. It sounds wrong, but feels so right.
I quietly slide out of bed, careful to not wake Amy, and I slip on my clothes. I take another look at Amy … her angelic, sleeping face and her perfect curves, and my cock already doesn't care that I have an upcoming meeting with Susan because I can feel it twitching in my pants. It's daring me to slip right back between the sheets.
Not now, I think, and I walk into the living room; I have business to take care of first.
Gracie Mansion is huge. It drips with history.
So when I walk into the main room of the house, I can't help but wonder about this building's place in history. Visions of Mayors past, and even early New York Federalists and Alexander Hamilton—okay, okay… now I really need to fucking focus.
I grab my coffee and sit on the couch, powering up a nearby computer. I launch Skype and immediately, Susan's call comes through with the sound of shrill ringing. The ringing seems especially irritating this morning for some reason. Maybe it's because I'd rather be back in bed with Amy.
"Well, aren't you an eager one this morning," I laugh. She's right on time, down to the second.
She eyes me suspiciously and continues, "You look tired. Sleep much last night?"
It seems like that's a thinly veiled question for something, but I shrug it off. "Apparently not enough, but this coffee should do the trick," I smile, pointing down at the steaming mug.
"Well, I have some news that may wake you up," Susan replies.
"Good or bad?" I ask, but then quickly say, "Give it to me either way."
"It's good," she replies. "You're probably winning … if you count New York City."
"Really?" I say with a yawn, running my fingers through my hair. I just remembered that I didn't bother brushing it before jumping on this meeting with Susan.
"Are you okay, Parker?" Susan asks.
"What? Of course I am," I say. "I'm fine. I just woke up, that's all. That's great news."
She thinks for a moment, and her silence tells me that she's onto me. I've never been good at hiding things from Susan. She sees right through me.
"Let me just ask you. What's Amy really doing on this team?"
"She's uh," I think carefully about what I should exactly label her as, "functioning as my advisor."
But it doesn't matter what I call her because Susan can sense that something's going on between us.
"Oh really? Is that what you're calling her?"
"Yeah, uh, look, I think we can talk more about this during—" I begin to say, but as soon as I do, Amy enters the room.