The strident ring of the alarm clock made them both groan. Jed reached to switch it off, turned on the bedside lamp and then looked round at Abbey. "Busy day, sweetheart," he said ruefully.
Her eyes opened and met his. "Not even time for a quickie?" she asked teasingly.
"That's very tempting – but I think it could be cold shower time again. I need to meet with Peter Rosen again before the press conference at nine."
"Aw, shucks." Abbey stretched her limbs and Jed drew in his breath at the pure sensuality of her movement.
"Definitely cold shower time, sweetie – sorry." He threw back the sheet and disappeared into the bathroom.
Abbey leant back against the pillows, a small smile curving her mouth as she remembered the previous evening and their antics in the hot tub. When they'd finally come to bed, it had been enough just to curl up in total contentment together.
"I need a hairdresser," she thought suddenly, as she felt her tangled hair, one of the results of their water fight. But was she going to wear her hair down or up for this evening's event? She knew Jed loved it down, cascading over her shoulders – and he loved it too when it was damp, curly and tangled. Another smile crossed her lips as she made a decision. Maybe this formal evening at the Embassy could prove to be fun after all!
Then she started thinking about what gown she was going to buy for the reception. Low-cut – that was her own preference as well as Jed's – but what colour was she going to choose? Liz, she knew, would go for red, Ellie would choose something pastel – and no doubt Zoey would want something way-out like zebra-stripes or Aztec pattern. Maybe, she thought, something will just leap off the rails and shout 'Buy me!'
Jed appeared from the bathroom wearing the hotel's thick white bathrobe and rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "What colour are you gonna wear tonight?" he asked.
Abbey looked across at him. "I do get very concerned at times at your freakish ability to read my mind," she said.
He raised his eyebrows. "I have a freakish ability?"
She shot him an amused look. "You have a lot of freakish abilities!"
"Okay, that could worry me a little, but I won't let it. So what colour?"
"I haven't decided." She sat up in bed, pulling the cream silk sheet up so that it just covered her breasts.
"Spoilsport!" he laughed.
"I'm just trying to ensure that you don't have to go for another cold shower," she retorted with a grin.
He looked at her for a long moment. "That colour," he said.
"What colour? You mean this?" she said, glancing down and fingering the sheet.
"Yeah, it looks good against your skin and your hair."
"Maybe I should just drape this sheet around me then and fasten it with a few pins?"
"That would save a bit of money!" Jed laughed. "What is that colour anyway?"
Abbey looked at him with a frown. "It's cream – what did you think it was?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. Sometimes you women have some strange names for colours – it could be pastel something or – um – fizzy champagne – or frothy coffee, for all I know. Speaking of coffee, have you ordered any breakfast?"
"Not yet. What would you like?"
"Just toast and coffee will be fine."
"Frothy coffee?"
"Naw, strong and black – I need a caffeine kick."
"Jed–" she said warningly.
"Aww, gimme a break, Abbey, I've got a long day ahead. I'll have a yogurt too if makes you feel any better. And now I have to get dressed if I'm gonna get to this meeting on time."
Abbey reached over to the phone by the bed and ordered their breakfast, then reluctantly slid from the sheets and went through to the bathroom. "At least most of the flood we made last night has drained away!" she called to him with a laugh.
"Just as well," he called back. "Or the maids would have been wondering what the hell we'd been doing!"
After she'd showered and washed her hair, Abbey put on the white bathrobe and went back to the sitting room just as the steward came in with the breakfast cart. After they'd eaten straight from the cart and Jed had downed two mugs of coffee, he stood up and flipped on his navy jacket over his blue shirt. "Time to go, sweetheart," he said, coming back to the couch to kiss her cheek before he headed for the door. "Even though your wet hair does turn me on!"
"What time will you be finished?"
"Probably about six – and the Embassy thing is at eight – think you can be ready in time for that?"
"Have I ever been late?"
"Only about ninety percent of the time!" He laughed then disappeared through the door before she had time to retaliate.
"Just you wait, Jed Bartlet!" she said out loud with a grin, then picked up the phone to call the girls' room. "You ready to go shopping?" she asked Liz when she answered.
"Give us about an hour, Mom," Liz said. "We've all slept in this morning – jet lag and all that!"
"Okay, no problem. Is Ellie okay?"
"Well, she threw up once, but she's fine now."
"Are you sure she's okay for going shopping?"
There was a murmur of conversation at the other end of the phone, then Ellie came on. "I'm fine, Mom – it only lasts for about half an hour after I first get up. It's Zoey who's looking like death warmed up right now."
"Uh-oh, too much Belgian beer huh?"
"Yep, but she's coming round slowly, we're drip feeding her with iced water."
"Okay, I'll order the car for eleven then – that'll give you a couple of hours – think you'll be ready by then?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine. See you later, Mom."
Abbey started to pile their breakfast dishes on the cart, and then took an unopened bottle of champagne back to the fridge of the private bar. As she did, she noticed the photo of Eddy and Annie still lying on the dining table. It had been left there after the girls had looked at it the night before. As she picked it up, she had a sudden idea.
Quickly she went to the door of the suite and greeted Charlie Tynan who was on duty there. "Charlie, are the press – the photographers – staying at the hotel?"
"No, ma'am, they're at several other hotels in the area." As Abbey's face fell, he went on, "Is there something I can help you with?"
She explained what she wanted and Charlie nodded. "That shouldn't be a problem, ma'am. D'you have the photograph?"
Abbey handed it to him. "Please don't lose it, Charlie, it's absolutely irreplaceable."
