The Reluctant First Lady

by Venita Ellick

  “Warning noted. Again, I wish you could be there.”

  “Me too. I’d love to come for a visit. Check to see how next weekend looks. I could make a trip to Washington, if you’re not too busy.”

  “I’ll do that. I need to go; I’m already running behind schedule. Just wanted to touch base and let you know I thought the interview went very well. I’ll be in touch. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Ashley felt lonely the minute she got off the phone. Mavis, who was on another line, held up a finger indicating to wait before leaving the area. After hanging up, she said, “We’re being swamped by calls. Between the two of us, we have about thirty or so.”

  “Just put the messages on my desk. I want to walk around the museum and when I get back, I’ll start returning calls. Sorry for the telephone overload. I know it’s cutting into your workday. If there’s anything else I can do to give you some relief, let me know.”

  “That would be two lattes, a raise, and three months off in the summer. Is there anything you can think of, Kathy?” Mavis asked.

  “Nope, that pretty much sums it up. Oh, yeah, and we’d like secretaries of our own.”

  Ashley laughed as she left the office and went about her day. She made a mental note to order flowers for her secretaries when she got back to the office.

  One of her favorite things to do as she started her day was to walk around the museum to see how visitors responded to the various art collections. As she passed from one corridor and gallery to another, she reflected on her interview with Oprah. It was true what she’d said; life comes at you in unexpected ways. Ashley reflected on her and Michael’s early beginnings and how their one true beacon had always been their love for one another and their family. Yet, here they were, all living in separate cities, sort of an umbrella of love with the spokes all pointing in different directions.

  Ashley knew what she had to do, but it would take some planning, some manipulation, and a good bit of luck. She needed some time to think and plan, and unfortunately that might involve putting stress on others she loved temporarily.

  Once she returned to her office, she couldn’t believe the pile of messages that had accumulated on her desk. It was going to take days to return all of these calls. She separated the messages into two piles—ones she would handle personally, and another pile for Max to answer. Unfortunately her stack of messages was twice as big as his.

  Ashley spent the rest of the morning returning phone calls and doing the necessary follow-up. So far, she’d avoided returning Geoffrey’s call; still, she knew she couldn’t ignore it forever. The man had just established a sizable endowment for the museum. That put him in the unique position of getting preferential treatment.

  She didn’t know why she kept avoiding calling him back except she was more wary of him now ever since Michael had made such a big deal out of his behavior. She still heard Michael’s warnings in her head, and he’d planted a seed of doubt where Geoffrey was concerned. Could she really be that blind to a man’s intentions? He’d never been inappropriate around her. She knew Michael could be blindsided by the female population, but could she be equally naïve about men? She just prayed the conversation between Michael and Geoffrey wouldn’t come up.

  She dialed Geoffrey’s number. His secretary answered. “Good morning, Mr. Carruthers’s office.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Peters. It’s Ashley Taylor. I’m returning a call from Mr. Carruthers. Is he available?”

  “He’s in a meeting right now, Mrs. Taylor. Even so, let me tell him you’re on the line. “Would you hold for a moment, please?”

  “No problem,” Ashley responded. What she really hoped was that Geoffrey was too busy to take the call. She’d rather avoid having to speak with him directly. It would be enough for him to know she had returned his call.

  Ashley heard the line click. “Thank you for waiting, Mrs. Taylor. Mr. Carruthers asked if you could hold for just a moment while he wraps up his meeting. Will you please hold?”

  “I can hold for a couple of minutes, but then I have to go. Please let Mr. Carruthers know that, in case our call is disconnected.”

  “I most certainly will. I’m sure he’ll be with you as fast as he can.”

  Ashley decided to hold for three minutes, no longer. She was already behind in her work. At least she’d made an attempt to return his phone call. Just about the time she was ready to hang up, Geoffrey came on the line.

  “Glad you called. I saw your interview with Oprah this morning; it was terrific. You’re determined to whittle away at public opinion, aren’t you?”

  “Oprah made things easy for me, so any congratulations need to go to her. I doubt seriously if I’ll have any effect on public opinion. At any rate, I’m sure you didn’t call to comment on my interview. What can I do for you?”

  “You’re always all business, nose to the grindstone and all that. Okay, then I’ll get right to it. In addition to congratulating you on the interview, I was calling about business. When you and I had lunch, I mentioned hosting an open house to raise additional funding for the museum. Are you still in favor of the idea?”

  How could she possibly say no? It was her job to secure financial support for the museum, and Geoffrey was dropping a rare opportunity right into her lap. She had to accept his gracious offer. To refuse would be folly.

  “Of course, I am. What did you have in mind?”

  “I thought perhaps to kick off the summer in high style, we could have an open house at my home in the Hamptons. Some of my most valuable pieces of art are there; I’d love to show them to you. I’ll send out invitations making clear the purpose of the event. You should reap a significant return to the museum.”

  “Geoffrey, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer. I do. Even so, I’m still unclear as to why you would do this for me.”

  “I thought we went over this ground at the luncheon. Don’t tell me the wine affected your memory?”

