Trouble in the White House

by Brenda Hampton

  It felt as if someone had punched me right in the gut. I couldn’t even repeat what he’d said, and I was so embarrassed that all I could do was slowly back away from him and apologize. My eyes watered; this was one very disappointing moment. Alex couldn’t bear to look at me, and when he headed for the door to leave, I rushed into the bathroom to gather myself. I quickly wiped my face with a wet towel, then removed the clip from my hair. As I raked the strands with my fingers, thoughts of what had just happened made me feel sick.

  I was too ashamed to leave the room and go meet Alex in the car. Of course he would wait for me, but I just didn’t want to face him right now. More than anything, I was ashamed of myself. This wasn’t me, and as beautiful and intelligent as I was, my insecurities had gotten the best of me. I was so pleased that Alex had the courage to stop this. I wasn’t sure if he had told the truth about being gay or not, but if I had to put some money on it, I would say that he wasn’t. He had just made the right decision for both of us. And if he hadn’t done so, I would be living with many regrets.

  Feeling slightly better, I splashed my face with water. I patted it with a towel, then laid the towel on the counter. I had to call the front desk, ask them to find Alex parked outside, and tell him to leave. I didn’t want him to stay the night, and this was the perfect opportunity for me to relax and reflect. I opened the bathroom door, and to my surprise, Alex stood on the other side, naked. I swallowed hard, then quickly glanced below his tight abs. His chest heaved in and out, and without saying a word, he grabbed my waist, pulled me to him.

  “I don’t know why I can’t walk away,” he said. “But I wish like hell that I could. You very well may be the death of me, Raynetta, but I’ve waited many months to do this.”

  Alex’s lips touched mine, but I backed my head away from him.

  “No, I’m sorry, but you were right,” I said. “We can’t do this. We shouldn’t be doing this, and I apologize for bringing you here. Please forgive me.”

  He ignored everything I’d said, and as he pulled me toward the bed, I was surprised by his aggressiveness.

  “No, we should be doing this,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do this, and you don’t owe me an apology for anything.”

  It wasn’t until Alex pushed me back on the bed that I realized how serious this was. He lay on top of me while holding my hands over my head and roughly sucking my neck. I kept turning my head from side to side, trying to make him stop.

  “Alex, please,” I said, attempting to get through to him. “I don’t want this. You don’t, either, so let’s just go and—”

  “No,” he replied, then released my hands. “You can’t tell me what I want. I know what I want, Raynetta, and that would be you.”

  Alex expressed just that sentiment when he yanked the sheer fabric aside to expose one of my breasts. His whole mouth covered it, and as I squirmed and tried to push him away, his body seemed to get heavier. I rejected his touch over and over again. Did my best to convince him not to go further, but Alex would not listen.

  “You’re going to regret this.” I squeezed his hand to prevent him from touching me. “I said I don’t want this, and you must listen to me before this goes too far.”

  “I am listening. I’m listening to your body, which says you do want this. You need this, and you can’t just walk away from what we’re feeling now.”

  I tried to walk away, but to no avail. Alex was one strong man. He held me down, and within a matter of seconds, he entered me, using much force. I felt so responsible for this; I shouldn’t have ever brought him to this hotel room. I was the one who had seduced him, so was it fair for me then to say no? Hell yes, it was, but saying no had come too late. I lay there like a bump on a log, numb. And seeing how uncooperative I was, Alex opened his eyes, which were previously tightly closed.

  “What is wrong with you?” he said, halting his strokes. “You just can’t do this, Raynetta. Don’t you understand that I have feelings too?”

  I slowly nodded my head. “I do, but please get off of me. Now, Alex, right now.”

  He released a deep sigh before easing out and backing away from me. Disgust was written all over his face, and after he went into the bathroom, he slammed the door. I remained on the bed, numb as ever. What a huge mistake this was, and unfortunately for me, I had a feeling that I had unleashed a monster.

