AN: Hello again! Thank you all so much for the kind reviews, they make me so much more motivated to write! I'm updating at like 2 am Sunday because sleep is for the weak, but so you all know it will probably be about a week between updates from here on out. Also, just so everybody knows, this chapter isn't smutty but it will be next chapter, so stay tuned ;) See you all next week, and don't forget to leave a review! 3
Goddamn, he didn't know why he allowed himself to be played so easily by Emily Rhodes. Somehow, even after his flirtation and the debt she now owed him, he had been the one who left the bar feeling unbearable desire for her. He spent half the night thinking through exactly how to behave at work the following day in order to regain the upper hand, and the other half simply thinking about her. Eventually, it truly did fade into very, very "sweet dreams". But as he slicked his hair back in the morning, he promised himself that he wouldn't let her get away with it again today.
Halfway across town, Emily was thinking the exact same thing. She decided that she wouldn't let him get away with making empty promises in his flirtations. While they had no idea that the other felt how they did, it hurt them both too much to think that the other never had any intention on following through.
"Ms. Rhodes," he said politely as he saw her organizing things in her purse in the lobby when he got through security in the morning.
"Mr. Shore," she responded with equal formality, matching his slight note of sarcasm. She noticed the two coffees in his hands and he followed her eyes.
"For you." He held out one of the cups. She opened her mouth but he cut her off. "Yes, of course it's the right order."
"I thought I was supposed to be the one who owed you," she raised her eyebrows as she took the cup from him.
"Like I said, it won't be as easy as a drink."
"Right. But easy enough that it's something I want."
"Of course. Though maybe not so easy that you'd just admit you want it."
She smirked, acting amused by his blatant euphemism. "Trust me Aaron, I don't have any issue with going after the things I want."
"Is that so?"
"Got your job, didn't I?"
She regretted it the instant it left her lips. Competition had always been a driving force in their relationship, and she had been open about her ambitions to become Chief of Staff, but she didn't want to imply that she had been happy when he left because of the job opening, or that the investigation had in any way been linked to wanting his job. They had stopped outside her office by now, but she noticed that the shit-eating grin was off his face. He was looking away from her as if planning a quick getaway from the conversation.
"Woah, Aaron, I am so sorry. I didn't mean that to sound-"
"It's fine, Em."
"No, it's not. I really am sorry. I didn't like that you left. I got carried away and I said something inappropriate. I'm sorry."
He glanced back at her. "More than forgiven, Emily." And suddenly the seriousness was gone. "Though if we're apologizing now for getting carried away and saying inappropriate things…" He trailed off with a smile. She rolled her eyes.
"Meeting in the Oval at 10, see you there?"
"Can't wait," he said, lifting his eyebrows slightly and turning around to walk to his own office.
She was grateful for the refuge of her office for the next couple hours, even if it meant making about a dozen calls to angry members of congress and economists on figuring out how to give the stock market a boost. Somehow, yelling at obnoxious congressmen was a welcome distraction from the Aaron-centric thoughts plaguing her. But before she knew it — and before she would've prefered — it was 10 and time to see him again. At least the President and Seth would also be there, so it hopefully wouldn't be as tense as it had been that morning.
She stepped into the office, noticing that she was the last one to arrive; Seth and Aaron were already standing around the desk, assembling a plan as to what they would do to get the public less worried about the economy and get blame shifted away from President Kirkman. Emily easily slipped into the conversation, making sure to stand on Seth's other side, away from Aaron.
"Congresswoman Friedman is leading the charge against you, sir," Seth was saying. "I think we'll need to appease her before we start attempting damage control anywhere else."
"I agree," Kirkman said. "Who wants to take the lead on that?"
"I can, Mr. President," Aaron volunteered.
"Actually sir, I was just on the phone with one of Friedman's aids this morning. I think it'd be best if I followed up with them," Emily said. She thought she almost saw Aaron deflate from the corner of her eye, but she kept looking at the president.
"Okay, thank you Emily."
The conversation continued from there, but Emily could almost feel Aaron's eyes on her for the rest of the meeting. Once the president dismissed them she walked straight to her office, trying to pretend she didn't notice that Aaron was following immediately behind. She moved to close the door as she walked in but he caught it easily.
"Oh, sorry Aaron, didn't see you there," Emily lied breezily, setting down folders on her desk and moving papers around so as to look busy. He closed the door behind him and she was suddenly very aware of the fact that they were alone where they had once kissed. They had worked so hard to not be found alone together lately and suddenly it was three time sin less that 24 hours.
"Sure. What was that about Emily?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean stopping me from contacting Friedman. Do you seriously still not trust me?"
"Aaron," she said, surprised that that was how he'd taken it. "Of course we trust you. The president wouldn't have hired you back if-"
"Okay, so President Kirkman trusts me. It really doesn't seem like you do."
"Aaron, I trust you. Of course I do. I never- look, I just already had a contact in her office. It made sense for it to be me."
"Em, it's Washington. Everybody knows everybody. You think I wouldn't also have a contact in her office?"
She paused. "Well you never said anything about that. I was just trying to help. If it means that much to you, you can be the one to-"
"It's not just about Friedman, Emily," he said, increasingly frustrated. "It's about the fact that two months ago you thought I was capable of treason and sometimes it feels like you still do. I can't do my job if the Chief of Staff doesn't trust me to have the administration's best interest at heart."
"For god's sake, Aaron, of course I trust you!" she yelled out, louder than she had intended. "I never thought you were capable of treason, I was trying to prove you were innocent, not prove you were guilty! Listen I know everything got messed up but- urgh! I'd- I'd do anything to make you understand this: I trust you! I trust you more than I trust maybe anyone in this building, maybe anyone- I don't know how to say this. I don't know how to make you get it, but of course I trust you, I trust your judgement and your loyalty and your- I trust you, Aaron. That's all there is to it. Please believe me."
