Page 118 of State of Affairs (First Family 1)

“I love you.”

As they stepped into the Oval Office, Sam stopped short at the sight of her handsome husband sitting behind the Resolute desk. Her husband, her Nick, was the president of the United States. How long would it take until this was no longer surreal? A while longer, apparently.

“Are you all right?” Lilia asked.

“Yes, but this is just… wow.”

“I can only imagine.”

Nick looked up, saw her there and smiled as he got up to greet her, and just that simply, he was back to being her husband again and not the leader of the free world.

“I’ll give you two a minute before your meeting with the communications team,” Lilia said.

“Can you sit in on the meeting?” Sam asked her.

“Of course. I’ll be back in a few.” Lilia closed the door behind her as she left the Oval.

“You look gorgeous, babe.” Nick leaned in to kiss her. “I thought Brooke wouldn’t let you wear pink?”

Her niece had a thing about any woman over the age of four wearing pink, something Brooke frequently debated with Shelby, the queen of all things pink.

“Shelby gave it to me last Christmas, and I thought it worked for the occasion, so I made a rare exception. I fully expect to hear from Brooke about my lapse.”

“For what it’s worth, I love that color on you.”

She slid an arm around him. “It’s worth a lot.”

They sat together on one of the sofas in the center of the room. “I heard we have to redecorate this room,” Sam said.

“I met with the director of Oval Office Operations earlier today and gave her some guidance.”

“I can’t believe there’s an actual director for Oval Office Operations?”

“I know.”

“What did you decide to do?”

“In an effort to send the message of bipartisan cooperation, I’m using the carpet from Ronald Reagan’s office and the curtains from George H.W. Bush’s office, along with photos of FDR, JFK, Lincoln and John McCain. I requested sculpture busts of Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr. and Susan B. Anthony.”

“I love that lineup and that you included a suffragist.”

“Just over one hundred years ago, women finally earned the right to vote, and this month, we may see the first female vice president.”

“Oh, Nick, really? That’d be amazing.”

“That’s the plan. We have two left on the short list, though one…” He shook his head as he frowned. “I don’t think she’ll work out.”

“Why?” she asked, picking up on a bigger story just from the way his body language changed so profoundly.

“You’ll think it’s ridiculous. Hell, I think it is.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“She wears Chanel No. 5.”

Sam winced, immediately understanding his point. “That’s not ridiculous. That’s self-preservation. If you really liked her, I’m sure there’s something that can be done, like telling her you’re allergic to perfume or something.”

“That’s true. I suppose I could do that if she’s the top contender at the end of the process. I really did like her, and it wouldn’t be fair to disqualify her because of something that’s not her fault.”

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