Work Text:
If Olivia had known that running for Congress was this challenging, she probably would have chosen another career path.
Of course, after over twenty years in politics, she knew that not everyone would agree with her progressive views and that she would have some close-call elections, especially when she ran for mayor of New York City (and was subsequently elected). She also expected that she couldn’t make the general election ballot every single time, falling just short in the primary election for governor. Deciding to go straight for Capitol Hill after that loss felt like something of a midlife crisis. Maybe she should have stepped away from politics and taken an analyst gig on MSNBC after all. That offer, though, was still open to her if she ever changed her mind in the future.
But for as many downsides as her career and election season had, she loved being in politics. She was known as one of the few who wanted to try and get both her party and Republicans working together because she cared about the citizens of New York and wanted to give them a better quality of life. She was particularly passionate about issues surrounding affordable healthcare and developing better maternity leave policies. Congress was the best place she could be, she figured.
Her campaign season started off well enough until her team informed her about a month ago that they had a problem on their hands. They had been getting strange comments on her social media platforms and bizarre emails from a man who only went by William, and he had shown up at every event so far, hoping to make contact with Olivia. She felt safe with Fin, her head of security, but had told him recently that she felt she needed more protection, especially in this day and age. Fin, always one to take her concerns seriously, agreed it probably wasn’t good for him to always have the sole job of protecting such a high-profile politician. She needed a tag team, or at least someone who could give him a break every so often.
So, he quickly went to work, searching their networks for a good bodyguard. He assured her that there was no way he would hire anyone fresh off the streets. Anyone who was part of her security team had to be experienced in protecting other famous people, although working with politicians was only a plus. Even someone who had once worked alongside actors or musicians could be a candidate for the job. Both she and Fin wanted to move quickly in the process, so she asked him to not do too many interviews and to offer the position once he found a good fit.
When she saw his name on her caller ID after leaving a meeting with Sonny, her campaign manager, she wondered if he had moved quicker than she expected.
“Hey,” she answered. “What’s going on? How’s that bodyguard search coming along?”
“That’s what I was calling you about,” Fin said. “Do you have time for a quick Zoom call? I thought we should talk on video so that way if I can tell you’re just not that into this guy, I’ll cut it short and keep looking. So, yes, I’ve found someone who I think will be a great fit for the campaign.”
“Um, yeah sure. I just met with Sonny to discuss my commercials and I don’t have anything else on my calendar at the moment. Give me a few minutes to get back to my computer and make sure I didn’t miss any priority emails.”
Olivia was grateful to have such a devoted staff behind her, but one thing she still liked to do for herself was manage her inbox. Of course, any suspicious messages went to Fin for review, but other than that, she personally replied to as many emails as possible. If she wasn’t sure how to handle a concerned constituent, she asked Sonny or Rafael, her public relations manager, for their opinion first.
Luckily, today was a quiet day, so she hopped on Zoom and invited Fin to a meeting.
“OK, inbox looks good, so no complaints,” she said. “So tell me about this guy.”
“You’re going to like him.” Fin said. “His name is Elliot Stabler. He started off as your average, run-of-the-mill security guard but developed an interest in working in law enforcement. After moving into security at the Supreme Court, he stepped up one day when a state representative needed to testify in court but had a member of his security team quit suddenly. So, Elliot offered to get the guy safely to and from his hearing, and his work was noticed from there. He ended up getting hired to protect another Senator. He’s the type of guy who seizes opportunity and is really good at reading the field; he’s got an eagle eye.
“Look, if you want us to keep you away from William, he’s your guy. I have to call his references yet, but he has the experience and he’s as cool as a cucumber. And he has a great idea of how we can ward off any unsavory characters.”
“What’s his plan?” Olivia asked.
“He said he kind of likes the undercover approach. You know, pretending to be someone you’re not to blend in with the crowd when you have a job to get done. I asked him what he would do to show that you are not to be messed with…well, in professionalism. He said he would pretend to be your lover. Make it clear that you are off-limits to male suitors and that you are his one and only, and he will go to any length to protect you. That’s how I knew he was going to be up for the job.”
She started laughing, almost feeling beside herself.
“It’s a no?” Fin raised his eyebrows and tried to read her facial expression.
“I don’t know what to say…” She sighed and took a minute to think. She had to meet Elliot herself, but he definitely seemed to have a creative idea to keep her safe. And she was single, although she told Sonny and Rafael that if she were to ever meet someone, she wanted them to keep it out of the tabloids, or at least give away as little detail as possible if they were ever asked. Besides, her standards for a future husband were quite high.
