Black President Season 2 Collection

by Brenda Hampton

  I stressed again that I was fine.

  “That’s good to know, but it’s dangerous for you to disappear the way you did. Everyone has been looking for you,” another agent said while walking beside me. “We didn’t know what had happened to you, and the director of Homeland Security is pissed. He’s been on our asses all night. We were told you were with General Stiles, but when we reached out to her, she implied that she didn’t know where you were.”

  “I was with her, but I decided to go for a walk by myself to clear my head. Maybe I should have informed someone.”

  “Yes, you should have. We all were panicking, especially after what happened earlier. In addition to that, the media is having a field day with this. Some outlets are reporting that you were kidnapped, others are saying you were killed. None of this makes our agency look good, and we’ve been catching hell for not protecting you like we should be.”

  I had a mess to clean up, and after we went inside, I turned to address the agents who appeared irritated by my actions.

  “This will all be resolved by morning,” I said. “I apologize for wandering off, but as I said, I just needed some time alone to clear my head.”

  As soon as those words left my mouth, Andrew came storming down the West Colonnade with a tight, red face. His suit looked slouchy, hair was wet and he really needed to shave his scraggly beard. He appeared upset with me too, and his tone was too up there for my approval.

  “This is bullshit, sir! I can’t do this with you anymore! I’m losing my freaking mind around here, and every time I need you for something, you can’t be found! I’ve had it! You’re going to have my resignation by morning!”

  Andrew pivoted and marched back down the West Colonnade. I shrugged and shouted after him. “The earlier you can get that to me the better! And thanks for your service!”

  He swung around and shot me dead with the look in his eyes. I could tell he wanted to say something else, but all he did was shake his head and stomp away. Secret Service quietly followed me to the Oval Office. You could hear a pin drop—no one said a word. That was until I went into the Oval Office and was reminded by Secret Service how my actions had everyone on pins and needles.

  “Please be sure to release a statement from the White House,” David said. “The sooner, the better.”

  I sat behind the Resolute desk and picked up the phone to call Sam. He was asleep.

  “I know it’s late, and I apologize for waking you.”

  “No problem, Mr. President. I’m well aware of what my job responsibilities require.”

  “Good. I need you to prepare another statement and release it to the Associated Press as soon as possible. Tell everyone I’m okay, and I’ll be going to Camp David tomorrow for a quick vacation. Make it sound convincing for me, Sam, and let everyone know that I’ll hold a press conference when I return.”

  “Will do, Mr. President. It’s good to hear your voice and I’m glad you’re okay. Have you spoken to Andrew? He was really worried.”

  “I’ve spoken to him. He‘s going to resign.”

  “No. Allowing him to do so would be a big mistake. Please don’t let him resign, besides, we all make a really good team. I know there are times when you don’t believe that, but Andrew and I are here because we want to be. We believe in you and we are with you every step of the way.”

  My level of trust was shot to hell. I didn’t know how to respond to Sam about what he’d said, so I didn’t.

  “Just do as I asked. Thanks.”

  I ended the call, hoping that things settled down by morning. And as tired as I was, I still had to stop by Andrew’s office to apologize. The truth is, I didn’t want him to resign. He was valuable to my administration, even though I was reluctant to admit it. Secret Service stood near the corridor and watched me from a short distance as I entered Andrew’s office. He was shoving some of his items into a suitcase with a scrunched up face. I also heard him mumbling something underneath his breath. He paused when he looked up and saw me enter his office.

  “I heard what you said,” I teased. “But say it louder.”

  “Asshole,” he said. “You’re a fucking asshole, Mr. President, and a jerk.”

  I nodded and walked further into the room. “Sometimes, yes, I am. But is that all you got? Seems to me that you need to get more than an asshole and jerk off your chest.”

  He lifted his finger and darted it at me. “I have a whole lot of shit to get off my chest, sir, and trust me when I say you don’t want to hear all of it.”

  “No, really I do. At least let me hear some of it.”

