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  “I guess you’ve grown tired of my long messages about what I’m going through over here,” she said. “And shame on me because my problems could never amount to the ones you have at your doorstep every day. I hope you don’t think I’m selfish, but in a way, I guess I really am because I enjoy our conversations and miss them.”

  “I enjoy our conversations as well, but I don’t want you to take my delays with getting back to you personal. I am, however, glad that you’re taking steps to finalize your situation with your husband, and I hope that you don’t backtrack.”

  “I won’t. I’m planning to have the divorce papers served tomorrow. I’m a little sad, but I know that what I’m doing is best for myself and the kids.”

  “I’m sure it will be too. A year from now, you’re going to wish that you had done it sooner.”

  She laughed, then paused for a few seconds, as if she was in deep thought. “I’m sure I will, but you know what? Enough about me. What’s been up with you ever since you bravely stood up and told America about you and Chanel? I had no idea that you were involved with her. That totally shocked me. So did those photos.”

  “What can I say? Everyone was shocked, but no more secrets, huh?”

  “Well, one little secret. One that will stay between me, you, and I guess your wife who seems to somehow know about our meeting in the park. Did you tell her about us?”

  “No, someone else did. Someone is always watching, and when I mentioned no more secrets, I was only kidding. Around here, there are no secrets. Everybody knows something. It’s just a matter of time when people will spill what they know.”

  “That’s not good. But the question is, do you care?”

  “Sometimes I do, many times I don’t.”

  “Well, I don’t care. It would be nice if you would meet me at the park again. Please. And this time, I’ll bring a blanket and pillows.”

  I tapped my fingers on my desk, thinking that I was more than ready to go get the fresh air I needed. “All you really need to do is bring yourself. I’ll see you in about an hour or so.”

  I hit the button to end the call. Definitely needed some time to relax and chill, as well as to indulge in “other” things. I finished reviewing the information before me, and then I reached out to Levi Jamieson who was not only a friend of mine, but now my new senior Secret Service agent. Maybe more like a bodyguard, because he was one big dude. He came right in, closing the door behind him.

  “I need to go make a run,” I said. “Can you take me somewhere?”

  “Man, anywhere you want to go. And before you get in my shit, I have to let you know that it may take awhile for me to start referring to you as Mr. President and all those other elite names around here. All I know is you my boy, and you don’t have to worry about me having your back.”

  I reached out to give him dap. “You’d better have my back, and then some. As for referring to me as Mr. President, all I can say about that is practice.”

  We laughed, then made our way to Levi’s black SUV without many people seeing us leave. But no sooner than I sat on the backseat, my cell phone rang. My mother’s number flashed on the screen, and since I didn’t want to keep ignoring her calls, I answered.

  “You were about to get your feelings hurt so badly,” she said. “I’ve been calling and calling and calling you like crazy. If I could have come over there, I would have. But since I checked into rehab the other day, they recommended that I not leave until I get my mess together.”

  “I recommend that as well, and I told you that if you needed me—”

  “Yeah yeah yeah . . . That’s what people always say. If you need me, call me. Then when you need them, they don’t ever answer their damn phones. I know you’re busy, so I didn’t want to bother you. But after seeing those pictures of myself in the newspaper and on TV, I said no no no. I can’t let anything like that happen again, and I’ve got to get this drinking under control.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m glad you recognize what you need to do, and I have all the faith in the world that you will beat this.”

  “I will. You know I will.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat while gazing out of the window. “I love you, Mama, and I will stop by there tomorrow to check on you. Do you need anything?”

  “Nope. Just want to see you so I can hug you, that’s all. And I love you too. I would love you even more if you would get that wife of yours together. I’m still up in arms about that purple dress she had on that night. How could you allow her to leave the bedroom like that? The first lady shouldn’t show her breasts like that, and she had no problem putting them out there for the world to see.”

  I had to shake my head. “Good-bye, Mama. See you tomorrow.”

  I tucked my phone in my pocket, then lay back on the seat with my eyes closed until Levi reached the park. I directed him to pull over in front of the bench where I saw Michelle sitting. A blanket was next to her, along with two pillows. I opened the back door wide, inviting her to come inside the SUV.

  “But I thought that we—”

  “Yeah, I know. Just come inside. Bring your stuff with you.”

  Michelle picked up the blanket and pillows, along with her purse. Showing a little skepticism, she peeked inside, before getting in.

  “Don’t you want to—”

  I placed my finger over her lips. “Levi, if you don’t mind, I need some privacy.”

  “No problem, man. I mean, Mr. President.”

  He raised the tinted window that separated the front seats from the back. The seat Michelle was in faced mine. Keeping her quiet, I removed my shirt, then got on my knees, positioning myself between her legs. She gazed into my eyes, and as I proceeded to lower her dress underneath her breasts, she reached out to rub the back of my head.

