Going Public

"Are you feeling threatened?"

"As if."

"Unloved?"

"Shut up."

"Overlooked then? I mean, what is it, Huck?" Fitz asked full of exasperation. "Why are you dragging your ass on this?"

"All I'm asking is how well do you know him? Really know him?"

"We went to college together."

"You've been out of college for a really long time, man. People change. He may not be the all around great guy that you remember. He could be an asshole now."

"Wow. You really are feeling threatened, aren't you?"

Huck scoffed. "No. But the fact that you think I am says a lot about how things around here are going to change once he arrives."

"Nothing is going to change! Jesus! You are my right hand man. We have worked together for seven years now. My bringing Harrison in isn't going to change that. I don't know how much plainer I can reassure you on that point." Fitz was frustrated. "Besides, he isn't on the inside yet anyways. It's just a meeting to see how things go. He may not even be interested."

"He's interested."

"How in the hell could you possibly know that?"

"Who takes a meeting about a potential new job and isn't interested."

Fitz paused a second to think that one over. "Good point."

"If you're bringing in someone new, then so am I."

"What? No! You're absolutely not!"

"You just said it yourself. I'm your right hand man. There is only one person you trust more than me and we both know why she's got the number one spot." Huck's eyes darted down to Fitz's crotch before flicking back up to his face.

"Stop looking at my junk, man. It's creepy." Fitz shot back. They needed more people on the Alena Maxwell campaign.

Fitz and Huck had met with Mrs. Maxwell and Ms. Scott a few days ago and it had gone very well. The four of them discussed her campaign in great detail. Fitz shot down the idea of a carbon copy campaign of Liv's presidency. Instead, they offered similar ideas in different settings, meeting with different groups of Ohio voters, and the importance of an online presence. Everything was well received, but there were things that had Fitz feeling uneasy. Things he would need help handling. It was clear that he that he and Huck would need more hands on deck.

The idea of wooing Harrison from the firm he was currently working at was something that put a little fire in Fitz's belly. He and Harrison Wright had been great friends at college. They had kept in touch off and on after graduating and eventually went their separate ways, but life and work had kept them busy and the contact became less and less frequent. These days it was practically non existent.

Fitz had reached out to Harrison after the meeting with Alena and discussed the possibility of him coming to work at his firm. Harrison had been open to the idea, and Fitz set up a meeting for the three of them to meet and discuss the details. Huck's reaction of suspicion and jealousy was surprising to Fitz. He came off as confident in all things. To know that he was feeling threatened made Fitz regard him as slightly more human than robotic. It was nice that Huck could still surprise him after so many years.

"What time is the meeting with Harrison set up for tomorrow?"

"You never look at the schedule." Fitz sighed. "It's at three."

"Then I'll have my applicant set up for the following day at three. Having their interviews at the same time on consecutive days will make things easier."

Fitz sighed. "Fine. I expect you to give me your honest unbiased opinion of Harrison after the interview is over. I also expect you to have some questions for him. I don't want to hear you crying bullshit if he gets the job because you whiffed."

"Fine. Same goes for the person I bring in. You ask questions, and you don't bitch when you end up offering the job to them." Huck stated with confidence. "Now, if we're all done with this pissing contest, I've got some reaching out to do."

"By the way, don't even think about bringing in your girlfriend for the job. We are not working with our women here."

"She wouldn't let you boss her around. Get real." He pushed away from the conference room table and went to his office. Just before he closed the door, he whispered to no one at all, "what a dick."

"Asshole." Fitz muttered under his breath.

"We've got incoming." Huck announced from his office the following day. He had his applicant all booked for an interview with him and Fitz for tomorrow. He could hardly wait to see the look on Fitz's face. He met his co-worker in front of the elevator and glanced at his watch. It was two fifty five. "It's gotta be your bestie."

"Shut the hell up and act professional."

"You shut the hell up." Huck retorted and shot him a scowl.

The doors slid open and the man inside the elevator gave the men standing in front of him the once over before stepping out. He was wearing a black suit with a purple and white gingham dress shirt underneath and purple tie. He even had a purple fabric square poking up from the left breast pocket of his jacket. Huck had never seen anything like this before. He liked how put together this man came across.

