Page 17 of The Devil Goes to Washington

“The ride home was awkward but he did finally apologize.” Such a rare occurrence, even when they used to date, it had surprised her.

“Did he know what he was apologizing for or was it the typical guy version of I’m sorry I pissed you off but I am clueless about how?”

“No, he specified that he should have interceded.”

“It only took him eight years to figure that out.” Her mom scoffed, forgetting to take into consideration that he never came to Evelyn’s defense back then either.

“I got him to agree to have dinner with Micah too.”

“What do you mean? Like a boy’s day out?”

“I thought they should start with something simpler.”

“Hasn’t he been eating with you both?”

“Umm, not really.” She knew she shouldn’t have mentioned it, as soon as the words left her mouth, but she didn’t have any secrets from her mom.

“As in not at all. Besides last night, has he spent any time with either of you?”

“Hey, look at the time. I printed out the shipping labels before the website went down. They’re attached to the corresponding box.”

“Fine. Change the subject. But don’t think I’m done talking about it.”

If she had let the conversation continue, Evelyn had no doubt that her mother would have become irate as she always did when it came to the Hardings. However, that wasn’t going to help Evelyn through her current circumstances. Staying busy and surrounding herself with as many positive influences, she had found was the key to adapting to the difficult times.

That’s why a visit to the park to see their friends and a quick trip to her favorite fabric store were a necessity before returning to the Harding estate.

“Meghan, look at this fabric I found in clearance!”

“Oh, it’s gorgeous. How much of it did you get?”

“They had ten bolts of it in various shades and flowers designed like a watercolor painting. It made me think of an entire line for summer, so I got them all.” She couldn’t believe her luck at getting such a good deal on the material and was already envisioning the designs she would make with it.

“Fantastic. That reminds me. We have to coordinate your next event with Michael.”

“So soon? The smarminess of last night hasn’t worn off yet.”

“It doesn’t matter what kind of function it is, they can get handsy, especially when they drink.”

Evelyn knew that in her role as assistant, sometimes Meghan was required to organize or attend events with the same elected officials. It helped Evelyn learn how to navigate this new part of her world.

“How do you handle it? The wives did nothing to stop them. Some of them even laughed at their husband’s behavior.”

“Stick to your date like glue,” Meghan stated.

“What if your date throws you to the wolves and then accuses you of being at fault?”

“Eww! Put soap in his sugar. Or sandpaper under his sheets. Or itching powder in his shoes.” Meghan had a cunning wit that made the topic easier to discuss.

“I like the way you think, but I don’t want to waste my energy on that. I made my feelings known. We’ll see if it made a difference.”

“So, next week, you have a champagne soiree at the Residence of the Ambassador of France. There will be wines from the different regions paired with food.”

“Isn’t everyone going to wind up drunk?”

“You only take a sip. Sometimes, if you want more than one taste, you swish it in your mouth and then spit it out into another glass.” Evelyn admired Meghan’s vast knowledge of the luxurious lifestyle that was foreign to her.

“I’m supposed to spit out wine with the French Ambassador and the rest of the DC elite?”