The Rise of Rachel Price T-Girl Pt. 40

The gubernatorial election boost from rebooting the wedding didn't significantly increase Levant's polling numbers. For the following months, Levant desperately busied himself with the campaign. Which suited Rachel who was at her most happy when he wasn't around.

Then Election day had finally arrived.

Rachel arranged snacks on all the available surfaces of the Asylum. She was eagerly anticipating Levant's impending defeat. He had been trailing in the polls ever since the wedding a month ago. While his constant campaigning had improved his standing, it wasn't enough to overcome Jennifer Able's lead. Politics kept Levant busy with campaigning, which was a relief for Rachel. Rachel would occasionally attend rallies and wave, but Levant had been too preoccupied to spend time with Rachel. Rachel had been torn between her recovery and her book, which was performing very well. She had even done some book signings and promotional appearances. Levant had garnered a following of strange fans; they called themselves the Leviathans, unaware of the different meanings of the words.

According to their bet, if Levant lost, he would sign the divorce papers that Rachel had hidden in a drawer in the master bedroom. The "sex-if-you-win" arrangement had provided a convenient way to silence Levant's requests for sex. The divorce papers were very reasonable and didn't ask for a substantial amount. However, it was still enough to ensure that Rachel would be financially well-off for life. Rachel didn't desire that much money, but it became a negotiation between herself and the lawyers.

To be slightly cruel, Rachel had spent the day wearing an unnecessarily provocative set of shiny black latex-look leggings. They showcased her perfectly formed buttocks, and she knew Levant would have to swallow hard every time he looked at her. She couldn't resist taunting Levant with a sexy look that he could never lay his hands on. He had come in, put his hands on her ass, kissed her, and said he would see her later. Rachel had mentioned that after the announcement, she would change into something less casual for the concession speech. This was the excuse for the heavy makeup and the styled hair in the late afternoon, which again was designed to be provocatively appealing.

Rachel looked around and noticed that some of the female staff had started emulating her makeup looks. She hadn't been sure if this was their subtle way of mocking her. Mimi had explained that this was how women looked at the moment. Now, actively searching for it, Rachel observed that a few pop videos by Emily Stonefield and Miley Cyrus featured it as well. Even some of her friends like Peyton Harrington and Brooke Sterling had adopted the same style. Viviane, Devlin's presentation consultant, had insisted that Rachel maintain the same carefully composed look throughout the campaign. Now that it was over, Rachel knew she needed to make a change.

Once it was clear that Rachel wasn't going to the police, the restrictions on her movement had cautiously relaxed. Rachel had been free, after appearing at election rallies, to do what she wanted and shop where she liked. The bodyguards, like Jerry and Peter, still hung around closely and refused to let her out of their sight. From the way they acted, it was clear that if Levant couldn't have her, no one else could. So, as long as she was visible, she was free.

Gregor Samsa walked into the main living room in the Asylum from the guest wing. It was late and the mixture of both natural and concealed lighting left the room looking very sophisticated,

Rachel had been convinced Levant would have one of his fits before the crowd and sabotage his election chances. She had been wrong; this was partly due to Samsa's medication. Apparently, there was also a secret sign Levant could give if he felt an attack coming on. His security detail would then rush in, claiming they had spotted a shooter. Even then, the long, odd pauses and peculiar vocabulary weren't enough to sink the campaign.

"Where is your husband?" Samsa asked, standing under Brooke's huge maze painting of Levant.

"Sleeping. He was exhausted from all the final rallies he did. He will be up around eleven. Feel free to hang out. I think you're staying in the guest wing, so you don't have to drive back to your farm," Rachel said.

"Yes. Thank you for the bottle of vodka I found in my room," Samsa said. "Would you like to come and share a glass with me?"

Rachel had made a few more visits. She reasoned that she had better be on good terms with the man who was going to operate on her genitals. He had told her how trapped he currently was. He was wanted for operating without a license back in Russia. In the US, his green card restrictions meant he could only work for Levant. Technically, he didn't have a license to practice medicine in the US. The other doctors were going to make sure he would never get one. Before he had been on the Russian Olympic team, he had been a professor somewhere Rachel couldn't pronounce. Now he was a physician who wasn't allowed to heal just 'advise'.