Harrison nodded curtly. "Gentlemen."

"Wow! Look at Mr. Smooth." Fitz said with a huge grin. "Bring it in big guy."

The two of them gave a one armed hug and quick pound on the back before parting again. "You look..." Harrison gestured with his hands, trying to come up with a word. "Nice."

Huck chuckled as he stood at attention.

"You must be Huck." Harrison said, sticking out his right hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wright."

"Nah, dude. I'm just Harrison. Unless there are women around. Then you can call me Mr. Wright." Harrison informed him with a conspiratorial grin. "It's nice to meet the only other guy Fitz never shuts up about."

"Oh kay. You don't need to say shit like that to him. It makes his head swell." Fitz said.

"What does he say about me?" Huck inquired.

"Jesus." Fitz said, shaking his head.

"Just that you're the best IT guy this side of the Mississippi. That you're fast too. You get shit done."

"It'd be nice if he said that to my face once in a while."

"Remember. Professional." Fitz warned.

"Oh! You want this to be professional? Got it." Harrison stated.

"Let's go to the conference room." Huck suggested. When they got there, Huck asked, "would you like some water or coffee? Maybe a cappuccino?"

"You have a cappuccino maker here?" Harrison asked, clearly impressed.

"No. Fitz wouldn't spring for it." Huck stated.

Fitz pointed at his counterpart. "Fuck you, Huck."

"That doesn't sound professional to me." Harrison chuckled. "He's got you there, man. Look, let's loosen up here. We are just three guys talking about a job prospect. Let's get down to it."

"Fine by me." Fitz stated. "I have a copy of your resume here. You've brought in some pretty big clients at the firm you're currently working at. That's commendable."

"Thanks, man. I'm a go getter." Harrison looked over at Huck and added, "I am also a get shit done kinda guy. Mostly, I'm a numbers man. Money is my specialty. I would have made a hell of an accountant, but I have a vast array of other skills to offer too."

"I'm glad you brought up the money. We are about to embark on Alena Maxwell's campaign for the Senate seat in Ohio. Huck and I have met with her and her team, and are ready to hit the ground running there. But we need a few more people on our team."

"That's a pretty big first client for me, if I came on board."

"You're coming on board." Huck stated with a smile.

"You're confident. I really like this guy." Harrison told Fitz.

"Anyway...I need someone who can run the money, and that's where you come in, Harrison."

"She doesn't have someone doing that already? Like since before day one?" Harrison asked in a voice laced with skepticism.

"She does..." Fitz began. He didn't know how to explain the situation without sounding like an asshole.

"She does," Huck said, picking up the ball. He didn't mind being an asshole. He almost lived for it where Fitz was concerned. "But she's incompetent. And she's got a crazy streak."

"What he said." Fitz agreed. "We only met with her briefly, but it was obvious that she will have to be let go. You will be in charge of Alena's campaign funds. The comings and goings of it. Who gives donations and why and when. Every last detail of the financials is your job." Fitz explained.

"I can do that in my sleep. Where is the challenge?" Harrison asked with a shrug. "You know I love a challenge."

"You will have to go through her personal financial accounts as well as the ones for the campaign and figure out where every penny came from. There can't be any money coming from places or companies that we don't want it coming from."

"What if it's already in there?"

"Then we issue refunds and apologies. That will be all yours to deal with too." Fitz answered.

"You really know how to make a guy say yes." Harrison said dryly. "What is my salary?"

"How much do you make at that little firm you are currently working for?" Fitz held up a hand before he could answer. "Whatever your yearly salary is, add thirty percent."

Harrison was impressed. Fitz had carved out a nice little operation for himself here. It was obvious that he was making good money, had important clients, and had a nice balance with this Huck guy. He wanted in. He was bored to death at his current little firm. He wasn't challenged at all. Still, he didn't want to appear too desperate.

On the other hand, Harrison was eager to be around friendly faces with a firm who offered something a little more exciting. The hike in pay sealed the deal. "Done."

