Invisible String

C.3: what's a lifetime of achievement

"Can you give us a minute?"

"Of course," Madison stood up from the desk, and went out the door that Leo was still holding open for her. Taking a seat on the chair that sat flush against the other side of the corridor as she watched as Leo and Josh started debating something.

Her. And her possible employment.

With Leo wanting to hire her and Josh not wanting to do so without offering much of an explanation.

The minutes ticked along as Madison sat waiting for Josh to come around to the decision that Leo made, whether Josh liked it or not. By the end of their conversation, Madison was going to be employed, despite the protests that Josh had.

It didn't take too much longer for someone Madison vaguely recognise came down the halls, the first one since she sat outside the room. She couldn't quite place him.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Madison warned as the man as his hand went to knock against the door, as Leo and Josh hadn't seen them.

The man looked back at her, closing over the file that he had in his hand, seeing that she had a visitor's tag around her neck.

He took one look at Leo and Josh, who were still deep in an argument, one that was still about her.

"Sam Seaborn," He held out his hand for her to shake once he got close enough to her.

"Madison Montgomery," She replied as she took his hand in her own. Shaking it. "I prefer Maddie though."

Once their hands broke apart, she patted the seat next to her, as in to tell him to wait with her.

"Any idea what they're arguing about?" Sam asked as he sat down in the seat next to her.

"Me," she replied in a fact of the matter tone as she keep her attention on the pair behind the windows.

Sam looked at her, tilting his head to the side slightly, trying to figure her out. Her name hung on the tip of his tongue, having heard it somewhere before but wasn't sure.

"Josh doesn't want to hire me, but Leo is thinking about overruling him."

"He," Madison motioned to Josh with her head, "thinks I'm underqualified, which isn't technically true, but is also technically true."

Sam didn't interrupt to pose his question of how can it be both, he just cocked his head to the side instead. She was easily able to pick up on this so she explained. 

 "I don't have a lot of recent American political experience but Josh is failing to recognise my other qualifications, primarily my work in international intergovernmental organisations which Leo is pointing out." She summarised.

Sam stayed silent as his own attention turned to the pair arguing in front of them.

"Josh just tried to point out that I lack relationships with anyone in congress ..."

"You can lip read?" Sam asked, completely interrupting her.

Madison rolled her eyes, choosing not to make a comment about how rude that was, because by the end of the argument playing out in front of them, she'd end up working with them. And getting off on the wrong foot with Sam wasn't high on her to do list for the day.

"Yes I can. Now Leo just reminded Josh that relationships can be made whenever. And not just during an election cycle."

Josh made another point to which Leo was starting to counter before he stopped what he was saying mid-sentence as he turned to face Madison, he finally remembered that she was skilled in the art of lip reading. Madison gave the pair a smug wave as Leo just told Josh what he remembered.