by D J Small
Secretary Kanaan cleared his throat. “The Alliance leaders were about to go over what happened a few hours ago.”
“And that is…?” Val asked needing him to hurry up with the news so she could deal with the next shitstorm headed her way.
He stood up with a document in his hand and walked over to where she sat. “We were waiting for you to arrive, ma’am.” Val gave him a slight nod as she sat down, and Jabir continued. “I’ll let Prime Minister Tekin give you the details.” He gestured towards the screen. “Go ahead, Mr. Prime Minister.”
The prime minister of Turkey nodded and said, “Thank you, Secretary Kanaan.” He focused on Val. “Madam President, though it is still an area of contention between your people and the leaders of the Alliance, we have come to the conclusion that Nasir and Hasem must be taken out of power.” He paused and sighed. “Insurgents crossed the border and attacked a village in my country, killing and injuring hundreds of people. Alliance forces have been dispatched, but we believe they won’t be able to capture the rebels who are responsible for this tragedy.”
Val felt her stomach drop, but her face remained neutral. For the millionth time, she believed that if American forces had taken control of the situation from the start the rebels would have been dealt with sooner, but that damn treaty tied Val’s hands. “I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Prime Minister. What would you like the U.S. to do?”
“We would like it if American forces helped the Alliance troops maintain peace at the border while we take Hasem and Nasir out of power,” he said, sounding as if this was the last thing he wanted to do. Val understood his predicament, but sometimes the hardest choices were the ones that made the most sense.
Val nodded. “I will have the troops in the area moved to the Turkey-Iraq border, but I will not be sending any more for support. It would be a direct violation of the treaty.”
“Understood, President Hawkins.” Prime Minister Tekin drew in a deep breath and released it. “Perhaps this will be a quick and casualty-free removal of power.”
“I hope it is,” Val returned. If it wasn’t, it would lead to a war, and that would set the Alliance back a few decades. “Secretary Kanaan will collaborate with the Alliance military leadership and will be your point of contact in regard to the troops.”
Prime Minister Tekin gave her a gracious nod. “Thank you, Madam President.”
Val smiled. “Don’t thank me, Mr. Prime Minister. I believe in the Alliance and those who lead it. I want to make sure it continues to be a voice of reason in that part of the world.” They bid each other farewell, and once the call disconnected, Val asked, “Were there American casualties?”
Jabir shook his head. “No, ma’am. Most of our troops are either in Bagdad or at the Kuwait border.”
“Okay, that’s a silver lining to all this.” Val sighed. “Make the necessary plans and movements. I don’t want this to last too long.” She stood up. “I trust you and the others to make the right decisions, but make sure we remain within the terms of 2072. I do not want another problem like the one we had last week.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jabir said with a nod.
Val left the conference room, and as she walked into the lobby she found Addison sitting on the couch. She stood and fell into step next to Val, heading for the elevator. “What happened?”
“The rebels attacked a village in Turkey close to the border. This comes on the heels of the Alliance’s decision to take Hasem and Nasir out of power.” Val shook her head as they approached elevators. Pushing the up button, she said, “I have a feeling it wasn’t a fucking coincidence either.” She pressed her lips together and thought about the timing of the two events. A small voice in her head told her how this could have happened, but she tried to ignore it. They got onto the elevator and Val asked, “What do you have for me?”
Addison beamed a smile at her. “The tax reform bill passed. You just need to read it over and then sign it.”
A huge smile broke out on Val’s face. This meant there was one less thing for her to focus on, and she could spend more time on the situation in the Middle East if it got worse. Another upside to the bill passing was that she wouldn’t have to fight and cajole senators and representatives into signing a piece of legislation that helped people. “When will I have it on my desk?”
“Not until the end of the day.” Addison chuckled and pushed the button for the main floor. “You know how it has to be made pretty before you can sign it. I’ve scheduled the signing for tomorrow morning. You’ve got your meeting with Nina in an hour, but your meeting with the EPA is before it.”
The elevator arrived on the first floor of the West Wing and they made their way to the Oval. Val’s meeting with the environmental agency was to make sure the planet wasn’t on the verge of another environmental crisis. The agency was part of a global collective that monitored the planet. They walked into the office, and Val said, “Please tell me it isn’t anything dire?”
Addison shook her head. “No, not at all. Just the usual update.”
Val sat behind her desk and blew out a breath. “Good, because science isn’t my strong suit.” She bit her bottom lip, and though she hated to ask, she needed to know. “Why is Nina meeting with me?”
“Uh…final arrangements for the governors’ dinner,” Addison replied with some hesitation.
Val quickly nodded and said, “Right, right. Of course.” No, she hadn’t thought it had something to do with Summer, who she hadn’t heard from in the last week. The day after she had canceled on her, Val had tried calling, but the call had gone unanswered. On some level it had hurt her, but she had also been expecting it. Val hadn’t tried calling her again. She had done her part; it was up to Summer now.
“Still avoiding her?”
Val scoffed. “I am not avoiding her.” She cast an irritated glance towards Addison. “I don’t avoid people.”