"You're too easy." Huck said with a chuckle. "He would have gone to forty."

"Shut up." Fitz told him. He plastered on a smile and got to his feet. "Welcome to Grant and Associates. Let me show you to your office."

Harrison gave his boss immediate notice the moment he got back from the interview with Fitz and Huck. He took a long lunch the following afternoon in order to sit in on the other interview. The three men were drinking coffee at the conference room table and shooting the breeze when a skinny redhead timidly walked in unannounced.

Fitz got to his feet immediately and buttoned his suit jacket. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I hope so. My name is Abby Wheelan and I have an appointment."

"Huck? Did you know about this? I don't remember seeing a client listed on the schedule?" The confusion was clearly written all over his face.

"She's not a client." Huck said casually.

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit confused here." Fitz told Abby.

"She's our three o'clock interview." Huck explained.

"Ohhh!"

"This just got interesting." Harrison piped in with a grin. He got to his own feet and held out a hand for her to shake. "Harrison Wright. Nice to meet you, Ms. Wheelan."

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Wright." Abby told him with a smile. He was cute. Great dresser. Probably spent more money on clothing than she did.

"Call me Harrison."

"I'm Fitzgerald Grant." He held out his right arm and shook her hand too.

"The name on the door. Good to know the pecking order around here."

"And I assume you already know Huck. He's my right hand man. Been with me for years. I assume you knew that too?"

"I didn't. I've never met him before now." Abby informed him. "What about Harrison here?"

"College buddy of mine. Just got hired yesterday." Fitz replied.

"That makes me your superior by a day." Harrison told her with a confident smile.

"Yea, you wish pretty boy." Abby told him sassily. "So. This is a boys club. I'm surprised I was even invited to interview for a job here at Grant and Associates. Why was I? For clarification."

"To be completely honest," Fitz began. "I had no idea who Huck was bringing in to interview. We needed new blood. More people working for our newest client, who is fairly high profile. Huck and I agreed to each select someone to bring in to interview as a way to keep things fair. I poached Harrison from a firm nearby. He interviewed yesterday, as he said, and was offered a job on the spot. I know his work ethic as well as know him personally. He is going to be a good fit around here. And, I trust Huck implicitly, so if he is vouching for you, that says a lot. It also means you have a lot to live up to."

"Let's do this." Abby told him confidently. "Here is my resume. Let me know if you have any questions."

Fitz looked it over. Everything seemed to be in order. She had been at her current firm for almost five years. That was a big deal. It showed that she was loyal, but it certainly didn't mean she deserved to work at his firm. He was beginning to wonder why Huck had sought her out when his eyes landed on the reason. "Huck, you beautiful son of a..." Fitz raised his head and clamped his lips shut. Harrison and Abby were looking at him and wondering why he would call a buzzcut wielding, flannel shirt wearing, tough guy beautiful.

But not Huck. Huck was grinning. "I know."

"Did you...?"

"Yup."

"Is she...?"

"Am I what?" Abby asking with a frown.

"Yea, I feel like I need to know too." Harrison asked with a furrowed brow.

"You don't." Abby informed him. "You're just as new here as I am."

"She certainly is." Huck replied with a grin.

"Wait a minute. I am what, exactly?"

"Holy shit! This is too easy!"

"I know, right. I know how to pick perfect people." Huck bragged.

That brought Fitz back to Earth. He pointed a finger at the computer genius and said, "I didn't say that."

"Can one of you please tell me what the hell you're talking about? As the person you are discussing, it's kinda my right to know." Abby told them. Her gaze went from Huck to Fitz. "I don't like this back and forth bullshit either. It's like the two of you are talking in code."

"Right?" Harrison said, agreeing with her.

"It's really weird." The redhead told him. "They finish each other's sentences like..."

"An old married couple." they said in unison.

"No, we don't!" Huck argued.

"Hell no!" Fitz reiterated.

"Relax. It's a compliment. It means you're in sync." Abby informed them.

"Don't ever say shit like that again, or you're fired." Fitz told her with a sneer.

