Ina quickly spoke up. “It’s been a long time since I had to resort to anything like that, but just do me one favor, Raynetta. Don’t speak to me with that tone. I’m not here to take Stephen away from you, and the past is the past. I’ll be leaving here tonight, and you will never have to see my face again.”
Raynetta sucked her teeth while rolling her eyes at both of us. “That’s good news, and in closing, no woman, not one, will ever take Stephen away from me. That’s just a little something I thought you both should know.”
I started to trip her as she left the restroom, displaying much attitude. But knowing that Stephen’s mind was probably traveling to the past was good enough for me.
“She’s a piece of work,” Ina said. “I see why the two of you stay into it. Now I understand. But please, please avoid her for the rest of the evening. I don’t want Stephen to think I came here to cause trouble. I didn’t, and you already know that I really did this for you.”
“Okay. I’ll be good, as long as you stay, like you promised. Afterward, you can go back to the hotel, check on Joshua, and wait for Stephen to come.”
Ina threw her hand back at me. I was glad to see that she had calmed down and was now ready to eat.
After our plates were filled, we sat at a round table to eat. Two other couples joined us, as well as a reporter and three people from Stephen’s administration. There was a flowing conversation going on, but my attention was focused on Stephen. Surely he was engrossed in plenty of conversations, but his eyes shifted to where we sat way too many times. Ina hadn’t noticed like I had. And one other person who’d noticed was Raynetta. She laughed and pretended as if everything was dandy, but I knew my daughter-in-law all too well. Stephen was going to get an earful tonight.
As the sneak-a-peek game continued, I excused myself from the table. I headed Stephen’s way to chat with him, but from a distance, I saw Andrew whisper something in Stephen’s ear. All of a sudden, the Secret Service started making moves. Stephen rushed out of the room, as did several people from his staff. No one knew what was going on, but within a few minutes, word had spread that there was another mass shooting. This was the first one that had occurred since Stephen had signed the gun control legislation. I was sure that he viewed this as a setback.
“Everyone, please settle down,” the VP said. “The president will not be able to join us for the rest of the evening, but he wants everyone to continue to have a good time.”
That was difficult to do, especially when news started to flow throughout the room. The killer was a teenager who had gone into a gymnasium during a high school basketball game and had started blasting people. No one knew how many casualties there were, but one reporter said there were seventeen, and another reporter said the number was more than thirty. No matter what the number was, this was a sad situation. I said a silent prayer for the families and for my son.
President of the United States,
Stephen C. Jefferson
I had been briefed about the mass shooting and felt numb as hell. It wasn’t that I had expected the new gun control law to have an immediate impact, but I had surely hoped that things would calm down after the law was passed. According to the information I received, the teenage shooter was a loner who had been bullied and treated as an outcast. His parents were gun owners, and over seventy guns had been found in the home.
For there to be no limitations set forth for gun owners was a big mistake. Because of the new law, that would change, but it was too late for all those students who had lost their lives today. That included two coaches, who had attempted to intervene and stop the student. Ultimately, the shooter had turned the gun on himself. Bullying had become a major issue. Much of it was done over the Internet, and not only were kids attacking each other, but so, too, were adults. I was just downright disgusted, especially when VP Bass marched into the Oval Office and told me what a waste of time it had been for her to assist in passing the law. I looked at Andrew with fury in my eyes.
“I can’t recall if I have ever put my hands on a woman, and I don’t want to start now. Please escort her ass out of here. I do not have time to listen to dumb shit!”
“Mr. President!” she shouted, then boldly stepped around Andrew to approach my desk. “That is my opinion, and for the last time, you will not use that kind of language when speaking to me! I don’t know who you think you are, but you can’t continue to throw me out of here because I disagree with you. Your temperament, sir, does not make you fit to be president!”
“What doesn’t fit is your dress. I can do what the fuck I want to, and who in the hell is going to stop me? Definitely not you. And if you come any closer, you will get a taste of more than just my words.”
Her eyelids batted fast; her face was as red as fire. “Are you threatening me? For the sake of God, please tell me you are not threatening to put your hands on me.”
“One more step or one more word, and God won’t be able to save you.”
The way my face was twisted, she didn’t dare say another word. Nor did she step closer to me. Andrew reached for her arm, then attempted to move her toward the door. Sam, my press secretary, watched with a smirk on his face.
“It . . . it’s been a long day,” he said, stuttering. “Why don’t you come this way and let the president, Sam, and me come up with our next move? Get some rest, and . . . and we’ll talk more after things have calmed down a little.”
When Levi, my only trusted secret service agent, entered the room, I guessed VP Bass thought he was coming in to handle me. This emboldened her to speak, but the second her mouth opened, I quickly warned her by slamming my hand on my desk to get her attention.
“Not one word, not even a vowel,” I growled.
Levi could see that I was near my breaking point. He hurried to get the vice president out of my office. After she left, I dropped back in my chair.
