Duplicity

Chapter 35

            It had been almost two weeks since Olivia had returned to New York and would be at least two more before there was even a chance of them seeing one another. Fitz sat in his temporary campaign office reading an article about Robert Owens and a bill he was working to push through congress. He knew that today was the day Mellie was being served with divorce papers and he was bracing himself for the storm. He put down the newspaper and reached into his pocket for his phone. He dialed the number and waited.

“Hi” said Olivia.

“Hi yourself, Gorgeous” he returned, “Do you know what today is?”

“Tell me” she replied.

“Today is the day Mellie gets served with the divorce papers” Fitz beamed, “One step closer to the dream, Livie.”

“I hope you hired yourself a bodyguard” joked Olivia, “She’s going to go ballistic.”

“She knows its coming and I think she’s accepted it” he responded.

“I think you have severely underestimated Mellie and how determined she is to be First Lady,” Olivia murmured wishing they were having this conversation in person. She didn’t trust Mellie at all and being served with divorce papers was likely to push her over the edge.

“Livie, you worry too much” Fitz couldn’t feel down when he was talking to Olivia, “but that’s part of why I love you. You and Cyrus worry so I don’t have to.”

“Just be careful Fitz” she warned, “She’s going to be looking for some way to keep you trapped in your marriage. I don’t think she cares that you don’t love her and I think she would go so far as to let our relationship continue if you promised to stay married to her and let her be First Lady.”

“That’s not what I want Livie,” he countered, “She lost, now it’s up to her if she goes quietly or if I have to take her and her family down publicly.”

“Just be careful” she repeated.

“I love you” Olivia could hear Fitz smile as he said it, “You’re so cute when you worry about me.”

“When are you going to be in Pennsylvania?” Olivia asked trying to focus on something more positive.

“Don’t you love me Livie?”

“Of course I do” she quickly replied, “I just hate when you underestimate Mellie and I don’t want to argue with you about it. So I feel like I need to focus on what is keeping me sane which, right now, is seeing you again.”

“I am going to be in Pennsylvania in ten days” Fitz answered, “Maybe we can meet at my house.”

“You know that I can’t meet you at your house” Olivia retorted, “That would be completely inappropriate, Fitz.”

“You could see the kids, we could have some time together,” he continued as if he hadn’t heard her, “We could spend the night reacquainting ourselves with one another.”