First Date

by Krista McGee

  Hank droned on about the show, clips from each of the episodes playing in the background.

  “We started out with one hundred hopeful girls from all over the country. And now we are down to five: Lila, Kara, Jessica, Addy, and Anna Grace. Which four will go home with red daisies and broken hearts? Who did America pick to be the First Son’s date?” Hank smiled and winked at the camera. “Stay tuned, because tonight is a night you won’t want to miss.”

  Each of the girls was interviewed “one last time.” Hank asked them their favorite parts about the show, its star, and their experiences.

  “It’s been wonderful,” Lila said. “I’ve made such great friends, and I’ll miss them all so much.” Addy tried not to roll her eyes. Lila, seated beside her, held Addy’s and Kara’s hands as she spoke.

  Kara agreed that the experience was great. “But I’m ready to get back home to my family. I’ve been away way too long.” She blew a kiss to Ma and Pop before Hank came to Addy.

  “This has been amazing,” Addy said, smiling at Hank. “Jonathon really is as nice as he seems, this mansion really is as beautiful as it seems, but I agree with Kara, I’m ready to get back to my normal little life in Florida.”

  Brief shots of the girls followed from their performances that first week, to the fancy dinner, to the academic competition, and finally, to their dates. Full packages of those dates filled the show the night before: Lila singing her heart out on the Broadway stage, Jessica skiing with members of the Olympic team, Anna Grace at Disney, and Kara in Los Angeles meeting some of her favorite celebrities.

  As Addy expected, her package wasn’t all that exciting—from a marketing perspective. Just she and Jonathon. And Hank. Eating and playing golf. Much of her package featured Hank talking about his next project, chatting with celebrities in the restaurant. Addy noticed he wasn’t as happy as he normally was when watching himself.

  God, please work in Hank’s heart. Help him to see who you really are. Help him understand that your plan for his life is so much better than anything he could dream up for himself.

  There was nothing in Addy’s package about her talk with Jonathon and Hank, but she carried the memory of that in her heart as the crowning moment of her time there.

  “I have here in this envelope”—Hank waved a square, white envelope to the cameras—“the names of the first three girls voted off.”

  Kara’s knee was bouncing up and down. Addy looked at her friend and winked.

  “But before I make the announcement, we have a very special guest . . .” Hank motioned to the cameras and the face of the president of the United States appeared on the screen behind him. The camera panned out to show the First Lady, both sitting comfortably on a couch in the Oval Office.

  “Good evening, Mr. President.” Hank waved to the screen. “Welcome. And, Mrs. Jackson, looking lovely as ever. Thank you for coming on tonight.”

  “You’re very welcome,” President Jackson said. Addy noted he had the same proper way of speaking that his son had. She smiled. “We’ve enjoyed the show, and we’re both waiting to find out who won.”

  “You won’t have to wait much longer, sir,” Hank promised. “But before I tell everyone the names of the first three girls going home, do you have any predictions? A favorite?”

  Mrs. Jackson spoke this time. “Jonathon has been keeping us updated the whole time, and of course, we have been watching. Each of these girls is something special. We have enjoyed seeing them all. I don’t know if we can say we have a favorite, though. Do you, dear?” Mrs. Jackson looked at her husband.

  “No. They are all wonderful girls. These five and the other ninety-five. We have been so proud to see what the next generation of our country has to offer. And we know there are so many others just as accomplished. It is exciting.”

  “So you’re not going to pick a favorite?” Hank egged.

  “Not gonna do it,” the president answered, laughing.

  “Well, all right,” Hank said. “What about expectations? What do you hope to see in your son’s prom date?”

  Mrs. Jackson looked at her husband and smiled. “As America has seen, Jonathon is a wonderful young man. And as long as Jonathon is happy and healthy, we’re happy. We will welcome his date into our home and treat her like one of our own. This is a special time in our son’s life. A senior prom only comes once. And we want his to be memorable.”

  The president nodded and squeezed his wife’s hand. Addy noted that Jonathon’s eyes were moist as he watched his parents. They really do have a great relationship.