  “I don’t know how long this is going to last,” she said softly, “but I wish I could look into the future to see if you will still be there.”

  “In this case, it’s not wise to look into the future. And I don’t know about you, but I’m more focused on what’s before me right now.”

  Before me were her firm, healthy breasts that I cuffed in my hands to squeeze. My mouth latched on to her nipples, and my tongue turned circles around them, causing each to stiffen, like the last time the strawberry fragrance all over her sexy body drew me right in. I wasted no time leaning her back on the seat, spreading her legs real wide. I could feel her moist haven thumping against my rising steel that slipped into her. I was hungry for Michelle, and with every long stroke, with every sensual kiss, with every ounce of her juices that she fed me, she satisfied my appetite to the fullest. Even when she straddled my lap to ride me, I felt as if, just for those several minutes, all of my problems had washed away. The tip of my tongue traveled from the nape of her neck, down her spine, as I changed positions and served her well from behind. She was bent over on the seat, and the way she called out to me made my thrusts travel deeper—so deep that her mouth opened wider. Her moans went up a notch, and her pretty round cheeks clapped, more so applauded me for bringing her to her first orgasm of the night. A hotel wound up being our final destination, and before the night was over, there was nowhere else for us to explore and nothing else left for our bodies to give. We lay in bed holding each other, exhausted. For the first time, in a long time, I slept—well.

  18

  Vice President Tyler McNeil

  It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Roy wasn’t supposed to suffer from a massive heart attack and die, right when things were starting to swing in my favor. He was the only one who could get through to the Republican caucus, and now we weren’t sure what would happen since Senator Bass had taken over. She was soft, and deep down, I could sense that she was fond of Stephen. I was worried about him being able to get through to her. My eyes and ears were wide open, and from talking to some of the other Republicans in the House and Senate, it seemed as if she was trying to convince them to listen to the president and to the American peopl
e. Many of them were in line with the president’s new agenda.

  I truly thought that he would lose a substantial amount of support after those photos were released. But thus far, it didn’t seem as if he’d lost enough support to really make a difference. Several members of Congress made a big deal about it, as well as the media. But as with any news, the conversations only lasted for a few days. Roy’s death was now the big topic, and everyone wondered what the Republican Party was going to do. They had already started to pose those questions after Roy resigned. It was one big mess, and my grandfather, along with many of his close friends, were not happy campers. They demanded more action from me. I was getting pulled in many directions, and often being chewed out because I was the closest to Stephen. What they didn’t know was, Stephen had distanced himself from me. He went to Andrew for answers, and he rarely listened to anything I had to say. I wasn’t sure if he suspected what I had been up to, but I was sure of one thing. He didn’t trust me. He didn’t want me around, and that was definitely bad news for me. I explained the lack of trust Stephen had for me to my grandfather. We were riding in a limousine and had just left Roy’s funeral, where there was standing room only.

  “My question to you, Grandfather, is, where do we go from here? We tried to get Secret Service to handle things, and that didn’t work. We thought that this thing with Chanel Hamilton would do major harm, but it didn’t. Roy was our only hope, but now, he’s dead. I don’t know how to get Stephen where it hurts. What else would cause him to step down so that I can take over?”

  My grandfather grabbed my neck, squeezing it lightly. “There is only one way. Out of all of us, you’re the only one who has clearance to get into the White House whenever you want to. You can get close to him, and there is only one thing left that we can do. Assassinate him. There is no other way, but you can’t let anyone see you. You have to be brave and understand that you’re doing this to save the Republican Party. This is our last chance. If we do not gain control soon, we will never get control again.”

  I wholeheartedly agreed with my grandfather, but I had never, personally, killed anyone. I guess it wouldn’t be that hard to wipe the face of a black man off of this earth, and how many people would really miss him? Sure, some people would be devastated—mostly blacks who viewed him as their king. They’d get over it, though, and when I became president, I would make sure that they did.

  “Sneaking up on him and catching him off guard is something that I could do. And it may even be better if I claim self-defense and say that he drew his weapon first and came after me. The reason could be because I disagreed with him regarding the issue with the black man being killed by cops. Many would see the president as just an angry black man, and they would take my side in a heartbeat.”

  “You’re damn right they will take your side, so you go-ahead and do what you need to do. Be careful and watch out for the president’s new homeboy, Levi. I’ve noticed that fat slob hanging around the president more often, so you may need to get the chef to fix some soul food in order to lure him away from that door.”

  “I just may do that, but before I do anything, I want to make sure you’re okay. Roy was a good friend of yours. I know you’re going to miss him.”

  My grandfather sat in silence as he looked out the window. A few minutes later, he spoke up. “Hell, yeah, I’m going to miss him. We’re all going to miss him. He was good to us, and I hope the others get on board and do the right thing. If not, we’re going to vote their asses out of there so fast their heads will spin. Especially Senator Bass. Keep an eye on that bitch and make sure she doesn’t do anything that she’s not supposed to do.”

