January 23rd, 1964
9:00 A.M.
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"Will you be joining me in the Cabinet Room today?" Jack asked Jackie as he fixed his tie in the mirror.
Looking at her reflection, he saw her look up from her book and cock her head slightly to the side as she replied, "For what?"
"Ratification of the Twenty-Fourth Amendment," Jack answered, turning away from the mirror. "It was finally completed today and I wouldn't mind at all if you wanted to join me around 11:00."
"The Twenty-Fourth Amendment is about abolishing poll taxes...right?" Jackie asked, slightly unsure as she closed her book and rose to her feet, still dressed in her light pink, floor-length nightgown.
Jack nodded as he threw on his suit jacket and Jackie walked across the room to put her book back on the shelf.
"Why'd they ever create poll taxes anyway?" Jackie questioned, sliding the book gently into place. "Doesn't that kinda get rid of the idea of 'freedom to vote'?"
Jack sniggered before answering, "Exactly. After the freedom to vote was passed, this was created as a subtle way to discriminate people and try to control who could and could not vote."
"So like if you can't pay the poll tax you can't vote," Jackie added.
Jack nodded, "Which is ridiculous and exactly why I want to get rid of the damn things; unfortunately five states still have it: Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi; surprise, surprise."
Jackie rolled her eyes in agreement.
"But 38 other states have ratified it, which is just enough to constitutionalize it. So to hell with them," Jack finished.
Jackie smiled, "It's about time they start passing the things you want."
Jack smirked, "Tell me about it. I'm hoping my Civil Rights Act will be right around the corner."
"I have a good feeling it will be," Jackie smiled walking up to him.
"Thanks, Kid," Jack said, stealing a quick kiss off her lips before disappearing into his room. "I'll see you later tonight."
Jackie nodded and went into her closet just as Jack suddenly called over his shoulder as he snatched a document off his dresser, "Oh! Wear something purple. There's going to be cameras there and purple is the color of royalty."
"Oh, Jack," Jackie scoffed with a large smile before he headed out the door, leaving Jackie alone to get ready for the day.
~*~*~*~*~
Jackie strolled in 2 minutes after 11:00 in a striking, deep purple, Chanel suit and stood right behind her husband who was already sitting at the long, dark brown table chatting with one of the Labor Leaders, the unsigned amendment sitting in front of him as the camera men positioned their cameras at the right angle.
"Jacqueline," he addressed her with a smile before turning to Pierre who asked,
"Is everyone you want here now, Mr. President?"
"Yes," he answered as Lyndon, members of Congress, and other Labor Leaders all gathered around President Kennedy, looking on as he signed the Twenty-Fourth Amendment.
A flashbulb went off as he finished his signature and, handing it to one of the Congressmen, he smiled, "It's done."
"Thank-you, Mr. President," the Congressman replied, shaking Kennedy's hand. "And congratulations."
Jack nodded and released the older man's hand as the Cabinet Room began to clear out. Slowly pushing away from the table and rising to his feet, he turned around to find Jackie still standing behind him with her hands clasped in front of her.
Jack smirked as he crossed his arms, "You were late on purpose, weren't you?"
Jackie returned the smirk, "Of course."
"What?" Jack replied, puzzled, not expecting that reply as he put his hands in his pockets. "Why do you do that?"
"Because I know you'll pay much closer attention to me when I waltz in after everyone else, alone, and late," Jackie answered with a smile, resting her back against the wall as she folded her arms neatly across her chest.
Jack let out a small chuckle as he looked down and shook his head before meeting her gaze and saying, "It works you know. Loving the color of your dress. But God, Jackie, you had Pierre almost going nuts, worried that you wouldn't show up till like 11:30 or later."
"Oh I would never do that," Jackie scoffed as she shook her head gently to the left, shaking her bangs back into place.
"Yeah you would," Jack teased as he moved away from the table to push his chair in.
"Okay," Jackie gave in with a small eye roll as she pushed off the wall, "Sometimes I'm intentionally late and sometimes I'm not."
"If you say so," Jack replied before the two of them headed into the hall.
"Remember, Caroline and her class have a presentation before Lunch, so don't forget," Jackie reminded him as they walked side by side down the hallway, their shoulders occasionally brushing against one another.
"Alright," Jack nodded as they came to a T in the hall, adding friskily, "If I arrive late, will you pay more attention to me too?"
"Shut-up," Jackie smirked, giving him a playful push before they both went separate ways at the T.
"Did you see that!?" Jack teasingly asked the Secret Service agent, who was standing at the T, before pointing at his retreating wife, "I was just assaulted!"
Jackie stopped and twisted around to look at Jack and, with a raised eyebrow, she scoffed, "You call that assault? Pfft, hardly. Do you want me to assault you because I can assault you..."
Jack grinned, "Please do," before shooting her a wink and causing Jackie to immediately spin around and call back to him,
"Goodbye, Jack!"
Jack just shook his head, the smile still plastered across his face, nodded to the agent and continued down the hall.
~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note:
Sorry about this chapter being on the shorter side but I wanted to get a chapter out to you all before I start school next week :\ I will still be updating despite school, so do not worry, but occasionally it might take a week. So unfortunate but who knows. Happy reading!