"Come on now, give me a hug." Dev was on her knees with the children.
The looks of disappointment on their faces tore at Lauren in a way she never thought possible. Sweet Jesus, is it always like this? I'd never be able to go anywhere!
"You gonna be gone long?" Chris asked, his face buried in Dev's long, glossy hair.
"I'll only be gone as long as I have to, pal. You know that. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Miss you." Aaron gave her a kiss on the cheek as Dev wrapped her other arm around him.
"I'll miss all you guys. And I promise, when I come home, we'll do pizza and Disney movies all day on my first Sunday back, okay?"
"Can Lauren and Grem watch movies and eat pizza too?" Chris asked, pushing his glasses up his nose, looking at Lauren with a bashful grin.
Dev glanced up at the writer, giving her a tiny smile. So, you've bewitched my children too, huh? "If she wants to." Her eyes flicked to Lauren's and held the same look of adoration that Christopher was currently sporting. " But you'll have to ask her yourself."
Before Chris could open his mouth, Lauren answered. She held Dev's penetrating gaze as she spoke. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I enjoy spending time with you guys," she heard herself say. Huh. I really do. Judd would keel over from a heart attack if he heard me say that. She glanced over to Chris and wagged her finger in warning. "But no pizza for Grem. It makes him burp."
Dev winced at the mention of the dog's name. "Speaking of Gremlin.” The hateful little flea bag. “Lauren’s gonna need someone to look after him while we're gone, and we agreed you guys can do it if you want. What do you think?"
The boys cheered, but Ashley, who was standing next to Emma, only shrugged noncommittally. Dev rose and moved past the tow-headed boys to her daughter. "Now c'mon, Moppet." Her dark head tilted in entreaty. "You're the oldest, you have to agree too."
"‘Kay." Ashley tried to smile, but it was weak and watery at best.
Dev leaned in and touched noses with her daughter. "I have a surprise for you."
Despite herself, Ashley's eyes suddenly glittered with youthful excitement. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Dev gave a whistle and the door opened. Gremlin came charging into the room, followed by a certain former Ohio State Trooper who had finally been coaxed into joining the Secret Service.
Ashley's eyes grew wide as saucers when she saw her friend. "Amy!" She bolted past Dev, her bothers and Lauren to grab the woman around the waist, squeezing as tightly as she could.
Dev said a prayer of thanks that she was finally able to do something to make Ashley smile. She knew it had been a difficult winter for the girl.
Devlyn asked Emma, "You're sure you're okay with dog sitting?"
"Tch. Why not? I've been taking care of you for years. The dog might actually listen to me." The older woman gave a playful poke to Presidential ribs.
"I really appreciate it too, Emma," Lauren offered, delighted by the motherly interplay between Emma and Devlyn. "I think he'd be miserable in a kennel after all the attention he's used to getting from the kids. They love him."
The nanny smiled knowingly. "It's springtime." She waved her hand out in front of her. "It's in the air."
Dev regarded the ugly black and white dog that looked like his face had been smashed flat by a cast-iron skillet. She just knew he was a Republican. "Hey, you little beastie."
Grem's ears perked up, and his tail began wagging furiously. Then he saw who called him and he grumbled, baring crooked teeth and mottled gums.
Dev reached into her pocket and pulled out a small zip-locked baggie. "I've got something for you," she taunted wickedly. Dropping to the ground, she sat back on her heels and pulled a treat from the clear plastic, pretending to eat. She moaned and hummed ‘boy, eating this is one hell of an orgasmic experience' sounds the entire time.
Lauren unconsciously licked her lips.
Gremlin took a nervous step forward, his beady eyes trained on Dev's hand.
Devlyn waved the dog snack in front of his face, watching as his little nostrils flared with interest.
"Now you're bribing my dog?" Lauren's hands moved to her hips. "Good grief, have you no shame?"
"Nope. None." Dev shrugged lightly. "I figured if you could be bought for a double-stuffed Oreo, Gremlin would be ripe for the taking with a few Snausages." You'd better not make me look stupid in front of your mommy by biting me, Gremlin! I hear NASA is looking for a few test animals for their next mission to Mars. Devlyn was careful to hold the treat at the very tips of her fingers as the dog sniffed it warily. "Oh, yeah. You know you want it." Dev's eyes narrowed with a predatory glint. "C'mon take it."
Lauren watched in fascination as the President of the Unites States and her Pug faced off in a battle of wills. She was taking even odds. I can't believe I'm seeing this.
But Grem broke first, snatching the fragrant treat from extended fingers before he retreated behind Emma's legs. Dev felt a big, satisfied smile edge its way onto her face. "Ahhh, progress. I wish Congress were that easy." The tall woman put her palms on her knees and pushed to her feet so she could hand the bag to Emma. "Keep those handy in case he turns on you."
