by Carsen Taite
Addison Riley. The memory of their brief interlude conjured up lots of images, but none of them involved black robes and legal rulings. Did Addison know Armstrong was throwing her name in the hat? Addison had brought up the subject of the vacancy on the court at their ill-fated date. Had she known then she might be on a list? Julia made a mental note to look into whether Addison had any connection to Armstrong, but in the meantime, she knew what she had to do to move things along. The extra steps would delay the process, but she’d speed it along as quickly as possible.
She pointed to the piece of paper on the table. “We’ll set up preliminary interviews with these people. In the meantime, you’ll review our list. Agreed?”
“And Addison Riley? You’ll meet with her as well?”
“Yes. I’ll meet with her myself. You have my word.”
Armstrong smiled like she’d won a greater victory than she had, and Julia wondered what she was missing.
*
Ten minutes into the board of regents meeting, Addison wished she’d had that glass of whiskey at lunch.
At issue was the new moot court facility that she’d lobbied for continuously over the past year. Chadwick Barker, the board president, was completely behind her proposal, but a small contingent on the board, led by Mary Dempsey, had taken it upon themselves to question anything that wasn’t classroom centric. They, of course, weren’t lawyers, and couldn’t seem to muster an appreciation of the importance of hands-on learning. Rather than defer to the members of the board who talked at length about how such a technologically advanced facility could give students practical real world experience, Mary and her pals had droned on about grade point averages and job placement.
She listened to Dempsey and watched her posse nod their agreement to her conservative approach to the budget. When she finally finished her big speech, Addison delivered what she hoped was a persuasive pitch. “Our placement as a top tier school isn’t confined to GPAs and job placement. Clinical experience is a big chunk of the ratings, and if we don’t take significant steps to give our students practical as well as academic success, they will be ill suited to the current marketplace. As the report in front of you details, the number of law school graduates this year is higher than ever before, and the number of jobs has significantly decreased. The best thing that we can do to ensure our graduates are ahead of the game is to equip them with real skills so they have added value in the marketplace. We’ve raised two-thirds of the money from private funds, but we believe the university will reap the most benefit from funding the rest of the project.”
Addison paused to take a drink of water, hoping she had said enough to shut Mary up while Barker called for a vote. She breathed a sigh of relief when the proposal passed by a narrow margin. The slim victory reminded her of her days at the Supreme Court when decisions were almost always split five-four. When the meeting was over, she thanked Barker, and then ducked into her office to get a leg up on the next day’s work. She was surprised to find Roger still at his desk.
“I know why I’m working late, but what are you still doing here?”
He looked up from his computer. “Same thing you are, probably. Maybe if we put in a few hours, we can get caught up.”
“I don’t feel like I’m ever going to get caught up, but I’ll keep trying. You should go home.”
“I think I have a bottle of ketchup and a six-pack in my fridge. I’d just as soon stay here, order takeout, and get caught up. How did the meeting go?”
“It went. The board approved the funding, but it was a battle. I don’t understand why some of them can’t see the value of practicality.”
“Law school and practicality. Crazy talk.”
Addison laughed. Roger had become well versed in the customs of academia, and both of them had heard tales from other staff members about deans beating their heads against the wall trying to change the age-old customs of traditional legal education. “You’re right. But I haven’t been doing this long enough to be discouraged yet.”
“Don’t let it get to you. You’re on the right path. Trust your gut.”
“Thanks. Why don’t you order takeout? Put it on my credit card. I’m going to see if I can wade through the stack on my desk.” She started to walk into her office, but stopped when he called her back, waving a piece of paper.
“I almost forgot. You got a call just as you were walking into the meeting. Someone named Cindy from Julia Scott’s office.”
Addison stopped short at the mention of Julia’s name. Julia was supposed to be on a beach somewhere. Roger had said someone from her office called, not her. But why would she have someone from her office call? Funny, Addison hadn’t really thought about Julia even having an office. She’d pictured her traveling around the country in planes and buses, at the whim of whatever candidate she happened to be pitching at the time. But of course, she had to have an office. And staff. She was a professional with a solid reputation, and she’d been doing this for a long time. She’d have all the trappings of success, which probably included plenty of women who wanted to date her. She might still be one of them. She took the paper from Roger’s hand. “I’ll return the call tomorrow.”
“I told her you were in a meeting. She said to call back today, no matter how late.”
She did, did she? Addison walked into her office and closed the door. Seated at her desk, she glanced back and forth between the stack of work and Roger’s note. Curiosity won. She picked up the phone, dialed the number for an outside extension, and then punched in the numbers to Julia’s office.
“White House operator, how may I direct your call?”
The White House? Addison stared at the number, certain she must have misdialed. “I’m sorry. I must have the wrong number.”
“Who were you trying to reach?” The voice was friendly, helpful.
“Julia Scott.”
“Hold please.”
