"Oh, okay I see. That's how it is" Dev huffed playfully, pulling on her shoes. "You'd think I'd get more sympathy than that but noooooo"
"I can call in some staff members to coo over you, if you'd like." Lauren winked at Ashley, and the little girl laughed.
"No, no, that's all right. I'll just sit here and be unloved," she paused for a melodramatic sniff. Then she started singing a song Ash recognized immediately "Nobody loves me. Everybody hates me. Going in the garden and eat worms"
Lauren and Ash burst out laughing at Dev's little song. Ashley walked over and planted herself in her mother's lap, kissing her nose. "I love ya', worm breath." She hugged her mother tight around the neck and received a tight squeeze in return.
"I love you too, Moppet. Now, why don't you go back into the living room with your brothers and pick out a movie for us to watch? Lauren and I will be in in a minute or two."
"‘Kay!" Ashley jumped up and ran back into the living room. "Mom said I get to pick the movie!"
"I did not!" Dev contradicted as she got to her feet. She turned to Lauren and opened her arms for a hug. "What about you? Can you love someone with worm breath?"
Lauren wrapped her arms around Dev and squeezed gently. She took the opportunity to nuzzle Dev's throat and sniff. "Ash is right. Definitely worms. "And I think I could easily fall in love with someone exactly like you. Lauren exhaled loudly when Dev squeezed her hard for her comment. "Okay, okay. Lucky for you I like worms," she choked out.
"Guess it's just my lucky day then." Dev wrapped her arm around Lauren's shoulder, wincing slightly at the movement. She'd recently been taken down from three physical therapy sessions to two, because of the progress she'd made with her shoulder and arm. The pain, however, seemed to be a constant she was going to have to live with for some time to come. Then the sounds of children most definitely not behaving themselves drifted into the room. Dev closed her eyes as she propped her chin on Lauren's head. "Can I go back to bed?"
Lauren bit her lip to keep from saying ‘Only if I can join you!'. She couldn't, however, stop the light blush that colored her cheeks from the mere thought. "Umm maybe we should make sure the kids don't kill each other." The writer grabbed Dev's hand and tugged her towards the family room. "Can I ask you something?"
"You know you can. My life is an open book to you. No pun intended."
"Like I've never heard that before." She made a face. "Even Cardinal O'Roarke hit on that joke in the first six months." Lauren pinched Dev on the butt as they walked.
"Hey!" Dev protested, knowing full well that she was loving every minute of the teasing and banter.
"What I wanted to ask you was how you got to be so good with kids? Your kids, I guess. I know you don't have any brothers or sisters." They made their way to the sofa, casually stepping over Christopher and Aaron who were sprawled out on the floor, wrestling each other. "Half the time they terrify me, and the other half I'm worried for them. And they're not even mine."
"Hold that thought." Dev clapped her hands together, and the children's squeals came to an abrupt halt. "Why are we fussing?"
"Ashley is a stupid head!" Christopher offered, glaring at his sister, who had teamed up with Aaron against him.
"Am not!" Ash shouted back.
"Knock it off, or I know three midget humans who will not be attending the barbecue tonight."
"Mom!" the kids moaned together. "The fireworks!"
"I mean it." Dev's tone was firm. "Now, find a movie and agree on it, and we'll watch it together as a family. Otherwise, you can all go to your rooms and stay there for the rest of the day."
"Yes, ma'am," they grumbled with varying degrees of sincerity. Aaron led the way to the cabinet to claim his favorite disc and begin making his case to his brother and sister.
"You were asking?" Dev said wryly.
Lauren shook her head. "You solved the problem." She pointed to the kids. "No more fighting."
"Until the next time."
"I said you were good with the kids, not a miracle worker."
"True." Dev leaned back and faced Lauren. "I guess I've just had lots of practice." She grinned. "And as far as how you feel about them, your reaction sounds like a typical mom reaction to me. They terrify me half the time too."
Lauren's eyes widened. "Mom?" Sure, she occasionally spent time with the kids. With or without Dev. But that was mostly for the book. Sort of.
Uh oh. I'm scaring her. "Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean to imply I meant that well, I just think that being a mom will come naturally to you." She paused, a slightly sick feeling washing over her. She still had the niggling fear in the back of her mind that Lauren was planning on leaving the residence soon.
Dev was frankly surprised Lauren had lasted this long. And she was giving strong consideration to firing Michael Oaks outright. He and Lauren mixed like oil and water, and she knew that his presence, in what was supposed to be Lauren's home too, was a continuously aggravating factor for the writer. After all these months he was still angry that Dev had invited Lauren to stay in the residence over his objections. He made a special point of showing Lauren any bad press her presence drew, once even going as far as trying to attribute a drop in opinion polls to the fact that Lauren had accompanied Dev to a very public function.