  President of the United States,

  Stephen C. Jefferson

  My mother had been missing in action; so had Raynetta. I had reached out to both of them within the hour, but neither one had answered their phone. I left messages before I went into a three-hour-long meeting in the Roosevelt Room, where we discussed the new strategy for dealing with terrorism. Many terrorist organizations had been making threats about bombing some of our football stadiums, and the Olympics were a target as well. Several unfortunate incidents had been happening around the world, but no one could deny that there had been a decline in terrorist activities. That was due to our highly skilled soldiers, who had always put forth their best efforts to keep us safe. The United States was always expected to lead, not follow. We were doing just that, and with two other world leaders on a conference call with me, we all listened in as the Secretary of Defense reminded us that another high-ranking terrorist leader had been killed.

  “You are well aware that we are making progress, Mr. President, and many of these organizations are on the move. They are lacking the necessary funds to keep going, and there is no question that many of them have been crippled.”

  “That’s very good news, but it’s not time for anyone to celebrate,” I replied. “Stay on our new mission, and with a collaborative effort from other countries as well, I expect things to keep turning for the better.”

  The other leaders, along with the Secretary of Defense and VP Bass, agreed. We finally wrapped up the conference call. That was when Andrew turned his swivel chair toward mine.

  “Looks like this is a new playing field, huh? I never thought we would get to this point. Now the only thing we have to worry about is homegrown terrorism.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” VP Bass advised. “We always have to worry about what is happening around the world, but I agree that homegrown terrorism needs to be dealt with. It requires a very different strategy, and it also requires a little more assistance from individuals in Silicon Valley. They are the leading hub for high-tech innovation. We desperately need them to work more with government, even though many people prefer not to.”

  I surely knew why people preferred not to work with the government. There were a lot of problems within the system. “That doesn’t surprise me, but tackling terrorism requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” I asserted. “Let’s talk about creating a new team to join with the individuals in Silicon Valley. We must somehow convince them that this isn’t about interfering with people’s privacy. It’s more about keeping the American people safe.”

  VP Bass nodded, then stood to gather her notes. Andrew was ready to move out too, but after VP Bass left, he hung around to ask me some questions.

  “I don’t know if it’s just me or not, but do you want me to submit my resignation? Things seem a little awkward between us lately. I don’t know if you’re still upset with me about recommending Claire as Raynetta’s assistant or if you think I had something to do with Mr. Potters’s ridiculous interview. I asked him to conduct the interview based on the way he presents himself on TV. It’s not like I knew the guy on a personal level.”

  “If I wanted your resignation, I would ask for it,” I told him. “I’m not happy about your recommendations, but you’re my senior adviser. I listen to what you recommend, and then I make my own decisions. I can’t be that upset with you if things don’t always work out according to plan. With that being said, if you don’t wish to be here any longer, you are free to walk. No hard feelings, and trust me when I say I’ll understand.”

  “I’m perfectly fine with working for you. I just want you to trust me . . . my judg
ment, and I don’t want you to assume that because I’m white or I haven’t known you for a long time, like Levi has, I can’t be trusted. We are a team, and I hope you recognize that.”

  “I have no problem with you Andrew, but a man who continues to yell, ‘Trust me,’ simply can’t be trusted. It took years for Levi to earn my trust, and as much as you think those years don’t matter, to me, they do. At the end of the day, we are a team. I appreciate you more than you will probably ever know.”

  “I’m not going to comment on you and your friend, but I assume that many of the changes I see in you have a lot to do with your son,” he replied.

  “Frankly, they do. I can’t stop thinking about him. I feel as if I’m not doing enough to find him, but the truth is, everyone is working their asses off to find out where he is. It’s almost like he just vanished.”

  “With all the equipment we have to find out where someone is, I think you may have to accept that there is a possibility Joshua is no longer in the United States. I thought about it last night, because it doesn’t make sense that we all are coming up empty. That’s just my take on it, and until Mr. McNeil is able to wake up and say something, our hands are pretty much tied.”

