Chapter Twenty-Five

Dear Diary

I didn't mention this before. Meg works as my aid. It's a part time position, but after seeing the contract that Erik had drawn up, I get the feeling that if she wanted to work for me full time and write on the side, she could get by just fine. Other than basically being paid to do the things that she's already been doing (i.e. putting me in matching clothing, putting society paint on my face, etc) she's also took over my Twitter. Apparently that's what important people do. They have people talk for them…or something. This is all very confusing.

The second tweet that (supposedly) I put out since getting the account was something like, "I can't believe so many people started following me! Thank you so much for your kindness!" The third tweet which came not long after, "#inagaurationday2017 was one of the best days of my life. So excited for the future!"

Basically… and this was discussed between Erik, Nadir, Meg, and myself, my role in all of this is to be of the people. Apparently, I can make a good role model after all. My life is boring, I've done nothing, and I'm a woman. I guess that makes me a safe bet? It was almost comical to see Erik and Meg hash out contract terms. Sure, I could keep up just fine, but to see my sweet friend go up against a man like Erik without flinching was respectable to say the least. She's got tough skin. Otherwise, she wouldn't be where she is.

This all came about after Meg woke me up too early on Saturday to scream that I had a Buzzfeed article out. I'll include what it said and try to describe the GIFs on it.

21 Reasons Why Christine Gallagher Was The Best Thing About Inauguration Day

1) "She smiles every time the First Lady speaks to her" - This was the third time Mrs. Walker had grabbed my attention to remind me to smile…I guess I was getting better at it by then.

2) "The fantastic green dress she wore" - Thank god for Meg.

3) "She's camera shy - adorable!" - I saw my face on the monitor and put my hand up to cover part of my face…Mrs. Walker disapproved, but they didn't show that.

4) "Her smile when she hooks arm with the Vice President after getting cold" - I…don't remember smiling…but there it was in a picture.

5) "Her clear dislike of the salad" - It was a bleu cheese salad…Not my favorite. I wish there wasn't an image of me making a face like that.

6) "Her clear love of the main course" - who didn't love the main course? It was only the salad that was gross. I couldn't have been the only one who didn't like that salad!

7) "Her faces during the luncheon between Underwood and Walker" - Erik casually had told Walker that he had closed a trade deal with India that was some insanely high number. In front of me! What was I supposed to look like? Ugh…the photo they have of me is my eyes getting bigger and bigger…

8) "We can only wish we knew what she was hearing at this moment" - Why did they have to stop the GIF and blow up my face like that…? Oh my eyes are so big….

9) "Rocking heels during the parade" - they failed to mention me having to walk sideways…how kind…

10) "Befriending a skipping three year old granddaughter of the President"- that picture I didn't want to see… but I guess it doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. We're both smiling and holding hands.

11) "Her bashful waiving" - Erik had eventually told me to straighten my arm to waive so that more people could see me…before then I guess my hand was not far from my chest and looked like the picture they had, my fingers waving more than my hand was.

12) "She's not afraid to walk alone" - That was when I trailed off from the center by accident because my feet hurt. Security didn't like that, but the crowd got really loud and I remember there being loads of pictures taken.

13) "…but usually prefers walking next to Underwood" - After a guard mentioned I should get back to the center for security, I all but ran back to Erik and he offered his arm to me again. It was warmer that close to him so naturally it made me smile. I always figure that between the two of us, people will look at him. I don't know. Maybe not after all this hubbub.

14) "How red her cheeks were when she was introduced to the Ball" - God why do I have to be so pale? It's so easy to see my blush at anything!

15) "THAT DRESS" - Again, thanks Meg.

16) "The way she fully shakes hands with people" - Dad always said to have a strong handshake…I thought it always helped me working on the hill but me shaking hands with the President of France made it look like I just sold a cheap couch.

17) "Her laughing with her best friend" - I…actually like this one. It shows Meg whispering to me and I laugh. I don't remember what she said, but I think that's what we look like most of the time. It makes me happy. It makes me feel normal.

18) "Underwood leading her to dance and she looks terrified" - They really hit that nail on the head, didn't they? The picture is of him leading me to the dance floor and me looking like I'm trying to run straight out of Washington.

19) "Underwood and Christine dance and it's so adorbs" - If that's what they deem as adorable..okay? Me looking terrified and him with that smug smile on his lips.

20) "That kiss! So perfect" - I noticed that was a picture Meg had uploaded onto her Instagram. Who knew a kiss on the head would have everyone freaking out? I mean, I guess it's nice enough. Still…ugh. I don't know. I've always been bothered by seeing people kiss on pictures. It just seems like something private to me.

