Circumspice Literary

Joe nervously shuffled the blue printed index cards in his hands as the black SUV pulled away from the hotel.  For the past three days his campaign team prepped him for every conceivable topic in advance of this debate, the only debate that would be held before the general election, but he was still very nervous.  He was nervous not because he feared he was unprepared to discuss the issues, but because he had been fed so many lines to be used for future campaign ads.  He protested that he could not possibly say these things organically when so many were shoved in front of him, but the campaign and Vincere staffers assured him the soundbites and cheers from their half of the audience would be enough for the commercials.  Context was irrelevant.

“No one actually watches these things anyway,” was the re-assuring line repeated to him throughout the week.  Despite these assurances Ashley continuously quizzed him with the flash cards like a fourth grader trying to memorize the multiplication table.  But that was actually the best part of it.  Ashley took the whole week off to help him prepare and it was the most time they had spent together in over a year.  Joe thought back to her just sitting on the Persian rug in their living room in her t-shirt and jeans with a smile on her face beaming in the morning light filtering in through the tall windows.