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“Ma’am,” the head of her security team said quietly as he entered her office via the door she had left open earlier, “we can give you one hour, this afternoon as you requested.”
She looked up from the antique desk and gave a wry smile, “and none of you will follow me?”
He shook his head, “no ma’am. You can have one hour of driving alone. But someone will have to follow you. The backup vehicle like always.”
Julia raised one of her eyebrows and looked at him incredulously, as he continued. “And if you get out of the car you’ll need to have someone within close range.”
“So,” Julia began as she rose from her seat and stepped slowly towards the window, looking down on the street below, “what you are telling me PS James; is that you have done exactly nothing of what I have asked you to do?” She questioned as she turned to fix her eyes on the man standing in front of her.
She watched as the top of his cheeks turned a shade of crimson before he shuffled on the spot. She could see that he was trying to think of what to say to her next, something unproblematic. But unless he was going to tell her that she was allowed to go somewhere on her own for what felt like the first time in forever, then she really wasn’t interested.
“Ma’am,” PS James began, “you are the Prime Minister.”
Julia smirked and held both her hands out, gesturing around the office she was in. “Do you really think I am likely to forget that?” She questioned, “Hardly likely, given where we are.” She added, not giving PS James any time to respond.
“Forgive me, ma’am.” PS James added quickly.
“You think I should remember that I belong to the people and therefore have no privacy.” Julia added as she turned away from PS James for one moment, breathing carefully through her nose, staring out into the street again.
She expected another reply, but PS James was a clever man and he did not answer back to her. When she turned back to him, he was simply standing with his hands by his side and looking at her carefully.
“What if I went at night?” Julia questioned, she really needed to have some privacy, she needed to do this on her own, she wondered if she could go at night.
PS James shook his head, “same risks as during the day ma’am. We simply cannot let you out without your security detail. If something was to happen to you …”
Julia sighed loudly, it was because of something that she had made the request to go somewhere on her own. She then thought about what PS James had told her, “when you say ‘we’,” she questioned, “does this mean you’ve told my husband?” PS James blinked rapidly at her. “Because you know that was my first request.” She fought back the urge to begin screaming, she could feel her heart beat quicken. If her husband knew she could kiss goodbye any option of being alone. If he knew where she was going he would have been there in a flash. But she had to do this part on her own first. Then she would tell him, if there was anything to tell.
“No,” PS James replied, “no one has told him any of this.”
Julia felt her heart beat almost return to normal rhythm, she then began to step to towards the door of her office, making PS James realise that she wanted him to leave her alone without actually telling him so. He picked up on her signals and left her be, sounding as if he mumbled I’m sorry as he left the room.
Julia returned to her desk and sat back down, she stared at the paperwork in front of her and then slowly pulled one blue folder out from the large pile to her left. She stared at the words in front of her and breathed through her nose again.
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A sharp knock interrupted her a short time later and she was pleased to notice there were more files now on her right side than what were on her left. She raised her head, “come in.”
“A reminder that your conference call with the New Zealand PM is in twenty minutes.” Her principal private secretary Oliver told her as he entered the office, “There is no outline for what the call is to entail?” he questioned.
Julia shook her head, “it’s fine Oliver. Nothing for you to concern yourself with.”
Oliver stared at her carefully, wondering what his boss was up to. She had had her quiet moments before, but this was new; coupled with the look on PS James’ face when he had left this office earlier, Oliver was concerned, but he simply nodded. “PS James is back by the way ma’am. He wishes to see you again.”
Julia sighed again, “you’d better send him in then.”
“You also remember that you are alone for dinner this evening?” Julia nodded as Oliver continued, “the menu has been set for Italian tonight.”
“Thank you,” Julia replied as her stomach churned, “do you think we could change it for something lighter?” She questioned, “given that it is just me.” She added quickly.
Oliver looked perplexed and it didn’t go unnoticed by Julia, “I will make the arrangements.” He said calmly as he went to leave the room.
“Thank you, Oliver.” Julia replied.
“Ma’am,” Oliver said as he stopped beside the door, “I have also cleared your schedule for the rest of the day as requested. Your call with the PM is the last thing for today.”
She smiled wryly and repeated “thank you Oliver.”
“Ma’am.” Oliver said with a bob of his head, “I will send in PS James.”
Julia sat back in her seat and closed her folder, she had almost given up on getting anything else done today.
“Prime Minister,” PS James said by way of greeting, as he closed her office door. “I have come to ask you two questions.”
Julia interlocked her fingers and rested her hands on her desk, “and if I answer these questions?” she asked back.
“Then you may be one step closer to me being able to grant you your request.”
Julia held back the desire to roll her eyes, it was so much easier to be allowed to do whatever she wanted to do when someone else was in charge of her personal safety. She remembers one time when all she’d had to do was …
“Ma’am?” PS James questioned, looking at her expectantly.
