The next morning Stevie asked Adele if she could get a few minutes with Russell. Adele looked curious but asked no questions. She gave Stevie ten minutes.

"Definitely time for you to go," Russell said, watching her cross the room to a chair in front of his desk. "You're a distraction. What did you decide?"

"Veep's office."

"I thought you were leaning that way. You would have been a very decorative first daughter. We'll have to find someone else."

"There's another McCord daughter. Alison would be better than me."

"I overlooked her. How old?"

"Almost twenty."

"She'll be twenty-two when your mom takes office. Would she be interested?"

"Oh, yeah. I asked her last night."

"Carefully, I hope."

"Of course. It was a 'What if Mom ever ran for president' conversation. I said Dad would need help with first lady stuff. And she said it was so unfair being the younger daughter because she never got anything good. Alison would love it. I asked about putting fashion design on hold and she said it wouldn't be on hold and that designing clothes for the first family would build her brand and it would be even better if she was designing them for herself."

"Naked ambition," Russell said admiringly. "You go in different directions but you McCords are all alike."

"Adele, get me fifteen minutes with Hurst this morning."

"Topic?"

"Staffing."

"I hope you're not here to cut my staff," Teresa Hurst said when Russell walked into her office. "If so, this will not be a pleasant meeting."

"It's going to be a great meeting," Russell assured her. "I'm here to increase your staff."

"Why am I not reassured?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because you know me. But in this one instance your suspicions are unfounded."

"Tell me."

"Stephanie McCord."

"Sec state's daughter? Didn't she save your life?"

"Yes and yes. She's been my intern for two years and would like to move up but there's no opportunity in my area."

"I've heard good things. By that I mean that my assistant has heard good things from your assistant."

"She's done well."

"You know she'll have to leave in a few months if Elizabeth and I both declare."

"Naturally."

"All right. When?"

"This afternoon?"

"Send her over after lunch."

Russell got a few minutes alone with the president after lunch.

"This is a personal matter and should remain private for awhile but I wanted you to be aware in case it doesn't."

"Sounds ominous."

"Stevie McCord and I are … involved."

Dalton's eyebrows rose but other than that his expression didn't change. "Is that wise?"

"No."

"I assume Bess and Henry know?"

"Of course."

"Did they give their blessing?"

"No, but they're coming around."

"Best you could hope for, I imagine."

"And better than I expected."

"She can't report to you."

"She's reporting to Hurst as we speak."

"Good choice. You're keeping it quiet, you say?"

"Until after the State of the Union."

"I appreciate the notice and the timing."

Russell nodded and rose to go.

"Good luck, Russell."

"Thank you, sir."

In the Truman building a few blocks from the White House, Elizabeth's personal assistant Blake gathered the rest of the staff close and announced with his trademark dramatic flair that Stephanie McCord had transferred to the vice president's staff.

Matt the speechwriter's first reaction was to check the facts. "Is this a rumor or confirmed? Because it sounds like a rumor."

"Confirmed. I got it from Hurst's assistant who got it from Hurst herself. Stevie is probably at her new desk by now."

Everyone turned to the chief of staff, Jay, who shook his head. "First I've heard of it. Elizabeth hasn't said anything. Surely she would know."

"Maybe not." Daisy the press coordinator liked to know the whole story. "If Russell Jackson did something to make Stevie leave, she might not have told her mom."

"Stevie is one of the few people he actually likes," Matt objected. "It would have to be pretty bad. They're practically joined at the hip."

"Maybe it was something good," Kat said. "Maybe they're joined somewhere besides the hip."

Everyone looked at her with horror.

"I'm calling Adele," Blake said.

A few minutes later he filled them in. "Stevie wants to move up but there's nowhere to go in Russell's office. Last summer she interviewed for a legislative correspondent position and it was offered to her but that afternoon the RPG hit the oval office, June was killed and Stevie was hurt. So that fell through. Then Russell's wife died and Stevie stayed on because helping him is her thing."

"What does that mean?" asked Kat, who had been Elizabeth's policy advisor for only a year.

"Russell had a heart attack two years ago," Jay said.

"Stevie gave him CPR and saved his life," Daisy added.

"Sounds like they're very close," Kat said suggestively.

"You have a dirty mind," Blake replied.