Everyone, thanks for being so patient. I've read all the wonderful and thoughtful, and hilarious reviews and feedback – and you guys are just awesome. It really keeps me going….welp, this is the beginning of something in this chapter…but remember - the long haul is still in full effect ya'll. Hope you enjoy!
"Thanks for picking me up."
"No problem. Harris thinks I'm out in the field." Natalie was slumped over the steering wheel as she watched Jo get into her company car. It was a small, white Neon that had the company logo on the side.
"You mind telling me why I'm picking you up on the streets of New York City?" She asked.
Jo slammed the door shut and noticed several empty cans of root beer and a large bag of raw vegetables between them.
"It's nothing." She clicked her seatbelt, taking a few seconds to think of a reply that wouldn't trigger Natalie's radar. She was all too aware of the reporter's instincts.
"Forgot my notes back at the apartment. I, uh, took a cab in this morning...and let's just say, I'm terrible at keeping up with my work phone." Jo chuckled feeling all too frustrated.
Natalie smirked. And too cheap to hail a cab home apparently. "That phone again. Jo you really… "
She was interrupted by the crackling static of the transmitter sitting between them. "Sorry, gotta' take this." Natalie put in an earpiece and clicked on a button.
Jo gladly accepted the interruption. She eased back in the seat and pointed out the turns as they made their way to her apartment.
"…Yeah. Okay... Good... let him take it. I have something else I'm working on." Natalie clicked off the receiver.
Jo lifted a brow. "New story?"
Natalie smirked. "Two nine year old kids, a stolen bike and missing Pokémon cards."
She chuckled at Jo's surprised expression. "That'd be the most excitement I've had in two days." She made a right turn. "I let Dale have it, kids that age give me a rash."
Dale was another cub reporter and Natalie's rival. They both scouted the streets looking for that one breaking story that would make Harris take notice to promote them to the next level. Natalie was sure she would beat him to the punch.
"Turn here, go down four buildings. I'm on the left there," Jo pointed out.
They parked in front of the apartment. The streets were quiet, and the neighborhood was in the better section of affordable housing for young executives. Natalie was impressed. They exited the car and headed up the dark gray stone steps.
"Nice neighborhood," Natalie wiggled her eyebrows at Jo. "Quite a few steps up from the old one, huh?"
It was said jokingly and Jo noticed the sincere smile on Natalie's face. She jiggled the keys in her hand before finding the right one. The Bronx native was proud of where she was from, but had to admit she didn't miss the constant worry and danger she'd grown up with. She was thankful the firm she worked for had bought a few apartments close to headquarters. She rented hers. Some of her fellow agents had opted to lease to buy.
Jo shrugged. "It's convenient. Pretty close to work." She opened the door. "Sorry, stuffs all over the place. I'm still unpacking."
She was glad Ace wasn't there to harass Natalie. He was at doggy day camp. It was a solution Jo deemed necessary considering the energetic dog was usually worn out by the time she picked him up at five every afternoon. It was the only time she had to take an Uber to travel around the city; the Harley being her usual mode of transportation.
Natalie looked around the spacious apartment. It was nice. The last time she was there Charlie had to talk to her and Tootie outside on the stoop because of Ace trying to escape every five seconds.
The front room was fairly large. There was a nice size kitchen with a peninsula style island with two stools for seating. It suited Jo. Natalie made her way over to the couch and sat down.
"So...where were you the other night?" The reporter asked.
Jo slid a few boxes to the side. "What do you mean?"
Natalie gave Jo an inquiring look. "We came by with your jacket and you weren't here." She paused noticing a shift of green eyes. "Even your dad said he didn't know where you were. I thought you had business for work so we rushed it right over."
Jo tilted her head, brushing off the odd feeling of being interrogated by Natalie. "I went to the store first." Oh yeah Smooth.
"Oh." Natalie managed as she watched Jo stack a few of the boxes.
Jo finished stacking four boxes on top of each other then noticed a folded piece of paper on the coffee table. "Huh. Pop's down at the bar."
"I thought he broke his foot?" Natalie queried.
Jo smirked. "Yeah, he probably got his cabby buddy to take him down there." She moved another box into the corner, clearing the way. "He'll probably be down there hanging out until late tonight." She said.
"I see." Natalie smiled.
Jo looked around the front room deciding it was safe enough for her father to maneuver around in without causing him to fall - being on crutches and all.
"I'm just going to get a few papers I forgot for work. Be right back." Jo lied as she moved down the hall toward her bedroom. A few moments later she appeared with several pieces of blank paper and made a point of folding them and stuffing them in her back pocket. "There. Just some old notes I need." She smiled wide.
Natalie nodded, then quirked her lips. "Soooo… your work phone."
"What about it?" Jo eyed her.
"Lost it again?" Natalie's voice held a questioning yet apprehensive tone.
A shrug. "Probably at the office. I'll get it later." She eased her way toward the kitchen. "Want something to drink, Nat?"
Natalie wanted to ask why she was roaming the streets several blocks from her office, but she'd get to that in a minute. First things first.
"Got any root beer?"
Jo paused for a moment. "Pop and his buddies brought a bunch of beer and pop the other day." Turning, she ducked her head into the refrigerator.
Natalie drummed her fingers on the couch arm. "Did you try calling it?"
Jo ducked back out. "What?"
"Your phone."
That earned her a glare. "Nat, why are you worried about it. It happens." She ducked back in, pausing then came back up, "…and yeah, of course I called it. Like I said, it's probably at the office." Let it go Nat.
She took out a slice of left over apple pie before remembering Natalie's diet and put it back on the shelf with a sigh.
"Yeah. Well… Jo, I saw it. Nice phone. Up-to-date. Charming even."
"Nat." Jo placed her hands loudly on the counter top. "No root beer, water ok?"
Natalie nodded. She waited a few beats before clearing her throat. "Ok, here's the thing... "
"Nat."
Natalie ignored her and took a deep breath. "About four months ago a colleague of mine broke a story that involved international espionage." She paused noticing the hard glare from her friend.
"They busted four guys for money laundering; confiscated all kinds of stuff." Natalie said quickly.
"Yeah?" Jo grabbed a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator door. "What's your point?"
"My point is, the police laid all of that stuff out on a table so they could take pictures of everything. The bags of money, the guns, the fake ID's…" Natalie informed.
Jo stiffened, but remained silent.
"They confiscated four phones. Those phones were burner phones, Jo." She paused then swallowed. "They looked just like your phone. Pretty much…identical."
Jo shook her head and chuckled. "Nat, you know what? You've been watching too many of those crime shows."
Natalie pursed her lips. "Are you trying to tell me your phone isn't a burner phone? I saw the front screen and the codes on the back. Two of the phones those guys had were from the secret service. They stole them from an undercover informant. They killed him, Jo."
Her voice sounded alarmed, and Jo tried to calm her friend, if not to diffuse the situation she suddenly found herself in. "Nat, you're just… "
"Don't lie to me!" Natalie's voice held a serious tone.