“And how does Elliot feel about being a bodyguard for a female politician?” she asked “Does he seem sexist or too conservative? Is he going to feel like I’m undermining him?”
“He’s no wimp; trust me on this.” Fin reassured her. “He said he doesn’t agree with all of your politics, but he doesn’t seem chauvinistic. Said he’s a father of five and that he supports your family leave platform. I told him that if he wants this undercover lover thing to work that he needs to stand behind your policies when he’s on the job and keep his disagreements off social media. He assured me it’s not going to be a problem.”
“Great. Then, I’ll meet him and you can start his reference and background checks. Nice work, Fin.”
She had to admit, she couldn’t wait to meet Elliot and see what he was all about.
Of course, background checks for any kind of government job—especially those with the job title of bodyguard to a potential Congresswoman—are known for taking a long time. But a few weeks later, Elliot had passed the test and had his first meeting with Olivia, where they discussed job expectations and his working style.
Now, tonight was their biggest test, a fundraising dinner with past donors. Fin was concerned William would try to get in and look like he belonged among the high-profile crowd. Not long before Elliot came on the job, William had tried to make his way to the stage while she was giving a speech at an event for first-time voters. Luckily, Fin had managed to grab him and have security remove him from the venue. But later, he told Olivia (who went on with her speech as if nothing had happened, only taking a brief pause to apologize to the crowd for the disruption), “This is why I need Elliot.”
So, now she and Elliot were on their way to the dinner in her limousine. He looked like he could be her date, as he was wearing a black suit with a black tie. The only thing that made it clear this was no ordinary night out was that he was also sporting a very small wireless earpiece. She, meanwhile, had chosen a red dress to stand out from the crowd and make a bold impression.
“I’ll say this before we step out in front of donors and the press, but you really look the part,” she said. “I’m glad we met before you came out with me tonight. Makes me feel a lot more comfortable that we could meet on a regular day at my office first where I didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“Of course,” he replied. “This is an important job, and I don’t think your first meeting with me should have been right before the event tonight. You need to feel safe and comfortable. I think it was beneficial to meet when we were both wearing casual clothes and drinking coffee. You are actually a lot more laid back than I was expecting you to be for a politician. The last senator I worked for was a bit high-maintenance; I had to remind my boss I wasn’t a personal assistant.”
“Well, I feel like on this big of a stage, you can’t afford to lose your composure, especially with some of the policies I’m pushing. People try to argue that I got good parental leave, for example, because I was the mayor at the time I adopted my son and not everyone has that luxury, so how could I possibly understand what working parents go through? And yes, I was fortunate that I had a lot of time to form a strong bond with him. But I run on that platform because I think everyone should have access to that. The point is, when people are tearing you down, you can’t get defensive about your position. You have to try and get them on your side.”
“True. That’s a great way of looking at it. But think positive: I’m already on your side. Even if I’m being paid to be. If you still have any doubts about how well I can do my job, I’m ready to put them out of your mind in that room. So, when we get out of the limo, from here on out, we are a new couple. No one knows about me because you like to keep your personal life private and out of the tabloids, but you’ve been seeing me for a few months, and we’re still in the honeymoon phase. And I’m honored to be with you tonight as you take this next step in your career.”
“You sure you’re not a creative writer on the side?” she asked, laughing.
“I did dream this up all by myself. But no one else knows about that, of course. Don’t worry; you and I are not part of a poly relationship. We’re exclusive.”
Once the car arrived, Elliot stepped out first and took Olivia’s hand, holding it the entire time as they walked into the hotel ballroom. A few people looked on with interest, but didn’t approach her directly. There was no telling if they were supporters of hers or just curious onlookers captivated by a beautiful couple.
“All clear,” Elliot quietly said once they had gotten away from the small crowd. “Don’t think we have to worry about these folks, Olivia.”
“You know,” she said. “If we’re a couple, Liv is fine. Please.”
“Whatever you say.”
After entering the ballroom, they spotted Cindy, one of Olivia’s biggest supporters and donors since she was mayor of New York City. Cindy was present at as many events as possible, but was never an intrusion, even after meeting Olivia one-on-one in the past.
“Olivia, congratulations on your decision to run for Congress,” Cindy told her. “I for one already can’t wait to vote for you, but I’m sure you knew that. I mean, as a widow, you know your ideas for affordable healthcare have really moved me. I know if my husband were here that he’d feel the same. I often worry about what I’m going to do if something happens to me and I have to spend down our savings.”