  Hank finished out the interview, thanking the First Couple again, and returned his attention to the cameras. “Five nervous girls, two proud parents, and one young man—all waiting to find out the same thing: who has won The Book of Love? The wait is almost over.”

  Hank stretched out the opening of the envelope an impossibly long time, reminding the girls how lucky they were to have gotten this far, how exciting this whole experience had been, how no one would walk away tonight a loser.

  “The first girl to go home”—Hank motioned for Jonathon to stand behind him and pick up the daisy—“is . . . Anna Grace.”

  She stood, tears in her eyes, and hugged Jonathon after receiving the good-bye daisy. Jessica was the next to be asked to leave.

  “Only three remain,” Hank announced. “And we will soon be down to the Top Two. Lila.” He paused. “You’re one of those Top Two.” Lila squealed, then composed herself as Hank turned to Kara. “Miss McKormick, I’m afraid you’re not.”

  Addy’s heart sank as Kara stood to receive her daisy. She hugged Jonathon and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and looked at Addy. Kara turned and smiled at her friend, waving to camera one, as instructed, before leaving through The Mansion’s front door.

  “Lila and Addy. Addy and Lila,” Hank said. “Two very different girls with one thing in common—a wish to be Jonathon Jackson’s date to prom.”

  For the first time, Addy realized how insignificant a high school prom was.

  Even if my date is the president’s son. A month of testing and showing and fighting and missing home for the chance to do something that would be little more than a fond memory in years to come just doesn’t seem all that exciting.

  Addy looked over at Jonathon. They would still be friends. Maybe more. If Jonathon was a Christian and if they ended up near each other, and if the plans God had for them coincided, then maybe. But those were a lot of “ifs.”

  Suddenly Addy knew she didn’t want to win. She didn’t need to win. God didn’t have her there for that purpose.

  You brought me here to glorify you. I’ve learned more about you in the past month than I have ever learned before. You helped me to tell people about you. With you by my side, I survived the lions’ den. And that’s all that matters.

  Addy sat up straighter, feeling lighter and happier than she had all night. She didn’t need to worry about whose name was in that final envelope. In fact, she hoped it was Lila’s. Lila wanted that date. She’d love all the attention that would come from going to Jonathon’s prom and from meeting the First Couple. And she would be stunning beside Jonathon. A beauty worthy of a guy like that.

  “And now, I have in my hand the winner of this competition,” Hank said, looking at the cameras. “Lila or Addy? Who does America think belongs on the arm of Jonathon Jackson? The wait is over. And the winner is . . .”

  Chapter 53

  Addy and Mike spent two days getting back to Tampa.

  “I want to get home in the afternoon,” Mike had explained the day before. So they spent the night at a hotel in Atlanta, rising early to make the seven-hour drive home.

  Addy slept most of the way, thinking through all that had happened in the last several weeks.

  She had lost the competition.

  She hadn’t been surprised when Lila’s name was called. She wasn’t even upset. She was happy for Lila and her congratulatory hug was heartfelt. As she returned to her trailer to pack,
Jonathon had caught up with her. He didn’t have much time—the crew had to get shots of Lila and him together, planning their date.

  “This isn’t good-bye,” he insisted. “You’ve got my number. And you know where I live. Once all this”—he motioned behind him—“dies down, I want you to come up and visit me.”

  “Come to your house?” Addy said. “The White House?”

  “Don’t think of it as the White House. It’s just the place where I live. Besides, my mom really wants to meet you.” Jonathon smiled.

  Addy’s eyes widened. The First Lady wanted to meet her? She was speechless.

  “I’ll be in touch,” he promised, then pulled Addy into a long hug. Addy closed her eyes and breathed in. She loved the way he smelled. She didn’t notice until Jonathon pulled away that her eyes were watering.

  I’m going to miss this boy.

  Saying good-bye to Kara had been even harder.

  “You have to come visit,” Kara said. “No, wait. I’ll come visit you first. You can take me to the beach.”

