"Um... Ainsley?"
She made a noise to show she was listening and glanced up at Jenna.
"What's up?"
"These were brought down for you." she replied, showing her the vase full of red roses. "And a woman is here to see you."
"Who?"
"She said her name is Harriet and she's a friend of yours." Jenna said, setting the roses down on Ainsley's desk. She plucked the visible card out of the flowers, frowning as she did. She hadn't seen Harriet since she and Bruce had been eating at the same restaurant as she and Sam had been at a few months ago.
"You can send her in Jenna." Ainsley added as she opened the small envelope. The young girl nodded and disappeared from the room.
You don't know how happy I am that you're in my life. Happy Valentine's Day. I love you, Sam.
Ainsley smiled and stuck the card back into the roses as a brunette walked in.
"Hey!" she smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Ainsley asked, staring at her old and possibly former friend.
"I wanted to talk to you." Harriet replied.
"Harriet, you stopped talking to me once I took a job here. You declined to come to my wedding. You yelled at me in the middle of a restaurant. What could you possibly want to talk about?"
"I... well Bruce needs a favor."
Ainsley just stared at the other woman, jumping as her phone rang.
"Excuse me," she muttered, picking it up. "Ainsley Seaborn."
"I love hearing you say that."
"Yeah..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm in a... well I... I'm speaking with someone. But I got the flowers. They're beautiful. I love them Sam. You shouldn't have done that."
"Of course I should've and I did."
"I told you I didn't want anything."
"Ainse, they're flowers."
"I know but still..."
"Stop."
"You better not have gotten me anything else."
There was silence and Ainsley sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Samuel,"
"I got you a... well two more things."
"What?"
"Well, then it wouldn't be a surprise."
"I'll call you back when I'm finished here."
"Okay." the phone clicked and Ainsley hung up her phone, giving Harriet an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry. What does Bruce need?"
"He's working for Senator Hillridge, who would like the President's backing on a bill he's working on."
"And where is Bruce?"
"He's in a meeting and asked me to sub in for him."
"Why me?"
"Because we can trust you." Harriet said.
"Harriet, I'm the White House's lawyer. I don't speak to the President on these things." Ainsley said.
"But you're married to someone who does." she said pointedly.
"So you're using me. You have not wanting anything to do with me since last October but now Bruce wants his boss to do a good job so you come asking me for help? It doesn't work that way."
"Ainsley, just talked to Se— Sam. Please?"
"Look, it's Valentine's Day and I don't need him pissed at me."
"He just sent you flowers."
"Yeah but even though I said I don't want the other things he got me, I really do and he might revoke them if I make him angry enough." Ainsley said. "I need to finish this stuff."
"I need to get back to work anyway. Will you talk to Sam?" Harriet asked.
"If I get around to it."
"Ainsley."
"Look, I'm not making any promises."
"Okay." Harriet set a file on Ainsley's desk and smiled. "That's all you need to know on it. Thanks for your time."
She disappeared from the room and Ainsley sighed, flopping back in her chair. She rested a hand on her stomach, feeling the baby kick.
"I won't get him too mad." she said quietly.
--------------------TWW------------------
"Hey," Ainsley sat down in one of the chairs in front of Sam's desk and gave him a sweet smile.
"Hi. What's up?"
"Remember when you called, I was in a— I was talking to someone?"
"You were talking to yourself weren't you?" Sam teased. Ainsley gave him a look but kept a smile on her face.
"I was speaking with Harriet."
"Oh."
"Yeah and well here," Ainsley shoved the file onto Sam's desk and he stared at it for a minute, then looked back up at his wife.
"What the hell is that?"
"Senator Hillridge wants a bill passed and Bruce is working for him and he sent Harriet, who asked me to talk to you about it so yeah..."
"Hillridge?"
"He's a nice guy."
"He's a Republican."
"Don't start. It's Valentine's Day and I want to stay happy."
"Then you shouldn't have come up here." Sam hissed. "Well, I mean you could've but you shouldn't have brought this. Why didn't you tell her no? I mean she ignores you for a year and a half and then she shows up and expects you to do this for her? No!"
"Sam," Ainsley started.
"I... even if I do look at it and I think it's good, which is like a snowball's chance in Hell, the President won't go for it."
"Sam, just because a Republican devised the bill doesn't mean the President will immediately say no to it."
"He'll look over it yes, but when he doesn't agree with it, he'll say no and it will be a big waste of time honey."
Ainsley sighed and leaned her head against her fingertips. Sam stared at her, taking in the pout on her face.
"Why don't you go back to work for a couple of hours and then we'll meet in the lobby and go home." he suggested. Ainsley nodded and stood up, heading for the door. "Ainse,"
She looked at him and he tossed her a stuffed animal.
"What the hell?"
"It... It sings." Sam turned a bright red and ran a hand through his hair, making it even more tousled.
"Who are you and what have you done to my husband? Did you like... take over his body and now he's a pod person or something?"
"Why?"
"Sam Seaborn does not buy singing stuffed animals."
"I... oh shut up."