"You're working yourself up over nothing." Jo tried to reason.
Natalie shook her head defiantly. "Thanks. I know what I saw!"
"Nat, it's just…" Jo sighed, her eyes unwavering as she looked into the scared blue ones of the cub reporter. Just leave it alone, please.
"Jo." It was more of a question.
Jo bit her lip pensively, nodding her head slightly. "Ok, ok. You know... I really didn't want it to come out this way."
"You're undercover aren't you?" Natalie held her breath.
Jo stared at her. She was moving her mouth to answer then thought better of it. "Nat."
"Jo, I'm sorry I can't unsee what I saw! Tootie doesn't know a burner from a flip phone, but I do!" Her voice cracked.
Jo swallowed. The water bottle in her hand was cold and chilled her palm almost to the point of making it ache. She looked down at it, unscrewed the top and turned her back as she threw the cap in the trashcan.
"Nat."
Her voice was soft and she moved to the couch, handing the bottle to Natalie, who took a long drink before setting it on the coffee table.
"I'm sorry ok? I just don't want anything to happen to you." Natalie sniffed, then took a deep breath.
Jo ran a hand through her bangs, rustling them; then blew out a breath as she sat on the couch. "I know."
"You can tell me." Natalie fanned herself; the room was feeling hot.
No I can't. "You have to understand, my job is very demanding," Jo supplied. It wasn't a lie. Not exactly.
Natalie blinked a few times and opened her eyes wide, focusing. "I need you to be honest with me."
Jo watched as Natalie wiped at her suddenly sweaty brow.
"Please." She wiped at her eyes; her vision suddenly becoming blurry. "Jo?"
Jo let out a languished breath. "Yeah, Nat."
"I, uh... Did you… Just…"
Jo calmly watched as Natalie slumped into the cushions. Out cold. She moved to grab her ankles; turning her legs to stretch out comfortably on the plush couch.
She gave Natalie a sorrowful look, and moved a few hair strands off of her face. "Sorry Nat. There just wasn't any other way."
The office as quiet, save for a few clicks and sighs every few minutes.
Blair sat at her desk facing a large wide screen monitor whisking through several spreadsheets; reviewing last quarter's figures. She had called an impromptu meeting of the executive manager's right after lunch. Three of them sat in front of her, their attention riveted to their pads as they flipped through the various reports in an attempt to keep up with Blair's fast pace.
She pointed to the screen. "So, as you can see, last quarter's numbers don't reflect the cyclical pattern of the last six quarters."
Barry Winsted, Vice President of Marketing, quirked an eyebrow. "But there have been positive earnings during the latter part of the third quarter annually for the past five years. That's the beginning of the busiest time of the year for apparel."
Blair faced the group and tilted her head. "I think we can do better."
"Better to what degree, Blair? We'd have to budget for greater consumer demand, at least into several of the foreign markets." The short, outspoken head of advertising interjected her point.
Blair nodded. "I totally agree, Emily. That's why I think we should expand production across the board, especially in the eastern regions."
Emily considered the recommendation, slowly nodding her head in agreement as she thought about the possible outcome. The other two executives silently studied their screens.
Blair quietly smiled to herself; satisfied she'd been able to hold her own, for the moment, with the high-powered executives.
She turned and clicked on another screen. "Now if you'll take a look at the financial aspect for how we would account for… "
Her cell phone suddenly vibrated and Blair peeked at the text message: URGENT NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU NOW OUTSIDE YOUR OFFICE
She stood then blew out a frustrated breath, "One moment. I'm sorry we have to stop here." Blair moved around the desk. "Excuse me, I'll be right back."
The three executives visibly relaxed. They had been at it for over an hour.
Blair moved across the room, a little annoyed at the interruption. She opened the door, finding her father propped up against the secretary's desk with his arms crossed.
She gently pulled her door to, leaving it cracked. "Daddy what is it?" She kept her tone hushed.
David eyed his daughter. "Why didn't you sign Jo in this morning?"
Not this. Blair started to turn back around. "Oversight. I have to get back to… "
"Blair! This is a very important project!" David almost shouted.
"Shhh, Daddy!" Blair pressed a finger to her lips. She saw the look of anger on her father's face. "If it's so important why didn't you bother telling me she was working on it?"
David purposely kept his voice down. "What difference does that make?"
"It makes a difference to me, Daddy," Blair said, slightly exasperated.
David shook his head, bewildered. "Oh… don't tell me you two had an argument."
Blair sighed inwardly. "Daddy, I don't have time for this. It's complicated. Just..." She motioned toward the door. "Let me get back to my meeting."
"Blair, whatever's going on between you and Jo has no bearing on this project. Money's been paid, contracts have been signed," David leveled a stern look at his daughter.
"And you decided to let me know this just now?" Blair crossed her arms.
"No, I told you about the project this morning." David reminded.
"I was swamped this morning, Daddy!" Blair caught herself and lowered her voice.
David lifted an incredulous eyebrow. "So what difference does that make all of a sudden? Didn't you tell me to let you know everything?"
Blair stared at her father, momentarily struck silent. She hated feeling perplexed.
David stepped into Blair's personal space, making it a point to look her straight in the eye. He was caught off guard this morning and he'd be damned if he would let anything else go awry.
"You want me to treat you as the President of this company? Well act like it… Be professional!"
It was said bluntly and Blair studied her father for a moment. She hadn't expected that. She prided herself on being professional, if anything. "Fine. No problem. I'll sign her in." She sniffed, her tone was clipped. "What department is she supposed to be working in?"
David took a step back. "Yours. She'll be working with you." He noticed his daughter's eyes widen.
Blair shook her head negatively. "Oh, no, no way, Daddy!"
"Blair… "
She crossed her arms tightly. "I don't have time to babysit."
The CEO scoffed. "Babysit? Blair, she has a job to do. She's supposed to look into the daily operations of the company and report on the responsibilities of the President." David's eyebrows contracted in confusion. "I honestly thought you two would love working together."
Blair was quiet for a moment; she glanced at her father. "There is no way I'm working with her." She said under her breath.
David took a long intake of breath. He was at a loss for words. He almost regretted asking the next question. "Ok, this is obviously something serious, what is it?"
"It's… nothing." Blair grabbed the doorknob. "I have to go."
Not so fast. "Nothing?" David quirked an eyebrow.
"I told you, it's nothing… personal."
"I see." It's personal. "Then there shouldn't be a problem."
David gauged his daughter's reaction. Whatever it was, it was something significant. She had thrown Jo out of the building for Christ sake. He'd delve into that later. The urgency of the matter at hand was far more pressing at the moment.
"There is no problem. I just think someone else would be more fitting for her." Blair attempted to explain.
David gave his daughter an incredulous look. "There is no one else more fitting for operations than the President, Blair." You know this.
Blair decided not to acknowledge her father's point. "I don't have a personal problem with this project, I just think someone else would be better suited to give her the information she needs," She stated simply.
"Uh huh...I see. Nothing personal." David reiterated. ...check.
"Absolutely not." Blair's attitude was severely unconvincing.