  I nodded. “I hate to admit it, but that may be true. Levi tried to pump his brother for information, but it was pretty clear that he didn’t know anything. He’s in St. Louis, meeting with the owner of the funeral home. I hope he’ll have some luck with him.”

  Andrew stood, then patted me on the back. “I hope so too. Try to get some rest. And if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”

  He left the room, I returned to the Oval Office, and almost fifteen minutes later, as I was reading through some important papers on my desk, Levi called.

  “I have good news and bad news,” he said. “I’ll start with the good news first. The funeral home owner was paid off by someone he said he didn’t know. According to him, he was offered a lot of money to keep quiet about Joshua not being in that casket. He was also asked not to let anyone open it, and he claimed that he didn’t know what was inside. I was able to watch videos of people coming and leaving the funeral home that whole week. I saw the person who put the effigy in the casket, but I couldn’t make out his face. I can tell you this, though. He was black.”

  “That doesn’t exclude Mr. McNeil, does it? He could have paid a black man to do it, couldn’t he?”

  “Yeah, but I’m starting to get a funny feeling about this. When I asked the owner how much he was paid, he said twenty-five Gs. Mr. McNeil offers millions to get what he wants. Twenty-five Gs seems kind of low for him. . . . I’m just saying. He was the one, however, who claimed to know where Joshua was.”

  “Right. And that means he knows he’s alive. Now, if all of that is the good news, what’s the bad news?”

  Levi paused before saying anything. He then cleared his throat and spoke up. “Alex had sex with Raynetta. It happened yesterday at a hotel. Lenny wasn’t able to get any photos, but he said they were in the room for several hours. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, and I’m surprised that Alex made a decision to go there.”

  Was this a total shock to me? No. Every time we argued, Raynetta made threats about doing something like this. She was determined to make me pay for what I had done, and now she had gotten her wish. The news, however, broke my heart. I couldn’t even stay on the phone with Levi, and after ending the call, I laid my arms and head on the desk. Yes, I had done Raynetta wrong. I’d failed her as a husband. I had taken her for granted, but I had also tried to change course and focus more on improving our marriage. She was no saint, either, and a lot of her own actions drove me to do some of the things I had done. We both were equally responsible for this madness, but in no way would I accept this. The shoe on the other foot didn’t fit. I couldn’t wear it as well as she had, and the thought of her giving herself to another man made me sick to my stomach. I slowly got up from my desk, then made my way to the door. Lynda was sitting at her desk when I asked if Raynetta had returned my call.

  “No, she hasn’t. Would you like for me to reach out to the Secret Service? Alex probably knows where she is. Most likely, he’s with her.”

  Without a doubt, he was. Probably somewhere knocking her damn back out. “Yeah, uh, call Alex. Tell him I need to see him right away. Don’t bother to ask him about Raynetta. Just tell him that I need to see him.”

  “Will do, sir. But are you okay? Do you need some water or something else to drink? You don’t look well.”

  “A pitcher of ice-cold water will be fine. Please, if you don’t mind.”

  I staggered away from the door and then plopped on the sofa. With my head tilted back, I couldn’t help but to think about my damn mother again. I hated that she was always right about certain things. I wanted her to be so wrong about Raynetta. Of all people, why couldn’t my mother be wrong about her? I kept telling myself that it was only sex, but thoughts of Alex and Raynetta having sex had me feeling down and out. I didn’t even know how to handle this, and I couldn’t even say that I was mad. Disappointed? Absolutely. Jealous? Of course. Mad? Nope. But mad as hell? Yes. Yes. Yes.

  Lynda came into my office with a pitcher of water. She put it on the table in front of me, then smiled.

  “Alex said that he and the first lady were on their way back to the White House. She attended some kind of rally today, and Alex said it took longer than expected. I told him you wanted to see him. He’ll be here soon.”

