There was nothing that was going to keep Olivia Pope down.
A go-getter since the fourth grade, she had her eyes on becoming an anchor on primetime network television. Watching the news since she was a little girl, admiring the women on the screen, confidently sitting at the anchor desk, Olivia knew that was all she ever wanted.
Following the path set by her journalism heroes, and receiving the best training from her affluent parents and others, Olivia C. Pope was determined to find the best opportunity for herself.
As soon as she left Princeton with her Journalism degree, she returned home to Charleston, working her way up the ladder.
Three years as a field reporter and weekend morning anchor paid off tremendously when her bosses promoted her to the 5, 6, and 11PM time slots. With her grit, honesty, and beauty, she has become the city's favorite. The signature "Pope" walk on small and big screens when her name was announced in commercials was a fan favorite. It was great being one of the most popular figures in the Low country region. Didn't hurt that she was born and raised in Charleston. Everyone loved Olivia Pope. But as much as she appreciated the support and well wishes, she knew there was more this career could offer.
A thought crossed her mind as she watched several co-workers moved on to various cities. What is beyond South Carolina?
The alerts on her phone would pop up whenever a job opening was posted. Olivia kept her eye on Washington and New York. When she read Annalise Keating's name attached to the press release, Olivia recognized a shift in her conscience or, as she called it, her gut. The description sounded appealing and with the premier station for the Mid-Atlantic region.
The moment was hers and she was going to take it.
Without sharing with most of the people in her circle, Olivia planned her visit. Reel sent, tickets purchased, hotel room reserved. Olivia had made it to D.C. in record time. Outside of the required vacation time, she never called out of work, but this was different.
The process was fine — meeting with Annalise, introducing herself to the other talent, whom she did not immediately connect with. Even though she needed to find someone to have a marketable reliability to, so they could earn money and clout on the station. Pulling out all the stops and letting her innate charm shine, Olivia did her best. All in a black dress and fiery red heels.
Because of her spunky personality and no-nonsense attitude, Olivia's segments rose in popularity and hits on YouTube boomed. This ray of Southern sunshine could not be missed, Wearing the best outfits, inspiring others to copy her style, The Pope Approach, was a winner.
After submitting her application, it was a miracle that she was handpicked by Annalise Keating to get interviewed. The 90-minute flight was spent analyzing the station's demographics, figuring out if it would be a good match.
"Miss Pope, please come this way."
During her first session with Annalise, the tone was professional and genuine.
"You're at the top of your game, Olivia. Prime real estate. Three years as a field reporter and four years as a mainstay anchor? Why here? Why now?"
Taking a breath, Olivia was ready to explain herself. "The time I spent in Charleston has been a wonderful experience, I couldn't ask for more. It has prepared me to want more."
Annalise nodded, clasping her hands. "I see. Are you in it for the long haul? How about a team player? We will be hiring a whole new staff for this new project and everyone will be required to bring fresh ideas to the table and collaborate."
"Yes and yes."
With a smile, Annalise stood. "Thank you for meeting with me. Let me show you to the green room."
Observing the pool of talent, Olivia tried not to compare, but it was human nature to do so. Some were duds to be honest, not having any kind of spark. Others seemed to be shoo-ins. When she laid eyes on the tall one, she knew it would be a fight. He appeared to be the best candidate for the position, even though he looked older than everyone else. The camera didn't always forgive age. But he had this classic appearance that would draw audiences.
"I see you hail from the Palmetto State."
"Charleston."
Jake Ballard, leaned against the wall, grinning. "Love how you say it. It's unique."
Being as polite as she could be, Olivia offered a cordial smile and answered, "You might catch a little bit of my 'accent', but I do my best to not let it out too heavily." The vibe she got from Jake wasn't ideal, but whatever…
Everyone seemed to be trying to make good with the others, to impress Annalise and co. Olivia kept her poise, staying focused, reading a script. The goal was to show her work ethic and still display her personable side.
"Who am I being paired with for this round," she asked, as she adjusted her ear piece.
"Fitz Grant."
Olivia's eyes widened.
"Is everything alright?"
"Nothing," she corrected, adjusting the stunned look on her face, her papers on the desk. "Lost track of the rotation. Was expecting Ballard or Laurel Castillo."