David leveled a knowing, hard stare at his daughter. "Then I suggest you keep it strictly business, Blair." … and mate.
Blair acknowledged the look in her father's eyes. She sucked in a harsh breath. She knew to keep the circumstances of her own private matter private and to fold her hand when dealing with him or, more importantly, the CEO - when the company should be the focal point. She internally grimaced, but nodded her head in acknowledged defeat.
"One day a week for one hour." She decided to at least salvage what little control she had over the situation. It was said tersely and Blair had the nerve to actually lift a brow in defiance.
David blanched at the suggestion. "That's not enough time!" He protested. "Blair that's—"
"Final Daddy! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my meeting." Blair swiftly turned.
He had barely seen the blur of movement, and was only aware of the office door shutting completely as his daughter ended their conversation on her terms.
"Unbelievable." David shook his head then drew out his cell phone and moved toward the elevator. He tapped in a number and listened.
He'd been in the middle of a tricky putt on the third hole when he saw the message from Jo on his phone. Upon retrieving it, he had to cut the game short, potential partnership be damned, and head back to the office.
He had drilled security about the circumstances concerning Jo's badge only to be informed, fifteen minutes later, his one and only eldest daughter was responsible for her unfortunate, and embarrassing, consequences. He'd decided the two of them would have to handle whatever was going on between them. If he had learned anything from being married four times, it was to let the women work out their own differences, and never get in the middle.
David entered the elevator then pushed the floor number as the receiver picked up.
"Thanks I'll let her know." Eric ended the phone call; looking up as Jo came into his office.
"Agent Polniaczek. Just who I needed to see." He leaned back in his high back, leather office chair.
Jo threw a file onto his desk. "Yeah?"
"Pull the door shut and have a seat." He put the file into his top drawer, picking up her cell phone from the drawer and tossing it to her. "Agent Summers brought it over on her lunch break. Your briefcase is in your office."
"Thanks." Jo caught it then clipped it to the harness on her belt to secure it before taking a seat.
"The meeting with the executive board went well." Eric informed.
Jo nodded. "Yeah, I heard. I just talked with Mendoza."
"David Warner got you cleared with security," Eric pointed out. "He was brief and didn't go into any details, but mentioned Blair. Said I should talk to you about that." He quirked an eyebrow. "You want to tell me what went wrong?"
Not really. "I'm not sure I know," Jo offered. "They had an issue with my badge, codes or whatever." She crossed one leg over the other. "Far as I know everything's fine now."
Eric decided to let the explanation go for the time being. "Except you're behind in work." He stated. "You need to get back over there, Jo."
Jo nodded solemnly. "Yeah, well…"
Eric arched a brow. "Well?"
Jo picked at a loose thread on her slacks, not meeting Eric's eyes. "She, uh… kind of threw me out of the building." Her voice sounded a little hoarse. "You know, before…"
A little surprised, Eric was quiet for a moment. He slowly nodded his head in thought. "Did you give her a reason?"
Jo's head snapped up, a confused look on her face. "I haven't talked to her in nine months!"
"Well there you go." Eric snickered a bit as he watched the incredulous look on his lead agent's face become animated.
He knew the two them had a sort of tumultuous past. Jo had filled him in on the details of some of their most famous arguments over a beer or two after work. He'd usually take Blair's side, if not to play devil's advocate and playfully agitate the hot headed agent.
"Oh come on!" Jo stood up and approached Eric's desk. "I tried to call her, I left messages. She doesn't want to talk to me!"
Eric decided to stifle a snarky retort and instead keep things on an even keel. "Ok, ok. Let's get to the bottom of this." He reasoned.
Jo perched her hip on the side of his desk. "That would be great considering I have to work with her, and right now I feel like giving her a piece of my mind." Jo smirked, feeling more than annoyed and still very much embarrassed.
One of the first training regimens Jo had to endure as a rookie agent was anger management. She'd come a long way in five years. It was important to keep a cool head and not blow your cover in her line of work. Lives depended on it. But right now she felt herself tested by the one person who knew how to get under her skin the best.
Eric decided it was best to diffuse the situation and get to the bottom of the matter; for the sake of the case. "When was the last time you had a decent conversation with Blair."
Jo had to think for a moment. Right before Blair cut her off entirely they'd had a few short conversations, but nothing significant. Each time they had conversed, the time spent was shorter and shorter. Jo had chalked it up to them both being busy.
She shrugged. "I'd say when she and Tootie and Nat visited me in LA a few months ago."
Eric pursed his lips. "Ah, yes, the big day."
Jo cracked a half smile. "Yeah."
"And?"
She thought for a beat. "She seemed to take it well." She shrugged indifferently. "She met Terry and they hit it off." She pointed out simply.
"I remember you told me." He paused. "You're lying."
Dammit, how does he do that. "Alright. She freaked out at the news but she seemed to come around."
"Did she?" Eric remained adamant.
"Yeah. I mean..." Jo thought for a second. "It took her a while to get used to the new me but… yeah."
Eric considered that. He rubbed his chin. "You said your conversations got more tense and short after that."
Jo eyed her superior. "I never said tense; but you know, we got busy. Our jobs... Life, Eric!" She was starting to feel defensive.
A slight frown edged Eric's face. "Don't be so naive. It probably sunk in once she got back to New York. Think about it Jo. You said she slowly started to blow you off."
"I said our conversations got short. We got busy." Jo reiterated, her tone direct.
"Same thing." Eric tried to clarify what his oh so softhearted agent refused to see. "She's blowing you off, Jo."
Jo scoffed. "What, because I came out to her? Blair's not like that. She's open minded, liberal." She thought about how uppity Blair could be. "Kind of."
There was a tap on the door. A brown haired woman poked her head in. "Agent Nelson, there's someone down in the lobby asking for Agent Polniaczek."
"Who is it, Paula?"
"Her name's Natalie Green." The woman pushed up the glasses on her nose.
Eric gave Jo a puzzled look. "What's Natalie doing here?"
Jo shrugged. "I don't know. She gave me a ride home this morning."
Eric thought for a moment, before rising from his desk. "Put her through then show her to the lounge."
He motioned for Jo to follow him. "We'll talk more about this later, c'mon."
They walked down the hall toward the elevator. Neither agent said a word during the ride up to the third floor. Jo was thankful for that. She was actually surprised Natalie had showed up at JTI… and a little worried. She sensed trouble; her sixth sense was kicking her, in fact.
Her hunch was confirmed as they entered the lounge. She looked at the slightly disheveled woman; her face was set in an annoyed expression. She sat in a fold out chair in the middle of the room. Her hair was in a bit of disarray as were her rumpled clothes – jeans and a company tee shirt. Eric noticed her condition, but decided to keep quiet for now.
"Hi Natalie," Jo threw her a forced smile that wasn't returned. "You remember Eric Nelson from JTI?" She motioned to Agent Nelson as they dragged two chairs over to sit in front of the reporter.
