Page 14 of A More Perfect Union

Zoey laughed. “Soundsexactly like a lawyer to me.”

“Except lawyers takean oath and have some accountability to the court. Public relations experts,which is what she calls herself, act with impunity to make their clients lookgood, right or wrong be damned.”

Zoey resistedpointing out Rook was a lawyer since she sensed this conversation wasn’t aboutfacts, but impressions. Clearly, David Sharp was not impressed with RookDaniels, which left her feeling a bit torn since she’d had exactly the oppositereaction.

Chapter Five

Rook leaned backin her chair and rubbed her eyes. She’d been at the office since noon. At fiveo’clock, Eric’s preliminary analysis of the Diamond Credit hack had ceased tomake sense, and she knew the problem was her, not him.

“Do you want me torepeat all that?” he asked.

“God no!” she saidway more forcefully than she intended. “Sorry. I think I’m on informationoverload.”

“I know it’s a lot totake in. I can try to break it down better, but the gist is whoever releasedDiamond’s files is intimately familiar with their system protocols. I’m closeto finding out who it is, but I’m not quite there yet. I probably shouldn’thave bored you with all this until I had something more juicy to share.”

“It’s not you.” Sheheld back a yawn. “I need a nap or a triple espresso—maybe both.”

“You know you couldjust take off the rest of the day like normal people.”

“There’s one bigproblem with that statement.”

“I know. I’m not normaleither, which is probably why you hired me. But if you don’t need me for therest of the night, I actually have plans that don’t involve churning throughdigital files.”

“A date?”

“Something likethat.”

Rook started to askmore, but held back, mostly because she didn’t want to start a back-and-forththat might involve her disclosing her own evening plans. In an hour, she wassupposed to pick Zoey up and take her to Union Station for a tour of themonuments. Against her better judgment, she’d been looking forward to seeingZoey but still dreaded the specifics of the outing. Faux trolleys filled withtourists, jostling to get the best selfies with Lincoln, MLK, and FDR—theprospect nearly gave her hives. Maybe she was a snob, but a good date was worthbeing a snob about.

Date. Was this reallya date or just a kindness to an out-of-towner she’d helped from a jam? It feltlike a date, but she wasn’t entirely sure that’s what she wanted it to be. Zoeywould be headed back to her base soon and that was best. Military people,especially career soldiers, were a mystery to her. She understood young peoplefalling for the be-all-you-can-be slogans and using the experience as ajumping-off point to other things, but anyone who re-upped after their firsttour had seriously questionable judgment from her perspective. Who in theirright mind would agree to spend their lives wearing a uniform and pledge neverto question orders? Blind obedience was the antithesis of her entire existenceand had the very real potential of getting someone killed.

Still, Zoey wascharming and beautiful, and Rook was determined to enjoy their one nighttogether since that’s all it would be. Struck with an idea, she sent a quicktext to George and wrapped up her meeting with Eric. If she was going to sufferthrough a night of tourism, she was going to do it in comfort.

After she sent thetext, she said to Eric, “Let’s call it a day. I’ve got enough to do to catch upto where you are. We’ll go back at this on Monday.”

Eric looked at herlike she’d grown two heads. “You sure?”

“Positive. Go, now,before I change my mind.”

Rook shooed him outthe door, and once he was gone, she made her way into the bathroom thatadjoined her office. Lacy called it the executive washroom, which made herlaugh since she was the only one who used it. The eight-by-eight room featureda glassed-in shower with a top-of-the-line massaging shower head, a closetstocked with expensive towels, and her favorite toiletries. The contractorwho’d outfitted the office had deemed the room a luxury, but to Rook it was anecessity that allowed her to stay at the office whenever the team was incrisis mode. Her office featured a sleek leather sofa that folded out into aTempur-Pedic bed on nights when she couldn’t make it home, and the bathroom wasanother extension of the home away from home.

She brushed her teethand finger-combed her short curls with a drop of product, wishing not for thefirst time they would obey her commands. The eyes looking back at her in themirror were puffy and tired, and she dug through the drawers and found a bottleof eye drops. Other than the eyes, she supposed she looked okay. People toldher she was handsome, which she took to mean not quite girly enough, but stillgood-looking. Her features were chiseled, which gave her a hard edge, and she’dspent many hours practicing an engaging smile so her audiences would warm toher for her clients’ sake. She laid one on now and was surprised it camenaturally. Whatever mixed feelings she might have about the circumstance, shewas actually excited about seeing Zoey again. After a few moments of messingaround with her wayward hair, Rook changed into a maroon cashmere sweater andlight gray pants, and sprayed a light mist of cologne to finish out hertransformation.

George was waiting atthe curb, but she waved him back into the car before he had time to make it toher door. She sank into the cushy seat in the rear of the town car. “Did youmanage to get everything?”

“Full picnic basketright up here. Wynn didn’t have the wine you wanted, but she said this bottleis even better. Difference is on her.”

“Thanks, George. Youmind if I catch a few winks while you drive?”

“You must be tired.No documents to review or phone calls to make?”

“I think I might havereached my max for the day.” Rook caught his look of surprise in the rearviewmirror, but rather than explain, she took advantage of the time alone andclosed her eyes, letting thoughts of Zoey fill her dreams.

* * *

Zoey waited in thehotel lobby since Rook’s text had said she’d be there at six and would comeinside to get her. Zoey had offered to meet her at Union Station where thetrolleys picked up their passengers for the tour, but Rook had insisted on thiscourtesy, and Zoey was glad not to have to navigate her way around, althoughshe’d soon have to learn her new city.

Sharp’s bombshellabout the job at the Pentagon had left her with a boatload of logistics toconsider. She’d been deployed for the last ten months, but many of herbelongings were still at her base housing in Texas. She’d have the week totravel, pack, return, and find a new place to live. She’d spent the better partof the day online researching housing in DC. Thank God she was being promoted. Shewas going to need every dollar of her pay increase and step up in housingallowance to afford a place to live. If Sharp hadn’t cautioned her to keep thetransfer under wraps until it was official, she would ask Rook for advice aboutoptions.

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