Madam President (42 page)

"Until the next time."

"I said you were good with the kids, not a miracle worker."

"True." Dev leaned back and faced Lauren. "I guess I've just had lots of practice." She grinned. "And as far as how you feel about them, your reaction sounds like a typical mom reaction to me. They terrify me half the time too."

Lauren's eyes widened. "Mom?" Sure, she occasionally spent time with the kids. With or without Dev. But that was mostly for the book. Sort of.

Uh oh. I'm scaring her.
"Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean to imply I meant that well, I just think that being a mom will come naturally to you." She paused, a slightly sick feeling washing over her. She still had the niggling fear in the back of her mind that Lauren was planning on leaving the residence soon.

Dev was frankly surprised Lauren had lasted this long. And she was giving strong consideration to firing Michael Oaks outright. He and Lauren mixed like oil and water, and she knew that his presence, in what was supposed to be Lauren's home too, was a continuously aggravating factor for the writer. After all these months he was still angry that Dev had invited Lauren to stay in the residence over his objections. He made a special point of showing Lauren any bad press her presence drew, once even going as far as trying to attribute a drop in opinion polls to the fact that Lauren had accompanied Dev to a very public function.

"I'm not so sure about that, Devlyn," Lauren answered, breaking Dev out her wandering thoughts.

"I am." Dev smiled reassuringly. "When you're ready, you can be fond of my kids without being tied down to them or anything. And someday, when you're good and ready, you're gonna be a great mom yourself."

Lauren felt confused and suddenly unsure of herself. She could hear the disappointment in Dev's voice. "Umm thanks. But I doubt I'll have kids."

Dev thought about that for a moment. Lauren always chose her words very carefully. She hadn't said she didn't want children. Just that she didn't think she'd have them herself. "You never know. I have it on good authority that stranger things have actually happened."

"Brat."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Dev and Lauren suddenly stopped to find all three of the children staring at them in shock.

"Uh oh," Lauren mumbled. "Was that bad?"

"Nah," Dev whispered back. "They already know I'm a brat." The President reached out and tugged Christopher closer by the elastic of his shorts. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

"Yup," he giggled.

Aaron stepped forward. "But she's very, very sorry, Lauren. And she'll try to do better in the future." The little boy knew this speech by heart, having heard it applied to him on a nearly daily basis.

Dev shot Lauren a smug look. "We're a team."

Gray eyes rolled. "A team of troublemakers!"

The children cheered at this very accurate pronouncement.

Dev lifted her arm to the back of the sofa, and, with a significant look at the small expanse of cushion between them, she invited Lauren to snuggle. "Even if you decide never to have kids, I still have three I can rent out from time to time."

"Do I get an employee discount?"

Dev mulled that over for a moment. "Absolutely! I am a President sympathetic to the plight of the little people, you know."

Lauren narrowed her eyes. "Was that a commoner or short person joke?" she demanded with mock fury.

"Yes."

The kids finally decided on "Stuart Little," and all three of them plopped down on the floor to enjoy the show.

Dev's mind relentlessly probed the sore spot that was never very far from her thoughts. "We'd really miss you if you left." Dev whispered. She just couldn't go on wondering when the other shoe was going to drop. It was making her crazy. Realistically, she knew Lauren would leave at some point. But her heart was firmly entrenched in its state of denial.

Lauren felt a pang in her chest at Dev's words. "I'm not planning on going anywhere for a while, Devlyn. We had a deal right?"

"Right." She drew a deep breath and smiled. Dev wanted to question her further, but that ‘mother' comment had already spooked Lauren a bit. Now wasn't the time to press her. "I'm really glad to know you're gonna be here for a while longer." She grinned and poked Lauren playfully. "It's nice to have someone to argue with."

Lauren smiled at Dev. "You argue with everyone, Madam President. I'm just one of the few people who will argue back."

"Yeah, you do, and I love that. Sometimes it's the most intelligent conversation and spirited debate I get all day."

Dev yelled for the kids to turn the TV down. "So, I, uh, know it's kinda last minute, Ms. Strayer. But do you happen to have a date for the barbecue tonight?"

Gray eyes twinkled. "What if I said yes?"

Dev hummed a little, tapping her chin as she thought. "Well, then I'd say whoever gets to take you is very lucky indeed."

The writer batted her eyelashes and drew out the already drawled words. "You mean you wouldn't have the CIA take him?"

"Him?"

Lauren smirked, not taking the bait. "Or her."

"No. You're an adult. Free to make your own decisions. Free to date whomever you'd like. Even if it might be the
wrong
person. The
totally wrong
person! Which is, of course, everyone but me. Does the name Casey ring any bells with you?"

Lauren made a face. "You Yankees always did fight dirty!"

"Madam, might I remind you I am only half Yankee?"

Lauren slapped Dev in the belly with the back of her hand. "Yankee is Yankee," she pronounced firmly.

