Raynetta walked off. I followed, deciding not to waste my time with Mr. Potters. When I called out to her, she didn’t answer. And when I got to the bedroom, she was sitting on the bed, removing her shoes.
“You lied to me,” she said with fury in her eyes. “You told me that you didn’t have sex with Michelle, and I believed you.”
“I told you the truth. I didn’t have sex with her, but we came very close to that happening.”
“You must think I’m an idiot. I just saw, with my own eyes, photos of you and her naked in bed. Not only that, but you and her naked as you carried her across the room. You naked between her legs. I guess there’s a new way of having sex that I don’t know about. I thought it all started with people’s clothes coming off.”
I stood in front of Raynetta, trying to calm her. This conversation was moving in the wrong direction; I wanted to prevent us from going down this path again.
“Listen to me, okay? I know how this looks, but I did not have sex with her. And even though I was upset with you that day, I realized that having sex with Michelle wasn’t going to do our marriage any good. I’m sorry that you had to see those pictures, but just like everything else, you have to realize that there are so many people out there trying to destroy me—destroy us, for that matter—and I ask that you trust me and recognize when I am telling you the truth. I haven’t lied to you before about my past indiscretions. Why do you think I would lie to you now?”
“Maybe because you knew this would be the last straw. I can’t and won’t continue to be humiliated like this. And why do you always run to another woman when we have problems? You don’t waste any time, and it pisses me off that all you think about is sex when you’re upset.”
“That’s not true, and for the last time, I did not have sex with her. Either you believe me or you don’t. I’m not going to stand here all night, trying to convince you that I didn’t do it.”
Raynetta cut her eyes at me; I could tell this was going to be a long night. “You don’t have to stand there all night. I’m sure you have other things to do. Besides, all I’m going to do is piss you off and give you a reason to go pay your lover a visit. It’s only nine o’clock, but I’m sure her legs stay open for you twenty-four-seven, don’t they?”
“This crazy talk is silly. Just like it was silly for you to visit my mother at that institution and silly for you to call and threaten her.”
Yes, I was trying to change the subject, but maybe that wasn’t a good idea. Raynetta’s demeanor changed—her whole face was twisted. Bringing up my mother had only made matters worse.
“You know what?” she said, pointing her finger at me. “Fuck your mother and screw you too. I’m tired of her, just like I’m sick and tired of you. Please don’t say anything else to me tonight. Just . . . just go somewhere and get away from me, before I say something I’m going to regret.”
Raynetta knew that I wasn’t about to listen to her orders. I expected her to be upset, but her harsh words would get us nowhere. I remained calm about the situation, and in my last attempt to get her to calm down, I sat next to her on the bed.
“Only a real man is willing to admit when he is wrong. I was wrong for having dinner with Michelle and for going to her room. But I’m not leaving this room until we talk this out,” I told her. “We’ve been getting along very well, and I hate for something like this to come between us. I didn’t expect for you to jump for joy after seeing those pictures, but I do expect for you to believe me when I say that nothing happened. If you can just trust me on that, we’ll be okay.”
She looked me straight in the eyes and rejected what I’d said. “We won’t be okay, because I don’t believe you. The eyes do not lie. And how dare you feed me this crap about having a wake-up call? The truth is, you never should have been in her room to begin with. You never should’ve taken off your clothes, and there shouldn’t have been a cozy little dinner going on. I have put up with so much from you, Stephen, and I’m finally starting to realize how much this has affected me. I sat there tonight, during that interview, feeling like an idiot. I do want to inspire women, but in no way do I want them to put up with as much as I have.”
I wasn’t getting through to Raynetta, and when I released a deep sigh, she caught me off guard and slapped the shit out of me. My head jerked to the side; the stinging blow caused my eyes to water.
“Huff and puff all you want!” she shouted. “What I’m telling you is real! This hurts, and you will never understand unless you’re in my shoes!”
After that smack, it was time for me to go. She didn’t have to go there, but since she had, this conversation was over. I got off the bed, made my way to the door.
“Have fun tonight, and feel free to make some babies with your mistress. I refuse to have a child with a man who doesn’t respect me. Maybe she’s a bigger fool than me,” she raged.
Those words deserved a response. “Keep talking like that and I will make some babies elsewhere. I will also do what you’re blaming me for, so hurry up and get your mind right. You get a pass tonight for putting your hands on me, but if you’re brave enough to go there again tomorrow, keep in mind that I do to others exactly what they do to me.”
Raynetta mumbled something under her breath, but I kept it moving. I made my way to the Oval Office and locked the door behind me. The first thing I did was call Levi to see if he had any news about Mr. McNeil’s status.
“He was taken back to surgery this morning,” Levi said. “Old man got more problems than a stab wound to his stomach. I really don’t see much change in his condition any time soon.”
“That’s not what I needed to hear. I need to hurry up and find my son. Any word from the others about incoming and outgoing phone calls?”