Julia almost blushed, clearly, she’d missed the first question. “Could you repeat yourself?” She asked. “I was thinking about something I had just been reading.” She was incredibly thankful that she was able to think fast.
PS James nodded, “I asked if it was crucial that you were the one doing the driving?”
Julia thought for a moment, she guessed that it wasn’t. She had thought that if she was going somewhere alone then she would have to drive herself. But if having a driver would placate her security somewhat she might be willing to compromise on this idea. “Preferable,” she began to explain, “but not crucial.”
PS James nodded again but didn’t say anything, Julia watched him carefully, she could never completely tell what he was thinking. “And your second question?” she reminded him.
“Where are you going?”
Julia shook her head. “That I cannot tell you.”
PS James shook his head back at her, “then we cannot grant your request. You will need the full protection detail.”
Julia groaned under her breath and ran a single hand through her hair, before she stopped and stared at the man in front of her. “You agree to one driver, of my choosing, no extra detail and I’ll tell you where I am going.”
“I will take you.” PS James replied calmly.
“One car.” Julia stated, not willing to give another inch.
“One car.”
“Harley Street.” Julia explained. “My appointment is at 4pm.”
PS James nodded. “I will be back at 3:30.”
“Thank you.” Julia said relievedly, before her tone changed to one that was more threatening, “and PS James, you are the only person who knows where I am going for now. If this is to get out in any way.”
She watched as he nodded again and then left the room. Leaving her alone with her thoughts, until Oliver decided that he needed to come back to tell her that the conference call was about to commence.
The phone beside her rang once before she picked it up, “Jacinda,” she said calmly, “I need your advice.”
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True to his word at exactly 3:30pm PS James was standing in front of her explaining that he had organised a lone car to take her to where she was going. He watched as she gathered her things and then followed behind him down the winding corridors and out to where the car was parked.
The house had been relatively quiet for a Wednesday afternoon, she had just sent Oliver to Parliament to pick up some documents that needed her attention and she also gave the third floor where she and her husband lived a wide berth. She’d kissed him goodbye this morning and told him that she would see him once he had returned home from his dinner. She didn’t need him to see her escaping their home when she had not told him where she was going.
PS James opened the back door for her and she slid into the back seat, she waited until he got in the driver seat before she quickly questioned, “and you are still the only one that knows where we are going?”
“Yes ma’am.” PS James replied, “but you do know that I will have to come in with you.”
“You will come as far as the door.” Julia stated firmly. “That is all.”
PS James met her eyes in the rear-view mirror and she glared at him, she didn’t flinch at all. She didn’t look away until he did first. “Prime Minister,” he said quietly as he switched the ignition on and began to drive them towards Harley Street.
Julia closed her eyes for just a moment and before she realised she felt the car slow down and pull into a side street, she opened her eyes and saw one lone person standing waiting for her. She smiled to herself, so far everything was working according to her plan.
“They are expecting you ma’am?” PS James questioned as he parked the car just beside where the woman was waiting.
Julia smirked and raised an eyebrow again, “she is expecting me. She’s the only one who knows that I am coming.”
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Julia yawned as the door to the private residence closed behind her, alone finally. Well if you can consider yourself being alone if you are surrounded by armed guards and locked gates. She stared down at the phone which had been in her pocket, there were no messages of great importance. She slipped her coat off and wandered into the first room, leaving the coat on the back of the sofa, she removed her shoes, leaving them in the middle of the floor and then checked the table in the main living area. She smiled to herself, Oliver had left the files she wanted perfectly arranged in the middle of the table and beside the files was her dinner. Not the Italian that had been planned, there was instead a salad and cutlery waiting for her.
A note in Oliver’s familiar scrawl was left on top, she read it carefully. Noting that her schedule for first thing in the morning had been changed, her first meeting was now at 7:30am. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was first on the list, followed by the incumbent Home Secretary and then there was a cabinet meeting. She yawned again at the thought.
She looked down at her watch and then at the files, she pulled one of the chairs out and sat down. She opened the first file and began to read, using one hand to turn the pages of the file and the other to use the fork to begin to eat her dinner.
She raised the lettuce to her lips and then felt a wave of nausea. She dropped the file from her fingers and raised her left hand to hold over her mouth. At least now she knew why she felt this way. She stood slowly from the table, leaving her work and her dinner and headed towards her bedroom.
She sat down on the edge of the plush duvet, the mattress was so comfortable underneath her legs. She stared back at the pillows and then did a very unlike her movement, she shuffled back and into them.
Leaning her head back into the pillows, she took some deep breaths in through her nose and then closed her eyes again. Ten minutes, that’s all she needed.
