“Yes, ma’am,” came the grudging answer.
“Our presence hasn’t been detected, correct?”
“Correct, ma’am. We have a contingent of operatives in the area to supplement our satellite surveillance. At last report, they were undetected.”
“Those operatives are a top priority, Secretary Brendwell.”
“Understood, Madam President. We have an evacuation plan in place, if the need arises.”
“Anything else?”
“No, ma’am.”
There was another uncomfortable pause before he said, “Enjoy your honeymoon, Madam President.”
Detecting no sarcasm in his voice, Devlyn smiled. She knew the pugnacious man was still struggling to overcome his natural hostility to reporting to a woman. And, to his credit, he had made some progress, his commitment to professionalism resolute. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a complete asshole. “I intend to, John. Thank you.”
She ended the call with a string of security codes and sat back in her chair, her gaze still lingering over printouts showing hostile troop movements and covert transportation routes that were being used for weapons of mass destruction that supposedly didn’t exist. She carefully rolled up the blueprints and placed them in her desk using another series of codes and a retinal scan lock to secure the documents.
Devlyn pushed a button on the intercom. “Can you please tell the First Lady that I’m lonely?” She heard a muffled chuckle on the other end of the line.
“Right away, Madam President.”
A few minutes later, there was a light knock on her door. She smiled reflectively. “Come in.”
Lauren stuck her head in and said in a deep voice that sounded like Lurch, “You raaaaaaang?”
Devlyn laughed. “That show was over before you were born.”
“Tsk. Old television shows never die, Devlyn. They just go to Nick At Night.” She made her way to Dev’s desk, seeing the lines of tension on her face. “Finished working?”
Devlyn rubbed her temples. “For now.”
Lauren almost didn’t ask, but her curiosity got the best of her as she perched on the corner of Devlyn’s desk. “Something important?”
Dev chewed on her lower lip and unconsciously began stroking the soft cotton of Lauren’s chinos. “Yes and no. The North Koreans are playing with their toys again. They don’t know that we know they have them.” She regretted once again that her predecessors hadn’t been able to resolve a conflict that was far older than she was. “So we have to be careful,” she said absently. “We don’t like it when they move missiles around. Let’s go sit down.” With a groan, she rose from her desk and threw herself down on the sofa. She closed her eyes.
Lauren eyed her suspiciously, then pressed the intercom. “Hi. Could we get a couple of bottles of water and some aspirin, please?” She still felt a little funny about having other people do things that she could easily do for herself. But she had long since learned that if she went in search of something as simple as aspirin she’d spend more time explaining herself and fending off the helpful staff than she would have simply asking for it to begin with.
A single blue eyeball rolled sideways and regarded Lauren as she moved to the door. “How did—?”
“You have another headache,” Lauren said. It wasn’t a question. She frowned as she stepped around the sofa and laid her hands on Dev’s shoulders, feeling the tension there. "You're getting those too often, darlin'." She stopped talking long enough to allow a steward into the room with Dev’s aspirin. When they were alone again, she popped the top on the bottle of pills. “Is it a bad one?”
Devlyn smiled weakly. “Nah. Besides, I see them as a good sign. It means I’m still getting blood flow to the gray matter. Did you rest at all?” she asked, wanting desperately to change the subject. “I’m sorry about that call. I didn’t plan on being pulled away as soon as we were on board.”
Lauren shook her head as Dev sat, took the pills, and then made a spot for her on the sofa. "No. I was waiting for you.” She spoke over Devlyn, who had just drawn in a deep breath. “No arguments, Devlyn. You might be able to function on a few hours sleep. I however, cannot. And I sleep best if you’re with me.”
Devlyn smiled, charmed by the admission. “You do?”
“Mmm… hmm.” She found herself pulled into a surprisingly fierce hug. “What was that for?” Lauren laughed.
“I thought it was just me who slept better when we were together.”
Lauren cocked her head to the side. “Is that something you’ve wondered about?”
Devlyn nodded. “I thought maybe I bothered you or something… At night. It’s hard for some people to get used to sleeping together after going it alone for a while,” she quickly added.
