Chapter 2: And I'll keep praying I make it (Better days – Hedley)
Elizabeth was about to end the meeting and dismiss her staff when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blake hurrying past the glass front of the room toward the door. With an apologetic smile to Daisy, Jay and Nadine, she said, "Actually, I was just hoping to dismiss you so you could take a breath before the flight." After a quick glance at her wristwatch, she raised her eyebrows in amusement, hanging on to her previous sentence "But we're already another half hour past takeoff and that as well" she stretched her arm towards the door, finishing her sentence the moment Blake entered "Doesn't look like it's going to be anything today. Maybe we'd better plan that flight for tomorrow after all." She said the last sentence full of sarcasm as she turned to Blake, who was now standing in the room and across from her at the end of the table with a serious and slightly stressed expression on his face.
Just finishing her sentence, Blake looked her straight in the eye with an apologetic look and said to the room "Director Munsey will be joining us."
Hearing his words, Elizabeth winced, but just barely managed to pull herself together and crack a delighted smile. Don't let anyone notice, that doesn't make it any better let alone easier. With these thoughts in her head, she said aloud with a quick nod of acknowledgement towards Blake "Well then, we're ready to go. Or is there anything else I should know?" Standing up and resting her hands on the table, she looked around questioningly. Looking each deeply in the eye as she did so, she hoped to cover her reaction of fear from just then with a look of joy.
"I'll take that as a no." With one last glance at Blake, who was looking nervously at the clock on the wall, she smiled at her co-workers "Then I'll meet you here in half an hour."
"Jay, please talk to Eu President Jensen's assistant. Make our point clear. No overreach! Have them sit down again and come up with a new proposal, a new treaty if you like. This one," she pointed with an outstretched finger at the pile of documents and folders on the table in front of her, "doesn't work at all. This is unacceptable. If Jensen refuses to work out a new proposal, we won't even bother to set out." With a nod, Jay acknowledged his order and moved hurriedly toward the door.
"Nadine, consult with Mr. Jackson's office. Have the President and Russell give their nod to our action and have an opportunity to object." Already gathering her papers and notes, Nadine Tolliver also left the conference room with a curt nod. "Ma'am." Elizabeth nodded at her interrogation of her leave-taking.
Turning her head to Daisy, Elizabeth continued. "Daisy, please keep an eye on the press. I don't need a horde of journalists in Brussel following my every move. Please make sure that exact times and locations are not in the official calendar until shortly." She directed the last sentence to Blake as well, with a help-seeking look. "That can be arranged." "Thank you." Looking deeply into Daisy's eyes, she continued talking. "Please let me know of any developments immediately." Especially if Andrew accompanies us, she added in thought. Daisy stood up and nodded to Elizabeth. "Yes ma'am." And with that left her and Blake alone.
As soon as Daisy was through the door, Elizabeth sank back into her chair and turned from left to right and left again, lost in thoughts. An enormous fatigue overcame her and her muscles felt like lead. Just a moment ago she had the chance to get a few hours of much desired sleep on the plane and now Andrew was accompanying her.
She felt Blake's worried gaze resting on her. Of course, Blake had seen right through her. He knew her, the private Elizabeth, not the Secretary, probably best of all her staff. But he didn't know all either. He knew bits and pieces of the private Elizabeth, the bits and pieces she had shown him over the past years. She wasn't bothered by his gaze. She could still blame her upset on lack of sleep without any problem. No one would be surprised. It was much more important now that she managed to rein in her thoughts before the rising panic took her breath away. A panic attack wouldn't help anyone and wouldn't make the situation any easier.
She had managed so well to avoid him the last few days and now this. Why, why did he have to come along? Probably the president had wanted to do something good for her. Or it was an order from Russel, who once again wanted to drive up the poll numbers. Of course, that it had to be. THE D.C. dream couple traveling together. Bah! At the Though of the word dream couple, she almost had to laugh out loud. She and Andrew, dream couple.
Perhaps she should point out to Russell that she did not value traveling with him. On the other hand, that would draw attention again, which she didn't want.
Blake had noticed the Secretary's seemingly sudden change of mood when he had come in and announced that CIA Director Andrew Munsey would be accompanying her.
He had almost guessed when he received the call from the White House that the Secretary was not super pleased with the news. He was currently stressed out on his way back to the Truman Building, they were supposed to leave in ten minutes, but the traffic was once again an ordeal at this hour and by the time he had packed the Secretary's bags, put the worn clothes from the office closet in front of the washing machine in the laundry room and gathered fresh clothes for her closet in the office, more time had passed than he had actually planned.
"Damn it!" cursing, he rummaged in his passenger seat for his phone. Luckily, he was at a stoplight. His phone finally in hand, he plugged in the headset. Just in time, before the light turned green.
On the other end Lucy Knox, the president's secretary, told him that Russell Jackson wanted Munsey to accompany Elizabeth. He had said something about poll numbers. Blake sighed. The poll numbers. With Mr. Jackson, it was always the poll numbers.
She Secretary had been reacting strangely to the name Munsey more and more lately. She had always been reticent about the subject, but it was becoming more noticeable. Why she reacted so uptight to the name, going home as late as possible when she thought no one would notice, and sending him to go get her clothes from her house, even though she had been out of the house for days, was a mystery to him. She had always been a person who preferred to keep her private life private, but for her to completely avoid going home unless she absolutely had to was kind of strange.
"On whose orders is Director Munsey coming?" And why did she always talk about Director Munsey. One would actually assume that they were on a first-name basis by now. He smirked inwardly. But maybe that was her professionalism. Still, he found it unusual. The sudden silence snapped Blake out of his thoughts. "Mr. Jackson let it slip. Lucy said something about poll numbers. I wasn't listening closely. The traffic was really impossible."
Quickly, before she could say anything, he followed up, at the Secretary's punishing look, "I was using the headset. I know, no phones behind the wheel, even if you work for the government and diplomatic immunity."
She smiled slightly and winked at him as he forestalled her usual lecture. She'd lost her parents so young because some douche was on the phone while he was driving. "I didn't say anything."
Gathering her papers and putting the folders back in her purse, she stood up and left the room. Barely out the door, after a quick glance at her watch, she called out to Blake "Back in the room in fifteen minutes."
If she hurried, she could answer some emails in the few minutes she had left until everyone was ready and they were on their way to the plane together. And then, and then she could finally sleep. Provided Andrew let her.
Inwardly pleading, she continued on her way to her office. Had Blake said anything about waiting there? She couldn't remember. Please, please don't let him sit there. I can't, not here, not now!
The hand on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts. "Are you all right?"