Mutual Agreement(A Presidential Romance)

by Chiquita Dennie

  I came out of the bedroom and walked into the kitchen, then opened the fully-stocked fridge. I picked up chicken and a bag of kale and broccoli. I looked under the cabinets to find the pots and pans. Finally getting things situated, I washed my hands and started to cook smothered chicken and steamed vegetables. While I opened a bottle of white wine, I saw a small radio sitting in the corner of the kitchen. I turned it on to an old-school R&B station. The Temptations were playing. It was nice to be away from the world—even under the circumstances.

  “Something smells good enough to eat,” Sebastian said.

  “I made smothered chicken and steamed veggies,” I replied.

  Sebastian kissed the side of my face. “I wasn’t talking about the food,” Sebastian mumbled against my neck. He gently bit the side of my neck.

  I giggled and tried to push him back. “Stop playing. You did enough earlier today,” I said and turned the temperature up on the pan of steamed vegetables.

  “How much longer?” he inquired.

  I checked the time. “About 20 minutes.”

  “Good, I have a call I need to check about.”

  “Okay, don’t be long,” I replied, tossing the pan gently to get the seasoning spread around it.

  Sebastian walked out of the room to finish working. I put the spatula down and decided to call my parents to check in with them. I headed out of the kitchen and to the bedroom. I was passing his office when I heard him on the phone.

  “Mr. Daniels, again, I want to apologize for the mess this caused you,” Sebastian said. I leaned against the closed door to listen. “I’d like that very much. Dinner would be great,” Sebastian responded, and my eyes grew wide in shock. “I will have her call you. Talk soon,” Sebastian said and hung up.

  I went to the bedroom and looked for my cell phone. I called Cristin to let her know what was going on.

  “I was wondering when you would call,” Cristin said loudly.

  I jumped up to close the bedroom door. “I’m out of town,” I whispered. I walked to the window and saw the security detail, standing around and talking.

  “Where?” she questioned.

  “Camp David.”

  “I’m sorry, where?” Cristin asked.

  “Shush... Camp David.”

  “Damn, you have the president flying you out of town? I can barely get a good dinner out of my dates,” Cristin joked.

  I sucked my teeth. “Cristin, focus, please.”

  “Sorry, but it’s really not a bad way to end up,” Cristin joked.

  “Tell me I’m crazy for this.”

  “I never sugarcoat anything for you, and I won't start now.”

  “This is unbelievable.”

  “I think you need to decide what you want to do, because he’s not letting you go,” Cristin said.

  “I’m cooking dinner for us,” I whispered, like a teenager trying to hide that they were on the phone.

  “Hoo, then it must be serious, because you barely cook when you're home.”

  “Ugh, don’t remind me.”

  A knock on the door startled me. I closed the curtain fast and hung up.

  “I smelled something burning,” Sebastian said.

  I rushed past him to check on the food. “The chicken.” I hurriedly got to the stove and turned it off, removing the chicken from the oven.

  “It's not too bad,” Sebastian said.

  “No, it's ruined.” I started to tear up, thinking about the stress and pressure of being the president’s girlfriend, and the amount of my life that I’d have to give up to if I wanted to be with him.

  “Hey, what’s going on with you? Talk to me.”

  “I can’t do this.”

  “You won’t allow yourself to do this,” Sebastian replied.

  “Sebastian, you can’t bring me home to your parents and expect them to like me.”

  “Why not? They already love you,” he said, wiping a tear from my cheek.

  “Since when? They don’t even know me.”

  “They’ve known about you since I laid eyes on you for the first time.”

  “I heard you talking to my parents,” I replied.

  “Let's eat and talk.” He moved around me and opened the top cabinet next to the radio. He grabbed two plates.

  I picked the burnt parts off the chicken and filled our plates full. He took the opened bottle of wine and poured a glass for us. We stepped into the dining room and sat down to eat.

  “Tell me about your parents,” I said.

  “They're your typical political family. My Dad used to be the governor, and my mom was a teacher, who gave up her career to raise me,” Sebastian told me.

  “So, they're okay with this?” I pointed between the both of us.

  He chuckled and lifted the fork to take a bite of chicken. “This isn’t bad.” Sebastian cut into the vegetables, feeding me a piece.

  “If I wasn’t so distracted, I could have done more.”

  “Stop worrying. We’ll be fine.”

  “What did you talk to my parents about?” I questioned again.

  “I’m planning a dinner with both of our parents,” he said nonchalantly.

  I grabbed the glass of wine and gulped it down. “When?” I questioned.

  “When we get back.”

  “Are you sure about this?” I needed to know, so my self-doubt wouldn’t creep in.

  “Positive, baby. But I have to say, your friendship with Penelope has to end.”

  “I know. I plan on meeting with her when I get back home.”

  “I think Carlton leaked the news,” Sebastian said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

  “Claudette said the same thing.”

  “He’s testing me and waiting to see how I respond.”

  “My practice is going to be ruined over this.”

  “I won’t let that happen.” Sebastian kissed my forehead.

  “You can’t promise that, Sebastian. All this over some high school ego bullshit,” I fussed.