Emma nodded. "Be careful, Devlyn Marlowe. These babies need you." She gave the President a long hug.
"I will, Emma. And we'll be home soon." Dev disentangled herself and opened her arms to her children once more. "Last chance. You know just one is never enough for me." She sighed. "I have to go before Liza has a conniption and gets the cattle prod after me."
All the kids ran over and hugged their mother in turn. Ash tugged her down to her level. "Thank you, Mommy. Amy is the best present ever."
"I'm glad, Moppet. Take good care of her. She just finished her Secret Service training, and I think she could use a little TLC."
The girl giggled. "I will. I promise." Then, without thought, she darted over to Lauren and threw her arms around her.
Lauren started in surprise but managed to gently, albeit it a little awkwardly, lower her hands and softly rub Ashley's back. She wasn't sure what to say and felt a flood of relief course through her when Ashley spoke first.
"I promise we'll take good care of Grem, too."
Lauren relaxed and returned the girl's hug with more vigor. "I know you will, Ash. Have fun while we're gone."
* * *
Lauren tried not to let the excitement show in her face as the limousine pulled up to the plane. It’s just a plane. It's just a plane. You've been on a plane before. Her eyes were riveted on the enormous steel monster. Oh, man, for two Hershey bars and a window seat on that bad boy, I'd have Dev's baby. Her face turned bright red as the direction of her thoughts registered.
"I've arranged for you to have your own office onboard," Dev commented casually, oblivious to the sometimes profound, but always unique, mental machinations of her biographer. She leaned closer to Lauren, wondering exactly when it was that they'd gone from sitting across from each other to sitting side by side. Not that she was complaining. "It's the office normally reserved for the First Lady. I um I hope you like it and the plane, too. It's really nice and um... fast," she babbled. Great, now I sound like a sixteen-year-old trying to impress a pretty girl with a ride in my Daddy's Corvette.
"Oh, well, I'll just have to make do. I don't know how I'll manage," Lauren drawled, fanning herself in mock-distress and doing her best southern belle imitation.
Dev laughed. "Well, it's only fitting that you have the First Lady's office on Air Force One since you've been sleeping in her room in the White House." Dev pulled Lauren's new novel from the bag at her feet and eagerly set it on her lap. "I don't intend to work any more than I have to on this flight. I'm going to read."
Lauren's ego practically purred under Dev's gentle stroking. She never got to enjoy a real live fan's reaction to her novels. "Any suggestions for the next Adrienne Nash book? Since you've read them all?"
Dev nodded emphatically. "Oh, absolutely. She needs a girlfriend."
Lauren
crossed her arms, drawing back from Dev. "Oh, she does, does she?” Could be interesting. A tall, beautiful one with piercing blue eyes perhaps? That would sure throw a few readers for a loop.
"Yup!" Dev grinned. "She'd be much more at peace with herself. More content. And completely satisfied."
Pale brows lifted. "That's one hell of a girlfriend."
"Uh huh."
Lauren glanced sideways at the President. "And what makes you think Adrienne Nash is interested in women?"
Before Dev could answer, the car stopped and her door was opened from the outside. She smiled and climbed out, turning to give the waiting Press a quick wave before extending her hand to Lauren. With a slight tug, she helped the writer out of the car. "What makes you think she's not?" Dev asked, pressing her hand lightly against the small of Lauren's back, giving her a nudge in the right direction.
"Good point."
The women were pelted with a flurry of questions from the waiting Press, their shouts barely heard above the general hum of car and plane engines and other airport activity. Dev completely ignored the reporters, but noticed that Lauren's back went ramrod straight and that her stride slowed after a particularly personal and inappropriate question was thrown her way. The President leaned down a little and told Lauren, "Just keep walking. Ignore it."
The blonde woman lifted her jaw, and Dev felt a flash of worry. She could tell that Lauren was considering doing or saying something, and Dev shivered when she imagined what it could be. "Ahh... Lauren, I'm sure whatever you're thinking about doing would be extremely satisfying."
Lauren nodded tersely, kicking a pebble across the concrete as she picked up the pace. "So very satisfying."
"But please don't. It will only add fuel to the fire."
Dev paused, allowing Lauren to start the climb up the stairs ahead of her. She was very well aware of the cameras going off all around them as they boarded. At the top Lauren paused to wait for Dev, but quickly stepped inside when Dev motioned her back. "Go inside so they'll leave you alone." The President winked, then turned at the top of the steps to give a final wave before stepping onboard herself.
