The Secret First Lady: The Naked Truth

by Bush, Rose

  She made a few connections with athletes and entertainers and returned to their designated table for dinner. The entertainment featured a live jazz band. After enjoying their entrees, Mike and Rachel joined the other couples on the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes as they grooved to the soft jazz melodies as if no one else was on the floor but them.

  Oh no, this can’t be happening so soon. I can’t be falling in love with him already. She moved closer to him. As if he were reading her mind, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid, I’m not them. I won’t hurt you.” They enjoyed the rest of the event, ended with dessert, and retired to their comfortable suite.

  “Oh my goodness! How did you have time to do all of this?” Rachel was in awe over all the rose petals sprinkled throughout the suite. Warm vanilla candles were burning and soft music whispered throughout the room. She followed the rose petal trail into the bathroom to find the garden tub filled with a bubble bath and roses. Candles were lit and a red sexy night gown with a matching robe, hung on the door.

  “Baby, I just want to show you how special you are to me.” He whispered in her ear and gently kissed her on the neck. “You’ve had a long week, so I want you to relax your mind and your body and let me cater to you.”

  Rachel felt a tear crawl down her cheek. “Thank you, baby.”

  He wiped the tear from her eye. “You don’t have to thank me, I’m just doing what I’m supposed to be doing; honoring my queen.”

  Rachel peeled off her dress and stepped into the warm bath. She motioned for him to join her. “No, this is your relaxation time. I’ll use the shower. Before I go, let me do something for you.” He grabbed the sponge, applied body wash to it, and gently washed her back.

  She sat back in the tub, allowing her mocha skin to soak. She thought about Margaret Belmont, the fake P.I., how her kids were doing, and the missing loot and then she decided not to think about anything negative. She reassured herself that the kids were fine. I’ll deal with everything else when I return home.

  She got out of the tub, dried off, and slipped into her night gown. The satin felt good on her body. She returned into the bedroom and found a bottle of lotion in her luggage. “Let me do that for you, baby.” Mike insisted on pampering his lady friend. He laid her body down on the king size bed and gently massaged the cream into her skin.

  “Rachel?” He kept a low tone. She didn’t respond, instead, she answered him with her eyes, with a look that said you-have-all-of-my attention. “I know it’s only been six months and sometimes you can’t put a restriction on what your heart feels. Everything about you is perfect to me. You’re beautiful, intelligent, caring, and unique; you enjoy helping others. Even though I haven’t been blessed with the opportunity of meeting your children, I know you’re an excellent mother.”

  He got up and walked over to the closet and fetched a light blue bag from Tiffany & Company. Rachel sat up in the bed observing his every move. He walked back over to her, pulled out a small box from the bag, and got on one knee. Rachel’s heart started to pound at a faster than normal tempo. Stop tripping, Rach, it’s only a bracelet or maybe necklace.

  “I want to love you, pray for you and with you. I want to stay with you until God calls one of us away. There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll make a great partner with me, for the rest of my life. Will you marry me, Rachel Michelle Jones?” He opened the box and the diamonds nearly blinded her.

  Rachel couldn’t deny she felt something special for him and realized if she kept fighting her feelings, she might block her blessings. “Rachel Rizzo sounds like a tongue twister. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He rested his head on her thigh, crying tears of joy. “Tonight, as bad as I want you, I’d rather hold you in my arms and listen to the heart beat of my future wife. I love you, Rachel, I knew I would the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

  The soft music continued to bounce off the walls. The warm vanilla fragrance smelled so sweet. The new couple’s bodies were pressed tightly together as they slept in serenity.

  Chapter EIGHTEEN: AFTER THE CALM

  The departure flight was so pleasant. Rachel left for a fun weekend trip and was returning as an engaged woman. She stared down at her three carat rock as they flew over the friendly skies. They decided to go out for a nice dinner so that he could officially meet his future step-children. Their wedding date would be dependent on how well Mike and the children gelled together.

  Once the car service returned them to Mike’s residence, Mike tipped the driver and kissed his fiancée. The driver headed towards Stockbridge and she finally turned on her cell phone. She noticed she had two messages.