  Andrew lowered his finger and walked behind his desk. He started slamming more items into the suitcase. “You’re full of it,” he said. “I’m sick of kissing your ass and trying to do the right things around here to protect you. You have no damn respect for me, and even when I call you, you don’t even answer your goddamn phone! I can’t work like this anymore. I refuse to work like this, and after I walk out of here tonight, you can kiss my freaking ass goodbye.”

  In a fit of anger, he lifted his chair and slammed it back down. I don’t know why his actions made me want to burst into laughter. I tried to hold back, but as I looked at him, I couldn’t help myself. I lowered my head and started to chuckle.

  “What in the hell is so funny?” he said, slamming his hand on his desk. “Do you think this is some kind of joke?”

  I looked up and cleared my throat. “No, I really don’t think it’s a joke. It’s just that I’ve never seen you like this. I’m surprised by your choice of words, and it proves that you never really liked me much anyway.”

  “Ohhhh, go fuck yourself, Mr. President. And since I’ll be out of the White House by morning, you’ll have plenty of time to do it.”

  Andrew slammed his suitcase and tried to lock it. With so much stuff inside, he couldn’t.

  “Allow me to help you with that,” I said. I made my way behind the desk with him. As I tried to assist with locking his suitcase, he shoved me out of the way.

  “Move it. I don’t need your help. Just leave and go back to wherever the hell you were.”

  “Where I was is really no one’s business, but here’s the truth. I should respect you more and I should have given you more details about some of the things I’ve been dealing with. I would like to discuss some of those things with you, only if you agree to stay and not resign. I have a funny way of showing people how much I appreciate them, and straight from the horse’s mouth, I do appreciate you more than you will ever know. I want you to stay, and at this point in my presidency, you are the only other person I’ve come close to trusting. I’ve been betrayed by many people, Andrew. Every time I turn around somebody is trying to stab me in the back. It’s kind of scary being me, and I just don’t know who or what is coming my way next. All I know how to do is keep my guards up and try to protect myself from everyone around me.”

  Andrew sighed, then reached out to touch my shoulder. “I totally understand what you mean, Mr. President, but you have to trust me. There is no other way for me to continue working here, unless the two of us come to an understanding about certain things. I need to know where you are at all times, and I must be able to reach you. I don’t like being left in the dark, and there is no way for the White House to function like this. I would love to stay, only if you can promise me that changes will be made. That you and I will have a better relationship, and that you’ll be honest with me about what you’re dealing with so I can help you.”

  I slowly nodded, before reaching out my hand to his. He grabbed it and we shook hands.

  “I promise,” I said. “I promise to kick your ass if you ever speak to me like that again, and I promise to adhere to everything else you said.”

  Andrew smiled. “Good. Very good, Mr. President, but no thanks to the ass kicking. I apologize for speaking to you in that manner, but I needed to get that off my chest.”

  I patted his shoulder. “Well, I hope you feel better. I must say that your approa
ch was funny as hell. I needed a good laugh tonight, so thanks for that.”

  Andrew had to laugh too. And as he started to remove his items from the suitcase, I left his office. I made my way upstairs to the Executive Residence. It was after midnight, and when I entered the bedroom I saw Raynetta in bed asleep. I guess she wasn’t as concerned as everyone else was about my whereabouts, especially after our conversation earlier. She knew I was going somewhere, but she wasn’t sure where that was. I didn’t even know yet, but the first thing I needed was a shower and some rest. I was so glad to finally be here, but the second I removed my clothes and stepped into the shower, my private cell phone vibrated. I walked over to the sink to retrieve my phone. The caller showed unknown, but I still answered.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “It’s me,” Joshua replied. For some reason, after hearing his voice I felt relieved. “I just called to say that it was my pleasure meeting you for the first time today. It’s something I will never, ever forget and I’m grateful to you and my grandmother for finally telling me the truth. But the more I think about this, I think it’s best that my mother and me just go away and never come back to the states again. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but we don’t have many other choices.”

