“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck Bibb!” Matt started shouting as soon as the camera was off. “You know this was Bibb! Bibb set us up. Bibb rigged it so Ryan would win. It’s all Bibb!”

“No,” said Natalie, remembering again the night the intercom buzzed in her corporate apartment. How she’d said no. She shuddered. “I bet it was Hal. And anyway, it’s my fault.

“Does it fucking matter? It’s all of them. They all fucked us!” Matt was yelling.

Stone faced, Natalie looked from him to Dasha and then over to the line of reporters correcting her live on air.

Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Bibb that read, Meet me in my office. Now.

Natalie was too numb to react. Like a woman in a trance, she unhooked her earpiece, dropped it on the ground, and walked out the White House gates.

27

None Dare Call it Reason

Natalie was waiting in a chair outside Bibb’s locked office when she was startled by the sound of angry footsteps in the hallway followed by a swish of clothing. She saw Bibb march by without saying hello and unlock her office door.

“In!” she barked.

Feeling like she was having a flashback from fourth grade, Natalie walked into Bibb’s office dazed and ready to get expelled.

“I want to know just what you think that was,” Bibb barked before Natalie’s bottom had touched the chair. She was pacing the floor in long, abrupt strides, so angry she didn’t make eye contact. “I have given you every opportunity. This company has given you the kind of airtime anyone would kill for. And this is how you repay us? By telling the world we don’t correct our mistakes? We only come clean when we screw up a story about the First Lady?”

Natalie blinked at her.

At another moment, with another boss, she would have mounted a strong defense, but she knew there was no point with Bibb. Bibb was like all predators, she could scent blood in the water, and it excited her.

“So you’re not angry that I got the story wrong?” Natalie asked, piecing things together. “You’re just angry that I was honest on air about how I got it wrong? You were the one that insisted I go on air without Phoenix,” Natalie said, gaining courage. “Did you have Andrea feed me the bad info?”

“What?” Bibb had stopped stalking the office and glared down at Natalie. “You’re accusing me of feeding you bad information? Are you out of your mind?” She was nearly shaking with rage.

“How did you get those photos of Anthony walking into the clinic?” Natalie pressed. “Were they doctored? You let us air doctored photos just to ensure Ryan wins?”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Bibb spat.