Chapter 4
Faye
“You know I’m capable of carrying at least one of those,” I told Agent Pederson as he trailed behind me, a couple of shopping bags in his hand.
“I don’t mind,” he replied.
He always said that, even after I’d overheard him last Thanksgiving joke about being my “official bag handler.” He’d sounded like he was complaining, but he still never let me carry more than my purse.
The cold air stung my face as we left Bergdorf’s.
Agent Leeds led the way, with Agent Nguyen beside Agent Pederson at the rear.
Morgan and I were spending a few days in NYC to do some Christmas shopping and update our winter wardrobes.
Later that evening, she’d head back to Boston, and I would continue to Washington, D.C.
, to join my family for some holiday events at the White House.
“Paparazzi approaching from the left,” Agent Leeds announced the second we stepped onto Fifth Avenue.
Of course they were.
It didn’t matter whether I was shopping, grabbing coffee, or going for a walk.
They showed up wherever I was. Fallon rarely dealt with attention from the media, and Finn practically lived off the grid since everything that had gone down between him and Fallon.
But me? I was the “Spoiled Heiress,” the “Party Princess,” the “First Daughter with a shopping addiction.”
I kept my chin up as I walked to the black SUV idling at the curb, pretending the flashes and shouted questions didn’t bother me, even though they always did.
It wasn’t the cameras; it was the commentary on my clothes, my makeup, my body, and the kind of person they thought I was.
The internet was full of tabloid articles online calling me vain or vapid because I happened to like designer bags and expensive champagne.
Morgan looped her arm through mine and whispered, “Just keep smiling, or tomorrow’s headline will be about you scowling at everyone in New York.”
I plastered on a picture-perfect smile as another round of photos were snapped.
Agent Leeds opened the door, and we climbed into the vehicle. The moment the door shut behind us, I let out a long, exhausted exhale and pulled out my phone.
Out of habit, I clicked on The Loop and scrolled through Jase’s and Dylan’s accounts. The first picture I saw was one Dylan had been tagged in. He was in the gym, shirtless. Someone named UCLABBFan had posted it with the caption: I volunteer as tribute. AGAIN.
Below was another photo from the same person. This one showed Jase and Dylan chatting together on the baseball field, with the caption: I call dibs on both of them
Morgan nudged me. “What’s with the face? And don’t say ‘nothing’. You only frown like that when you’re annoyed.”
I sighed, then turned my phone toward her.
She scrunched up her nose. “Eww. Again? She might as well hold up a sign that says, ‘I’ve ridden both their dicks.’”
Morgan had gotten all the details about my hookup with Jase and Dylan as soon as they left and I was able to get her alone.
She immediately started looking them up on social media and had been the one to inform me of their “player” status based on the numerous photos showing them partying with an endless stream of women.
Although, the last couple months hadn’t shown much other than them working out.
I groaned and dropped my phone into my lap. “She probably has.”
“But why do you care? You’re the one who blew them off, remember?”
“I didn’t blow them off.”
Morgan arched a brow.
“Okay, fine. I blew them off, but not because I didn’t like them. You see how I’m already a topic of conversation on the gossip blogs. I don’t need to be one in some college locker room too.”
“Hey, I get it. What I don’t understand is why you feel the need to torture yourself every day by stalking their accounts.”
“I’m not stalking them,” I muttered.
She snorted. “You’re literally doing it right now.”
I huffed but couldn’t argue with her. Every day I told myself not to check what they were up to, and every day I looked anyway. Each time I saw a girl in their comments or posting about them, something twisted in my stomach.
Not because I thought they owed me anything, but because I hated the idea of being just another jersey chaser in their eyes.
I already had the tabloids treating me as though the only things I took seriously were partying and shopping.
I didn’t want two guys I was actually attracted to thinking the same.
Still, I couldn’t shake the spark from the night we’d spent together. They had both looked at me in a way that left me feeling seen and desired.
While scrolling through their accounts often left me irritated and annoyed, I couldn’t bring myself to stop.
Stepping into the White House always felt strange. It was the place my parents lived, yet it didn’t feel like a home.
My mom’s Chief of Staff greeted me in the hallway outside the Residence. “Hello, Faye. We have a tight schedule today. I’ve emailed you the itinerary, and a copy is in your bedroom.”
