Chapter Six
Later that night, after they had dinner with the kids and got them off to bed, Sam and Nick watched a cable news panel dissect the story about President Nelson’s affair. Medical experts described the sort of treatment Gloria Nelson would’ve undergone to combat stage two ovarian cancer.
“What does it mean to the American people that Nelson would have an affair while his wife was having cancer treatment?” the host asked the panel.
“It certainly makes what was already a sordid story that much more so,” one of the female panelists said.
After thoroughly discussing Gloria Nelson’s private medical condition, the host moved on to an even more exacting recitation of what was known about Tara Weber, the woman at the center of the scandal.
Video footage showed her being chased down a DC side street by reporters as she tried to leave her home.
“They need to get security for her ASAP,” Sam said.
“Brant said the Secret Service is hoping to coordinate something with her. Since her child could be the president’s son, he could warrant protection and thus she does, too.
They’re awaiting approval from headquarters to make it happen, which could take a few days.
Apparently, they’re demanding a paternity test before they’ll approve the request.”
“Wonder what the opposition will have to say about even more family members getting protection.” She was still furious that members of the other party had questioned whether the taxpayers should have to foot the bill to protect Aubrey and Alden after she and Nick took them in.
As the coverage continued, they learned that Tara Weber was thirty-five years old and a graduate of Cornell University and UPenn school of Law, that her newborn child was her first.
“Poor kid to be born into such a circus.” The dull, flat tone of Nick’s voice had her glancing at him in concern.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ve never been better.”
“What’re you hearing about all of this?”
“Well, Graham is thrilled, of course. He can’t wait for me to be president—and it doesn’t matter to him how it happens.
Tomorrow, I have a breakfast meeting with Nelson that was already on the schedule when the shit hit the fan.
He couldn’t see me today and hasn’t canceled the breakfast, so I assume that’s still on. ”
“Ugh, what will you say to him?”
“What can I say? Gee, it was probably a dick move to have an affair in the first place, but especially while your wife of more than forty years was having cancer treatment?”
“You might not want to say that.”
“Right, but it’s what I want to say. I mean who does that? I get that people cheat, and while I’ll never understand that choice, how do you do it while your wife is fighting cancer? It’s disgusting.”
“It is. I feel so badly for her, being dragged into this storm when things are already hard enough for her.” Sam swallowed before she asked the question she’d been wanting to pose all evening but hadn’t been able to bring herself to ask. “Do you think he’ll have to resign?”
“I don’t know.” Nick sighed deeply. “I was surprised he managed to survive what Christopher did, and he only held on because we gave him a pass. But this? It’s anyone’s guess.
I saw Derek on the way out tonight, and he took me aside to tell me he’s still seriously thinking about resigning from Nelson’s team.
From what he said, the entire staff is revolted by this. ”
“I can’t blame them. How do you continue to support him if you’re revolted by him?”
“That’s the very question I’ve been asking myself all day.”
Sam turned so she could see his face. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing says I have to continue to be his vice president.”
“You… You’re thinking about resigning?”
“Thought’s crossed my mind. Why should we twist in the wind waiting to hear whether he’s going to survive. I don’t want to be president right now, and you have zero desire to be first lady ever, so why stick around to wait for the whole thing to come down on me and us?”
“I never said I wouldn’t want to be first lady ever.”
He rolled his eyes. “Please. You would hate that. And you’d have to give up your job, which would make you hate me.”
“Nick… Seriously? You honestly think it’s possible for me to hate you?”
“If my job upends your entire life, then yeah, I think it’s possible.”
Sam sat back, astounded and more than a little hurt, especially after what he’d said earlier about her leaving him.
“If that’s what you think, then you don’t know me at all.
(A) I could never hate you. Ever. (B) When you signed on to be vice president, we both knew what we were taking on, that at any time you could be tapped to take the president’s place.
I mean, that’s the primary role of the vice president.
(C) I’ve always known that if you were promoted, I’d have to take a leave of absence from my job. ”
“I don’t want you to have to do that.”
“I’d do it for you. How can you not know that?”
“You’d hate it.”