  “I’ll take care of her once I’m done taking care of Stephen.”

  That was like music to my grandfather’s ears. When we arrived at his mansion, I hung around for fifteen measly minutes. I couldn’t get Stephen off my mind, and I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the night I decided to take him down or not. The more I thought about it, maybe so.

  19

  President of the United States, Stephen C. Jefferson

  After my productive conversation with Senator Bass today, things were looking up. She had a meeting with the Republican caucus, and she informed me that there was movement on that end. Many Democrats were already on board; all we needed were several Republicans to do the same. Senator Bass insisted things were about to change, and they had already started working on a bill that could be suitable enough for me to sign. I informed her that I didn’t want any tricky shit. Didn’t want any pork-barrel projects added to the bill, and when it came across my desk, it had to be clean and address one thing. Gun Control.

  While thinking about my first piece of important legislation, I sat on the Truman Balcony wearing a deep-blue vest and slacks. A crisp and clean white shirt that tightened on my muscles was underneath the vest, and since business had been completed for the day, a few buttons on my shirt were undone. I inhaled deeply, sucking in fresh air while gazing at the beautiful scenery from the South Lawn. On a few occasions, I relaxed in one of the lounging chairs outside and wound up falling asleep at night. It looked as if I would do the same tonight, especially since I had gotten comfortable in the chair and propped my feet on the table. My hands were behind my head, and my thoughts were on everything from the ill treatment of blacks in this country, to a potential war brewing with some of our longtime allies. I also thought about Michelle. Wondered how things had turned out when she served her husband those divorce papers. I also thought about her children. It was a messed up situation; I prayed that they all would be okay. My thoughts of Michelle led to my thoughts of Raynetta. I couldn’t believe that she was still upset with me, but at times, she was just as stubborn as I was. I was sure that she would come around soon, or, at least, I hoped she would. As I started to think about my mother, I heard someone call my name. It was Andrew, and right behind him was Chanel Hamilton.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Mr. President,” he said. “But you told me that if she called again, that you wouldn’t mind speaking to her.”

  “Yes, I did, and no problem at all.” I removed my feet from the table, then sat up straight. My eyes shifted to Chanel who stood with a tight look on her face.

  “I’ll leave the two of you alone.” Andrew turned to leave.

  Chanel came over to where I was and stood with her arms folded. I pointed to the lounging chair across from me.

  “Before you start going off and displaying more ugly faces,” I said, “why don’t you have a seat?”

  She plopped in the chair, then crossed her legs. While sitting with good posture, she wasted no time telling me what was on her mind.

  “I don’t know where to start with you. And while I take full responsibility for what I did, I want you to understand how you left me with no choice. I had been very nice to you, Mr. President. There was no reason for you to treat me as you did and just throw me away like I was some kind of two-dollar whore who wasn’t worth a penny. It’s like you wanted me to kiss your tail, and after our encounter on Air Force One, I thought we were good. I wasn’t trying to replace your wife or be your side chick. I figured we could have a little fun and get together every now and then. But you made me feel as if I was wrong for wanting that. I don’t get it, and that’s why I showed those photos. I wanted to wake you up and let you know that how you treated me was wrong.”

  I touched my chin, nodding the whole time she spoke. It seemed as if it was my turn to respond, so I did so without trying to hurt her feelings.

  “The truth of the matter is, you showed those photos because you wanted to do me harm. It backfired on you, and as much as you have studied me during my run for the presidency, up until now, you should’ve known one thing. That is, I really don’t give a fuck about much. I don’t care how you felt after we had sex, and it’s not like I have much time around here to think about it. It wasn’t my intentions to treat you ill; doing so never crossed my mind. I assumed that you, of all people, understood how import
ant this job I’ve been gifted with is to me. When I first laid eyes on you, I didn’t expect for you to demand sex and seek revenge when you couldn’t get it. And I never thought that you would look my wife in the eyes and give her details about what happened between us. That’s messy, and I don’t do mess. Because when the juices stop flowing, the orgasms are all done, and the come has dried up, I’m always coming home to the woman I truly love. You and I . . . We had our fun. It may not have lasted as long as you wanted it to, but what you wanted never really mattered to me.”

  I could see fire burning in Chanel’s eyes. It was apparent that some women didn’t appreciate the truth. She gritted her teeth, and when she reached out, I knew a slap was coming my way. I caught her hand in midair.

  “Don’t let my title fool you,” I threatened. “If you did your homework, you know where I come from.”

  She snatched her arm away from me, now standing in anger. “You’re darn right I know where you come from. The gutter! You’re a gutter Negro, all dressed up in your fine suits, fancy ties, expensive shoes, and cheap jewelry. Your day is coming, Mr. So-called President, and I’m going to sit back and laugh when these white men around here, who are some of your closest confidants, strip you of everything and drag your ass back to the cotton fields where you truly belong.”