Courtship

by Carsen Taite

  Addison walked over to Eva’s chair and took her in her arms. She wasn’t in love with Eva, but she did care about her, as a former lover. As a friend. “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. I should’ve told you about the nomination. Maybe you would’ve been more on guard when the reporter showed up. I would never have put you through reliving these memories.”

  Eva shook her head. “Don’t you see? It’s not just me. The Right is going to go after you with everything they’ve got. Your baby-killing girlfriend is just the beginning. You need to contact the White House because they are going to need some serious spin if you’re going to get confirmed.”

  Addison looked at her desk. Julia hadn’t returned her call from this morning. Was she really still asleep or was she regretting last night? Either way, it was time to tell her everything about her encounter with Jeff Burrows the night before the president’s announcement.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  The West Wing was buzzing with activity as Addison walked with her escort through the hallways to the chief of staff’s office. Her call to Julia hadn’t been answered, but Noah Davy had made it very clear Julia would be here today for the meeting for which she’d been summoned.

  As they reached the door, her escort slowed. Addison looked her way, but couldn’t quite decipher the look on her face. She struggled to remember her name. Cindy. Right. “Cindy, is everything okay? There seems to be a lot going on around here for a Saturday.”

  She looked around before answering, “It’s a busy place.” Then she ducked her head and said, in a quiet whisper, “Whatever happens in there, know that you are the best possible person they could have picked for the job.”

  Cindy knocked on the door as she delivered the final words, and once the person inside shouted “be right there,” she disappeared down the hall.

  The few seconds Addison waited for the door to open were the longest in her life. Why had she been summoned here on a Saturday? Had someone tipped the White House off about the story on Eva? But hadn’t Julia said that Emily Pierson was a blogger, not a real reporter? Although nowadays, it didn’t appear that the general public drew a distinction between the two. Didn’t matter. If the White House was scared of what a blogger might say about the fact a woman she’d once dated had exercised her right to choose, she was prepared to argue the point. She’d practiced her arguments on the way over. You can’t support the right only in the abstract. If you want the court to preserve Roe v. Wade, then you have to stand firm and stop letting states chip away at the law with arbitrary restrictions. Besides, it wasn’t like she’d had an abortion herself or even known Eva when she’d had hers.

  Engaged in thought, she was startled when Julia opened the door. She looked like she hadn’t slept at all the night before, but her eyes didn’t have the sleepy haze of the sated, but instead were laced with restless anxiety. She’d wanted to cause the one, but definitely not the other.

  “Are you okay?”

  Julia shook her head. “It’s been a long morning.”

  “This isn’t how I wanted to see you…after…” Addison let the words fall. She read nothing encouraging in Julia’s expression, and this was no place for a personal conversation. Maybe they could talk later. Alone. She’d invite her over and they could forget politics for an evening, try to recapture the heady passion of last night.

  “Noah’s waiting, and there are a few other people here.” She shook her head, opened her mouth like she wanted to say more, but then shook her head again.

  Addison placed a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. We’ll talk later.”

  She followed Julia into the crowded room. Later. They’d talk about last night, but it would have to be later. Right now, she was prepared to deal with whatever they were ready to throw her way.

  Noah was at his desk. Gordon and Diane were seated in chairs across from him with another man she didn’t recognize. Julia stood off to the left, slightly out of her line of sight. Noah stood and the rest followed suit. He motioned for her to take a seat, and once she sat down the others did as well.

  “Dean Riley, thank you for responding so quickly. We have a few items we need to discuss with you, and we wanted to do this in person.”

  He picked up a piece of paper and started to say something else, but Addison raised a hand to stop him. “Excuse me, Mr. Davy, but I haven’t been introduced to one of your guests.”

  Noah looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on the stranger in the room. “Oh, yes. Jed Reeves, Deputy Director FBI.”

  “I know that being nominated to fill a Supreme Court seat is a big deal, but do you really assign the deputy director to perform my background check?”

  Gordon and Diane shifted in their seats, and the room became thick with tension. Noah’s eyes narrowed. “Well, now that you mention it, Deputy Director Reeves isn’t here about that.” He set down the paper in his hand and crossed his fingers. “How well did you know Larry Weir?”

  Addison’s gut response—that they were like siblings—caught in her throat. “How well did I know him? Why? What’s happened to him?” She searched their faces for an answer, saving Julia for last. Surely, if something had happened to Larry, she wouldn’t have kept it from her? She could rely on her to clear up this misunderstanding. Couldn’t she?

  “He’s dead. He committed suicide.”

  Julia’s voice was quiet and edged with pain, but Addison took no comfort from that. Larry was dead. He’d come to her, grief-stricken, angry with hurt, and she’d brushed off his concerns. She should have recognized the cry for help. Done more than try to reach him by phone to assuage his worries. She should’ve known something was wrong yesterday when he didn’t show up for the press conference. Yet, instead of worrying about his well-being, she’d been at Julia’s house, indulging in pleasures he would never again feel.

