Concern All Around

Leanne paced back and forth. Why? No, how? She couldn't bring herself to cover herself up. But she couldn't be seen without her clothes. Locked in her official office was the only thing available to her. She stared at the large portrait of the old man, the first governor of this state, and frowned.

"Leanne? It's me. Mark."

She rolled her eyes. Her fucking husband. She could not deal with him right now. ... But maybe, she needed to do something.

Outside, Mark stood near Ramona. They didn't hear a response. "Well, I said she doesn't want to speak to me."

"You have a lover's spat last night?"

"Our whole marriage is a lover's spat. Where are you at on Doc?"

"He'll be here."

"The first debate of two debates for this election had been held last night, to a near-record audience, and Leanne knocked it out of the park. She should be on all the morning shows right now."

"She will be if she can put on a top at least. We need to get in there." The door unlocked.

Ramona and Mark slipped in and Ramona locked the door.

"Guys," said Governor Kendrick standing uneasily near her bookshelf of boring law books. "There's something wrong. I-- I can't get dressed."

She wanted to tell them why, but couldn't. It was insane. And maybe against the rules. She was psychologically compelled not to cover up, but it was not a big deal in front of her husband and chief of staff.

Ramona jumped in, "We can work around this. Say you were exhausted from overprep. Take a few days off. Rest and relaxation. And then figure out the clothes situation."

"No," said Leanne succinctly. "I need to win this. I can't take any time off. We need to get on the talk shows. Today. This afternoon and fight back. Otherwise, Carruthers will spin this all in his favor and win the election. That asshole's a workhorse. He will go on again about how he's never taken a vacation in fifty years."

"Lee," opined Mark, "I don't see how we can get around the fact that you're naked. The talk shows won't allow you any leeway when they learn that."

"We film it here, with our people," said Doc Joad, the world-famous political spin artist, from the now open doorway.

"Ahh!" screamed Leanne, quickly pivoting towards the intruder. "I thought that door was fucking locked!"

"Your locks can't stop an old pickpocket," said Doc in his lisping accent. "And besides, you ain't got anything that interests me." He winks at Mark as he gently closes the door and struts in.

"Honey, I dealt with the Senator from South Carolina when he decided to come clean about his affair with a teenage prostitute. And he's Secretary of State now. So this nudity fad, that's nothing," He crossed his legs as he sat on one of the two adjacent couches.

"You may have to up my fee, though, sister."

Leanne narrowed her eyes. "Your fee schedule is based on my polling."

"Yep, and it's going to double. Certainly, Carruthers will be interested in what I have to say."

Leanne gritted her teeth and walked smoothly over to her supposed advisor. "I don't take kindly to blackmail."

"And I'm not a fan of naked crazy women, but here we are. But... you do look nice. We could work with that."

"No one's going to see her naked," interrupted Ramona in the tense situation. "Just the crew. Right?"

Doc Joad looked at his nails in a frown. He would need another manicure soon, his last didn't hold. "Yes, yes. I have top guys for this kind of action."