AN: Full disclosure-I love Mike B. His character is brilliant and Kevin Rahm is incredible in the part. Perhaps even more than the Mike B. character, I am in love with the Elizabeth/Mike B. dynamic. We don't really know too much about their history, other than they were both at UVA at the same time. I'm offering my take on how the two came to know each other and become friends.
Any reviews you might like to leave would be well appreciated.
Elizabeth McCord smirked to herself as she exited her car. Taking a moment to think back, she decided it was roughly 18 years ago that she parked in this lot and got a parking ticket. Evidently campus security did check to make sure students weren't parking in employee only lots. She was free and clear now, her employee placard hanging from the rearview mirror.
She walked into the UVA Administration Building and headed in the direction of the Dean of Faculty's office. She picked up her itinerary and was welcomed by the Dean. It was luck that Elizabeth picked up this teaching position. She'd finished her Doctorate only a few months before. There hadn't been an opening at UVA and she'd been promised an adjunct professor spot at a community college a few towns over, but that wouldn't start until January. Then, unexpectedly, a tenure-track position opened up when Dr. Warrington Thomas, suddenly retired in the face of a cancer diagnosis. While that was unfortunate, Elizabeth just so happened to have all of the necessary credentials and slid into the spot. Now, she felt a great need to prove herself. She was sure there were people who thought she was offered the job only because her husband was also a faculty member.
She perused the schedule. It was typical-meeting with HR, filling out paperwork, lunch with the Political Science Department chair followed by a campus tour, then some free time to set up her office before new staff orientation started the next morning.
Elizabeth went through her day checking the boxes. She had lunch with the department chair, Dr. Sharon Gray, in her office discussing Elizabeth's job duties and she received the syllabuses her predecessor used for the courses she would be teaching, but after a quick once over, she knew that she wouldn't be using them at all. She was gathering her things when there was some commotion outside the door. A handsome man appeared at the door, muttering to himself looking down at his cell phone. "Does she not understand we pay by the character? Texting a dissertation is ridiculous. Email it." He looked up and gave both women a wide grin. "Wives. Can't live with 'em. Can't afford to get rid of 'em." He winked. "Yet."
"Mr. Barnow," Dr. Gray seemed to use extra effort to keep from rolling her eyes. "I'd like to introduce you to our newest faculty member here in the Poli Sci Department." Elizabeth met his gaze and his jaw literally dropped.
"Bess Adams? Oh my God, it is you. How are you?" He reached out to shake her hand as Elizabeth looked from Mr. Barnow to Dr. Gray and back again.
"I'm sorry. I don't believe we've met." Elizabeth said.
"Probably not officially, but I know who you are. I was totally hot after you the first three days of CIA orientation., what was that, like fifteen years ago. The name's Mike by the way."
The crease in Elizabeth's brow grew more pronounced. "There wasn't a Mike Barnow in my CIA orientation group."
"Actually there was for three days until they figured out that my application may not have been entirely truthful. Evidently that's a big deal on the CIA. So I chose to pursue a different line of employment. It seems that UVA isn't as thorough." He raised an eyebrow toward Dr. Gray. "So, Bess, it looks like I've been assigned to be your tour guide. Are you ready?" Elizabeth shrugged and shook hands with Dr. Gray, thanking her, before stepping out into the hallway.
"Mike, I apologize for not remembering you," Elizabeth stopped and gestured at her office door. "Do you mind if I leave my things here?" She dropped off her purse and stack of papers that Dr. Gray had given her. "Okay, I'm ready."
"No offense taken. I wasn't quite as ruggedly handsome as I am now." Mike laughed easily. "So you went to undergrad here? Have you been back before now?"
"My husband teaches in the religion department, so I've been around campus a little, but there have been a lot of changes."
"That's unfortunate," Mike murmured before he led Elizabeth all over campus, pointing out various newer buildings and relocations. After a couple hours, they returned to the point of origin, Elizabeth's office door.
"Thanks for the tour Mike. I'll catch you around some time," Elizabeth said. Glancing up, she caught him looking at her in a way that didn't say tour guide at all.
