The Reluctant First Lady (20 page)

“I repeat, think about how you would feel if it were Jeremy or Juliette.”

He had her there. She would have been frantic, despite the fact that there was nothing she could do, and she would absolutely need to hear their voices to help calm her down.

She conceded his point. “You’re right. I should have called. I’m sorry. You realize, though, whether I was there with you or you were here, there isn’t any more that you could do than you’re doing right now. Lighten up and see the humor in the situation. Granted there isn’t much, but someone out there really believes the little woman should be taking care of her man, and they don’t think I’m doing that. Pul-lease. Cue the Tammy Wynette music.”

“Ashley, there’s no place for jokes about a threat to the First Lady. Besides, you haven’t been gone even a day, and I already miss you.”

Ashley got serious. “I know. I miss you, too. Honey, I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow is my first day back to work after being gone for over a month, and I’m already dreading the mountain of work that I’m sure is waiting for me. So, until the next death threat, I need to say goodnight.”

“You know, you’re impossible, don’t you? Okay, goodnight for now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow night,” Michael said as he hung up.

Ashley thought for a second before she turned out the light; they’d be very lucky if they could stay in touch on a daily basis. Both of their worlds were spinning faster and faster and seemed to be heading in completely opposite directions.

27

Ashley swept into the museum the next morning balancing a cardboard cup holder carrying three hot drinks. She grinned at her secretaries. “I bring you nectar from the gods. Anyone interested in a tall white chocolate latte or a hot chocolate with whipped cream? I come bearing gifts for the troops in the field.”

Her secretaries, both good friends, began bowing, repeating, “We are not worthy; we are not worthy,” as each reached for the drink of choice.

Ashley hugged both of her friends. “Please tell me that every problem that occurred in my absence has been tastefully and tactfully handled and I return to an office free of problems and turmoil.”

“Well . . .” Mavis said thoughtfully, “it all depends on your personal standard of tasteful and tactful. If you’re not overly fussy, I think you may be in luck.”

“Hey, I missed you guys. You know the White House staff could really use a couple of sassy secretaries. It would jazz up an otherwise rather dreary place. But don’t you dare think of defecting; I won’t write you a letter of recommendation worth a damn. We’re a team, and a team sticks together. Tell me, what’d you two do while I was gone to stay out of trouble?”

“We were dutiful secretaries, so we watched the inauguration, of course. We saw Michael, I mean President Taylor, get sworn in and you and the kids standing beside him. It was surreal to see you standing in the middle of our country’s most important event. Even though we work with you and know pretty much what goes on in your life, it’s still hard to believe that you’re married to the president of the United States.

“The purple silk pantsuit looked great on television. Every time you moved, the beads that dangled from the hemline of the top and the cuffs of the sleeves moved and glistened—quite glitzy for daytime in Washington, DC. You were lucky the weather was unseasonably warm so you didn’t have to wear a coat. Plus, it was fun to listen to the reaction from the press, who think your style is outrageous.

“We noticed that all the rest of the women were wearing tailored suits in a variety of somber colors, just as you said they would, and that Paula lady wore a red one. They looked like their clothes came off an assembly line. We’re glad you didn’t feel pressured to follow suit, no pun intended,” Mavis snickered.

“I’ll bet you didn’t know about the clothing factory in Washington, DC. There’s a conveyor belt that stamps out boring outfits specifically dedicated to the clothing for the wives of politicians and, naturally, our women legislators. Each garment is stamped with a tag saying “Property of the United States Government.” Shoot me if I ever start dressing like that. I mean, really, shoot me because I won’t be me anymore. The invasion of the body snatchers will have taken over my body.”

Kathy said, “Unfortunately there were plenty of comments about what you were or were not wearing and the fact that you don’t want to be the First Lady. News reporters were having a field day at your expense, but I guess that was to be expected, especially during the inauguration. At any rate, you and Michael, or rather, you and the president, looked great. We’re so proud of you.”

