“You don’t think his Comms shop will resent me taking charge?” she asks.
Kev snorts. “Youhiredmost of them,” he reminds her. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”
She spins her phone on the table. “I wouldn’t have to move my office,” she says. “That’d be kind of nice.” She looks at Kev again.“You wouldn’t be here, though.”
“You can break in a new chief of staff,” he says. “None of the people he has right now want the job. You agreenow, you could probably help him pick a chief. Hell, you could apply tobechief.” He grins.
She shudders. “No,thankyou. I don’t want your job.” She glances my way. “No offense, Shae.”
“None taken.”
“Should I talk to him about it?” she finally asks.
“I would,” I tell her. “Walk over tomorrow after the staff meeting. I know he’s supposed to be hanging around tomorrow before we all head out.”
She slowly nods. “You know, maybe that’s what I’ll do. I wouldn’t have to give him a firm answer tomorrow, right?”
“Nah. But let him know you’re interested so he can keep that in mind.”
She sighs. “Daddy won’t be happy I’m working for another Democrat,but oh, well. He’ll have to get used to it.”
As the evening draws to a close, we say good-night to Lauren and Kev walks her down to the exit. Once the kids are in bed, and the three of us are secure behind a locked bedroom door, I can finally relax.
It’s a snuggle night, though. Kev and I have a long day tomorrow.
The next morning, Leo has just arrived as I emerge from the bedroom, dressedand ready to go. Kevin got up earlier and took his shower in his bedroom, for appearances sake. We’ll have staff coming and going this morning, so it looks better.
Including he messes up his bed and remakes it sloppily so the staff thinks he slept in it.
“Hey,” Leo says to Kev as he emerges from his room. “Did Lauren send you her morning meeting notes yet? Ben asked me to ask you. I saw himdownstairs.”
Kevin scowls. “No?” He pulls his work phone out and checks it. “Nothing, why?”
“I’m just passing on the message.”
Kevin taps out a quick text, I’m assuming to Lauren, and then heads toward the kitchen for coffee.
Once Yasmine arrives and we get the kids off to school, Kev and I head downstairs, but there’s a slightly…ominous feel to the morning that has nothing to do with thegrey skies outside and the impending cold front.
Everything feelsoff.
Lauren still hasn’t responded to Kevin’s texts, or calls, and hasn’t made an appearance by the time they’re preparing to hold the morning staff meeting. I’m about to suggest Secret Service does a welfare check on her, because this is totally unlike her, when the PPD agent in charge of White House security today appears outsidemy study door.
“President Samuels, ma’am, I need to speak with you right now, please.”
Thiscannotbe good. “Sure.”
Leo and Kev are in there with me, and I motion for them to stay.
He steps inside and shuts the door. “Actually, I need to speak with Mr. Markos, too.”
From the blank mask that appears on Kev’s face, I know his mind has just skipped ahead to a similar conclusion mine has, eventhough I pray I’m wrong.
Oh, how I pray.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“There’s no easy way to say this, ma’am. I just received a call from the DC Chief of Police. Ms. Baltazar was shot and killed overnight.”
