Chapter 6

Nadine

"One cup of green tea," the Secretary said with a small smile as she held out the mug in her right hand. "I added some of that honey Paul Wellington brought back from Yemen."

"I've heard locals call it liquid gold."

When she reached out, carefully taking the mug, she quietly thanked her. Out of habit, she pulled on the string of the teabag, dunking it in and out of the water. Then, she wrapped her palms around the base to warm her hands. Looking up, Nadine noticed that the other woman had taken a seat in one of the chairs across from the couch.

Locking eyes, the Secretary commented, "You were quiet during dinner."

After an emotional few days at the office, she'd invited her to have dinner with her family at her home. Wanting to please, she'd politely accepted.

"So were you."

Glancing down at her lap, the Secretary chuckled. "Sometimes it's nice to come home and just listen after having to be the boss all day."

Nodding, Nadine slowly lifted the mug of tea to her lips. After years of working in politics, she could understand the need to turn off. Somedays, she missed having someone to come home to who could distract her from the chaos— hugs, kisses in the kitchen, and sweet nothings whispered in her ear. As the days ticked by, she found herself missing Vincent even more.

"Having children makes that easy," she said.

"Well," the Secretary began, taking a quick sip of tea. "When I'm not playing referee between them."

Nadine almost laughed.

Leaning forward, she stretched and set her mug down on the coffee table. As much as she loved playing nice with this woman, she was tired. After this week, hell this month, she wanted to go home, pour herself a stiff drink, and fall into bed. It was apparent that Elizabeth McCord wasn't planning on telling it to her straight, so she would need to bring up the elephant in the room.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, why did you ask me here tonight?" Nadine asked, clasping her hands together in her lap.

In an instant, the Secretary turned serious. "To talk you out of quitting."

"I…"

How did she know?

Of course, she knew that she was considering handing in her resignation. She was ex-CIA! Over the past two months, Matt and Blake nearly had her convinced that she could read minds.

"I know that you're being poached by private firms."

"Madam Secretary, even before I decided to follow Vincent to Washington, I received job offers every day. It's nothing new." She grabbed for her mug, taking a sip. Given the topic of conversation, she wished it was something stronger. "The reason I'm contemplating stepping away is because this…" Using her hand, she motioned between them. "…may very well prove to be too hard."

Of course, she had a sense of duty to this nation, to the department, and believe it or not, to this incredibly challenging woman, but the thought of continuing in this position after admitting to an affair made her shake in her heels. Just last week, she'd been told that she'd been investigated. Knowing that Vincent was being investigated next still weighed heavy on her mind.

"Nadine, I realize that our relationship has been difficult to navigate given your…" The Secretary paused, searching for the right word. "…devotion to Vincent Marsh, but I'm holding out an olive branch."

"I appreciate that Ma'am, but I—"

"Look," she said, tapping the tips of her fingers against the side of her mug. "If you really want to walk away, I'll respect that, but I don't want you to make a rash decision that you'll regret."

"Okay."

The Secretary arched one brow. "Okay?"

"Okay," Nadine repeated. "I'll sit on it for a while longer."

Standing, Elizabeth smiled. "How about a scotch?"

"I thought you'd never offer."