Chapter Four
Zoey stood in front of the hotel, waiting for General Sharp and enjoying the cool night air. The hotel valet had offered to come get her when her ride arrived, but she preferred the outside. Back in Texas, even the evening temperatures were already in the seventies, and she was happy to have at least a few days in the cooler climate.
She’d spent the day being a tourist. Her impromptu trip to the Library of Congress had made her too late to book a nighttime tour of the monuments last night, but she’d already purchased a ticket for Sunday. Today’s adventures had taken her to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the White House where she’d stood along with huge crowds of tourists, along the fence that lined the ellipse, and snapped photos through the bars. She’d enjoyed the day, but thoughts about her future distracted her. She only hoped Sharp would have some answers tonight.
As if summoned, a black sedan pulled up and the rear window rolled down to reveal Sharp in the backseat. She walked toward the car, and he got out and motioned her in. She was surprised to see a civilian driver in the front seat.
“Major, meet Carl. Carl is the only reason I stay sane. If I had to drive around DC on my own, I might be tempted to declare war.”
Zoey waved at Carl who nodded before he pulled out of the hotel drive and onto the roadway. “Makes sense. I’m completely turned around and I’ve only been here a week.”
“And a rough week too. How are you holding up?”
“Good. I managed to get in a little sightseeing today. Figured I’d take advantage. Who knows when I’ll be back.”
“About that. General Bloomfield would like to meet with you Monday morning.”
“I expect he wants a report on the hearings?”
“That and other things.” Sharp drummed his fingers on the armrest. “This is not public yet, so it’s imperative that what I’m about to tell you not go any further than this car.”
Zoey resisted glancing at Carl who she was certain could hear every word they were saying. If David trusted him, who was she to question? “Understood.”
“The president is nominating Bloomfield for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. If he gets the spot, I’m his pick to replace him as Army Chief of Staff.”
“Sounds like congratulations are in order.” Zoey appreciated the intel, but wondered why he was sharing it with her. She had a feeling there was something more he wanted to say.
“Thanks, but congratulations are a bit premature, since all of this has to be approved by the same contentious group of people you testified before all week. Speaking of confirmations, Bloomfield submitted your 0-5 and you’re being reassigned to the Pentagon, effective immediately.”
Zoey took a moment to digest the information. She was being recommended for promotion to lieutenant colonel a full year ahead of when she’d normally be eligible. This wouldn’t be the first time she’d received a below the zone promotion, but after the Nine Tech fiasco, the news was definitely a surprise. The promotion would be subject to Senate confirmation, and she wasn’t entirely sure, in light of last week’s performance, if that was a good or a bad thing.
“Are you going to say something?”
“Frankly, I’m not sure what to say. The promotion is one thing, but reassignment?”
“Wondering if you’re being praised on one hand and punished with the other?”
“Something like that.” Zoey wasn’t sure how to feel. She’d taken pride in her command, but now that she was back stateside, she’d had a hard time reintegrating to regular base life, especially in light of her role in the Nine Tech scandal. She’d heard work at the Pentagon was mired in bureaucracy, but with over twenty thousand fellow employees, she’d have a better chance at blending in and getting her career back on track.
“Bloomfield likes you. He got good feedback from counsel’s office.” Sharp shrugged. “And no, I didn’t make this happen, although when he asked I told him I thought you deserved the bump. Besides, the Pentagon is already silly with majors.”
“Will I be working with you?”
“Probably. In some capacity. You’ll have a week to relocate, and then you’ll report back here. I don’t know exactly what Bloomfield has planned for you, but I do know you’ll be working with the Joint Chiefs. And that’s part of the reason I wanted you to come to this party tonight.”
In the excitement about her impending promotion and the news she wasn’t getting booted, Zoey had almost forgotten they were headed to a function. “Where exactly are we going?”
“Julia Scott is throwing a birthday party for her girlfriend.” They were stopped at a light and he glanced at her with an expectant expression. She rolled the name around in her head, but she couldn’t quite place it without more context.
“I give up.” The minute the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to reel them back in. “Wait a minute. Julia Scott, President Garrett’s chief of staff? And her girlfriend…Addison Riley? Chief justice of the Supreme Court?”
“Those are the ones.” He looked out the window and she was grateful he couldn’t see her mouth was hanging open. “We’re almost there, so if you have questions, ask them now.”