"They only left one bottle?" Rachel said, "I'll tell Mimi about the error. How is life on the farm?"

"The last one, P37, didn't make it." Samsa confided sheepishly.

Rachel's eyes opened in surprise. Samsa had managed to get the reversal operation working on some of the pigs, but he needed a run of three to be sure the operation on Rachel would work. P36 and P35 had been successes.

"Oh, how are the little fellows?" Rachel asked.

"Very healthy. Very healthy," Samsa said.

News about Denver's balls always helped Rachel relax it meant she had time and didn't have to rush back to being Denver. In truth, she liked being able to share a changing room with Peyton when clothes shopping.

"I bought more ham for your freezer," Samsa said. As a surgeon, he had performed autopsies on the dead pigs to determine exactly what had gone wrong. It wasn't that far from being a butcher, and Samsa kept dropping off carcasses at the asylum like a cat dragging in unwanted dead mice. It had gotten to the point that Mimi and the staff were convinced he was some strange artisan butcher, a fact Levant and Rachel were aware of. Rachel could not cope, so the entire freezer full had gone to the Thornbury, and they were being used to feed the crowd of supporters and election workers who were getting ready to see Levant's concession speech in the ballroom.

"Thanks," Rachel said. "Drop it off in the kitchen. I think they are working late tonight. Do stay sober and be on hand. There will be an upswing in the polls but not enough to win. He's going to go dark pretty badly, that can be a trigger. You know how upset he can get when he loses. Just don't do anything for him that he could regret later, got me, Doctor?"

Rachel referred to Samsa as Doctor, which always put a slight smile on his face.

"For you, okay," Samsa said.

"Oh, look, there is Volk and Mel arriving. Excuse me... um, enjoy your stay, Doctor."

After the operation, Mel wasn't talking to Rachel. As a result, Rachel had lost a friend and didn't know how Project Zeitgeist was doing. From her last conversations, Rachel was sure Levant couldn't overcome Able's polling lead. Devlin had written a powerful concession speech, leaving a long road ahead for the next time. They had all agreed on how to handle Levant's rage. In the worst case scenario, Rachel was partly willing to let Levant have sex with her after the concession speech. She didn't care; he would be signing the divorce papers sometime after midnight.

The plan for the night was simple. Around eleven, the exit polls would be released, confirming Able's success and Levant's defeat. Around one in the morning, Levant would head to The Thornbury, where the official 'party' was being held. Rachel would accompany him, dressed in a new formal gown to appear 'supportive.' She actually had two dresses -- a red one if he won and a somber blue one if he lost. At the Thornbury, Levant would announce his defeat and express gratitude to his supporters. They would spend the night in the penthouse suite and depart for the Asylum in the morning.

For now, Devlin and the other members of Levant's vanity party would gather around the TV to watch the coverage. In practice, a section of Rachel's games area had been transformed into a large media wall, allowing them to watch multiple channels simultaneously and gather all the information.

Charlie was around, but so was Logan. So Rachel focused on getting the staff to set things up. CNN and the other news channels were covering the election, discussing Levant's campaign mistakes extensively. They were quite severe, to the point that Rachel even felt sorry for him. Then she would remember who controlled Denver's parts with a remote control on his phone and would revert to a slow, simmering rage. That was the crucial aspect for tonight -- Rachel would have to do whatever was necessary to protect Denver's parts. It was her top priority, and she was even prepared to have sex with Levant in the worst case scenario to prevent him.

Rachel had been engaged in conversation with the deviously handsome Logan before eleven o'clock. He had given her numerous compliments about her appearance and her book. It was clear that despite their desires, Logan and Charlie were never going to touch with Rachel again. Rachel was fine with that. She had been grateful that Charlie was talking to her again and wasn't about to mess things up a second time. The conversation was intricate, as Logan metaphorically inquired if she was enjoying her new pussy. Rachel enjoying talking with Logan and she didn't notice the time passing, almost forgetting that she needed to wake Levant up.

Levant emerged from the master bedroom, and he seemed unusually cheerful. Initially, Rachel assumed he was putting on a performance as he usually did. However, she soon noticed Volk's presence. Mel was in the guest wing, seemingly recovering from nearly two days of continuous wakefulness. Now Volk was moving around, and although his expression was stoic, his movements appeared content.

