"I will make arrangements on the way. As long as you do not mind driving, of course."

"I like driving," she says with small smile. 

"Good."

The Chancellor's speeder is very nice. Many fun little gimmicks for the... adventurous pilot.

Which Anakin certainly is, especially if Elesse doesn't start objecting when Anakin pulls stunts. 

Not at all. Her quiet giggles might be encouragement, even.

Well then...

Anakin is a very, very talented pilot, even for a Jedi. They'll be at Elesse's apartments in record time - and having not even caused any crashes, a more impressive feat than it might otherwise be, given how Anakin was flying. 

"Excellent driving, my dear. I am almost tempted to offer you a position as chauffeur, if that were not a dreadful waste of your talent."

Giggle. "Bodyguards do often also drive, which wouldn't be a waste at all."

"But even still - maybe whenever we're," out on our dates, "meeting up, I can do any driving. Just as a compromise."

"That sounds like a fine idea."

Grin. "Good." And inside? (Anakin gets the doors for Elesse.)

Inside.

Elesse leaves the cake on the counter and takes a seat on one of the long couches, using a remote to switch on the external privacy field.

She waits a moment to give Elesse time to object before sitting beside her, smiling over at her. "You have a very lovely apartment."

"Being Chancellor does have its perks. Not that that is the reason I took the job."

She laughs. "Why did you?"

"There are many things about the order of the galaxy that I would like to change, and the office of the Chancellor offers a platform from which to do so."

Serious nod. " - What sorts of things? I know what your public election platform and record is, but a lot of politics isn't that public stuff, right?"

"Most of it, even. By the time a bill makes it to the floor, one will already know who will support it and who will oppose it. The speech-making in session is for the benefit of the constituency or to swing a few undecided votes that aren't important enough to meet with individually."

She nods.

A pause, then, like she's thinking through her words as she's talking: "I am really interested in - everything you do, and you're a really good politician, and..." Shrug. "I want to help, if I can." Small smile. "Though 'talking politics' might be an odd thing to spend my birthday on."

"Not at all, if that is what you would prefer to do."

"Though I must confess I did have an ulterior motive for inviting you here tonight, only tangentially related to politics."

...Brain please do not go to how pretty her lips look when she's smiling like that. 

"Oh?" Anakin asks, squishing down her hormones. 

She leans closer. "I know I have often offered you alternative points of view, but I need to know. Anakin. How much do you... trust the Jedi?"

She frowns a little. "...I guess it depends on which Jedi and what's going on? I trust most random ones to more or less do their jobs, and, like, if handed a baby not lose track of it, but I don't confide in most of them? And I'd trust the ones I've run missions with to watch my back in a fight, though how friendly we are does kind of vary. Master Palpatine specifically has been really trustworthy for everything that's come up so far, though."

"If there's a secret you're hesitant to know if they can be trusted with - guess it again depends on what it is and what you'd want them to do about it? But I won't tell them about anything you share without your permission."

"This is a secret I would rather you keep to yourself. Which is why I am telling you now, and did not earlier."

Slow nod. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"Thank you for your trust." Elesse seems to relax in some brief, undefinable way-

-and a rush of power bursts forth from her to batter at Anakin like a dark waterfall, swift and raging and seductive-

-and then it's gone, pulled back into Elesse. "I am a Sith Lord."