“I guess the most obvious one is how did you score this invitation? I figure you’ve met Julia Scott at the White House, but defense briefings are a little different than social invitations.”
“If you want to get ahead here, you have to learn to schmooze a little. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to socialize, mark my words. But I got an invite because I’m an old family friend. I served with Addison Riley’s father, and Margaret and I are godparents to her and her brother Jack.”
“That makes you DC royalty, doesn’t it?”
“Hardly,” he said with a grunt of disdain. “But I know how to make nice when I need to. This party will be loaded with VIPs. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to get to know some of them and make a good impression. I’ll introduce you around, but have a little fun. After this week, you deserve it.”
“Thanks. Speaking of Margaret, how are she and the kids? I’d love to see them. George and Luke have to be almost out of college by now, right?”
He drummed his hand on the armrest and craned his neck as Carl braked to avoid a car that turned late into the intersection in front of them. When they finally pulled forward, he replied to her question. “Marge is good. George has a year to go, but I’m not sure he knows what he wants to do with his life. Luke’s at Annapolis, so he doesn’t really have a choice.”
Zoey nodded at the rundown but made a mental note that he didn’t sound as enthusiastic as usual when talking about his family. George’s lack of direction had to be a disappointment. She could relate, but for completely opposite reasons. Her family had been plenty disappointed when she’d announced she was joining the service. They’d acted like she was throwing her life away, but if she’d returned to their tiny Texas town after a full ride at Texas A&M, that would have been the true waste. At first she’d missed the easy comfort of small town life, but she’d quickly adjusted to the routine of military life and the built-in camaraderie. David and his wife had been particularly welcoming, and she’d come to think of them as her second family, but the one that came first when she needed the kind of comforts a family was supposed to provide.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to a large Tudor style house in what Sharp told her was Georgetown. Every window was lit and the massive sycamore trees were sprinkled with lights. They waited in a line of cars inching toward the valet stand. The team of valets worked quickly, and it wasn’t long before a young man in a navy suit jacket opened her door and reached out a hand as she climbed out of the car. While she waited for Sharp, she took a moment to drink in the atmosphere, grateful for her uniform since, based on the attire of the other guests, she wasn’t sure she owned any clothes dressy enough for this occasion. When they reached the door, a man in a butler uniform ushered them in and pointed out the way to the bar and buffet.
The house was exactly the kind of significant, but not ostentatious dwelling Zoey would expect for a high profile power couple. Chief Justice Addison Riley had been on the bench for a year and had already distinguished herself as a no-nonsense jurist, and Julia Scott, President Garrett’s former campaign manager, had taken over the job as his chief of staff soon after he started his second term. When Addison and Julia started dating, gossip columnists across the nation made it the meat of their news reports for months.
“General Sharp, thank you for coming.”
A striking red-haired woman headed their way, and Zoey pegged her as Julia Scott. Zoey didn’t spend a lot of time following DC politics, but she didn’t know any lesbian alive who hadn’t soaked up the news about Julia and Addison’s relationship with fervent interest. She could hardly believe she was actually here in their home.
David handled the introductions. “Julia Scott, meet Major Zoey Granger. The major is an old friend and she’s in town—”
“For the hearings, I know,” Julia said with a smile as she clasped Zoey’s hand. “Major, it’s nice to meet you in person. C-SPAN’s cameras don’t do you justice. You handled yourself like a champ last week. Thank you for your service.”
Zoey returned the smile, hoping to hide the fact she was a bit disconcerted to know the president’s right hand had paid attention to her testimony before the Senate. But it made sense Julia would have been briefed by someone from the Joint Chief’s office. “Thank you, ma’am. It’s easy when you have the truth on your side.”
Julia winked at Sharp. “This is a good one. I hope you plan on keeping her around.”
“Trust me, we want her working on our team,” Sharp said.
“Well, don’t let me hold you up. There are a lot of people to see and Addison is out on the back deck, but you should make your way to the buffet. I hear the tiny prime rib sandwiches are going fast. Feel free to use your uniforms to cut in front of everyone. I’m pretty sure Jack is over there now employing that strategy with great success.” Julia waved as she wandered off into the crowd greeting other guests.
“She seems very nice,” Zoey said.
“Until you piss her off and then she’s a hellcat.”
“I guess that makes for a perfect quality in a chief of staff.”