A minute later, Fitz joined her.
"Hello, Olivia Pope."
"Olivia. Fitzgerald Grant."
The two shook hands, sharing a quick moment before getting to work.
Cyrus, the veteran leader, directed them. And just like that, they were on a roll. When she laughed, he laughed. He would start the read, and effortlessly, Olivia joined. It was a great departure from the bland pairings from before. The chemistry test went fairly well. During a thirty second reset, Olivia turned to the side screen. They looked good together. Fitz Grant? What a sexy man. From her time with working with other men at WASC, Olivia pinpointed great factors for his success. A leader with incredible charm. Did they really make eye contact and actually connect? That was so much different than reading with the Jake guy and Michaela.
Michaela, the enthusiastic and beautiful, young candidate, commented as Olivia walked off the set, "Did you notice the vibes? Y'all were in sync. I'm sure everyone saw."
Olivia wisely drank some water to clear her palette. "I work well with everyone."
"But you have to admit. Annalise picked the sexiest woman and man."
"I don't know about him, but I'm nothing to yawn over. See you later."
Olivia returned to her hotel, taking some time to review projects that were sent during the two days she had been up North.
The phone rang, interrupting her train of throught. Glancing at the caller ID, the number wasn't familiar to her, but it was local.
"Hello?"
"Olivia Pope?"
"Yes, this is she."
"This is Annalise Keating from WWTK. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."
"Not at all. How can I help you?"
"I wanted to inform you that we would like to offer you the position of co-host for Morning Live."
Olivia's stomach did a somersault while her heart skyrocketed. It hadn't even been two hours. Without getting too emotional, she replied, "Thank you!"
"The team and I were impressed with your interview and audition. I knew we had to have you with us. Cyrus couldn't stop singing your praises, and now I'm part of this exclusive chorus. Would you like to accept this position, effective next week?"
"Yes. I accept, thank you so much."
"Great. I will be in touch. Please email my HR manager, Connor, with any contacts, such as your agent."
Olivia agreed. "Do you have clearance to discuss who is the other host?"
"Certainly. We just confirmed with his agent. Fitzgerald Grant, from Los Angeles."
As long as she received her due, and was an equal, it didn't matter who was her partner.
To know that a respected member of the news community had seen the potential in her, and to give her this opportunity was more than she could wish for.
She was going to run this bitch.
She told her parents first, and they were elated. Then, Olivia had to break the news to her boss. He wasn't as happy, but he understood. He didn't want to stunt her growth as a media personality. Thankfully, her contract had some wiggle room, given that she was going to a market nine hours away.
It would be different; instead of only reporting the news of the metropolitan area, she would be allowed to talk about various subjects that catered towards lifestyle.
As the plane touched down into Charleston International, Olivia turned on her phone to find a congratulatory text from her partner, Quinn Perkins. They had been working together for the last 18 months, becoming a power duo. She was one of the few people Olivia confided in, when it came to her potential job switch.
Driving to Downtown, and seeing the familiar surroundings of Route 26, made her heart swell. So much had happened for her, once she returned home from college. It wouldn't be a "so long", just a "goodbye for now."
Olivia heard an email notification.
From akeating/wwtk
To: ocpope /wasc; fitzgrant/kcsd
Hello, Olivia and Fitz,
Congratulations and welcome aboard to WWTK and Morning Live! Please reply to this email with your phone numbers - the ones that you will actually use so you can correspond with each other. We're looking for connection and chemistry. The audience can sniff frauds and so eliminate that.
On the 1st, your new email addresses will be active, so be on the lookout for that information.
Thanks,
AK
Olivia's cheeks rose, after reading this first of many emails from her new boss.
Later on, she sent a text to her boyfriend of four years, Edison Davis, a prominent investor, asking to meet for dinner and drinks. He agreed; it had been a while since they went out together, because of their busy schedules, so it would be good to reconnect.
His reaction to the news was not what she was expecting.
"So?"
Olivia couldn't help but to enthusiastically answer, "She called and I said yes. I couldn't believe how highly she thought of me. This is more than I could imagine."
Edison hesitated, while slowly lowering his fork and knife.