  Irritated, Ashley responded, “Of course, it didn’t. I recall what you said. Just the same, for some reason your being such a good Samaritan doesn’t really match the bad-boy image you portray so well in public.”

  “Bad-boy image? Certainly, you of all people don’t believe everything you read in the press? As I said, I like to encourage talent where I see it. Ashley, as much as you hate to admit it, you draw people to you simply because you’re married to the president and because you rejected the position of the First Lady. I realize you don’t like hearing that, and I can almost hear your feathers ruffling. Even so, you know what I’m saying is true.”

  Annoyed but determined to hide it, Ashley responded, “Yes, I suppose you’re right sans the ruffling feathers. Robert and I will both try to attend the event together. In fact, I’ll call him and make arrangements for the two of us to be there. Have you selected a date?”

  Geoffrey hadn’t expected her to go to such lengths to avoid being alone with him; he’d underestimated her. That wouldn’t happen again.

  “How’s June twelfth?”

  “I’ll call Robert right now and see if that works for him. He’ll get back to you with a confirmation. On behalf of the Cameron Museum of Art, I want to thank you. We greatly appreciate your efforts on our behalf.”

  “I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to. I think you know that. I’ll be in touch.”

  After they hung up, Geoffrey leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head to think. He had to play this just right. On one hand, she was a strong-willed and determined businesswoman, but on the other hand, she was rather skittish. She was definitely an enigma.

  No one had interested him this much in a long time. In spite of that, he knew he was playing with fire. The president had already paid a visit warning him to stay away from his wife. He didn’t like being told what to do, and he never passed up a challenge. Yes, this was definitely a dangerous undertaking.

  Ashley immediately called Robert. She was anxious to let him know what Geoffrey Carruthers was
planning and hoped he would be able to make it to the open house.

  Ashley started humming a Lady Gaga tune that was stuck in her brain while she waited for Robert to come on the line. She didn’t want to attend the open house without him. She would have her Secret Service agents with her; still, she wanted Robert as a further barrier between her and Mr. Carruthers. With the money for the museum at stake, it was her job to be the gracious recipient of goodwill and to finesse sloppy drunks and frisky benefactors.

  Robert’s voice suddenly boomed in her ear. “I was just about to call you. I thought your interview went extremely well. Congratulations. But I had another reason for calling. Have you heard about Ted, by any chance?”

  Ashley didn’t like the sound of Robert’s voice. “No. Is something wrong?”

  “He was in a bad car accident this morning. He was hit broadside by a semi that ran a red light. He’s alive, but barely. He hasn’t regained consciousness. The doctors don’t know the extent of his injuries, so they’re running tests and keeping him under observation in the ICU. I’m going to see him this afternoon.”

  “Have you talked to his wife?”

  “Just briefly. She called to let me know about the accident.”

  “Oh, Robert, this is just horrible. Poor Ted—and Cynthia. It makes me sick. Would you please call me after you’ve seen him? I’d like to send something to the hospital to let them know I’m thinking of and praying for him.”

  “Will do. I’ll call as soon as I know more,” Robert said

  “Thanks. I’m sorry we have to deal with business right now, but I just got off the phone with Geoffrey Carruthers, and true to his word, he’s planning to host an open house to promote further donations to the museum. He’s decided to hold it at his house in the Hamptons rather than at his apartment in New York, and he’s set the date for June twelfth.

  “Remember how you wanted me to be careful around Geoffrey? Well, Michael feels the same way. So I was hoping you’d go with me to the open house. I told Geoffrey I’d talk to you, and I thought it would be a good idea for us both to attend. How about it? Will you go with me?”

  “Hang on; I’ll check my calendar. Did you say the twelfth of June? If you did, I’m free and you can let your mind rest. We’ll go as a united front.”

  “That’s great. I would have attended without you, but Michael would have my head on a platter. I’m so glad you’ll be able to make it. I’ll be a lot more comfortable with you and my security agents close at hand. I have another favor. Would you please call Mr. Carruthers and confirm the date and that we’ll both be there?”

  “Of course, but Geoffrey hasn’t said or done anything unseemly, has he?” Robert asked.

  “No. But I can sense his mind working overtime when I’m around him, and he watches me as if he’s constantly assessing me against some sort of standard and deciding if I pass muster. It unnerves me, but I’d die before I’d admit it to him. Plus, I get the impression he wouldn’t be opposed to some sort of dalliance. He’s stepping around the issue very carefully. Then there’s always the chance I’m imagining it all.”

  “Personally, I’d go with your instincts. Rest assured, I’ll be with you at the open house.”

  “Thanks. Please call me later about Ted. You won’t forget?”

  “No. I promise I’ll call as soon as I know something.”

  Ashley hung up. Once again, she was aware of how fragile life is, and that no matter how much you planned, the future was completely capricious.

  35

  Ashley had promised to call Michael after she’d talked to Juliette and Jeremy, and even though it was late, she knew he’d still be up. His workload had quadrupled since he took office. For that matter, his work hours were 24/7. He was always on duty. He was always the president.