Natalie squinted her eyes at him. "Vaguely. You stopped by the house one time to talk to Jo when we were living in Peekskill a few years ago."
Eric nodded. "Nice to see you again." He reached out his hand in greeting.
Natalie ignored the gesture. "Except, I'm not here for a friendly visit." She wore a cross look on her face and Jo internally frowned at the expectation of what may come next. God, not more questions Nat.
"Oh?" Eric crossed his arms over his chest, intent on listening to the obviously upset woman. He felt a little out of the loop suddenly, and shifted his eyes back and forth between Jo and her friend.
Natalie made a show of producing her phone, pushing the volume button to its highest peak. She tapped the phone screen. The conversation that took place at Jo's apartment three hours earlier played out; then ended at the point where Natalie had conveniently passed out on the couch.
Jo swallowed and remained still; then closed her eyes, hearing Eric puff out an angry breath. She opened them only to see the bloodshot blue ones of the woman before her staring angrily at her.
"You drugged me to make me forget."
"Natalie." Jo neither confirmed nor denied.
Natalie's face hardened. "What the hell is going on, Jo? And I want the truth!"
Eric abruptly got up, the legs of his chair loudly scraping the floor. "Stop!" His eyes bored into Natalie's. "First, Ms. Green, who do you work for?"
"The New York Times," Natalie blinked at him, slightly confused by the question.
He pinned her with a hardened look. "Job description?"
"I'm a reporter. What does this have to do with anything?" Natalie was becoming irate.
"Natalie," Jo stood up, and only then did Natalie notice for the first time her phone clipped to her belt.
She looked at Jo, a knowing smirk graced her face as she slowly got to her feet. "I was right, wasn't I?"
"Right about what?" Eric asked skeptically. He didn't like where this was heading. Sure he knew Natalie's background, he'd read her file long ago, but she didn't know that. Not yet at least. The recording didn't exactly give them away, but it was only a matter of time.
Natalie kept her eyes on Jo, sensing her discomfort. "You work for the secret service. Don't you."
There. She'd finally asked the burning question. Natalie waited as she watched Jo's face remain unreadable.
That was enough. Eric trained his eyes on the reporter, moving in to her personal space. "Don't." He stopped suddenly. "Ms. Green we are recording everything you say. You are on video surveillance."
Natalie shifted her eyes; they carried a knowing look. "Thanks for letting me know. I figured as much. So what now, more tricks?"
Eric was a bit perturbed by the offhanded replies. He decided to flex his authority. "You have two options, Ms. Green. You can allow us to induce you so that your memory is flushed of the past 3 hours, or you go through protocol." He wanted a reaction, but got none.
Natalie shook her head negatively. "Thanks, I'll skip the drugs, waking up with a splitting headache once today was enough."
Jo frowned, regretful for what she'd put her friend through. "I'm really sorry about that."
"At least you left me a lovely note saying you were going back to work, how thoughtful." Natalie mock laughed.
"Ms. Green, I hope you realize the seriousness of this situation," Eric pressed.
Natalie snapped her eyes to his. "Actually, I have no idea about the situation I've apparently been thrust into without my knowledge. You mind filling me in?" She was growing frustrated, and was frankly tired of spinning her wheels with the two of them.
Eric remained firm. "We don't have a choice at this point. We can't tell you anything until you've gone through protocol," he explained.
"Which is what exactly?" Natalie's brows knitted in confusion.
"We scrub you. Sequester all of your medical records, school records, police records, your phone. Then you sign papers for confidentiality purposes," Jo chimed in.
Well damn. Natalie felt an overwhelming feeling of dread come over her. Perhaps in her quest for the truth, she had indeed overstepped her boundaries this time. "I guess this is pretty serious." Fearful eyes found Jo's remorseful ones.
Jo gave her friend an apologetic look. Everything, at this point, was indeed out of her hands.
Eric walked over to a small intercom on the wall and punched in a few numbers. "Paula? I need you to take Ms. Green down to protocol. Thanks."
He turned and addressed Natalie. "This will take about an hour, then you'll come back up here and we'll talk."
Natalie gave him a sickly smile. Swell.
"Nat," Jo felt the need to apologize again. "I didn't mean for—"
"Me to record our conversation?" Natalie shook her head. "Yeah, well, if I had known what I do now." She chuckled bitterly. "I guess it's just the reporter in me."
A few moments later Natalie was escorted from the room and taken down to protocol.
Eric turned to his best agent, his eyes flashed dangerously and his mouth was tight with anger. "My office." He managed between gritted teeth.
It was a growl and Jo could tell it was barley restrained, at that. She followed him to the elevators in silence. The ride was tense and she dared not even breathe too loud.
They entered Eric's office a few moments later. Eric swiftly moved to stand behind his desk. "Close the door."
Jo did as she was told, then took a seat. She braced for the incoming blast.
"What the hell was that, agent?!" Nelson's face was beet red.
Jo took a deep breath and kept her head down. "She's going to be a damn good reporter." She muttered. Her attempt to lighten the situation was predictably ignored. The flash of angry eyes she got in return indicated no patience.
"How much does she know?"
Jo shrugged. "My cover, that's all." Wrong answer.
"That's all? Christ, Jo! You've got to get your head on straight! You're back in town now, what... two weeks? You're back around your friends and family." Eric leaned on the desk his hands firm on the desktop, eyes boring into Jo's. "Things have changed. You can't lose track of your job!"
"I didn't lose track of my job!" Jo bit back. She felt defensive. She'd done everything right this morning, that is until she stepped foot into The Warner building. How was she supposed to know certain people would find it necessary to throw a monkey wrench in her plans, especially by throwing her out of a very important meeting… and building.
Eric shook his head, his eyes never leaving Jo's. "Whatever the hell happened between you and Blair, you need to get control of it!"
Jo shook her head in defiance. "This has nothing to do with her! I'm doing my job, Eric!" She retorted. She took a deep breath and wondered how the hell she arrived at this point anyway.
Eric tore his eyes from Jo's and started to pace. "You should've taken further precautions when you used a code 6 on Green." He stopped and pointed at her. "You didn't secure the area! That includes checking her phone!" He slapped his desk top causing Jo to jump in surprise.
"I— "
"Damn it! She was one step ahead of you! What the hell were you thinking?!"
Jo sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. She didn't really have an answer. She was usually extremely disciplined. "I guess I wasn't." She said softly.
It was the truth; the weight of it all bothering her. Since when did she let something like that slip?
Eric finally sat down, still feeling agitated by the sudden state of affairs.
"Jo, you are one of my best inside agents. I need you on this case, but you have got to focus on the situation. We can't afford these kinds of mistakes."
He was adamant and took in the slightly distraught look on Jo's face. "Get over to Warner Textiles and fix this thing, whatever it is, with Blair."
Jo kept silent and nodded.
"And keep your cool. You're an agent in high esteem with a job to do first and foremost." Eric reminded.
Jo broke her silence. "But she humiliated me!"
Eric smirked at her. Jo was always impulsive when it came to something or someone threatening her honor. This was no different. They had worked on this in the past. Whenever someone offended her, she had to learn to tame her temper for the sake of the case.
