Madam President (23 page)

God, I'm totally screwed if I ever lose this thing.
Lauren finally pulled it out and signed the clipboard before turning a bored, slightly frustrated expression on her companion. "Let me guess," Lauren sighed. "She's at Been Gi's?"
Please don't tell me this means I have to spend anymore time with you.

"Yup. And she wants to know if you wouldn't mind giving me the nickel tour." Casey gave her a hopeful expression. "She doesn't want to drive all the way back. She lives in the opposite direction."

Lauren held out an impatient hand. "Let me talk to Liza."

"Okay." Casey put the phone to her mouth again to say goodbye, but didn't pass it to Lauren. "Liza says it's not necessary to thank her, that you can do that on Monday. She, umm... she hung up."

Lauren's shoulders slumped and she exhaled wearily. Would this date never end? "C'mon, Casey, the nickel tour is really quick."

*
 
*
 
*

Dev wondered if she could still be President after her brain finally exploded in her skull. She figured if Ford could do it, she might be able to get away with it too. There were bigger stumbling blocks than brain death when it came to the Oval Office. Devlyn decided that if she had to remove Candy's hand from some part of her anatomy just one more time, she was going to have to throw ‘polite' out the window and simply kick Candy out on her ass.

"The umm China Room is this way." Dev gestured again.

As the pair entered from one side, Dev was more than relieved to see Lauren enter from the other doorway. Then the fact that she was with a woman registered just a millisecond behind that.
What in the hell? A woman! Casey is a woman?
“Lauren, you're home." It slipped out before Dev could get her lips and brain in sync with each other. The one thing that her mouth and brain could readily agree on, however, was to smile at Lauren. Which she did, quite readily, despite the fact that she felt hurt. It was clear that Lauren liked women. Just not her.
Whoever didn't get me that FBI report is going to be looking for a new job come Monday.

"Hi, Devlyn." Lauren smiled warmly at the President, but threw a look of solid ice at the attractive woman standing next to her. "I don't believe I've met your friend."

"Oh, yeah."
And what does this Casey woman have that I don't, Lauren Strayer?
"Uh, Lauren, may I present Dr. Candice Delaney? Dr. Delaney, this is Ms. Lauren Strayer, the very talented young woman who is writing my biography."

Candy slipped a possessive arm through Dev's, only to have the tall woman shift away. She gave the President an annoyed look, and then offered her hand and a catty smile to Lauren, instantly sniffing the blonde out as her competition. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Strayer. I have some great Dev Marlowe stories from college," her voice was condescending, "if you need them."

Candy's Bostonian accent grated on Lauren's nerves like fingernails running down a blackboard. "Nice to meet you, too. And I see Devlyn everyday. I don't need any
old
stories. She's perfectly willing to tell me anything I want to know." The smile she gave Dr. Delaney was every bit as catty as the one she'd received. "I'm sure that Dev was pleased with how well you've held up over the years."

Dev snorted, but tried to cover it by pretending to cough. Then she got a good look at the woman with Lauren, who hadn't so much as given her the time of day, and whose eyes were feasting on Candy like she was well, a piece of candy. "Uh, Lauren, you haven't introduced us to your friend." Dev shifted her gaze back and forth between the two women, hoping to hell Lauren would pick up on it.

But Lauren was too busy mentally cataloging every reason that Candy Delaney wasn't nearly good enough for Devlyn to notice. It wasn't until Dev repeated her question that Lauren said, "Madam President, may I introduce Casey Dennis, Liza's cousin?"

Casey completely ignored Dev and continued to stare lustily at Candy. "Please tell me you're not
the
Dr. Candice Delaney," she said in awe. "I read your article on crabs last year, and I haven't been able to pee in a public restroom since." Casey's brown eyes grew moist, and her voice trembled. "You are... I mean,
it
was magnificent."

An enormous smile split Candy's face, and she openly appraised Lauren's date. "Why, thank you very much, Ms. Dennis. Tell me, are you in the field?" Candy stepped past Dev, and offered her limp hand to Casey."

"Oh,
yeah
!" Lauren said, almost too loudly. "Casey has a fascinating job, and she just loves to talk and talk about it."

Casey nodded enthusiastically. "It would be a honor to discuss my passion with someone as accomplished as you."

Lauren turned her best southern charm on Casey for the first and last time this evening. "Casey, darlin', maybe you could give Dr. Delaney a ride back to her hotel?"

"I'd be delighted." Casey grinned dumbly.

"Well," Dev clapped her hands together in sheer joy. "I'm glad that's settled. Jack!"

A young Secret Service agent popped into the room. "Yes, Madam President?"

"Would you please show Ms. Dennis and Dr. Delaney out?"

"But"

"Don't worry, Jack. I'll be going back to the residence, and I doubt that Ms. Strayer is out to hurt me."

"Yes, ma'am. Right this way, ladies." The young man gestured, and the two women were so wrapped up in talking with each other they barely mumbled a hasty goodnight to their original dates.

Lauren and Dev both held their breath until the women were gone. After a few seconds, they sighed in unison.

"Thank God," Dev mumbled

"Amen to that," Lauren agreed.

