They come with a job offer.

As the plane resolved into view, Spencer first noticed that it was getting larger much faster than he would have expected from a typical passenger plane. As it speedily drew nearer, the reason for its express velocity revealed itself to Spencer when he was able to identify the plane as a Gulfstream G550. The fastest and overall best private jet there was. This wasn’t just some ordinary commercial flight Dennis Hedwall was arriving on but a very serious and expensive private plane. Spencer interest on who Dennis was bringing with him finally piqued.

With a near deafening roar of the twin jet engines, the Gulfstream touched down flawlessly and started to taxi over toward where Spencer and Amy were standing by their rental car. The planes rolling to a lithe halt before the engines cut out and began to power down with a smooth purr. Less than a minute after the engine had cut off, the door to the sleek plane open and an automatic set of stairs began to extend down onto the tarmac.

As the stair met the ground, a familiar face appeared through the outline of the hatch, older and significantly wider than Spencer had last seen him.

“Spencer, my boy!” Dennis bellowed out in his big booming voice that couldn’t help but make Spencer smile to hear once again.

“Dennis. So nice of you to come and visit little old Avonwick,” Spencer replied back excited to see his old mentor now.

Dennis lumbered down the stairs and rapped Spencer up in a big bear hug befitting of his huge frame. The pair of them laughing as Dennis turned to look at Amy.

“And who’s this? Your new girlfriend?” Dennis teased.

“Dad!” Amy squealed at her father’s old boss.

“No! It can’t be! Amy? But your all grown up,” the big old man laughed as he gave Amy a big hug of her own.

“Did you bring me something from D.C. Mr Hedwall?” Amy asked showing her age and getting quickly scolded by her dad.

“Oh Amy! I’m so sorry I forgot. Ill have my assistant send you something immediately,” Dennis said chastised for forgetting to bring a present for a girl he once thought of as a daughter he’d never had.

“That’s OK. You don’t have to. It’s just nice to see you,” Amy said remembering her manners enough to make her dad proud.

“I did however bring someone for your dad to meet though,” Dennis said quickly segwaying into business like he always preferred to do.

A second person stepped out from the interior of the airplane then. It was a face that Spencer only needed a brief moment to recognise before becoming confused. The person was a tall slim blonde woman in her late twenties now with a model’s figure. Avery Kim had interned at Spencer’s Lobbyists when she was just 20 as a top political science graduate and had been there for three years, quickly brought on as a fully-fledged employee, before Spencer had left following the **** of his wife Kirsten. Spencer had respected her incredible smarts and endless drive but couldn’t possibly think of a reason Dennis might want him to see her again after all this time.

Stepping onto the runway, the reason for Spencer confusion was soon answered when Avery handed Spencer a thickly stapled wad of a legal document.

“Non-disclosure agreements for the pair of you before you come on board,” Avery told Spencer, suddenly feeling an idiot for thinking Dennis would have come all this way for Spencer to meet an old work colleague.

The thick document was of a much higher and more thorough standard than Spencer was normally accustomed to. Spencer didn’t care if Dennis expected Spencer to sign the NDA or not, his word was always his bond with his old partner, he’d sign whatever Dennis wanted but surely, he didn’t expect Amy to sign one as well.

“Amy isn’t close to 18. There’s no way this would be valid on her,” Spencer said as Avery held out a pen for him to sign in at least 20 different places.

Avery quickly looked to Dennis for guidance about how to react to Spencer's comments. Not a movement seeming to pass between them before the blonde women tried a different tact.

“Amy, I’m Avery. I worked with your Dad. How about you and I have a seat in your car and we can pick out something expensive for Dennis to buy you to say sorry for not bringing you something with him.”

Taking the signed NDA back from Spencer, Avery lead Amy back to the blue BMW to keep her occupied while Spencer found out what they came here for.

Following Dennis back onto the plane, Spencer eyes quickly adjusted to the bright internal lights before he could make out who was inside. Seated in the big wide leather chairs at the end of the plane was a man Spencer had seen on the TV before. A full decade younger than Spencer, Sam Newson was the Mayor of the city of Costa Rosa in California. Rising rapidly though the ranks of the Democrat Party in just the three years he had been elected Mayor of, it didn’t explain the secrecy in meeting and the iron-clad NDA he’d been asked to sign.