"The two of you are adults now, Jo. Act like it and get me the information I need to solve this case without blowing your cover." Eric pointedly eyed her. "I'm counting on you."
Jo looked into the eyes of her superior. "Ok. I will." She cooled her attitude. "It won't happen again." It was stated with firmness and finality.
Eric studied her for a moment; he sensed Jo was probably angry and embarrassed by the slip up, but this was a very serious matter and she wasn't a rookie anymore. He decided go forward, and put the situation behind them for now. There was nothing they could do to fix it, other than keep tabs on Natalie Green.
"Alright," Eric conceded as he leaned back in his chair. He clasped his hands together and intertwined his fingers.
"Summers and Mendoza reported back from this morning. They were able to get into marketing and financials. Both divisions are clear."
Jo exhaled, glad for the change of subject and sat on the edge of her chair upon hearing the new information. "That leaves operations. We got eyes up?"
Eric nodded. "Surveillance is in all key areas."
"Good." Jo pursed her lips. "Shouldn't be hard to get the info we need."
Eric picked up a pencil from his desk and pointed it directly at Jo. "Get in there and let me know what we're up against."
Jo nodded, then got to her feet. She reached down and checked for her phone, the device still secured to her belt harness.
She moved toward the door and reached for the knob in thought; then looked over at Eric. "What are you feeling on this?"
Eric rubbed his chin before moving his glance to meet Jo's questioning eyes. He cleared his throat and cocked an eyebrow.
"Russell Warner hid something volatile."
The room seemed colder than previously. The now very humbled reporter entered, a little more tentatively than before.
Eric gestured toward the chair, once again, in the center of the room. "Ms. Green, have a seat."
Natalie walked softly toward the chair, eyeing it. "I feel so violated."
Jo winced a little as Natalie passed by her. "Sorry about that, Nat... It was necessary."
Natalie glanced at Jo as she took a seat. "Still doesn't make me feel any better."
Eric stood in front of her, his legs and feet planted wide and held the eyes of the reporter.
"Ms. Green, Agent Polniaczek and I are federal agents with the Information Technology division of investigations, secret service. JTI is our cover company however, it is very much a functioning educational software company."
Agents. Knew it. Natalie's eyes were wide. "Intriguing and slightly confusing. Go on."
Eric continued. "We are working on a case that involves highly classified information. In order for your safety to be maintained we had to seize all of your personal information."
Natalie interrupted him. "I still don't see why my knowing about Jo's position puts me at risk for anything."
Eric held up a hand. "Your knowing that Jo is an agent puts her life in danger, which in turn could potentially put millions of lives in danger should her cover be blown. Or in this case, our covers."
He let that sink in for a bit, noticing the reporter swallow nervously a few times at the new information.
"I would never do that." It was barely a whisper.
Eric nodded once. "You're a reporter. You have to sign contracts involving informants and freedom of the press?"
"Yes." Natalie answered guardedly.
"I can assure you, that has now been overridden Ms. Green." Eric told the reporter.
Natalie opened her mouth in surprise. "Wait a minute! What are you saying?"
"You are now an informant of the secret service. You may keep your job, but you are not allowed to report on anything concerning any government agency, federal, state or local."
Eric watched Natalie struggle with the new revelation. He suspected the reporter was having trouble realizing just how much her life was about to change.
"But… that's not fair!" She finally got out.
He ignored the outburst. "You may not use this knowledge in any way, shape or form, including blackmail, or consequences will be enforced."
Natalie looked at Jo, alarmed. "What does that mean?"
Jo cocked a brow. "You can't threaten to expose us if we tick you off." She stated simply.
Natalie's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Oh. So what are the consequences?" she asked.
"Life in prison."
A lone finger went up as a light bulb turned on. "Noted."
It would be another hour before the final screws were put to the reporter. She had been informed, warned and mildly threatened before they let her leave JTI. They returned her phone, completely wiped; then Jo escorted her out of the building.
They walked along the sidewalk, finally reaching Natalie's car, which was parked crookedly on the street in front of the building. The parking meter had long since expired and there was a parking ticket under the windshield wiper. Jo plucked it, promising to take care of it.
Natalie got in and started the motor, then turned her window down. "So what now?"
Jo sighed. "Go back to work. Report on kids with stolen bikes and Pokémon cards."
"You got anything else? That vaguely sounds like my life," Natalie scowled.
Jo chuckled wistfully, wishing like hell she hadn't called Natalie to pick her up this morning.
"You know, Nat, you have until ten thirty tomorrow morning if you change your mind. We can wipe it all out for you." She leveled a serious gaze at her friend.
Natalie thought for a moment, contemplating the outcome; then slowly shook her head. "Sounds tempting, but I think I may just keep all my marbles for now."
It was said with a shaky breath and Jo waited a few beats to see if she would just decide to go for it after all.
"Well, if you change your mind... "
Natalie nodded understanding, not able shake the sense of doom that was slowly engulfing her. "Great. I'll never get out of the hole." She muttered then put the car in drive and righted it.
"Bye, Jo."
"Bye, Nat." Jo stood and watched as the small car made its way into traffic, then turned and walked back into the building. There was business to attend to.
It was quiet on the 39th floor. The soft knock was barely audible, but the blonde haired President had heard it.
"Come in." Blair looked up from her computer screen, blinking several times. Her eyes were trying to focus after starring at the numbers of her latest report for far too long.
The door slowly swung open to reveal the dark haired agent. She carried a dark brown soft leather brief case, and took a few steps in, the carpet muting her steps. Her eyes wandered around the spacious office, then finally landed on the startled woman sitting behind the desk across the room.
"You didn't have anybody out there, so I uh…," Jo gestured toward the empty desk in the lobby area.
Blair stopped her actions cold. She set her mouth in a tight clench. "What are you doing here?"
Jo took a few more steps into the office, letting the door shut behind her. "Nice to see you too, Blair, seeing as we didn't really get off to a good start this morning."
She leveled a sharp, no nonsense glare at Blair then moved closer to her desk and stood just on the other side, not bothering to sit down in one of the chairs situated before her. She remembered her conversation earlier with Eric about keeping her cool.
Blair leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest almost defensively. "I repeat, what are you doing here?"
"My job. I was hired by your company." Jo almost shouted.
It had been one hell of a day and there was a dire situation at hand. Come on Blair drop the act. Neither one of us needs this.
Blair peered at the woman in front of her. "I see. What do you want?" It was said smoothly... and coldly, Jo noted, and she scoffed at the question.
"Well, for starters, Blair, for you to not treat me like I'm a perfect stranger!"
Blair ignored the reply and blinked at her long time friend. "What is this project about?" She switched off her note pad.
It was a decidedly purposeful dodge... Blair resorted to deliberately checking her watch a few times.
Unbelievable. Jo gritted her teeth together. "You know, I think I'll ask the questions before we get started." Her voice was strained.
Blair smirked at her. "Make it quick. I have a meeting in ten minutes."