“Yeah, it was a very emotional day for our family, too,” Ashley admitted. “Almost like an out-of-body experience and a very intense one at that. I’m glad it’s over, and I’m so proud of Michael. He’ll be a great president.

“Well, enough about that. I’m relieved to be back at work. Would you please buzz Max and see if he can meet with me sometime this morning? Also I’m sure you’ve kept a list of things that need my attention. If you’ve got it, I’ll swing into action.”

Mavis responded, “It’s already on your desk. I’ll let Maxwell know you want to see him. Welcome back—and thanks for the liquid inspiration.”

Ashley looked around at her perfectly tidy office. It was just as she’d left it with the exception of the stack of papers and messages on her desk. So much had happened since she’d last been here; she halfway expected to see some big changes in her office. And yet, in many ways, it seemed like she’d never been gone. She looked over the list that Mavis had prepared for her. She began prioritizing items in the order she intended to handle them. She noticed Geoffrey Carruthers had called. She wondered what he wanted. Before she could deal with any of the items on the list, she wanted to go over what had happened during her absence with Max.

Before she had a chance to make her first phone call, Max knocked on her open door and stuck his head in. “Welcome back, boss. Do I have to treat you differently now that you’re related to the president of the United States?”

“Absolutely. You can start looking around for some sort of tiara to buy me to wear while I’m here in the office. I suggest you begin your search at Tiffany’s.”

Ashley was thankful she could maintain her normal playful attitude with her coworkers. She was glad everyone was acting the same and not treating her differently. How different things were in Washington. There everything was so serious.

“Come in; sit down. I’m anxious to get caught up on what I missed while I was gone.”

“Actually, you’re in luck. It was pretty slow over the holidays. I dealt with some of the new acquisitions that will be arriving, and I’ve been working with the San Francisco museum about the Black History Month exhibitions we’re planning to exchange with them. I’ve put all of the information together for you in this memo. Here’s a copy.” Max leaned over and handed Ashley the sheet of paper containing the information.

Ashley briefly scanned the memo. “Thanks, Max. I’m glad you didn’t have to deal with any catastrophes. It gave me tremendous peace of mind to know you were in charge while I was gone. Truthfully, with you in charge I didn’t worry about the museum at all.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your confidence in me. How did you feel being in the center of history?” Max asked.

“I loved having time with Michael. We rarely have that much time together anymore, so for me that was a real treat. But I can’t stand politics. It all seems so contrived, but Michael believes he can work within the system. If anyone can make it more real and honest, my husband can. He’s such an optimist and a diplomat. I hope he can make the difference he wants and not get hurt in the process.

“When you’re around some politicians, I swear they puff up like roosters preening in a henhouse. It makes me sick. But there’re some who are in Washington for the right reasons and want to do what’s good for America. I just hope they outnumber all the glory seekers.

“Most of them are highly suspicious of me, which I suppose under the circumstances is to be expected. The fact that I don’t want to give up my career and fall in line like a dutiful politician’s wife makes a lot of the men uncomfortable. I think they’re afraid I’m setting a bad example for their wives. Some of the women aren’t much better. Some of them really don’t care and that’s refreshing, but for the most part, I think most of the politicians wore garlic necklaces hidden under their shirts and suits to ward off any evil spirits I may possess. Heaven forbid if a picture were to be taken of them talking to me. They probably think it would hurt their careers—guilt by association and all that rubbish.”

“Ashley, I’ve tried to put myself in both your place and Michael’s. When I do, I feel sympathy for each of you. This has got to be a tremendous strain on your marriage, and even though you’re not asking my opinion or advice, I’d think very carefully about not only what you want for now but what you want in five, ten, and twenty years down the road. What do you want your life to look like then?”

“When did you get to be so wise? I appreciate the thought. It’s very good advice. That’s exactly what I intend to do; I intend to think about the future. I’ve been formulating a plan of sorts in my head, and when I get it all figured out, maybe there will be a solution. As for now, thank you for all of your support. Now we both better get back to work unless there’s something else you think I should know.”

