by Vivian Wood
She had to do it because she believed it was the best thing to do.
Wearing sunglasses and a cap, she gritted her teeth as anxiety devoured her.Lily handed Meredith a bag of gummy bears, which was usually an effective distraction. But she found them unappealing this time. Meredith grimaced and shook her head.
“Nah, thanks,” she murmured apologetically.
“It’s going to be okay, Mer. We’ll meet a lot of hot guys. You know, I heard Ibiza was a whole lot better than Bali. And I’m telling you, Bali is crazy. Imagine Ibiza!” Lily screeched excitedly.
She tried to smile, but not hard enough to actually make it happen.
She didn’t want to spoil Lily’s excitement, but she just couldn’t feel it herself. She was about to leave everyone and everything she knew. She’d be leaving the one man she loved.
Meredith and Lily fell in line when the gate called them to board for first class. Every step felt like she was walking on a pile of nails.
“Relax, it’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay,” she heard Lily whisper.
“Yeah,” she agreed, releasing an exasperated sigh and hoping to placate her friend.
When they boarded the plane, she noticed that several flight attendants were pointing and smiling at her. Her stomach plummeted, and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She pulled her cap lower and bit her lip, hoping that they would stop acting rude.
She felt a light squeeze on her shoulder.
It was Lily, smiling at her.
“None of this will matter anymore once we get there,” she said, fixing her seatbelt the moment they settled in their seats.
“Yeah, I know.” Meredith couldn't stop the tears that began to well up in her eyes..
She wanted to slap herself in the face for feeling so emotional. It wasn't like she was going away forever. It was just for a couple of months.
Lowering her head to hide her tears, she grabbed a magazine and started flipping through the pages. She could hear passengers getting onboard, filling the plane. She was not in the mood to talk when a flight attendant walked up to her suddenly.
“Meredith Fields?” asked the brunette woman in uniform. She had a nice smile on her face, and she held an iPad in her hands.
Meredith looked up. “Yes?”.
“I think you should see this before you fly across the ocean,” the flight attendant said, turning the screen of the iPad to face Meredith..
“What are you doing?” Lily said. “She’s not supposed to ”
Lily’s protests were left hanging in the air when a video on the iPad started playing. It was a recording of Elijah’s TV appearance, confessing his feelings, saying that he was willing to give up being president just to be with her.
The tears she was trying to swallow flowed freely down her cheeks. She raised her head and looked at the smiling cabin crew, who were clearly delighted and giddy.
Meredith bit her lip and took a quick glance at Lily who was frozen, still looking at the iPad.
“Do you think… it's too late for me to get off the plane?” she asked the flight attendant.
The woman smiled then shook her head.
Meredith looked at Lily who was already on her feet, looking more energetic than ever.
“Well, what are you waiting for? I think there’s a man you need to track down.”
Lily made it sound like a manhunt. Yes, she was out to hunt down the man who had stolen her heart.
Dropping the magazine, she grabbed Lily’s wrist and they ran down the aisle of the plane together.
She was in pursuit of her happiness.
And it was to be with Elijah.
39
Eli paced back and forth in his office at campaign headquarters with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the election coverage. He grew more and more anxious with every passing minute. He hadn't even bothered to try and look good. He hadn't shaved, but at least he'd taken a quick shower this morning. He just felt like there wasn't any need to make the effort..
He doubted his chances of winning after what he'd done on television.
When the results started rolling in, he was shocked when he saw that people were responding positively to his message of love… or they were voting for him out of pity, one of the two. He didn’t know.
The campaign staff and volunteers had gathered in the main room, watching the bank of televisions to monitor the results of voting. He joined them for a couple of minutes then retreated back to his office and ended up staring at the photos lined up behind his desk – one of him and Henry, another of him with Ellie and their mom.
Eli breathed in and out slowly.
Soon he would be surrounded by people. Time to put his slightly-scruffy game face on..
There was only an hour left before people started gathering. And that’s when he would really start sweating bullets. Though he had already stated that he was willing to give up the presidency, he couldn't help but feel weary.
He had worked so hard for it, after all.
His eyes traveled to the door of the headquarters, wondering if Meredith even saw the broadcast – silently hoping that she would magically appear in front of him somehow.
It’d been hours since the broadcast. It was all over the news and social media sites. How could she have missed it? She had been out of touch since the scandal broke out. And he had been waiting for her call. If she would just call him…
God, he missed hearing her angelic voice.
But of course, if their positions were reversed, he would have fled the country by now.
Is that what she did?
The mere idea of being miles apart from Meredith made his heart sink. He sat on his swivel chair and rested his head in his hands, leaning over. He closed his eyes, trying to enjoy the peacefulness of his office. Hopefully people would stop bombarding him with questions now that the election was almost over.