  Leah: “Hi Rachel, hope you’re having a fun trip. The kids and I are having a blast, see you on Sunday!”

  Rachel smiled as she deleted the message. She was glad that Leah was doing better and regretted the fact that the fake P.I. was lying about finding her mother. She listened to the next message:

  Shane Gasko: “Ms. Jones, this is Private Investigator Shane Gasko. I have some information for you. Please stop by my office on Monday. Thank you.”

  Rachel sighed. Back to reality. She looked down at her ring, determined to not let anything sour the sweet feeling she was experiencing. The driver parked in front of her home and retrieved her luggage. He carried her bags to the door and departed.

  “Mommy! CJ, mommy’s back!” Christina greeted Rachel with a big hug.

  “Did you guys miss me?” Rachel asked with a huge grin on her face.

  “Yes!” All the children sang in unison.

  Remove This Line

  “Hey, Leah! What’s up?” Rachel gave her a cheerful greeting.

  “I should be asking you that! I see the bling. Did I miss something?” She was admiring the engagement ring.

  “It is what you think it is, but I don’t want to announce to the little people just yet.” Rachel said looking over at her kids, hoping Christina hadn’t caught on.

  “Oh okay. That’s a beautiful piece of ice. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  Rachel smiled, keeping her thoughts to herself. You’ll be the last somebody to meet him. Hello? I only know you through an affair you had with my ex-husband. “Hey Kids! I’m going to throw on some sweats and take you all to the playground.”

  “Yay!” The children cheered.

  The Jones-Price household had a fun filled evening. Rachel ended her night with a phone conversation with Mike.

  The next morning, Rachel tackled all the emails she neglected while in LA. She phoned the P.I. to inform him she’d be dropping by during lunch. She decided to take Rashonda with her in case the news was too unbearable for her to drive.

  She had Bridget set up a few client interviews, chatted with Mike, and promised the ladies to have another girls’ day on Friday to explain her new bling and radiant glow.

  “Girl, I’m not waiting until Friday; inquiring minds want to know.” Rashonda said as she hopped into the front seat of Rachel’s SUV.

  “Inquiring minds or nosey girlfriends?” Rachel teased. The two women laughed and Rachel divulged a little detail regarding her weekend getaway as they cruised up the 75 interstate.

  “I’m so happy for you. I’m glad you didn’t push him away. When do we get to meet him? I’m sure he’ll be coming by the office,” Rachel said with an inquisitive look on her face.

  “Soon, darling. Christina and CJ will finally meet him this Fri-----day!” Rachel screeched as she swerved into the center lane evading a car who hopped into her lane without paying attention.

  “Freaking idiot!” Rashonda snapped under her breath, eye balling the driver. They took the next exit and turned left onto Peachtree. She drove another five miles before reaching her destination.

  “Hello, ladies. Can I get you something to drink?” Shane got up from his desk to shake their hands.

  “I’ll have some tea please?” Rashonda said as she sat on the sofa.

  “Nothing for me, thank you.�
� Rachel was only interested in his findings.

  He gave Rashonda the tea and told her it came from Korea. “Alright, Ms. Jones, here is the information I gathered.” He opened the file and handed her a photo. “Here’s the picture of Margaret Belmont.”

  Rachel studied the picture and looked as if she’d seen a ghost. “You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me, right?” She couldn’t control her emotions. Tears were gushing from her eyes.

  Rachel passed the picture to Rashonda. “Oh my goodness. Leah Price?” They were both in a state of disbelief.

  “So you know her?” Shane asked.

  “I thought I knew her.” Rachel mumbled.

  “Oh it gets better.” He announced. “Did you call her Leah Price?” He asked Rashonda. She nodded her head yes and reached over to grab her friend’s hand to offer a little comfort. “Well I met her through my cousin, Marvin, as his girlfriend. They have a two year old daughter named Olivia. When I met her she was introduced as Tamara. I looked up her Ohio driver’s license and her legal name is Tamara Leah Price. The system says she had a name change, but that information hasn’t come back yet. Perhaps, she changed it from Tamara to Leah, but I can’t confirm right now.”

