Free Waltzing at Midnight by Robbi McCoy

character’s head, I had an idea. I jumped out of my chair and rushed into Rosie’s office. She was eating her hamburger while watching a demo commercial on her DVD player. She pressed the pause button on the remote control as I entered.
    “ Coup de main !” I said.
    Rosie looked puzzled, unsure how to play this game. “Okay,”
    she said tentatively. “Surprise attack?”
    I nodded, excited. “Mike Garcia.”
    Rosie put her hamburger down. “What about him?”
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    “Would he be a good mayor?”
    Rosie shrugged. She seemed annoyed with me. She didn’t want to think about the election. “I don’t know. What difference does it make? He doesn’t have a chance. He’s farther behind than I am, even after all of this.”
    “But what’s your opinion of him?”
    “He seems okay. He’s honest, smart. He doesn’t have any experience, really, but with the right people around him, he’d be effective, I think. His political views are agreeable. At least he probably wouldn’t run the city into the ground like Kiester is doing.”
    “Why’s he doing so poorly, then?”
    “He doesn’t have a lot of money. He doesn’t have the name recognition either Kiester or I have. In this kind of race, people focus on the two most popular candidates and don’t pay any attention to the others. And, as far as politics goes, his stand on most of the issues is similar to mine, so he isn’t offering a real alternative.”
    “Then why didn’t the votes you lost go to him?”
    Rosie sighed. “I assume the voters just didn’t think of it. Like I said, it’s been a two-person race. Kiester and I have spent all of our time and money attacking each other. We have completely neglected Mike, so nobody else has noticed him either.” Rosie narrowed her eyes at me. “Jean, what are you thinking?”
    “Let’s get him elected,” I said.
    She stared. She said nothing. Then, seeming to understand what I was saying, she shook her head. “Oh, no, Jean, it’s crazy.
    There’s no time left.”
    “Your primary concern is getting Kiester out, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, sure, but…”
    “Then let’s put Garcia in. I know we can do it. People don’t really like Kiester. They liked you. They have probably taken their votes to Kiester very reluctantly. Show them they have another choice.”
    “Are you suggesting I drop out of the race and endorse him?”
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    “No, no, that’s not what I’m proposing. I don’t think that would do it. I’m suggesting sucking Kiester’s support away, to you where possible, to Garcia where possible. I’m suggesting a ferociously aggressive strike against him, a consolidated strike that will hit him so hard he’ll be down for the count before he even knew he was in the ring.”
    “A cooperative effort?” A flicker of a smile came to Rosie’s lips. “Yes, exactly.”
    “Hmm. Now that is an intriguing idea. Oh, Jean, it’s impossible. If we had more time, maybe.”
    “We can try. We don’t have to just give up and play dead.
    There’s a little fight left in you, isn’t there, Rosie?”
    She hesitated, then looked at me slyly. “You’re really something,” she said. “Okay, Jean, you’ve got it. Arrange a meeting with Garcia tonight. I want you there. And nobody else can know about this. Tell Foster we’re back on for the interview as planned.
    We may still have a couple of tricks up our sleeve, after all.”
    Rosie was flushed, motivated, herself again. I was elated.
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Chapter Six
    We met Mike Garcia and his manager, George Appleton, in my living room to avoid detection. Amy and Jerry went out to dinner at my bidding so we’d have the place to ourselves. This was the first time Rosie had been to my house, and it was all very exciting because it was clandestine and because it was my own plan they were going to discuss. Everyone was there on time at seven. Garcia was a handsome young man with dark eyes and a firm, clean-shaven chin.
    “So what’s this about?” Appleton asked