by Carsen Taite
Two blocks into the walk, Addison asked, “How did you get into campaign work?”
Julia shrugged. “Not a very interesting story.”
“You managed President Garrett’s campaign. Twice. Nothing boring about that. Didn’t you work for Scholes & Thirsten? Is that how you managed to score a presidential campaign?”
“You’ve Googled me or you’ve had a very boring conversation with someone who knows my life history.”
Seemed like Julia was dodging her questions. Funny, Julia didn’t strike her as the kind of person who was shy about her work history. Addison let it pass. “Guess you caught me. Tell me you didn’t Google me too.”
“Guilty as charged, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read online.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I only read the entries on the first of two hundred pages.”
Julia smiled, visibly relieved. “Then you know the basics. Single, no kids, workaholic. Sound familiar?”
“I can definitely relate. Where did you grow up?”
“Moved around a lot. You grew up in Dallas, right?”
Yes, Julia was definitely dodging personal questions. “The Dallas area. My dad still lives there, but I’ve only been back for visits since law school.” Addison switched gears, determined to get at least one answer to her many questions. “Of all the places you’ve lived, what’s your favorite?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“So do you. The difference is that I actually answer yours.”
“I guess I’m used to talking about whatever candidate I’m working for, not myself.”
Addison nodded, pretending to accept the answer even though she sensed there was a lot more to Julia’s reticence. Besides, they were in front of her apartment now and the evening was about to be officially over. “Okay, just one last question.”
“Shoot.”
“We met for dinner instead of at your office because I’m definitely not in the running, right?”
Julia looked strained, but she finally nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’m not mad or disappointed. I just wanted to make sure where things stand.”
“Good thing. Now that you know, I can do this.”
Addison froze in place as Julia leaned in. She smelled like lavender and spice. Her lips were soft, and Addison let her eyes flutter shut as she forgot that she was a dean of a prominent law school, that Julia worked for the president, and that kissing women in public, especially on the first date just wasn’t her style.
Good thing it was really the second date.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning, Julia sat in her office in front of her computer. Her lack of productivity was epic. She blamed the kiss. The long, slow, delicious kiss. The kiss that made her forget the bitter cold, the people on the street, and her pledge to never get involved with women who talked about marriage as passionately as Addison Riley had.
It’s not like she wants to marry you.
Good thing. The kiss had been the end of their evening together and the start of a long and sleepless night spent reviewing every moment of the time she’d spent with Addison. The only drawback of the night had been Addison’s probing and personal questions, and the fact Addison had looked her up online.
She typed her name into her Google search bar. Addison was right. The first page was totally innocuous, mostly having to do with her work on the campaign. Some of the photos and quotes made her wince, but she supposed things always seemed more clever in the moment.
“I need a haircut.”
“Excuse me?”
Julia looked up and saw Cindy standing in her doorway. Damn, she should’ve shut the door. “Nothing. Actually, would you see if I have some time on Friday to fit in a haircut? I can’t remember the last time I actually had time to get more than a trim on the run.”
“Sure. I know a good place too. Want me to make you an appointment?”
She started to say no, used to doing that kind of thing for herself whenever she had time, but reconsidered. “That would be great.” She looked back at her computer screen before remembering Cindy must have wanted something, or else she was just a voyeur. “I’m sorry. Did you need something?”
“Actually, yes. Senator Armstrong is here meeting with the vice president. Her aide asked if she could have a few minutes with you while she’s here.”
Julia started to say no, but she knew she’d eventually have to deal with the senator. May as well get it over with. The clock on her computer screen read ten a.m. “Tell her I can be available at ten thirty. And would you mind shutting the door on your way out? I need to make a call. Thanks.” She put her head back down to indicate they were finished. She appreciated Cindy’s offer to get her a haircut, but she needed to make sure there were solid boundaries erected. She wasn’t here to make friends.
Looking back at the computer screen full of results, she skipped from page one to page three, then six She clicked a few more times and finally hit the results she was looking for buried on page nine.
“Reliving your past?”
Startled, she looked up to see Gordon standing at her desk. She shut down the Web browser. “You could knock.”
“Cindy said your door is always open for me. I would expect no less.”
“What’s up?”
“We spent the morning with the first name on Burrows’s list. You really should have made the time. He’s a real charmer.”
“If he’s still here, bring him by for a handshake. Don’t want him to run crying to Burrows, although why he thought we would even talk to these guys is beyond me.”
“You should’ve been there. It definitely would have been more productive than reliving all that.” Gordon gestured at her computer.
“I don’t know. Maybe being reminded of my frailty isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
“Whatever. I say look to the future. Now that Garrett is back in office, you can officially write your own ticket. When are you going to realize you’re an official D.C. badass?”
Before she could answer, Cindy buzzed through on the intercom. “Senator Armstrong is here to see you.”
“Send her in.”