David met them at the door, as did Liza, who slipped a file into Dev's hand. "We have a call waiting for you, Madam President."
Dev's head dropped forward and she groaned. "Of course you do. I'll take it in my office. David, will you show Lauren to her office and make sure that her computer and other things were deliv-"
David nodded and gave Dev a push toward her office. "Everything is ready, and I'll be happy to show her where she can set up."
Dev gave Lauren an aggrieved look, then peeled off, following Liza down the hall. Before she disappeared into her office, she turned around and tapped Lauren's novel, yelling, "I'm telling you-"
"I'm thinking about it," Lauren shot back with a grin.
"Thinking about what?" David gingerly took the writer by the elbow and pointed to the opposite end of the hallway.
"Lots of things," the blonde admitted quietly.
David opened the door to the office and gestured for Lauren to enter. "Wow." She took a moment to take it all in. "This is incredible. I can't believe I'm on an airplane."
"Well, it's not called ‘The Flying Oval Office' for nothing. It really is amazing. Did you know that about 238 miles of wire wind through the plane? That is more than twice the wiring found in a typical 747. The wire protects the plane from electromagnetic pulses generated by a thermonuclear blast. Even in a nuclear war, we'll still be able to receive electronic signals," he enthused.
The blood drained from Lauren's face.
"Oh! Sorry. Not that I suspect a thermonuclear war," David offered quickly.
"Thanks for clearing that up."
He unbuttoned his jacket and ran a hand through his close-cropped red hair. Taking a deep breath he asked, "Can I come in for a moment? I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes."
Lauren eyed him seriously, chewing her lip as she wondered if she'd done something wrong. She and David had been getting along just fine these past few months. Lauren moved behind her desk and dropped into a soft leather swivel chair. It forced David to talk to her across the desk and put her in an immediate position of power. It was a trick she'd subconsciously picked up from Dev. "Sure. Is something wrong?"
"Truth is," David closed the door and took a seat on the couch, skipping over the chair in front of the desk, "I'm not sure."
"What do you mean? Is there a problem with the book?" Lauren had agreed to let David read the rough notes that would form the beginning of the prologue to Dev's biography. It was mostly background and family information and wouldn't change, no matter what happened in the next four years. She'd never shared any part of her preliminary work before, but, as Dev's best friend and the President's Chief of Staff, she valued David's unique insight.
"No! Everything looks great so far. Dev is going to love it. She'll get a big chuckle out of the fact that one of her ancestors was a convicted horse thief. Must be where her natural talent for politics comes from."
"Then what?"
"It's Dev." He looked her directly in the eye. "She's, umm, really opened up to you, you know?"
Lauren nodded reluctantly, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with where this was going. "That's true. For a biography to be good, a subject has to open up to the writer."
"I'm not talking about the book, Lauren. I'm talking about on a personal level. She's really taking a chance here. In fact, I haven't seen her warm up to another person so quickly since..." his words trailed off, and Lauren caught the significance.
"Samantha?" Her voice conveyed her astonishment.
David nodded. "I can see you understand." He stood and buttoned his jacket. "I trust you not to hurt her. You're the first person in a long time who has seemed to make her happy." He paused. "Just don't lead her on. Please." The man turned and quietly left the office.
Dumbfounded, Lauren blinked several times in rapid succession. Lead her on? Coming to her senses, she jumped up from her desk. "David, wait!"
The Chief of Staff stopped and turned around in the hall. "Yeah?"
"You believe the rumors, don't you?" Lauren lowered her voice, looking around a little nervously. "The ones about Devlyn and me."
"I'm not sure what to believe at this point." He placed his hand on the plane wall as he felt the big machine begin to taxi down the runway. "I'm just asking you to be careful."
"Then, just like Devlyn, you're going to have to trust me." She could see the hesitancy in his eyes. "I'll admit it probably wasn't the smartest professional move I've ever made. But somewhere in the last two months, we became real friends, David. Please know that I wouldn't do anything I thought would hurt her. I'm not leading anyone on."
Her voice was pleading, and he had no choice but to believe her. He hated being surrounded by honest people. This was Washington politics for God's sake.
"I do trust you." He smiled softly. "And I'm glad she has you for a friend. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a call to make myself."
* * *
Lauren's notebook was in her lap as she sat hunched over on the long sofa in her office aboard the ‘Flying Oval Office', scrawling away. She glanced up at the steward, who placed the milk on the table in front of her. After so many weeks with Dev, the writer had grown rather fond of the beverage as well, but she discovered it had to be ice cold for her to truly enjoy it. Do I need to wonder where this came from? “Thank you."
"My pleasure, Ms. Strayer. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Madam President Page 12