Sam Newson put down the cut crystal glass he was drinking Scotch from and stood to shake Spencer’s hand. “Spencer Askren, Sam Newson. Wonderful to meet you. Please take a seat. Can I get you a Macallan?”

“No. Thank you,” Spencer returned, taking a seat. Still unsure how this was going to go.

“Look Spencer, Dennis tells me you’re the best who’s ever worked for him so Ill cut straight to the chase and be brief,” Sam began.

“It would be great if a politician could,” Spencer jibbed back, his old occupation requiring he get that one in at the very least.

Sam laughed, taking it for what it was. “do you know how much the president makes?”

It was four hundred thousand but Spencer answered, “a hell of a lot.”

“And do you know how much a former president makes?” the politician answered next.

It was just over half of what they made in office but the real earning potential was what they could make outside of that in speaking engagements and fundraising for their various charities. The cheques practically wrote themselves.

“Several times over a hell of a lot,” Spencer answered.

“Exactly, but I don’t want to be eighty by the time I reach that. I want to be done with the Oval Office by the time I’m forty.”

And there it was. The reason for the visit. Greed and ambition. Spencer could have guessed.

“Saying that's true. You're mayor of a good city now. You’d want a term as Governor of California before even thinking to run for the top job and Stillwell isn’t going anyway.” Spencer said mentioning the current very popular leader of the State of California.

Sam and Dennis exchanged glances. Dennis nodding which signaled the Mayor was free to talk. “Stillwell’s done.”

“Done done?” Spencer asked surprised, “what did he do?”

“Let’s say its going to come out that Stillwell took a number of flights on a certain plane with a certain financier to a certain island with a whole lot of videos to back it all up.”

“Wow,” Spencer breathed. That was certain to end the career of someone who had been one of Democratic Parties golden boys.

“So that explains the plane. It’s the…”

“DNC’s. Correct,” Sam confirmed for Spencer.

“Still that doesn’t explain what you needed to see me for. Are you compromised too?” he asked.

“Sam’s as clean as they could be. You couldn’t find as much as an overdue library book on him Spencer and you and I know how good you were at finding that sort of stuff,” Dennis vouching for Sam was enough to convince Spencer for now.

“So, what is it then?” he asked.

“I need to start running now Spencer but I can’t be seen to start running until it all comes out so I need someone completely outside the system. I want you to be my campaign manager Spencer.”

“I’m retired. The election wouldn’t be until at least another 18 to 24 months. I’m not leaving Amy and Avonwick for that sort of time frame,” Spencer told Sam as politely as he possibly could. Surely Dennis knew what he was asking and to have even suggested Spencer he had to question what his old friend was thinking.

“I’m not just talking about the Governorship. I’m talking the whole way to the White House. Six years.”

Six year! Amy would be 19 by then, gone to college and no longer living at home with Spencer.

Not a FUCKING chance!

Dennis and Spencer stood back on the ground outside the Gulfstream along with Amy and Avery. He was certain no one had ever spoken to Sam Newson as colorfully and for as long as Spencer just did. Spencer was impressed with himself just how creatively he’d told Sam to go fuck himself. It would make Gunnery Sergeant Hartman proud!

“Look Spencer just think about it, OK? I’m sorry I can’t stay but we have to be back in California tonight before anyone knows were gone. I’m sorry we don’t have more time to catch up. Avery’s going to be staying the night in my stead. Perhaps she can talk you around,” Dennis said to Spencer shamefaced before holding his hand out to shake.

Spencer was glad his old friend wasn’t staying after all that. Still the brief encounter of his old life reminded Spencer of how fleeting life was. Instead of shaking Dennis’s hand, Spencer wrapped the large man in a bear hug of his own before wishing him a safe flight and goodbye. Spencer put his arm around Amy in comfort as the plane took off and disappear into the sky once again.

In the car Spencer could see Avery watching him from the backseat in the rear-view mirror. After a few minutes’ drive back to Spencer’s farm house she spoke.

“So, did they offer you the job?”

“Sure did.”

“Which one?” she asked.

Spencer looked back at her not knowing what she meant. “Campaign manager.”

Avery nodded for a moment before explaining what she meant by which one. “Idiots wanted to pitch you to be his running mate.”

Spencer barked out an ironic laugh at that. Spencer Askren – Vice President of the United States of America!