"What, what's wrong? Is your steak dry?"
Shaking his head, he said, "I didn't think you were actually going to do it."
"Why wouldn't I?"
Olivia and Edison had an up-and-down kind of relationship. Both were career-driven, always at the top of their game. After meeting at a social gathering after Olivia's promotion at the station, they were inseparable. They were fond of each other, becoming the attractive "It" couple in Charleston, always attending corporate galas, and media events. On paper, they had it all - rich, beautiful, well-liked, and great role models in the community.
When it came to personal progress, they were negligent to admit that their were stagnant, just meandering through, and not bothering to address the issues.
"When you decided to switch jobs two years ago, I didn't bat an eye. How is this different, E?"
With an exasperated sigh, Edison declared, "I wasn't leaving the state and I was actually making a lateral move, not deciding to take a blind leap upward."
The stone cold glare Edison received from Olivia was downright scary. The walk back to the Battery was not pleasant, with dead silence. Olivia was crushed. Even her tough as nails parents were more accepting of her choice.
After leaving to change clothes, Olivia found Edison sprawled on the couch. She opted for the chair, opening her laptop, and began to type.
Edison asked, "What's that?"
Without looking, she answered, "I'm finishing my letter of resignation."
"Are you kidding?"
"Not at all."
Edison frowned; "I thought our conversation at dinner would make you think some more about it. It's that final? You are going to drop this position you've worked your ass off, to start fresh in a new city?"
"Yes."
"Hope it's worth it," he scoffed.
Olivia wanted to disappear to her room, but instead, she pulled her soft curls back into a ponytail, beyond furious, ready to fire back with her words. "So you're doubting my decision making? If you can't support me, then we should not be together."
"Liv."
"Don't Liv me. Your condescening tone is out of line and I won't tolerate this."
Edison stood from the couch, opening his arms. "You can't just end this because we disagree. Let's talk."
"No. You're the one who is not board," Olivia pointed at him. "We're not married, so honestly, you should be thankful I gave you the courtesy to inform you. I wasn't the first person you told about your career moves. Now, please, I would like you to leave."
"Let's talk some more. How about you draw a bath and we can talk about this over wine?"
Olivia clearly announced, "Get out."
"Oh, come on, Olivia, stop it."
"You knew I wanted to go to a bigger market. I'm sure if anything changes, they would let me come back."
"Don't be so sure."
Olivia marched to the door, opening it wide, and waited for her guest to exit.
Edison didn't try to apologize, only sulked away.
It took a few minutes to calm down from the embarrassment she just experienced. After she sent her well-crafted and respectful letter, Olivia wandered to sift through her belongings, figuring out what to take with her, and which items to donate.
Then, another phone call.
"Now what," she muttered, snatching her phone off of the bed. The area code read "213".
"Hello?"
"Hi, Olivia?"
"Yes?" Her voice was still snippy.
"This is Fitz. Fitz Grant."
"Oh. Hello, Fitz. Forgive me for my tone."
"It's okay. It's late, hope I'm not interrupting anything. I received your email. Congratulations."
"Thank you, same to you."
"Do you want to meet up tonight or tomorrow morning, in hopes we can get to know each other before Monday's meeting?"
Olivia reached for her planner, scanning her notes. "Umm, I'm actually in Charleston, getting things in order, so that won't be possible. But I'll be back Sunday afternoon. How about 6 for dinner?"
"I think that could work," Fitz said. "I'll figure out a central location and I'll email you the details."
"Great. Or text. Texting might be easier, since I'll be packing."
"Hey, are you okay?"
Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm fine," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Just a lot going on. Forgot that not everyone would be happy for my thanks for asking."
"I know what you mean. Change is a pain in the ass."
Letting out a small laugh, Olivia added, "Yes, it is."
"Okay, I will let you go. Have a good night and I'll talk to you soon."
"You too, Fitz."
She disconnected the call, closing her eyes. What an awful evening. Taking some time for a good cry in the shower, then to rest, Olivia wondered why her good news wasn't received well. Why was it harder for her to follow her dreams, without being criticized?
It wasn't going to matter anyway, because she believed that this decision was the right one. Washington was now on the horizon.