She moved her legs apart for him, to make his efforts easier. As he continued, she arched her back and pulled him down on top of her, kissing him passionately with her mouth and tongue. Now rock hard, Tom entered her easily, her wetness allowing him to slide in and out immediately. He began by stroking her with long, slow thrusts, measuring her mood and her ability to take his enormous, fully engorged phallus. She responded with moans, gasps, little whimpers and "Oh Tom, God that feels good. Don't stop. Don't stop. Oh, yes, Tom, keep doin' that, keep doin' that. Oh, yes."
As he sensed her ready to explode, he too was on the precipice of pleasure. He was so close to exploding himself that he pulled back slightly to decrease the intensity, but just as he did, Theresa moaned and pushed her hips up, while wrapping her legs tightly around his body. She exploded with a soft, long moan. At last, Tom could let go and release this mountain of tension which had built up in his loins. He thrust deep inside her and exploded. He almost lost consciousness for an instant during the height of his pleasure, but regained it quickly so he would not crush Theresa with his weight. He moved himself off her, on his side, facing her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her as though to protect her, to keep her with him always. They fell asleep in exactly that position.
The next day they left for the Winston ranch in Idaho. One of the advantages, Tom decided, of being Premier was to have access to his own private plane. They took advantage of it for the trip. Not as plush or as electronically complex as Air Force One, it was a comfortable Boeing 737 with only a private cabin for the executive. Tom and Theresa spent all their time in the cabin, but refrained from making love, though the temptation was always there. They spent five gloriously happy days together, getting acquainted on new terms, taking horseback rides through the areas not already covered by snow. They spent Christmas day with some mutual friends, laughing, eating too much, singing carols around the piano. They only found one opportunity to make love that week, but once with Theresa, Tom decided, was more than equal to ten times with one of those women that Sam made available to him. It was very different when there is something of substance to bind the passion, physical act and the feelings. He never experienced that with Yvonne or any of the others.
The night before Tom was to return to the capital, he took Theresa aside and placed his hands on her shoulders, took a deep breath and asked, "Theresa, what are we going to do? I'll call Susan tonight and ask for a divorce if you say the word. I don't want to lose you after all these years we wasted."
"Relax, Tom, we waited thirty years. Another few months aren't going to kill us. We can still see each other whenever we like. You're the Premier of our country. How would it look if you suddenly asked your wife for a divorce after spending a week with the widow of an old friend? We aren't college kids any more, Tom. You don't have to protect my honor," she responded, smiling that captivating smile.
Tom had to admit to himself that Theresa was being much more practical about this than he was. But the intensity of the feelings from the last few days had clouded his judgment. "You're right, Theresa. It might be a little more discreet if we waited a while. But I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of your situation. I'm not just after a roll in the hay with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Theresa."
"Tom, sweet Tom, I was the one who came to your bedroom, remember? I'm a big girl now. Let things work out as they will. If it is meant to be, it will be," said Theresa somewhat fatalistically. "Anyway, maybe I'll buy a house in Seattle this winter. Idaho can be a little cold, you know. That way we can see each other whenever we like, and nobody would think anything of it." Tom was relieved by Theresa's suggestion that she would move to Seattle. That made the pain of leaving a little easier, but when he returned to Seattle the next day and was greeted by a gloomy winter rain, it made him feel lonely again. He did not look forward to spending the first night in that old stone mansion alone and without Theresa.
Tom attended a New Year's eve gala event in the capital. It was attended by hundreds of high level staff and employees of the new government. He had also seen that his son Tom and Angie were invited, as well as Tim Mullenski. All the cabinet members were there with their companions, except Hal Browning. Tom had thought seriously about inviting Theresa out for the event, but thought better of it, instead asking his wife Susan to fly up from Denver, just for appearance sake. His close friends knew Susan would never join him permanently in Seattle and most of them suspected that he and Theresa were getting serious, but they also knew that Tom had to lie a little about Susan's mysterious absence. When the question did arise, Tom simply explained, "Susan is having a difficult time right now deciding how best to move up from Denver. We'll probably sort it out by spring."
It was the first big bash thrown by the new nation, and it was attended by representatives of several foreign countries. Diplomatic guests from the Pacific rim countries and the major countries of Europe were there. Tom Adams and Robert Jeffries had pulled a major coup by hiring the chief of protocol from the United States government. She was a native Washingtonian and jumped at the chance to move back to her home while at the same time establishing the protocol office for a new nation. This gala event proved how cunning that decision was.
January was hectic as the government organization was beginning to take a more solid appearance. All the departments now had found permanent homes in the various cities. The Legislative Assembly appropriated funds to begin work on a new building to house themselves and the cabinet. Renovation on the President's mansion and the home of the Premier was proceeding well. The cabinet members were getting used to working with each other, with the normal infighting and politicking that accompanies such bodies. Tom was beginning to appreciate how competent and talented some of the new members were. Carol Osteen had worked tirelessly to place the fiscal house in order. With a new slate to draw on, she was able to institute policies and procedures that would have been impossible in the US or any other older country. She had contracted with two large computer consulting firms to design an entirely new governmental accounting system that would become the envy of every western nation. One of those firms, Spectron Software, was owned by C. T. Hodges. He had been successful in his three trips to Denver. He had laid out a proposal which would include not only the software required to manage the distributed network, but a facility management group which would house and operate the hardware. Hodges had even indicated that he might move his entire operation from Boston to Seattle.