  “It’s a deal.” Addy grinned. “And you have to meet Lexi. You’ll love her.”

  “Of course I will. And you’ve got to bring Mike up to Long Island.”

  “Definitely.” Addy put the last of her belongings in her suitcase and snapped it shut. “I am already craving your mom’s cinnamon rolls.”

  “I’ll have her mail some down,” Kara promised.

  “What are you smiling about, Addy-girl?” Mike asked as he eased the truck off I-75 onto their exit.

  “I was just thinking about Kara and her family and how much you’ll love them.” Addy filled Mike in on the complexities of Kara’s large and boisterous family.

  “She’s a good kid. Stood by you when she could have easily flocked to Hank like the other girls.”

  “What do you think is going to happen to Hank?”

  “Eric told me one of the girls . . . Taylor, I think, filed a complaint against him. Her parents have apparently gotten the ear of some bigwigs down in Hollywood. His sins are finding him out. I don’t think he’ll be doing any more producing anytime soon.”

  Mike’s phone rang and he responded in “yeps” and “mmhmms” and with a “you got it.”

  “Who was that?”

  Apparently her uncle hadn’t heard Addy, because he just turned up the radio and began singing to another of his favorite good-time oldies.

  As they turned into town, Addy noticed her block was decorated and lined with people, all waving posters welcoming Addy back to Tampa. News crews were stationed on either side of her house and a huge black Suburban was parked in the driveway. The house had been painted. And landscaped. It looked great.

  Addy stepped out of the truck to cheers from the crowd and hugs from classmates, church friends, and strangers, all of whom knew Addy and had been rooting for her over the last month. Addy was overwhelmed and tried to thank them all as she made her way to the newly repainted front door.

  Mike stood on the front steps and called out, “Thank you, folks, for this great welcome. I know Addy appreciates that you all came here. But she is exhausted and ready to just relax at home for a while, so please excuse us if we say good-bye here.”

  Mike opened the door and Addy gasped. The entire house had been redecorated. It was perfect. The walls were beige, the new couches were full and a deep brown. Red accent pillows lay on either end of both couches, and a plush brown leather recliner replaced Mike’s tattered old one. Addy was amazed at how the room really fit both of them—not ornate, not too feminine, very functional.

  “Who did this?” Addy asked.

  Mike looked to make sure the front door was shut and the blinds were closed. Then Mike’s bedroom door opened and Mrs. Jackson walked out.

  “Guilty.” She laughed, Jonathon trailing behind her. “But you haven’t seen everything yet. Come see your room. I hope I got it right. Jonathon helped.” She grinned as Addy opened her door.

  Addy couldn’t believe it.

  Jonathon Jackson and the First Lady are in my house. Mrs. Jackson—renowned interior designer—has redecorated my house. Addy was speechless.

  Her room was freshly painted light blue, with thick brown stripes three-quarters of the way up the wall. Her old metal bed had been replaced by a deep chocolate sleigh bed, covered in a cream comforter with a brown stripe and blue and brown pillows. She had a new desk in a matching shade in the corner, and her favorite books and photos were housed on shelves above the desk.

  Mrs. Jackson had framed a picture of Addy and Jonathon at Augusta and placed it on the desk. A huge dresser was on the far wall. The whole room looked like a picture from a magazine.

  “Do you like it?” Jonathon asked, standing beside her.

  “I don’t know what I like better. My house or the fact that you are in my house.”

  Jonathon smiled. “I couldn’t wait until this summer to see you.”

  Addy looked into Jonathon’s eyes and swallowed hard.

  “Addy, check out my room.” Uncle Mike popped his head in Addy’s doorway.

  “It’s fantastic, Mrs. Jackson.” Addy looked around. The entire room had been gutted and made to look like the inside of an old log cabin. “This is perfect for him. You are an amazing designer.”

  “I may not ever leave.” Mike sat on a leather recliner and leaned back.

  “Thank you so much,” Addy said. “It’s incredible.”

  “You’re very welcome, Addy,” the First Lady replied.

  “But why?” Addy asked.