Right. Jo shoved her briefcase down on the chair seat. Screw procedure. "What the hell was with that little stunt you pulled this morning?!"
"Obviously, I'm not in the mood to see you." Blair's voice was even, the tone guarded and a little sarcastic. She didn't even bat an eye as she stood up and smoothly reached over the desk to pick up a handful of files.
Jo almost barked out a laugh at the explanation. She squinted her eyes, watching as Blair stuffed her designer briefcase with her pad and several files. It was all she could do to control the rising anger.
The agent put her hands on her hips, briefly closing her eyes to gather herself. "So, you just humiliate me in front of everybody?"
Blair continued packing her briefcase without sparing Jo the slightest glance.
Jo huffed a breath. Dammit look at me! "My God, Blair, we haven't communicated in almost a year!"
Blair merely spared her a look, and then checked her watch again. "I've been busy. You have nine minutes."
You have nine minutes. Jo mocked the blonde in her head. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, opting to keep her temper under control. Remember your training.
"Why are you mad at me?"
The question hung in the air. The whirling discs of the air conditioner pushing the cool air through the vents was the only sound between them for several moments. Blair had paused her motion for a few seconds then swallowed and busied herself with finishing her task.
"I told you, I've been busy." She quickly glanced at the now angry expression on Jo's face.
"That's not an answer."
Blair made a point to dismiss Jo's retort as she turned and faced the pensive agent. "Either tell me what this project is about, and I'll decide what I will or will not go along with, or our time here is finished and you can show yourself out of my office."
It was a solid reply really; tactful, true, and quite belittling. Blair closed her briefcase and moved to the other side of the desk to face Jo, fully aware of squinted green eyes following her every move.
Jo tried to quell the feeling of being stung by Blair's words. She stuffed it down and counted to ten in her head; then ultimately decided to go along with it. She sensed this was not the time to hash out whatever issues they had with one another.
Alright. She lifted her chin, determined not to let Blair's words affect her. "My colleagues and I are building a capstone for business majors in college. The bottom line is, I'm supposed to ask you questions about your job, tasks and retrieve information on the financial aspect of your day-to-day operations."
There. Clean and to the point.
Blair placed her briefcase on the other chair beside Jo. "That sounds highly intrusive. You mean to tell me my uncle agreed to go along with this?" she quirked a doubtful eyebrow.
"Yes. And I'm... very sorry about your… "
"Save it." Blair kept her focus. "I seriously doubt he would allow you to look at our financial status." Brown eyes bored into green as she took a step closer to Jo.
Jo met the brown eyes. "It's nothing that isn't already public, Blair. Anyone can Google your margins online. I'm just seeing them day-to-day, so that the capstone will be more like real life. It's the only way students can understand your position and what you do." She pointed out.
The look Jo received was one of suspicion. Blair tossed her hair a bit. "So, what you're saying is you have to follow me around all day." Blair flicked her eyes to Jo's blazer then back up.
The brunette shook her head negatively. "I know that would be irritating. I have questions I ask you, then I look at the operating spread sheets."
"Daily."
Jo paused for a moment. "Well, yes and no."
A head tilt. "Explain."
What am I on trial? "I need about three to four days here and the other days I work in my office to build the project."
Blair thought about that. "I see. So you need to be here for how long on a daily basis?"
Jo shrugged. "Maybe three hours or so."
Blair nodded. "I can squeeze you in after 1:30 p.m. starting tomorrow." She picked up her briefcase and moved toward the door. "You can report to me then." She tossed back at Jo.
Squeeze me in? "Alright." Jo watched as the blonde reached the door, her perfume wafting behind her; Jo got a nose full.
Blair turned around and pinned Jo with a questioning look. "How long are you going to be here?"
Brown brows knit in confusion. "You mean for the project or in New York?
"Until your part is over."
Jo moved to join Blair at the door. "I need about two months worth of information. The capstone is for a semester course." She informed. She noticed the slight shift in Blair's eyes as she got closer.
"Fine." A well-manicured hand gripped the doorknob.
Jo nodded in confirmation. "Well Ok then. I… "
Blair yanked the door open. "Tomorrow. I have a meeting remember?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Ok. Tomorrow it is. Look, Blair… "
"See you tomorrow." It was said with finality, and with that the President of Warner Textiles stepped out into the lobby, leaving agent Polniaczek alone in her office. The door was briskly shut, the air stirring from it squarely hitting Jo in the face, moving the bangs around on her forehead.
Jo stood there for a moment, staring at the door. What the hell was that about? She shook it off, then tapped the back of her ear. "You there?"
"Yep. Got all eyes on the executive areas, elevators, bathrooms..." There was a pause. "What did you do to her now?" Jo heard the slight chuckle at her expense.
"Me?" Jo grunted her response, not amused.
She moved toward Blair's desk, noticing the mountain of paper work. She quickly flipped through the papers on top, noting they were just routine documents.
"She's pissed." Agent Nelson had flicked on the elevator monitor and watched as Blair road the elevator down to the executive offices on the 30th floor. She was pacing back and forth.
"Yeah, I got that." Jo assessed the computer, checking the brand. She plucked a pen from the desk and borrowed a piece of paper to take down the serial number.
"Looks like she's almost in tears."
Jo stopped her actions at Eric's words and took in a breath. He didn't have to say anything; she could hear the implied question.
"She still won't talk to me so... " She wrote down the number then tucked the paper into the front pocket of her briefcase.
Eric waited a few beats. "Perimeter's secure. No cameras in the office. Three in the lobby there, two in the elevators…"
No doubt Russell had them taken out of his office, Jo reasoned. She looked at his desktop computer. "I can't log on without blowing my cover. She has to do it."
"When is she coming back?"
"I have no idea." Jo quickly moved toward the door.
"Ok, first thing tomorrow. Ah, there you are." Jo came in to view as she stepped out into the lobby area.
"Get into the main programs. We need to get a handle on what we're up against as far as breaking through security," Eric instructed. "No doubt Warner has a deep-ass firewall," he said.
"Roger." Jo punched the down arrow and waited for the elevator. She peered down the hall. Two doors down was the vice president of marketing, and across the hall, the vice president of finance. It was quiet; their doors were closed. Probably at the meeting.
Jo reminded herself not to talk too loud or suspiciously, even though it appeared no one was around. She was sure she wasn't exactly in the good graces of building security. They saw her and watched her every move.
She checked her watch. "I have to pick up Ace in thirty minutes." She mumbled. She held her head down as she spoke, careful not to look like a crazy woman as she entered the elevator. She punched in her number and road the metal box down to the main lobby.
"He needs to get laid."
Jo cracked a grin then rolled her eyes. She settled to the back of the elevator, leaning her head back on the cold steel wall.
"...and apparently you need to mend some fences."
She quirked her lips at Eric's suggestion. She was deep in thought as the elevator pinged and the doors opened. Jo sighed as she exited, swiftly making her way out of the building.