  “No more talking about Carlton. This is about us tonight.” Sebastian sat back in his chair.

  “Claudette hates me.”

  “She doesn’t hate you. I do want to talk to you about the loft, though.”

  I moved the food around on the plate. “What about the loft?” I dropped the fork on the plate and gave him my full attention.

  “You are moving into the loft.”

  “No, I’m not. You’re barely going to be there.”

  “I’ll make time to be there.”

  “Let me be clear: I’m not uprooting my life for you, so you can have a live-in sex toy.”

  “Did I say I wanted you just for sex? Because I can get that anytime,” I argued back.

  I dropped the fork and jumped up.

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me back down into my seat. “Stop running from me.”

  “Stop giving me a reason to run!” I spat back and tossed the napkin on the table.

  He leaned back against the chair and peered at me. “You're scared.”

  “Sebastian, my life was simple before you came in and uprooted things.”

  “I’m not the only one who feels this strong connection, and you're afraid.”

  “I think you need to deal with your own insecurities.”

  “I can admit that when I walk into the Oval Office, I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.”

  “Not the same,” I mumbled.

  “You’re right, because if I disappoint you, I know I can earn your trust back. If I disappoint the country I lead, I get no second chances,” he said.

  I relaxed my shoulders at his statement. “Life is only going to get more complicated,” I reminded him.

  “Then we can uncomplicate it together, but I’m not going to be a man walking into this half-assed.”

  “I love you,” I blurted out, waiting on pins and needles to see if he would reply.

  He reached over and grabbed my hand to pull me into his lap. He extended his arms around my waist. �
�I love you, too, and I’m not going anywhere. It was meant to be for us to meet,” Sebastian explained.

  I kissed him on the lips. “Mmmm...” I gripped his shoulders and turned in his lap to straddle him.

  “I thought you were hungry,” Sebastian mumbled.

  I helped him out of his shirt. “Not for food,” I said.

  He lifted me by my thighs and carried me out of the room. I slid my tongue into his mouth and secured my arms around his neck.

  Chapter 6: Sebastian

  BEING AT CAMP DAVID gave us some privacy, without everyone trying to tell me what I should be doing as the president. I was probably wrong for bringing her, but I needed to be near her. I could admit that I wasn’t thinking clearly when I made the contract. I saw an opportunity to make her mine, and she was feeling the same thing about me. I called her parents to apologize earlier, and I hoped they would be willing to sit down with my parents because I was planning on making her my wife one day.

  I brought her into the living room and placed her on the couch. I grabbed a blanket and placed it on the floor, then turned the fireplace on. I removed my pants and watched as she took off her shirt and black tights. She only had a thong on underneath. Her hair was flowing down her back as sweat glistened off her skin. I bit my bottom lip, knowing I was going to get to taste the sweet nectar between her thighs. I dropped onto the floor and extended a hand for her to come to me. “Sit on my face, baby.”

  “I have another idea,” she said and turned with her back to me in a 69 position, then slid her hands into my boxers.

  I ripped her panties off and slid a hand across her ass, then dipped a finger inside her soaking wet pussy. I felt her lips wrap around my dick, causing my head to fall back in bliss. I licked her asshole, thrusting fast strokes into her slippery core with my finger. Her moans grew louder as we pleased each other. I palmed her ass and spanked each cheek as she grinded on my tongue. “Laila... shit,” I groaned. She lifted herself off me. I pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Baby... you're so beautiful,” I whispered, massaging her shoulders while she pleased me, taking me to the edge of the cliff like always. I needed to be inside her. I craved her touch. Her thoughts and dreams filled something inside me that was empty.

  She released my dick and kissed the insides of my thighs, then trailed her kisses up to my stomach. Laila licked her lips, smiled, and sat in my lap. Her breasts were angled right at my mouth, and I grasped both of them and brought them to my lips. “Ah... baby!” Laila cried out, stretching her arms around my neck. I gripped my dick and slid her down it. She rotated her hips. Her warm pussy fit me like a glove. I pumped upward as she gasped in shock. “You feel so good!” Laila cried out, breathing heavily as sweat beads dripped down her face.

  I rolled us over and pushed her legs back to her shoulders, then delved deeper into her core. “Fuck!” I yelled, trying to erase every orgasm she’d ever had before me from her memory.

  “Oh... right there; I’m coming!” Laila screamed. I leaned down as she squirted, and I pulled out fast, sucked on her pussy as she came. “Baby, wait... oh, shit. I can’t breathe.” She started shaking.

  I slapped her pussy gently a few times as she came. I slid back inside and thrusted two more times until I had my own orgasm. I’d never pulled out before whenever I wore a condom, and this time, I didn’t pull out without wearing one. I wondered if she would say something.

  “That was...” she began.

  “...amazing,” I responded, lying on the floor and trying to catch my breath.

  She crawled over to me, and I kissed her forehead. “How long are we hiding out?” she asked.

  I sighed and picked up her hand to entwine our fingers. “Not long, but let's just enjoy this moment.”

  For the rest of the night, we talked and promised to communicate better going forward. We watched TV in bed, and I stayed up a little longer to go over my upcoming work. I wanted to get ahead for my speech at a convention.

