Chapter 8
Chapter 8
T he compound was the home of two prominent families, Jeffrey “JD” Harrison, President of the United States, and his sister Ashley, and Chief of Staff, James Brooks. Both families had grown up living at the compound since James Jr. was seven. The group of cousins and friends had spent the majority of their lives there until they moved to Washington DC. This was the second and last term of the administration and they would all soon be moving back to Richmond for good.
The security house on the twenty-seven acres of gated land, was located in the center of the entrance. The estates had two seven-foot double gated, wrought-iron fencing entrances about ten yards apart. The driveway on the left led to the home of the Brooks, and the driveway on the right led to the home of the Harrisons.
Once behind the gate, James knew there was no getting into the area without the security team confronting any threat. If you happened to get past them, you then had Secret Service to deal with. Therefore, whenever the kids were in residence, the parents did not have to be around. That’s why the compound was a favorite place for the guys to meet up. In addition to the security, there was always plenty of food, and a complete underground facility for them to compete in the latest video games, watch sports or simply talk without the fear of being overheard. It was their place to just be. Most of the time, it was only the older guys hanging out, but every now and then their sisters, and other cousins would join in. This weekend, it was just the guys, hanging out in the bunker. When James arrived after leaving ZsaZsa, he didn’t bother to check in with the guys, he went straight to bed.
“Yo,” Elliott knocked at the door of the room where James was sleeping. “You getting up any time soon. It’s time for a run.”
James turned over, stretching. His body still reeling from the night with ZsaZsa. “Hold up,” he replied as he threw on his shorts. No, he was not ashamed that he had to come home to a few cold showers, and a bit of hand action to calm his body enough for him to sleep. That was just how it was going to be until he figured out how to handle being with her and not having sex. Something he had never gone more than a week or two without, so this was all going to be new to him.
“Come on in,” he ordered once he slid on his sweats then laid back on the bed.
“What’s up with that?” Elliott asked as he entered. “You in here jacking off or something?”
The look on his face must have given him away. “Or something,” James replied.
“Girl got you wound up?” Elliott questioned. “Yo, you got to release, man. You can’t be holding it in.”
“Thanks, I had no idea how that works,” James replied sarcastically.
“That hand action isn’t going to hold you down for long,” Calvin said as he walked in with a box of cereal in his hand. He sat in the chair across from the bed.
“Hey, he’s just getting with the girl,” JC offered, walking in with a different box of cereal. “This doesn’t seem like a hit and run type of thing. It’s too close to home.”
“True that,” Calvin nodded. “Reason number one why you don’t hit what’s in your backyard.”
“You should have hit that Deirdre girl, if you could get past that attitude of hers,” Elliott stated as he took a seat on the other chair in the room.
“No,” JC and Calvin both chuckled out.
“Stay the hell away from that girl.” Calvin offered his advice. “She ain’t nothing but trouble.”
“Tell me about it,” James exhaled. “She tried to mess me up with ZsaZsa last night.”
“So, what went down?” JC asked as he sat on the floor eating dry cereal from the box. “Phire said your girl was upset.”
“Phire?” James questioned.
“Yep,” Calvin nodded. “She wanted the video from the student center to show ZsaZsa what really happened with that Deirdre girl.”
“Whew,” James laid back against his headboard. “Phire called that one right from the beginning. I don’t know how, but she knew Deirdre was going to make a play for me just to throw it in ZsaZsa’s face. We talked about it and I decided to let it happen. I needed to know just how far Deirdre was willing to go to hurt ZsaZsa. Better I find out now before we got into a relationship. She made her play, I turned her down.”
“How?” Elliott asked. “What did you say?”
“That I was not interested in her. I wanted to be with ZsaZsa,” James replied. “That was as straight as I could get.”
“Those words would turn on a girl like her,” JC stated. “It let her know you were really into ZsaZsa. If she could pull you, with that much interest, she could pull any guy.”
“Apparently,” James sat up. “I thought I had made myself clear until I got a text message from Phire.”