  “When?”

  “They’re not sure yet, probably a couple of days.”

  The knowledge that she couldn’t have done anything about it if she’d skipped her celebration wasn’t a relief. She still should have reached out to him. Should’ve done more to fill the void he must have felt after his father’s tragic and inexplicable death. Waves of nausea flooded through her, tangible guilt and sorrow. She had to get away, be alone with her grief. “I need a few minutes.”

  “Dean Riley, I’m sorry about this news, but we have several urgent, important things to cover.”

  Noah’s words sounds light years away, but it didn’t matter. Julia crossed the room in long strides and motioned for him to shut up. Addison watched the scene play out as if she were up in the air, above it all. Seconds later, Julia took her by the arm and led her from the room.

  *

  “Hey, you’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” Julia hated repeating the useless phrase, but she didn’t think Addison was in any shape to process more. Seeing her so visibly shaken was disconcerting, and her own anger and disappointment faded in the face of Addison’s distress. At Weir’s funeral, she’d been strong, calmly delivering her mentor’s eulogy, but now she was broken, and Julia didn’t know how to fix it.

  She led her into a nearby room and shut the door behind them. Addison slumped into a seat, but Julia paced the room. “I’m sorry you had to find out like that.”

  “How long?”

  Addison’s voice was a whisper. “What?”

  “How long have you known about Larry? Last night? Did you know last night?”

  Julia flashed to the evening before. All she’d known then was how much she craved contact with the now grief-stricken woman seated before her. All she’d known then was that she was likely making a huge professional mistake, but she’d cared more about how good it felt than the consequences. “No, I didn’t know last night. I found out this morning.”

  “And you didn’t think I should know? Didn’t think you should call me?”

  It had been her gut instinct to call Addison the minute she’d learned the news, but she’d ignored it, certain she was let
ting personal feelings get in the way of doing what was necessary to contain the story. And then there’d been the news about Eva. She’d let her anger get in the way. Or hurt. She hadn’t had time to decide which. “There wasn’t time. Besides, I found out about Larry around the same time I found out that your girlfriend is about to be outed in the national news as a pro-choice poster girl. Think you might’ve told me about that?”

  The words weren’t fair and she knew it, but once she started hurtling down this path, she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Besides, she’d be just as tough on any other candidate. Last night had seemed so good, so right, but it had been a huge mistake if it was going to get in the way of doing her job.

  Addison stood and walked over to where she was standing, her jaw set and her eyes steely. Sad, grieving Addison was gone.

  “Eva Monroe is not my girlfriend. If she had an abortion, a legal abortion, that’s her business and no one else’s. You might want to check with your boss, but I think the right to privacy is one of the key issues the Senate is going to ask about at the confirmation hearings, and this is exactly the kind of situation that right to privacy is supposed to protect.

  “As for Larry, I don’t even know where to begin. I told you yesterday that he and I have been in touch, that he was concerned about his father’s death. I feel horrible that he took his own life and I didn’t catch the signs of his depression in time to stop him. You should have known I would want to know as soon as you did and that I wouldn’t want to find out in front of a room full of strangers.”

  Julia opened her mouth to respond, not at all sure what she would say, but Addison wasn’t finished.

  “What we shared last night was special to me, but I see now I was wrong to think that intimacy was any part of it. Winning is so important to you that you forget what you’re trying to achieve. Well, I’m perfectly clear now on what to expect from you, from this process. Let’s go back in there and do whatever needs to be done to make sure you get your win. The sooner I’m on the bench, the sooner you’ll be free to move on to the next job.”

  Addison strode to the door and was through it in a flash. Julia remained rooted to her spot completely confused. She couldn’t have asked for a better out. What had she told herself last night? She’d enjoy the temporary indulgence before it was time for them both to move on. Fun without strings attached. It was her way, it was familiar, and it was what she wanted.

  Wasn’t it?

  *

  “Show me what you have about Eva Monroe.” Addison injected a hint of challenge in her voice. She wanted everyone in the room to know she wasn’t about to take any of this lying down. She’d committed to this path and she was going all the way. If her career went down in flames, she wouldn’t be the first person not to survive the confirmation process. Hell, she could probably command top dollar on the speaking circuit as a cautionary tale.

  Noah nodded at Gordon and he opened a folder and slid a photo her way. The resolution wasn’t great, but it was clear enough to show her and Eva in a restaurant booth. She squinted and then realized she didn’t have to work hard to figure out the location since she and Eva had only had one public dinner in D.C. during the whole of their relationship. It was from the night they’d gone to sushi, a couple of weeks ago. But why would someone have been photographing them when she hadn’t even been in serious consideration for the court at that time?

  “Is this it?”

  “There’s this one too.” Gordon handed over another photograph. Same booth, her and Eva, but this time Julia was in the photo, standing close. That explained the photographer. Julia had been at the restaurant with Judge Landry. The reporter had likely been following Julia and Landry and had snapped these photos out of curiosity. Damn. Eva’s privacy would probably still be intact if they hadn’t shared that one dinner out.