21) "Basically, we love you Christine." - a picture of me laughing during the parade.

Another article came out today titled "Why Christine Gallagher is the American Kate Middleton." That I don't agree with. I mean, Kate Middleton is so refined and knows how to act and wave and be a queen. Me? Well, clearly I fall miles short. No, a few centuries short. Meg got my permission to tweet thank you's to the writers of both articles to which one responded with, ChristineGallagher you're the best! and OMG ChristineGallagher we love you! Meg said she would be keeping watch for more articles. She said that it was a part of her job now.

Erik said everything was working out well. He said he figured I might be of some interest, but that this was far more than he thought it would be. Meg is supposed to be keeping my image clean and polite and all. Everyone agreed that I was something good for everyone to see and that people liked me because I had flaws that a good person would be able to relate to. Meg said later that I was a "fame virgin" and that "everyone wanted to be me."

Me? I was just hoping all of that would blow over by the end of the week. There's got to be something more exciting than me embarrassing myself….oh I was wrong there too…

Did I mention that Erik is an evil cruel being? As much as I hate to admit it, he knew just how to torture me when I didn't give him what he wanted. His justification for all of this is that it is all for the American people that things play out the way that they need to as an example. I guess I'm just too small minded to understand what's so wrong with going to the court house and signing some legal documents. This is all for show, right? No need to go crazy, right?

This woman's name is Ethel Lumour, but she insists on being called Etsy. Seriously, why? How does that make any sense? Yes, I know I'm being rude and judgmental. This experience with her planning the wedding though. UGH! So, Etsy comes over to my house after lunch on afternoon. I had invited Meg over for lunch and she had agreed to stay. the day had already started off differently since Erik had us move the voice lesson up to the morning so that he could be flying by afternoon. He was in Alaska creating a deal with Native Americans to ensure they get their land and fishing areas even as a few oil companies had already started illegal rigs…it was a good reason that he went. I've always wanted to go to Alaska. I didn't have the heart telling him that…it just, seemed weird. When Nadir came to pick him up for the airport, Erik and I sort of just stood there at his front door awkwardly looking at each other. He'd be back in three days. It's nothing crazy, really. I don't know.

Anyway, Meg and I had gotten lunch at Far East Tacos & Grille and walked back to my place with our bagged food. I don't know how I would have managed Etsy if it hadn't been for great food. Erik had told me that morning she would be arriving at two, so I managed to clean up the place. It was the smug look of disgust that she wore when I first saw her that told me that this was a mistake. Her bleached blonde hair was falling over her shoulders, makeup smothered perfected over each part of her tanned face, most particularly her eyes that were small in reality, but blown up with the shadows of makeup she had around them. Her coat was pink and her legs were long and elevated by heeled boots.

Okay, once again, I'm being mean. She clearly spent a lot of time getting ready every morning and she is actually very pretty. A blonde bombshell, type (so long as she keeps the makeup on and doesn't skip her gym time…or fall slack on her plastic surgery… OKAY I know I'm being mean, but her boobs could NOT have been real). Anyway, I let her in and she's looking around the place as if it were a dump. Should I mention that I pay $1,200 for a one-bedroom basement apartment in a relatively safe area of DC? That's actually a good price! Hardly a dump!

Etsy comes in, is hesitant to sit on any of my furniture, but eventually pulls out her pink Dell laptop and starts to show us slide shows of her previous wedding plans. She hints at Meg leaving and I forwardly link arms with my friend and say that as my maid of honor I insisted she stay. There was obvious judgement on this, but Etsy let it be with a shrug. Meg and I smiled as politely as we could as we see all different types of sorority girls get married off to their fraternity boys at the country clubs. Everything was to the nines expensive, all of the beauty looked fake, and there was so much effing pink everywhere. Honestly, I thought it was going to hurt my eyes if I didn't look away.

"Now, as I've planned weddings of all shapes and sizes, I do believe that a minimum of one hundred should be set," Etsy stated as she closed the slide show and began to take notes.

"One hundred dollars?" I had asked, clearly confused, "I figured it could be more than that."

I saw an eye brow cock over one of Etsy's eyes, "One Hundred Thousand Dollars."

"Oh! Right…"

"Underwood will be paying for this, correct? He paid for this consultation."

"Well…I would need to talk to him…."

"Lucky for you, I already have." She cut in, "He said you haven't been so forward in your decision making, but clearly, it's worse than I thought. Poor girl, you don't even have your colors picked out yet, do you?"

The look on her face made my neck grow hot with anger. Why was everyone on my case about this? Why did I have to plan so much? Erik never mentioned that my life in the office would then turn into my life planning a wedding! Fortunately, Meg was right there to pick up where I couldn't fill in myself.