"If you ever want to partake in any sort of off duty activities, I'm your go to guy." He grinned at her. There was no denying what he meant by "off duty" activities and she knew she should be pissed that he had the audacity to say such a thing to her, but instead of being angry, she found him oddly amusing.
"I'm married," she replied.
"I've never let that stop me," he said.
"I can imagine. But it's going to be enough to stop you now, and forever as far as I'm concerned." Mike threw his hands up and conceded defeat.
"Can't blame a guy for trying," he said, taking a step back. "It's been a pleasure Bess. Until next time." He gave her a little wave and disappeared around the corner. Elizabeth shook her head and laughed.
And so their relationship went. Being in the same department, Mike and Elizabeth spent a fair amount of time together. He was brash, often inappropriately so and always sarcastic. Many of her colleagues were confused as to why she actually enjoyed his company.
It was obvious that Mike Barnow wasn't the faculty member that others liked. Perhaps they appreciated his keen knowledge of US politics, but that was where the fondness ended. A teaching assistant of Elizabeth's once asked her why she spent so much time with him. She responded that he was a very well educated colleague and she spent time with a lot of the faculty members, but she knew that wasn't the truth, or at least the whole truth.
She couldn't really pinpoint it at first, but then Will called for his mandated quarterly communication with his sister. Hanging up, she realized the relationship she had with Will was similar to the one she had with Mike. She didn't feel the need to sanitize her words with either. She could battle them both and both would give it right back. She didn't have to worry about their feelings and they would both be brutally honest with her. If she said something stupid, she could count of both of them to call her on it and set her straight. The difference was that Mike wanted to be around her. Wiith Will, it was a struggle to keep him on the same continent for any length of time. She chuckled to herself. Mike would probably be upset to know that she put him in the same boat as her wayward brother.
Elizabeth sat at her desk behind a pile of papers, wondering why she thought assigning term papers for finals was a better idea than giving objective tests. She thought back to her conversation with Mike and how she had insisted that she could measure what the student had learned much better reading it in their own words over scoring true/false questions. She sighed. She would never let him know he was right.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, pulling her glasses off, tossing them on the desk.
Mike stuck his head in. "Hmm, I was going to see if you wanted to grab a coffee, but I see you have quite a bit of grading to do." He laughed and Elizabeth fought the urge to walk over and shove him out of her office.
"What do you need Mike?" she asked, not even bothering to hide her exasperation.
"My divorce is final," he said, grinning. His eyebrows raising up and down his forehead.
She laughed. "I know. The Cessna pulling the banner that said 'Mike B is free' could be considered a little over the top."
"I just wanted to get the word out," he smirked and then grew serious. "I quit."
Elizabeth gave him a knowing smile. "I figured that would happen. So, what's next for Mike B?" she asked leaning back in her chair lacing her fingers behind her head.
"I'm headed to DC. Political consulting. I've got a couple lobby groups lined up and I can always do freelance dirt gathering for anyone who needs it."
"Loyal to the almighty dollar. Seems about right."
He gave her a half smile. "Bess. Thanks for making this place half ass tolerable." His eyes twinkled and the corner of his mouth went up in a devilish lopsided grin. "Now, if there's anything you'd like to do to show your appreciation…"
Elizabeth raised one eyebrow and suddenly pushed herself up out of her chair and rounded the end of the desk. She hadn't been sure what she was going to do, but the absolute terrified and stunned look that crossed Mike's face was more than she could take and she started laughing before she made it to him. She smacked his arm as she doubled over, tears coming to her eyes. "That was so-"
"Mean?" Mike said cutting her off. "That was downright mean."
"I was going to go with hysterical." She stepped back and leaned against her desk. "I wish you well. It certainly won't be near as exciting around here. We make a good team."
"If you ever make it to Washington, look me up. I'll always have time for you."
"Something pretty crazy would have to happen for me to end up back there."
"You never know." He looked her over and knew for a fact that he had more admiration for the woman in front of him than he'd had for anyone in his life. "I wonder what it might have looked like if we'd met at a different time in our lives."
Elizabeth stood and took the step toward Mike and hugged him. Letting him go, she walked him to the door. She smirked. "It wouldn't have mattered. We both know that you couldn't handle me." She winked and pushed the door shut leaving him in the hallway chuckling to himself.