The men in the bar began to argue about what had gone wrong. As the results began to change, the mood went dark. The early returns were out of Denver, and the margin wasn't big enough to overcome El Paso County, whose votes had yet to be counted. He hadn't worked on this campaign, but he'd been politically active in the past, and he knew how to read the numbers. Everyone was ready to celebrate.Įxcept for Whitworth. On the TV over the cash register, the election returns looked good. One guy, his name stitched on the patch of his blue mechanic's jacket, smoked and nursed a beer in the corner. A couple of men, still in suits and ties from their work day, teased the bartender boisterously.
It was the usual Hide & Seek drinking crowd, and Whitworth knew everyone. Frank Whitworth went down to the local gay bar.
