The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Twenty Nine

Eight Years Ago
Lauren's P.O.V

This year has been fucking insane.

The party we're hosting tonight is expected to be for yet another landslide victory. Nothing suprising, though our numbers weren't as high as we'd expected them to be in the beginning. While I'm relatively well known from my work on high profile FBI cases , being on the news for that as well as campaign appearances, and Kyle's known for being the governor of New York, our names didn't really start to stick out until about halfway through the campaign.

At that point, if we'd asked anybody on the streets what our names were, they'd be able to tell you. With this, however, came the complete relinquishment of any privacy. Our address being leaked, which was especially dangerous for me, considering some of the people I'd put in jail previously. Kyle hired four security guards- two day shift, two night shift. Neither of them clock out until the next shift arrives, even if we're not currently home.

If tonight goes how it's expected- we'll be moving to Washington this month, into what's been our vacation home for years. Can't say that I'm complaining- that place is a hippie's dream house and I've already got the paperwork ready for a location transfer for the FBI. The doorbell rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Catering." A sweet, young delivery girl says. She has that look that says "I just graduated a Christian university early but I'm not a Christian and I'm nice to literally everybody".

  "Name?" Our security guard asks her.

  "Kendra." She replies. He checks the catering info, stepping aside to let her in when he sees her name on it. She carries two large bags, grateful for the help when an intern grabs one of them. The smell of Alfredo and cake wafts up under my nose, making my mouth water. As I go to sit down with my bowl, I notice Kendra struggling to stay awake.

"Hey-" I place a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Oh I'm fine, ma'm. I'm just tired." She responds.

"Well sit down then." I say. "Eat something."

"I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Nonsense." I shake my head. "All are welcome here." I say, fixing her a bowl. For a second, she looks like she wants to cry, so I pull her off to the side of the living room into Kyle's office and close the door. "Seriously- what the hell is the matter? I will not allow crying in my house."

"It's just- I'm working three jobs and taking care of my mother and she's sick and I'm almost to the point that I want to cut somebody's fucking head off." She stress vents quickly.

"Okay- okay." I say. "Come work for us and we can hire a nurse for you."

"We met five minutes ago." She replies.

"So?" I shrug. "When I meet somebody that needs help, I help them. Kyle needs a new assistant, actually. Our current one has thirteen children and won't be able to move up to dc with us."

"Thirteen?" She almost chokes on her water.

"Mhmn."

"Jesus... okay, when are you guys moving?" She asks.

"Next month. We have a fully furnished guest house that you and your mom can have if you want." I say.

"I-" She starts to say something but is interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Lauren? Can I talk to you for a second?" Lolita asks from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, what is it?" I reply.

"I wanted you to look over the edits I made to your introduction to the acceptance speech." She says, handing me the papers.

"It's probably great-" I say. "You've always tweaked them perfectly." I look at my phone- and we're currently polling at 72% with twenty percent of the votes in. There's expected to be a massive dump of the remaining votes in about ten minutes, which I expect will solidify what we already know: My husband will be Senator Wells in just a few months.

Over the years, his official titles have gone from Board Member Kyle Wells, to Mayor Kyle Wells, to Governor Wells, and soon, Senator. We've talked briefly about what's next, thought that's at least five more years away. "Excuse me." I say, finding Kyle in the living room. "I love you, Senator Wells."

"I..love you too." He says, distracted until I kiss him. "I'm sorry it's just- My mom and brother were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago and.. she's never late for anything."

"I'm sure she's fine." I respond, resting my head on his shoulder. "Traffic's been pretty bad tonight. She might've gotten stuck on the interstate."

"Can you- ya know."

"Nope." I say. "I don't have the equipment at the moment and Ethan's probably left the office by now."

"Fuck." He mumbles under his breath. We wait, our eyes going back and forth between the tv and phone, half monitoring the results, half waiting on his mom to call us. I jump, on edge when the breaking news sound plays, about to announce the winner.

"...We are receiving word from the Secretary of state's office that we do now have an undeniable winner, with sixty seven percent of the vote now in.." Kyle and I almost simultaneously sit up. " a historic number of republicans and democrats voting independents this time around, And most of the votes left to count being in democratic cities, Governor Wells will take the incumbents seat."

Almost instantly, there's celebration. We did it, again. When I met Kyle, he was already thinking ahead, as far as the presidency, but back then, he was a fifteen year old that came from a not so well off family. With his grades, though, he was able to pay for online college while serving on the school board, and as the mayor, took evening law school classes. This is everything he's worked for for years.

I watch as the security guard at the front door answers a call, a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then, when the call ends, he gestures for us to come talk to him. "What is it, Jon?" Kyle asks.

"Your family got in a car crash on the way over here." He replies, the look on his face.

"Are they... are they okay?"

"No sir." The security guard pauses. "They didn't make it."