  “I’m gonna kill her!” Rachel declared as she stood up.

  “Ms. Jones, I know you’re upset but we have to play this cool, so that both she and my cousin end up where they belong; behind bars.” He spoke calmly.

  He devised a plan with both ladies and made them promise to stick with it. They grudgingly agreed, but wanted to deliver an old school beat down. Rachel thought about how she would have to go back to work and then home to play nice with her enemy.

  “Yes, they had a paternity test and that’s why Tamara----well Leah moved here.” He confirmed with a serious look on his face

  “When she got pregnant with Olivia, I divorced my husband because…well it was bound to happen anyway.” She felt her phone vibrate in her purse. By the time she dug it out, she missed the call. It was her parents’ number. “I need to take this. We’ll talk more in the morning, Mr. Gasko.” She headed for the door, handed Rashonda her car keys, and walked outside.

  “It’s going to be okay, Rachel. And you and the kids can stay with me until she moves to her prison residence. I guess we underestimated that trick!”

  “No, I’m not letting her put me out of my own house. And what’s going to happen to her kids when she goes to jail?” Rachel’s mind started wandering all over the place.

  “I don’t mean to be cruel, but that’s not your responsibility. Let the state handle it.”

  Rachel shook her head and dialed her parents back. “Hello. No, I’m fine, just catching a little cold.” She didn’t want to worry her mother because she made a poor decision.

  Mrs. Belmont called to inform her daughter that her father was back in the hospital. “But don’t panic, he pulled through once and he’ll do it again.” Mrs. Belmont was so optimistic; a trait a daughter inherited.

  “The kids go on break next week. We will be home then, Mom. I love you. Kiss Daddy for me.” Rachel hung up the phone and looked over at Rashonda. “After the calm, comes the storm,” she whispered and gazed out of the window.

  Chapter Nineteen: The Right to Remain Silent

  It took everything Rachel had within not to find Leah and cuss her out once she returned to work. How could she not know this girl had been playing her all along? Not only did she help the very person who ruined her marriage, she’d actually trusted Leah with her own children and took a genuine liking to her.

  How could I’ve been so stupid? She pulled the shades down in her office and buried her face into some paperwork on her desk. She just needed a few moments of peace and quiet to gather her thoughts as well as put her emotions in check. Even though she felt like committing a homicide, she decided to take Mr. Gasko’s advice and not take the law into her own hands. Her appetite was completely gone. She forced herself to eat an apple that she threw into her purse earlier that morning.

  Her peace and quiet was prematurely interrupted by a call transferred to her line. I wish everyone would just leave me alone for the rest of the day! “Rachel Jones speaking. How may I help you?”

  “You can start by telling me you’ll spend the rest of your life with me?” The voice on the other end demanded in a soothing but inquiring tone.

  “Oh. Hey, Mike.” Rachel replied dryly.

  “Oh. Hey, Mike? Damn, baby, is that all I get?” He teased and then immediately grew concerned. “Everything alright, babe?”

  “No. My life is a mess!” Rachel burst into tears and tried to tell him all the details she discovered today as clearly as she could.

  Mike was very attentive. He couldn’t make out the complete story through her heavy sobbing, but he didn’t interrupt. He felt uneasy knowing the woman he was going to marry was in such pain. Mr. Rizzo knew he was in love; his heart was broken for Rachel, especially knowing she was in pain and he couldn’t fix the problem and make it go away. “Baby, I’m here for you. If you and the kids need to stay with me until this is all straightened out, my house is your home.”

  Rachel was determined to not be forced out of her own place. Knowing that both Mike and Rashonda had her back was enough comfort. Most people would’ve thought Rachel was crazy; better yet, down right stupid for not whipping Leah’s ass three-ways from Sunday. Instead, she decided to pray harder. She couldn’t jeopardize losing her business, tainting her reputation, or missing out on true paradise with her soon-to-be husband. Yeah she got played, but in the end, she was determined to have the last laugh.

  She already froze Leah’s bank account and once the investigation was over, RTJ Incorporated would be getting their funds returned. Besides, one hundred and fifty thousand was like pocket change to her; still, it was the principle of someone stealing from her.