“Phire said ZsaZsa whipped Deirdre’s ass all over the place,” Elliott laughed. “Man, how in the hell did you get two women fighting over you in less than a week? What are you working with that we don’t have?”
“It’s not like that, I promise you. This one had literally nothing to do with me. I just happen to be the guy who showed some interest in ZsaZsa. If it had been you, Deirdre would have made a play for you. She just wanted to hurt ZsaZsa.”
“It sounds like she got hurt in return,” Calvin stated. “Apparently she underestimated your girl.”
“I think we all did,” Elliott stated. “I mean she is cute and all of that, but I had no idea she could fight.”
James smiled for the first time. “Neither did Deirdre.” They all laughed.
“So, what’s the deal with you and ZsaZsa? Are you two a couple now?” JC asked.
James smiled. “Man, we really connected. I want us to be, but…”
“But what?” Calvin asked. “You like her, she likes you. That’s a good start, I think.”
James shrugged. “I’ve never been this serious about someone.”
“What do you mean by serious?” Elliott asked.
“She does it for me.” James replied. “I like everything about her. We can talk about things that I wouldn’t even think of discussing with other girls. She has this way about her where she is confident, at least in some things. Then last night…” he hesitated. “Kissing her was like… wow. It was so crazy. I can’t explain all the feelings that hit me when I kissed her.”
“Really?” Elliott chuckled. “Man, you sound like you had an experience.”
“The kind that stays with you,” JC nodded. “Don’t ignore it. I say go with the flow.”
“What about her? Was she feeling you the same way?” Calvin asked.
“I think so,” James shrugged. “I mean, I honestly think it was the first time she’d ever been kissed.”
“You put that tongue action on her?” Elliott smiled.
“I did,” James smirked. “But man, she picked up on what I was doing and matched me stroke for stroke.”
JC smiled. “That sounds like it was a teaching moment for both of you.”
“What do you mean?” James asked.
“You taught her how to kiss and she taught you how to feel.”
“That’s pretty observant of you,” Calvin said to JC. “Especially since you haven’t even hit anything yet.”
“He’s going to get there when he is ready,” James defended his friend.
“Hey, I’m good with where I am on sex,” JC stated. “It will happen when I’m ready for it.”
“You should have taken my dad up on his offer, when he took us to the strip club.” Elliott teased.
“I wasn’t feeling it,” JC exhaled. “I want to be with someone I feel something for. I don’t want to be with someone because I paid her to be with me. Call me a momma’s boy or whatever, but that is how it is for me right now.”
“When that girl comes around that you be feeling, don’t you want to know how to get down with that?” Elliott asked. “I mean, if you don’t know and she don’t know, who is going to take the lead.”
“We’ll figure it out,” JC replied. “Like we do all things.”
James offered. “There are just certain things that come naturally. You are going to know what to do when the time comes. Just like I told ZsaZsa, you don’t have to have sex with anyone you don’t want to.”
“She doesn’t want to have sex with you?” Elliott asked.
“She doesn’t want to have sex with anyone until she is married.” James replied.
“Whoa. When did that come up?” Elliott chuckled.
“What?” James asked.
“The conversation about sex,” Calvin inquired.
“The day of the rally,” James began chuckling. “We were in the middle of the food court in the student center when she told me she is not sexually active and doesn’t plan to be until she is married.”
“What?” Elliott frowned, “And you still want to be with her?”
James nodded. “I do. I can get sex anywhere, anytime. Your dad taught us that. I don’t have to have sex with ZsaZsa until she is ready.”
“And you are willing to wait?” Calvin asked.
“She is worth the wait.” James stated. “I’m telling you man, there is just something about her.”
“How do you know that, man, you just met her?” Elliott exclaimed.
James shrugged.
“He just knows,” JC smiled. “There are certain things that feel right in the universe and for him she is the one. I say go for it and I hope to be having this conversation with you about me and whoever, one day.”
“I don’t know,” Calvin said. “I want to sow my oats a little more before I get that serious with someone.”