When he heard the tapping of heels on the floor, he opened his eyes immediately… it was just Sosie. He looked at her without hiding his disappointment, then turned away.
After his confession on air, Sosie had turned ice cold. She was extremely displeased with what he'd done. And he was almost certain that she'd been the one who leaked the affair to the press.
He turned away from the door to face a TV screen which silently replayed a clip of him. It was an ad he'd made for the campaign. The image was replaced with several people clustered around a table, talking about their take on what he’d said.
He sighed, feeling suffocated and claustrophobic even though he was alone in his office.
His fingers rested on the handset of his office phone impatiently. He had considered calling Meredith a million times. But no… his pride was stopping him.
He had made a heartfelt plea on national TV. And calling her from a landline just to get around Sosie who had his mobile phone would be dumb.
He was desperate, yes. But he hadn’t considered begging – not yet.
Because if Meredith felt the same way, she would come back to him.
And he was blindly hoping that she would…
He groaned in frustration, putting his head on the table. He was so damn tired, but couldn't rest. Everything was just getting more and more intense and complicated.
And a nap was a luxury he couldn't afford, not yet.
He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them again, things would be a little better.
“Hey…” said a familiar voice. His eyes snapped open.
He straightened up in his seat to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Before him was Meredith, looking at him with her deep blue eyes. She was panting heavily like she had just finished a marathon. There was an uncertain smile on her lips as she walked toward his desk hesitantly.
Elijah blinked, getting up from his seat, meeting her halfway. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked over her beautiful face. His heart skipped a beat when she reached out to touch his face.
“You… you’re here,” he murmured s
oftly, putting his hands on either side of her face, feeling the warmth of her touch – making sure she was relaxed.
Meredith nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I’m here,” she spoke softly, her breath touching his face.
“I –“
“Shh…” she shushed him, putting a finger on his mouth. She smiled at him, wiping away the tears that had escaped his eyes. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“No. I’m sorry for being a coward,” he muttered, grinning back at her.
He pulled her in for a tight hug, soothing them both after missing out on each other for the past few weeks. Having her back in his arms had brought so much happiness to him, he couldn’t stop tearing up.
So, this is what it means to love..
When Meredith looked up at him, he leaned his head lower and gently brushed his lips on hers before planting a kiss on her temple.
“I love you, Meredith Fields, my princess,” he whispered.
He didn’t understand why, but it felt like a thorn had been removed from his heart when he said those words. He felt lighter because finally, he was able to be honest with her.
He'd finally told her the words he had always wanted to say.
She nodded, then smiled.
“I know. I love you too, Mr. Scott. Or should I say, Mr. President?”
The presidency was the furthest thing from his mind. “You realize that I’m going to hold you forever?” He pulled her closer to his body, their chests pressed against each other.
“Forever?” she leaned her head on his muscled chest, inhaling his scent.
“Forever,” he smirked as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck.
“Sounds good to me,” she responded with a grin.He smelled her hair and kissed her. He devoured her mouth then moved down, latching on her neck, kissing and nibbling on the smooth column of flesh that he missed so badly.
Who would have ever thought that the woman he met at a masquerade sex party, who'd haunted his dreams for weeks would be Meredith?
He'd never expected to meet her again. He hadn't meant to grow attracted to her. And it hadn't been part of his plan to fall in love with her.
But now he had her – for good.
When they broke the kiss, Meredith held his hand and led him to sit back on his chair. She then sat on his lap, teasing him as she rubbed her ass against his throbbing cock.
He groaned.
“Let’s watch and wait for the results,” she said giggling.
“I have a better idea…” he murmured against her neck, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.
As she continued to torment him mercilessly, he reflected. He really was lucky. Whether he won the election or not, he was with the woman he loved. He was never letting Meredith go again, not this time.
He just needed to get past tonight, and then he could put a ring on her finger. Then a little piece of him would be with her everywhere — just as it should be, he thought.
Wedding bells might just be in the White House’s future.
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Rock Me
If you liked His Virgin, you’ll love the wild, high stakes rock n roll world presented in Rock Me. Turn the page to start reading.
1
Serena Woods stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, relieved that her eyes didn't give away the pounding that was happening behind them. She would have splashed some water on her face, but her mother surely would have had some kind of adverse medical reaction if she so much as thought of smudging her carefully applied makeup. Perhaps a heart attack, or maybe a stroke.
Serena probably should have eaten more than just the bite-sized appetizer at dinner, but with her mother sitting right next to her, it just hadn't been possible to dig into the main course. Let alone with the gusto the poor salmon had deserved.
