America 1982-Chapter 550 - 113: Good Luck to Those Cubans
David Kennedy leaned back on the sofa in the living room of this Southern District vacation villa, took a sip of brandy, then looked at Tommy. The young man was holding his cell phone, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window enjoying the nighttime seascape of Miami, and smiling as he talked with his family on two calls, one to his own home and one to his fiancée’s. In the calls, he checked on his father’s health, reminding him to follow the doctor’s orders and go for regular check-ups at the hospital. He inquired about his sister’s academics, showing interest in her grades. He even engaged in a lively conversation with his future mother-in-law about her recent trip to Finland, debating why a country known for its cool and introverted population would give birth to a character like Santa Claus, who didn’t fit the Finnish temperament at all.
He even cared whether his adopted dogs were feeling depressed, the impeccable image of an American young man who loved his family.
Not to mention his future mother-in-law on the other end of the phone. David Kennedy thought that if the scene of Tommy making these calls were broadcast on television, many American mothers with daughters might consider this handsome, disciplined, family-oriented, sunny, kind, and humorous young man as the benchmark for choosing a son-in-law.
As for himself, if he were Tommy’s future mother-in-law, he might willingly offer up his vacation villa for Tommy to stay in while visiting Miami. Yes, this villa belonged to Tommy’s fiancée’s mother. Having heard from her daughter that Tommy was coming to Miami for a vacation, she specifically called to offer him the place to stay, thoughtfully giving the previous servants a long break so Tommy could hire temporary help and avoid his old servants witnessing scenes they shouldn’t see.
When Tommy finished chatting with his mother-in-law and hung up, he handed the phone back to Page, then straightened his shirt cuffs before sitting down opposite David Kennedy. Pouring himself a drink, he explained, "Chatting with my family once a week is a long-standing habit of mine, and it’s definitely not meant as a sign of disrespect to anyone."
"I understand, respecting one’s family is the foundation of respecting everyone," David Kennedy adjusted his sitting position because of a somewhat acid stomach. "It’s a good habit. If one can’t even soothe the emotions of family members, there’s no way to appease the easily angered American public. I’ve always believed that an excellent politician must first be skilled in solving various family issues."
Tommy raised his glass to clink with Kennedy’s, "Speaking of solving family problems, you must be the very best at that. Bill told me that if he had half of your ability, he wouldn’t be arguing with Diane all the time."
David smiled smugly, not denying it. His two ex-wives and current wife got along peacefully and acted according to his wishes. When his scandal broke, all three wives, along with their families, showed up in the media to display their support and trust in him, which was certainly a show of his capability and charm. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Without that damned scandal, he would have already left his ambassadorial post and entered the Senate, and his name should have been on the list of Democratic Party presidential candidates in last year’s election. Alas, without what-ifs, he had lost his political life and the chance to lead the most powerful nation in the world. Now, he only had this city left and couldn’t even openly lead it in his own name.
Noticing a subtle change in David’s expression, Tommy took a sip of his drink, "Politics is indeed perilous. A slight misstep can render years of effort futile."
"Maybe I can interpret that as your dissatisfaction with Rona?" David gave Tommy a smile, the earlier sighs gone; he was here because the campaign had reached its latter stages, and Tommy was somewhat dissatisfied with his delay.
Tommy took a long look at the drink in his glass before finally facing David Kennedy, "I understand you very well, or should I say Rona’s response. After all, you’ve suffered misfortune in the past, with reporters and police ruining your political life, so it’s only natural to be hesitant and cautious in these situations. There’s just one issue: if from start to finish everything is done by me, David, I could give Jeff’s seat to Rona, or to someone else. What do you think?"
David Kennedy’s steely blue eyes, deep-set in his sockets, stared at Tommy without replying. Of course, Tommy could speak so casually because even if Jeff lost, it wouldn’t affect this young man at all. It was just a game for him during his vacation.
But if he or Rona got caught, he might lose the only city he had left, and then, he would truly have nothing.
"Do you know what I’ve always been curious about, Tommy? Why Stephen and Bill... value you so much." After a long pause, David spoke up, but abruptly asked a different question, "I’ve tried to understand your background, and it seems you just founded two TV networks and previously developed and sold software. Beyond being an investor in some tech companies, there doesn’t seem to be much prominent information. I’m not saying you aren’t deserving of attention, but... I understand politics, the kind of attention from politicians. You just donate money, never get involved in many political discussions, and besides media influence, you don’t seem to have much else, at best another Turner. Do Democrats respect Turner? No, but you’re different. Why?"