  His voice came on the line. “I’m so glad you called.”

  “I promised I’d call and let you know how the kids were, so I’m reporting in. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “I wish. That would mean my day had actually ended, but no such luck,” Michael said.

  Michael sounded exhausted. “I hope you’re taking care of yourself and getting some exercise. I was recently thinking about how much the presidency always ages the person in office. I’d prefer for that not to happen to you. Are you taking your vitamins?”

  Michael ignored her comment about the vitamins. “So, were you able to talk to both of the kids?”

  “I was, and after talking to them, I realized again how much I miss them. I wish we all lived on the same coast. And sometimes, I wish I could turn the clock back and make them little again.”

  “You’re in a sentimental mood today. Have you forgotten how they drove you crazy when they were growing up? Do you remember when they hid the tape recorder under the sofa to record our conversations? Or when Jeremy was about three and he got his hands on a screwdriver and unscrewed every screw in the house he could reach?”

  “No. I don’t remember any of those things. I remember holding them in my arms before they went to sleep, wishing I could stop time because those moments were so perfect.”

  “Typical mom. The kids grow up and they become saints. So, how are the saints?”

  “They sound great. I’m glad they’re both working toward degrees in something they’re passionate about. They’re healthy and seem to be having minimal problems in the boyfriend and girlfriend department although I think Juliette is getting serious about Eric. Other than that, things are pretty much status quo for them.”

  “What makes you think Juliette is getting serious?”

  “Instinct. She’s like you; it’s not so much what she says as what she doesn’t say that you need to listen for. Anyway, they’re both fine.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I need to give them a call too. I’ll do that in the next couple of days. I miss them too.”

  “Michael, there’s a couple of other things I need to tell you.” Ashley relayed the news about Ted. “Now for this next part, please stay calm until you hear me out. Do you think you can do that?”

  “No promises with an intro like that. What’s up?”

  “Geoffrey Carruthers is . . .”

  “Damn it, Ashley. I told you to stay away from him.”

  “Do you want to hear what I have to say or continue to yell at me?”

  “Go on.”

  “Anyway, Geoffrey Carruthers is hosting an open house at his house in the Hamptons to raise money for the museum. I need to go; however, Robert will be going with me as well as the Secret Service. So there’s really nothing for you to worry about.”

  “I could send an entire division of marines to guard you, and I still wouldn’t feel comfortable having you around him. That man is up to something, and I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

  “Then perhaps you’d like to go instead of me because part of my job is doing everything I can to drum up additional funds for the museum, and what you’re telling me is to not do my job.”

  “Just let Robert attend the damn thing.”

  “Robert and I talked about that; however, we know that having me there will attract more potential contributors. I don’t like being used in this way; still, it’s for the sake of the museum. You know, you could go with me.”

  “When is this lovely little affair?”

  “June twelfth. Would you consider going? I’d love to have you there.”

  ‘Unfortunately I’ll still be in Europe. Otherwise I’d make every effort to go.”

  “Honey, please understand; this is something I have to do for my job. Also, I’m not asking your permission. I’m explaining to you what’s going to happen. I don’t like it any better than I liked you going to the state dinner with Paula, but it’s the kind of thing we both have to do.”

  “You’re right. In spite of that, I want you to be extremely careful and make sure you’re never alone with that creep. He’s not to be trusted. I can feel it.”

  “I’ll do my very best, I promise. With Robert—and Dave and
Matt—around, I’ll be perfectly safe.”

  “Tell me more about Ted.”

  “He still hasn’t regained consciousness, and that’s a bad sign. The longer he’s out, the more danger there is of his not regaining consciousness. Robert visited him the other day, and so far the doctors aren’t very encouraging. Naturally we’re all hoping for a complete recovery.”

  “Please let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to do at this end, Ash. I know you’re very fond of Ted.”

  “Yes, I am, and I appreciate the offer. He’s a good man and great director for the museum. It would be a senseless tragedy if he makes less than a complete recovery. There’s also something I’ve been mulling over I’d like to share with you. I’ve been giving our situation a lot of thought, and there are some things nagging at the edges of my brain. I need some time to put it all together, but when I do, I’d really appreciate some time with you to discuss what I’ve yet to figure out.”

  “That’s about as clear as mud, Ashley. I think I’m following you although at this time of night nothing makes much sense. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be ready to listen.”

  “Thanks. Listen, I’d better let you go. Please keep in touch when you can. I worry about you. With our schedules, time seems to have a way of evaporating. Goodnight, sweetheart.”

  36

  Ashley found it hard to believe almost six months had passed since the inauguration. The passing months were almost a blur, so much had happened. However, a quick scan of her calendar revealed each overbooked and grueling day.

  The plan she’d been working on for the past several months was taking shape. She’d secured the necessary essentials to implement her scheme if and when the appropriate occasion arose, assuming that the right set of circumstances ever occurred. She was keenly aware of what was at stake if she followed through with her plan and that if it wasn’t executed with care, people she loved could be hurt by her actions. Unfortunately her loved ones were bound to be upset even if she took the utmost care in turning her thoughts into actions.