“Not yet, but we’re on it,” he assured me. “And trust me when I say we’re going to find Joshua. I’m going to pay Mr. McNeil’s brother a visit tomorrow. If I can get anything out of him, I’ll let you know. I know it’s hard, but be patient. At least we know he’s alive.”
“Thanks for being optimistic. At least we know he wasn’t in that casket. We also know that someone from that racist-ass family was involved. I can’t believe the funeral home had no idea that that effigy was put in there. You may want to speak to them again. Somebody had to see something.”
“I’ll fly to St. Louis later this week to see what else I can find out. And while I’m gone, I’m going to ask Lenny to keep an eye on things at the White House. He’s the only one who has earned my trust. The rest of them muthafuckas ain’t shit.”
“We haven’t had any problems lately, but in your spare time, I want you to keep an eye on Alex. He’s been getting real close to Raynetta. I don’t want any surprises, if you know what I mean.”
“I do, but Alex is cool. He would never overstep his boundaries.”
“For his sake, I hope you’re right.”
Levi got back to business, and I got comfortable on the sofa, where I would stay for the rest of the night. The TV was on in the background. All I could hear was Mr. Potters preparing himself to quote Raynetta’s words from earlier.
“If there are any children in the room, you may want to have them leave. I was shocked by the first lady’s response, but these were her own words, not mine,” he said.
A typed version of what Raynetta had said was plastered on the screen. Specific words had asterisks next to them. He bleeped out several words when he read her comment. I shut my eyes, thinking about what I had gotten my family into and wondering if all of this was worth it.
First Lady,
Raynetta Jefferson
I couldn’t get those pictures out of my head for nothing. Nor could I explain why this time seemed so different from all the others. Maybe because my fears had come true. That was, Michelle had a hold on Stephen that he wasn’t willing to let go of. For him to still be involved with her confirmed one thing. He liked her a lot, and for me, that was troubling. Confronting her would be a waste of time. Just as arguing with him
was. Stephen knew darn well that he’d had sex with her. He was just trying to spare my feelings and make me believe that he had been putting forth every effort to save our marriage.
Those pictures proved that that was in no way the case. Whether he was upset with me or not, that was the wrong thing to do. And this time, there would be consequences for his actions, because I was tired of being the good wife. I had to do something that would hurt him to the same degree that he had hurt me. For years, and throughout our entire marriage, I had never been unfaithful to him. Not once had I ever sought revenge, but this time would be different. This time, I intended to pursue what I wanted, and not surprisingly, that was one night, just one, with Alex.
After being ignored by Stephen for two days and avoiding him, I put a plan in motion to be alone with Alex. Three days later I told him that I needed to be driven to several events that afternoon. He had no idea what I had been up to, and when the afternoon rolled around, we set off. After he had driven me from one event to the next, I informed him that I was ready to return to the White House.
“But before we go there,” I said from the backseat, “I want to stop at the Omni Hotel to see a friend of mine who just arrived. I promise you that I won’t be long, okay?”
“No problem. And by the way, I enjoyed listening to your speech today. Your message was powerful, and I’m seeing a lot of positive changes in you as the first lady.”
Now, why did he have to go there? I wondered if he would feel the same way after this evening. “Thank you for saying that. I appreciate your compliments. They really mean a lot to me.”
I sat back and enjoyed the ride. When we reached the Omni Hotel, Alex parked in a valet spot and was given clearance to escort me inside. The lobby area was nearly empty, and without being seen, we made our way to the elevator.
“What floor is your friend on?” he asked when we got in the elevator.
I told him where to go, and Alex led the way to the suite while observing our surroundings. He was so good at his job, and after we reached the suite, he knocked on the door.
“What’s your friend’s name?”
“Uh, Tracy. Tracy Buchanan.”
Alex hadn’t a clue what I was up to. He waited for Tracy to open the door, but I knew that she would never come.
“Did you tell her you were coming?” he asked.
“I did, but she told me to just go inside if she wasn’t here when I stopped by.”
I removed the key card from my purse. The card had been delivered to me yesterday at the White House, and the suite was already paid for in full. I stuck the key card in the slot, and when the green light flashed, I opened the door. The first thing that I saw was an ice bucket with wine in the center of a table. On one side of the room was a spacious sitting area decorated with yellow, white, and gold accessories. The old-fashioned cherrywood furniture resembled much of what was in the White House, and all the furniture was polished to perfection. Silk drapes covered the windows, and thick crown molding went from wall to wall. A double-sided fireplace lit up the sitting area, as well as the bedroom area, which was open. Plenty of velvety pillows were on the bed, and dimly lit lamps sat on the nightstands. A lounging chair was in a corner of the bedroom, and a small desk was on the other side. Alex took a seat in the sitting area, then reached for the remote to turn on the TV.
“Nice room,” he said, unbuttoning his suit jacket and propping his feet on the ottoman. “I hope your friend comes soon. If she doesn’t, I’m afraid I may fall asleep.”