Addison chuckled and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. “Then why haven’t you called her, and why hasn’t she been around?” She laughed. “Poor Nina has been hauling dinner pictures and stuffed folders to Summer because the two of you are doing whatever the hell this is.”
“I told her those documents were supposed to stay in the White House,” Val said, trying to sound angry about it. She waved her hand. “And if you haven’t noticed, I’m busy dealing with a conflict in the Middle East and trying to run a country. I don’t have time to chase Summer around.”
Addison nodded. “I know you don’t, and I know you’ve been busy with everything that been going on.” She released a deep breath. “Val, I’m sorry about what I said last week. I was out of line—”
“But apparently you felt the need to say it,” Val interjected, still a little upset by the conversation.
Addison shook her head. “I shouldn’t have. At the time, I thought it was necessary because the lawsuit freaked me out, but like always, you dealt with everything with a focus I honestly wish I possessed, and put out a lot of fires.”
Val stared at Addison. The fact she had questioned her judgment and had challenged her was still incredibly annoying. She huffed. “The fact you felt the need to question my decision makes me believe you’ve lost your faith in me.”
“Can you blame me, Val?” Addison countered. “When it comes to Summer you seem to get tunnel vision and she becomes your sole focus. You can’t say I’m wrong.”
Val glowered at Addison then she dropped her head back against the chair, letting out a frustrated growl before a deep sigh came from her. “You may be right there.” She lifted her head. “But did you have to point it out so bluntly?”
“It’s the only thing that works with you,” Addison replied with a grin.
Val shook her head. “Well cut it out, I don’t need you pointing out how I behave around Summer.” She puffed out her cheeks and slowly released the air in them. “I know what happens to me, and I hate to admit it, but I think we were heading for a path neither of us are ready for.” Val sighed. “I thi
nk it’s a good thing we’ve put some space between us, and I think I need to distance myself from her. Put her back in her little box.”
For the last week, Val had struggled with the possibility of distancing herself from Summer, but when Summer had disappeared on her, Val realized how much she was emotionally invested in this thing with Summer, and it was more than she wanted to be. Distance seemed to be the best thing for she and Summer right now.
“Are you sure that’s necessary?” Addison questioned gently.
Val grunted quietly. “I honestly don’t know.” What she did know was that if she and Summer didn’t give each other space, one or both of them were going to end up hurt beyond repair. Val drew in a slow deep breath and released it. “I guess I have to prepare for the meeting.”
Addison rose from her chair. “It’s in the conference room down the hall.”
“Thanks,” Val said with a slight nod while opening a document on her computer. When Addison had exited the Oval Office, Val rested her elbows on top of the desk and held her head in her hands. It was going to take minute for her to regain her focus. The conversation about Summer had brought her out of the special place Val had put her inside her mind, and she needed to put her back. After drawing in a few deep breaths, Val was focused again, and she was able to read the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency.
~~~
Summer walked out of her office and began to make her way down the corridor, heading for the large conference room on the other side of the floor. The space the foundation currently occupied didn’t suit Summer’s taste, but the floor it would be permanently located wasn’t ready and wouldn’t be done until winter, or so she hoped. It was another thing on a long list of things she needed to keep an eye on, but most of her time was currently spent on planning and scheduling fundraisers for the foundation. Annoyed by this part of her role, Summer rolled her eyes.
She had made it halfway down the hall when Nina came around the corner.
“Where are you going?” Summer asked when she was close enough. Throughout the month, she’d given Nina various assignments to do, and would check in with her every so often, but with her head being a total mess, she hadn’t followed up with her in the last few days.
“Meeting with the president. It’s our last one before the governors’ dinner this Saturday,” Nina replied with a smile.
“Oh.” The unexpected mention of Val surprised her, but it shouldn’t have. For the last week, Val had occupied every other thought to go through Summer’s head, which was why she was so distracted lately, but none of those thoughts had helped her figure out what to do with Val and the love she still felt for her.
“Did you want to come and see how everything turned out?”
“No, thank you. I have fundraiser and budget meetings to get to, so my plate is full,” Summer answered quickly, hoping it didn’t sound like she was trying to weasel her way out of seeing Val. The last time the two of them had spoken to each other was the last night Val had stayed at her place, which was well over a week ago. Summer had also ignored the calls she had received from Val, and knew their next conversation wouldn’t be a good one—if the two of them ever spoke again.
Nina chuckled and remarked, “I hope you get the fundraiser schedule figured out soon. Your mom seemed like she was about to toss you out as chairwoman.”
Summer rolled her eyes and smiled. “She’s been trying to do it for a while now, but luckily it requires a board vote.”
The two of them shared a laugh, then Nina said, “I’ve got to go.” She smiled. “Don’t want to keep the president waiting.”
“No, you definitely shouldn’t.”
Nina walked by her and said, “I’ll send you pictures of everything.”
“Okay,” Summer replied, even though her interest in the planning of this event was non-existent. Standing in the middle of the hall, she got caught up in the swirling pool of emotions inside her.