"I'm not so sure about that, Devlyn," Lauren answered, breaking Dev out her wandering thoughts.
"I am." Dev smiled reassuringly. "When you're ready, you can be fond of my kids without being tied down to them or anything. And someday, when you're good and ready, you're gonna be a great mom yourself."
Lauren felt confused and suddenly unsure of herself. She could hear the disappointment in Dev's voice. "Umm thanks. But I doubt I'll have kids."
Dev thought about that for a moment. Lauren always chose her words very carefully. She hadn't said she didn't want children. Just that she didn't think she'd have them herself. "You never know. I have it on good authority that stranger things have actually happened."
"Brat."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Dev and Lauren suddenly stopped to find all three of the children staring at them in shock.
"Uh oh," Lauren mumbled. "Was that bad?"
"Nah," Dev whispered back. "They already know I'm a brat." The President reached out and tugged Christopher closer by the elastic of his shorts. "Isn't that right, buddy?"
"Yup," he giggled.
Aaron stepped forward. "But she's very, very sorry, Lauren. And she'll try to do better in the future." The little boy knew this speech by heart, having heard it applied to him on a nearly daily basis.
Dev shot Lauren a smug look. "We're a team."
Gray eyes rolled. "A team of troublemakers!"
The children cheered at this very accurate pronouncement.
Dev lifted her arm to the back of the sofa, and, with a significant look at the small expanse of cushion between them, she invited Lauren to snuggle. "Even if you decide never to have kids, I still have three I can rent out from time to time."
"Do I get an employee discount?"
Dev mulled that over for a moment. "Absolutely! I am a President sympathetic to the plight of the little people, you know."
Lauren narrowed her eyes. "Was that a commoner or short person joke?" she demanded with mock fury.
"Yes."
The kids finally decided on "Stuart Little," and all three of them plopped down on the floor to enjoy the show.
Dev's mind relentlessly probed the sore spot that was never very far from her thoughts. "We'd really miss you if you left." Dev whispered. She just couldn't go on wondering when the other shoe was going to drop. It was making her crazy. Realistically, she knew Lauren would leave at some point. But her heart was firmly entrenched in its state of denial.
Lauren felt a pang in her chest at Dev's words. "I'm not planning on going anywhere for a while, Devlyn. We had a deal right?"
"Right." She drew a deep breath and smiled. Dev wanted to question her further, but that ‘mo
ther' comment had already spooked Lauren a bit. Now wasn't the time to press her. "I'm really glad to know you're gonna be here for a while longer." She grinned and poked Lauren playfully. "It's nice to have someone to argue with."
Lauren smiled at Dev. "You argue with everyone, Madam President. I'm just one of the few people who will argue back."
"Yeah, you do, and I love that. Sometimes it's the most intelligent conversation and spirited debate I get all day."
Dev yelled for the kids to turn the TV down. "So, I, uh, know it's kinda last minute, Ms. Strayer. But do you happen to have a date for the barbecue tonight?"
Gray eyes twinkled. "What if I said yes?"
Dev hummed a little, tapping her chin as she thought. "Well, then I'd say whoever gets to take you is very lucky indeed."
The writer batted her eyelashes and drew out the already drawled words. "You mean you wouldn't have the CIA take him?"
"Him?"
Lauren smirked, not taking the bait. "Or her."
"No. You're an adult. Free to make your own decisions. Free to date whomever you'd like. Even if it might be the wrong person. The totally wrong person! Which is, of course, everyone but me. Does the name Casey ring any bells with you?"
Lauren made a face. "You Yankees always did fight dirty!"
"Madam, might I remind you I am only half Yankee?"
Lauren slapped Dev in the belly with the back of her hand. "Yankee is Yankee," she pronounced firmly.
"Yeah, yeah. You're not answering my question. Do you have a date for tonight?" Dev turned a slightly predatory stare Lauren's way. "Hmmmmm?" She drew her brows together as her body language suggested that maybe, if she didn't get the answer she wanted, Lauren might find herself being tickled senseless.
Lauren giggled. "Fine. Fine. I don't have a date. I'm completely dateless." She nudged her companion. "How about you, Devlyn?"
Dev laughed and pulled back. "No. I have a date. I just wanted to see if you did."
Lauren suddenly went very still. "If David set you up again, I'm going to-"
"Yeeees? You're going to what?" A dark brow arched. Really, now? Well, well, feeling a little possessive, are we, Ms. Strayer?
The blonde woman's eyes narrowed. "Why, I'll..." she paused, realizing that she was being tweaked. Oooo, Devlyn! Not nice. She consciously lowered her voice, and her body took on an air of unconcern. "Why, I'll graciously make myself scarce. In fact, now that I know about it, I'll see if I can't find an escort as well. That agent who always sits outside the Green Room is a cutie. And I didn't see a wedding ring."