Julia remained seated behind her desk. Armstrong may be powerful, but she wasn’t about to be intimidated.
She came through the door like a tornado. “Julia, how nice to see you again. I understand Jeff Burrows has you chasing your tail with a bunch of right wing wackos.”
“Hello, Senator, nice to see you too. You know Gordon Hewitt?”
Gordon stood and reached out a hand. Armstrong took a long moment to look him up and down before she finally returned the gesture. “Of course I know Gordon. You two moving on to work on your next campaign?”
The ray of hope was hard to ignore. Julia decided against enlightening her about Gordon’s presence in her office. “Would you like to have a seat?”
Connie Armstrong sat on the couch instead of one of the chairs in front of Julia’s desk, but Julia stubbornly refused to move. Gordon looked between them before taking one of the chairs. Armstrong couldn’t quite hide her surprise that Julia hadn’t asked him to leave for this conversation, but she launched into the reason for her visit. “Guess my list seemed like a dream come true after you’ve talked to some of Jeff’s boys. They were all boys, right?”
Julia sighed and gave in. A little. “Yes, they were all men. All highly qualified.”
“Really. I’m thinking Angus Sinclair is on that list. Do you really think his inability to believe that citizens are entitled to a right of privacy under the constitution makes him qualified? I guess Garrett is setting a low bar.”
“I’m in charge of compiling the short list.”
The instant the words left her lips, Julia wanted them back. She had no business letting the senator know how much or how little involvement the president had in the process. Even though it was well known that staffers generally did the preliminary work, it wouldn’t do to actually say that to one of the most
powerful women in Congress.
For whatever reason, Armstrong let her comment slide, instead changing the subject. “How about our list?”
“We’ve conducted initial meetings with everyone on your list.”
“Cagey. Care to elaborate?”
“You really think you can get Sally Gibbons confirmed? She might actually burn her own bra on the Senate floor.”
Armstrong laughed. “I’d give my government salary to have a first row seat to that. Seriously, you must know she’s just a decoy for who I really want.”
“So, it’s about who you want?” Two could play this game. Armstrong had just let slip that she had a personal choice, and Julia knew exactly who it was. She braced for what was to come.
“Me, on behalf of the constituents of Texas. Not a small group, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“Let me guess. You and all your Texas friends want Addison Riley. May I ask why?”
“We want a judge who isn’t afraid to tackle the big issues. Like Weir, God rest his soul.”
“Polls say that people want a moderate.”
“Stick a pole in the water and you get whatever fish you’ve baited. I know those polls and they’re rigged. Those same people think the court was right to get involved in civil rights. The average person doesn’t understand the difference. Don’t pick Riley if you don’t want to, but pick someone like her.”
“Addison Riley is no different ideologically than Sally Gibbons. We pick anyone that liberal and we’ll spend all our political capital in the first thirty days in office.”
“No better time. You come out bruised and we still have plenty of time to recover before the midterms.”
“Does anyone ever tell you no?”
“Not usually.”
“How about George Landry?”
Senator Armstrong leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. He’s qualified. More qualified than Riley—he has judicial experience. Not much in the way on controversy.”
“That’s because no one knows what he really thinks about anything. He rarely authors an opinion, and he almost never asks a question during oral argument. You’d have to hook him up to a machine to even know he has a pulse.”
“Not true. He’s just not a lightning rod. Put him on the court and you’re virtually guaranteed a swing vote on the issues you care about.”
“That’s what you say. I’m not so sure.”
“Would you like me to schedule a time for you to meet him so you can see what you think?”
“Probably not a bad idea. I’ll have someone from my office call to set it up.”
Of course Armstrong assumed it was a done deal. Julia made a mental note to have Cindy schedule a meeting with Garrett. He’d left this to her for now, but they’d never discussed when he’d release Landry’s name as part of his short list or even as his final choice. She’d had the rest of her team vetting Landry and, except for receiving daily reports, she’d stayed out of the mix to avoid the press getting the information before they were ready to leak it. Garrett would have the final word on whether Landry would make himself available to meet with Armstrong at this stage, but she had every confidence he’d go along if she recommended it.
Armstrong stood to leave, and Julia followed suit to encourage her along. Armstrong stopped in the doorway. “You know, I find it hard to believe you met with Addison Riley and didn’t walk away ready to dispense with a short list.”
Julia shot a glance at Gordon, willing him to say something so she wouldn’t have to lie. But what could he say?
Nothing. His personal politics were way left of center, but, like her, he put them aside when he was on the job. Addison would be a perfect justice. But Garrett had made it clear he didn’t want to spend a ton of political capital on this fight, and Addison would take all they had. Her job, her allegiance, meant she would get her boss what he wanted. Personal politics and personal feelings couldn’t be a factor.
She wasn’t about to share her reasoning with Armstrong, so she opted to ignore her remark. “Thanks for stopping by, Senator. I’ll be in touch.”
