Chapter 20

Jacob Ballesston was sitting in his office going over his latest list of potential clients. He had a booming business headquartered in Washington, DC. He had secured a small business loan and had turned a fledgling business into a moneymaker. He had hundreds of clients and people were calling the office every day. He had started out with just him and the woman he hired to answer the phone and take the names of people that may need a "private eye" and now he had a full office staff and over twenty full time investigators on the streets. He also owned prime DC real estate. He was doing okay.

DC was a town that was always on the verge of its latest divorce action. That was what he started out doing divorce cases. He followed adulterers around, men and women who were unfaithful to their spouses. He had branched out into other avenues and he had made a serious name for himself. He had been in Navy with the President of the United States. He often bantered that about with potential clients. He hadn't kept in touch with Fitz Grant but they had been friends years ago. On a whim he had sent him a letter to see if the President remembered him. He had, and he had gotten a personal response back from him inviting him to the White House.

They had talked of the years they had served in the Navy together. They had met when they both had started out in special ops. Early on he had opted out because he wasn't cut out for it. He believed Fitz had stuck with it though, it was undoubtedly his forte, if he remembered correctly Fitzgerald Grant could be extremely ruthless. He had retired from the Navy only ten years ago, whereas Fitz had done a five year stint and gotten out. They talked of mutual acquaintances and their personal lives. The President was married with two children. And of course he had been the Governor of California before he became President. Jake had been married once, divorced with no children. He was dating no one in particular. He wasn't super rich but he lived well, his business was booming. The President was intrigued by the business he was in and said he may have a job for him in the future. The visit ended and to be honest he never expected to hear from the Fitz Grant again.

But he did call about three months later, saying he had a job for him. The President wanted him to surveil a woman that may have been involved with some security issues. He wanted it done secretly. It was why he wasn't using the normal channels. It was to be a person favor. Jake volunteered to do it for free. He was enjoying the renewed friendship with the President. Fitz was filthy rich and he insisted upon paying him. So he threw a number out there to ensure this would be great payday and a bonus for him, Fitz hadn't even batted an eye. What was he supposed to say? He agreed and figured if the President at some point gave him an "attaboy" he could drum up some elite clients.

He started the case. Olivia Pope, the President wanted him keep tabs on Olivia Pope. He knew of her, any private investigator worth his salt knew of Olivia Pope. She was nowhere in his orbit of course. She wasn't his competition; she was too high up the food chain for that. Her crisis management firm was the talk of the town. She was a fixer and problem solver. He thought to himself, why on earth would this woman involve herself in anything shady? But hey, his job was just to do surveillance and report back to the President with pictures.

When he had first seen her his mouth dropped open. God she was beautiful. She was maybe the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The way she carried herself like a queen in command of everything around her intrigued him. She was all business that was for sure. He had sensed something sad about her though; some inner turmoil was going on with her. Maybe the President was right and she was involved in something she shouldn't be and the President would crack down on her.

After reporting back to the President for about six weeks though he had come up with nothing. Her business was clean as a whistle. She appeared to be just a beautiful woman with a great job, making tons of money off of the DC elite. But she was an unhappy woman. This week when he reported back to the President he advised him he was wasting his time and money, nothing was happening with Olivia Pope. He felt badly about taking his money, and he told him so. The President said, "Stay on it Jake. I believe something is there." So he had continued the weekly surveillance with photos.

The private investigator Fitz had hired had turned up nothing as he knew he would. The President needed a connection to Olivia and he was desperate enough to do this. He looked at the set of photographs for this week and declared himself a sick man. He had a man following Olivia around taking pictures of her so he could see her face. It was madness and he knew it. But this shit, this breakup was driving him crazy. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and he wasn't running the country, Cyrus Beene was. He went through this week's photos and let his heart bleed!

Jake Ballesston of his own accord decided he would do something different on the Pope case. Maybe there was something he was missing and he needed to dig deeper. The President still wanted him on the case. So he decided he was going to invade Olivia Pope's personal space. He knew her schedule coming and going. He decided to place some surveillance equipment inside her apartment. Just maybe whatever she was doing that was shady was happening inside the apartment. It was a breeze getting inside the place and disabling the inferior and archaic security system she had in the place. He sat up a camera in the kitchen and den at first. He thought about it and said I'm in; why not wire the entire place including her bedroom. Between doing his set-up and setting her stuff back up he was in and out in less than twenty minutes. He was good at what he did!