"I'd like to know what the back and forth between the two of you was all about before I accept. Or am threatened with termination before I'm officially hired."

"You worked two years as an investigator before becoming a lawyer."

"So."

"Why didn't you stick with that?"

Abby shrugged lightly. "I was working all the time. Practically around the clock. I don't mind working long hours. I thrive on it, really. But I could sense burn out creeping up fast. One of my colleagues suggested I study to take the bar and become a lawyer. It came fairly easy to me once I got started. A few months in, I sensed a change. I preferred the structure being a lawyer provides."

"That's a really good answer." Fitz admitted. "How much are you making at your current job?"

"I'm not going to answer that question right here in front of your college buddy because we all know it's far less than any of you make, simply because I'm a woman doing the exact same job." Abby stated. "I'll gladly share that information in confidence with you and Huck in a private setting."

"That won't be necessary." Fitz said quickly, before anyone else tried to push her buttons with their brand of sarcasm. "What are you asking for?"

"I want whatever he's getting paid." Abby replied, and jerked her thumb at Harrison.

"That's adorable." Harrison quipped.

"That's non negotiable." Abby said with a nod, and settled herself back into her chair to wait for his next move.

"Done." Fitz replied. "This workplace has never been accused of being sexist, and we're not about to start now. You will be treated like an equal here, but that means you pull your own weight. That's fair. Any other questions or concerns?"

"What was that conversation spoken in half sentences between you and Huck all about?"

"I noticed that you were licensed as a private investigator. He confirmed it. Then I asked him if your license is still valid."

"I keep it current. You could have just asked me."

"That would have taken the fun out of it for all of us." Huck told her.

"Welcome to Grant and Associates, Ms. Wheelan."

Abby got to her feet. "Great. When do I start, and who is our big client, and what am I doing?"

"If you need to work a notice for your current employer you can start after that is completed."

"Nah. I don't."

"You will start by doing background checks on every person employed by Alena Maxwell."

"Alena Maxwell? The woman who is running for Senator for the state of Ohio?" Abby asked excitedly. "She's our big client?"

"Yes."

She frowned. "Shouldn't someone have already done that though?"

Harrison held up his palm and simply said, "slap it" which Abby did.

Fitz pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Because..." she began.

"Nope. That was rhetorical. Someone has done it, but that someone didn't work for me. I want someone on my team to get it done. I prefer to handle everything in house instead of taking it for granted that it's been done correctly. Can you deal with that?"

"Is that rhetorical too?"

"Of course." Huck supplied.

"Anyways...we will be leaving for Ohio in three days. I made it a weekend trip in case you two had to go back to your previous jobs. Apparently, that isn't an issue for either one of you, so we may end up staying longer than the weekend. Is that going to be a problem?"

" *********************

It wasn't a problem and the team of four landed safely in Cleveland Friday afternoon. It was a breezy but warm afternoon with temperatures in the low seventies. Once everyone's luggage was collected from baggage claim, they jammed into a taxi and headed toward their hotel.

Fitz sat up front, leaving the rest of the team cramped in the back seat. His phone began to ring and he reached for it from the pocket of his dress pants. One look at the face of it and a huge grin covered his face. He slid his finger across the screen and in a smooth baritone spoke one word. "Hi."

"Hi. You didn't call me when you landed." She half accused.

"I just got in the taxi. Give me time, woman."

"Fitz has a girl?" Harrison whispered to Huck.

Huck ignored him, but cleared his throat loudly to remind his boss that he wasn't alone in the car.

"Right. So, what can I help you with today?"

"Businessman Mr. Grant is no fun." The truth was, Olivia would take whatever version of him she could get. She had been sitting at her desk for most of the morning doing nothing but thinking about him. She missed him more than anything, and that was the reason for the call.

He chuckled at her. He already missed her too much. The sound of her voice did things to him. Made him brave. Too brave. "That simply isn't true, and you know it."

"I take it you aren't in the cab with just Huck? That your newly composed team is also with you? Is that why you are talking to me like a client?"

"That would be correct, ma'am."

"Never call me ma'am again, Fitz." Olivia warned.

