Page 4 of An Impossible Love
Chapter Two
Duke whistled at Emmy as she walked toward him wearing the dark red dress that clung to her curves. Her chestnut hair was down for once, swept over a shoulder, and she actually had makeup on—not much, but enough to enhance her natural beauty. She shot him a look, and he grinned. “Sorry, I know it’s not appropriate, butdang, girl, you look amazing.”
Emmy flushed despite her disapproval. “Thanks, man. You don’t want to know where my weapon is.” She regretted her words as soon as they came out of her mouth as Duke grinned widely. “Shut up, Dukey,” she said, smiling and shaking her head.
“Shutting up.”
They were walking through the West Wing towards the Oval.
“Lucas say what time the president would be ready?”
“Any minute. Ready for dancing?”
Emmy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, because we’ll be doing a lot of that.”
“You wearing that dress? Anyone who doesn’t know you’re on the pres’s detail will be clamoring for a dance. Wait, I didn’t even see that thing from the back.” Duke looked approvingly at the backless dress.
Emmy sighed. “Yeah, nor did I when I grabbed it from the rack. Do you think it’s inappropriate?”
Duke shook his head. “Not at all, but now Ireallywant to know where your weapon is.”
Emmy grinned. She didn’t mind Duke’s playful flirting. He had been one of Zach’s best friends in the Service, and he was married to Emmy’s best friend, Alice, another agent. Their jokey flirtatious friendship didn’t mean that either of them wouldn’t take a bullet for the other. They were family.
Lucas met them in the outer office of the Oval. Jessica, the president’s secretary, a spritely woman in her sixties, nodded approvingly at Emmy’s outfit. “Nice. Good to see you dressed like a girl for once.”
Emmy smiled at her. Jessica Fields was legendary within Bennett’s circle, a mentor to him when he was a young congressman, and now his aide-de-camp whenever he needed a critical eye. “You can go in, folks.”
Duke led the way, and Emmy could hear Orin Bennett talking to his cohort. As she walked into the room, he glanced over at her, and his voice faltered. He gazed at her for a long moment, then looked down and went on with what he was saying. Emmy could feel her face burning but she said nothing and just took up her usual post against the wall. Moxie Chatelaine grinned at her, and with a tiny nod, indicated her dress and mouthedWowat her. Moxie herself looked incredible. Her long dreadlocks were piled elegantly on top of her head, and she wore a gold dress which glowed against her dark skin. Emmy nodded and smiled, and then kept her expression neutral as she looked around the room at the handsome men and the stately women all ready to celebrate this most unlikely election victory.
Orin was dressed in a dark grey suit, exquisitely tailored by the finest Italian designers. Emmy may not have had the money to buy the designer gown she was wearing—luckily the agency paid for it—but she knew quality.
But it wasn’t the suit that made Orin Bennett look so…devastating.Much had been made in the press of the bachelor president’s incredible good looks—the more salacious press continually speculating on who he was sleeping with.
Emmy knew he had been in a long-term relationship with a woman a few years previously, but, yes, at the moment, he was resolutely single. The press didn’t know what to make of his reticence to discuss his love life, not accepting his “I just want to concentrate on healing the country” line.
There were five official inaugural balls for this president; Bennett insisting to the Presidential Inauguration Committee that he wanted no more than five and to make the tickets for each cheap enough for members of charities to attend. That directive hadn’t gone over well with the two main parties desperate to start lobbying the Independent president.
His date for the balls would be the widowed vice-president, Peyton Hunt. Their friendship made it easier for them to enjoy the evening, but it also waylaid any gossip about who they would bring. Of course, it didn’t stop people talking about the two ofthemas a couple either, but they both figured that would be the lesser of all evils. Their decades-long friendship from way back in college was well known, and Peyton’s late husband, Joseph, had been a good friend of Bennett’s, too.
Emmy, assigned to the evening’s detail, would attend all the balls as well—the president wasn’t expected to spend very long at any one function, just enough time to thank his campaign staff and supporters, and to network with politicos from The Hill. Food and drink were supplied in plenty, but Emmy knew from old that the president wouldn’t get to enjoy any of it.
Nor would she or any other of the president’s security, and now her stomach growled at the thought of food. Emmy wasn’t one to ever deny herself culinary pleasures; in fact, she was known within the detail as having a huge appetite. Many a time she’d been challenged by Zach to a hot dog-eating competition; he hadn’t stood a chance and he loved that about her.
“Nothin’ worse than a woman who picks at her food.”
Emmy grinned at the memory, then forced herself to focus. As they walked into the first of the events,theYouth Inaugural Ball held at the Hilton, Emmy scanned the invited guests.
Because of the importance of this day, her boss Lucas, the head of the presidential security detail was present and close to the President’s side at all times. Emmy, Duke, and the other agents were all at their stations, their movements all rehearsed until they were second nature. With one scan of the room, Emmy noted where the president was, where his political rivals were, and where the entrances and exits to the room were. The hotel had been scoured for explosive devices and every guest was thoroughly vetted by the FBI. Nothing was left unchecked. It was a routine job as far as they were concerned, but they were still on high alert. A liberal president had a lot of enemies, especially from the previous administration.
Emmy saw former President Ellis’ national security advisor Steve Jonas—one of the few cabinet members who had been totally exonerated in the investigation. She knew President Bennett was hoping he would stay on to assist Charlie Hope, but as of yet Steve Jonas hadn’t made a commitment. No one knew where his loyalty lay.
“Em, come in.” Duke’s voice boomed through her ear piece, and she winced a little.
“Yeah, Duke. What’s up?”
“Just checking in. Nothing to worry about so far.”
“Jonas is here. Not that I’m saying that’s something to worry about, but you know. Just in case.”