“Nope. It’s all in the memo. Welcome back and let me know if there’s anything that needs more explaining, but I suspect with that quick brain of yours, there won’t be. I’ll see you later.”

Max stood to leave and just as he got to the door, he tossed a remark over his shoulder. “And, thanks for thinking of me when you were bringing the dynamic duo their drinks.”

“Max. Have you started drinking something to fortify you in the morning? I’d gladly get you something when I pick up our morning drinks.”

“No. Just trying to pull your chain.”

Ashley yelled, “Quick, you two, throw darts at the back of that man leaving my office.”

Mavis and Kathy didn’t even look up from their work. They were used to Ashley’s humor and wisecracks. They just shook their heads and kept working. They’d missed her while she was gone; it was good to have her back and in such good spirits. Since the election and before the fund-raiser, Ashley had been beginning to show signs of the strain that was accumulating. While she never lost her sense of humor, the tension in the office had begun to build. And when she got crazy, she made them crazy.

28

During Ashley’s first week back at work, she was in a constant footrace trying to catch up on matters that had been left for her personal attention. The day-to-day operations were back on an even keel, and she was knee-deep in plans for the museum’s next major exhibit.

As she worked through the list of phone calls she needed to return, she noticed there were several calls from patrons of the museum who wanted to donate additional money. This was exactly what her boss had referred to, the status and attention she would bring to the museum because she was married to the president.

Ashley realized it was inevitable; being annoyed about it served no purpose. The whole situation was thick with irony. She’d spent a lifetime establishing her own identity, and now the interest in her was primarily because Michael had become the president of the United States. There was no sidestepping the situation. She had no choice but to suck it up and move forward.

There were three phone calls in her pile of messages that held more interest for her than the rest. One was from her boss, another was from Geoffrey Carruthers, and the third was from Oprah Winfrey. She could guess that Robert’s call was a reminder about the meeting they’d scheduled before she left for Washington, and she was pretty sure that Oprah wanted to schedule an interview with her, but she didn’t have a clue why Geoffrey would be calling. Might as well get to them.

Robert answered on the first ring.

“So, you’re answering your own phone now,” Ashley chuckled. “What else has changed while I was gone? Where’s Pamela? You know I’d steal her from you if I could.”

“Welcome back, Madam . . . uh, never mind. Pamela had to run uptown for a birthday gift, and you know perfectly well I can answer my own phone. But I’m looking forward to talking to you. Are we still on for tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be there at ten. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to give me a hint about our meeting?”

“You’ve waited this long. I’m sure you can wait another day. I’m also very excited to hear about your backstage view of the inauguration.”

Ashley laughed. “Oh, I think I can give you a reasonably good account. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The next call was to Geoffrey Carruthers.

“Mr. Carruthers’s office. May I help you?”

“Yes, thank you. This is Ashley Taylor, and I’m returning Mr. Carruthers’s call. Is he available?”

“No, I’m sorry, Mrs. Taylor. However, he left instructions for me in the event you called. He’d like to meet with you for lunch to discuss the possibility of becoming a board member and establishing an endowment fund for the museum. Could you meet him for lunch day after tomorrow at the Russian Tea Room at one o’clock?”

Ashley quickly checked her calendar. The time was open.

“Yes, that would work for me. Please tell him I’ll see him there at one.”

“I’ll be sure to give Mr. Carruthers your answer. Thank you for calling back.”

The third call was to Oprah. The press had been hounding Ashley nonstop since she’d renounced the role of First Lady, and there had been no letup since the inauguration. If possible, the press was getting even more aggressive. She was being pursued by all of the anchors of the major networks and cable TV stations. She’d given a great deal of thought about whom she felt she could trust if she were to give an interview. She’d narrowed it down to three: Barbara Walters, Brian Williams, and Oprah Winfrey. She respected all three of them tremendously.

She hoped she was making the right decision to give an interview. She didn’t know Oprah personally, but she felt a kinship with her as she imagined did most of her viewers.