Duplicity

Chapter 31

“Would you like another?” Cyrus asked Mellie holding up a bottle of scotch.

“Why not,” she pushed her glass in his direction and watched the amber liquid fall into it, “What possessed you to bring her in on this?”

“Olivia?”

“Of course, Olivia, Cyrus, isn’t that all we talk about lately?” Mellie was irritated, “She is everywhere and everyone loves her. I just don’t get it.”

“Liv is a great girl” began Cyrus, “She is smart, she’ll do what has to be done to get Fitz elected.”

“I don’t want to talk about how great she is” Mellie took a large swallow of her drink, “I want to know why you brought her in. Why not someone else?”

“Because she’s the best.”

“Did you plan for her to take my husband?” Mellie watched the scotch slosh in her glass as she spoke, “Was that part of your plan?”

“Of course not,” Cyrus was insulted, “This bothers me as much as it does you.”

“I doubt it” Mellie looked back to Cyrus, “You still get your job if he wins. What do I get?”

“You could be happy, Mellie,” Cyrus reached to pat her arm in an attempt to show compassion, “Why don’t you try to make things work with Robert?”

            Mellie stood and wandered over to the window that overlooked the backyard, “I don’t want to be married to a senator. I’m better than that.”

“He’s a nice guy” Cyrus offered.

“He’s very nice,” Mellie turned in Cyrus’ direction, “I actually thought I was falling in love with him.”

“Then why not go for it?”

“Because I need to know why Fitz picked her,” Mellie sounded as if she might cry, “What makes Olivia Pope so much better than me?”

“Mellie…”

“No, really, what makes him want her and not his wife?” tears stung Mellie’s eyes as she let herself experience the loss of her husband as a woman and wife for the first time, “Is she prettier than me? Does she do something I didn’t?”

            Cyrus walked over to where she was standing and looked out into the darkness, “Mellie, I’m not privy to everything that Fitz thinks or feels.”

“But has he said anything to you?” her eyes were pleading, “Is there something he sees in Olivia that he can’t find in me?”

“He loves her” Cyrus instinctively took a step away from Mellie as he spoke, “They have a lot of fun together.”