“That was painful,” Sam said, standing with his arms crossed. “I know that you really weren’t going to hurt her, Mr. President, but you sure did have me fooled.”
“Then don’t be a fool all your life, because she was about to catch hell. Moving on, please prepare a statement tonight, and stop repeating the same ole bullshit. I’m too disgusted to say what I really feel, so I’m counting on you to prepare a statement on my behalf that is different and very sincere.”
“Will do, sir. After I’m done, I’ll send the statement to you for approval. Is there anything else?”
“No. Nothing else.”
I thought Sam was getting ready to leave, but he didn’t budge. He just glared at me as I sat with a mean mug on my face, sweat beads dotting my forehead. My wrinkled shirttails were outside of my slacks, my bowtie was off, and my jacket was on the chair.
“What else do you want?” I snapped.
“I just want you to know that we all feel your pain. Every last one of us does, and we know that there is a possibility that one day the same thing could happen to any of our children. No matter what the vice president says, you pushed to do the right thing. And one day, hopefully soon, people will fully understand why that law had to be implemented.”
“You’re damn right it did,” I responded, appreciating his words. “Because with seventy fucking guns in the house, someone was looking for trouble. Those people knew their son had issues. Somebody knew what he was up to, and not one single person said a word. I can’t express how disappointed and disgusted I am. And to hear my VP speak that way angers me even more.”
I looked at Andrew as he stood close to Sam. “I know some of my limitations with executive orders, and I also know that Congress can’t reverse anything that I do. They can defund some of the programs that I set forth, but you know I’ll veto any legislation that comes to my desk that does so. I need to make some major moves, because it’s apparent that I won’t be getting any damn help around here. Let me know what you suggest, and do so soon.”
“For starters, I suggest that you do what you must, but don’t go overboard,” Sam
replied. “The American people wants a president who uses his bully pulpit to work with Congress, not one who decides to take all matters into his own hands and does as he wishes. I’ll get more information for you, but the last thing we want is to be faced with legal battles that ultimately have to be decided upon by the Supreme Court. From experience, we all know how that goes.”
“Don’t remind me. I thank you both, and if you all don’t mind, I’d like to be alone right now to gather my thoughts.”
They both headed toward the door, but I called for Sam just as he was getting ready to walk out.
“In the statement,” I said, “please let the families know that I intend to pay them a personal visit.”
“Will do, Mr. President. I should have the statement prepared and delivered to you within the hour.”
I nodded, then slumped in my chair after he closed the door. My mind was on overload. I assumed there were times when every single president probably questioned why they had fought so hard to be here. The stress was unbelievable, and it was very difficult for me because I didn’t even have a vice president who had my back. That was discouraging, and every time my thoughts switched to her and her reckless words, all I could think about was snapping her fucking neck. I was just that mad, and I couldn’t control my ill feelings. And when my thoughts turned to my mother and Ina, that didn’t help much, either.
While I’d been surprised to see Ina, I figured she was here for a purpose. What that purpose was, I didn’t know. The only person who could tell me was my mother, so after I chilled for about thirty more minutes or so, I sent Levi a text, telling him to go get my mother and bring her to the Oval Office. Fifteen minutes later, she entered the Oval Office, with Ina following closely behind her. I sat up straight in the chair, not even bothering to stand.
“Sweetheart,” my mother said, standing next to me, as if she was concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t sweetheart me, and stop talking to me like I’m a child. Tell me what this is all about, and do not lie to me, because I’m not in the mood for it.”
My mother looked at Ina; Ina looked at her.
“You don’t have to be so nasty, Stephen, especially not in front of Ina. You and I can exchange blows later, and I don’t care how old you are. You can still get slapped in the mouth.”
I glared at my mother like she was crazy, but instead of getting into an argument with her, I lowered my tone and questioned the purpose of Ina being here.
“There is no purpose,” Ina said. “Your mother saw me at a mall while she was in St. Louis, and she invited me to come here and join her. I honestly didn’t think it would be a problem, but you’re making it sound like it is. Why is the question I have for you, and when did you become so disrespectful toward your mother?”
My mother quickly weighed in. “I’ve been wondering the same thing, but a part of me already knows who is responsible.”
I wasted no time firing back. “I guess you didn’t hear what I said. I’m not in the mood, and if all you want to do is come in here and insult Raynetta, then you know where the door is.”
My mother winced before tucking her purse underneath her arm. “Ugh. Don’t you get tired of throwing me out of here? You can’t even hold a pleasant conversation with people anymore, and being so ugly all the time doesn’t suit you. I’m leaving, but the least you can do is treat Ina with kindness and speak to her like you have some sense. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen her, and you don’t want her to think that being the president has caused your head to swell, do you?”
Without responding, I stood and walked to the door. When I opened it, a Secret Service agent was standing on the other side, close by.