He had taken to watching the Pope footage just before he retired for the night. She would come home watch the news excessively for hours while eating popcorn and drinking wine and go to bed. She had no life outside of OPA. He had crossed the line and he knew it. He was watching her undress, come out of the shower, and walk around her apartment naked at times. This had started out a job and now it was an obsession. He had to adjust his pants watching her parade around her apartment. He wanted her.

He hadn't found out anything he could tell the President other than she was unhappy. Fitz had assured him this was a governmental issue not a personal one. His obsession had gotten the best of him though. On a whim he decided to interact with Olivia Pope. She went to the same doughnut shop every morning to pick up doughnuts, two dozen of them. Today he decided to pick up some too.

He was standing in line right behind her. "What's good, do you know," he asked?

"They are all good," she said without even turning around.

"What are getting?"

"That's none of your business."

"Whatever happened to assisting a stranger?"

She still hadn't turned around, but she said, "I don't talk to strangers in this town, it could get you killed."

"Let's not be strangers then, I'm Jake."

She still ignored him. She didn't have to place her order. She was regular that came in the same time every morning. Who was this clown behind her using some deadpan approach? Please go away fool.

"Leave me alone Jake, I'm taken." With that salvo she left the building.

After her brush-off, he had basically decided to let the Olivia Pope thing go. He was going to shut the entire thing down. He decided he would watch one last episode of Olivia Pope and that would be the end of it. That "episode" had changed everything! Right now he was watching Olivia Pope lay on her bed and insert a dildo into her vagina. Whoa! He had seen her interaction with men. She was definitely hetero. Why is a good looking woman like this fucking herself? He could tell she was ambiguous about what she was doing. He wasn't surprised at all when she had abruptly pulled the thing from her and put it away. By then Jake was unable to get that image of her out of his head. He ran the tape back playing it over and over again. Finally he had unzipped his pants beat his meat and sprayed his load right there on his leather sofa. Shit he hadn't done that since he was a teenage boy.

Later that night he woke up and watched the "episode" again and got his rocks off. He was obsessed. He was realizing how much he wanted her. Hell he may even be in love with her. He had already crossed one professional line why not another? He had been watching her go to a local hangout for millennials for weeks now. He now knew she was looking to feel a void. She had put that sex toy back in the box because she wanted to be fucked by a real life guy. He wanted to be that guy. He had been behind the scene out of sight watching and waiting to make his move. Tonight was the night.

"Hi doughnut lady, it's me Jake."

She turned around and faced that voice this time. Was this son of a bitch following her? Was he at the doughnut shop this morning? No that had been at least two or three days ago he had made a move on her in the doughnut shop. "So Jake I guess I didn't make myself clear, I ain't interested. Go away!"

"Let me buy you a drink, what would it hurt? Maybe I could interest you. Who knows?"

"So you are one of those guys that won't take no for an answer?"

"Hardly. I just saw a beautiful woman sitting at the bar and you seemed lonely. I came up closer and I realized I had seen you before. I decided to say hi to the doughnut lady. There is nothing nefarious about it at all. Sorry to have bothered you."

She watched him walk away. He wasn't bad looking but he wasn't her type really. He was tall but his body seemed a little off kilter. He wasn't fat or out of shape, but he wasn't shaped right. In other words he wasn't Fitz. Of course she wasn't going to be discriminatory on this hunt for a dick. She was simply looking for a random hook-up, someone to scratch an itch. He didn't have to be a Fitz look-a-like. She had said she wouldn't go the vibrator route and she meant it. She'd had divine sex with Fitzgerald Grant, she would never ever forget it apparently, but she had to move on. This Jake person had moved to another area of bar and was nursing a drink. A song began to play that she liked, she walked across the room to where he was.

"So do you dance Jake?"

"I do."