Well, that answered the wrong number question. Apparently, Julia was working at the White House. Maybe she’d called to tell her that. Ask her out again. Give their attraction another try.
“Ms. Scott’s office. This is Cindy.”
Cindy. The name on the message. “Cindy, this is Addison Riley. I’m returning your call. Is Julia there?”
“Um, hello, Ms. Riley. Ms. Scott would like to schedule an appointment with you tomorrow. Does three o’clock at the White House work for you? We’ll leave a guest pass at the guard gate by the West Wing entrance.”
A deeply ingrained sense of manners was the only thing that kept Addison from hanging up. Who did Julia think she was? They’d had one date and now she was having her secretary summon her to the White House? How about a call instead to say, “Hey, I’m back in town. Let’s get together?”
Instead of saying all that, she asked, “What is this regarding?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say, but Ms. Scott will fill you in at your meeting.”
“I’m afraid I’m very busy tomorrow. Please tell Ms. Scott thanks for the invitation, but I won’t be able to attend. If she’d like to discuss it further, she can call me here at my office during regular hours.”
“But, Ms. Riley, I don’t think—”
Addison had heard enough. “Thanks for the call. Have a good evening.”
She hung up the phone, unable to believe Julia’s gall. She’d actually harbored the delusional fantasy that maybe, when Julia returned from the islands, they might have a chance meeting, start over, and see if the spark from their first meeting would rekindle their attraction.
Fat chance. The only spark she felt right now was the flare of her temper. Julia Scott could find another woman to order around.
Chapter Ten
“What do you mean, she hung up on you?”
Cindy looked like she wanted to crawl under her desk. “She was very polite about it, but she said she was very busy and if you wanted to discuss it further, you could call her yourself.”
“Did you tell her you were calling from the Whit
e House, the West Wing?”
“I’m sure she knew, since the call came through the switchboard. I don’t think she cared.”
Julia had started scheduling meetings with the candidates on the Democrats’ list, and every single one of them had jumped at the chance to attend a meeting at the White House. She’d considered calling Addison herself, but thought it best to maintain a sense of impartiality. Besides, what was she going to say? “Hey, I know our one and only date went badly, but I’ve got a job opportunity for you?”
No, that wouldn’t do. Besides, it wasn’t true, at least the last part anyway. Her one task was to get Landry confirmed. Addison was just one on a list of see them to please them candidates she had to wade through to get what the president wanted. An informal interview with her was going to be weird enough without having to reach out and broach the subject.
But she’d promised Armstrong she’d meet with Addison, and if the only way to get it done was to ask herself, she’d do just that. She turned to Cindy. “I’ll need a car after my meeting with the minority leadership. Make sure it’s waiting for me at the ellipse. If the meeting runs long, it’s up to you to rescue me. Got it?”
Cindy nodded, her expression made it clear she was sufficiently upset with herself for blowing the other task. Julia didn’t bother scolding her anymore. She made her way to the Roosevelt Room to meet with the Republican members of the Judiciary Committee.
The minority committee chair, Jeff Burrows, stood when she entered, shook her hand, and introduced her to the rest of the group. She’d only met him once before, and she’d been impressed by his courteous manners even if she hated his politics. He was young to have landed a leadership role on such a prestigious committee, but his pedigree as a former Supreme Court clerk and his rising star status in the party apparently gave him extra credit.
“Senator Burrows, good to see you.”
“And you, Julia. How did you get roped into doing actual substantive work?”
She laughed and didn’t answer directly. “It’s amazing anyone could get me to do any work at all after the last year. What do you say we wrap this up and all go lie on a beach for the holidays?”
“We’re ready to advise and consent.” He leaned forward and placed a piece of paper on the table. “Here’s a list of names I can guarantee we would support.”
Julia picked up the paper and skimmed the names, careful to keep a neutral expression. As expected, it was the antithesis of the Democrats’ list, each candidate an ultra-conservative sure to vote for the death penalty and against any law that impinged on the ability of states to curtail the rights of their own citizens.
She set the paper back on the conference table. “All men. All white. All as conservative as you can get. You do realize Governor Briscoe didn’t get elected president, don’t you?” She would make a show of considering his list, but she didn’t have to act like a wimp doing it.
Burrows’s smile was feral. “And you realize that if Briscoe had kept it in his pants, your guy would be looking at a long winter vacation instead of an inauguration?”
“Doesn’t matter how the sausage is made as long as it tastes good.” Julia was instantly sorry for the analogy, but she pressed on. “We’ll take a look at these, um, gentlemen. We’ll even interview a few. You should know we also have interviews set up with Judges Gibbons and Taylor, and Addison Riley. You know Addison Riley, don’t you, Senator? Didn’t you two clerk together?”
He shifted in his seat. “I know her. She was Weir’s girl. You think you’re going to replace him with a justice made in his own image? Not too smart if you ask me. The court needs new blood, not a recycling of the same old ideas.”
