Part 3
A tall woman looked up from the papers she held as Olivia knocked at the office door. "Hi, I'm Olivia Conroy," she said, stepping into the room. "Leo sent me."
"Yes, I'm CJ Cregg. Come in." Motioning Olivia into a chair, CJ sat behind her desk. "Leo told me you're looking for a job."
"I think Leo is looking for me to fill a job," Olivia said dryly. "He didn't tell me about the position before he ordered me here."
CJ grinned. "Sounds like him. But," she continued, glancing at the paper in her hands, "I've looked over your job experience and transcripts. They're good." She looked up, removing her glasses. "While getting your journalism degree you interned at the Washington Post and they hired you as a political reporter immediately after graduation. You went part time in order to complete your masters in government at Georgetown before leaving the Post last summer. You graduated at the top of your class and help various positions in the graduate student body organizations."
Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you know more about me than I do."
CJ studied her. "That's my job."
Olivia grinned. "Well, you're on track. What else do you want to know?"
"Why did you leave the Post?" CJ sat back in her chair.
"I wanted to concentrate fully on my last year in school."
CJ's eyes narrowed. The answer seemed too contrived for a woman who was obviously very up front about most subjects. "Leo said you had commitments that would require some flexibility in your schedule."
Olivia nodded. "I'll be able to let you know in advance of any problems. But things may come up unexpectedly."
CJ realized she wasn't going to get anymore out of the young woman. "We can probably reach a compromise in most cases." She spent the next few minutes explaining the job and its requirements, watching as the excitement grew in Olivia's eyes. "Any other questions?"
"Not right now." Olivia clamped down on the anticipation that had been rising.
CJ stood and walked over to the TV. "I want you to watch this morning's briefing and tell me your impressions." After starting the video, CJ watched Olivia. There was the look of concentration, the subtle shift of her body forward as she tried to guess where the questions were leading. A sharp twist of her head was the signal CJ was looking for. "She picked up on that quick," thought CJ as Olivia turned to face her.
"Susan really didn't know anything about the bill, did she?" said Olivia, referring to the reporter that had lead the questions.
"Why do you say that?
"Because the question was too open. She probably heard something from an intern or only overheard bits of a conversation and tried to turn it into a story. But you handled it well," she said, turning back to watch CJ's comment to the reporter. "If it was an important story, you would have jumped on it. But as it was, you seemed as if you had no clue what she was talking about. Now she can't decide if it's not a story or if you just don't want it to be a story, and are downplaying it."
"And what do you think?"
"I think Susan needs to be talking to higher level staffers," said Olivia, dryly. "She should know that Mathers isn't going to back a bill that would hurt his chances for reelection. It may be semi-beneficial for his constitutents, but it hurts the companies that fund his campaign. He enjoys being a representative too much to piss them off. That bill will never get out of the subcommittee."
"See, I told you she was a natural," Leo said to CJ from the doorway.
Shaking her head, Olivia turned to face him. "Lurking? Is that how you get things accomplished around here?"
"Whatever it takes."
Olivia turned back to CJ to shake hands. "Thank you for meeting with me."
"My pleasure. I hope you seriously consider the job." CJ smirked. "I think it would be beneficial for both of us."
Olivia laughed. "I'll be in touch." She moved towards the door. "Are you ready to buy me lunch yet?" she asked Leo.
"Are you ready to take the job yet?" He walked her back towards his office. "I want an answer before we go." He shut the door behind them as they entered his office. He had a feeling this could get loud.
"You're not going to get one," she said tightly. "I need to think about this and if I consider it, discuss it with Phillip."
Leo made a noise of impatience. "What's there to think about? I'm not going to let you leave here just to go home and talk yourself out of this opportunity! And there's nothing to discuss with Phillip. You're entitled to a life too!"
Olivia's eyes narrowed. "I have a life, thank you. And the requirements of this job would entail working nights, weekends and the possibility of trips. I have a commitment." Her voice had risen to match his.
"Dammit it Livy, they died, not you!" Silence fell at this remark. Leo knew he had taken it too far when her eyes cooled, the previous spark of anticipation dying.
"Thanks for that clarification Leo." Her words were mocking.
He moved towards her, reached for her hand, but was not surprised when she stepped back. "Livy, this is a job you'd love. You know it and I know it. I don't want you to pass it up because you think you have to live their life. Live your own. Phillip will want you to take this. He wants what's best for you as much as you do for him."
She took a deep breath, trying to release the tension from her body. "I know that." She moved to look out the window.
Leo stood behind her and took hold of her shoulders. "Livy," he said gently, "This job is you. It's what you do, what you love. You're not going to help Phillip by rejecting this offer. He wants you happy and you will be here. And," he turned her to face him, "maybe you can teach this old man some patience."
Olivia smiled sadly. "I'd settle for lunch right now." She looked away for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she faced him, her face serious. "All right, I'll take it."
"I knew you would." Leo hugged her. "Now, let's go tell the boss."
"I though you were the boss," she said, cheekily.
"I am, but he's easier to deal with if we let him think he's in charge."