"You look fabulous," Levant said, placing his hand on her buttocks. "I look forward to seeing you later."

Rachel smiled, replying, "Well, you know the deal."

Levant walked away to converse with Devlin and his campaign team.

"Have you heard?" Charlie said, finally approaching Rachel and Logan. "It's closer than people thought apparently."

That was enough to convice Rachel that Charlie really didn't know anyting about Levants machine.

Rachel offered a reserved smile; this was expected. "Well, if he loses, then he will know he performed better than everyone expected."

"Turn the sound on," Levant said, leaving Rachel to command the smart speaker to do so. It was CNN.

"Greg," said the anchor to his data expert. "I understand you have some exit poll data that's quite interesting?"

Greg turned to the anchor. "Yes, this is fresh information. It seems the last-minute surge in the polls has greatly benefited Billionaire Douglas Levant. The numbers actually show a small lead in certain areas for him. If Levant managed to somehow overcomes Jenifer Able's lead it would be the biggest gain in election history, and we would have to go out and get a new pollster. Still that said it does make the normal sedate elections we see for Governor get very interesting."

Charlie leaned over and whispered to Rachel, "They always say it's a close race. They do that to keep people watching."

The TV switched to an interview with people outside the Thornbury, then went to commercials. Just then, Rachel overheard Lucy talking to Mimi nearby. "Is the Bollinger chilled?"

Rachel moved closer; technically, that was her responsibility. "The Bollinger is for if he wins. We're going to use the Risel for the other scenario."

"I know," Lucy responded coldly.

Levant sat down on the sofa with Volk on one side. A significant number of the inner election circle were seated around the main large TV. Levant patted the left side of the sofa, which was vacant. Rachel took a seat next to him, allowing him to put his arm around her. He felt strangely confident.

The election night continued. That morning, the polls showed improvement, but Levant remained in third place. The improvement was a polling glitch PBS had mentioned, was likely the cause given Levant's considerable lag. However, as the results from different regions were announced, Levant began to win many of them. To secure victory, Levant would need a substantial shift in his favor. Pollsters were adamant that their typical margin of error had ruled Levant out.

With every new poll or result, Levant cheered, and his supporters cheered alongside him. Rachel occasionally glanced at an iPad Volk kept passing to Levant, showing a bar chart displaying Levant with a slight lead. As the night progressed, the reel of Levant's interview blunders played less frequently. Initially, pollsters were cautious about the reliability of the results they were announcing. Then, the results became 'interesting.' Afterward, there emerged a 'path for Levant to actually win.' Simultaneously, a 'path for Able to fail' appeared. Levant advanced to second place based on real votes.

Rachel watched as her heart sank slowly. Memories of previous election nights in Paris and Italy came flooding back. As the night wore on, Levant's confidence gradually grew.

By midnight, pollsters began to acknowledge that things were going in Levant's favor. Fifteen minutes past midnight, peculiar effects were discovered that explained Levant's triumph. Disenchanted voters who hadn't communicated with pollsters miraculously emerged as one explanation. Rachel had thought that the glaring discrepancy between the polls and the actual votes would set off alarm bells, but it didn't.

By half past midnight, they announced Levant's the three percent lead as a landslide, exactly as the pollsters had predicted all along. The room grew increasingly animated as the news trickled in. Lucy ordered the Bollinger to be brought in. Levant placed his phone on the coffee table in front of him.

Rachel looked at the phone. His app, the one he used to control the life support machine, was displayed on it. Everyone gazed at it expectantly. A multitude of messages began to appear on Levant's screen. Then Lucy handed over her phone.

"It's Jennifer Able, Sir," she announced.

"Jennifer," Levant said, "Yes, thank you for calling. It was... yes, it was... thank you. I will. Great. Yes, thanks. You too. Goodbye."

"Loser," he added with a smirk while handing the phone back.

Rachel looked puzzled.

"That was Able conceding the election. Your husband has won," Volk clarified as a cheer arose.

There was a cheer, which in Rachel's heart rang with shreeks and shadows. With that, the celebration truly began. Levant kissed Rachel and then rose, going around the room to shake hands with everyone. Rachel sat frozen in shock. She had underestimated the Zeitgeist machine. Mel had informed her that it wasn't flawless. While it could sway things in a close election, it seemed impossible that American voters could be that easily manipulated. Rachel had unwittingly walked into a Levant victory. She glanced at the TV once more. Why weren't the pundits proposing the obvious explanation? That the polls were accurate, but the election had been rigged?

