If it weren't for the vibration against his hip, Leo would have missed the call as he negotiates his way through the lunchtime pedestrian crowd.
"Hello." He says rather loudly over the noise surrounding him.
"Dad, where are you, has the President declared war and sent you?" Mallory's voice comes through strong and clear.
"Hey Mal, I'm in New York." Leo tells her looking ahead to his destination on the next block.
"Are you going to be back tomorrow, at the White House?" She asks.
"I'm just here for a couple of hours." Leo tells her as he steps around the back of a stationary cab.
"I want to come and see how you're doing...tomorrow night?" Mallory requests as Leo stops outside his destination the Harry Winston salon on Fifth Avenue.
"I'm fine, but I'll see you then." Leo tells her flicking the phone shut and pushing open the door with no intention of exiting without a diamond engagement ring.
*
The next night, as Leo attempts to get through a stack of reading, the clock pushes on towards the morning hours without him noticing.
Flung back into reality as Margaret slips through the door announcing Toby is here to see him, her youthful cheeriness has dulled and when he looks at the clock that reads ten to twelve he realizes why.
"Shut the door." He requests and while she does he lets his eyes wander over her heavy eyelids, weighed down by near exhaustion and fatigue. "You look tired."
Her reply isn't audible, a simple smile almost sympathetic.
"We'll go after Toby." He promises nodding for her to let the Communications director in.
*
When Toby emerges and says goodnight ten minutes later Margaret is looking for more work to do to keep her occupied and awake.
Leo wanders behind her, flicking off the desk lamp the only light now coming from the corridors, taking her hand in his. "Come with me." He requests, his other hand touching the velvet box in his jacket pocket.
The rose stems cast crooked shadows from the moon, their beautiful blooms hidden in the cover of darkness as Leo helps Margaret into her jacket to ward off the night chill. Standing in front of her he touches the ring box and pulls it out of his jacket. Holding it in front of Margaret who can see the maroon velvet quite clearly, she gasps as he starts to bend down onto one knee.
"Yes." She says her voice trembling with emotion and by the minimal light he swears he sees tears in her eyes.
"I'm not down on one knee yet." He says opening the box; the unique diamond engagement ring is met with a bigger gasp, Margaret's hand flying over her mouth.
"I wanted to say..." Leo tells her as he gently slides the ring on her finger.
"There's nothing you can say that my heart doesn't already know Leo." Margaret whispers and Leo stops the ring halfway up her finger, gazing up at her.
"I love you." He says half swallowing his emotions as he slides the ring the rest of the way along her finger. When it's secure he gathers her into his arms kissing her passionately until her tears stain his cheeks.
"I know, I love you too." Her voice convincing, but her expression giving away a minor concern.
"I know what you're thinking but don't worry." Leo assures her. In the back of her mind however he wonders where Mallory got to tonight, he planned to take advantage of her visit to inform her of his intention to marry Margaret, which would come as a shock being she hadn't been informed of the relationship ever.
"Let's get out of the cold." He smiles holding out her hand to look at the ring on it, the linking it with hers as they walk back into the building.
"I've got a lot of reading still." He says watching her slump into the couch, her eyes fluttering shut, legs stretched out on the table in front of the couch. "It won't take me a moment to pack up."
"Don't, finish, I'll wait." Margaret says molding her head into a pillow.
"That's no way to treat my fiancée." Leo says lifting her legs into his lap and sitting on the table. He slides off her shoes, kneading and massaging her feet that gain tiny moans of approval. He massages up to her ankle and back down again, repeating his motions on her other foot.
"Margaret." He whispers when he's done placing her right foot into his lap again, waiting for the flutter of her eyelids that don't come.
Smiling he gently places her feet on the ground and grabs a blanket from his closet to wrap around her, with his reading in one hand he settles in next to her. The words slowly start to blur and run into one another and at some point he drifts off to sleep, glasses still on his face, the papers he was reading falling into his lap.
*