Linda Hargrove had sold the Legislative Assembly on the idea of high speed rail transport between all the major cities of the NAU. She worked prodigious hours at her office coaxing, driving her staff to excel in this project. Tom counseled her late in January about the dangers of burnout and driving her staff too hard. "Remember, Linda, that we don't have to have this done by the end of February. This is government. Things take a little longer to get done. You must learn to relax and not burn yourself out," he had said to her. Later he noticed that she was beginning to take one whole hour for lunch and left the office at six instead of ten o'clock.
Sam Brouchet saw Linda one evening as they both prepared to leave the office complex where all the cabinet members were located. "Linda, can I give you a ride somewhere?"
"Oh, thanks Sam. That's sweet of you. You could drop me off across town. I have a meeting with some people flying in from Albuquerque. We're going to discuss the first link in the rail system from Albuquerque to Phoenix."
"Will the meeting take long, Linda? If not, I was hoping we might have dinner tonight. I really haven't had a chance to talk to you much socially since we both joined the cabinet."
"Well, I could cut the meeting short, say seven o'clock. Would that be too late?"
"Oh no, that would be just fine. I usually don't eat too early anyway. Shall we go. My driver will pick us up at the east entrance."
"Sam, why did you wait so long to ask me out? I was beginning to think you didn't notice me outside of meetings and co
nferences. I was almost tempted to invite you down to Denver last weekend, but I was afraid you might think me a little too forward."
Sam was not prepared for that. He had been hesitant to approach Linda since first meeting her in Denver during the formation of the convention committee. "Christ, have I wasted all this time?" he thought to himself. He had a feeling his luck was about to take a turn for the better. "To tell you the truth, Linda, I wasn't sure that my interest would be well received. I'm a little out of practice in the dating game since my divorce fifteen years ago. I'm a lot better at running a business than entertaining someone as attractive as you. Hell, I haven't even danced with anyone for as long as I can remember."
"Don't worry about that, Sam. I'm not much of a dancer either. I guess I've been too busy trying to be successful to develop any feminine guile. Maybe we can just be who we are and not worry too much about the dating game."
"I'll drink to that, Linda." Sam could feel his heart pound as his huge shoulder rubbed against Linda as they walked down the hallway. He felt like a teen-aged boy, his mouth dry, tongue tied. He wasn't used to feeling that way around women. For the past fifteen years he simply bought what he needed, or thought he needed in the way of female companionship. He had bought Kira by giving her an apartment and an 'allowance' in Denver. All he asked was that she available for him when he needed her. Not that it was that difficult; Sam had a certain charm about him that women liked. He liked women and that made it easier for Kira and others to appreciate him and give him what he wanted. But to Sam, Linda was a different matter. He couldn't just buy her like he had the others. He actually had to court her, to win her favor and that was a daunting task to Sam.
Linda looked up at Sam, smiled, sensing that Sam was a little unsure of himself. She put her arm around his and wrapped her arm tightly, as though to reassure Sam. "Linda, when I get to know you better, I'll tell you what my first reaction was when I saw you."
"Oh, you mean that comment about what a great fanny I have? I already knew about that," she said very offhandedly.
Sam stopped dead in his tracks, almost pulling Linda off balance. His face was crimson red. "You knew about that? Oh, Christ, Linda, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it the way it sounded."
"Don't worry about it, Sam. Just for the record, your tush isn't so bad, either." Sam smiled and continued walking down the hallway. He walked right past Bill McKay and didn't even notice him. Bill wondered what the silly grin on Sam's face was all about.
Dan Wolf had hired some of his former officer friends to create the framework of the Defense Department. That bothered Tom at first; he would have preferred that the department be staffed more by civilians than ex military. But he soon saw that Wolfe had put together a highly efficient cadre of staff.
"General, I must say I think you have adapted well to the limited budget and constraints that we have to impose on the military," Tom had said to Wolfe. "You selections for staff have worked out very well."
"Thank you, sir. Have you had a chance to look at my recommendations for basing our defense on national guard units and limiting the standing forces?" asked Wolfe. "I think training and good equipment will more than offset numbers, don't you, sir?"
"I do, General. I agree with you one hundred percent."
"The way I see it. If a country does not present a threat to the world, then there is no need for a large military. Japan has proven that since 1945."
"It's a pleasant surprise to hear a military man talk about small military and small budgets," said Tom.
"Yes, sir, but I'm just a civilian now, paying taxes like everyone else, and trying to figure out how to get my kids through college," said Wolfe with a broad smile.
"I know what you mean, Dan," said Tom, also smiling.
