Page 299 of Innocent

Chapter Fifty-Eight

January

A different kind of hectic insanity takes over our lives, but this one isn’t overshadowed by a frantic intensity with uncertain results. It’s not filled with passive-aggressive posturing by two conflicting administrations trying to keep our country running.

Four days before the inauguration, Shae’s still using the Oval Office for official functions but she’s mostly working from upstairs in the residence, which is nearly cleared out and ready for Elliot to move in. He could be using the president’s private study in the West Wing if he wants to, but he’s still working out of his current office on the other side of the West Wing.

Which is fine, because it gives the work crews extra time to paint and redecorate. The kids and Chris are already living in their new house, while Shae and Kev are staying in one of the guest rooms upstairs. The night before the inauguration, they’ll spend the night upstairs and Chris and the kids will drive over early the next morning. I know Shae, Kev, and Chris are eager for all of them to be living full-time in their new home, finally out of the spotlight, for the most part.

Tonight is our last night sleeping at Number One Observatory Circle, because the master bedroom will be ready in the residence upstairs tomorrow, even though Elliot and I will be staying at Blair House until Inauguration Day.

Yet another way I’ve reduced my stress, because all our things will be moved out of the vice president’s residence early, all the redecorating completed, and the Bardales’ family’s belongings will already be in place by the morning of Inauguration Day.

Usually, the incoming administration doesn’t get to do anything before noon on Inauguration Day. Fortunately, since Shae and Elliot are friends, she wanted to get the process started sooner for him and take some of the logistical stress off me. Plus, it helped them get the kids settled sooner in their new house over their winter school break, so they could have as little disruption as possible to their normal schedule once school started again after New Year’s.

We’re retaining most of the existing West Wing staff, since they are already known quantities. A few people have been promoted or shuffled, and some campaign workers were brought in to fill other positions, but the transition is relatively seamless and with few bumps.

Meaning we’ll hit the ground running on day one.

Leo will keep his office upstairs in the residence—which I am currently working out of tonight, because Leo is attending a function with Shae. I, however, will have a decent-sized office down in the West Wing, between the President’s private study and what will be Casey’s office. Since Kev’s still working in the chief of staff’s office, however, the changeover from it being his office to Casey’s won’t happen until Inauguration Day.

How’d I score an office like that, when Leo’s is this tiny thing all the way up here?

Well, Leo wasn’t sleeping with POTUS, for starters. He also had a desk in the office just outside the Oval, a space shared with Cleo, the president’s secretary.

She’ll be staying on, too, only now she’s Casey’s secretary. Shae offered to let her come to work for her, but when Casey asked Cleo to stay on, she accepted. Fortunately, Cleo knows that being the secretary to chief of staff is no less of an honor—and every bit as important a role—as being the president’s secretary. Suzanne is moving over from the VP’s office to be Elliot’s secretary. Institutional memory will be preserved in that way, too. Cleo can help Suzanne get settled in and answer any questions we have.

Also, my office will technically be shared with Declan, for now, and listed as his office, even though he’ll rarely be using it until closer to the time for him to officially take over from Ben. Ben’s getting a new office, moving from the Vice President’s suite of offices into one on the other side of Casey’s office. Once Declan takes over from him, that will be Declan’s office. I’ll still have Leo’s desk in the office just outside the Oval, but Casey prefers I have an actual office of my own near hers. There’s a lot of work I’ll be doing for her and Elliot that will take tasks off her plate, and she’d rather I have a door I can close and the privacy with which to do those tasks.

It’s three-card-monte, government office version.

I look up at the light rap on the office doorway to find Kev standing there and wearing a knowing smirk. “Got a minute?”

Waving him in, I sit back, remove my glasses, and set them on the desk. “For you? Sure. Always.”

I have learned so damned much from this guy, owe him more than I can ever repay. If it wasn’t for his guidance and advice throughout all of this, I’d be a disaster, and so would Elliot.

He steps in and shuts the door behind him. I don’t miss that he locks it. I realize he’s carrying a messenger bag, and he steps over to the chairs in front of the desk. He sets the messenger bag in one of them and seats himself in the other.

“I wanted to have a private word with you before everything gets crazy in a couple of days.” He opens the bag and produces a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and two glasses. A soft chuckle rumbles free. “Crazier.”

“A private word?”

He turns those gorgeous baby blues on me and I practicallymelt. Yeah, I’m a sucker for blue eyes. His are a different shade than Elliot’s, though. He wears glasses, too. Maybe I picked up Leo’s eyeglass fetish, I don’t know.

I am trainable, I guess.

If Kev and I were both single, I’d gladly drop to my knees for the man.

Or let him drop to his for me. Hey, we could switch things up.

Thank goodness I have two men who have no intention of letting me go—again—and Kev has two partners who’d probably shank any bitch who tried to get overly friendly with him.

Including one who still has the nuclear codes, and the other who was professionally trained in how to stop threats and made it his actual career.

“You and Leo are now proud members of the extremely exclusive ‘Presidential Owners’ club. Your membership cards and commemorative pins will be in the mail.” His smile widens as he removes the wrapper from around the top of the bottle and twists the stopper out. “Which is why I sprang for this.” He pours two generous servings before replacing the stopper.

“Do I get a care and feeding manual, too? Because that would be damned helpful.” I lean forward and take the proffered glass.