"So who's gonna be here?" Sam asked. Ainsley was frowning at her reflection in the mirror, silently cursing her daughter. "Ainse?"
"Huh?"
"I asked who is going to be at the party."
"About every Republican in the country." Ainsley mumbled.
"No, seriously."
"A bunch of people. I don't know. I'm so fat."
"You're not fat."
"Yes I am. Look at me!"
Sam stared at Ainsley, a look on his face.
"Okay. So I know we've established this before, or at least we've tried to so let's establish it again, or at least try to."
"I know what you're going to say and it's not true." Ainsley pouted.
"Yeah it is because being fat and being pregnant are two totally different things."
"Yeah, in one thing there's something moving around in there."
"Exactly and in the other thing there's nothing but fat. And besides if you were fat you'd have like... a double chin and big ass."
"I'm starting to get a big ass."
"I like big asses." Sam grinned.
"Stop trying to make me feel better."
"Just think, three more months and then you'll be back to normal."
"What if I'm not? What if being pregnant set off my metabolism and I keep eating the way I did before I got pregnant and I just gain so much weight?" Ainsley asked.
"I don't think that would happen."
"Well what if it does? You don't need some fat cow for a wife. You have to go to all those fundraisers and dinners. You need some pretty, skinny thing on your arm at those things."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might not want some pretty, skinny thing on my arm and that I might want you on my arm, no matter how you look?"
"Yeah but," Ainsley sighed, playing with Sam's tie, "you're so good looking and with a good looking woman on your arm, you'd look good on paper."
"That's okay. I hear people that look good on paper have a bad marriage. Now we on the other hand never look good on paper so I suppose we'll have a good marriage."
Ainsley gave him a look, which he ignored and kissed her. She grinned when they pulled away, even though she tried very hard not to.
"Come on. We'll go downstairs and after a while we'll come back up here." Sam said quietly.
"Okay." Ainsley leaned slightly towards him and he bent down, kissing her again. They were, however, rudely interrupted by the door opening and Emily scowled as she saw the two of them liplocked before her.
"So everyone is asking where our wonderful Ainsley is and you're up here canoodling with him." she said.
"Yes that's what we do. We were just coming down." Ainsley said. Emily turned and left the doorway as Ainsley rolled her eyes.
"Now there's a word I haven't used in a speech before."
"What?"
"Canoodling." Sam smirked.
--------------------------TWW----------------------
"Ms. Hayes?" Ainsley continued on walking, not realizing whomever was speaking was trying to get her attention. "Ainsley?"
This time she turned and saw a man in his forties standing there.
"Hi. I'm sorry." she gave him a smile and extended her hand. "I'm afraid I don't know your name."
"I'm Roger Edwards." he replied. "Ms. Hayes,"
"Ainsley is fine."
"Ainsley, I want to talk to you about a job."
"I have a job and well," she put a hand on her stomach, "as you can see, I'm going to be leaving it soon."
Roger laughed and nodded.
"That's fine. You can work from the phone. Ainsley, I work for Governor Ritchie and we would love to have you on board for the campaign staff."
Ainsley seemed to freeze as she heard these words and looked up at Roger.
"Excuse me?"
"You're a very bright young woman and I've seen most of your work. I think that you would be a wonderful addition to the staff and you could possibly help us win this election."
"Mr. Edwards,"
"Roger,"
"Yes. I assure you, I'm grateful that you even thought of me to work for you but I have a perfectly good job at the moment."
"I know you work for the White House."
"You've done your homework." Ainsley commented.
"Yes. Working for the Ritchie campaign could be a great move for you. If you took the job and worked hard enough at it, Governor Ritchie might even offer you a higher position when he takes office in January."
"Well it's March 1st. We have quite a while to go until the election." Ainsley was about to go on but an arm slip around her waist. She turned her head slightly and smiled at Sam. "Hey. Honey, this is Roger Edwards. Roger, this is my husband, Sam Seaborn."
"Ah yes. I heard something about that." Roger nodded. He extended his hand to Sam, who politely shook it. "It's nice meeting you."
"Yes it was."
Roger reached into his pocket and held a card out to Ainsley.
"I'd like to talk more. Please feel free to call my office at any time."
"Thank you." Ainsley gave him a warm smile, which disappeared after the man walked away.
"What was that about?" Sam asked.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
-----------------------TWW--------------------
Sam glanced up when he heard the door leading into the bathroom opened and Ainsley walked out, towel-drying her hair. He watched her for a moment until she tossed the towel in the hamper and got into bed.
"Whatcha workin' on?"
"The thing."
"Oh." Ainsley rested her head on Sam's shoulder and eyed his fingers moving all over the keyboard of the laptop. "Sam,"
"Hmm..."
"Do you... if I... if I wanted to leave the White House, would you care?"
"No." Sam paused for a minute and glanced sideways at his wife's blonde head. "Why?"
"I'm just wondering."
"What didthat guy ask you?"
"What guy?"
"Uh... Edwards."
"Oh." Ainsley tried to play it off like she suddenly remember that Roger Edwards even existed. "He offered me a job."
"Are you taking it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because he wanted me to work on Ritchie's campaign." Ainsley said. Sam's eyes widened slightly and he hit the save button, then closed the laptop. Ainsley sighed, knowing what was coming and sat up straight.
"He asked you to leave the Democrat White House you work in to help a Republican try and beat the man you're working for?"
"I'm not taking the job so don't worry about it."
"Why was he even at your father's party?"
"He's one of his friends. I've never meet him before tonight so..."
"He actually asked you to leave the White House and join Ritchie's campaign?" Sam asked.
"Yes." Ainsley nodded. "Honey, I'm not taking the job so don't stress out about it. It's not the first time I've been asked something like that."
"And you've never accepted them?"
"Obviously not if I'm still working with you."
Sam cracked a small smile and looked over at Ainsley.
"Why not?"
"Why not what?"
"Why don't you accept the jobs?"
"Because I love the job I have." Ainsley replied.
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
"Have I... slowly converted you?"
"Not a chance in Hell."