Jones sat outside the Oval Office, waiting to speak with the president. He smiled politely at the staff, and they returned more hesitant grins. He'd been waiting for this moment for a very long time. It was a delicate network he had created, but one that he had complete control over. He knew people disliked him, but he didn't care.
When he had been a young boy, he was always very sick, so he spent most of his time by himself in his room, reading books. His favorites had been those of the political figures of the past. He admired the way they could sway people with their words.
Throughout high school, he had developed his talents for speech on the debate team. He channeled all of the pain from the jokes people made at his expense into the ordered forum in which people were forced to listen to him.
Now, years later, he had the ear of the most powerful man in the world. He was the one who helped the president gain favor with both the House and the Senate. He pulled the strings in this administration, and he delighted in the knowledge that he could end it all with the snap of his fingers.
People feared him, but that was the way he liked it. He had no need for friendships or likeability, at least not within the walls of government. The only face of gratitude he was forced to keep was for the public.
That was the one moment he detested more than all the rest. If it were up to him, he would take the people out of the decision-making process. This bill would be the first step toward that. The public didn't care about the matters in Congress. They were all too worried about making sure their own tiny wants and desires were satisfied. Soon their worlds wouldn't matter anyway.
“Congressman Jones, the president will see you now,” the office aide said.
“Thank you.”