“All a matter of perspective I guess.” He gestured toward the bar. “Drink?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Zoey followed him as he cut through the clusters of people. She spotted several familiar faces, some from cable news and others she’d seen the past week at the Capitol. One of the latter grabbed her arm as she walked by.
“Major Granger, what a nice surprise to see you here,” Senator Connie Armstrong said.
Zoey cracked a half smile, uncertain of the protocol. “Nice to see you too, Senator.” She looked at Sharp who’d turned back. The senator tracked her gaze and waved the general off. “General, if you’re headed to the bar, I could use a bourbon and whatever my friend here is having.”
Sharp raised his eyebrows. “Major?”
Zoey turned to Armstrong. “Actually, I was—” She stopped talking when Sharp shot her a pointed look, hoping she was reading the signals correctly. “Red wine. Thanks.” Sharp nodded and plunged back into the crowd, leaving her alone with the senator.
“Are you relieved the hearings are over, Major?”
“Honestly, I’m happy to be getting back to real work.”
“And you don’t consider keeping the legislature informed part of your real work?”
Zoey fumbled for a recovery, but apparently she’d used up all her diplomacy during the grueling sessions over the past week. She was saved from answering by a voice from behind her.
“Connie, leave the major alone. This is a party, not an inquisition.”
She knew that voice. A second later, Rook Daniels appeared next to her, confirming her suspicion. Was everyone in DC at this event?
“You look surprised to see me,” Rook said, her voice smooth and a hint of a grin playing at the corner of her lips.
“I am, but I guess I shouldn’t be. Famous DC fixer. Of course you’d be where all the big names are.”
“I’m not quite sure how to take that. I assure you I came by my invitation honestly. I’m not on the job tonight.” Rook let loose with the grin. “That is, unless a beautiful woman needs to make a quick escape.”
Connie waved a hand between them. “You two know each other?”
“Barely,” Zoey said.
“Intimately,” Rook said at the exact same moment.
Armstrong shook her head. “I learned long ago not to believe anything Rook Daniels said unless I hired her to say it myself.”
Rook placed a hand over her heart. “Connie, you wound me.”
“Save it for the camera, Daniels. Ah, here are our drinks.”
Zoey tore her gaze away from Rook, and Sharp was standing next to them holding three glasses. She reached for hers, happy for the distraction. Rook was distracting enough, dressed in a sleek charcoal gray silk suit and oozing charm. As Sharp handed over her drink, Zoey couldn’t help but notice a slight frown on his face, and she wondered at the cause. She didn’t have a chance to ask before the senator whisked him away, leaving her alone with Rook.
“How honestly?” Zoey asked.
“Pardon?”
“You said you came by the invitation honestly.”
“Yes, well, Julia is an old law school buddy of mine.”
“You’re a lawyer?” Zoey replayed the question back in her head and wished she hadn’t injected so much surprise into it.
“Top of my class at Yale.”
“But you don’t practice law.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I suppose I just wondered why anyone would go to all the trouble to become a lawyer, but not go into the profession.”
Rook smiled, but Zoey read a note of frustration behind the expression. “Oh, I did. And I do. My practice isn’t…traditional.” She narrowed her eyes. “I wasn’t aware you knew anything about me other than my skill at getting through airports undetected.”
“And you are very skilled at that. If you learned that in law school, I’m quite impressed.”
“I was very involved in extracurricular activities.”
“I’m trying not to read too much into that.”
“Then I must be failing at my job.” Rook looked at a spot over Zoey’s shoulder. “Have you met the guest of honor yet?”
Zoey followed her gaze and saw Addison Riley entering through two French doors that appeared to lead to a back deck. “No, but that’s okay. I don’t want to bother her. I’m sure there are a ton of people here who want to pay their respects.”
“You say that like it’s a funeral.” Rook crooked her arm. “Come on, I’ll introduce you. We can save her from the politicos posing as guests so they can try and backdoor all their issues.”
Zoey stared at the crooked arm and shot a glance over at Sharp who was still getting an earful from Connie Armstrong. Something told her following Rook would be dangerous, but their interaction was nothing more than harmless flirting. Surely she could handle that on her own. She ignored the arm, but nodded. “Lead the way.”
* * *
Rook shouldered her way through the crowd, acutely conscious of Zoey right behind her. Two times in as many weeks, she’d swooned over this woman in uniform. Something about Zoey intrigued her, and she was going to find out what it was if she had to spend the rest of the night at her side.