Sam Brouchet was happy in his new role of cabinet member directing the Mining/Lumber department. Sam was a natural leader and organizer. He had learned every trick in his years in the business world, building up his own company. He found the transition to government easier than he had first thought. Of course, in a very real sense, he was building, or helping to build, the government structure. All the things that he had criticized about government in years past were now coming back to haunt him. His new relationship with Linda Hargrove had softened Sam in a very favorable way. His colleagues were astounded at the reduced quantity and intensity of his profanity. There was even talk that he planned to give up cigars. He and Linda were seen with increasing frequency at restaurants and night spots. Sam called Theresa in late winter for a little advice.
"Sis', howya' doing these days?" asked Sam as soon as she answered.
"Sam, I'm doing very well, thank you very much. I took your advice about seeing your doctor friend. He is a very nice man and we get along great. I think things are going to be just fine."
"Wonderful. Glad you're feeling good, cause I need some free advice from you. Do you feel up to that?"
"Me, advise you? I can't imagine on what subject you'd need my advice, unless it's about women. Sam, you've found someone you're really interested in?" she asked by way of making a statement.
"Yes, I have, Theresa. She is one great lady, smart, good-looking. Everything I want in a woman. Her name is Linda Hargrove. She's our new Transportation Secretary in the cabinet. Have you ever seen her?"
"Only on television and in the paper. She is a very attractive woman. She comes across on television as a strong, self-confident type. You think you can handle that, Sam?"
"Good question, sis'. You know, at one time that would have intimidated me, but when I'm with her, I don't feel that she is doing any more than just being herself. She kinda reminds me of you in a lot of ways, so down to earth and honest, direct. She doesn't look a lot like you, except her hair, maybe."
"Thanks for the compliment, Sam. Do you love her, Sam?" asked Theresa in a very slow, direct manner.
Sam paused for the longest time, and finally Theresa asked him if he was still there.
"Yes, I believe I do, Theresa. Much more than I loved my ex-wife. In fact, I don't think I felt much one way or the other about my ex. Yes, I do love her."
"Then, Sam, you ought to ask her to marry you. Sounds like you have a bad case of old fashioned, romantic love. It looks good on you, Sam. I actually think you might be softening up a little."
"Yeah, don't tell anybody. It detracts from my image."
"I won't. Your secret's safe with me, Sam."
"That's why I love ya', sis'."
"How does she feel about you, Sam? Apparently there is something there or you wouldn't be so serious about her."
"I don't really know. I think she likes me. We get along fine together. She couldn't fake all of that, could she, Theresa?"
"Poor Sam. No, it's pretty hard for a woman to fake the look in her eyes or the way she looks at you, touches you, holds your hand. Does she do all those things?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact she does, just the way you said. Is that a good sign?"
"Yes, Sam, a very good sign. Do you want me to call her for you and let her know how you feel. I'll bet you've never told her that you love her, have you, Sam? She wants to hear that, you know."
"No, I never have, not in so many words. Can't she tell how I feel without me having to tell her, Theresa?"
"How would she know, Sam? Tell her tonight. See what happens. Do you want me to call her, Sam?" repeating the offer again to the very stubborn Sam.
"No. Thanks for the offer but I'm goin' to talk to her tonight and see what happens. I'll call you back tomorrow and let you know how it went."
"You had better, you big lug. Call me tomorrow, Sam. How's Tom doing in his new post? Is he handling everything Ok? Are you guys taking care of him, Sam?"
"Tom's doing just fine, just fine. You know, he's gonna make a helluva Premier. Now that he's in there, it's hard to imagine anyone else in that position. Should I say hello for you?"
"Please do, Sam. Tell him I said hello and I miss him."
In early spring, Preside
nt Jeffries received a call from the President of the US.
"President Jeffries, how are you today?"
"I'm very well, thank you. To what do I owe this honor?"
"Today, all the eastern provinces of Canada, all the English speaking ones, applied to the US for admission as new states. As you predicted, they didn't stand a chance of staying together with Quebec. It appears that while we lost the west, we're gaining the Northeast."
"I'm very happy to learn that, Mister President. Especially for all my friends on the eastern seaboard. I was concerned for their economic well being after we left. What then is to become of Quebec?" asked Jeffries.
"Apparently, they're going to try to go it alone. There was a report that the French have invited them into a type of union, but I really don't see how that will work for either of them."
"They should have considered that before stating so many demands on us last year. Mister President, on a different topic, we really haven't resolved the issue of Social Security funds for our citizens. Our proposal to create a joint study committee has not been met with approval by your office or your Congress. As you know, westerners have paid into the US Social Security fund for years in good faith. We now feel that you should transfer those funds to us in order to insure its integrity."
"As you said, President Jeffries, in regard to Quebec, you should have thought about that last summer. I don't know what the attitude of Congress is on the subject. We'll get back to you. In the meantime we really must talk about reimbursement for all the military installations and government buildings which your government inherited. Perhaps we could just enter a couple of off setting entries in our books."
The Second Declaration Page 20