“Just working our way through the list.” Julia kept her tone light, although his use of the term “girl” bothered her. There was a time to fight and a time to lay back and gather information. This was the latter. Something was up. Two powerful senators with very different opinions about a single candidate. She’d get to the bottom of why later, but she had a distinct feeling she was being played. She handed his list to Gordon and stood. “Thank you for your time. I promise we’ll give these names careful attention, and we’ll be back in touch as the vetting process continues.”
Taking their cue, Burrows and his contingent stood and started toward the door. As he was leaving, Julia called out, “You know there is another name we’re considering.”
Burrows raised his eyebrows. “And who might that be?”
“Judge Landry, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.”
Burrows’s face was a mask. He nodded. “Interesting. I’ll give it some thought.”
Julia dismissed the rest of her group as soon as Burrows left the room, but she asked Gordon to stay behind.
“What do you make of that?” she asked.
“Hard to tell. Landry is a gift compared to the names on the Dems’ list. He’ll probably jump at the chance to confirm Landry when the time comes.”
Gordon was right. She’d expected Burrows to play it cool when she mentioned Landry. He’d want her to review and reject her list before he finally gave in, as if he were the one offering her something in the negotiation. She pointed at the list in Gordon’s hand. “Why don’t you see what you can find out about that stodgy list of conservatives? I’m going to do a little research of my own. Meet you back here tomorrow?”
It was almost three. Julia stopped briefly at her desk, grabbed a folder of work, and then went to meet her car.
The law school at Jefferson University was a much larger school than the University of New Mexico law school she’d attended, but she could see a lot of the same trappings. A library full of students seated in groups, working on outlines for final exams. A food court with much of the same. It was definitely the time of the year where cramming was the norm. Did Addison find this environment as challenging as the other positions she’d held? Was she angling for something more? Time to find out.
*
Addison was deep into budget reports when Roger knocked on her door. She looked up, surprised since she’d told him she needed to work undisturbed for at least an hour. “Come in.”
He slipped in the door and shut it behind him. “There’s someone here to see you. A Julia Scott. She looks really familiar, but I can’t place her.”
“She was President Garrett’s campaign manager. You probably saw her on TV at some point during the last six months.”
“I know you said not to interrupt, but she was very insistent. Said it was a matter of national security. I know that’s probably horseshit, but I don’t think anyone’s ever used that one before. I have to give her credit.”
Addison laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s lying, but kudos for the try.”
“You want me to send her packing?”
Addison took a moment to consider. Her first instinct was to say yes. She didn’t have a clue why Julia had shown up, but after the strange call from her secretary the night before, she was more than a little curious. “No. I’ll handle this one myself.”
She arranged her desk into some semblance of order and then waited for Roger to knock again. When Julia appeared in her doorway, she took a deep breath. On TV, Julia was striking. In person, she was breathtaking. She knew better, but part of her wondered if candidates hired her in large part because of her captivating presence.
Well, she was no candidate, and she wasn’t about to let Julia’s good looks trump her own good sense. “Have a seat. I only have a few minutes. I told your secretary I wouldn’t be able to make an appointment today, but perhaps you didn’t get the message.”
Julia slid into the chair in front of Addison’s desk before the invitation was out. “Oh, I got the message all right, but what I heard was that you hung up on my secretary.” She raised her hands in surrender. “My mistake. I should have called you myself, but I was trying to keep things on a professional level.”
Professional. So, Julia wasn’t here for anything personal. She should be relieved, but a tinge of disa
ppointment traced her thoughts. Determined to focus, she asked, “What happened to Tahiti?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s still there and I’ll see it eventually. I got roped into a favor, and I’m hoping you can help me out.”
“You have a funny way of getting people to do your bidding.”
“Really, what’s that?”
“You seem to expect them to act. You know, asking is customary. It’s even nice.”
Julia laughed. “I guess I’m not used to having time for niceties, but I’ll give it a try. Addison Riley, I’d like to ask you a favor.”
“Now you’re patronizing me. What’s your job at the White House?”
“How am I supposed to ask for a favor when you won’t let me get any questions in?”
“You answer one and I’ll answer one. Fair?”
“Fair. I’m working on a special committee for the president.”
Addison shook her head. “Not very informative, but I suppose it’s your turn.”
“How do you know Senator Armstrong?”
That was out of left field. “Connie? She and I are old friends. We went to law school together.”
“Have you kept in touch?”
“It’s not your turn. Why did you have your secretary call me?”
“I wanted to see you. Back to Armstrong?”
“Sure, we keep in touch. We had lunch together just the other day.”
“Did she ask you if you wanted to be on the Supreme Court?”
“It’s not your turn—wait, what?” Addison was thrown and certain she hadn’t heard Julia correctly.
“Connie Armstrong just threw your name in the ring to take Weir’s seat on the Supreme Court. You mean to tell me you didn’t know that?”