“I need to get ahead of this. Tim, please meet with the hotel security, anyone’s personal security, and Secret Service. Their safety is my number one priority. James, we need that press conference scheduled right fucking now.”
James reaches out to Joyce and Rhonda to alert the media who are in attendance. We’ll also offer a livestream option, since it will be difficult for everyone to meet us here. I take out my phoneto text Olivia, and I must’ve had my phone on silent because there are no less than three dozen new texts from Livy, my family, and a few American numbers I don’t have saved in my phone.
I click on the one that has the most messages and missed calls.
916-555-9876
Isaac, this is Aubrey, we have a situation.
Please call me or Livy back ASAP.
As in right fucking now.
Isaac: Let her know I have it handled.
As much as I want to call Olivia, I know she’ll try to talk me out of what I’m about to do.
Once everything is organized, I make my way to one of the conference rooms we’ve set up for my announcement. I’m about to begin, when Olivia and her team, as well as Ileah with her husband, enter in the back. They all remain standing, and Olivia’s expression is unreadable, while Aubrey’s gaze is scorching. I’m surprised there isn’t literal steam coming out of her ears.
With a deep breath, I dive in. “Thank you all for being here on short notice. We’ve had quite the week with a snowstorm, power outage, and of course, the summit itself. This morning, I’ve been made aware of a photo circulating online. It’s customary for communications teams to respond to inquiries with ‘no comment,’ but today, I’d like to personally address the speculation. Yes, the photo is real.” There are a few gasps and murmurs. Olivia blushes, but it isn’t the same crimson when I’m complimenting her—it’s embarrassment. Needing to quickly remedy it, I announce, “I spent my entire adult life obsessed witha woman I couldn’t have. That ends now. I’m resigning as Prime Minister of Canada because I have my eye on another position—First Partner of California.”
All eyes shift to the back of the room, likely making her uncomfortable. Aubrey squeezes her hand as Livy’s chest visibly rises and falls with a few deep breaths. Ileah whispers something to her, and whatever it is has Olivia relaxing. Part of me wonders if I’ve misread this week and I’ll lose her over this, but it’s the only way I can protect her reputation—my only shot at trying to keep her.
“There will be a transition team in place as soon as I’m back in office next week, and an interim leader will take my place during the appointment of my successor. I love my country, but I also love Olivia Harris. I always have and always will. I will not be opening the floor to questions, however, you may reach out to my media team for official statements.”
Olivia rushes out the door and Aubrey follows. I should chase her, but until I know for sure what I’ll be encountering, I give her space. Ileah and Finn are both trying to hide their amusement and they leave out the same door. I’m not surprised by his smirk, seeing as they had a very public engagement. I didn’t intend for this to be a grand gesture, I needed to protect Olivia from any negative press.
I leave out a side door and James is hot on my heels. “I thought you said you weren’t engaged.”
“We’re not. Not yet at least. I apologize if you felt blindsided.”
“Not blindsided, just… confused,” he admits. “What do you want us to do now?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is I don’t want to spend another day without her.”
“I think making that happen is a little outside of my job description, but I’ll see what I can do.”
I chuckle, and as I’m about to tell him he’s off the hook for the big ask, Livy comes storming down the hall. “Isaac Jonas Banks, what the hell was that?”
“Is that what you think my middle name is?”
“No, but it felt right.” She pokes her finger into my chest. “Why didn’t you run it by me?”
“Because you’d tell me that I can’t sacrifice my political career for you.”
James slinks away, and I don’t blame him; Feisty-Olivia isn’t one to be messed with. “That’s… actually, that’s exactly what I would tell you,” she grumbles, placing her hands on her hips with a huff.
“And that’s why I had to keep you in the dark.” I take a step closer but don’t touch her, even if my palm itches to take her pretty throat in my hand and bring her lips to mine. “I warned you that you’d be my wife one day. I don’t have a ring, but I’d drop to one knee right now if I knew you’d say yes.”
Her face relaxes as her hands drop to her sides. “We haven’t even dated since we were in college. How can you be so sure this will even work once you move? I don’t even remember your middle name! What if you hate how I always forget to replace the toilet paper roll? Or how I eat ice cream straight from the container? What if in five years you realize you were just in love with past-me? What if?—”
Gliding my hand to her lower back, I pull our bodies flush, and she catches herself with her palms on my chest. “What if I fall more in love with you each day?” I lean my forehead to hers, our noses brushing. “What if you let me spend the rest of my life giving you the balance in your life that you crave? Out there, you’ll change the world for the better, but at home, you let me take care of you.”
“For the record, if you did ask me to marry you, I’d probably say yes.”
“Only probably?” Shifting down to one knee, I take her hands in mine, and she sucks in a sharp breath. “I will buy you any ring in any shop tomorrow, but OliviaJonasHarris, will you marry me?”
Her eyes are glassy, but a bright smile splits her face. “You know that’s not my middle name either.”
