A/N: I'm sorry the update took so long and that the chapter is short. I'll try to be faster with the next one!

Chapter Seventeen

The mirror confirmed what she had suspected since she'd laid eyes on the red dress. It was a little too daring with the hem sitting above knee, not to mention the bold color, or the fact that it accentuated her cleavage more than most items in her wardrobe did. But nevertheless, it looked great on her and she was perfectly aware of that.

She pulled away the curtain of the dressing room where Emma and Marissa were waiting.

"Wow, your mom's hot," Marissa blurted out.

"What?" Her daughter's confused face made Diane chuckle.

"Thank you, I guess," she glanced at Eli's daughter for a second, not sure how to take the compliment.

"I think you should go with the blue one, it's longer," Emma noted.

"Why wouldn't she show off those legs?" Marissa defended Diane in a flattering but probably slightly inappropriate way, but Diane didn't take offense.

"Shut up," Em reacted on Diane's behalf nevertheless, but Diane still raised a brow at her for the language.

"Why? Her legs are an asset and she's running for office. She'd be a fool not to use it." Marissa almost sounded like her dad, except Eli couldn't care less about Diane's wardrobe, he simply trusted her taste.

Diane considered Marissa's words while taking another look at herself in the mirror. The nature of the event didn't necessarily require her to choose the long dress after all.

"Is dad going with you tomorrow night?" Em asked and Diane caught her gaze in the mirror.

"I think so. Why?" she turned around to face her daughter.

"Well, he'll surely appreciate this dress," Em admitted in a softer tone. She seemed to have made peace with the idea.

"Yeah," Diane's lips curled as she turned back to the mirror.

She hoped nothing would come up for Will the last minute on a Saturday. The evening would be a lot more bearable with him on her side, even if her responsibilities would keep here busy most of the time.

"So we all agree then?" Marissa tried to rush Diane's decision, and she really didn't need any more convincing.

"I'll take it," she nodded. She probably wouldn't have needed a new dress in the first place and she could still decide to put on an old one tomorrow night, but shopping with the girls was fun either way.

"Too bad my next dance is still months away, I'd love a new dress too." Emma's eyes lingered on the selection of dresses.

'I don't mind that much,' Diane didn't say the words out loud, instead she only replied with a smile. She didn't even want to think of her daughter's last year in high school, especially now that she had a boyfriend. Those school dances were known for the after parties and she was aware that anything could happen there, especially between two teenagers who were in love.

"May I at least get a new skirt?" the girl went for an alternative option.

"You may, but only if it's not shorter than this," Diane cautioned her.

Fortunately Emma had inherited her physical qualities, but she tried to teach her to be wise about her looks. As long as she was still compelled to listen to her.

"Of course," Em tried to hide an eye roll, but Diane caught it in the mirror, then also noticed how Marissa elbowed her friend lightly.

"Can I ask something?" Em began hesitantly and Diane instantly got an unsettling feeling.

"Go ahead." She faced them again.

"Can Marissa sleep over tomorrow night?"

The simple question baffled Diane slightly. It wasn't what she'd expected.

"You don't want to go out?" she eyed her daughter confused. It was a Saturday night, she was usually with her boyfriend. The request was suspicious to say the least.

"No, we'll watch movies, order pizza," Em explained.

"Only movies and pizza? Are you sure?" Diane looked from one to the other and they both nodded.

They seemed too innocent, which Diane knew they weren't, but she couldn't really say no to Eli's daughter sleeping at their house, it would have been ridiculous to decline such a request.

"Well, as long as it's only movies and pizza, that's fine with me," she replied and her words made the girls happy.

But in her head Diane was already putting together a list of rules to assure the evening wouldn't bring any unwanted surprises.

o-o-o

"It's been a while since the last time we did this," Will whispered in Diane's ear, as they were moving together to the soft tunes of the music.

"I know, feels good," she glanced at him, a wide smile spread on her lips.

"I'm sure everyone in the room is envious of me at this moment, because I'm dancing with the most beautiful woman." Will's whispered words almost made her blush.

It was different to hear them in the middle of a crowded dance floor instead of in the privacy of their home. Emma had been right, of course Will appreciated the new dress she put on in the end. He could barely take his eyes off her most of the time.

"Stop it," she instructed him with a chuckle.

"I'm sure you'll gain a few more donors by the end of the evening. Eli seems satisfied too."

Diane shifted her gaze on her campaign manager who was talking to a couple, with his 'have to play nice' face on. Diane could easily guess that his thoughts were nowhere near as pleasant as his expression.

"He does," she chuckled again, "it's been a good week," she concluded with a relived sigh. Relieved the week was actually over and she would have a whole day to rest tomorrow.

"Do I have to let other guys dance with you?" he inquired, pulling her even closer protectively.

"I depends," she turned her smiling face in his direction.

"On what?" he asked teasingly.

"On whether or not I want to dance with them," she explained and instantly saw the dislike on his face.

"You aren't supposed to want to dance with anybody else," he pointed out.

"Only for the campaign's sake," she reassured him with a kiss that he knew she only reserved for him alone.

o-o-o

An hour later, she'd grown weary of dancing with potential donors and was desperate to be back in her husband's arms, when he suddenly showed up next to her as if he'd sensed her desperation.

"Excuse me, may I cut in? I need to borrow my wife."

He interrupted the dance without much nicety and Diane noticed that something was off in his behavior. But despite her constant questions he wouldn't give anything away until they found a quiet corner in the next room.

"Our neighbor called to complain about the noise at our house. He threatened to call the police. It seems like there's a party going on."