“I’m right there with you,” Elliott gave him a fist bump. “I got a whole lot of women out there waiting to get a taste of me and all my caramel love. I will not disappoint.”
They all laughed.
“You going to be the first one of us to fall,” JC chuckled.
“I think James has that title,” Calvin contradicted. “It sounds like ZsaZsa has him captured right now.”
“Well, it looks like we might be making a few trips to the strip club,” Elliott joked. “Let me know whenever you are ready to roll. I’m there with you.”
“Hey, we will all roll with you. It’s the least we can do.” JC chuckled.
“You didn’t even indulge the last time,” Elliott teased.
“Hey that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy watching the ladies,” JC countered.
“I’m with you on that,” James chuckled. “Some of those moves were crazy…right.” He and Elliott bumped fists.
“Just know, once you really start feeling your girl no one else is going to fill your needs to your satisfaction.” JC advised.”Only that person you love can do that.”
“Now, you might have a point there,” Calvin added. “My dad said that about my mom. Once he found her, he didn’t want to be with anyone else.”
“My dad said the same thing. But his journey to love was different. He lost track of my mom. Then spent years going from woman to woman. Not one of them ever came close to replacing her,” Elliott offered. “When they found each other again, he said he was never letting her go.”
“Love,” James exhaled. “My mom used that word while I was talking to her about ZsaZsa yesterday.”
“You told your mom about her?” Calvin asked. “What about your dad?”
“I haven’t told him yet.”
“Too close to home, man.” Elliott shook his head.
“You have to be careful here,” JC stated. “Make sure you are talking about the kind of love that lasts before you go too far. You don’t want to mess up your dad’s friendship with her brother.”
“I don’t want to say I am that far gone. But damn if she doesn’t have me tied up in knots right now.” James shook his head. “I mean, I think about her all the time.”
“Spend time with her. Get to know who she is and what she is about. And in time you’re going to know if she is that person for you,” JC suggested. “As for you Elliott, be prepared.”
“For what?” Elliott raised an eyebrow.
“According to my mom, every time someone says that they are not looking for that special someone, that person falls in their lap,” JC replied with a raised eyebrow.
“Don’t even play like that, man,” Elliott hissed.
Calvin laughed. “I can’t imagine you with just one woman. You’ve been sporting a new one every week.”
“What can I say…” Elliott started.
“They all want a taste of the caramel,” James, JC, and Calvin all finished his sentence before he could.
“Nothing but brown sugar from me,” Calvin laughed. “I get to sweeten their cookies when needed.”
“You two are going to fall the hardest, simply because you are looking at it from a sexual point of view.” JC advised. “There is going to come a time when we will come up against that one woman who will rock our freaking world, like my mom did with my dad. And according to everyone I’ve heard talk about them, my dad was a player just like Uncle Brian. But my mom put a spell on him, and nobody could break it. And many women have tried.”
“Look, as far as this love thing goes, eventually all of us are going to fall,” James stated. “None of us have been at that point with a woman, so we will all do what we have always done.”
“We’ll figure it out,” the boys all said.
“Like we always do,” James smiled, then looked at JC. “Speaking of figuring it out. Did you come up with a plan to have that talk with your dad?”
JC nodded with a ghost of a smile on his face. “I did.”
“A plan to talk to your dad about what?” Calvin asked.
James nodded as JC glanced at him. When JC shared the idea with him, he was a little hesitant, but then came to support the idea one hundred percent. Now it was up to him to persuade the others to join them.
“Tell them like you told me,” James encouraged.
“So, I’ve been thinking about our future. I’ll be eighteen this year. Graduating from high school. I have a pretty good idea that I will be following in my father’s footsteps one day. Calvin, you are eighteen and have already decided on you career path with the CIA. Elliott, you’re planning to join the FBI academy, and James is about to graduate and go to law school. There is a strong possibility that each of us will be following in our parents’ footsteps. I’ve watched my dad and there is one thing that I know I have to do before I can think about becoming president of this country, I have to experience the world. I have to know what motivates other countries. What is it that they are passionate about to the point that they are willing to die for it. There are bad people in this world who have risen to positions of power. My dad is a diplomat, and his way of handling issues is to compromise in good faith. That is good for some leaders in this world, however, there are some leaders we have to question everything they say and do, because they do not have the same level of integrity that we have. A good example is Mr. Roberts.”