"Uh oh!" Fitz said with a smirk. "Did I stumble upon something important? A button that could be pressed under the right circumstances? We could explore that."

"I kinda like this double oh seven thing you've got going on right now. Talking in code. Making it sound sexy. I'm going to be interrupting your day a lot more often."

"That could have a potentially dangerous outcome. I'm not sure that is wise under the circumstances."

"I'd love to be under your circumstances right now. I miss you." she flirted.

He could not afford to be getting hard right now! "You need to stop pursuing this. It's only going to end badly. I will look into it further when I'm settled into my room for the evening. Will you be available for a conference call to discuss everything in detail then?"

"Oh yes. I will move mountains to make myself available. Say nine o'clock?"

"Perfect. I'll speak to you then. Goodbye ma'am."

"Fitzgerald..."

But he ended the call. A satisfied smirk covered his face. He was going to make her pay for putting him on the spot like that, knowing his associates were in the car. Payback is a bitch, Liv he thought to himself as his smirk grew.

"Who was that?" Harrison asked.

Fitz cleared his throat. "Another client. A needy one who is very demanding of my time."

Huck chuckled but smoothly covered it with a cough.

The hotel was nice. Not over the top fancy, but not a shit hole either. The four rooms were paid for and the key cards handed out. As they rode the elevator up to the seventh floor, Fitz gave some instructions. "Go get settled into your rooms and meet me in the lobby in a half hour. We are going to head over to the courthouse and walk the grounds and make sure the vendor areas are clearly marked so they can easily find their spots in the morning to set up for the campaign kick off.

We'll come back here and have a working dinner in the business center afterwards. Alena will be joining us once she arrives and gets checked into her room. She wants to meet the two of you and go over the itinerary we've already created, to familiarize herself with it. We've got a lot to do tonight to make sure tomorrow's kick off goes off without a hitch. Bring your A game.

Also, we are hitting the ground running tomorrow with Alena's campaign. We will leave here at six a.m. and head to the courthouse on the square. We will make sure everything is running smoothly, check and double check everything. It's going to be a very long, very busy day tomorrow."

Harrison nodded as he listened. He was charged up. There was little he lived for in his professional life than a challenge. He was up for it. In fact, he had already begun doing research on the state of Ohio, getting a lay of the land. He was about to impress the hell out of Fitz. "Half hour. Got it."

Abby had already come up with a mock itinerary of campaign stops for the Senator to be. She had done her homework on Ohio at home and learned quite a bit about it, the people who lived here, and what was important to them. Oh, and she had an ace up her sleeve. Her new boss and co workers were going to be impressed by the only woman on the team. "That works."

The meeting with Alena and her team went well. She was very impressed with their ideas for a successful campaign.

Fitz, Huck, Harrison, and Abby arrived at the courthouse early the next morning to see that vendors had already started setting up the areas that had been assigned them. There were many more that still hadn't gotten there, so Fitz took the opportunity to walk around one last time before the masses invaded the space.

By eleven o'clock, things were in full swing. There was a wide variety of food and crafts being sold at the annual festival. People had come from the surrounding towns to get in on the fun of the day, as well as take the opportunity to meet their potential new Senator. Alena was scheduled to take the podium any minute to announce that she was officially running.

Abby was well aware of the time. She knew that it was time. She pulled Fitz aside. "Hey, I need a quick word with you."

"Not now, Abby. Alena is about to take the podium, and I need to keep an eye on her."

"It's about that, actually. I don't know how to tell you this, but I have a rather large surprise planned."

He squinted at her. "What are you talking about? There are no surprises today. I don't do surprises at work. I hate them. Whatever you have planned should have been run by me first."

"Well, it's too late for that. The surprise is here." she told him. Her eyes flicked over his shoulder as she saw her surprise walk toward the podium. He was either going to love her or hate her. There would be no in between.

"What are you talking about? What surprise?"

"Well, I had to pull out something big to prove that I'm worthy to be on the team. And to show that I can get shit done. So, I brought a big one."

"You are three seconds from losing your job." he hissed. "You need to tell me what the hell you're talking about and you need to tell me..."