“I… I don’t… If you were worried about that why didn’t you just ask?” She reached up and softly petted Devlyn's dark hair, smiling at the few silver strands she saw at the very top of Dev's head.
Dev shrugged. “Ask me something easier.”
Lauren let out a heavy breath. They were both tired. The last thing they needed was a serious talk… at least about them. She eyed the phone. “Think that thing will leave you alone long enough for me to ravish you repeatedly this week?”
Her words were met with a brilliant smile. “It had better. I left pretty explicit instructions.”
"You’re trusting Geoff to handle things?” Lauren was a little surprised. Devlyn was the most professionally driven person she’d ever known. Delegating responsibility and learning to let go were basically foreign concepts to her.
“I’m trying. Really.” Dev shifted just a little, placing a particularly sore muscle right under Lauren’s hands. “And leave my gray hairs alone. I’ve earned all of them in the last year,” she teased even as she rolled her neck. “That feels really good. I luuuvv you.”
Lauren smiled, her gray eyes twinkling. "I don't know if you’ll luuuvv me,” she touched Devlyn’s nose with the tip of her finger, “when you see what I have in the back pocket of my pants."
Dev’s eyebrows shot skyward. “The back pocket of your pants, huh?” She gave herself a few seconds to allow her imagination to run wild, and a slow, but slightly wary, smile spread across her face. “Dare I ask?”
Lauren grinned back. "Dare."
“Okay.”
Dev waited for moment, but Lauren didn’t move. “Lauren,” she said in her lowest voice, “you know how I feel about being kept in suspense. Tell me what’s in your back pocket.”
Lauren smiled innocently. "But you didn't say please. Yeow!!"
In a flurry of motion, Devlyn reached around and grabbed Lauren, flipping her over on the sofa, causing them to end up in a tangle of arms and legs. A quick shift and Lauren was lying across Devlyn's lap in the spanking position.
Lauren blew a strand of pale hair from her face. "You wouldn't dare?" she squawked.
Dev chuckled, the sound starting low in her chest and evolving into a full laugh. “We’ve already determined that I would dare, haven’t we? Now, show me or I’ll look myself.”
Lauren squirmed. “You big—”
“Too late.” Dev reached into the pocket in question and snagged two very small pieces of material. Her face scrunched up as she examined the bright red spandex from all directions. “Dental floss, how considerate of you, darling.”
“If you recall, you did ask me to pack for you." Lauren craned her head backwards and smiled sexily at her partner. "So I did," she said simply. "Surprise."
Devlyn held up the items in hand. “You want me to wear this?
Lauren’s smile shifted into an outright leer. “Oh yeah.”
“But it’s it’s… it’s… umm… there’s nothing to it!” She examined it again. “I assume we won’t be going out to dinner.”
Lauren smirked. "Well, I won't be going hungry. That's for damn sure."
Dev laughed to herself before delivering a quick smack to the backside across her lap. “You’re evil. This bikini, if you coul
d call it that, would get me arrested in half the states in the country. Have you been taking lessons from my mother?”
"Ouch!" Lauren began to wriggle when another sharp smack was delivered. She laughed.
“Do you know what’s really sick, Devlyn? That feels sort of good.” That little comment got her two more for good measure. “Wait! Wait!” she screamed, laughing so hard that she was feeling a little dizzy. “I changed my mind.”
“Uh huh.”
“And I'll have you know I was evil long before I met Janet, she just solidified my belief in that way of life... Yah! Devlyn! No more.”
Smack!
“You’ll be sorry when I start asking for this.”
Dev was quick to grab her squirming partner and flip her around. “You know,” she paused to bend and kiss Lauren’s ear. “I have a lovely bed onboard. Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Mile High Club?”
"If I answer that question honestly, will I ever see you on a sleazy talk show telling the world about it?"
“You could buy my silence.” Dev wiggled her brows.
