A Presidential Affair

Ch. 3 - Lips

JANUARY 11 2017: President Andrew Claxton

"Honey, wake up please. NOW!" I came out of a deep sleep to the sound of my very angry wife yelling at me...okay, raising her voice at me.

"Yes honey?" She scoffed as she rolled her eyes mocking my tone, "Oh, don't yes honey me! How dare you not tell me that photos from our private vacation are all over the internet?" I gritted my teeth, feeling slightly annoyed by the fact that she barely found this out and is now waking me up from my sleep.

"Honey, what's the big deal? There was no harm done by it." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me. Her teeth clenched with anger, "There's no harm? Do our daughters and our personal life, our entire private vacation plastered on every tabloid means nothing to you?" My body stiffened at her remark.

"You know you and the girls mean everything to me but, sweetie even the press secretary said that the photos show a rawer side to the family." She started pacing back and forth at foot of the bed.

"I just don't get it Andrew. You always say family means everything to you, yet you think an invasion of privacy isn't a big issue? Someone snooped through our computers and phones! Some reporter posted them and now they're everywhere and you did nothing about it!" It was too early in the morning to be fighting with her like this.

I peeled myself out of bed and walked over to where she was pacing, rubbing my hands up and down her arms to calm her. "Honey, come on. I really don't see what the big deal is. The public loves seeing us have normal family moments. Is that so bad? Please don't be so dramatic about this."

Okay, that set her off big time. She walked out of the room and slammed the door. Immediately walking back in, wailing her arms around expressively. "Andrew, don't you get it? It's an invasion of privacy!" I grabbed her hands softly, bringing them close to my lips and giving each one a kiss.

"Baby, please stop yelling, you'll wake the girls. I told you already, family does mean everything to me. I didn't think a few precious moments of us on vacation would be such an issue." She let out a deep sigh, trying to calm down. I understood where her frustrations came from, it was hard always being in the public eye.

She wrapped her arms around me, and I pulled her into a tight hug. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I just hate that we're always targeted by the media. Sometimes I wish we could go back to being that young couple in college with not a worry in the world except for midterms." 

I laughed softly planting a kiss on the top of her forehead, "Trust me honey, me too." She kissed my cheek, and within a few moments Aria and Arielle walked into our room, begging to be carried.

***

When I arrived at the office I was eager to know how Ms. Rocklin resolved the conflict in one day when it's taken the country months. Whatever she discussed with them must have been amazing to create such a phenomenal outcome.

I arrived at the office, read emails, had a few meetings and finally it came around to my meeting with the Secretary of State. She arrived right at 9:30 a.m. just as she said she would.

"Good morning Ms. Rocklin." With a lackluster smile, she handed me a doughnut "Good morning Mr. President." I was eager to know how she settled tension with Japan, but first, a bite of this pastry was necessary.

"So, tell me about the meeting with Japan." She smiled with confidence, "Obviously, it all went well, everything is in order." I smacked my lips licking off the sparse sugar on my lips, "Well, yes, obviously, it went well, but give me all the details and tell me what I must know."