He felt himself becoming more obsessed with her. He could barely focus on his job, rereading the same documents over and over again and realizing he still didn't know what they said. It was like her image was burned into his eyelids. He craved her presence, finding any excuse to be near her at work. He knew it was unhealthy, so he tried to exorcise her from his mind, though not in the most productive of ways.

He thought that if they could go out together outside of work without sleeping together, he could get to know her better – take the edge off the mystery. They met for dinner one night at a restaurant near the White House. Amy had been wary, but ultimately agreed, noting that there were several power players who went there often.

Dan asked her about her family, and she spoke with not a small amount of condescension about her unemployed and impregnated sister. He told her that he had a brother, who was also engaged. She told him that she didn't want children. He told her he played the guitar in a terrible garage band when he was a teenager. He knew Amy had studied at Penn before moving back to D.C. to work for President Scott's re-election campaign and get her Master's at Georgetown, so he asked her to tell him more about what she did in Philadelphia. She told him she had studied and interned, but her willingness to confide had ended there. Still, he felt like he was making some progress, albeit an inch at a time.

At one point during the night, Amy's boss walked in, the Deputy Chief of Staff for President Scott. He stopped by the table, not bothering to hide his expression of surprise.

"If I didn't know better, Amy, I might think you were a human being with a social life."

Amy pasted on a fake smile just like the one she had used when he'd suggested the Oval Office photo. "Ben, this is Dan Egan, communications manager for Judith Hayes. Dan, this is Ben Cafferty, Deputy Chief of Staff."

Dan stood and the two men shook hands. "Mr. Cafferty, it's a pleasure to meet you. I assure you Amy's social life is second at all times to the needs of the White House."

Ben gave him a crooked look. "That's communications for you, always answering a question nobody asked. You might make it here once your adult teeth come in and you learn how to dress yourself."

Dan smoothed his suit self-consciously as he sat back in his chair.

"We were just discussing the campaign finance bill. Mrs. Hayes is a firm supporter, isn't that right?" she prompted him.

"Absolutely."

"They're all supporters when they're not actually running a campaign," Ben said dismissively. He turned to Amy. "You took care of that personnel issue?"

"The escaped circus freak has been returned to the wild. You will never have to see Jonah Ryan again."

"Music to my ears," Ben said. "Dan," he said and stuck out his hand again, "I expect we'll see you at the swearing-in."

Dan stood to accept Ben's hand and turned on the charm. "Wouldn't miss it, and can I just say, Ms. Brookheimer has been truly magnificent in helping to get me off the ground here. She's a brilliant woman and her insight about D.C. is invaluable."

Ben stared in bewilderment once again as he continued to shake Dan's hand. "Jesus Christ, it's like watching a nature special. Try not to make a mess when you leave the carcass, Ame," he said, giving her a parting touch on the shoulder.

Dan noticed the discomfort on Amy's face when he sat back down, but he wasn't quite sure what he'd done wrong. He knew she took her career very seriously, and he had thought she would appreciate being talked up. This, apparently, was incorrect.

She downed the rest of her wine before asking him, "Why didn't you talk more about yourself?"

"That seems a little arrogant, no? I think my work will speak for itself."

Amy burst into a laugh that managed to be both sinister and jubilant. The sound cut through him, making his heart pound. She looked insane and gorgeous. The smooth line of her throat was exposed to him. If they hadn't been in public, he was positive he would have jumped across the table and started biting at her neck. Instead, he laid a hand on hers. The laughter in Amy's voice tapered off as she brought her gaze down to where his hand rested, hot and deliberate, on top of her slender pink fingers.

When the intensity of his stare did not force her to make eye contact with him, he said her name. The sound came from somewhere inside his chest, desirous and authoritative in a way that made it clear that it would be the last word he would say that night.

They left the restaurant together and he caught a flash out of the corner of his eye. The next day, a small gossip piece appeared in Wonkette with a photo credited to Jonah Ryan.