*
Addison sat in her office realizing she’d been staring at her computer for thirty minutes and hadn’t accomplished a thing—except thinking about Julia’s lips, her hair, her scent. When her phone rang, she grabbed the handset on her desk before she realized it was her cell phone ringing. She fumbled in her briefcase and finally located it in between some files. The display read private caller.
“Hello.”
“Addison?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“It’s Larry Weir. Is this a good time to talk?”
It wasn’t, but Addison could hear the strain in his voice. It had been weeks since his father died, but it was obvious the grief was still a heavy burden. Addison looked at stacks of papers on her desk. She should probably welcome the opportunity to take a break from the tedious administrative tasks that took up eighty percent of her day. “It’s perfect. What’s on your mind?”
“Maybe it would be better if we met somewhere. I have some things to give you.”
“I could meet you for a drink this evening. Does seven work for you? At the Old Ebbitt?”
“Perfect. I’ll see you then.”
She’d no sooner hung up then Eva popped her head in the door.
“Want to grab dinner tonight?”
“Dinner?”
“You know, a meal that people eat in the evening. Sometimes even at a restaurant.”
Eva, queen of the stay-in date, was suggesting they eat at a restaurant? Addison was almost too shocked to remember she’d just made plans. Almost. “Thanks, but I have plans. I’m meeting Larry Weir.”
“Oh, my loss.”
Eva looked truly disappointed, and for a second, Addison felt bad for turning her down, but the memory of her date with Julia, in a restaurant, and then the kiss, in front of God and tourists on her front steps took over. Could Eva see the warm blush she felt? She quickly changed the subject, just in case. “I don’t think Larry’s doing well.”
“To be expected. I guess we all thought Weir was going to live forever.”
“I suppose you’re right. He and his dad were very close.”
“I wonder who they’ll get to replace him.”
Addison was irritated that Eva was so quick to change the subject from a son’s grief to the nomination process, but it was perfectly normal, expected even, for a well-respected law professor like Eva to be curious about the court. She was almost tempted to tell her that she’d met the woman in charge of the process, that her name had even been considered, even if only for a moment. Saying anything would raise too many questions, political ones she was probably expected to keep secret and personal ones she wasn’t ready to reveal. She settled on a simple, “Hopefully, they can find someone to fill his shoes.”
“Doubtful. I can’t remember the last time we had an administration with any balls. They’ll pick whoever they can get confirmed without a battle.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Addison thought for a moment, before venturing further into the topic. “What do you think about Judge Landry, Fourth Circuit?”
“You’ve got to be kidding. That would be a disaster. He swings whichever way the wind blows. Path of least resistance. We need a return to the Warren Court, but I doubt Garrett will make it happen.”
Addison nodded. Eva was spot-on, but she didn’t have to like it.
A few hours later, Addison drove to the restaurant and left her car with the valet. Larry was already waiting at the bar and she joined him.
“Thanks for meeting me. What would you like to drink?”
Addison flashed back to the memory of dinner with Julia. “Scotch, neat.” She resisted ordering the forty-year-old stuff Julia had spoiled her with, but she’d welcome the memory the amber smoke provided. “Are you staying in town long?”
“I’ve been at Dad’s house. It’s going to take u
s a while to go through his things.”
She’d been to the justice’s house in Arlington on many occasions. He’d been fond of inviting his clerks for dinner with his family when his wife was alive. During those times, Mrs. Weir forbade them from talking business, so they’d had to make due by discussing current events without putting a legal spin on everything. For a group of people who lived the law, it was a challenge. After dinner, they would retire to the Justice’s study where they could share all the law talk they wanted.
“I bet some museum is going to be very happy when you’re done.”
Larry smiled. “A line has formed already.”
“Your father was very important to many people. His legacy will live on forever.”
“I know you were his favorite. He thought of you like a daughter.”
“He was the best mentor I could ever hope to have.”
Larry raised his glass and they toasted Weir’s memory. Then Larry pushed a small box toward her.
“What’s this?”
“Two things. One a memento and the other I have a question about.”
Addison set her drink down and opened the box. The first thing she pulled out was a Douai-Rheims Bible. She looked at Larry, waiting for an explanation.
“It’s the bible that was used to swear him in.”
Addison set it down in front of Larry. “You should keep this.”
“The person who should keep it is the one it means the most to. I loved my father and I have no doubt that he loved me, very much. But the law meant more to him than anything else, and that was something you shared with him.” He picked up the bible and placed it in her hands. “He would want you to have this.”
She stared at the book, its edges showing little sign of wear. She flipped it open and read the words inside. To Harrison Weir at his confirmation. Weir hadn’t been a religious man, but he did believe in a higher power. She doubted he’d ever set foot in a church after he’d been old enough to make his own decisions, but the book must’ve been special to him since he’d kept it and used it for his swearing in ceremony.