She looked up at him on her last sentence, the passion of her convictions suddenly cut short as she saw the small smile growing, almost unnoticeably, on his face. "What?" she said, annoyed.
"Did you just say you'd do anything to prove you trust me?" He smiled, his eyes boring into her's in a fashion that could only be described as pure seduction.
She paused again, considering their interaction and reaching a conclusion. "Oh, you asshole."
"What did I do?" he said, feigning innocence.
"You enormous asshole. God, I can't believe I fell for that."
"Fell for what?"
"It wasn't about me not trusting you, it was about getting me to say something like 'I'll do anything'," she said, putting on a mocking, breathy voice.
"Ah, so exactly as I suspected: all talk," he said.
"Excuse me?"
"You. You play at enjoying all these flirtatious moments, but you don't have any follow-through. You're all talk, Emily Rhodes. And frankly, I'd thank you to only make promises you're willing to keep from now on. It'll be better for both of us." He turned to exit her office, but was stopped short by her calling after him.
"Are you kidding me right now?"
He turned back again. "Not at all."
She stepped out from behind her desk and paced toward him, suddenly proving exactly why somebody as young and perky as she was more than able to handle being the White House Chief of Staff. "How's this for the pot calling the kettle black, huh? You think I'm the one with no follow-through? You lord these stupid 'wishes' over my head like you're about to do something so bad but we both know you won't. I don't know what exactly you think you're getting out of playing with my head, but I'd thank you to cut it out. If you're just gonna talk, let's keep it to work. Stop pretending like you're about to make some big move."
At this point she had effectively walked him backward til his back was against her office door. While she may be cornering him, he certainly wasn't backing down. "You didn't mind the last move I made, though, did you?" He asked innocently, raising his eyes to gesture at the couch where they had kissed, in a time that felt like a lifetime ago.
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow and spoke candidly, sick of him trying to one-up her. "No, I didn't." She saw shock briefly cross his face. "But since it certainly doesn't seem like you're going to be following through again, I think it's best we end things here, don't you?"
She took another step towards him and he lowered his head so they were mere inches from each other. "There you go again, not trusting me, Emily. I can assure you, I would never say that I'm willing to do something if I wasn't actually willing to do it. Now you on the other hand, go around saying you'll 'do anything' to convince me you trust me, but when push comes to shove that simply isn't true."
She glared at him, breathing deeply through her nose and bracing herself. "Yes, it is true."
He stopped, considering her, as if searching for any hint of a bluff. After a while he said, "well then." He reached into his pocket, pulling out his keys and taking off his spare key to his apartment. He slipped it into her pocket, not breaking eye contact and with her making no move to stop him. With satisfaction, he noticed a slight gasp as he placed his hand on her, even if there was fabric between them. "If you're so true to your word, come over tonight and...convince me. We can call it one of my wishes."
She quirked her lips, heart racing about a million beats per minute. Was he somehow still messing with her? "You're on." With that she reached out to his side and she could tell he was confused by what she was doing, until the door suddenly came out from behind him, sending him tumbling into the hallway. He straightened up quickly, grateful that not many people were around to have seen him, and looked back at the door long enough to see Emily wink at him and pull the door shut once again. He blinked and quickly turned to retreat to his own office, feeling a jolt in his stomach as he thought about that night.
After a few hours in his office, enough time to try to distract himself with work and fail miserably, he started to re-evaluate the deal they had struck. Not that the idea of her proving, through plenty of illicit means that were running through his head, that she trusted him was not perhaps the most appealing offers he'd ever heard, he hated to think that she was only going to do it because he had goaded her on. He had promised himself that it anything ever happened it would be consensual and not because of this ridiculous bet. He knew that he'd have to give her an out before anything actually happened, so he eventually worked up the courage to knock on her office door that afternoon.
"Come on in," he heard her yell from inside.
He walked in saying, "Emily, listen, I need-" but cut himself off when he saw that Seth was already in her office. "Oh, hey Seth."
"Hey, man," Seth said. "I was just about to leave, but it sounds good to you, Em?"
"Yeah it sounds perfect. Give 'em hell."
"Always do. Your turn, Aaron," he joked as he turned around and exited, smiling as he pulled the door shut behind him. He from Emily's expression when the Special Advisor had walked in, he suspected that they would need some privacy for their "meeting".
"What was he running by you?" Aaron said, suddenly having lost his nerve.
"Just the statement for the press regarding the stock market. You said you needed something?"
"Yeah," he said. "Listen, I think I got a little carried away earlier, I didn't mean to-"
"Oh, so look who isn't following through now," she smirked, leaning back in her chair.
"No, no, that's not what it is," he said, closing his eyes. "I'm just trying to- I don't want you to come over tonight to prove something to me. Or to knock off one of the three things you owe me. That's not- I don't want that at all."
"That's not the reason I was going to come over," she smiled, enjoying it when he suddenly seemed less confident than he always did.
"But you...you were gonna…?" He said, trying to stop himself from sounding too desperate.
"Yes," she said simply. "Because I wanted to." She paused to consider. "And also a little bit to prove something to you. Can't help it. You know I'm competitive. Can't back down from a challenge." She took the key out, which was still in her pocket where he'd left it. "But hey, if you're having second thoughts-"
"No," he said, too quickly. "I'm not. I want- I want you to come over too."
"Good then," she smiled. He nodded, opening his mouth to say something else but seemed to think better of it and turned on his heel attempting (unsuccessfully) to hide the smile that he couldn't hold back from spreading across his face.