  Mrs. Jackson linked her arm with Addy’s and led her to the new couch in the living room.

  “First, because your uncle was instrumental in saving my son’s life.” She placed a loving hand on Jonathon’s knee. “A little video clip—though very well done,” she acknowledged, seeing the mock offense on Jonathon’s face, “was just not enough. This isn’t even enough, but it was something personal, from me.”

  Mike walked into the living room. “All that happened was that I was in the right place at the right time. God is the one who deserves the thanks for that, not me.”

  “I do thank God.” Mrs. Jackson smiled. “Believe me. But if you hadn’t gone straight to the Secret Service . . . if you had waited even one day.” She wiped her eyes. “I don’t even want to think about it. You are a hero, Mr. Scott. And I will never forget what you did.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Mike bowed his head. “It was an honor.”

  Mrs. Jackson took a moment to compose herself, and Jonathon wrapped a protective arm around his mother’s shoulders.

  “I also did this because I watched you, Addy, and I like you.” Mrs. Jackson patted Jonathon’s knee. “You’re the real thing. You’re a good influence on my son and on everyone who meets you. And I just wanted to do something special for you to let you know how special you are.”

  Addy was moved to tears, feeling inadequate in the face of such a powerful woman.

  “You are very kind,” Addy said through her tears. “But when did you do all this? The show just ended a couple of days ago.”

  Mrs. Jackson stood. “Oh, I had my crew come down here a week and a half ago. They’ve been hard at work. I sent them with my plans, and they taped each day’s work so I could review it at night before they started again the next day.”

  Addy was stunned. She turned to look at Jonathon. “So you knew about all this?”

  “Who said I can’t keep a secret?” He laughed.

  “You too, Mike?”

  Mrs. Jackson responded, “Him too. We wanted to keep it from both of you, but we had to get in the house somehow. Plus, we wanted to make sure the changes were made in a style you’d both like.”

  “They are,” Addy said, looking around once again. “Thank you so much.”

  “You are more than welcome, Addy.” Mrs. Jackson pulled Addy in for a hug. “I just wish we could stay and enjoy it with you.”

  “We can’t?” Jonathon said.

  “You have school tomorrow
, young man,” his mother said.

  Jonathon groaned. “Could I have just a few minutes alone with Addy before we have to go?”

  Mike motioned to the First Lady. “I’ve got a fancy-looking new coffeemaker in my kitchen. Care to join me for a cup?”

  Mrs. Jackson smiled. “I’d love to. Bull, Jeff, you and the others can come in here too. I think these two will be safe in the living room for a few minutes.”

  Addy watched as the Secret Service agents filed out of the living room and bedrooms and into her small kitchen.

  Jonathon scooted closer to Addy on the couch. “I’ve really enjoyed reading John.”

  “I know.” Addy pulled her cell phone from her purse. “You’ve texted me through every chapter, remember?”

  Jonathon laughed. “Has it been that much?”

  “I don’t mind, though.” Addy smiled. “It’s been fun seeing it through your eyes.”

  “Have I also told you that I really wish it were you I was taking to prom instead of Lila?”

  Addy nodded. “But she’s a much better dancer, so I really think you lucked out. I would have broken a toe or two.”

  Jonathon grabbed Addy’s hand. “So have you decided what’s next?”

  “For what?”

  “College, life . . . us.” Jonathon gazed hopefully into Addy’s eyes and her heart began to pound. Will I ever get used to those eyes?

  “I’m not sure. For the first time in my life, I don’t have a plan. I’m praying about all of it. God knows what I need to be doing. He just hasn’t shown me yet.”

  “Fair enough.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll be praying too. Do you think God has a plan for me?”

  “I know he does.”

  “Does that plan include you coming to visit me this summer?” Jonathon raised his eyebrows.

  “Do I get a guided tour through the White House?”

  “Of course.”

  “Commemorative photo with the First Family?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll be there . . . There’s only one stipulation.”

  “What’s that?” Jonathon asked, weaving Addy’s fingers through his.

  “No camera crews allowed.”