The Open Secret

6

Note: For anyone wondering, this has been completed and will be 15 chapters and somewhere around ~60k words. So, no need to worry about it being abandoned one day.

I also can't seem to get this fucker to appear in the Resse tag, so kudos to anyone who's found their way here. Is it because the description says sex? Is that too much for you, Wattpad?

Anyway, enjoy!

-

"The Supreme Court was clear in the Urgenda ruling: the government has a duty to protect the lives of its citizens by safeguarding our environment. Now, again, six years later, we aren't on track to meet the necessary goals to be in compliance. There's no doubt accelerating the closure of one of our coal plants will require government compensation, but compared to-"

"No," Jesse interrupts from across the table, shaking his head. "Take that part out. Focus on the reasons why it's necessary, not what the opponents will bring up. They'll have time to make their own argument. Trying to get in front of theirs just leaves less time for your own."

Considering that, Rob strikes a line through the words, then clears his throat and begins again, reading through to the next few lines.

"Even without the coal phase-out law in place, the fact is that these plants are still economically unviable. According to recent studies, total net losses could amount to approximately €470 million by 2030 for all three remaining plants. RWE's €3 billion investment in the Eemshaven power plant lost its value just five years after it entered into service, and-"

"See, you're getting too bogged down in the numbers. People don't want you to be a human spreadsheet."

Rob peers at him over the top of his papers. "I could argue that you don't get bogged down in numbers enough."

They're seated in Rob's office around the table in the middle of the room, half-eaten lunches scattered in front of them along with a few dozen pieces of paper. He hadn't planned on going over his speech with Jesse before the debate tomorrow. They haven't formed a coalition yet, and it's not as if they usually consult with opposition parties on things like this, but Jesse had seen his name on the speaking list, asked about it, and before he knew it, they'd ended up here, hashing it out during their lunch hour.

"Here." Jesse holds out his hand to take the papers. Rob hesitates, and he raises his eyebrows impatiently. "Do you want my help or not?"

He finally relents, handing it over and watching as Jesse picks up a pen, scanning through and striking things as he goes. When he finally hands it back, it looks like he's crossed out nearly half the speech, turning the black lines into a sea of red with scribbles in the margins. Rob huffs.

"You know," he says, feigning annoyance, although he finds it more amusing than anything. He tosses the speech down beside him, "I let you look at this so you could give me a few minor edits, not so you could decimate it. Remind me again why I'm taking advice from you?"

Jesse kicks his feet up onto the table with a smile that makes it agonizingly hard to focus on the economics of coal-fired power plants and takes a bite out of an apple. He isn't wearing his shoes, Rob notices, feet clad only in a pair of black socks.

"Because you value my creative input?"

He tries to be mad but can't quite manage it and ends up just shaking his head. "You're lucky you're cute. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so accommodating."

"Oh, I'm cute, am I?"

They can both sense this is edging toward something they don't have time for today, as much as they might want it, and so Jesse sits up straight again, folding his hands in front of him on the table. He sets the apple aside. Rob can't help but ponder the symbolism, forbidden fruit and all that.