“Escort my mother to her room and make sure she stays out of trouble. Also, I don’t want any more visitors. That includes my wife. If she happens to come by, please tell her that I’m in a meeting and I’ll see her shortly,” I instructed the agent.
My mother happily left my office, and when I turned around, Ina was standing there, with glee in her hazel eyes, which I used to think about day in and day out. I also used to think about how she’d broken my heart. That had left me feeling slightly bitter.
“I don’t mean to stare at you like this,” she said. “But it feels so awkward being here, in this office, and knowing that you’re the president. Make no mistake about it, I voted for you and everything, but I didn’t think you would win.”
“That’s because you always viewed me as a loser.”
“No I didn’t, Stephen. Stop your lies. You know better.”
I headed over to the sofa and took a seat. “Please,” I said, tilting my head in the direction of the sofa across from me. “Have a seat.”
She sat down on the sofa, with a smile locked on her face. My expression, however, was flat. That was because some women didn’t understand how men felt when they were dissed. They also didn’t recognize that we held grudges for a long time. Seeing a first love wasn’t always a good thing, no matter how sexy she or he still was. There was silence as we looked at each other. I didn’t know about Ina, but I was thinking about choosing my next words very carefully.
“I predict that your mind over there is traveling back down memory lane,” she said, breaking the silence. “If so, what exactly are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about all my phone calls never being returned, and about how much I begged and pleaded with you to just simply reach out to me. More importantly, I’m thinking about those parents who lost their children tonight.”
“I know. It’s sad, isn’t it? And if you’d like, we can get on our knees, hold hands, and pray, like we did while in college. Do you remember how we used to pray for better grades, for money, and even for our professors not to show up for class?”
I nodded, thinking back to the good old days. “Yes, I do remember. Very well. I also remember praying for you to return my phone calls. And now that I’ve been given the opportunity to ask, what was up with you? Why did you do that? What made you just disappear like that?”
“It was complicated, Stephen. Very complicated. And at the time, you wouldn’t have understood.”
“Maybe not, but now I will, so tell me.”
Ina appeared to be fishing for an answer. “Why does it matter?”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t, but since you’re here, I just want to know.”
“If it doesn’t matter, then why?”
“Because it mattered then, but it doesn’t matter now. I’m not going to play this game with you, Ina. All I want is a simple answer.”
This time, she shrugged. “What about what I want? Are you prepared to give me what I want?”
“Not really, but it depends on what that may be. But before you tell me, please answer my question.”
Ina’s eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other. She licked her bottom lip, then fixed her eyes on me again. “I stopped calling, didn’t return your calls, and ran away because I was seeing someone else. He told me to choose, and I chose him. Eventually, I dropped out of college and returned to St. Louis. After he and I broke up, I was too embarrassed to tell you I’d made a big mistake, so I never reached out to you again.”
In no way was I moved by her fabricated story; I knew Ina all too well. She’d been in love with me too, and there wasn’t a chance in hell that she’d been involved with someone else.
“Seeing someone else, huh? I’m not sold on that lie, but if you’re sticking to it, fine. I am, however, going to give you one more opportunity to come clean. If you refuse to do so, it will be your loss, not mine.”
She didn’t hesitate to respond. “I just told you the truth. What more do you want? And what makes you so sure that there was no one else?”
I turned my wrist to look at my watch. It was several minutes after midnight. I stood, stretched, and then made my way toward the door.
“Stephen,” Ina said. “Where are you going? I’m not done talking to you yet, and you never did hear me tell you what I wa
nted to tell you.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I already know. You want to play these little games, lie to me, have sex with me, attempt to ruin my marriage, and then tell my wife how good I was to you. I’m not going down that path, so don’t allow me to waste any more of your time.”
I opened the door, gestured for Ina to exit. She appeared stunned by my actions, and she slowly rose from the sofa, took a few steps, then halted before going out the door.
“My, have you changed,” she said. “I still have much love for you, though, and that is, and will always be, the truth.”
“It mattered then. Doesn’t now,” I told her. “Good seeing you, Ina. All the best.”
Her smile vanished, and she left without saying another word. I felt good about leaving things as is with Ina, and after I got to my bedroom and saw Raynetta lying in bed, I felt even better. That was until she sat up in bed and pouted about how late it was.
“Really, Stephen? It’s almost one o’clock. What’s going on with that shooting, and where have you been?”
Raynetta knew the routine, so I didn’t quite understand the big damn deal. I was calm but irritated, nonetheless. “What do you mean by where have I been?” I removed my shirt, tossed it on a chair. “You know where I’ve been. It’s called working.”
She didn’t say anything else until I took off the rest of my clothes and got in bed. I scooted my naked body close to hers. And when I wrapped my arm around her waist, she removed it.
“Tell me this,” she said, facing me. “Do you still have feelings for her?”
Trouble in the White House Page 4