"What does Casey do for a living?"

"Morgue attendant."

Dev suddenly took a big step away from Lauren. "Well, eeeewwww," she teased.

*
 
*
 
*

Dev and Lauren started back to the residence. Dev stared at her shoes as she walked. She hated that seeing Lauren with another woman hurt. But it did. A lot, actually. She was feeling anger as well. Anger that she didn't have a right to. Lauren hadn't done anything wrong. So she was obviously only interested in Dev as a friend.
That’s my problem not hers.
Dev shoved back the disappointment that stung her heart and threatened to give her away by leaking from her eyes. She cleared her throat, determined to try and salvage a little of her evening and spend it with her friend.

"Umm, Lauren?"

"Hmm?" Lauren stopped walking and faced Dev. She looked up into eyes brimming with sadness and something else. And she felt a twinge deep in her chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Dev smiled softly. "I, umm, well I didn't really get much to eat tonight. Don't suppose you'd like to come back to the residence with me. We could order up a couple of corned beef sandwiches and maybe watch a movie or something.”
And then I can torture myself all night with something I'll never have.

Lauren felt a genuine, heartfelt smile stretch her lips for the first time that night. "I'd love to." That earned her a broad grin from Devlyn, and both women started for the residence once again. "Dev, I cannot believe I was ditched by Casey!"

"I'm sorry. Did you really like her?”
Twist the knife, Dev.

"Right," Lauren snorted indignantly. "Give me more credit than that please."

Dev sighed inwardly. Even if Lauren didn't care for her the way she cared for Lauren, she didn't want to see her friend hurt. "Yeah, well, can you imagine how I feel?" she teased. "The biggest slut I've ever met just dumped me..."

"The President of the United States," Lauren chimed in for effect, grateful that Devlyn was taking this all in stride.

A dark eyebrow rose, but Dev continued. "... for a morgue clerk. Not a great evening for my ego."

Lauren chuckled. "No. I suppose not." Dev's hand brushed hers as they walked, and she wondered for a brief moment what would happen if she reached out and took it. "Can I ask you something?" she said in a soft voice.

Dev smiled, placing her hand gently on the small of Lauren's back as they climbed a short flight of stairs. "Why would you stop now? You know you can ask me anything."

"You didn't seem very surprised that Casey was a woman. Were you?" She smiled wryly.
Like I was.

For a moment Devlyn didn't know what to say. Somehow, she didn't think it was a good idea to tell Lauren she had nearly swallowed her damned tongue. "Well, I mean, I was surprised." The words tumbled out nervously. "But what was I supposed to say? ‘Gee, Lauren, didn't realize you'd gone all lesbian on me.'"

Lauren slid off her glasses and tucked them into the front pocket of her blouse. "I didn't realize that I had either." She held her breath, waiting for Dev's reaction.

"See, there you go. It would have been rude for me to point it out in front of your date.”
What do you mean, you didn't realize?

Lauren laughed weakly. "Yeah, I guess it would have."

"So, um, this was your first date with a woman?”
Please don't let me be totally misunderstanding this conversation.

Lauren nodded as Dev opened the door to the living room and ushered her inside.

Blue eyes widened a little. "Wow."

"Yeah, wow. I guess I've always known there was some interest there," Lauren clarified, wanting to be honest. "This was just my first actual date... that, um... didn't include a man." She could sense Dev was upset about something, and she wasn't sure if that ‘something' was her.

Dev grunted with satisfaction at the softly lit room and the fireplace, which was already burning. She chewed on the inside of her lip as she reached for the house phone. She was dying to hear more from Lauren, but it seemed so personal. Dev kicked off her shoes, then removed her jacket. "Yes, send up two corned beef sandwiches with all the trimmings." She paused and looked at Lauren. "What do you want to drink?"

"Beer. And since I'm being brave and asking you outright, does it bother you that I like women?”
Something is bothering you. You always chew your lip like that when you're upset.

Dev took a deep breath. "Send up an ice bucket full of beer, too.”
I’m gonna need it.
She put the phone down and put her fists on her hips. "Why would it bother me? I like women too, in case you hadn't noticed."

Lauren shrugged, her insecurity showing. "I dunno, Devlyn. We're friends, right?" She looked up at the older women with an expression so open it was nearly painful in its intensity.

Dev sighed and took a seat next to Lauren on the sofa. "I'd really like to think we are. I'm... well, I'm very fond of you." She really wanted to pull the young woman into her arms and just hold her until they both felt better. "I always have such a good time when we're together. And, God, I was so miserable tonight. Then, when I saw you, I wanted to”
Kiss you senseless,
she finished silently.
Of course, I'd probably have a heart attack before I got the nerve up to try it. But it's still a nice thought.
“Well, let's just say I'm really glad we're here now."

Lauren let out a shuddering breath and felt every ounce of tension leave her body. "That's how I feel too, Devlyn. I just wanted to make sure that that wouldn't change after you saw me with Casey." Lauren pushed off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her until she was sitting Indian style. "So, do you want me to tell you about my horrendous evening? Or would you like to start?" She leaned back, her eyes twinkling gently.
You are so stupid, Lauri. This is where you should have been all along.