by Vivian Wood
“Relax, it’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay,” she heard Lily whisper.
“Yeah,” she agreed, releasing an exasperated sigh and hoping to placate her friend.
When they boarded the plane, she noticed that several flight attendants were pointing and smiling at her. Her stomach plummeted, and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She pulled her cap lower and bit her lip, hoping that they would stop acting rude.
She felt a light squeeze on her shoulder.
It was Lily, smiling at her.
“None of this will matter anymore once we get there,” she said, fixing her seatbelt the moment they settled in their seats.
“Yeah, I know.” Meredith couldn't stop the tears that began to well up in her eyes..
She wanted to slap herself in the face for feeling so emotional. It wasn't like she was going away forever. It was just for a couple of months.
Lowering her head to hide her tears, she grabbed a magazine and started flipping through the pages. She could hear passengers getting onboard, filling the plane. She was not in the mood to talk when a flight attendant walked up to her suddenly.
“Meredith Fields?” asked the brunette woman in uniform. She had a nice smile on her face, and she held an iPad in her hands.
Meredith looked up. “Yes?”.
“I think you should see this before you fly across the ocean,” the flight attendant said, turning the screen of the iPad to face Meredith..
“What are you doing?” Lily said. “She’s not supposed to ”
Lily’s protests were left hanging in the air when a video on the iPad started playing. It was a recording of Elijah’s TV appearance, confessing his feelings, saying that he was willing to give up being president just to be with her.
The tears she was trying to swallow flowed freely down her cheeks. She raised her head and looked at the smiling cabin crew, who were clearly delighted and giddy.
Meredith bit her lip and took a quick glance at Lily who was frozen, still looking at the iPad.
“Do you think… it's too late for me to get off the plane?” she asked the flight attendant.
The woman smiled then shook her head.
Meredith looked at Lily who was already on her feet, looking more energetic than ever.
“Well, what are you waiting for? I think there’s a man you need to track down.”
Lily made it sound like a manhunt. Yes, she was out to hunt down the man who had stolen her heart.
Dropping the magazine, she grabbed Lily’s wrist and they ran down the aisle of the plane together.
She was in pursuit of her happiness.
And it was to be with Elijah.
40
Eli paced back and forth in his office at campaign headquarters with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the election coverage. He grew more and more anxious with every passing minute. He hadn't even bothered to try and look good. He hadn't shaved, but at least he'd taken a quick shower this morning. He just felt like there wasn't any need to make the effort..
He doubted his chances of winning after what he'd done on television.
When the results started rolling in, he was shocked when he saw that people were responding positively to his message of love… or they were voting for him out of pity, one of the two. He didn’t know.
The campaign staff and volunteers had gathered in the main room, watching the bank of televisions to monitor the results of voting. He joined them for a couple of minutes then retreated back to his office and ended up staring at the photos lined up behind his desk – one of him and Henry, another of him with Ellie and their mom.
Eli breathed in and out slowly.
Soon he would be surrounded by people. Time to put his slightly-scruffy game face on..
There was only an hour left before people started gathering. And that’s when he would really start sweating bullets. Though he had already stated that he was willing to give up the presidency, he couldn't help but feel weary.
He had worked so hard for it, after all.
His eyes traveled to the door of the headquarters, wondering if Meredith even saw the broadcast – silently hoping that she would magically appear in front of him somehow.
It’d been hours since the broadcast. It was all over the news and social media sites. How could she have missed it? She had been out of touch since the scandal broke out. And he had been waiting for her call. If she would just call him…
God, he missed hearing her angelic voice.
But of course, if their positions were reversed, he would have fled the country by now.
Is that what she did?
The mere idea of being miles apart from Meredith made his heart sink. He sat on his swivel chair and rested his head in his hands, leaning over. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the peacefulness of his office. Hopefully people would stop bombarding him with questions now that the election was almost over.
When he heard the tapping of heels on the floor, he opened his eyes immediately… it was just Sosie. He looked at her without hiding his disappointment, then turned away.
After his confession on air, Sosie had turned ice cold. She was extremely displeased with what he'd done. And he was almost certain that she'd been the one who leaked the affair to the press.
He turned away from the door to face a TV screen which silently replayed a clip of him. It was an ad he'd made for the campaign. The image was replaced with several people clustered around a table, talking about their take on what he’d said.
He sighed, feeling suffocated and claustrophobic even though he was alone in his office.
His fingers rested on the handset of his office phone impatiently. He had considered calling Meredith a million times. But no… his pride was stopping him.
He had made a heartfelt plea on national TV. And calling her from a landline just to get around Sosie who had his mobile phone would be dumb.
He was desperate, yes. But he hadn’t considered begging – not yet.
Because if Meredith felt the same way, she would come back to him.
And he was blindly hoping that she would…
He groaned in frustration, putting his head on the table. He was so damn tired, but couldn't rest. Everything was just getting more and more intense and complicated.
And a nap was a luxury he couldn't afford, not yet.
