Chapter 2
"Mrs. Bartlet, I'm Nancy Thomas, your Social Secretary. We need to determine which causes you want to champion and what groups you prefer to speak to. We already have over five hundred invitations from groups anxious to have you speak to them. That'll cover the first six months. And then there'll be the foreign trips and the state visits and the…"
"Whoa, Nancy. I've only been at the White House for like, two days. I need to get a handle on what I'll be doing." Abbey sipped her coffee from a mug with the seal of the President. "And get me a more normal looking mug will you? I don't need all the trappings of the office to follow me around."
"Yes, ma'am. You and the President will have your first state dinner in two weeks. The menu has to be chosen as well as the flowers. The State Department has the guest list ready for your approval. And I have to know which gown you'll be wearing so I can make sure the Prime Minister's wife doesn't clash with you and…"
The phone rang and Abbey gratefully picked it up. "Hello?"
"Abbey, how are you doing?"
She motioned for Nancy to leave and remained quiet while the door was shut behind her.
"Oh Jed, I have to pick flowers out for the State Dinner and they want to know what causes I prefer and which gown I'm going to wear to what function. I mean 'major' decisions," she replied sarcastically. "How about you?"
"It's cool. You ought to see the little room between mine and Leo's office. I can hide in it if I need to get away. It's so cool. And Mrs. Landingham is already angry at me because I can't seem to operate the intercom system."
Abbey laughed. "Well, hon, you'll get the hang of it. If you don't, just yell. I'm sure Delores will love that."
"Yeah, right. She keeps threatening me with a salad if I don't behave."
"Well, then behave. You know how good she is about carrying out her threats. Will you be home for dinner tonight?"
"I don't know. I'll call later. One more thing…has Zoey gone back to Manchester yet?"
"Yeah. She left with her agents this morning. She had to get back to school. I had hoped she would transfer down here but she insists that she wants to stay up there. But she's done so well this last year during the campaign I don't want to upset her by insisting that she come to school down here. Maybe she'll change her mind later."
"Hope so. I would love for her to be here with us. Hon, Leo is motioning to me. Gotta go. Love you."
"I love you too, Jed."
Turning her attention to her duties, Abbey sighed. She already missed the hospital and her practice. But she knew she could come back to it anytime she wanted. She at least had her license. That was of some comfort.