Above her, people were clapping and leaning over to shake Levant's hand. Devlin looked up from holding a phone in each hand. "Both the political parties are making sounds about you joining them."

Levant, cigar in hand, glanced over. "Ignore them until they express interest in joining me," he said.

One thing Rachel noticed was how men would shake Levant's hand and say, "Well done, Mr. President," even though they should have said, "Mr. Governor."

Levant leaned over to the astonished Rachel. "Well, First Lady, why don't you put on the red dress, and we can head to the helicopter?"

The rest of the evening, Rachel was in a complete daze. She felt like she had after the SRS operation, she couldn't believe that Levant would do something like that. It seemed so unthinkable. Rachel felt numb as she climbed into the awaiting helicopter, dressed in her red attire. She recalled how cold she felt; the dress exposed a lot of skin. She sat there, dreading the future. Levant's political opponents were furious now. They would dig relentlessly until they uncovered everything. Once they discovered her secret, her life would be ruined. While they were airborne, a couple of TV helicopters followed them.

"I owe so much of this to you," Levant's voice came through the headphone intercom, and he held Rachel's shaking hands.

"Really?" Rachel replied. Her eye was caught on how beautiful down town San Fansisco looked lit up at night.

"Well, when you said you would make love tonight, but only if I won and we got a divorce if I didn't, I realized this was your test. This was how we could be together despite my mistake. You see, I knew you wanted me to win; that's why you inspired me like that. Deep down, you wanted me to succeed. To succeed for you. So I did. With you and God by my side, I know I can win. I can win. I can win..."

"Douglas?" Rachel's voice trembled as Levant stared at her unblinkingly. "Douglas? Monster? Can you hear me?"

Levant didn't move. He was experiencing another absence.

"Come on, Douglas, wake up," Rachel urged, patting his face. "Wake up! Douglas." Images of Douglas falling out of the helicopter upon landing filled Rachel's mind.

She attempted to shout, "Wake the fuck up, Douglas Levant!" Rachel exclaimed, slapping him harder. This was the longest she had seen him been disconnected from reality. Rachel could see the Golden Gate Bridge passing by.

"Err," Levant began to mumble.

"Are you okay? How many fingers do you see?" Rachel asked.

"What... what's... what's that err number after Three?" Levant inquired.

"Four, That's right, that's four," Rachel responded. "Looks like you rebooted in time. We're coming in for landing."

As they approached the Thornbury, Rachel could see a massive crowd of people below, filling the streets. The whole situation felt like a bizarre TV nightmare. They landed on the pad atop the Thornbury.

Levant, now recovered, looked ecstatically happy. Devlin had gone ahead to organize the press and stood outside the penthouse waiting.

"Sir, you have a call," Devlin informed.

"Not now, I'm running late for the speech," Levant replied.

"A call from the Prince, Sir," Devlin persisted.

Levant paused. "Is he pleased?" Levant inquired, taking Devlin's phone. He emerged a few minutes later and looked at Rachel. "Thanks for waiting. If you speak to Charlie, tell her to expect a sum in the Swiss account. Tell her to return what was taken from the pension fund."

They stepped into the elevator. The expansive atrium lobby was filled with supporters. Rachel entered the elevator and noticed her hand shaking.

"What are you going to do?" Rachel asked herself.

She had never really considered what would happen if Levant succeeded. It felt unnatural; she should have believed what had happened in France and Italy. The idea of manipulating people, toying with their minds like this, still seemed too fantastical to occur in America.

Levant glanced over and grinned, "I'm going to give them a Governor California will never forget." Then he noticed her expression. "And after this, I get to claim my prize. Or is it my 'Price'? Don't worry; I'll be gentle. But I promise you, when I'm done, you won't want to go back."

"Thanks," Rachel replied curtly.

The elevator stopped at the mezzanine, where a path led to a special scaffold staircase constructed to reach a stage. The crowd had grown too large for the ballroom, and the vast atrium of the Thornbury was being used to accommodate them. Levant held Rachel's hand and practically pulled her onto the stage beside him.