  THE NEXT MORNING, I smelled coffee and bacon. My stomach growled, and I felt around the bed. It was empty. I checked the time, and it said five o’clock. I sat up and ran a hand down my face to gather my thoughts about the day ahead. I picked up my cell and saw a few missed calls from Claudette, Ray, and my parents. I took a shower and brushed my teeth to get ready to take Laila on a hike through the area.

  20 minutes later, I walked into the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, reading the paper, dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie. “Morning,” I said, picked up the cup, and poured some coffee and cream. I sat across from her at the table and started to fill my stomach with the pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit she had laid out.

  “Morning. How did you sleep?” she questioned.

  “Good.”

  “That’s nice. What are your plans for today?”

  “I wanted to go on a hike and explore.”

  “That can be fun.”

  “You seem a little off. What’s up with you?”

  “I can’t hide it from you.” She pushed the paper forward.

  I grabbed it to read the headline: Presidential Girlfriend, Paid Escort. “I’m sorry, about this.”

  “Are you surprised?”

  “No, but I did expect some type of respect. I’ll get my people on this to get it retracted.”

  “My goals haven’t changed, and I won’t apologize for the lifestyle that helped save my mother’s life.”

  “I’m not asking you to, Laila.”

  “I plan on using these trash blogs to my benefit, since they are trying to delve into my personal business.”

  “Let's finish eating, and I can put in some calls.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Laila, this won’t stop us.”

  “Sebastian, this will only get worse.”

  “The truth is that Carlton is probably not the only one behind this leak on our relationship.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He wants me to cut the increase on funding for infrastructure, and he’s using our relationship to do it.”

  “He wouldn’t do all this just over me.”

  “Yes, he would. This paper is owned by one of his mutual business partners. I can bet a dollar he gave them information on you,” I told her.

  “I’m going to kill him.” She jumped up.

  I grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. “Let me handle it,” I said.

  “No, this is my life he’s ruining because I turned him down! This was before you and I got together.” she explained and went to leave.

  “Where are you going?” I questioned, walking behind her as she went to the bedroom. She mumbled under her breath as she grabbed her bags and started packing up her things. “Laila.”

  “No, I don’t want this to hurt what your building, I was too foolish to see this would never work.”

  “This can work if you stop and listen to me.”

  “You can’t fix this, Sebastian, and I’m not going to let you ruin your career.”

  “I’ll step down.”

  “No.”

  “Baby.”

  “I refuse to be a pawn in some sick game with Carlton and you. Let me go,” she said. She slid on her shoes, walked to the front door and opened it. Tony looked at her, then at me. “I’m leaving; can you take me back home?” she said to him.

  Tony glanced at me for confirmation.

  “Let me grab my things, and we can go,” I told her. I headed back in and packed up my things.

  Carlton was making the wrong choice to see me as an enemy. Everyone thought I played it safe in politics and didn’t ruffle any feathers, but for him to use Laila against me was the last straw.

  The plane started up, and we flew back in silence. She didn’t even want to sit near me when we boarded, and I couldn’t blame her because this was technically my fault.

  As soon as we landed, a car was waiting to take her back home and take me to the White House. I had thought we would be making plans to move into the loft together, but th
at would have to be put on hold until I could get a handle on Carlton.

  I stepped out of the car once we pulled up to the residence and saw Ray and Claudette standing by. “Welcome back, Mr. President,” Claudette said and passed me the binder.

  I removed my jacket and tossed it on the couch. I paced back and forth, trying to manage my thoughts.

  “Sir,” Ray said.

  I held my hand up to stop them from speaking. “I want the budget for the infrastructure finalized today.”

  “About that, sir—” Claudette started to speak.

  “We need to go over the latest news,” I interrupted.

  “I saw the newspaper headline. All the caucus and your supporters are wondering what you're going to do.” Claudette showed me the list of text messages on her phone.

  “I think Carlton’s not the only one behind this,” Ray commented.

  I nodded in confirmation. “He’s pissed that she didn’t want him, and he’s still hurt that he lost to me two years ago.”

  “We need to approach this delicately,” Claudette said.

  “I want the deal signed; we’ve come too far not to get this bill done,” I said.

  “I agree, but if we make even bigger headlines—”

  “That’s it; make bigger headlines.”

  “What are you thinking?” Claudette questioned.

  “Call a conference and get the press to make the announcement about the deal.”

  “Are you saying we should make it seem like Carlton’s on our side with the bill?” Claudette asked.

  I grinned and sat down at my desk. I picked up the phone. “Get the media a new story—and fast. In the meantime, let’s go about our day as usual.”

  “What about Laila?” Ray asked.

  “She needs space,” I responded and waited for the phone to ring.

  They left, and I got to work on a plan to get Carlton under control before he could do even more damage to my career and Laila’s.

  A few seconds later, I got a text message from Tony.

  Tony: She’s home, sir.

  Me: At the loft?

  Tony: Her place.

  Me: Keep her under watch in case something happens.

  Tony: Yes, sir.

  Me: Whatever she needs, give it to her.

  Tony: Yes, sir.