*** Callie's POV ***
I feel so warm, I don't want to move. I roll over realizing that my alarm should be going off any minute now, and I find myself alone in bed. Stretching and trying to wake up I look over at the clock and realize its 5:30. It is even earlier than I thought it was. Getting up I pick, I pick up the towels left over from last night. Ahh, last night, felt like we were 25 again and in my apartment in Germany. Note to self, we need to do that more.
I make my way to the bathroom turning on the light, I see the note. I pick it up and find very familiar handwriting.
C ~
I'm out for my morning run. I know it's my normal routine but, I didn't want you to panic. I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. I had an amazing evening, with an even more captivating night and morning with you. I should be back with enough time to have breakfast with you if you would like.
See you soon,
A
Putting down the note, get my stuff together to shower and get ready for my day.
*** Arizona's POV ***
Rounding the corner and finishing my morning run, Jared was standing by the back entrance. The three details that flanked me were no more than a foot from me.
"Morning Jared," I say as I come to a stop near him and the others. Looking at my detail, "Thank you, gentlemen, as always that was super fun. Thank you." They all nodded at Jared, turned and walked away.
Lexie was standing there next to him; it was well after 6 now. She handed me a towel and a water bottle.
"Good morning, Madam President," she begins. Then she continues, "I have arranged for your breakfast in your sitting room along with your morning briefs. Today's schedule was just posted and you can scan through it to let me know what we need to have April change."
"Thanks, Lexie, when is my first meeting," I ask.
"You have a call at 8:45; actually you have a pretty light day today. We are trying to give you time to catch up with everything. Vice President Richardson requested to meet with you but I don't have him on your schedule, yet," she answered.
"Tell him to let's go to lunch, give him the list of approved places, I want to show some face as I feel I have been held up in the White House long enough," I mention, as Jared and I begin to walk towards the back elevator. "Oh, what time is the daily press briefing, I thought about stopping by; let's try to make that happen. We need to show that I am fine and I am back," I say walking into the elevator. "Thanks Lexie."
We head up to the presidential apartment, Jared and I, "I need to see you and Sana in my study by 8 if we can, and I got a text from Mel last night."
Jared is nodding when he stops, "she is on a no-contact order, and she directly disobeyed a CO."
I deadpan towards him, "Did we expect anything less, of course, and she did. Now what do we do with it and how do we handle it."
"I will inform the team she is with," he begins to say.
"NO. We let it go; I don't want her to know I am sharing this. And before you ask, yes Jared, Callie knows. Now I will shower, eat breakfast and then see you at 8 sharp in my study."
"Yes Ma'am, I will let Agent Hyde know her presence is needed," he says as the elevator comes to a stop, doors open and I walk into the apartment.
I need a shower so bad. Walking into the bathroom, I strip and hop in for a quick shower, get dressed and then join Callie for breakfast.
*** Callie's POV ***
Sitting down at the small table in the sitting room, I notice the iPad in the Portfolio; Arizona's morning briefing. I slowly take off my plate cover on my food and in love with this woman more and more, pancakes, yes!
"Good morning," I hear from behind me, said Arizona walking into the room, freshly showered and in one of her pantsuits, she looks perfect.
"Hi," I say "Thanks for ordering pancakes for me. I love them."
"I know," she replies, "And you are very welcome." She takes the Portfolio and moves it aside, uncovers her own plate and sits down. "Did I wake you this morning; I was trying to be quiet."
"No, I woke up a little bit ago and then finally crawled out of bed," I say as I start to cut up my pancakes.
We finish up breakfast with small chit chat. As we get up to walk out the door she turns to me and says, "Thank you for last night," and plants the most amazing deep kiss on my lips. Running her fingers through my hair she draws me in closer. Pulling back she smiles, "We need to skip lunch today, I have a meeting. But dinner can be arranged."
"I would love to, let me take care of dinner," I tell her bluntly.
"Ok then, I will text you later and let you know what time my afternoon should be over with. At least, for the most part, this week I have a lighter schedule than usual," she finishes with a quick kiss and then leaves the room.
Smiling like an idiot, I stand there and breathe out, "now for dinner."
***Arizona's POV ***
I am sitting at my desk in my study working through these documents that seem never-ending; there is a knock on the door.
"Yes, come in," I answer without looking up.
