Executive Orders

CH 70: Shade and Shadows

"You wanted to see me, Liv?"

Olivia put a phone call through to Quinn, asking her to hold her calls. She stood up as Abby entered the room. Now she moved, coming from behind her desk to motion for Abby to join her on the small love-seat.

"I just wanted to check in with you." Olivia told her; that much was true enough even though there was more than that on her mind. "I know I've been more than a little busy these last few days and while Harrison and I flew off for the weekend, the rest of you have been busy working and more importantly - you and I really haven't had time to talk."

"Okay - so you want an update?" Abby's eyes went a little opaque as she gave her attention to her memories. "There's no new media chatter that I haven't heard since before you jetted off to the Caldwells' bash. There's been no new capitol chatter either, other than speculation over Susan's sudden rising star in certain political circles and that's been pretty public."

She refocused on Olivia. "But I'm sure that you don't need me to tell you that."

Before she could continue, Quinn knocked on Olivia's door, then stuck her head in. "Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to let you know that Gayle Livingston called to confirm her meeting with you later this afternoon."

Olivia thanked her for the heads-up and after Quinn had closed the door, turned her attention back to Abby, who was now looking at her with an suddenly calculating expression. She could see the wheels spinning in Abby's head but before she could say anything, Abby spoke up.

"I was just about to mention her - or did you want to bring her up first?" Abby was frowning now as she guessed at Olivia's intentions. "Do you want to tell me the real reason why you wanted to see me, Liv - or do I have to guess?"

Olivia heard the rising attitude in Abby's voice and that gave her a good idea of how Abby was feeling. Looking at the scenario from her point of view gave her an idea to how she might be thinking and that had Olivia rushing to get her words out in an attempt to head off her friend's temper. "One reason I called you in here was to give you a heads-up that she was coming in, Abs."

"I don't doubt it. And you felt the need to - why?"

Nothing would serve either one of them except the truth and Olivia knew it. "Because, yes - it worried me. Whether you know it or not - I've noticed that in the last few days - even before the Caldwell trip - every time Gayle's name has come up, you react -"

"I do not." The sharp tension in Abby's voice gave the lie to her words.

"Yes, you do." Olivia said. "Ask Harrison if you don't believe me. He saw it too."

That comment about Harrison's input checked Abby - but just for a moment.

"So now I'm an object of discussion?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that -"

"What did Huck have to say? Or Quinn? Did I miss the memo to the 'let's fix Abby' meeting?"

"Abby!"

Abby wasn't ready to let Olivia speak. "If that's the case, let's put the issue out there on the table just so that neither one of us is mistaken - I do not see the shadow of my ex-husband in Gayle's relationship with Will Caldwell."

Ordinarily, Olivia knew that she might have snapped back at Abby's tone, but she reminded herself of what her goal was - and it was not to have Abby storm out of the office with nothing resolved, so in an effort to give them both a little space, she stood up and walked over to the bar, splashing some bourbon into two glasses, then came back and handed her best friend one.

The brief paused seemed to work; Abby arched an eyebrow at Olivia's choice of drink and an unwilling smile curved her lips as Olivia sat back down besides her. "A little early, isn't it?"