So here she was, in the tiny designer dress selected and purchased by her mother, with another fierce headache that was undoubtedly due to her mother's obsession over the past few weeks with making sure Serena fit into her dress tonight without a hitch.
Serena sighed and finished washing her hands, then headed out into the ballroom where the charity event was in full swing. Not that her treacherous thoughts would have ever made it into words, but she seriously hated being dragged along like a show pony. Her mother always insisted on looking like a perfect little family. The only reason most people even donated to these charities was solely for optics, not because they actually cared or were passionate about the causes.
Serena fully supported the causes, but she hated the events themselves. The only upside for her was watching the guests arrive, taking in the beautiful designer attire and silently evaluating whether or not she thought each designer would approve.
Tonight's event was in support of a local social services agency her parents had supported for several years. Serena and her sister had even done some volunteer work for the agency back in high school, and it made Serena happy to see that this year's attendance numbers had shattered the previous year's record. Apparently some famous band had recorded their own music video for a new song, saving a sizable amount of money in the process. The band had then donated all of the proceeds to the foundation.
Plans had been made for the video to be premiered later tonight, and some of the band members were even rumored to be making an appearance. Serena didn't know who they were even though her mother had mentioned the name on their way to the gala, but it hadn't seemed familiar. All the same, she was grateful for what they had done for the foundation. The increased interest in the event was undoubtedly due to the band, so whoever they were, they were going to make many underprivileged and homeless children very, very happy.
Serena made her way across the ballroom as her blue eyes darted back and forth, seeking out her parents. She couldn't wait to leave. Her headache was getting worse, and she really just wanted to get home, take some aspirin, and maybe call Bryan.
Bryan. Butterflies in her stomach started fluttering at the thought of her fiancé and what tomorrow might hold for them. They had been dating for about eighteen months when he had popped the question roughly six months ago. It hadn't been entirely unexpected, as he had really been starting to come into his own at the exclusive law firm that employed him. A shiny new wife was the next step in the plan.
She had accepted his proposal eagerly, despite the fact that with his increasing success, the more arrogant and flashy he had become. She figured it was just a phase he was going through, and that once they were married next year, he would settle down again. He'd been working so hard, he'd been unable to attend the gala with her tonight.
She felt he'd been very patient with her, considering they had been dating just under two years and they hadn't yet consummated their relationship. Tomorrow, however, they would be spending the whole day together, with her staying over at his place for the first time. She hoped that wouldn't be the only thing she would be doing for the first time...
“Serena,” her mother's voice rang out just ahead of her. “Where have you been? I would like you to meet Dr. and Mrs. Kent. They're on the board for the foundation.” Clearly these people were important to her mother, as her usually narrowed eyes were now wide with excitement. Serena turned to face a kind-looking elderly couple. “Nice to meet you,” she said as she extended her hand politely. “Serena Woods.” They muttered pleasantries as she turned her attention back to her mother. “Mom, I know it's still early, but my head is killing me, so I'm just going to head home.”
Her mother's narrowed eyes moved firmly back into place at her statement, but obviously she didn't want to cause a scene in front of the Kents, so she simply nodded and air-kissed her cheek as she mumbled, “Feel better, sweetheart. We'll see you in the morning.” Her dad just nodded goodbye, engrossed in his conversation with the good Dr. Kent.
She didn't see her sister, so she decided to head out without saying goodbye. Knowing her sister, she was probably off in some corner making out with the next Mr. Right. And her sister wouldn't have wanted to risk their mother's wrath getting caught doing something so very inappropriate in a public place, so she doubted her sister would be easy to find.
She had ridden here with her family, so she'd have to hail a cab outside the hotel to get home, which was actually kind of an exciting thought for her.
She was so lost in thought at the prospect that she made a wrong turn somewhere, and was now on a balcony on what she figured was the completely wrong side of the hotel. Damn. She looked around for a map denoting her current position, but there were none to be found. There was, however, a man on the balcony with his back to her, although he had started turning around as soon as she had stumbled onto the balcony.
Holy hell. She may have been engaged, but she wasn't blind, and the man that stood in front of her was by far the most handsome person she had ever set eyes on. He had long, curly dark hair that fell to his shoulders, and although she couldn't make out the color of his eyes in the low light, she could feel them piercing her own. His full lips were set in a thin line. He was wearing a dark suit that looked custom tailored, with tattoos on one hand, winding into the sleeve of his shirt. He seemed to be taking her in, drawing her in with a magnetic field that made every hair on her body stand on end, and her stomach feel warm. Well, this was awkward. And definitely not something she felt she should be experiencing with a man who wasn't her fiancé.
“Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt. I must have made a wrong turn from the fundraiser.” At that, she turned without waiting for him to say anything in return, and hurriedly made her way down the hallway, her face burning with humiliation.
2