"I understand. Oh, and what time do you want the car, ma'am? The President said you wanted to visit some shops."
She grinned. "I'm afraid so, Charlie. Is eleven o'clock okay?"
"We'll have it at the front door waiting for you and your daughters, ma'am."
"Thank you, Charlie."
At four thirty that afternoon, they arrived back at the hotel, exhausted but totally happy with their shopping trip which had centred on the designer shops in the Boulevard de Waterloo and the Avenue Louise. The bellhop piled all their bags on to the cart and Abbey asked him to take it to the girls' room first and then, when they'd sorted which bag was whose, she sent him up to the suite with her own bags.
"You'd better hang your things first – and then come up to the suite for drinks," she told the girls. "And Liz, are you sure you can fix my hair the way I said? I can always call the hairdresser–"
"Relax, Mom," Liz said with a smile. "I'll bring my hot brush with me, and the mousse that we bought – that will do it fine."
"Okay."
Abbey went up to the suite, hung up her gown in the closet and sorted through her other purchases. Then she went through to the sitting room, poured herself a glass of wine, leant back against the couch, clicked the button on the TV remote control and flicked through the channels.
Then she sat upright. She hadn't realised that the Global Energy Commission's final session would be televised live. And she could hardly believe that she had switched it on just at the right moment.
"For the United States of America, former President Josiah Bartlet will now speak," the background presenter was saying.
The picture changed from a long shot of the auditorium to Jed standing at the podium. For a couple of seconds he surveyed the assembled audience of heads of state over his glasses, then started. "Today we are all faced with crucial decisions on energy and global warming. Will we turn toward the future, for the sake of our children and our world? Or will we…"
Abbey watched as the speech continued. God, he's good, she thought – and then smiled, remembering how many times she had thought that as she had watched Jed making a speech. But even as she watched and listened, the image of him throwing water all over her the previous night took over from the TV picture of him, and her smile broadened.
When the girls came into the room, she held up her hand to them to stop them talking, and they all watched as Jed spoke.
"In conclusion," he said, "I bring you the pledge of the government of the United States of America – that we will do all we can to reduce our dependence on the ever-decreasing oil supplies in the world – that we will promote energy efficiency in order to reduce harmful emissions – and that we will encourage innovation to make America a world leader in clean and renewable energy technologies. The government of the United States will do everything in its power to protect our beautiful planet and its future generations from the potentially disastrous effects of global warming and climate change. This is our pledge to you all today." As he ended, applause came from all quarters of the auditorium and he inclined his head slightly. "Thank you."
"That was good," Liz said in admiration.
"Yes, it was," Abbey agreed – and then, to her own chagrin, started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Ellie asked.
"I'm sorry," Abbey said. "I was just thinking of something totally different."
Ellie gave one of her small frowns. "What?"
Abbey shook her head, unable to stop laughing now. "Let's just say that your father wasted quite a lot of the world's water supply last night. Come to think of it, so did I."
Zoey nodded her head knowingly. "The hot tub, right?"
Abbey glanced at her. "I can't imagine what made you think of that," she said innocently. As her three daughters started laughing, she held up her hands. "Okay, you got it. But I do find it very difficult to equate the world leader that I see on the TV with the man who fools around like an overgrown schoolboy at times."
Liz sat down on the couch and looked at her. "Er – could this be the reason why you want my hot brush – and why you want the mousse?"
Abbey felt the colour rising to her cheeks. "It could be," she said airily. "Or maybe it's just payback time."
"What for?"
"Oh, just something that happened at the pub in Ballykane the other evening. And no, I am not gonna tell you anything more!" But she still smiled to herself as she heard Jed's voice again – 'I love it when you're trying to pretend that you're not getting hot' – knowing for sure that she was going to be able to toss those words back at him sometime that evening.
"Aw, Mom, you're gonna look sensational in that dress anyway!" Zoey said.
"Well, it was the one that jumped off the rail and said 'Buy me'," she said with a laugh.
"Just don't tell Dad how much it cost," Ellie smiled.
"It's okay, he never asks – fortunately!" she added. "Help yourselves to drinks, girls."
They chatted and laughed together until Abbey glanced at her watch. "Okay, it's five thirty – your Dad's due back in half an hour, so it's time to get things rolling."
Abbey had just finished her shower when there was a knock on the door. Pulling on the white bathrobe, she went to the door.
"I hope this will be okay, ma'am," said Charlie, handing a flat box to her.
Abbey's eyes widened as she opened the box and saw the result. "This is superb, Charlie!" she gasped. "How–?"
"One of the Belgian photographers took it to his studio, he has all the latest computer technology there. And here's the original, ma'am."
"You didn't tell him who–?"
"I told him it was mine."
"Thank you so much, Charlie. How much do I owe you?"
Charlie shook his head. "Nothing, he did it as a favour, ma'am. I've known him for several years."
"Well, thank you again, Charlie."
Quickly Abbey went to the bedroom, and wrapped the box in the silver and gold gift wrap that she had bought earlier, then slipped it into one of the drawers. She had just put the small original photo on the small table in the sitting room when Jed came back into the suite.
"Hey," he said, a sudden glint in his eye as he saw her in the bathrobe. "You planning a repeat performance?"
"If we do that, we'll definitely never get to the thing tonight on time!" she laughed.
Jed slipped off his jacket and loosened his tie, then came across to her and gave her a kiss. "I wish we didn't have to go – I'd much rather stay here." He twirled his fingers round her damp curls. "You know I can never resist you with wet hair."
"Tonight you'll have to do just that," Abbey said, and then smiled to herself as she realised the double meaning of what she'd just said...
TBC