"Ma'am, your 10 am is here and waiting in the Oval Office," Lexie says.
"Remind me again, please," I answer again not looking up from the documents I am trying to figure out.
"They are the Elementary essay contest winners from Dubuque, Iowa," she responds.
"Oh yes, I remember now," I say looking up from my papers and closing my computer, "Let us not keep the little humans waiting, shall we," I finish getting up and walking out the door with Lexie right on my heels.
The rest of the morning went by quickly; I spent a little more time than I should have with the kids. But hey in this crazy arena we call the White House, having laughter and silly stories being told is a breath of fresh air. After our visit, I snuck in a quick tour of the White House with them, showing them some of my favorite things about the place. Needless to say, I think their parents enjoyed it more. I ended up walking them back down to the lobby and thanking each of them for their patriotism. After some last minute photos, we said our goodbyes and realized it was almost time for my lunch meeting.
As I made my way back up to my office I checked my phone.
SH: Meet me out back, let's go out to eat.
I stopped in my tracks. Sending a quick message back to her.
Me: Ok, did you clear this with Jared?
A few moments later.
SH: No, was I supposed to? :)
SH: Of course I did, I am not stupid, and even I don't that many privileges. LOL meet me when you are done.
Me: Seriously, you are not funny. I will be there in about 5 minutes.
Turning to look at the agent who is next to me, I have no idea who she is, they all are new. I signal for her, she steps closer.
"Change of plans for lunch," I begin to say.
"Yes, ma'am, Agent Dean just informed us that you will need to go to the rear entrance," she responded.
I simply nodded and continued to walk down the hallway towards the rear entrance of the wing. Waiting for me was Jared and Agent Hyde.
"Good afternoon," I say.
We walk through the door and into the waiting SUV. All three of us pile in the back of the vehicle and both the agents that were with me in the White House climb into the front. We begin to drive away from the White House.
"I already let April and Lexie know you will be gone for most of the afternoon," Sana responded.
"Okay," I respond with a bit of questioning in my voice, I then ask, "want to tell me why the bait and switch because I was really looking forward to my salad?"
"We needed to sweep your office, the entire thing, we have a feeling that someone planted listening devices that were not authorized somewhere either in your office suite," Sana said.
"And in the apartment," Jared finished.
"WHAT?!" I exclaim, outraged. Then the panic set in, the conversations I have had in the privacy of my own room. A flashback to last night comes into my head. I think am starting to panic.
"Who?" is all I ask.
"We don't know yet," Sana said.
"Wait, wait. This is all speculation then, how would you even know or think that areas are being monitored if you don't know who yet?" I ask.
"Because originally there were only two bottles ordered for the dinner that night, for you personally, the rest of the guests were to be served something else," Jared begins.
"Then apparently you told Lexie, to go ahead and bring up enough of your wine from the cellar for your entire table for dinner, and according to Lexie you did that in the study. No one knew that more bottles were ordered because that change was made right before you went upstairs to get ready. The marked bottles were already in the kitchen, so whoever did this used this seized the moment to switch out the bottles. Because the original order was only two bottles, and we found three bottles that were laced with the poison," Sana finished.
"Also, we dumped all incoming calls and texts to your phone and analyzed them," Jared continues.
"WHAT?!" I say outraged.
"Not the content, Arizona, just the times, dates, and the numbers," Sana reassured me.
"And?" I ask.
"You always seem to get calls or texts from two numbers when you are alone. And you are rarely alone. So we are tracing those numbers to find out the owners," Jared states.
"Okay, do we know yet?"
"Agent Cabrera," Sana says softly.
I look out the window at the city passing by, I feel completely violated. A few moments pass, then I look back at both of them who are sitting across from me.
"Do you think she knows about the plan?" I ask.
Sana shakes her head, "we don't know, this is why we need to know where the listening devices are if there any. But Arizona, we aren't going to remove them," she says.
"Why not, it's a violation of my privacy," I say. "I know I am not afforded much privacy, but hell, can't I at least shower or something, without being listened in on?"
"We need her to think we don't know about them. But we will have the upper hand, we need to figure out why she is doing this and what her angle is, the more we find out the better we can protect you," Sana finishes.
"You are trying to protect me from someone who was sworn to protect me. I love the fucking irony," I mumble to myself.
"Where are we going for lunch?" I ask. "I'm starved and I am having a drink, no judgement."