“Yeah, that blew me away,” Calvin stated. “My dad trusted him for years.”
“My dad never trusted, nor liked the man,” Elliott stated. “He always said there are some people who will smile in your face while stabbing you in the back.”
“That is exactly what he did to my dad,” JC stated. “I’m not going down like that.”
“What Mr. Roberts did was designed to take your dad down,” James declared. “But he had real friends that had his back. Mr. Roberts ended up behind bars for treason.”
“I need to know who to anticipate that knife from.” JC stated emphatically. “Not just from people in this country but from leaders who at some point in our careers we will all need to deal with.”
“So, what do you want to do?” Calvin asked.
“I think I want to become a CIA analyst for a while. That is the best agency to learn about countries around the world. Now, follow me on this…”
Whenever JC said follow me on this , James knew he was about to drop a plan. The plan would be well thought out and scheduled. It was just how his mind worked. Out of all of them, even though he was the youngest, JC was the one with the most analytical mind. He was mild-mannered but had a dangerous streak inside of him if you crossed him wrong.
“I think it would be sensible to ask our parents to allow us to travel to other countries before I start college. Mr. Roberts taught us that not everyone in the government is truthful. So, we can’t really depend on the State Department to be up front about what is happening in other countries. However, if we travel there to see what the people are about for ourselves, in addition to what I learn as a CIA analyst, I will be in a more advantageous position to serve the country. So will each of you.”
“JC believes we need to take some time to learn as much as we can about other countries. Specifically, those who are not fundamentally opposed to our policies. He believes if we can understand what motivates the people it may be possible to make them allies while strengthening the bond with those we already have. He needs us to be in supporting roles to help. His overall plan is for Calvin to eventually become Attorney General, Elliott to head the FBI, and me to be in the role of Campaign Manager, then Chief of Staff. To effectively prepare for those supporting roles, we need to all see for ourselves what is happening in other countries. We all know this trip is going to make our parents uncomfortable. We are not naive enough to believe any of our parents will let us do this trip without security in place.” James smiled. “With that in mind, JC is putting together an itinerary of the countries we plan to visit and the length of time we plan to stay. That way when we present this to our parents, we have all the information we need.”
“I’m pretty sure I can take time off from school to travel.” Calvin nodded. “In fact, I think it’s a good idea before I sink into my new position. I want to see the world through my own eyes. Like you said, I don’t want to go into my career depending on what the government agency tells me, that could cost me my life. I want to see some of it untainted. Once I’m in the thick of things, I will have a clearer picture of what I may encounter.”
“That is exactly how you should explain it to your parents,” James suggested. “They will know this is something that will benefit you and your future.”
“That may be all well and good,” Elliott chimed in. “But my dad is FBI through and through. I’m not sure how he is going to take me leaving the agency to travel.”
“Your dad understands loyalty and the bonds of friendship,” James stated. “Just as my dad left what he was doing to make sure Uncle JD’s back was covered, your dad left the FBI to cover his friend’s back.”
“We have that same kind of bond,” Elliott nodded. “When one of us needs support, we all are there for each other. We are a unique group of men based on the positions our fathers hold. Individually our lives are in danger. Collectively, that bond we have is our safety net. We have each other’s backs and have to set an example for our younger siblings to ensure they are protected as well. I am the oldest and most trained of all of us. There is no way I will let any of the brothers of my soul out of my sight or protection.”
“That is what you tell your dad.” James smiled. “And thank you for having our backs, however, get your facts straight my brother, I am older than you by almost a year.”
“Months, James, months. But I’m wiser and more handsome,” Elliott replied.
“In your dreams,” James said as they all laughed.