"Her colors are red, write, and blue." Meg said spitefully, "Isn't that what you said you told Erik?"

I nodded and rolled my eyes.

"How…patriotic." Etsy answered slowly.

"Well it's not everyone someone marries the Vice President, is it?"

"How right you are. We'll just have to be sure that the colors align with the season you pick… Winter?"

Her suggestion made me think of the long cold trek I made during the inauguration parade and I could swear I felt my feet prick from invisible needles.

"Spring," I said quickly, "When the Cherry Blossoms are blooming."

"A popular time to pick, but for good reason. Wouldn't you rather your colors be a spring shade? A pink maybe?"

Without hesitation, Meg and I immidately barked, "No."

I remember Erik said he wouldn't be around his phone until two in the morning my time that night. He must have planned that. There was really no other excuse. He could have picked anyone, but he had to pick Etsy to make up my mind. She insisted that I needed special attention for my indecisiveness and required that if I didn't plan a meeting with her the next week that she would have Erik plan it for us as he had this time. God I can only imagine what her rate is for a consultation! Why would Erik pay this kind of money?!

He would pick the only girl around here who doesn't know what they want in a wedding…oh god what in the world was he thinking in me?

Dear Diary,

Meg thought it would be a good idea to interview both Erik and me on how things were going at the time. She said it was her idea, but Erik sure was on board for it as soon as he got back from Alaska. Of course we have talked on the phone some while he was away, but I still wanted to talk to him about this Etsy situation before it got worse. She won't stop emailing me all these ideas she has and I HATE every single last one of them! If she's good for one thing in my life, it's to show me everything I don't want to do!

Erik had both Meg and myself come over before he gave me a singing lesson. We all went to the den and I really got the feeling that that particular room was only ever used for such business situations. The future looks untouched and everything is so specific to a casual, but straight-backed meeting. The modern black, grey, and silver furniture and wall hangings are so different from the study. I found myself preferring the study and the comfort of the fire very much during the interview.

You know…it's funny. Even though Erik was sure to keep calling me every day while he was away, it was still sort of different seeing him for the first time after three days. I mean, keep in mind, we had been seeing each other every day since at the Kennedy Center Crusade so I guess such a feeling is normal right? You get used someone, then you don't see them and things are different, then you see them again and things are the same again but… Okay, I'm rambling. I need to stop rambling.

Meg decided to record the interview so that she could take still frames for a few photos once it was done. She set up lighting with Erik and myself both sitting in a complacent couch that had been pulled away from the window for a better back drop of the doorway that lead into the kitchen. As I watched my friend work, I found myself impressed by how much time and energy it must have taken for her to learn not only how to report a good story, but also to set up what it took to make a good camera shoot as well.

That said…as soon as she started the interview, I felt like my friend had gone somewhere else and a stranger was before me with a camera behind her. Suddenly, I was feeling so bad about myself all over again. How did Erik expect me to live up to these things? There he sat, cold and professional as always and there I was with my arms crossed and looking every which way but where the camera was. Erik, despite his manners couldn't possibly have been enjoying this anymore than I was, but he was so used to such things…

I actually got the transcript from here and decided to put it in here to fill time. I've added some descriptions too. Hm. Maybe I should have been a writer? Hahaha no…

"Okay kids," Meg started out, "Let's do some warm up questions. Oh, um, Chris, can you maybe not cross your arms like that? Great, thanks. So, this article will be the public's first real sneak peak into what makes you two work together. With the camera running throughout, we're hopefully going to get three…maybe more like one shot of you two fooling America into being in love. Ready?"

Gosh Meg sure does know how to be blunt when she wants to be. I'd hate to see the embarrassed scowl that crossed my face at that moment.

"So! What will your wedding colors be?"

"Why does everyone care so much about that?" I grumbled.

"It's supposed to be an easy warm up question, Christine."

I crossed my arms, "Red, white, and blue. Yay."

"Miss Barnes," Erik interjected flatly, "Do you happen to have any personal connections with the theatre community? Perhaps it's time I invested in lessons for Christine."

"I think I still know a few people," Meg piped in before I could answer.

Things were going terribly.

"I have enough lessons as it is," I spit back feeling that I had nothing to look forward to with the lesson following the interview. "Meg how about you ask Erik a warm up question."

"I'm not the one America is so in love with, Christine," Erik sneered.

"Meg?" I begged.

"Good suggestion," she nodded and flipped to the next page on her pen pad, "V.P. Underwood, what is one word you thought of the first time you saw Christine?"

Without a beat Erik answered, "Intrigued."