He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them again, things would be a little better.
“Hey…” said a familiar voice. His eyes snapped open.
He straightened up in his seat to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Before him was Meredith, looking at him with her deep blue eyes. She was panting heavily like she had just finished a marathon. There was an uncertain smile on her lips as she walked toward his desk hesitantly.
Elijah blinked, getting up from his seat, meeting her halfway. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked over her beautiful face. His heart skipped a beat when she reached out to touch his face.
“You… you’re here,” he murmured softly, putting his hands on either side of her face, feeling the warmth of her touch – making sure she was relaxed.
Meredith nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I’m here,” she spoke softly, her breath touching his face.
“I –“
“Shh…” she shushed him, putting a finger on his mouth. She smiled at him, wiping away the tears that had escaped his eyes. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“No. I’m sorry for being a coward,” he muttered, grinning back at her.
He pulled her in for a tight hug, soothing them both after missing out on each other for the past few weeks. Having her back in his arms had brought so much happiness to him, he couldn’t stop tearing up.
So, this is what it means to love..
When Meredith looked up at him, he leaned his head lower and gently brushed his lips on hers before planting a kiss on her temple.
“I love you, Meredith Fields, my princess,” he whispered.
He didn’t understand why, but it felt like a thorn had been removed from his heart when he said those words. He felt lighter because finally, he was able to be honest with her.
He'd finally told her the words he had always wanted to say.
She nodded, then smiled.
“I know. I love you too, Mr. Scott. Or should I say, Mr. President?”
The presidency was the furthest thing from his mind. “You realize that I’m going to hold you forever?” He pulled her closer to his body, their chests pressed against each other.
“Forever?” she leaned her head on his muscled chest, inhaling his scent.
“Forever,” he smirked as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck.
“Sounds good to me,” she responded with a grin.He smelled her hair and kissed her. He devoured her mouth then moved down, latching on her neck, kissing and nibbling on the smooth column of flesh that he missed so badly.
Who would have ever thought that the woman he met at a masquerade sex party, who'd haunted his dreams for weeks would be Meredith?
He'd never expected to meet her again. He hadn't meant to grow attracted to her. And it hadn't been part of his plan to fall in love with her.
But now he had her – for good.
When they broke the kiss, Meredith held his hand and led him to sit back on his chair. She then sat on his lap, teasing him as she rubbed her ass against his throbbing cock.
He groaned.
“Let’s watch and wait for the results,” she said giggling.
“I have a better idea…” he murmured against her neck, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.
As she continued to torment him mercilessly, he reflected. He really was lucky. Whether he won the election or not, he was with the woman he loved. He was never letting Meredith go again, not this time.
He just needed to get past tonight, and then he could put a ring on her finger. Then a little piece of him would be with her everywhere — just as it should be, he thought.
Wedding bells might just be in the White House’s future.
His Best Friend’s Little Sister
Six years ago
“You’ve had this before?”
Ellie rolled her eyes at the boy playing bartender—one of the generic ones with the forgettable names. When she was twelve, he'd been the one who asked how the “training” was going as the whole group laughed at her newly donned bra with the wide white straps slipping down her arms. Her brother, Eli, had flushed a dangerous scarlet and told them to leave her alone. He'd never liked her snatching attention from his friends, even unintentionally.
“Of course,” she told the no-name boy, taking the glass tumbler fizzing with a concoction she could already tell was too sweet. “Do you think this is my first party or something?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, trying to force the wrong cap onto the bottle. “You’re a kid. How do I know what they’re teaching in school these days?”
“I’m sixteen,” she said.
“That’s what I said.” He winked at her, a practiced one. “But then again, you seem to know what you’re doing with that mouth of yours.”
“Whatever.” She turned away, flipping her long auburn hair that was finally long enough to kiss the small of her back. Resisting the urge to pull down the hem of the minidress borrowed from a childhood friend, she practiced sipping the effervescence without making a face. Whoever lived here, in this townhome with little touches of elegance from the wainscoting in the entryway to the quartz countertops in the kitchen, they knew how to set the mood. Dim lights, and a decent sound system with a carefully curated playlist on a tablet provided the perfect atmosphere.
This was a party. A real, grownup party, the kind of thing she only had to wait two more years for until she could fully dive in herself. There was some kind of magic in these parties, but a restlessness, too. Everyone was just trying so hard, lubricating their insecurities with liquor paid for with student loans. Ellie wanted something more, even as the pinkish liquid swam its way into her head.
And then she saw him.
She could have spotted him rooms away. The way he held himself, broad shoulders riding on a crafted chest, clear even through the button-up. How he ran his hands through dirty blond hair that darkened just a touch each year. They were a man’s hands, not a boy’s, with thick and bronzed fingers and the right amount of roughness that told the world he knew how to use them.
“Henry!” she called, a part of her noticing her voice was too loud. “Hey, Henry!” She couldn’t quiet herself. Her legs, slim but defined from years on the track team, ushered her over to him seemingly on their own.
