"He said that he's going to be a few minutes late." Bridget said, seeing Gracie walk over to her desk. "You can just go in and wait for him."
"Thanks Bridget." Gracie entered the Oval Office and shut the door behind her. She stood near Sam's desk for a minute and then smirked as she plopped down in his chair. She eyed all the nicknacks Sam had on the desk. Gracie's eyes landed on a 3-D cube. It wasn't just any ordinary cube. This was a maze. If you got the tiny ball in the lock, a door would pop open. On the first day of his term, Sam had shoved a $100 bill in the space and closed the door. He told the Senior Staff who ever could open the door got the money. That had been five years ago. It still had not been opened.
"Hey." Sam greeted, shutting the door. "What are you doing?"
"Sitting." Gracie replied.
"Get up."
"Dad, can I try the maze?"
"No one else has." he muttered. Gracie grabbed the cube off Sam's desk and began fiddling with it. "Why are you here?"
"Bridget called me and said you wanted to talk to me." she replied. "This is hard."
"That's why the money is still in there."
"Why did you want to talk to me?"
"Uh..." Sam opened the door and looked at Bridget. "Why did I want to talk to her?"
"National Archives."
"Right! Thank you." Sam closed the door and turned back to Gracie, who had her tongue sticking out between her lips as she concentrated on opening the maze.
"If I open it, do I get the money?"
"Sure. Next month, you wanna go to the National Archives?"
"Why?"
"Party."
That diverted Gracie's attention for a minute.
"Huh?"
"There's a party at the National Archives next month. Do you want to go?"
Gracie glanced around, making sure her father was talking to her and not someone else.
"Why?"
"Because it's some boring dinner honoring some boring guy that I could honestly care less about."
"He's Republican." Gracie said flatly. "Take Mom. Don't you usually do that?"
"I would be but your mother is going to be in California doing something that I could also care less about." Sam said.
"She'll be glad to hear that. Why are you asking me?"
"Because I figured you'd like it."
"Being in a room full of stuffy old men that talk of nothing but politics that I could care less about?" Gracie questioned, turning back to the maze. "I'd rather choke on my own vomit."
"Wow, I feel loved." Sam said. "Okay, forget I asked."
"Okay. Hey!" The door fell open and Gracie grabbed the $100 before it hit the ground.
"You got to be kidding me."
"It amazes me that you people run the country yet you can't get a ball in a slot." Gracie said.
"Yeah. Hey, you ready for tomorrow?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"I dunno." Sam shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah, I probably should. Since you're the one that'll be standing on the steps of the Capitol and all."
"You'll be there too."
"I, for one, am not afraid of the camera. You on the other hand..."
"Hey, I've gone on TV a lot of time."
"And every time you pop about seven pills to keep calm." Gracie smirked.
"Go do your homework or something." Sam said.
"I don't have any."
"Well... I have a meeting with the Joint Chiefs so go away."
"Wow, I'd really love to sit in on that meeting." Gracie said sarcastically. "I'll see you later."
"Bye honey."
Gracie gave a wave as she slipped out to the portico.
-----------------TWW---------------
"Wow."
"This is not happening!"
"Wow."
"There is now way this is happening!"
Gracie turned to her friend, Maggie and they both let out a scream. The door swung open and Alex and Jack were standing there.
"What's going on?" Alex asked.
"Jerry Graham." Gracie giggled, pointing to her computer.
"Don't scream like that."
"Sorry."
Alex and Jack left the room and Maggie turned to Gracie.
"What's their problem?"
"Tomorrow is Inauguration and everyone's a little on edge."
"Like someone is going to be sitting in here." Maggie rolled her eyes and Gracie shrugged, turning back to her computer. "I can't believe he asked you."
"Is that so unbelievable?"
"Yes. He's a junior, a very cute junior who usually pays no attention to you."
"So?"
"He asked you to his prom."
"It's not like my parents... well my father will say yes."
"Your father acts like he's got a stick shoved up his ass." Maggie muttered, watching as Jerry slowly replied to Gracie's IM.
"My father is worried."
"You're in the most protected building in the country, possibly the world and you have a Secret Service detail around you twenty-four seven. Does he honestly think something is going to happen to you?"
"It's happened before." Gracie said quietly. "Just because you have Secret Service agents around doesn't mean anything is preventable."
"You're scared about tomorrow."