"You don't have to go that far!" Dev held up her hand and wiggled her finger. "No ring here either. I'd love it if you'd let me take you tonight."
"I was counting on it."
* * *
Evening settled in as most of the senior staff joined the President and her family on the balcony of the White House, overlooking the Washington Monument and the Mall. Tens of thousands had gathered for the Fourth of July celebration, totally unaware of the fact that a party was going on at the White House.
Lauren watched as Dev made the rounds, shaking hands and taking a moment to visit with each person. This didn't seem at all like the tired, slightly frazzled woman who had shown up at her door early this morning, after having been up all night. Dev never ceased to amaze her. The more she found out, the more she wanted to know. One of these days I swear I'm going to get Beth McMillian alone.
Eager eyes were looking over the beautiful spread of food that had been prepared, when she felt a certain tall, dark presence move in behind her. "Boy, that looks good," Dev whispered in her ear.
Lauren ran her finger across the piece of BBQ chicken she'd just placed on her plate. She brought the tip of her finger to her mouth and then licked off a speck of zesty barbecue sauce. "Ummm... it is." She looked over her shoulder and into the clearest, most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. For a moment she was speechless. Lauren gave her head a small shake. "Did... did you get a plate yet?"
"I've just been sneaking little bites of the most delicious things."
Pale eyebrows disappeared behind windblown bangs. "Really?" She glanced at the President's empty hands.
"Umm hmm." Dev leaned in, placing her mouth a hairsbreadth from Lauren's ear. "A nibble here. And a nibble there. You know how it is." She gave her earlobe a nip.
Lauren pulled away. She turned around to face Dev, painfully aware of the interested faces watching them. "What do you think you're doing?" she whispered harshly.
Dev stood up straight. She mentally kicked herself for making Lauren feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I forgot for a second that that weirds some people out."
There was a moment of almost painful silence, and it was Dev who awkwardly sought to fill the gap. "Are you having a good time?"
Lauren lowered her eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm sorry, Devlyn. I just..." She rocked her head back and forth and lowered her voice. "I've spent months denying that you and I were more than friends to nearly every person at this party. Now, I guess I feel... I..." She hesitated. "I don't know how I feel." Lauren grabbed Dev's hand and squeezed, hoping it would give her a physical reassurance her words obviously lacked.
"I know. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable on your birthday. But... um... make sure you save room for dessert. It's something special. And it'll be here in about ten minutes." Dev took the time to make sure Lauren was looking right at her when she said, "I don't ever want to do anything that hurts or embarrasses you, Lauren. I mean that. If you're not ready for me to touch you in public, that's okay. You just let me know when and if you are, all right? I'll be here."
Dev's words were delivered in a calm, even voice. But Lauren could see pain lurking behind her eyes. "Damn, I'm sorry." She squeezed the hand she was holding again. "It's not like that, Devlyn. Really." With a gentle tug Lauren pulled Dev behind a large table and into the corner of the balcony, the most private spot she could find without going inside. She set down her plate. "It's not that I'm not ready," Lauren whispered. "It's that I feel like I've been lying to these people, and now I'm rubbing their noses in it."
"Lying?" Now Dev was totally confused. " Sweetheart, you haven't lied to anyone. What are you talking about?"
Lauren winced. "That's not true. At least, not completely." She turned and braced her arms on the railing, gazing out at the crowds in the distance who had packed the Mall area to wait for the fireworks. The view was truly breathtaking. "I've been thinking about you for months," she muttered cryptically.
"Thinking about me how?" Dev nudged her, starting to understand what Lauren meant. "Thinking about me, dating me, and sleeping with me are three separate things. All we have said to this point is that we weren't sleeping together, and we're still not doing that. And we've just started dating. You don't need to feel guilty or uncomfortable. And if you think Beth McMillian doesn't know that, and hasn't passed that fact along to every person she can think of, you are a seriously deluded person. I love Beth dearly, but if you look up the word ‘gossip' in the dictionary, you'll find an autographed 8" X 10" of her, smiling."
Lauren couldn't help but laugh. "You're right about that. Once I corner Beth alone, you're done for, Madam President. I'll be able to retire on the ‘tell all' book." A bird caught her eye, and she followed it high into the early evening sky. "I know it sounds silly. But for the last few months every time I denied the rumor that we were a couple, it felt like a lie." She shrugged one shoulder. "I guess it's all just catching up with me. I can't believe so much of what is happening." The writer turned to face Dev. "And who it's happening with." Her eyes conveyed true regret. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I didn't expect you to be so," she searched for a word, "demonstrative, I guess. At least not in public."
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