They were a couple of feet from the chief justice, but the group around Addison was like a wall with the outer edges ebbing and flowing, but never giving way. Rook reached back and grabbed Zoey’s hand and raised her other one as she waved to Addison. Addison waved back and murmured excuses to the throng surrounding her as she edged toward Rook and Zoey.
“I need a stiff drink and a quiet place. Get me there, and I’ll owe you for life,” Addison whispered once she was standing next to them.
“I’d be stupid to refuse that deal.” Rook noted Addison’s questioning look in Zoey’s direction, but she didn’t pause to make introductions. “Point the way to the quiet place, and I’ll get drinks.”
“Up those stairs.” Addison pointed toward the sweeping balcony, and the three of them climbed away from the growing crowd. Zoey reached for the banister and Rook instantly missed the warmth of her touch. She followed Addison’s directions, down the hall, around the corner to a large wooden door that led to a beautiful library. The walls were lined with shelves, floor to ceiling, and filled with books and art objects. Rook was impressed, but Zoey appeared to be captivated. She walked over to one of the shelves and traced the spine of a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poetry that Rook bet was a collector’s edition.
“I’m amazed every time I walk in here,” Addison said. “Feel free to look around.”
Zoey jerked her hand back and came to attention. “My apologies, ma’am. I have a small book collection, but this…”
Addison wagged a finger at Rook. “Look at you bringing a woman with great taste to my party. And a soldier no less. I knew you had it in you.”
Rook shot a look at Zoey to gauge her reaction to Addison’s mistaken assumption and caught her shaking her head. “Madam Chief Justice, I’d like you to meet Major Zoey Granger, soon to be Lieutenant Colonel if the rumors are true. As much as I’d be flattered to claim her as my date, she is here as General Sharp’s guest.”
Addison reached out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Major soon to be Lieutenant Colonel.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Zoey said. “And I’m afraid it would be a bit premature to believe any such rumors.”
“Well, any friend of David Sharp’s is a friend of mine.”
Rook watched the exchange. Connie Armstrong had filled her in on the promotion request that had been filed by Sharp. She had no doubt it was true, but now she wondered if Zoey had known about it. She didn’t look surprised at the pronouncement, but she did look slightly embarrassed. Stop overanalyzing and enjoy the evening. “Well, premature or not, I say we celebrate. Shall I go get us some fresh drinks?”
“Or we could just find the bottle of ancient Scotch Julia keeps hidden up here,” Addison said, opening a cabinet door and pushing her way through the contents. “Somebody get the door before we get caught pilfering through her stash.”
“I can do you one better,” Rook said, spying the bottle with the red bow she’d handed to Julia at the door. She picked it up and handed it to Addison. “Happy birthday.”
“Hey, sis, are you bailing on your own party already?”
A tall, handsome man who bore an unmistakable resemblance to the chief justice stood in the doorway. “You must be Jack Riley,” Rook said, noticing Zoey perk up at the mention of his name.
“That’s me.” He walked in the room, his hand outstretched. Rook returned the firm handshake with one of her own. “Rook Daniels, nice to meet you.” She pointed at Zoey. “And this is Major Zoey Granger, a fellow soldier. Any chance you two know each other?”
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Jack said.
“We haven’t,” Zoey said. “But we have a friend in common. General David Sharp?”
“Ah, yes. Uncle David. Well, he’s not really our uncle, but we’ve known him since we were kids. He served with our dad,” Jack said, waving to include Addison in his remarks.
“He’s been a mentor to me throughout my career.”
“You couldn’t find a better man for the job. Where are you stationed, Major?”
Zoey cleared her throat before speaking. It was a little thing and easily written off to allergies or the hours she’d spent talking while on the hot seat in the Senate, but Rook had noticed her doing it before and recognized it as a tell. Whatever Zoey was about to say wasn’t entirely true. “Most recently Fort Hood after I detailed back from Bagram, but I won’t get my new orders until next week. You?”
Jack nodded knowingly. “I’ve been detailed with JSOC, but I’m at the Pentagon for a while riding a desk.” He pulled out a card. “If they drag you back here, look me up and I’ll show you my small part of the Puzzle Palace.”
Zoey studied the card and placed it in her pocket. Rook watched the entire exchange with a small measure of envy. The tight-knit military club never failed to amaze her. These two had never met before, but suddenly they were fast friends.