  Alright. The pity party is over. Time to sign some new client contracts. Rachel encouraged herself. She was going to keep a cool head in order to not tip Leah off; she wasn’t going to allow her to get away with this. She drowned herself in work until nearly 5:00 o’clock. She swallowed her emotions for the time being and buzzed Leah’s work line so that they could meet in the parking lot and head home. Rachel played some soft jazz on the way home in an attempt to block out any conversation Leah had for her.

  “So, how was your day, Rach?” Leah asked in a voice that sounded almost as if she cared.

  “It was alright. I got some disturbing news about my father’s health condition. I may be in a somber mood until I get home, but God knows what is best so I’m not going to worry.” Rachel didn’t want Leah to think her mood change had anything to do with the real problem; which was her.

  “I wish I could serve a God like yours. He gives you confidence and a heart that truly forgives.” Leah gazed at Rachel, but Ms. Jones refused to make any eye contact.

  A tear fell down Rachel’s cheek. She felt so played. It almost felt like being a rape victim who had to face their attacker every day. Even though she was the one who had been assaulted, if Ms. Jones was to take matters into her own hands, she would be hung out to dry in a court of law. Finally, she reached Rock Quarry Road. They picked Olivia up first from day care and then got the other kids from their after school program.

  When they got inside of the house, they quickly settled in and got prepared for dinner and homework with the children. Rachel couldn’t help but to stare at Olivia. I can’t believe this isn’t Curtis’ child. It was going to be tough trying to conceal her emotions. She was as shook up as a can of Pepsi that was ready to explode. Luckily for Leah, Rachel kept it together for the sake of the children, otherwise, she probably would’ve met her maker by now.

  After homework was complete and checked over, the children were fed and given an hour of free time before taking their baths and settling into bed. Ms. Jones really did enjoy having a house full of children. No matter how bad her day was, watching them smile, laugh, and play brought her so much joy. She noticed that CJ had been in
the restroom for a while and decided to check on him.

  “CJ!” she called out as she knocked on the door. CJ didn’t answer. She tried twisting the knob, but it was locked. “Curtis Anthony Junior! Stop playing around and open this door!” Still no answer. Rachel got nervous. She moved back and kicked the door in. CJ was collapsed on the bathroom floor. He was foaming at the mouth and was half conscious. “CJ! Baby, wake up!” Rachel cried. She scooped him up and splashed water on his face. He was moaning in between the short breaths he was taking, but for the most part remained non-responsive.

  “Leah! Leah!” She screamed. “Dial 9-1-1! Something is wrong with my baby!” She cried for help. There is no greater pain for a mother than not being able to or save their child.

  Leah came running to see what was going on. She noticed the cabinet was somewhat ajar and suddenly remembered she’d stored some of her cocaine in there the night before. It was easier for her to get to if she needed to snort a line or two before bed. I hope he didn’t get a hold of my dope!

  “Leah, stop standing there! Call 9-1-1!” If Rachel could’ve slapped her, now would be the perfect time. Leah ran into the kitchen and dialed for help. She told them that CJ was dying and they were there in less than five minutes. She kept the other children in the living room and out of the way.

  When the ambulance arrived, they immediately hooked him up to some oxygen and administered CPR. Luckily, he regained his consciousness. Rachel rode in the ambulance and Leah followed behind with the rest of the kids in Rachel’s car. When they arrived at Henry County Medical, they took CJ back and kept him stable while they ran a series of tests on him. Rachel stayed in the waiting room filling out a book load of paperwork and answering all sorts of questions regarding his medical history. She didn’t know what was going on with her son, but she prayed to God to save him.

  After about an hour of waiting, a doctor walked in accompanied by a lady in a suit and two police officers. “Ms. Jones?” The doctor called for her. He looked down at his clip board with a scary look engraved in his face. Rachel’s heart sank down into her small intestine. “Curtis is fine, he’s doing great. He’s up watching cartoons and eating a snack. We pumped almost an ounce of cocaine out of his system; that’s why these people are here to talk to you.” He pointed at the officers and the lady.