  “Thank you, Lynda. Send him right in when he gets here, and then you can leave for the day.”

  “Thank you. I will. See you tomorrow.”

  I did my best to gather myself before Alex arrived, and even though I did a little, it all went back down the drain the second he entered my office. It was as if I could see Raynetta with her legs wrapped around him. And when he opened his mouth, I expected the sweet scent of her pussy to slap me in the face.

  “You wanted to see me?” he said, then moved closer to where I was on the sofa. He appeared to be just fine; there was no fear in his eyes whatsoever. I was sure he knew the reason why I wanted to see him.

  “Have a seat,” I said as my eyes shifted to the gun I had already placed on the table. “We need to talk.”

  Displaying braveness, Alex sat across from me and crossed one of his legs over the other. He scratched his head, then raked the front of his hair with his fingers.

  “I just wanted to commend you for doing such a great job protecting the first lady. I told you a while back that she could be quite difficult at times, but it looks as if you’ve been able to handle her.”

  He slowly nodded as his eyes shifted to the gun as well. “Yes, sir, I have been able to handle her. Quite well, I must say, and in no way is she difficult to me.”

  “I figured you would say that, so let me not beat around the bush. I assume you’re talking about the way you were able to handle her in the hotel room last night.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “No, she actually handled me. Handled me so well that I wouldn’t mind taking another risk.”

  I was surprised by how blunt he was. “So, in other words, you’re willing to die for a piece of my wife? That’s crazy talk, and I can’t believe you’re that stupid. I have to ask what your motive is.”

  “No motive. I just did something that I have longed for so very much.”

  I had vowed never to hurt anyone on American soil, but Alex was pushing me to change my mind. I couldn’t have sympathy for a man who was willing to die for sex, and in the Oval Office or not, he had to be dealt with.

  “You got guts, Alex, but you chose the wrong woman. We all have feelings that we can’t control sometimes, but it seems to me that you are unapologetic for your actions.”

  I carefully reached for the 9 millimeter, eased it my way, and placed it on my lap. Alex shifted in his seat, his nervousness starting to show.

  “Just so you know, the first lady pursued me,” he insisted. “I don’t wish to go into details about why it was
difficult for me to reject her, but it was very difficult. My feelings were uncontrollable. But before you decide whether or not to splatter my blood all over the presidential seal, I want to cut a deal with you. The deal is if you allow me to walk out that door for good, I will never touch your wife again. I will put you on a path to finding your son, but you have to promise me that you won’t hurt Raynetta and you won’t come after me once I’m gone. I don’t have anything against you, Mr. President. I just fell hard for your wife. I often dreamed of having sex with her, and if you want to kill me for exploring my feelings, I can’t do much to stop you.”

  It was interesting that whenever killing was on the table, everybody had information about Joshua. I refused to travel down this road with Alex; he was about to be dreaming for a very long time. I tilted the gun sideways on my lap, then aimed it at the center of Alex’s chest. I couldn’t believe that he didn’t attempt to run, and thinking more about the braveness he displayed, I asked him another question.

  “Three words. Where is he?”

  “I can’t tell you specifically where Joshua is, but the one thing I am sure of is your ex-girlfriend, Ina, knows. The reason why I know this is that I saw her speaking to a close confidant of Mr. McNeil’s right after the funeral. He gave her an envelope, and she smiled as if she had just won the lottery. She didn’t appear to be a grieving mother, and her demeanor was quite different from what it had been inside the church. I’m very observant, Mr. President. My suggestion to you is to follow her. The only reason I hadn’t said anything sooner was that I predicted that you and I would find ourselves in this situation. I held on to this information, hoping that it would spare my life when necessary.”

  Just that fast, Alex had my mind spinning. I couldn’t even imagine Ina being behind any of this. Was she capable of putting on an act like this and lying? Of course she was. She’d been lying for years. And why? Because of the almighty dollar.