Executive Orders

CH 36 | Doing The Job

Olivia's answer was an expectant silence while she stared at him until Peter dropped his mask. "This was a command appearance by the GOP leadership. You know me well enough to know how much I hate those kinds of things. So you know how irritated I am."

"Is that why you're acting something close to a spoiled brat?"

"I am not." Peter's voice was indignant, but Olivia could still hear the mocking tone behind his words. "Point of fact, Madame Director Deputy Chief of Staff - congratulations again, by the way - I've been properly and very supportive of the president this entire evening, pouring all the right words into all the right ears. I even came to the president's defense when those bastards tried to insert themselves into his personal life - you can ask him yourself about that."

"Who was this - and how insert themselves how?" Olivia's senses came to full alert at this revelation. Her outrage was personal; she knew it and for a moment, didn't care... but then she caught herself.

"Never mind." Olivia changed the subject; she'd find out whatever she needed from Fitz soon enough. In the meanwhile, she'd shut that line of thinking with the quickness. "The president doesn't need rescuing. Ever."

"Of course not, Olivia." In response to her reaction, Peter held up both hands in peaceful capitulation. "Excuse my choice of words."

"Maybe I will." Olivia said; she knew him well enough from his tone how unapologetic Peter really was. "But I find the fact that you think that he did need rescuing is very interesting. Tell the truth, Peter - what happened here tonight before I arrived?"

"First, tell me you received my invitation for this weekend - and that you're accepting."

"I received the invitation and the flowers. Now give me a reason to say yes and show up." They locked eyes for a long moment, hers challenging and his once again unapologetic. His smile shifted into something a little more somber and dynamically different from his earlier attitude as he gave in. "I meant it when I said that you were almost like family, Liv. And like family, you know most of our secrets."

"Are there new secrets that I need updating on?"

"This is not the place to have that conversation, but I'll say this much -" Peter replied. "There's family business that needs taking care of. Business that I wouldn't - I can't - trust anybody else with."

His gaze went sincere and serious. "Olivia, I - we - need your help - or at the very least your advice. The kind that you and your people can discretely gather and dispense."

Olivia couldn't help herself from considering the offer; Peter was right, she did know the family well enough to know that for the most part, they were not overly corrupt. The work that they've done over the years had served the country well - and if there were any profit for them, it was political capital that they normally spent wisely, anything else they counted as the cost of doing business and in that, they were mostly no different than anyone else - and had been smart enough to bring her in whenever conflicts and trouble came their way.

That played a part in her decision, but she had to make some things clear before she even thought about considering taking on a project from them. There were several things that weighed on her decision, and first and foremost was the following. "Despite the work I've done for your family in the past, Peter, you have to know where my first allegiance lies these days..."

"I do - and this will in no way interfere or compromise you with your duties in the White House; in fact..."

Olivia watched as a thoughtful look came over Peter's face. It was clear that some thing new had come to mind; she waited patiently while he worked it out in his head whether to share or not...