"Ooo." Lauren nuzzled Dev's neck. "My little tramp." She let out an explosive breath when tickling fingers found her sides. "Yikes! What’s gotten into you today?" She glanced at Devlyn’s face and found her beaming. Lauren’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.
“I’m happy.” Her touch gentled and she pressed her lips to Lauren’s forehead. “My life is better than I ever thought it could be. I’ve heard it’s okay to be happy under those circumstances.” Dev finally allowed Lauren to sit up all the way, using her lap as her chair.
"It's way okay, Devlyn." She leaned forward and kissed her softly, taking the time to explore Devlyn’s mouth and reveling in the intensity of emotions she could feel flowing between them. "I feel exactly the same way," she said, her lips barely touching Dev's. Then she pulled back and smiled impishly. "Do you have any idea how fantastic you're going to look in this bikini... with those legs that go on for miles?" Playfully, she fanned herself with one hand. "I can't wait."
“I take it we’re going someplace warm?”
"You'd look great if you were wearing that," she snatched the bikini bottoms out of Dev's hand and twirled them on one finger, "even in Siberia." Fondly, she cupped Dev's chin. "But I wouldn't want you to catch a cold." Those lips were just too close, and she was way past trying to restrain herself so she kissed them again.
After a few minutes of intense kissing, Lauren drew in a deep, contented breath. "Mmmm..." She smacked her lips happily, not bothering to open her eyes. "Did you just ask me a question?" She'd thought she heard Dev talking. But that couldn't be right — Devlyn’s mouth was busy!
“I was gulping for air.”
Lauren clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
Dev’s grin took on a sexy edge that caused all the moisture in Lauren’s mouth to instantly dry up and fly southward towards a happier home. “Come on, Lauren. Let me show you the new bed I had put in and what a great massage I can give.”
“Like I could ever say no to that.”
And she didn’t.
* * *
Dev looked out over the balcony to their private beach and smiled. She drew in a deep breath of salty air. “This is a wonderful surprise. Thank you.”
“Wow,” Lauren murmured appreciatively as she leaned over the balcony railing. “I do rock! Look at this place.”
A light sea-scented breeze stirred their hair as they gazed out at the Hawaiian sunset that painted the sky with stripes of deep purple and vibrant pink.
Dev let her arm drape over Lauren’s shoulder. “It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” She pulled Lauren into her arms and kissed her on the temple. “I feel more relaxed already.”
Lauren bumped her hip against Dev’s. “Do you snorkel? I’m itching to get you into that warm water and very teensy bikini.”
Dev shook her head. Lauren was nothing if not persistent. “Wasn’t my modeling on Air Force One enough?”
“Nope.”
“Well, that answers that question, and no, Ohio isn’t known for its snorkeling. You’re a lot better traveled than I am, Lauren.”
“Maybe,” Lauren conceded. Most of her reputation for writing biographies had been gained through her work overseas. “Let’s go snorkeling tomorrow morning then.” Her voice dropped a register. “I’d love to teach you.”
“Why does everything you say suddenly sound like a proposition?”
“Because it is?”
“Now that’s the answer I was hoping to hear!” Dev’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “I’ve always wanted to learn to snorkel, so you’re on.”
“Excellent!” She grasped Devlyn’s hand. “There’s some equipment in the storage shed. An early bedtime for us then?” She gave Devlyn an entreating look that she knew wouldn’t be denied. Sleeping on a plane is not the same as sleeping on land. No matter how nice the mattress is.
“Early bedtime,” Devlyn agreed, tugging Lauren off of the patio and padding in her bare feet through the condo. It was decorated in shades of beige and white, with low, comfortable-looking overstuffed furniture. It had a light, airy feeling that Devlyn found Washington, D.C., almost completely devoid of. She loved it. “How did you find this place?”
Lauren clicked off the lights as they passed through the living room and small kitchen. “It belongs to Starlight Publishing. Wayne talked them into letting us use it.” She decided not to mention that a bevy of Secret Service agents was guarding the perimeter, or the state-of-the-art alarm system that had been installed, or the fact that the ship sailing a mile or so off the beach was manned by a security team. She knew she wasn’t fooling Devlyn by remaining silent, but she told herself there was no reason to go out of her way to mention what was already ever-present in their lives.