Donna was excellent at her job. She wasn’t exactly warm, but she was efficient, reliable, and always three steps ahead of everyone else.
“Perfect. I just need to change, and then I’ll be ready for Mom’s event.”
Agent Pederson followed me into the bedroom I was staying in and set my bags down beside the bed. “If you need anything, I’ll be right outside,” he said, then closed the door behind him.
I changed into a navy-blue shift dress, pairing it with gold jewelry and my favorite Louboutins. My outfit of choice met the business attire requirement while keeping my style. After brushing my hair and touching up my makeup, I stepped back and gave myself a final once-over in the mirror.
As I stepped into the hallway, Agent Pederson straightened. “Ready, ma’am?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just because we’re in the White House doesn’t mean you have to start calling me ‘ma’am’. You know how much I hate that.”
His mouth twitched. “Yes, Faye. Is that better?”
“Much.”
Mom and Donna were waiting at the bottom of the staircase, watching something on Donna’s tablet.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
My mom glanced up and smiled when she saw me. “Hello, darling.” She met me at the bottom of the stairs and pulled me into a hug. “You look gorgeous, as always.”
I smiled. “Thank you. So do you.”
Mary Donnelley was the picture of poise and grace, the kind of woman I aspired to be.
“Okay, it’s time to get started,” Donna announced.
We entered the Grand Foyer, which was already filled with press and visitors. We were gathered for the official kickoff of holiday tours, and it was the first lady’s job to welcome everyone and then move to the State Dining Room to unveil this year’s gingerbread White House.
I moved to the side, where Fallon and Rhett stood, as the rest of the staff took their positions.
“Wow. I’m shocked you managed to tear yourself away from Bergdorf’s long enough to show up,” my brother whispered.
I elbowed him sharply in the ribs, quickly enough that no one noticed. “Sounds like someone’s been checking out the latest online gossip. Gotta say, I’m a little surprised. I figured a law student would spend his time reading something a little more intellectual.”
“I’ve got all of us on Google Alerts, little sister. No one in this family does anything that I don’t know about.”
“You realize how creepy that sounds, right?”
Fallon and I fell quiet as Mom stepped up to the podium and began her welcoming remarks, though Fallon kept nudging me just to be irritating. How I survived growing up with two brothers, I’ll never know.
“Knock it off,” I warned through gritted teeth, my smile fixed for the cameras.
Fallon didn’t look at me, but the corner of his mouth curled into a smug grin.
While the crowd applauded something our mother said, I shifted my foot and very discreetly pressed the sharp point of my heel into the top of his shoe.
“Ow. Seriously?” he hissed under his breath, while keeping his composure for the press.
Once Mom’s speech ended, we were escorted out of the foyer and toward the State Dining Room.
“Do you always have to be annoying?” I asked. “I swear, you were poking at me just to see if I’d lose it in front of the cameras. That’s super immature.”
He grinned again. “Relax. I know you’d never let the media see you lose your shit.”
I glared at him. “That’s not the compliment you think it is.”
“But you still love me,” he said, brushing away imaginary lint from his suit.
“I tolerate you,” I corrected. “Barely.”
As soon as we were in place around the drape-covered gingerbread house, Mom delivered her second speech of the afternoon, then pulled the cord to reveal an exact replica of the White House, complete with the tiniest wreaths on the windows.
The room erupted in applause, and Mom posed for photos with the pastry chefs. As people moved around to get a better look at the edible masterpiece, Donna seemed to materialize beside me.
“You have two hours before you need to meet your parents for the tree lighting.”
“Great,” I replied.
Two hours wasn’t much, but it was likely the biggest chunk of downtime I’d get over the next couple of days.
Since the tree lighting was outdoors, I slipped on my favorite gray wool coat over a green silk blouse and paired it with tailored black pants.
We’d be walking as a family from the White House to the Ellipse, so I chose black leather boots instead of my usual heels.
Sensible footwear wasn’t exactly on brand for me, but I wasn’t about to risk twisting my ankle or falling in front of everyone on the grass.
When I opened the bedroom door, Agent Leeds was waiting to escort me to where our family was gathering.
“There she is.” Dad’s face lit up the instant he spotted me. “So glad you could join us this week.”
“Me too.” I rose onto my toes to kiss him on the cheek.