AN: This isn't a happy and fluffy story, so if that's what you're looking for, you will be very disappointed…
Blake was sitting at his desk on the seventh floor, tapping the tip of his pen against his desktop calendar while he carried on his phone conversation with Senator Berry's assistant Maddie. He was just finishing up with rescheduling the Secretary's missed meeting with Tim when one of the two interns that were helping manage his desk this morning appeared by his chair.
"Yes?"
"These are the documents the Secretary needs for her four o'clock," Bella said as she handed over the manilla folder. "They were just faxed over by DOD."
"Great," he mumbled as he fingered through the papers. "Anything else?"
"Your mom is holding on line one."
Blake's brow pinched.
"My mom?"
Bella nodded. "She says it's urgent."
He assumed the worst as he picked up the telephone. Honestly, given his father's high blood pressure and crappy diet, he'd been waiting for the phone call with the news of a heart attack for the last five years.
"Mom? What's going on?"
He heard her let out a breath on the other side of the line. "Oh, Blake. I called your cell phone twice before Jenna found me the direct line to the State Department."
"Okay."
"Have you seen the feature of the patio in Veranda?"
Blake rolled his eyes. "Mother, please don't tell me that you're interrupting my work hours to talk about a design magazine."
"Dear, one of the pictures they included in the article very much concerns your work." She sounded stressed, something Edie Moran made it a point to never sound. She prided herself in her ability to remain composed, even in the worst of situations.
His grip around the handle of the phone tightened. "What are you talking about?" He wedged the phone between his shoulder and cheek so he could pull up the article.
"The team from the magazine wanted a picture of the patio in use, so, after they photographed at the house, I invited them to the party on Saturday."
He quickly scrolled down the page until he reached the picture in question.
"Blake, I really don't know what to say."
The picture was a glimpse into a warm Saturday in May. Perfectly blue skies, manicured green grass, and people milling about. There was white wine, button-downs, and expensive smiles.
"Mom, get to the point."
His mother was pictured standing by Michelle Lockwood. Both had a wine glass balanced in their hands. His father was seated at a table with two of his business colleagues. Each was sporting a stern face. Meredith was leaned into her husband by the pool loungers. He imagined she was between moments of wringing her hands. After his eyes had swept the photo twice, he thought that he must be out of frame, but there, there, by the pool house…
"Blake, are you sleeping with your boss?"
There, by the pool house was he and Elizabeth engaged in a kiss.