“That was nice of Wayne. He’s a good friend to you, isn’t he?” Devlyn remembered him sniffling his way through their wedding and wondered if it was because his hopes of dating Lauren had finally been dashed or whether he was simply happy for a dear friend.
Once in the bedroom, Lauren stripped out of her pants and began working on the buttons of her cotton blouse. “He is. And he’s good at what he does, too. I don’t think my writing career would have taken off the way it did without him fighting for me.”
“Maybe, many, many years from now, I’ll see if he’d like to handle me working on my memoirs. It’s almost a presidential must.”
Lauren gave Devlyn a pointed look. “He’d sell his first born, hell, he’d sell my first born, if either of us had first borns, for that opportunity.”
“Well, the man is a total maniac when it comes to business. Why I—” Devlyn’s tongue froze when Lauren’s blouse hit the floor. Dev swallowed. “No bra?”
“I’m on vacation, Devlyn.” Lauren grinned. “No bra.”
Dev looked up towards God. “Have I said thank you in the last five minutes?”
* * *
Saturday, July 2, 2022
THE WEATHER WAS crystal clear and in the low 80’s with just a hint of a breeze. The surface of the water was calm, and both women felt remarkably refreshed when they hit the beach.
Lauren patiently instructed Dev how to clear her mask and her snorkel, fit her fins tight enough so that they wouldn’t slip off when she kicked, and then they ventured into deeper water.
“Maybe we’ll see a shark,” Dev said excitedly, before glancing down at her feet. “Fins are hard to walk in.” She lifted her foot in an almost comical motion and scowled.
Lauren couldn’t help but smile. “I know, but you’ll get used to it. Do you remember what I told you about blowing out your snorkel?”
Dev’s eyes narrowed with faux anger as she glanced over her shoulder at Lauren. “Contrary to popular belief, I can retain instructions for more than 30 seconds.” She made a face before spitting into her mask. “Are you sure you’re not joking me about this part?”
Lauren laughed and crossed her heart. “Honest
.”
Once Devlyn was wearing her mask, she placed the snorkel in her mouth and followed Lauren’s lead by watching her swim about a few meters.
The surface of the water shone like diamonds, reflecting the bright sun. But she managed to keep an eye on Lauren as she swam. After a few seconds she began to follow Lauren to a shallow reef, taking care to keep the inside of her mask and snorkel free of water. Wow! She watched as a small school of neon-yellow fish swam beneath her as though they didn’t have a care in the world. They’re fish, Dev, they don’t. She nearly remembered too late that smiling could lead to drowning, but she was hard pressed to contain her emotions at seeing the beauty that surrounded her.
She turned her head when Lauren tugged on her hand and gestured to a small green turtle, paddling along under the water, but the movement was too quick and water flooded into her snorkel and an instant later, into her lungs. Choking, she yanked her head up above the surface of the water, with Lauren right behind her.
Lauren pulled off Dev’s mask, knowing that sometimes it made people’s panic even worse, and grabbed Dev’s arm to help her keep afloat. “Are you okay?”
Coughing, Dev nodded and sputtered, “Yeah, I… I—”
“Got a big mouthful of water.” Lauren finished the sentence for her partner as she gave her a contrite look. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have startled you. I was just excited about the turtle.”
Dev nodded again, still coughing. “S… s’okay.” She sucked in a deep breath when her lungs finally stopped spasming and pushed her hair out of her face. “Whew.”
“I’m sorry.” Lauren handed her back her mask.
“It’s not your fault.” Dev took Lauren in her arms, able to easily tread water because of the long fins she wore. “Thank you for teaching me. I’ll get the hang of it eventually.”
Lauren’s smile returned. “I’m sure you will and I’m glad it’s something you enjoy. It’ll be something we can do together when we can sneak away. Okay?”
Devlyn’s expression brightened. “It’s a deal.”
First Lady Page 25