“Maybe I would, but I wouldn’t hate you. How can you say that? How can you even think that?”
“I’m sorry. Poor choice of words.”
“Extremely poor choice of words, which isn’t like you.” He almost always got it right, so when he didn’t, it was jarring, to say the least.
“I’m so pissed with him. When I agreed to take this job, I had no idea we were going to have to deal with his murdering son and then his philandering.
It’s bad enough contemplating all the things outside our control that could happen.
But this… This is on him, and I’m fucking furious that he put himself—and me, by extension—in this position. ”
“I don’t blame you for being furious. It’s a betrayal of his wife, his family, you and the rest of his team, the American people. But I don’t think you should quit.”
“Why not?”
“Because if he’s forced out, the country will need someone like you to step in and take over—someone strong and competent and worthy of the role.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want it to be me. I can’t even believe we’re back here again, holding our collective breath to see if he’ll be able to hang on. The last time wasn’t his fault, but this…”
“I know. As a man who believes in faithfulness and loyalty, this is hard for you to understand.”
“It’s impossible for me to understand. Gloria stood by him through everything. Hell, she’s more popular than he is. And this is how he thanks her for her unwavering support?”
Sam picked up the remote and shut off the TV. Anxiety only made his chronic insomnia worse, and more news wasn’t helping anything.
“I was watching that.”
“You’ve seen enough.” She curled up to him, wishing she had a magic wand that could take his mind off the scandal that threatened to engulf them both. “What can I do?”
He ran his fingers through her hair. “Snuggling with my beautiful wife helps.”
“Do you believe me when I tell you there’s nothing that could happen that would make me hate or leave you?”
“Nothing at all?” he asked with a hint of humor in his tone.
“Nothing that you would ever do.”
“I’m sorry I said that.”
“I’m sorry if I gave you reason to think it.”
“You didn’t. I’m not thinking clearly at the moment.”
“I hate that you’re so stressed out.” She raised herself up on one arm and peppered his chest with kisses.
“I wish there was something I could do to take your mind off it.” She flashed her best vixen smile and drew a laugh from him as she kissed her way down the front of him, outlining each of his well-defined abdominal muscles with the tip of her tongue.
“Oh, wait… I’m having an idea of something I could do that might help. ”
His gorgeous eyes danced with amusement. “Do tell.”
“I’d rather show than tell.”
He twirled lengths of her hair around his fingers. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Smiling at him, she took his hard cock into her mouth and went for broke, taking him as far as she could and drawing a deep groan from him that pleased her greatly. For this moment, anyway, he wasn’t worried about becoming president.
Driving to work in the morning, Sam stewed over the dark circles under Nick’s eyes that were indicative of another sleepless night, despite her best efforts to relax him.
He’d promised to call after his meeting with the president, at which he planned to tell Nelson he was thinking of resigning.
He might not follow through, but the president needed to know how revolted he was by what the man had done.
How the most scrutinized human being on the planet thought he’d get away with an affair was beyond her ability to comprehend. And what if the baby turned out to be his? Had he not given a thought to possible pregnancy? Although, how exactly would the president go about acquiring condoms?
The whole thing was so sordid, and at the heart of it was an innocent child whose birth would forever be tied to scandal.
While she waited at a stoplight, it occurred to her that they’d been so caught up in the Nelson business last night that she’d never mentioned to Nick that she planned to see Conklin today. It was probably just as well. The poor guy had enough on his mind without having to worry about her, too.
She pulled into HQ and parked in the back, as she did so often these days, to avoid the media that camped out at the main entrance.
Mostly they wanted to talk to her, but she gave them as little as possible.
One of these days, she hoped they’d realize she would never speak to them about Nick’s job or her role as second lady.
She was here to do her other job, and that’s where her focus would remain.
Before she went in, she took a minute to text Terry.
Nick is wound up over all this crap. Keep an eye on him. Let me know if I’m needed over there.
Like Nick did so often for her, she’d drop everything and run to him if he needed her.
Terry responded quickly.
Thanks for letting me know. I’m on it and will let you know if you should come by.
Thanks, Terry.