"No."
"Yes you are. I can tell you are." Maggie said.
"I'm not."
"You think something's going to happen."
"No I don't. I'll be out there for a while then come back here to attend numerous Inauguration balls." Gracie said. "No big deal."
The door opened and Alex poked her head in.
"Maggie, your father's here."
"What? He told me he wasn't coming till six!" she exclaimed.
"He was in a meeting with the President and figured it'd be easier taking you home now." Alex said. "He's waiting in the Northwest Lobby."
"I hate politics." Maggie muttered. "I'll see you Monday."
"Bye."
"Gracie, dinner's ready too." Alex added. She nodded and quickly typed bye, then signed off the internet.
--------------------TWW------------
"So... I was online before." Gracie said casually. Sam didn't say anything but Ainsley nodded as she chewed on her food. "I was talking to a friend."
"Is he under the legal age?" Sam asked.
"Dad."
"I'm just asking."
"Sam, stop." Ainsley piped up. "Go on Gracie."
"He's a nice kid." she said. "Er... he uh... he asked if I could go out one day with him."
"What grade?"
"Junior."
"So he's... sixteen, seventeen?" Sam questioned.
"Well... eighteen."
"How is that possible?"
"He's not the brightest crayon in the box."
"Oh boy."
Ainsley gave Sam a swift kick in the shin as she glared at him over her fork.
"He's really nice though. He's just not... intelligent or at least he doesn't act it." Gracie said. "Look, he wants me to go to prom with him."
"Sophomores don't have proms."
"His prom."
"What is it? His eighth?"
"Sam..." Ainsley's accent became thicker as a warning tone entered her voice.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"You know what."
"I'm just asking a simple question."
"You're being an asshole."
Gracie sighed and leaned back in her chair, watching her parents argue.
"You know what? Just be quiet." Ainsley snapped. "You're not in this conversation anymore."
"Ooh are you gonna put me in the corner too?" Sam sneered.
"Hey, you guys are supposed to be all lovey-dovey with one another. You're having a kid and you're practically biting each other's heads off." Gracie interfered.
"We fought when I was pregnant with you too. I did not expect this pregnancy to be any different."
"Of course not. You guys can't stop yelling at each other for a minute. Why should you be at peace for nine months?"
"We don't yell." Sam said.
"I said you're not in this conversation anymore!" Ainsley exclaimed. "Back to this thing with this guy. Gracie, the thing your father doesn't understand is that you're actually going to be sixteen in a matter of months and can see whom you please."
Sam opened his mouth but Ainsley raised a hand to keep him silent.
"I am not finished Samuel." she said, turning her attention back to Gracie. "Is he cute?"
"Very."
"So he's cute and not very smart..." Ainsley pondered this for a moment and shook her head. "Don't go."
Sam's eyes widened in shock, as did Gracie's.
"What? Mom!"
"You're going to regret it."
"No I won't! Please let me go!"
"Gracie, you fall for the cute idiot type and before you know it you're married to him and have two kids." Ainsley said. Sam's eyes narrowed but saw the smile forming on his wife's face.
"Are you calling me a cute idiot?" he asked.
"No. Why would you think that?"
"Oh I dunno. 'Before you know it you're married to him and have two kids.'"
"I'm going to my room." Gracie said, standing up.
"We'll see you later." Sam muttered, his eyes not leaving Ainsley's. Gracie glanced back over her shoulder at her parents, who were staring at each other, neither wavering under the other's cool glare. She shook her head and walked out of the room.
"I didn't mean it like that." Ainsley finally said. "You know I didn't."
"Better not have."
"How can you of all people be an idiot?"
"That's why I was hoping I had heard you wrong."
"Oh I did say it." Ainsley smiled. "I was just hoping she'd get the hint and not want to date a guy like you."
"Gee, I feel so special." Sam said sarcastically. "Now there is a guy I wouldn't mind her dating."
"Who?"
"A guy like me. Good looking, smart, caring, not trying to screw every girl he sees..."
"You were a teenager too Sam." Ainsley said.
"I really hope we have a son." he mumbled, sulking in his chair.
"Can't take another girl?"
"I don't like the teenage years."
"No. You don't like sharing her with another guy."
"I don't." Sam admitted. "She's my little girl."
Gracie was standing behind the door, a smile on her face. She quickly turned and headed for her bedroom, thinking about what her father said.