“So here’s where you’re all hanging out.” Julia stood in the doorway, shaking her head. “I’ve got a crowd of people screaming for cake and the guest of honor is nowhere in sight.”
Addison raised her glass. “Sorry. All my fault. I corrupted this entire group, but I promise we’ll be downstairs in five minutes. But first, a toast.” She motioned for everyone to fill their glass. “To good friends and family. May we cherish what we have while we have it.”
The group called out hear, hears and everyone drank to the toast. As they made their way back downstairs to the party, Rook sidled up to Zoey. “Having fun?”
“More than I expected.” Zoey covered her mouth. “Sorry, that sounded rude.”
Rook laughed. “Not at all. I spend a lot of time at parties, but they aren’t my favorite things.”
“Oh, really. You seem like a natural.”
“Professional partygoer. It’s on my résumé.”
“What are your favorite things?”
“Pardon?”
“What kind of things do you like to do?”
Rook pondered the question. It wasn’t hard, but she had a difficult time coming up with anything, probably because she hadn’t done anything just for fun in a very long time. “To be perfectly honest, I spend most of my time working.”
“Too bad. Your driver, George, recommended a nighttime tour of the monuments as one of the best ways to see DC and I planned to go tomorrow. Any chance you want to join me? I know it’s probably cheesy to you, but it would be a small thing I could do to pay you back for saving me in the airport.”
Rook started to decline. It was cheesy and she kind of hated to admit she’d never done any of the usual touristy things in DC. Not on purpose anyway. She didn’t really see the point. She’d seen parts of the White House and Capitol most tourists never got to see—anything else seemed like a waste of time. Besides, she had absolutely no interest in developing a relationship with someone in the military. But then again, Zoey was only here temporarily—it wasn’t like they were going to get involved for anything beyond the short-term. It’s not like you’re going to war.
“I’d love to join you.”
* * *
“I’m sorry I bailed on you back there. You’ll learn soon enough no party in DC is purely about pleasure,” Sharp said as they drove away from the party.
“Didn’t take me long to figure that out.” Zoey leaned back against the seat, reflecting on the evening. Her response wasn’t entirely accurate since except for her initial encounter with Senator Armstrong, she’d spent most of the night in the company of Rook and Addison’s brother Jack who’d regaled them with stories about his sister as a child. Zoey had felt like one of the cool kids for the first time since she’d blown the lid off the Nine Tech scandal.
Earlier in the day, she would’ve sworn it wasn’t important to fit in, but that’s what everyone who fit in said. For a fleeting moment she wondered what her family would think if she told them she’d spent the better part of the evening in the company of the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the president’s chief of staff. But she knew she’d never tell since their response would evoke a tirade about liberal judges and a president who’d rather help people in foreign countries than his own citizens. Never mind they were always the first ones in line when there was a handout to be had, especially her able-bodied brother with his lazy wife who pretended to homeschool the kids to avoid getting a real job. Both of them would rather tear down the establishment they didn’t really understand than do anything to fix it.
“She’s respected in certain circles, but you’d probably do well to steer clear, especially until you have a bit more experience with DC politics.”
Zoey looked at the general, hoping he didn’t have a clue she’d zoned out for the last few minutes. She cycled through the faces of the people she’d hung out with at the party, wondering exactly who he was talking about. “Senator Armstrong?”
He laughed. “That one’s almost impossible to avoid. She’s got her nose in everything. Mark my words, you’ll see Armstrong for President commercials popping up next year. She won’t rest until she’s at the top of the heap. No, I was talking about Rook Daniels.”
With a guilty thought about the date she’d scheduled with Rook the next day, Zoey casually asked, “So I take it you know her pretty well.”
“I know of her and that’s enough. Not many people know her well. She’s a chameleon. Worse than a lawyer. Her allegiance goes to the highest bidder.”
Zoey laughed. “Sounds exactly like a lawyer to me.”
“Except lawyers take an oath and have some accountability to the court. Public relations experts, which is what she calls herself, act with impunity to make their clients look good, right or wrong be damned.”
Zoey resisted pointing out Rook was a lawyer since she sensed this conversation wasn’t about facts, but impressions. Clearly, David Sharp was not impressed with Rook Daniels, which left her feeling a bit torn since she’d had exactly the opposite reaction.