“Oh, Ellie,” he said, turning away from the stunning woman he’d been talking to. “How, uh, how are you?” he asked, his eyes wide. He looked at her like she was a stranger. One he couldn’t take his eyes off.
“I’m good!” she said, pulling a curtain of hair over her shoulder. “When… when did you get back? Eli didn’t say anything about you being back. Are you—”
“Only last week,” he said. “I’m just on leave. I haven’t had time to catch up with everyone yet. But I did text your brothers. Eli’s the one who told me about the party.”
Damnit, Eli. You could have told me. “Oh! He didn’t say anything to me. It’s so good to see you! Don’t I get a hug?” Thank goodness for liquid courage.
As Henry reached down to embrace her, the room slowed. Even in her four-inch heels, he had to bend down to reach her. Was it just her? Or was the entire world halting? She felt the heat of his forearm on her back, the knot of his rolled-up sleeves pressed against the swell of her hips, and the way his face fit into the hollow of her neck without hesitation. From his breath on her neck to the pleasing scratch of stubble against her own soft cheeks, the entirety of the moment was ablaze.
As he pulled away, her fingers clutched onto his arm a little too long. Did he feel it? It was palpable. Embarrassed by the heat between her legs and what she was sure the redness of her face betrayed, Ellie tucked a thick lock behind her ear. She was grateful to be holding the drink in her other hand. Stop touching your hair! You look nervous.
Henry backed away from her, obviously scrambling for composure. “This is Ellie, Eli’s sister,” Henry said to the towering goddess beside him. “Ellie, this is—I’m sorry. What was your name?”
“Right,” the deity said, doe eyes darting between Ellie and Henry. “I’m going to refresh my drink,” she said, starting to turn. “Are you coming, Henry?”
“Yeah, yeah. See you, Ellie,” he said, following the gazelle into the kitchen.
“Hey! Champagne? It’s getting posh in here.” Oh, the bartender again. At least this time he was serving a purpose—literally.
“Yes. Please,” Ellie said, grabbing two slender flutes.
She downed the first, being careful to lick the rim of the glass first to keep her lipstick intact.
“Hey! Pace yourself,” he muttered, stumbling away while miraculously keeping his tray laden with drinks upright. With one swallow, she finished the second.
Leaning against the banister, she watched Henry dancing with the blonde whose name he couldn’t even recall. You shouldn’t pout, she told herself. After all, he was twenty-eight and in the Navy, so what did she expect? She knew what they said about sailors and Fleet Week. She imagined he killed it at Fleet Week. He could have anyone he wanted.
The speakers squawked as someone pulled the aux cord from the tablet, plugging in their own phone. She hated that. Why couldn’t people just let whoever was hosting play their own music? The harsh noise stopped the sea of dancers in the midst of their song as drunken protests rang out, but when “Said You Won’t Let Go” began to play everyone quieted down. A slow song. She needed this song, deserved this song.
Making her way through the throngs of sudden twosomes, she touched Henry’s arm. His heat pulsed through her palm like lightning. “May I have this dance?” she asked, overly formal in case he refused. Then s
he could play it off as a joke.
The blonde raised a brow and shook her head, maneuvering toward the bar.
Henry sighed as he took Ellie by the waist and wound his left hand through hers. “Just one,” he said. “Then I’m heading out.”
“Just one,” she promised. His hand on her back, their wrists pressed tight, everywhere they touched emitted sparks of promise. Looking up, she swore there was something tucked into those chocolate eyes of his. Lust? Maybe. Or maybe she was just imagining the whole thing.
“You’ve become a lot better at this compared to that tap dance routine when you were five,” he said. She cocked her head, then laughed. She’d completely forgotten about that. Henry had been in her life ever since she could remember, an almost adopted fourth child by her parents. In that moment, her heart ached for him. It was the same pull she'd felt two years ago when he'd first left for the Navy.
“Do you want to know a secret?” she asked.
“Always.”
“You were my first love,” she whispered, pulling him close. “Shhh! Don’t tell anybody.”
“Were?” he asked, raising his brows in mock surprise. “You mean you’re already over me?”
“No! That’s not what I meant,” she said. Was the room spinning faster? A lump started to grow in her throat, but she forced herself to ignore it. That damn cheap champagne. “I mean, I had the biggest crush on you. Seriously. I mean, for years.”
Henry laughed, releasing her hand. “Ellie, you’re drunk,” he said. “And I’m sorry, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but there’s no way I’d ever hook up with a little girl. Especially Eli’s sister. I think it’s just the alcohol talking.”
“No! I’m serious. Oh God, I don’t feel good.”
“Come on,” Henry said, taking her elbow. “Let’s go outside for some fresh air.”
The lawn was covered with cocktail napkins and half-full glasses. On the porch swing, two college girls were making out while a group of boys cheered them on. “Over here,” Henry said, directing her to the curb. “College kids,” he said with a shake of his head.