  My throat ached as he spoke. “You have plenty of choices, Joshua. I will protect you and make sure you and your mother are safe. You don’t have to leave this country and you can stay here so the two of us can get to know each other better. I feel like I’ve been robbed. I always wanted a son, and something about this whole thing seems so unfair to me. It’s unfair to you too, but we can . . .”

  “No. I don’t want to stay. I’m sorry, but I know for a fact that if my mother and I stay, there’s going to be too much chaos, people trying to hurt us, and things happening that shouldn’t be. Maybe if you weren’t the president . . .”

  “I’ll step down then. I’ll walk away from all of this, if it makes your life easier. I just want to be closer to you, son. If you move to another country, I won’t be able to see you that much or maybe not at all. Is that really what you want?”

  He hesitated before answering. “What I want is to get back in school, graduate and live a peaceful life. Living in England may be best, and at least you know where we’re headed.”

  I swallowed the huge lump in my throat. My eyes filled with tears, but I blinked fast to wash them away. “Alright, son.” I cleared my throat before I spoke again. “If that’s what you want, who am I to try and make you change your mind?”

  Joshua didn’t respond. After a minute or two of silence, Ina spoke up. “Goodbye, Stephen. And don’t come looking for us, because we don’t want to be bothered.”

  She hung up. I looked at the phone, and as a rush of anger swept through my body, I threw the phone against the wall. It broke into pieces. I swallowed another lump in my throat, and right after I entered the shower, I let hot water and soap rain down my body. I was overcome by a flood of emotions. Tears fell fast. My stomach ached, but not as much as my heart. I was devastated. I covered my closed eyes with my hand, and tried to quiet my staggering cries. Unfortunately, I couldn’t. I dropped to one knee and released the insurmountable amount of hurt I felt inside. It felt good to finally let it all out—this was long overdue. I didn’t calm down until my shower was over, and after I wrapped a towel around my waist, I returned to the bedroom where Raynetta was still laying sound asleep. With narrow, fiery-red eyes, I looked at her while in deep thought. My eyes then shifted to her cell phone and pain pills on the nightstand. I couldn’t help but to wonder if she had been in contact with Alex while she was at the hotel. Her fling with him was what led to her being at the hotel in the first place. I surely wanted to know if the two of them had been in touch. Seeking answers, I quietly made my way next to the bed and snatched up her phone. Her privacy code was our anniversary date, so I entered the numbers. I checked the call log, immediately noticing several numbers from the same caller. She had called the number twice, and when I looked at text messages, I saw that Alex had been reaching out to her. There were times when she hadn’t responded, but she definitely responded today, telling him she was okay and there was no need for him to worry about her.

  His reply: I CAN’T HELP MYSELF. ALL I THINK ABOUT IS U. I HATE THE WAY I’M FEELING INSIDE. I JUST WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. WE HAVE SO MUCH FUN WHEN WE’RE TOGETHER AND YOUR SMILE IS FOREVER WITH ME. I WON’T PUSH, BUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT U DECIDE WHEN IT COMES TO THE PRESIDENT. HE DOESN’T DESERVE U.

  Her reply: I’LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT I DECIDE. GOOD NIGHT, ALEX. THANKS FOR CHECKING ON ME.

  I laid her phone back on the nightstand and got in bed. As the mattress waved around, Raynetta woke up and turned on her side to look at me. Her eyes fluttered. She forced herself to keep her eyes open. I assumed the pills she had taken for pain made her drowsy.

  “Hi,” she said softly. “I didn’t think you were coming back tonight.”

  I lay on my back with one hand behind my head. “I had several meetings tonight. Needed some rest, but I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  “Do you know where you’re going yet?”

  “No, not yet, but I told you earlier I would call and let you know for sure.”

  “Okay, Stephen. Try to get some rest. You look tired. I know I am.”