“I really do appreciate all your support over the years,” Olivia replied, shaking her hand. “Thank you for being here tonight. I promise if I get elected I’ll go to Washington and make sure everyone has equal access to lower healthcare costs. Good medical care is a human right; it should not be a privilege.” Elliot, pretending to be her supportive partner, nodded in agreement.
“And who is this handsome man?” Cindy asked, her face lighting up as she changed the subject. “Is he yours, or did you just happen to know I thought I’d give dating another try?”
“I’m afraid he is off the market.” Olivia laughed and put her arm on Elliot’s, and he held her hand again. “This is my new partner Elliot. We met at Starbucks a few months ago. The old-fashioned way, if you can believe that. Of course I could never do online dating. My PR manager said I’d have way too many unwanted messages. Elliot had been using Match when I met him, but he also liked the idea of meeting someone face-to-face and getting to know them away from phones and a computer screen. It’s been a perfect match.”
“What kind of work do you do, Elliot?” Cindy asked.
“I have my own business, actually,” he replied. “I’m a CPA and just started a firm a couple years ago. I made a lot of money when I was a partner at a Big 4 firm, but I’m divorced and was starting to miss being around my kids and having something resembling a personal life. So I got away from the grind, and while I’m still busy at tax season, it’s been worth it to make my own schedule and spend time with my kids. And yeah, Olivia is fantastic. Doing my own thing at work really allows me to come to these events with her and possibly travel the state during her campaign. I’m excited to be with her and hopefully I’ll even get to join her in D.C. if she wins since I can work from anywhere.”
“You’re a lucky woman,” Cindy whispered to Olivia before she went to refill her drink. “Let me know if he has any single friends, will you?”
“I definitely will. You deserve a great guy who's just like him.”
“She seems nice,” Elliot said. “I was kind of expecting someone who gives your campaign so much money to be a lot more demanding of your time, so I went on higher alert for a minute.”
“I think she’s just really moved by the issues that are most important to me because she’s seen her own daughter struggle with when to take a career break and have children, knowing that FMLA is so often unpaid. And not many companies offer more than that. Plus, the healthcare issue is important to a lot of people in midlife and onwards. But yes, she is a delight.
“And question for you: how long did it take you to make up your biography?"
“Originally, I thought about being a lawyer or a stay-at-home dad, but I was worried about blowing my cover. Accountant is pretty far away from bodyguard.” He grinned, and Olivia felt her heart flutter. She probably wasn’t supposed to feel that way about the man protecting her from stalkers or any threats of violence, but she couldn’t help it. He had a winning smile and was already 100% committed to the job, not at all intimidated by a rich donor or the possibility of having to get a stalker removed from the ballroom.
“I’m still impressed, by the way,” she said. “That you’ve juggled work and being a busy father to so many children.”
“It’s a lot of work, and you definitely have the quieter home life. It seems like a piece of cake compared to mine.”
“Not always. Sometimes my son wishes I were home with him more often and that he didn’t have to be with the babysitter, even though he likes her just as well. I’ve taken a lot of flack for that too, and it gets discouraging. But what else am I supposed to do with him? He’s eight. I can’t leave him home alone in New York or bring him to most of my events.”
“Listen, if you ever just want to go out and about with him like normal and you’re worried about encountering any hostility, just let me know. Or tell Fin you need to schedule me for some extra hours. I’m happy to help protect your son too; I consider it an extension of my job. What’s his name?”
“Noah.” Olivia replied. “But we’re going to have to meet beforehand to figure out how I’m going to explain who you are to him. I don’t want him to worry that he’s going to get hurt at school or make him think we’re being targeted. He’s aware of a lot of the problems in the world today because I don’t like to shield him.”
As he handed her a glass of wine, a reporter approached her. “Hi Ms. Benson, Sarah Coleman from The New Yorker,” the reporter said. “Some of the attendees have been buzzing about your date for tonight. Would you mind sharing a little more about him?”
Olivia hesitated, knowing she didn’t want a lot of her personal life in the media, but if Elliot was going to be successful at his job, she knew she also had to lean in. So, she gave Sarah a confident smile and answered the question.
“This is Elliot,” she replied. “We only started dating a few months ago, but he’s a great fit for me. I’m actually hoping to introduce him to my son soon. He really loves kids, too, on top of being supportive of wherever this career takes me. I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
“Nice cover.” Elliot said when Sarah had left, and he winked at Olivia in approval.
“You pulled it off first. And you know…I think we’re going to be a great match.”