I certainly didn’t want him to do that, but when he yawned, I predicted that I didn’t have much time.
“If she’s not here in ten or fifteen minutes, I’ll call her. Meanwhile, I need to use the bathroom. Yell loudly if she comes.”
Alex turned his head sideways and looked at me as I entered the bathroom. I shut the door, then gazed at the huge mirror. I started to feel nervous about this. This was the first time I would ever ask a man, with the exception of Stephen, to make love to me. There was also a part of me that felt guilty. I wondered how Stephen made this seem like an easy thing to do. I bit my nail, but when thoughts of those pictures flashed before me, I decided to push forward. I unzipped my fitted skirt, watched it fall to the floor. My silk blouse was next, and then I removed my heels.
Underneath it all I wore a sheer black negligee with silk thong panties. My breasts were clearly visible, and when I turned around, so were my meaty cheeks. My hair was full of long curls today, but in an effort to look sexier, I had clipped part of my hair up in the back. Several strands dangled along the sides of my face. To wet my lips even more, I had painted them with a shimmery nude gloss. I examined myself in the mirror, thinking about the last time I got dolled up for Stephen. It had been a while—he was always too busy. Nonetheless, he would probably kill me if he knew what I was up to. I didn’t think Alex would tell, and even if he did, I would do as Stephen had done and would not confess.
Finally, it was showtime. I sprayed myself with several dashes of perfume, then looked in the mirror at my nipples, which had already hardened. I opened the door to the bathroom, and from a short distance I saw Alex, with his head leaning slightly to the side. He was snoring lightly, with the remote still in his hand. His chest heaved in and out, and as I stood in front of him, I looked at his coal-black hair, which was trimmed on the sides and spiked more on top. His thin body was fit and displayed much strength. I smiled as I thought about him doing away with his glasses, per my request. He hadn’t worn them since our discussion that day. That proved to me that he cared about what I thought of him.
Ready to wake Alex, I straddled his legs, which were still propped on the ottoman. I bent over until I was face-to-face with him. My lips barely touched his before he jerked his head back and squinted. His eyelids fluttered; eyes grew wider and wider.
“Who . . . What are you doing?”
Alex appeared out of it—maybe a bit confused. That was until I stood up straight, allowing him to see all of me. He quickly removed his legs from the ottoman, then adjusted himself in the chair. After several blinks, his eyes traveled from my breasts to the tiny gap between my legs. The tip of his tongue quickly rolled across his lips before he cleared his throat. His eyes shifted back to mine.
“Why are you dressed like that?” he asked. “Are you waiting for the president or for your friend?”
I moved my head from side to side. “No, I’m not waiting for the president, nor am I waiting for a friend. The only thing I’m waiting for is for you to remove yourself from that chair, take off your clothes, and have sex with me. I know you want to, Alex. I can see it in your eyes.”
Alex swallowed a lump in his throat, then sat up straight. He grabbed at his hair before wiping across his sweaty forehead.
“Just so you know, I don’t appreciate jokes. This is not funny, Raynetta. Why would you do something like this?”
“Do you really think this is a joke? I wholeheartedly confirm that it is not, and I’m willing to do whatever to prove it.”
Kicking things up a notch, I reached for the string on my thong, lowered it past my hips. Alex glanced at my goodies, then lowered his head into his hands, refusing to look.
“Stop this, Raynetta. Please stop this. I don’t want to see you like this, and I wish you . . . you would go put on your clothes so we can leave.”
I tossed the thong in his lap, hoping that he got a whiff of my sweet scent. “You don’t want to leave, Alex. Neither do I. What you really want to do is take off your clothes and touch me all over. I’m granting you permission to do that, so what are you waiting for?”
Alex wiped down his face, then looked at me again. He tried not to look at my private parts, but he couldn’t help himself.
“I’m leaving,” he said in a stern tone. “You can stay here if you want, but—”
He couldn’t find the right words to say. And without any further ado, he stood to leave. As he stepped away from me, I grabbed his hand and made him face me.
Alex appeared to be defeated, but he also looked as if he wanted to run. “I . . . I don’t know how to respond to what you just said to me, but the one thing I will say is there is no way in hell that I’m having sex with you. I’m not interested in you, and I’m sorry that the president is making you feel this way. You need to speak to him about your concerns, Raynetta. Talk to him, because all of this . . . this is wrong.”
His rejection didn’t feel good. Maybe I was wrong, but then again, maybe I wasn’t. “I don’t believe that you’re not interested in me. Your eyes tell me that you are. I see the way you look at me.”
“I look at you that way because it’s my job to pay attention to you. And while you’re a very beautiful woman, I . . . Again, I’m not interested.”
Feeling desperate for an explanation, I pushed, with frustration in my voice. “Why not? What is wrong with you? Am I not good enough?”
Alex reached out and held my shoulders. He searched my eyes before taking a deep breath. “You are more than good enough. I . . . I’m just not into women. I’m gay, okay? I prefer men.”
Trouble in the White House Page 18