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She doesn’t know how long it is until she is woken by the sound of someone’s footsteps, then a loud tripping sound followed by the sound of someone swearing “fuck,” in a very familiar Scottish accent.
She sits up slowly, the bedroom is completely dark. She rubs at her eyes and stretches her legs, she’s still in the same clothes she had worn all day today. The only thing missing is her coat which she knows she left in the other room and then her shoes, which she is pretty sure her husband just tripped over.
“Julia?” he questions as she hears his voice coming closer and closer.
She smiles as she can see the outline of his body in the doorway, she can see that he is limping. “Are you okay?” she questions.
“Are you okay?” he asks as he continues into the bedroom, he reaches out to flick one of the bedside lamps on. Julia’s eyes blink, adjusting to the light. “Your shoes are in the middle of the floor? Your dinner is uneaten? And you are sleeping in your clothes?” He questions as he sits down beside her on the bed, reaching out for her forehead, placing one of his open palms over the top of her face.
“Well,” he says with a smile, “you aren’t hot.”
“I’m not hot?” she questions teasingly, smirking at him as he smiles back.
He leans down towards her, his lips meet hers as he whispers into her mouth, “well you are always that kind of hot.”
She laughs, “I would hope so David.”
“So, the mess in the other room?” David asks perplexed, “Ella and Charlie haven’t been here, have they?”
Julia shakes her head, “no,” she begins, “just me.”
David blinks his bright blue eyes at her, before he looks at her expectantly. He’s waiting for her to add to her statement. He watches as she yawns, his eyebrows knitted together in concern, “where were you this afternoon?” he questions, “I tried to call you just before I left for dinner. Oliver said you were not taking calls.”
Julia was impressed, she was pleased that Oliver was able to do what he had been asked to do. David was still watching her, she reached out for his hand, interlocking their fingers, “how was your dinner?”
David sighed as he raised their joined hands and kissed one of her fingers, “well,” he began, “half of them still don’t want to talk to me.”
“Because of me?” Julia questioned, a part of her feeling guilty for just a moment. The part that had once entered into an argument with her husband that had led to the members of the Downing Street household not looking at him or her for over a week.
David shook his head, “half of them don’t like me because of Helmand, nothing to do with you love.”
“And the other half?” Julia questioned as she shuffled over to the other side of the bed, making room for David to lay down beside her, his hand still holding hers.
“Oh aye, them,” David began as he settled back into the pillows beside her; and without looking at him Julia knew he was smiling.
“Yes, them.” Julia stated, she had to admit she was intrigued now.
“Well,” David explained, “they want to know what it’s like being married to the most powerful woman in the country.”
Julia laughed, “have they forgotten about the Queen?”
“Do you think the Queen leaves her shoes in the middle of the floor?” David questioned as he turned to lay on his side facing her.
She laughed again before she too moved to lay facing him, “what is your obsession with the shoes?”
“Well you don’t normally leave things laying around,” David began, “that’s me.”
She laughed again, “so what did you tell them it was like being married to me?”
David looked at her carefully as he hooked one of his legs over one of hers, “I told them it was very nice.”
She narrowed her eyes, “very nice?” she responded, “is that all you had to say, very nice?” she added as she ran her toes along his outstretched leg. “That does sound like you are married to the Queen.” She continued as she then leant closer to him, kissing him on the neck, just where the collar of his shirt and his neck met.
“Do you think we can stop talking about her?” David questioned as he slid his arms around Julia’s back. “Although I do wonder if she answers her husband’s questions?”
“What question do you want answered?” Julia asked, in between kissing at David’s neck, moving along his jawline until she reached his lips.
“I have two questions.” David replied, as he kissed her back, his teeth gently nibbling at her lower lip.
“And they are?”
“Where were you this afternoon? And why are your shoes in the middle of the floor?”
Julia smirked as she pulled her face away from his, staring at him carefully. “I have a question too.”
David felt his jaw clench, sometimes he forgot she was a politician for a living, but her ability to answer a question with a question, reminded him of her career. That he was sharing a bed and his life with the Prime Minister and a Tory one at that.
“How do you think your friends would feel if they knew that you and the Prime Minister were having a baby?” Julia asked softly as she moved their still interlocked hands to rest on her stomach. She watched as his eyes grew wide, “so today,” she began, “I had to go somewhere because of something.” She smiled as he moved his other hand to rest upon her stomach too, his fingers splaying out over her blouse.
“Although we probably shouldn’t call him or her a thing. That doesn’t seem like a good idea. They’ll already have enough problems being the child of a serving Prime Minister.”
“You’re having a baby?” David questioned, blinking rapidly, he seemed to have lost his ability to form long sentences too. He was expecting that she had gone on some secret government business and that she had just left her shoes in the middle of the floor because she’d been feeling lazy, or had been interrupted as she was arriving home.