  As she studied the photographs, she heard the door open. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Julia take a seat. She sighed and handed the photos back to Gordon. “Eva and I are colleagues. Who’s to say this isn’t a business dinner?”

  “Does Professor Monroe wear plunging necklines every time you meet for dinner?”

  Diane’s question was delivered in a dry tone, but Addison got the point. “I won’t deny we were involved, but we aren’t anymore, and what Eva did when she was a young college student should have no bearing on my confirmation.”

  Noah started to speak, but Gordon raised a hand to stop him. “Let me give this a try.” He gave her a steely look. “Dean Riley, you’d be more likely to support abortion because your girlfriend had one, isn’t that right?” He shook his head. “Now, which part are you going to deny first?”

  “I don’t have to deny anything. Professor Monroe and all women have a right to privacy. Court precedent is clear on a woman’s right to choose, and I have no intention of breaking new ground in this area of the law. As far as specifics, I happen to know there are a number of state cases making their way through the appellate process now and, out of deference to the court’s work, I will not comment on pending cases.” She leaned back in her chair and waited for the inevitable criticism.

  “We’re going to have to work on that,” Noah said.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Diane said. “I thought she nailed it. If a woman’s right to choose hinges on a constitutional right of privacy, then shouldn’t that right of privacy extend to allow her to keep her choice private?”

  Gordon chimed in. “Diane’s got a point. We can finesse the wording, but the point’s the same. She’s effectively tossed the question back to them. If you don’t like the law, change it, but until then, I’ll apply the law that’s on the books. If she can handle every question they throw at her in the same manner, she’ll do just fine.”

  Addison watched the exchange, wondering if it was even necessary that she be in the room. Unable to help herself, she glanced over at Julia who seemed to be engrossed in a spot on the wall. Julia would probably rather the president had nominated Sally Gibbons than her at this point. She wasn’t sure she didn’t agree.

  “We need to get back to the subject of Larry Weir. Dean Riley, you think you can handle some tough talk on this subject now?”

  Addison faced Noah and nodded.

  “It appears Larry may not have supported your nomination. Any idea why?”

  She’d been prepared for talk of a memorial service, even gruesome details about his death, but she hadn’t been prepared for this. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Care to elaborate?”

  Noah shot a look at Jed, but Addison couldn’t read their expressions. She waited until finally Jed took over the line of questioning. “Larry made a phone call to Josh Gander before he died. He told him he was mailing him a copy of his father’s journal and he alluded to a confrontation Justice Weir had with one of his former law clerks before he died. Larry was evasive in the call, but he told Gander he’d have plenty for a story once he read the journal.”

  Addison’s mind wandered to the original of the journal still in her desk at home, but she kept a poker face. “Did Gander get the journal?”

  “No, not yet. And our agents haven’t found it at either Larry’s or Justice Weir’s residences.”

  “And you have some reason to think the former law clerk is me?” Out of the corner of her eye, Addison saw Julia’s head snap up, the spot on the wall no longer commanding her attention.

  “Is it?” Noah asked.

  “No, it isn’t, but apparently, before he died, Justice Weir was getting pressure from several people to step down.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “Because I have the journal.” Addison braced for their reaction. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “You realize you could be charged with obstruction of justice?” Jed said.

  Addison stood up. “I thought the FBI had better training in the law. I can’t be charged with intent to do anything that I did not intend. I have the journal, yes, but I don’t have anything to hide. If you want to hear what I
have to say, then you’ll take your tone down a notch.”

  Reeves bristled at her reprimand, but Noah made it clear who was in charge. “If you want a seat on the most powerful court in the land, you’ll sit down and answer our questions.”

  She’d had enough. All she wanted to do was leave this office, this place. Go home and grieve. Too many losses. First Justice Weir, then Larry, now this opportunity.

  And Julia. If they’d met under any other circumstances, they might have had a chance, but now it was Julia’s job to either build her up or take her down, depending on the winds of politics. Too flimsy a foundation for any kind of relationship, and she’d been a fool to think otherwise.

  She started to the door, but stopped when she felt Julia’s hand on her arm. She looked into her eyes and saw the silent plea. “I’m not the one you’re looking for.”

  “The president chose you.”

  And it all boiled down to that. Julia stopped her from leaving because it was her job. Not what she wanted, but what she’d been hired to do. Addison may not like it, but she was right. President Garrett had chosen her for the job, and she was qualified. She could walk away, but she’d never shied from a fight, and this opportunity was worth fighting for even if it meant she would lose something she wanted more.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Julia walked Addison back in the room and waited until they were all back in their seats before taking charge. She addressed her remarks directly to Noah.

  “Here’s the deal. You may be on the government dole, but I’m the one the president asked to run this process, and unless he says otherwise, I’m taking the lead from here on out.” She waited a few seconds to judge his reaction. Silence. “Great. Let’s talk about Larry Weir. Addison, tell them what you know.”