A tall woman looked up from the papers she held as Olivia knocked at the office door. "Hi, I'm Olivia Conroy," she said, stepping into the room. "Leo sent me."
"Yes, I'm CJ Cregg. Come in." Motioning Olivia into a chair, CJ sat behind her desk. "Leo told me you're looking for a job."
"I think Leo is looking for me to fill a job," Olivia said dryly. "He didn't tell me about the position before he ordered me here."
CJ grinned. "Sounds like him. But," she continued, glancing at the paper in her hands, "I've looked over your job experience and transcripts. They're good." She looked up, removing her glasses. "While getting your journalism degree you interned at the Washington Post and they hired you as a political reporter immediately after graduation. You went part time in order to complete your masters in government at Georgetown before leaving the Post last summer. You graduated at the top of your class and help various positions in the graduate student body organizations."
Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Seems like you know more about me than I do."
CJ studied her. "That's my job."
Olivia grinned. "Well, you're on track. What else do you want to know?"
"Why did you leave the Post?" CJ sat back in her chair.
"I wanted to concentrate fully on my last year in school."
CJ's eyes narrowed. The answer seemed too contrived for a woman who was obviously very up front about most subjects. "Leo said you had commitments that would require some flexibility in your schedule."
Olivia nodded. "I'll be able to let you know in advance of any problems. But things may come up unexpectedly."
CJ realized she wasn't going to get anymore out of the young woman. "We can probably reach a compromise in most cases." She spent the next few minutes explaining the job and its requirements, watching as the excitement grew in Olivia's eyes. "Any other questions?"
"Not right now." Olivia clamped down on the anticipation that had been rising.
CJ stood and walked over to the TV. "I want you to watch this morning's briefing and tell me your impressions." After starting the video, CJ watched Olivia. There was the look of concentration, the subtle shift of her body forward as she tried to guess where the questions were leading. A sharp twist of her head was the signal CJ was looking for. "She picked up on that quick," thought CJ as Olivia turned to face her.
"Susan really didn't know anything about the bill, did she?" said Olivia, referring to the reporter that had lead the questions.
"Why do you say that?
"Because the question was too open. She probably heard something from an intern or only overheard bits of a conversation and tried to turn it into a story. But you handled it well," she said, turning back to watch CJ's comment to the reporter. "If it was an important story, you would have jumped on it. But as it was, you seemed as if you had no clue what she was talking about. Now she can't decide if it's not a story or if you just don't want it to be a story, and are downplaying it."
"And what do you think?"
"I think Susan needs to be talking to higher level staffers," said Olivia, dryly. "She should know that Mathers isn't going to back a bill that would hurt his chances for reelection. It may be semi-beneficial for his constitutents, but it hurts the companies that fund his campaign. He enjoys being a representative too much to piss them off. That bill will never get out of the subcommittee."
"See, I told you she was a natural," Leo said to CJ from the doorway.
Shaking her head, Olivia turned to face him. "Lurking? Is that how you get things accomplished around here?"
"Whatever it takes."
Olivia turned back to CJ to shake hands. "Thank you for meeting with me."
"My pleasure. I hope you seriously consider the job." CJ smirked. "I think it would be beneficial for both of us."
Olivia laughed. "I'll be in touch." She moved towards the door. "Are you ready to buy me lunch yet?" she asked Leo.
"Are you ready to take the job yet?" He walked her back towards his office. "I want an answer before we go." He shut the door behind them as they entered his office. He had a feeling this could get loud.
"You're not going to get one," she said tightly. "I need to think about this and if I consider it, discuss it with Phillip."
Leo made a noise of impatience. "What's there to think about? I'm not going to let you leave here just to go home and talk yourself out of this opportunity! And there's nothing to discuss with Phillip. You're entitled to a life too!"
Olivia's eyes narrowed. "I have a life, thank you. And the requirements of this job would entail working nights, weekends and the possibility of trips. I have a commitment." Her voice had risen to match his.
"Dammit it Livy, they died, not you!" Silence fell at this remark. Leo knew he had taken it too far when her eyes cooled, the previous spark of anticipation dying.
"Thanks for that clarification Leo." Her words were mocking.
He moved towards her, reached for her hand, but was not surprised when she stepped back. "Livy, this is a job you'd love. You know it and I know it. I don't want you to pass it up because you think you have to live their life. Live your own. Phillip will want you to take this. He wants what's best for you as much as you do for him."
She took a deep breath, trying to release the tension from her body. "I know that." She moved to look out the window.
Leo stood behind her and took hold of her shoulders. "Livy," he said gently, "This job is you. It's what you do, what you love. You're not going to help Phillip by rejecting this offer. He wants you happy and you will be here. And," he turned her to face him, "maybe you can teach this old man some patience."
Olivia smiled sadly. "I'd settle for lunch right now." She looked away for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she faced him, her face serious. "All right, I'll take it."
"I knew you would." Leo hugged her. "Now, let's go tell the boss."
"I though you were the boss," she said, cheekily.
"I am, but he's easier to deal with if we let him think he's in charge."