The car hit a bump, jostling the blonde inside of it. Hamilton, her driver, had apologized for nailing the pothole. She waved a weary hand in acknowledgement and stared blankly out the window. The sun was nearing twilight, the grey sky echoing her somber mood. Drops of fresh rain had streamed down the flat surface, resembling a row of teardrops. She traced one of them as it slowly made its way down, dissolving once it hit the bottom of the window.
Blair exhaled. She was glad the day was over. She had been so nervous during her first executive meeting. Her father had told her to take a deep breath and slow down as she outlined her plans for the first quarter projections.
She mentioned the warehouses being burned down in Tokyo, and noticed the surprised looks of seven of the executives, the other three hardly blinked at the news. That had been momentarily troubling, but her father had quickly stepped in explaining they had no leads yet and that the board would be kept abreast of any new developments.
It was tricky, and she sensed sneaky, the way her father had changed the subject. She decided to delve into the matter on her own, later, when she wasn't so tired and could focus.
The car took another sharp turn, probably avoiding another pothole. One would think the Upper East Side could afford better roads. Blair shifted in her seat. Her thoughts went back to the meeting. Several of the members had told her how much they believed in her abilities. The pats on the back felt expected, empty, and nothing special since it was her job, after all, to guide the company forward.
The formal announcement of her position had taken place at 5 p.m. They had gathered in the lobby where there was a small podium and invited the press. Her father proudly handed over the reins of responsibility before a spectacle of cameras, reporters and employees. Blair, of course, had been groomed since birth to handle these situations, and put on a display of control, gratefulness and professionalism.
She looked down at her phone as yet another well-wisher pinged her twitter and Facebook feeds. She turned it off and rested her head on the back of the seat. The limousine continued its trek down the familiar streets of the upper crust. The restaurants, boutiques and department stores became blurry as she slowly closed her eyes. The day had been extremely trying, and Blair wondered just how many roller coasters she'd ridden and survived.
Harperio's Restaurant had been a like a needle in a haystack to find. It was practically in an alley in downtown Los Angeles. The dimly lit Italian restaurant was surprisingly elegant. Once they had landed at LAX and securely checked in to their hotel room, the three of them had been given directions to meet Jo there for dinner.
Upon arrival, they were quickly escorted to their table. Blair made a quick scan of the room, and found the familiar head of dark hair bent down examining a menu in earnest. She quirked a small smile, then let it falter a bit as she noticed the blonde sitting at the table with Jo... and just how close they were positioned, especially since it was a table set for six.
Jo had formally introduced Blair, Tootie and Natalie to her friend, Terry. They had been colleagues, both new to JTI when they arrived in Los Angeles four years ago.
During dinner Blair had made a mental list of the blonde's attributes, including her wardrobe. It was quite average. The woman wore a simple cotton dress, definitely not haute couture, simple jewelry and heels that managed to match a few of the colors in her dress.
She was small, probably several inches shorter than Jo. She seemed to have an average body. Her nails were short, but painted nonetheless.
Blair sniffed, then sipped her wine. She let her eyes roam the restaurant as she did so. When they'd rested on the blonde, she had given her a tight smile.
Conversation had been steady throughout dinner, and they were presently waiting for dessert to arrive.
Jo smirked. Blair smiled what seemed like an extra toothy smile at her companion for the twentieth time that night. It seemed every time she spoke to the woman it was with that strained, tense expression. She inhaled a breath and bit off a bread stick, chewing it as she noticed Blair winding up for another round of interrogation.
"Sooo, Mary..."
"Terry." Jo corrected under her breath.
"Of course," Blair amended. "I don't think I quite caught how you and Jo came to be friends."
The blonde was caught a little off guard at the question and let out a nervous laugh before looking to Jo for reassurance. Blair noticed the silent conversation between them. It intrigued her, her eyes switching back and forth between the two. She noticed the gentle hand rub and nod from Jo. Blair knitted her brows at the sight.
"Well," Terry gave a glance to each of her dinner guests. "Jo and I met at JTI and we, um, hit it off."
Tootie quirked a suspicious eyebrow. "Hit it off?"
The blonde blushed and looked down, suddenly shy. "We, uh... "
"She's my girlfriend." Jo supplied.
There.
It was out. No more tiptoeing around the elephant.
There was a moment of silence before Natalie spoke. "Wow! That, that's... "
"Shocking," Tootie blurted. She looked around the table. Jo had raised an eyebrow at her response. Natalie was obviously trying to process the new information while Blair sat motionless and speechless, save for several blinks.
Jo smiled gently at her girlfriend. She was proud of the fact that she could be open about their relationship, finally. She felt the tenseness and overwhelming stress wash away from her. Telling her closest friends was just a step; her parents being the very next. She'd decided to tell her father later on that night.
Tootie cracked a smile. "Well, what do you know?" She chuckled. She raised her glass of sparkling cider. "Here's to Jo and… "
"Excuse me." There was the loud scraping of chair legs as Blair suddenly dismissed herself from the table and adamantly made a beeline for the ladies room.
Jo watched as the blonde quickly disappeared behind the partition. She felt a sense of bewilderment overtake her for a moment. She knew her announcement wouldn't go as smoothly as she'd hoped, but...
"I'll be right back." Jo gave everyone an apologetic smile as she quickly moved toward the ladies room.
The table was silent for a few moments. "Well, that was rude," Natalie smiled at Terry, patting her hand reassuringly. "I'm sure Blair will be alright."
Terry nodded her smile faltering a bit. "I'm sure." She felt a little out of sorts without Jo beside her, but the three eventually settled in to a pleasant banter.
Jo found Blair bent over a sink gently wringing the water out of a soft towel the restaurant had provided. She straightened only to find the brunette standing squarely behind her reflection in the mirror. She turned and pursed her lips.
Jo crossed her arms and waited.
Blair took a step to the side, patting her face and neck. She spared another glance at Jo. "You're mad."
A brown eyebrow quirked. "Why would I be?"
Blair tossed her hair and let out a puff. "Because." She stopped, not quite finding the right words. She deposited the rag in the container provided.
Jo just stood there a waited. She was still, stock still, and Blair felt like she was trapped in a spot light as another patron entered the restroom.
"I'm gay, Blair. Is that a problem for you?"
"Shhh!" Blair pulled on Jo's arm. Glaring, Jo snatched it back. "Would you just... please!"
"Blair this is California!" Green eyes flashed anger.
Blair returned the look then moved to turn on the cold water from three sinks at full tap, the noise causing a scene as two more patrons entered the restroom.
"Would you stop that?!" Jo turned off the taps and leveled a look at Blair. The blondes eyes were constantly roaming around the room.
"Blair, this is California and it's 2015. Probably half the women that come in here are gay." Jo stated.
Blair noticed one of the women snicker at the statement as she washed her hands. She blushed a full red hue from her hairline down to her neck.
There was a small sitting room around the corner, and Blair nodded toward it. Jo rolled her eyes and followed her uptight companion.
A middle-aged woman dressed in a full maid's uniform was attending the room. She offered them both a bowl of mints, which was politely turned down.