"Come with me then." The song wasn't a slow one it was a show off your moves type of song. Olivia could dance her ass off, so she showed off for a bit. She let him see what she had. Her dress was short and tight and her heels were high. She looked good and she knew it. "So where are you from Jake and what do you do here in DC?"

"I'm originally from Illinois, Chicago. And I own a couple of large rental properties here that provide a nice income. What do you do? And also what is your name?"

I'm Carolyn, and I am into numbers, I account for a lot of things that go on in this town."

"Well nice to meet you Carolyn. I like the way you move on the dance floor. You come here often."

"No I don't. But it is a nice place. What about you do you come here often?"

"No, a friend recommended it."

They finished the dance and "Carolyn" said thank-you. "It's getting late I have to work tomorrow. I'm going to call it a night."

"Can I take you some place, I have a car."

"No I will get a cab. Thanks for the dance."

"Can I give you a call Carolyn? I would like to see you again."

"Do you have a business card?"

He pulled out his wallet and pulled out a card and gave it to her. It said Jacob Ballesston Rental Group, Amazing Places to Stay and there was a phone number. "I will call you."

"Can I get a promise from you on that?"

"I rarely make promises Jake especially to people I barely know, good night."

Damn he had finally made contact with her and she was going to call him. He wanted some of that for real and in the worst way. He thought about that little hairy arrow that pointed to her pussy and he had to adjust himself. Watching her walking around her apartment half-naked and sometimes completely naked had given him a proverbial boner for the last few weeks. But last night seeing her do that to herself had made him bonkers. He could bang his usual piece the girl down stairs but he wanted "Carolyn" and he wanted only her. He left the bar thinking he would go home and watch the episode again. He had a boner that only Olivia Pope could assuage.

Jake knew she hadn't really given him a fake name, Carolyn was her middle name. And saying she dealt in numbers and accounting for things was some line. She was smart and she was savvy. She was looking for a hook-up and he had to find a way for it to be him. He would see the President tomorrow and tell him again there was nothing to tell about Olivia Carolyn Pope. As for him, he was on a quest to be her lover.

Charlotte had told the President Mr. Ballesstone was here. Jake had come in with the usual packet. Fitz started the usual conversation with Jake. He held the newest packet in his hands. He had made a decision to stop the surveillance. All it was doing was continuing to break his heart into pieces. She was going out again. She would be dating other men. This was going to kill him. He was going to forego the small talk with Jake tonight, he wasn't in the mood.

"Jake I am beginning to see that you were right. Olivia Pope is not involved in the situation that I thought she was in. I am going to stop the inquiry. I certainly appreciate all the effort you put into this. Please send me you final bill. And I hate to rush you out but I have a very important meeting in about fifteen minutes. Keep in touch, and again thanks for your help."

"No problem Mr. President, I know you are a busy man. I was happy to be of service to you. Of course if you should need my services again just call. I have already given you a stack of my business cards. I know I am asking the President of the United States to pander…"

"Jake it is not going to be a problem. You do excellent work. I can recommend an old friend's business if I choose. You take care of yourself buddy."

"Okay, have a good day Sir."

As soon as he closed the door Fitz tore into the packet. There she was in all her glory. He noted how her demeanor changed once she was away from the office. She was posed atop a barstool, with a drink in her hand. Her dress was short and sexy. In those heels her short legs looked a mile long. He had never seen her in a dress like that because they had conducted their affair under a cloak of darkness and on the sly. They were always on the run and hiding. He had never gotten to court her and see this side of her. He didn't like it. He read the report and looked at the rest of the pictures. He closed the packet and walked to the bar to get a drink. He needed to stop this drinking but he wasn't sure he could.

Olivia meanwhile was wrapping up her day. It had been toiling one. They accepted two new clients today. In about an hour she was going to go home and soak in a tub. Then she was going get dressed and go out. She was going to bed with someone tonight. It was tacky and crass but she was moving on. She was single and she could lay down with whoever she decided to. She was no longer involved with Fitzgerald Grant, they were done. He had taught her to enjoy sex and she wanted those feelings again. She knew what she liked and she now knew that the woman could take the wheel and demand what she wanted. Olivia Pope would be on a mission. She actually smiled, and said to herself, "Some guy is going to get lucky tonight!"