Executive Orders

CH 22 | Unexpected Guests

"I have to say, you're not the Caldwells I was expecting." Olivia closed her office door and gestured for Will Caldwell and his fiancee Gayle to take a seat. As they settled themselves on the small couch, she leaned against her desk and looked them over; for a couple brought together for an arranged marriage less than a year ago, they looked amazingly content with one another.

She offered them both a glass of wine and when they accepted, shared with them the last of a rich decanted Bordeaux.

"I'm sure you weren't." Will Caldwell said as he grinned up at her. "We flew up to have dinner with Peter because it's his birthday tomorrow - but he got tied up with a few unexpected meetings, so here I am in his place."

Knowing that Fitz's schedule included several meetings this evening, Olivia could guess that Peter was involved in at least one of them.

"That's interesting." She said. "But let's talk about you - aren't you worried that the media will pick up on your presence in DC?"

"Always the political fixer, aren't you, Olivia?" Will's smile widened. "Not to worry - I understand that my presence here could give rise to all sorts of conjectures. We flew in on a private plane with no press release and we'll be returning the same way tonight, plus I drove a rental car here - which of course no one would expect a Caldwell to do. So I think we're good."

Olivia nodded in approval. "I think you're right."

"And as an added bonus,we got to enjoy some alone time - as brief as it is." Gayle Livingston slipped her hand into Will's and snuggled closer to him.

So that's how it was, Olivia thought as she watched the two of them exchange a smiling but conspiratorial glance. Harrison had been right.

"That's lovely and I'm happy for the both of you." A brief smile crossed her lips at the realization that their arrangement had definitely turned into something real. But then business prevailed. "You said that you were here on Peter's behalf - does that mean that you can finally tell me what this is all about? Your brother has been very adamant about retaining my company's services - but he hasn't been very open about any details."

Will frowned a little. "I'm sorry to say that Peter hasn't been very forthcoming in details with me either."

Seeing the disapproving expression that came across Olivia's face at Will's words, Gayle spoke up. "We're not being purposefully difficult or evasive, no matter what it is Peter has been doing"

"Gayle's right." Will immediately backed her up. "And I'd bet this is just more of my brother protecting me as usual."

Olivia didn't think he was wrong, but that still didn't give her any answers. "Then why are you here?"

The look on Will's face told her that he'd expected an explosion of temper and when it didn't happen, relief washed across his expression, leaving a smile in its wake. "What I'm here to do is what Peter had planned on doing tonight - and that was to invite you to his birthday party - the one we're going to behaving this weekend at my house in North Carolina."

Olivia knew that his house was actually an estate in the mountain region of North Carolina; it was no secret that the Caldwell family had bought it in anticipation of his establishing residency in the state, long before his run for the governorship.

"Why?" Olivia asked quietly.

Will shifted uncomfortably under her unrelenting gaze. "I don't know. To be honest, I was hoping that Peter would fill me in on whatever it is going on in the family over dinner tonight. That was the plan."

Olivia studied the both of them carefully for another minute while her mind sorted and shifted certain facts in her mind. She decided that Will was telling her the truth - or at least the truth as he knew it.