Loud cheering interrupted his scare tactics with the redhead. "HELLO, OHIO! My name is..."

Fitz whipped his head around to the podium behind him. "Olivia? What the hell is she doing here?"

The cheering was really loud, and Fitz doubted Abby even heard him. But she had. "That's the surprise I've been trying to tell you about. I reached out to the President and invited her here. She's going to introduce Alena and give her endorsement."

"What?" he spat out. He wanted to tell Abby to go back to the hotel, pack her shit, and go home. But he was riveted to what Olivia was saying. She had on a black dress and her beloved heels. She looked like a vision, and he wanted nothing more than to storm the micro phoned area and pull her into his arms right here in front of everyone.

He didn't do any of that. Instead, he continued watching her address the crowd. She always did know how to energize people. Especially in her home state. His blue eyes left his unobstructed view of the President to look at the faces of the people in the crowd. They were smiling. Some had shocked faces, much like the one he assumed he had worn when he heard her begin to speak.

"...She's a great leader, who will put your needs first. And that's why I'm endorsing Alena Maxwell as the next Senator of Ohio. Thank you." She couldn't wait to see his face. She couldn't wait to kiss his face. Having the upper hand was such a rush. Olivia made her way over to where Fitz stood with a tall lean redhead.

Fitz watched her shake a few hands and take quite a few pictures on her way over to him. Finally, she was standing right in front of him. The urge to hold her was almost overwhelming.

"Hi." she said with a big smile.

"Hi." It was all his tongue would let him say at the moment.

"Hello, Madam President. My name is Abby. I'm the one who asked you to come to today's event. Thank you for that, by the way."

"You're most welcome. Thank you for inviting me. I always love coming back to my home state. And, I think we surprised your boss." Olivia told her, as she kept her eyes on Fitz.

He smiled back. It still didn't seem real that she was here. He still didn't know quite what to say either. He tried to think of something, any reason to get rid of Abby so he could talk to Liv, but nothing came to mind. He surely looked like an idiot just standing there mutely.

"Mr. Grant. I'd like to invite you out to dinner tonight. If you're available?" Olivia asked.

That did it. "Of course, Madam President. Do you need my firm's services for something specific?"

She smiled at him. She was done waiting. "No. I'd like to take you out on a date."

"Holy shit!" Abby muttered. She knew deep in her bones that she was interfering in a private moment, and should excuse herself, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do so, and continued to watch the show.

"What do you say, Fitz?" She would remember this moment and the look on his face for the rest of her life.

He stared into her playful chocolate eyes. She was serious. She was enjoying the fact that she had stunned him, but she was serious. If this was how she wanted to handle this, he could get behind that. "I say yes. What time shall I pick you up?"

"Oh no, no, no. I'll pick you up. I invited you after all. Will six o'clock be okay?" Olivia wanted to kiss him right now, and if he licked his damn lips one more time, she vowed to herself that she would do it.

His senses were starting to slowly come back to him. She was no longer looking him in the eye. She was staring at his mouth. Somebody wanted to be kissed. The realization brought a smirk to his face. "Six will be fine. I'm staying at..."

"I know where you're staying. I'll see you at six." She winked at him before walking away with her Secret Service agents.

"Did that really just happen?" Abby asked in complete amazement. "Did the President of the United States just ask you out on a date?"

"I'm glad you were here to witness it, because I was wondering if I was imagining things."

"So, you weren't expecting that?"

"I didn't even know she was here. How could I have possibly expected that?"

"Good point. Wow. If you need to leave a little early to get ready, me and the guys can handle this."

"I don't think that will be necessary."

"She is the President. You don't exactly want to keep her waiting."

"Listen Abby. Normally, I would have lost my mind over that sort of thing. I really don't appreciate surprises at work."

"But it worked because she asked you out?" Abby asked in a hopeful tone.

"No. That has nothing to do with this. You went for it. You reached out to the President, knowing this was her home state. That shows initiative. It's outside the box thinking and it shows that I made the absolute right choice in hiring you."

