CHAPTER ONE
Elizabeth Adams sat in her large oak covered office behind her secretary of state desk and pondered the actions and direction of her life that had led her here. Secretary of state. She still couldn't quite believe this was her office, her desk, her job and her life now.
She genuinely enjoyed her life and was content in the majority of it...there was just one thing she longed for...a soul mate. Elizabeth was a strong confident woman who knew that she did not NEED a significant other to be successful - everything in her life so far proved this but that did not stop her longing for that connection to someone. Sure she has had relationships through the years, good and bad, but no one ever seemed to ignite that spark within her that she knew existed. She had felt it only once before on a very drunken night out many years before. It was the only memory she had of that night after 10pm due to her friends insistence that she celebrated her promotion by downing copious amounts of shots but she knew she didn't dream it or imagine it – she felt it, that she was sure off. One day possibly or maybe never – she had resigned herself to both possibilities but secretly hoping for the first.
She was abruptly pulled from her thoughts by Blake zooming into her office detailing the rest of her schedule for the day. She genuinely loved Blake and handpicking him to be her assistant after he took her class at UVA was one of her best decisions. He was diligent, hardworking but most importantly of all trustworthy and fun to be around. She kept a level of professional distance from most people in her inner working circle but Blake was the exception- she allowed him into her heart a little further, not that she had a choice she thought to herself sometimes. He had an ornate ability to read her needs which was helpful but also terrifying sometimes.
It had been a long day and she decided it was time to call it and head on home. She informed Blake who got her motorcade brought up, grabbed her coat and started to make her way out of the office. She stopped by Blake's desk and ushered him out with her, offering him a ride home, partly for selfish reasons as she was craving a coffee and a doughnut from the cute little coffee house close to Blake's apartment. She asked him if he wanted to join her but he declined knowing that what she really wanted was a few minutes hidden away watching the world go by.
After dropping Blake off she decided that she would take a walk to the coffee shop as it wasn't far. Her Ds agent hated when she done this but after many disagreements and pushing back they soon discovered that she was a force to be reckoned with and she would do as she pleased, so they had to go with it and do the best they could.
As she wandered down the street her heels clicking against the pavement, she felt almost invisible in that moment. People didn't recognise her in the dark evenings and if they did they had seen her here enough to just let her be.
Thankfully she frequented this place enough that her agents had recently agreed to allow her to enter by herself giving her some much needed alone time while they stood guard discreetly outside. She always sat at the same table allowing her agents to have her in their view which gave them some feeling of calm.
She ordered her coffee and doughnut and made her way to her table which thankfully had just been vacated and held in reserve or her. The coffee house was very busy this evening which she loved, she sat imagining all the different scenarios that could correlate to each persons life. This was one of her favourite pastimes , maybe because while imagining their lives she was also imagining what could be or could have been in her life.
She was so deep in thought that she did not hear the man standing beside her asking if he could sit as all the other seats were occupied. Only when he chuckled (knowing she was people watching, guilty of it himself) and asked again did she snap out of it and looked up.
She was about to just get up and give him the table, thinking to herself momentarily that she had work to get on with, when she actually looked at him and for some reason that she could not explain she immediately changed her course of action. She put her hand out and waved towards the seat saying yes 'off course please sit' to the stranger. This was out of character for her these days, not because she didn't want to be social but because it usually didn't take people long to recognise her and all conversation turns to politics, she got enough of that at work.
The man sat down opposite her, put his hand out and said 'thanks for letting me invade your space a little - my name is Henry'. Elizabeth immediately noticed he had a lovely smile which made him even more handsome. She took his hand, shaking it and said 'no problem at all, I'm Elizabeth' She waited for the flicker of recognition that she usually seen but it never came.
They sat in an oddly comfortable silence for a few moments just watching the bustle of the coffee shop.
Henry was the first to speak 'I see you got the last sugar doughnut of the day' , she grinned sheepishly 'yes thankfully I have been craving one all day ' Henry instantly noticed her grin and thought it was possibly the cutest and most devilishly cheeky grin he had ever seen and immediatly knew he wanted to see what a full smile would look like on her. He had noticed how stunning she was as soon as he looked at her with her long blonde hair and the most piercing blue eyes. He was slightly mesmerized by her which was a little unnerving but he was a confident guy and didn't let it dictate his actions. A second or two passed and she said 'halfies?' while breaking the doughnut in two and licking the remnants of sugar of her fingers. Henry felt his whole body twitch at this action and took a gulp, 'as long as you are sure, I've been craving one all day too but I know better than to come between a woman and her baked goods, my sisters taught me that skill early on in life'. Elizabeth chuckled and assured him it was fine on this one occasion. The sound of her laugh sent a warmth through Henry he didn't even know was possible.
Thinking that it didn't seem like he recognised her, Elizabeth decided to pretend that she was like any other woman her age who just happened to meet a handsome man in a coffee shop and started to strike up a conversation but knowing it probably wouldn't lead anywhere.
'So Henry, what has you sitting in a coffee shop after 9pm on a Wednesday night if you don't mind me asking?'. Henry grinned, overjoyed that she was looking to having a conversation with him, ' Turns out my new job has alot of late evenings and night time meetings so I come here to decompress a little once I'm done as its close to home, it helps that it has the best coffee and doughnuts in the city' he said picking up his half of the doughnut she shared with him and winked. Elizabeth was shocked to feel her stomach flutter at his wink but never let it show.
'I just started this week and I am still trying to properly find my feet, what about you? '
'Unfortunately I'm in the same boat although I've been in my post a little longer than you but still finding my feet'
They chatted back and forth about simple things like food, weather, baseball etc before they knew it an hour had passed and they were the last people in the coffee shop and were being surveyed by the staff who were looking to go home.
They both realised and sheepishly got up to leave apologising to the staff. Henry held the door open for Elizabeth as they stepped out into the dark night. Elizabeth turned to him and held out her hand 'it was really nice to meet you Henry, thanks for invading my space and stealing half my doughnut' he grinned and shook her hand. The current of electricity they both thought they imagined earlier was there again and they stood in the doorway looking at each other, drawn into each other's eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the movement of her DS agents and quickly averted her eyes, stepping away from Henry, not wanting him to notice the security team, she quickly said goodnight and headed off walking towards her motorcade which she knew was parked just around the corner.
Henry stood grounded to the spot for a few seconds before he could comprehend what had just happened. Before he realised she had disappeared around the corner and he kicked himself for not even getting her last name never mind her number. He sighed , maybe it was just a nice friendly chat and he shouldn't be reading more into it but the feeling he had deep in his core told him different and he was hugely disappointed in himself for not identifying it earlier and ensuring he got her details so he could ask her out on a proper date. He had noticed there was no ring on her ring finger but alas maybe it was not meant to be. He wrapped his scarf and coat around him and headed in the direction of home.
Elizabeth got into her motorcade and immediately exhaled and lay her head back against the head rest. That was the nicest evening she had in a very very long time she thought to herself. She thought about getting his number and his last name but decided against it as trying to date while secretary of state would just be way too complicated, maybe when she had her feet under the table a bit more she would consider it but not right now. On the journey home Henry occupied all of her thoughts and that spark she thought she would never feel again was showing itself. She started to question her decision to not pursue it further, opportunity lost now Adams she thought to herself, disappointed.