She missed Val, and wanted to go with Nina to see her, but the two of them needed to have a conversation that wouldn’t be easy for either of them, and Summer wanted to have her thoughts and feelings sorted out before they spoke. If they had the conversation before she did, it would turn into a messy one where Summer would be fueled by her emotions, and that ran the risk of her messing everything up between she and Val. Blowing out a deep sigh, Summer continued to make her way to the conference room, and mentally prepared for the mundane meeting while trying to keep Val from invading her thoughts.
~~~
Val wrote on the notepad next to the hard copy of her speech for the governors’ dinner. She liked writing her speeches by hand and giving them to Addison to look over before trying to memorize it. She wasn’t a fan of teleprompters. There was a knock on the Oval Office door. “Yes?”
It opened, and Manny walked in. “Ma’am, Ms. Ellsworth is here for your meeting.”
“Of course, send her on in,” Val said as she put the notepad and her speech in the top drawer of her desk. Manny showed Nina in, and Val stood from her office chair. “Nina, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing well, Madam President.” Nina replied with a smile. “A little excited to see how everything comes out this weekend, but sad because I won’t be working in the White House anymore.”
Val chuckled and gestured to the couch in the sitting area. “Perhaps I can steal you back from the colonel.”
Nina smiled. “With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t believe you can. Working for the Armstrong Foundation may not be as exciting as the White House, but the organization does incredible work.”
Val gave an understanding nod as she chuckled lightly. “I get it. You are enamored by the Armstrong charm. A giving, virtuous family who does good for the country.” She grinned. “Trust me, I know the appeal.” Nina blushed, and Val laughed. As she calmed down, she said, “Let’s go over everything for this Saturday’s dinner.”
Nina visibly relaxed and pulled out her tablet, getting right to business.
The meeting wasn’t a long one. The two of them went over the menu, seating, and set up of the dining room, but everything else Nina had under control or someone on the White House staff was taking care of it. “Did you have time to put in the surprise recognition for the governor of California?” Val asked as they closed out the meeting.
“I did. I put it immediately after your speech.”
Val nodded and watched Nina gather her notes. A question sat on the tip of her tongue, and her professionalism told her not to ask it, but the unprofessional side of her wanted to ask. She bit her bottom lip then sighed. “How is Summer doing?”
Nina suddenly stopped what she was doing and looked at Val. “Ma’am?”
“I know the two of you have gotten close, and you have been there for her,” Val said, feeling compelled to explain why she had asked about Summer. “I thought you would know about how she is doing.” Nina appeared to be slightly uncomfortable by the question, and Val rushed to apologize. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you about Summer. It puts you in a terrible—”
“She’s stressed, Madam President,” Nina replied, interrupting Val. “Sorry for the interruption, but when it comes to the colonel, you have to weigh your options before answering any questions about it her.”
Val chuckled. “I understand. I’m glad you’re protective of her, she needs that.”
“She does,” Nina said softly, but she quickly added, “at least in regard to everything going on with her. I hope that didn’t come off as me having romantic feelings towards the colonel. I admire her, but there is absolutely nothing going on there.”
Val pressed her lips together as she tried not to laugh her rambling. At least Nina was quite aware of who she was talking to. After drawing in a deep breath through her nose to regain her composure, Val said, “Well, that’s good to know. It would be rather unbecoming if the president were to get into a fight with someone under her ex-wife’s employ over her ex-wife.” She chuckled. “However, do know
it would be one you would not win if it did happen.”
The two of them laughed, and as they caught their breaths, Nina said, “President Hawkins, I would never try to fight you over the colonel. Not only am I not attracted to women, but I wouldn’t want to be involved in some tawdry scandal.”
Val nodded, finding herself liking Nina even more now that she knew she wasn’t after Summer. She turned the conversation back to what the had been discussing. “You say she’s stressed?”
“Yes, and I don’t think it’s from work, either.” Nina paused before releasing a deep breath. “The colonel likes to work, and she’s been working a lot lately because fundraising season is right around the corner, but it seems like she’s doing it to avoid something.”
Val didn’t have to think twice about what Summer’s was avoiding, and she thought Nina was being kind to her by using the word something instead of saying Summer was avoiding her. “Thank you, Nina, and thank you for all the work you have done. I will make sure the colonel knows about it, and perhaps you can help me for the next event the White House holds.”
Nina smiled. “I would like that very much, President Hawkins, and thank you. The colonel was less than helpful, but she also didn’t want to embarrass you.”
“I think you saved her with your wonderful work.” Val got up from the couch and said, “Let me show you out.”
The two of them walked out of the Oval Office, discussing the upcoming fundraising season for the Armstrong Foundation. For the next six months, there would be a blitz of glitzy events to raise money for the foundation itself and the several charities under its umbrella. Val was a keynote speaker at a few of them. Something she did to appease Matt and Cassandra while her father got a break from their incessant hounding.
After showing Nina out Val walked back to the Oval, and her mind was filled with Summer. If she was putting herself under unnecessary stress because of Val, then it wasn’t something Val would let continue. There was a mountain of challenges between them, but Val wasn’t going to let Summer do more harm to herself because of her.