Abby's timid smile turned big a full of pride in an instant. "Thank you for saying that. It means a lot. And you're welcome."

"Just keep me in the loop next time, okay?"

She nodded, and the two of them went to talk to Alena. She was beyond thrilled to have the backing of the President, and to have had her endorse her in person. Fitz gave the well deserved thanks to Abby.

Once the event was over, and the crowds were all but completely gone, Fitz and his team got into a cab and left. The ride back to the hotel was fairly quiet. There was a little chatter between Harrison and Abby about how it had gone overall, and the shock of the introduction of the President. Harrison congratulated her once again for pulling that off quietly.

They were dropped off at the hotel and got in the elevator. There were no eloquent words, so Fitz kept it simple. "You all did great work today. It was a fantastic kick off event. Our client is very happy with the results. You all are free to enjoy the evening however you wish."

"You wanna go get some drinks with us?" Harrison asked. "To celebrate?"

"I'd love to, but I can't. I have a date." Fitz replied with a grin. He didn't explain anything, but left them to their own elevator dinged and they went to their rooms.

A black sedan pulled up in front of the hotel at precisely six and Fitz got in the back seat. He had showered after getting back into his room and put on dress pants and a button up shirt. It was just dinner. "Hey, Tom. Jeffery."

"Hey, Fitz." Olivia teased.

Instead of answering her, Fitz snaked his hands around her waist, and pulled her closer. He wasted no time capturing her lips in a sizzling kiss. Her fingers threaded into his hair, and he sunk deeper into the kiss. He broke it as abruptly as he started it and smiled at her.

"It's nice to see you too." she told him.

"You wanna tell me why you asked me out in front of one of my co-workers?"

"I'm done waiting. We are being together now. I endorsed Alena because I believe in her. Because I believe she is the best person to do the job in my home state. I also did it because I want it to be clear that there is no conflict of interest for you."

"She is very qualified, and I think she will do great things. What does that have to do with you asking me out in front of Abby?"

"I don't want to wait any more. I want us to begin dating publicly. We needed a witness to see your surprise to me asking you out, and Abby provided that."

"Look at you with all the answers." he told her with a grin.

"I ain't the President for nothing. Now, I'm starving. What do you want for dinner?"

The sarcasm he wanted to throw at her dissolved on his tongue. She had taken control of things and made the big first move to make their relationship public. He was too damn happy and proud of her to be sarcastic at the moment. He decided to let her continue to take the lead. "I'm up for whatever you decide."

The double meaning was not lost on Olivia. She couldn't exactly invite him back to her hotel after their first date. The local press had already been called to the restaurant for a big story. It felt like the right thing, beginning their relationship publicly where it all began privately a few years ago. They would have to act a little bit in the beginning, but things would click between them quickly and they would move forward together in the public eye.

She leaned her head on his shoulder as the two of them held hands in the car. Olivia had zero reservations about her earlier actions. They loved each other, and it was time they were together. Life was too short for that.

The car pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and Fitz helped Olivia out of the car as Secret Service waited patiently. Other agents had already checked the restaurant once she had let them know where she intended to go and with who. Cameras flashed repeatedly and shouts of "look over here" reverberated throughout the excited group in front of the doors leading inside.

Fitz took it all in stride. He let Olivia do the talking. She was the one leading the way. He kept his hand on her back the entire time and proudly watched her address the press.

"I'm going to keep this brief, mainly because I'm hungry."

The group chuckled and listened intently.

"I was invited to introduce Alena Maxwell earlier today as she announced her bid to run for Senator of Ohio. When I had done my part, I ran into my friend Mr. Grant and asked him to join me for dinner."

"So, this is a work related dinner?" Someone asked.

Olivia looked over at the man who had asked the question with a blank expression. Fitz held his breath. A smile crept across her face and she answered him specifically. "This dinner has nothing to do with work. Truth be told, it's a date."

Fitz bit the inside of his cheek to keep his proud smile from growing more obnoxious. He nodded curtly at the group as they yelled more questions and took even more photos. Fitz opened the door for his beautiful date and led her inside. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "I love you" before rubbing her back as they were immediately led to their table.