Chapter 5

There had been no communication between Jed and Abbey for two weeks. Each was waiting for the other to break the silence and contact the other, but neither was willing to give in. Instead, others paid the price for their stubbornness. The senior staff complained to Leo how grumpy the President was becoming. Short, curt answers to routine questions, cancelled appointments with Senior staff, and behind the scenes gossip that things were not well in Jed and Abbey land. Leo did his best to quell the gossip, but it was getting to the point that even Margaret was gossiping out of turn. Finally, an incident with Charlie was enough to break even Leo's patience with his best friend.

"Charlie!"

He quickly opened the door from the outer office and stuck his head in the door. It had become a guessing game with Debbie on the length of time it would take the President to raise his voice to Charlie when making the most innocuous request. So far, the record was thirty seconds. She really had sympathy for the poor guy.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Have you seen that report on the farm subsidies I was reading last night? I thought it was supposed to be on my desk today."

"No, Sir. I put it in your briefcase last night and it was not in your briefcase this…"

"WELL, HELL…"

Debbie smiled as she looked at her watch. Fifteen seconds. A new record.

"…then it has to be in my study upstairs. Why didn't you bring it down this morning?"

"Sir, you came down on your own this morning."

"Well, go and get it."

"Yes, Sir."

He quickly closed the door and turned around, bumping into Leo, who had just come into the outer office on his way into the Oval. "Charlie, are you ok?"

Not able to look the Chief of Staff in the eyes, Charlie stuttered before he answered, "I will be, Sir. I need to..."

"Charlie, look at me. How long has he been yelling at you like this?"

Before Charlie could raise his eyes, Debbie answered. "Mr. McGarry, the President has been like this for almost two weeks. Since just after the First Lady left. Sir, if I may ask, how much longer will she be gone?"

Leo turned his gaze to the President's secretary, trying to come up with an appropriate answer. "Debbie, she has almost a week left on her trip." He watched as Debbie's shoulders sagged in disappointment.

"Yes, Sir."

"All right. Enough is enough. Hold all his calls. Clear his schedule for the next two hours."

"Yes, Sir."

Leo knocked once and entered the Oval. He and the First Lady were the only two allowed to enter in such a manner.

As the door closed behind him, Debbie and Charlie looked at each other. It doesn't take long working this close to the President to know when there were tensions between him and the First Lady. They only hoped that Leo could help the President deal with them before real harm occurred.

"Charlie, I think you need to go on to the Residence."

"Okay. I'll be right back."

Debbie smiled. "Charlie, take your time. I think Leo and the President have a lot to discuss."