Executive Orders

CH 15 | Who's On First?

Edison's words had started Olivia's mind spinning forward, to the plan she had so carefully crafted, to the re-election campaign that would be starting all too soon; there were plenty of rumors and gossip swirling around already, but why not ask Edison who might really have the best chance? Here was an opportunity she couldn't, shouldn't let pass by. And so she asked.

"Why would you think I would give you that information?" Was his answer.

"I'm not asking you for the name of your nominee - just the long version of your soon to be short list." Olivia went on to tell him that she wanted an honest and educated guess and that he would always be on the top of her list for that.

"Except for the president, of course." Edison said.

"Of course."

She could see the struggle in his face, in spite of how much he tried to hide it. She knew him too well to hide his thoughts from her - and that knowledge was visible in his expression.

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Olivia, like it or not, we are on opposite sides here. I'm not giving the White House the chance to start digging for dirt on anyone in my own party."

"That wasn't my intention, and let me make it clear that the president doesn't work like that either. This question is coming from me and no one else." Olivia didn't catch the sharpness in her tone until the words had already left her lips; that hadn't been her intention either.

"I'm sorry for the way that sounded just now." She said, her voice softening in further apology. "Edison, we both know that I could go any number of the usual routes of digging up info and in the end, I'd get the answers I needed, only it would take a little more time because of the games involved. I'd like to think that those kinds of games were unnecessary between you and I at this point."

He conceded that she was probably right, but he was going to have continue to decline. "Do your homework, Olivia."

"I will."Olivia said. "Can I say for the record, that whoever else in on that list, I hope to one day see your name on it."

A mischievous look came into her eyes. "Well, maybe you could do me a favor and wait another next four years."

"You see me as presidential material?" He still couldn't help the sarcasm that shaded his words.

"I see you as being able to do anything you wanted." Olivia told him, meaning it. Edison was a good man in a lot of ways. He just wasn't the man for her. Thank God for the both of them that she'd been lucky enough to have seen that before it was too late.

"You're good at what you do, Edison, and you've been a successful senator with a strong constituency behind you. The country would be lucky to have you in the Oval. I mean that, in spite of the fact that I work for the - opposition."

Her honest admission had made the conversation move forward easier. Without naming names, Edison gave her his honest opinion, which was that there were no clear front-runners yet, but the names under discussion were strong and considerably favored among their constituents.

He even went so far as to offer grudging respect to the president - it was generally acknowledged that Fitz would be a hard candidate to go up against. It had been a long time since a republican had held such a positive position before the American people, but his ideas had been fresh and his compassion and empathy for the American people were seen as real.

"And that's all I have to say on the subject." Edison said. "Now tell me why you're really here."

What Olivia had really come to do was ask him about his thoughts on the idea of the Summit of the Americas. Knowing that he would be reluctant to talk to her about anything political, she had deliberately presented Edison with an opportunity to berate her just a little before she got to what really mattered. Having soothed his ego appropriately, it left Edison in a better mood to cooperate.

Edison took a moment to consider his answer. "You know that I have extended family members of Hispanic descent - so of course I'm for this Summit. I plan to endorse it as strongly as possible - even if -"

"Even if there are some in the party that aren't quite as enthusiastic as you are?" Olivia offered.

"I'm not so blind that I can't see that there's racism on both sides, but tell your president to look to his own side of the aisle if he's looking to nip any opposition problems to this Summit in the bud. For the most part, democrats are the party of the people - the party of inclusion - and always have been. Your boss might be the exception, but you know it as well as I do - very few would say the same about his republican allies."

Edison's gaze challenged her to disagree, knowing in all honesty that she couldn't.

And in that same spirit of honesty, they both knew that he was the type of man who wouldn't let partisan politics stop him from doing what was right.

Olivia knew that Edison was being honest with her, it was clear enough from the look in his eyes that what he hadn't said was just as important as what he had. He would only go so far for a Republican administration in the here and now - but he would support whatever positive progress came out of it.

As he looked at her, she gave him a tiny nod; Olivia understood him as perfectly as he'd meant her to.

There was little enough for them to talk about after that, so they said their goodbyes soon after that.

As Olivia left his offices, she glanced at her watch and saw that she still had at least twenty minutes before she and Harrison were due to meet back up. Her mind was busy with everything that had been said and not said. Edison had given her plenty to think about, both professionally and personally. Dealing with him on either level made it impossible to not think about Fitz.

It wasn't that she was consciously or purposefully comparing one man to the other, because Edison had been good to her in his own was just that he was firmly in her past, and Fitz... he was both her present and her future.

Their most recently made memories brought a reluctant - considering where she was - smile to her lips, lips that were suddenly missing his. The feel of him, the touch and scent of him suddenly filled her senses.

But then she found herself jolted back into the present by the sound of someone calling her name.