"You mind telling me what happened out there?" Jo asked, her temper was starting to get the best of her.
Blair took a deep breath. "I just… wasn't quite expecting that."
Jo backed off at the explanation. She didn't particularly know how each one of her ex-roommates would receive the news of her sexuality, but she figured Blair would have something to say about it... she always did.
A jab perhaps, a snicker or a dig maybe. But not what had happened five minutes ago. Pure silence and a dash out was not how Blair Warner handled hard news.
"Look, Blair, I know that was out of left field." Jo noticed the slight smile at the pun. "I just needed you to know. It's important to me that I can be open with you guys."
Blair pursed her lips; silently nodding her head. "I see. So all those years we were living together… you couldn't have said something then?"
Blair frowned at Jo, obviously not quite comfortable with the revelation.
Jo let out a frustrated breath. She ran a few fingers through her bangs. "No. Yes. I, I j-just." She stopped and gathered her thoughts. "I wasn't ready then...to let anyone know."
Silence for a moment, then. "I see." Blair sucked in her cheeks. "Then I guess we're even."
Jo noticed the brown eyes looking intently at her were quite serious. They were unwavering, unblinking and seemed to connect something within her for a fleeting moment… Point taken.
She studied the blonde heiress for a second, giving her a half smile. "I guess so." Jo rang her hands together nervously. " …cause now you know." A nervous smile and chuckle.
Blair took a step toward Jo then stopped. "Yeah I do, don't I." She licked her lips looking at the floor for a second then back up into steady green eyes. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Jo, I need to tell y—"
"Blair you don't have to say anything. Really." Jo stuffed her hands in her pockets. "I would rather we just drop it for now ok?" Her voice held a nervous tinge.
Blair released a breath muttering. "It's just that I—"
"So now what?" Jo noticed the restroom had emptied out. She looked directly at Blair, who had just barely made out the question.
Blair noticed the questioning look on the brunette's face before she realized she was staring. "No, I mean y-yes, absolutely! I mean… you're right. This really isn't the place for discussing…" She trailed off smiling weakly. "That."
Jo gave her blonde companion a rueful smirk. "Yeah well… We probably should get back out there. There's no telling how Terry's fairing with the dynamic duo…probably 20 questions on steroids." She stated wryly.
Blair let out a chuckle then nodded uneasily. She gathered herself together then thought for a minute before placing a soft hand on Jo's back. "We'll go back out there and tell Mary the most embarrassing stories about your years at Eastland and Langley while you sit there and take it." A toothy smile.
Jo blanched at the thought then gave Blair a glaring side eye. The blonde snorted giving her old friend a shove. "Go ahead, I'll be right out."
Jo nodded, taking a few steps, then turned around. "Uh, Blair?"
A blonde brow lifted. "Yes?"
"Her name's Terry."
"Ah, right, Terry. Got it." Blair plastered on a bright smile.
Jo smiled at the blonde one last time before rounding the corner and exiting the restroom.
Blair let out a breath, her smile fading as she slumped against the counter. She placed a hand on her stomach and closed her eyes taking in a much-needed gulp of air. She could feel her heartbeat.
"Don't give up, Chiquita."
Brown eyes snapped open. She'd forgotten the woman was there. She had been quietly reading a book... and eavesdropping from the looks of it.
Blair smoothed her hair in place and nervously pulled at her pencil skirt. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean." That was followed with a no nonsense glare.
The woman smirked then moved her feather duster over the surface of the countertop. "Amor, querida. Love."
Blair stared at the woman who went on doing her job with a faint smile on her lips. She watched as the motions of the feathers lightly stroked the surface. She bit her lip for a moment before looking over her reflection in the mirror.
She had dressed for dinner, after Jo had told them where to meet. Her top was silk; tight. The first two buttons were undone, the tops of her generous cleavage cleverly displayed. Her skirt was form fitting; well above the knee. Her heels were high and she knew her calf muscles were getting a real workout from them.
Blair closed her eyes and sighed. She had dressed for...
Deft fingers slowly buttoned the top buttons of her blouse. She swallowed then gave the woman a smile. Plucking a mint from the bowl, she politely dropped a fifty dollar bill in it before turning on her heel.
"Have a wonderful evening." She tossed over her shoulder as she exited the restroom.
What a difference nine month's make.
"Miss Warner we are three blocks from your residence." The car slowed as it stopped at a red light.
Brown eyes cracked open as they tried to focus. Must've dozed off. "Um, yes. Thank you, Hamilton."
Blair observed her surroundings while rubbing her eyes, careful of her eyeliner. She yawned. "Hamilton, stop at the next block, please."
A grayish eyebrow lifted in the rear view mirror. "As you wish, Miss Warner." The car came to a soft stop as the driver pulled up to the curb right outside of a dry cleaner's.
"I'll be walking the rest of the way. I need to clear my head." Blair announced.
Hamilton nodded, then exited the car to open the passenger side back door. Blair stepped out, briefcase in hand. She noted the weather, it was a little misty, but the rain had stopped momentarily, and she thought she'd take advantage of it.
"It's a lovely night for a walk, don't you think, Hamilton?" She smiled at her favorite driver. His graying head was under a polished cap, which he tipped before winking at the blonde. He had been her driver since she was ten years old.
"Sure is." Came the reply.
He closed the door then got back in the car. Blair knew he would follow her up the street, the doorman to her penthouse almost within view two blocks away.
Blair tipped her head back and closed her eyes as she took in a lungful of air. It always smelled the best after a good rain, even in the city. The mist of the remnants of the storm coating her face and hands. She welcomed it; didn't mind it one bit as she walked along the sidewalk.
She reached her residence, waving to her driver as he smiled before driving off.
"Evening, Miss Warner." The doorman opened the door for her as she touched his arm in greeting. She walked into the lobby and approached the front desk for her mail.
The concierge handed her a several envelopes, which she thanked him for, then fingered through as she approached the elevator.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Miss Warner, your guest arrived an hour ago!" he yelled after her as the doors to the elevator were shutting.
Blair thought for a moment. "My guest?" The steel box jerked then carried her up the floors to her penthouse digs.
Still perplexed, Blair stuffed her mail in the side pocket of her briefcase then keyed her door, only to be hit with the aroma of Italian cuisine. The garlic was strong. She stepped through the door and set her briefcase down while looking around her apartment.
"Hello… Meg?"
There was a loud jangling of pots in the kitchen then a head peeked out from under the countertop. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
Blair watched as the brunette came closer.
"You gave me a key, remember?" She gestured towards an elegantly set table by the window, complete with chilled wine in a bucket, designer dinnerware and candlelight. Blair was momentarily struck silent.
"I wanted to celebrate your first day as President." A soft smile.
Blair allowed herself to be pulled toward the table. A smile making its way to her lips as she looked into the twinkling eyes of her companion.
She let out a breathy sigh then spoke softly. "Thank you, Amanda."
Thanks for hanging in here with me. Buckle your seatbelts folks, bumpy rides, twitst and turns ahead!