“We are having a baby.” Julia replied, poking at his chest with one of her long fingers. “I believe because of the fact that it was our anniversary and the night of the state dinner and someone couldn’t handle themselves.”
David shook his head, “was I the one wearing a blue dress that was missing half of the back?”
Julia winked at him, “well no,” she began as she poked him in the chest again, “but you were wearing a blue shirt,” she said reminding him of the Calvin Klein shirt that he had worn that night.
“Aye,” David replied, “which I wore because someone told me we had to match.”
“Or was it just because I really like you in blue?” Julia asked coquettishly.
David shook his head as his fingers drew a pattern on her stomach, “you have asked enough questions. Time for you to answer some.”
Julia dropped her bottom lip as David smirked at her, “how long have you known?”
“About a week.” Julia responded, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth.
“A week!” David repeated incredulously, “I guess that explains the kettle in the fridge the other day.”
“The what?”
“Over the weekend, someone put the kettle in the fridge.” He explained, “I thought it must have been me, sleepwalking. But love,” he said before pausing and leaning to press his forehead to hers, “now I think it was you.”
Julia raised her hand to cover her face in embarrassment, “David,” she began quietly, “how am I going to do this?”
David shook his head, “was that another question? I believe we are in the Prime Minister answering questions not asking. We will have to table that one for later.”
Julia lowered her hand and pouted, “shut up,” she said quietly, “okay, what are your damn questions?”
David pouted back at her, “your mother is very rude,” he said quickly as he tipped his head downwards.
“And your father takes too long to ask his questions.” Julia retorted, the words flying out of her mouth before she realised those were the first words she’d directed at her belly and the baby inside. She felt the beginning of tears and was immediately thankful that she wasn’t being asked actual political questions at this exact moment.
“Who else knows?”
“You mean other than you?”
David knitted his eyebrows towards her once again, “aye of course.”
“One doctor.”
“And you can trust them?”
Julia nodded, “she’s one of my oldest friends, we went to school together. She works out of a practice on Harley Street.”
“Of course, you have friends on Harley Street.” David responded, before another thought crossed his mind, “how did you get there?”
“PS James. I tried to convince him to let me go alone. He wouldn’t, we had to reach a compromise. And he’s not as easy to negotiate with as my old PPO.”
“Who are you calling easy?” David questioned, smirking again before his face grew serious, “y’know I could’ve taken you.”
“David,” Julia began, “you are my husband now, not my PPO.”
“I can protect you better than PS James. Have you seen him try and run?”
Julia smirked, “there was no running required. Just driving a car, which PS James managed.”
“Well next time,” David began, “I will be taking you. PS James can be in the backup vehicle.”
Julia shook her head, “there will be no backup vehicle. This all has to stay a secret for as long as possible.”
“A mine and your kind of secret."
Julia nodded, “exactly one of those.”
“You will be able to do this Julia.” David said softly, answering her previously asked question.
“And how do you know?” Julia questioned him back.
David smiled, “because you can do anything, look at what you have done. You run a country. Fairly well I might add.”
Julia tilted her head, “fairly well?”
“Okay, very well. But don’t you be telling my mother I said that.”
Julia shook her head, “I don’t have to change the country’s nappy. Or feed it, or make sure that it has a rich and wholesome upbringing.”
“You’ve also got a secret weapon.” David replied, reaching up to stroke one of her cheeks with his fingers, “you’ve got me.”
Julia smiled and she leaned in to kiss him, he tasted of cheap beer and potato crisps, but more importantly, he made her feel reassured. “I love you.” She whispered.
“I love you too.” He replied as he kissed her back, his fingers moving to ruffle the curls on the back of her head, “there’s only one problem.” He said with a small laugh.
Julia pulled her head back startled, “and that is?” she questioned worriedly.
“Julia, you don’t need to panic.” David replied reassuringly, “I was only thinking that Montague-Budd is a very long last name. They are going to need a very short first name.”
Julia laughed as she closed one of her fists and playfully hit her husband in the shoulder.
“Ow,” David replied chuckling, “you should watch out, rumours might start about the PM being a bully.”
“Just wait until they start about the PM being pregnant.”
“If anyone can do this then you can Julia.” David reassured her again. “Right Spot?” he questioned. Before looking at her and laughing, “Spot Montague-Budd.”
Julia shook her head, “there is no way you are calling our child Spot, that is completely ridicu …”
But she didn’t get to finish her protesting, because David’s lips covered hers and as he so often did, he made all her words disappear.
She sighed as his hands ran under the waistband of her trousers, undoing the top button with ease.
Because of him, because of the something they had created, her life was never to be the same again.
And if the PM of New Zealand could do it, then why couldn’t she?