"Yeah, yeah. You're not answering my question. Do you have a date for tonight?" Dev turned a slightly predatory stare Lauren's way. "Hmmmmm?" She drew her brows together as her body language suggested that maybe, if she didn't get the answer she wanted, Lauren might find herself being tickled senseless.

Lauren giggled. "Fine. Fine. I don't have a date. I'm completely dateless." She nudged her companion. "How about you, Devlyn?"

Dev laughed and pulled back. "No. I have a date. I just wanted to see if you did."

Lauren suddenly went very still. "If David set you up again, I'm going to-"

"Yeeees? You're going to what?" A dark brow arched.
Really, now? Well, well, feeling a little possessive, are we, Ms. Strayer?

The blonde woman's eyes narrowed. "Why, I'll..." she paused, realizing that she was being tweaked.
Oooo, Devlyn! Not nice
. She consciously lowered her voice, and her body took on an air of unconcern. "Why, I'll graciously make myself scarce. In fact, now that I know about it, I'll see if I can't find an escort as well. That agent who always sits outside the Green Room is a cutie. And I didn't see a wedding ring."

"You don't have to go that far!" Dev held up her hand and wiggled her finger. "No ring here either. I'd love it if you'd let me take you tonight."

"I was counting on it."

*
 
*
 
*

Evening settled in as most of the senior staff joined the President and her family on the balcony of the White House, overlooking the Washington Monument and the Mall. Tens of thousands had gathered for the Fourth of July celebration, totally unaware of the fact that a party was going on at the White House.

Lauren watched as Dev made the rounds, shaking hands and taking a moment to visit with each person. This didn't seem at all like the tired, slightly frazzled woman who had shown up at her door early this morning, after having been up all night. Dev never ceased to amaze her. The more she found out, the more she wanted to know.
One of these days I swear I'm going to get Beth McMillian alone.

Eager eyes were looking over the beautiful spread of food that had been prepared, when she felt a certain tall, dark presence move in behind her. "Boy, that looks good," Dev whispered in her ear.

Lauren ran her finger across the piece of BBQ chicken she'd just placed on her plate. She brought the tip of her finger to her mouth and then licked off a speck of zesty barbecue sauce. "Ummm... it is." She looked over her shoulder and into the clearest, most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. For a moment she was speechless. Lauren gave her head a small shake. "Did... did you get a plate yet?"

"I've just been sneaking little bites of the most delicious things."

Pale eyebrows disappeared behind windblown bangs. "Really?" She glanced at the President's empty hands.

"Umm hmm." Dev leaned in, placing her mouth a hairsbreadth from Lauren's ear. "A nibble here. And a nibble there. You know how it is." She gave her earlobe a nip.

Lauren pulled away. She turned around to face Dev, painfully aware of the interested faces watching them. "What do you think you're doing?" she whispered harshly.

Dev stood up straight. She mentally kicked herself for making Lauren feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I forgot for a second that that weirds some people out."

There was a moment of almost painful silence, and it was Dev who awkwardly sought to fill the gap. "Are you having a good time?"

Lauren lowered her eyes and blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm sorry, Devlyn. I just..." She rocked her head back and forth and lowered her voice. "I've spent months denying that you and I were more than friends to nearly every person at this party. Now, I guess I feel... I..." She hesitated. "I don't know how I feel." Lauren grabbed Dev's hand and squeezed, hoping it would give her a physical reassurance her words obviously lacked.

"I know. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable on your birthday. But... um... make sure you save room for dessert. It's something special. And it'll be here in about ten minutes." Dev took the time to make sure Lauren was looking right at her when she said, "I don't ever want to do anything that hurts or embarrasses you, Lauren. I mean that. If you're not ready for me to touch you in public, that's okay. You just let me know when and if you are, all right? I'll be here."

Dev's words were delivered in a calm, even voice. But Lauren could see pain lurking behind her eyes. "Damn, I'm sorry." She squeezed the hand she was holding again. "It's not like that, Devlyn. Really." With a gentle tug Lauren pulled Dev behind a large table and into the corner of the balcony, the most private spot she could find without going inside. She set down her plate. "It's not that I'm not ready," Lauren whispered. "It's that I feel like I've been lying to these people, and now I'm rubbing their noses in it."

"Lying?" Now Dev was totally confused. " Sweetheart, you haven't lied to anyone. What are you talking about?"

Lauren winced. "That's not true. At least, not completely." She turned and braced her arms on the railing, gazing out at the crowds in the distance who had packed the Mall area to wait for the fireworks. The view was truly breathtaking. "I've been thinking about you for months," she muttered cryptically.

"Thinking about me how?" Dev nudged her, starting to understand what Lauren meant. "Thinking about me, dating me, and sleeping with me are three separate things. All we have said to this point is that we weren't sleeping together, and we're still not doing that. And we've just started dating. You don't need to feel guilty or uncomfortable. And if you think Beth McMillian doesn't know that, and hasn't passed that fact along to every person she can think of, you are a seriously deluded person. I love Beth dearly, but if you look up the word ‘gossip' in the dictionary, you'll find an autographed 8" X 10" of her, smiling."