  She moved closer and laid her head on my chest. I could tell she was already fading again, but I wanted to ask her a question before she went back to sleep.

  “Raynetta,” I called to her in a soft tone.

  “Yeaaah,” she moaned.

  “Did you spend any time with Alex while you were at the hotel?”

  I felt her body get tense. She didn’t even lift her head from my chest, before replying, “No.”

  “Did you hear from him?”

  Without hesitating, she replied, “No.”

  I left it right there. My wife was a liar. And because she was, she made me feel like I was sleeping with the enemy. I had recently learned something unfortunate about her too, and that piece of news caused me to plot against her like never before and sleep with one eye open.

  President’s Mother,

  Teresa Jefferson

  I was bitter about everything that had happened. There was no telling when I’d see my grandson again, and if I’d had a chance, I would’ve choked Ina to death. She’d won this round. I hated that because I didn’t like to lose. I felt horrible. Not only for myself, but also for my son. He seemed so out of it yesterday, and there was something in his eyes that scared me. I knew for a fact he had already dealt with Levi. I didn’t know any specifics about what Stephen had done, but I was sure, sooner or later, a missing person’s report would circulate or Levi’s fat ass would wash up on a beach somewhere. Whatever had happened to him, he deserved it. I was just disappointed that Ina walked away from this unscathed. Nonetheless, I assumed she and Joshua were gone, especially since he’d called last night to say goodbye. I didn’t have much to say, but I wished him well. Then, when I reached out to Stephen this morning, he had left too. He mentioned something about a Hell House getaway in St. Louis. I didn’t know any details about that, but he was on his way there. He asked me to stay at the White House and keep an eye on Raynetta, until he got back. He also wanted me to stay here because he was afraid there were other people conspiring against us. Yet again, I found myself being watched and guarded by Secret Service. I hated it too, because I had so many people I needed to deal with in private. One person was Michelle who had been calling me like crazy, trying to find out why I was now ignoring her. The other person was Mr. McNeil. I didn’t know if he was still laid up in the hospital from his injuries or if he was home now. I would find out and pay him a visit soon. He needed to back off my son or else he would face dire consequences. I had finally had it with that racist, evil man. He’d already done enough damage, and after all he’d done to my son, I should’ve dealt with him a long time ago. If I had, there was a good chance we wouldn’t be in this predicament.

  I sat
in the dining room eating breakfast and watching TV. A drunken fool who claimed Stephen purchased his gas last night was being interviewed by a reporter.

  “The president was so down to earth. Not only did he pump my gas, but he sat in the car with me and we talked for about an hour or so.”

  “What did the two of you talk about? Did he tell you where he was when he disappeared?”

  The man scratched his head and nodded. “We talked about the economy and all this racial bullcrap that’s going on. He was real talkative, and he told me he had just left a bar or something. We shared a few beers, and after that he got in the car with another man and left.”

  “Was that man Mr. Chen? We spoke to him this morning too. He was ecstatic about meeting the president last night. His vehicle sold for two hundred thousand dollars this morning. Apparently, the president signed the headrest and there was a bottle of gin in Mr. Chen’s car that belonged to the president too. We were able to verify the purchase.”

  “Yeah, that’s so cool. I heard Mr. Chen sold his car. That’s why I contacted you guys. I still have the beer can the president drank from. If anyone wants to purchase it, let me know. The starting bid is ten thousand bucks.”

  I rolled my eyes at the foolishness. Stephen didn’t even drink, and who in the hell would be dumb enough to believe either of those fools? As one of the three servers around me poured my coffee, I looked up and saw Raynetta. She had a small bruise near her cheek and bags were underneath her eyes. There was also a scratch on her chin. Her eyes slightly rolled when she saw me, but she still came into the dining room and greeted me.

  “Good morning to you too,” I said. “Have a seat and let’s chat.”

  One of the servers pulled back Raynetta’s chair for her. He inquired about what she wanted for breakfast.

  “I’m not that hungry, but some toast and fruit will be fine.”