Rolex Romance

Those Shoes

Three Years Later

Since the Alvarez wedding, we had dived into Javier's second campaign head first. We convinced the three newspapers that ran through the city to run at least one half page article of our campaign for an advertising fee and a generous donation. Javier also won a place as chairman for our community's affairs and became more involved with the local schools and food bank.

Still, so many people thought of him as a bad seed in his father's shadow. We were all puzzled on how to prove that the two were different. Then Marius, the intelligent devil he is, helped write a speech with his brother explaining that seeing how his father's choices hurt so many others. The speech went on to point out how he was going to right these wrongs and how to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

Two months after the wedding, Alejandro Chavez died. The cancer spread beyond his lungs to the point that he was hospitalized in bed for the last few weeks of his life. I personally visited him through out his short end just talking. Of course he made life changing and extremely illegal choices, he never meant to hurt his family.  After hearing stories from his unstable and abusive upbringing it explained the why, but would never excuse his actions. It was pure luck his sons turned out the way they did.

Mr and Mrs Alvarez also announced, a little over a year after their wedding, that they were pregnant. A few months back they had a beautiful dark haired angel named Laura. Her Aunt Karenina, let me boast in my name, loved babysitting on her parents' date night even though her Uncle Javi hated her stinky poo. Seeing how Javier looked at her gave me hope that one day he's look at our daughter like that.

Just last year we suffered a devastating miscarriage that we thought would end our chances at kids. Despite Javier's presence I had never felt more alone in my life. As happy as I am for Marius and Vienna, I kept asking myself what if with pangs of jealousy. That didn't stop us from trying, but we decided to wait until after our upcoming nuptials and the election. Even my old roommate Dani and her now husband had two twins boys now. It felt as if everyone was having kids when I couldn't, and that wasn't a wound Javier could fix.

Hank Henry, now known to my acquaintance, was a biter middle aged man who refused to acknowledge Javier as an opponent. He threw heavy words at him, but Javier was the bigger man. As much as he could, he kindly, but publicly pointed out Mayor Henry's failures in office and the personal attacks he pushed. A mid campaign poll showed Javier had 38 % of the public vote while his opponent carried a solid 41 % and the rest were undecided or voted for an outside party. We were so close we could taste it. So we worked harder.

Javier and his immediate staff doubled his tour around the city in locations, (focusing on new voters), scored a TV ad featuring yours truly, and threw two charity balls in which all profits were given to struggling families. My fiancé learned more about himself on this journey than his last run, mostly cause I was there to tell him when he fucked up. I could see the change in him though. The acts of kindness had entered his edged heart and made him softer and grateful to have worked his way up from his father's hold. Still, the public had its hesitations.

A month from the election Javier and I were laying in bed with our feet tangled. My fingers combed through his hair, still hypnotized by this madman.

"I feel like the day is never going to come." He sighed with a small frown. I sat up next to him smiling.

"It will and I know you are going to prove people wrong."

"I feel like everything was so different this time. I mean the amount of work, and I'm not even in office yet." The room felt like it had paused around us. He looked up at me and I couldn't look anywhere else. Even now I still wiggled under his attention. I had it bad.

"I know you're going to do so much, Javier. You're gonna change lives for good and you're gonna help kids who don't know what happiness is."

"Don't exaggerate."

"I'm not ! I see the looks on their faces." He smiled below me and I leaned down and kissed him. "No matter what you know I'll still be here."

"I know, I've just worked so many years at this. On half says he's too young and then the other still sees me as another version of Alejandro. I don't know how to convince them I want to change the city, not ruin it."

***

Today

Javier's P.O.V

The small confiding space and its deep navy blue walls gives me a headache. Karenina is sitting on the black leather sofa relaxing her swollen ankles. I stand up unable to handle staying still. You'd think being through this pressure once would ease it, but no.

"Babe, sit down you're making my feet hurt watching you." Karenina laughs. I pat her knee reassuringly as her hand runs across my back. She's been through enough of these stressful moments to know what soothes me. Honestly, it's just her presence.

"Remember when you were worried about people thinking you were just like your father ? Now you're worried about if the public favored your tax cut and vetoing the Hartley Bill. In the past four years you lowered the unemployment in the city by 0.9 %. That's huge for a city, Javi." I fumbled with my silver watch thinking of all its memories. Even after all these years it still ticked and tocked. In places the silver began rubbing off and the clasp had to be repaired twice. Karenina sees me fiddling and smiles.

"I should've thrown that thing in the river. Then you would've chased me at the Pancake House." I laugh and look up at her. My quick insurance policy I had given to her felt like ice on my skin. I unclip it and take her hand. Now it hangs low on her wrist where it should have always been because I never want her to leave.

"How do I know you won't try anything ?" She repeats again after ten years. I laugh to myself trying to remember what I said that might.

"Here you can take this as an insurance policy." I say pointing to the watch dangling on her wrist.

Then there's a soft knock on the door and I tell the person to enter. My short blonde secretary smiled behind her black bifocals. The clipboard in her hand details the facts of tonight. I turn to her and wait for the words.

"Mr Mayor the votes for your reelection are in."

"Thank you, we are coming." I stand up and grab Mrs Chavez's back and hand as I help her up from the couch. She lightly groans and maintains her balance in four inch heels. I want nothing more than to carry her out there, but I don't. She's too strong to need me. Besides the gutter heels have adjust to her feet. I couldn't even believe she still had those shoes.

I hold her hand loosely not scared to let go anymore. Even though I stare it's like I'm looking at her for the first time and falling in love all over again. Although to this day, I'm still a little confused on how a stripper in Hawaii convinced her that I was her "Golden Pole", but I thank him everyday.

The End.