I'm sure he was intrigued. Meg asked me the same question to which I responded, "Confusion."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm guessing you mean the first time I saw him in person, right? Okay, so there I am. It had been one of the worst nights of my life because it was supposed to be a good one, but then, well, it wasn't. I had embarrassed myself and ran away. Then I looked up and there he was wanting to have casual conversation as if nothing earth shatteringly terrible had just happened and as if he didn't know how awful it was. So, I was confused… Is that a good answer?"

"Great answer! And Dr. Underwood, why do you say 'intrigued?'"

"For the same reason I'm intrigued now." He spoke so smoothly! "Christine makes the evening sound as if it were so terrible, but without it having happened the way it had, I never would have reached out to her. I saw something within her that I wanted to see again, more importantly, that I wanted her to see again, so I followed her."

"And what did you see?"

"Perfection." I looked over at him, but he continued, "Do not let her fool her. She knows what I see in her. She simply doesn't believe it."

"No one's perfect," I mumbled.

He looked at me now, "As they probably shouldn't be when they seem themselves. However, might it be possible for someone to be perfect for someone else?"

I looked at him for a long time, wondering how anyone could act so well. My eyes got caught in his for longer than I meant them too and I turned away and stood. "This was a bad idea. I'm really bad at this. What's there to say anyway? We haven't been anything for long at all!"

Before I walked away, my wrist was caught by a hand far larger than Meg's. When I turned back, my eyes were once again caught in his slightly mismatched pair. His hand softly fell from my wrist to my hand and held it for a moment before saying softly, "Remember Artemis?"

My mind had to search for a moment before I nodded my head. My memory had been so fuzzy that cold night, but our conversation had been so much easier than it ever had been. Suddenly, I was bashful right there in front of him, Meg, and that damn camera. I shifted like a little kid who had been caught doing something they weren't sure was wrong or not to do.

"All those stars," I replied quietly looking down to our hands.

He didn't have to say it. He simply pulled a little on my hand and I was sitting back down beside him. This time, he had not let go and covered my one hand in both of his. Once again, bashful me couldn't contain my blush. I know this because this very picture of me embarrassing myself showed up in the article!

"The first night of the power outage was the first night I truly had her away from everything else." Erik started to speak so well, "Many times she would come here in the early evenings for dinner."

"Who cooks?"

"I do, but nothing impressive. However, when Christine wants something else, we usually go for Chinese. You see, she was over that evening and I had to light a fire. Every night up until then, she would go home, but when the power went out, she decided to stay since I had natural heat."

"Beautifully innocent," Meg commented wistfully.

"No less," Erik nodded, "As the storm cleared, we went outside and with all the power being out, there were stars. We were the only ones on the street that night, which is very different, as we wanted to keep the arrangement a secret."

"And why did you keep the relationship a secret?"

"Christine is a very self-made woman. We have become successful in our own ways and we didn't want to threaten each others careers on the Hill. It's not a very common thing to be seeing someone in another congressman's office. While it's not taboo, it can be hard to explain."

"And who is Artemis?"

"Gender aside, I am, but only to Christine's Orion. She is destined to be one of the most impressive stars in the sky, I've been with her to see it happen."

"Anything you have to add Christine?"

I looked at Meg in shock for a moment. I had almost forgotten she was there somehow. That sounds really stupid, I know, but it's true. Erik has a way of speaking so eloquently. It makes me wonder if he was there to witness the truth or not. I remember being drunk and wondering outside and he's talking about something so lovely and romantic. How am I ever to keep up?

"Um…well, it was really thoughtful for Erik to take me outside. I hadn't seen the stars in a really long time. I've been working so much this year there hasn't been a lot of time or money for any kind of vacation. You forget there's so much out there when you can't always see it in front of you. I know some people are afraid of what might be out there, but I think it's a comfort to know we can all share the universe together in that way."

The interview eventually ended. Meg seemed satisfied with what she got and packed up. On the way out, she gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, "You almost fooled me, chica." A look of shock stained my face as I watched her leave in the Lyft car.

"That ought to hold the public for a little while." Erik said from behind me, cold as ever before, "How convenient that you befriended a trustworthy journalist."

After that, it was back to lessons as usual. Me believing that I suck, him to stop believing that I don't suck, and us hardly seeing eye to eye on anything. As tiring as that is, knowing that this will not change was an off putting comfort.


A bit of a choppy chapter, but as I said, I'm trying to find ways to move this time along. I'm glad some of you commented on enjoying the social media aspect of things for Christine. This chapter showed more of that, but is the last one to have something so blatant for that. Had to give a shout out to Far East Taco's & Grill. Oh, how I miss that place!

Thanks again for welcoming me back into posting this story. Your thoughts and feedback have made me so happy throughout this stressful week!