Madame President - Tara Sue Me Page 0,4
me, talking to someone at her side, and then she looks at me and I have to remind myself to breathe. I’ve seen numerous pictures and videos of her, but they in no way compare to flesh and blood Anna. She was memorable in her early twenties. She is stunning standing before me now, a woman in her thirties.
She’s tall, five feet ten, if I recall correctly. Her jet black hair is cut to where it falls in soft waves around her shoulders. Pair that with her frame, curvy in all the right places, and there’s not a part of her that doesn’t scream ‘woman.’ But her most striking features are her eyes. A piercing dark blue, made more so by her pale skin.
I’m not sure who she has styling her, but whoever it is needs a raise. In all the media I’ve seen of her, print or television, she is always meticulously dressed, with perfect makeup and never a hair out of place. A far cry from the young woman I remember who favored hoodies and jeans.
Today, she’s wearing a sharp looking, but definitely feminine, black pant suit with a white silk blouse, and black heels that make her legs appear endless. There have been many who have seen her as weak because of her looks. It’s a misconception they’re only allowed to harbor briefly.
Though Anna Fitzpatrick was born and raised in Pennsylvania, her mother hails from Georgia, and when Anna speaks, you can hear a hint of her Southern heritage. This, too, has caused more than a few to underestimate her. Anna may appear soft and malleable, but she is not. She is sharp and shrewd, brilliant and benevolent. But never forget that she is dangerous and can cut you into shreds while being so charming, you won’t know you’re bleeding until she’s gone.
One thing I noticed in the early days of her campaign that still holds true today is, there is no middle ground when it comes to Anna. People either love her or they can’t stand her. Both groups became very vocal in the months leading up to the election. One side argued there was no way a woman, especially one as young as Anna, could command the US Military or lead the country. The other side countered that two hundred years of older male Presidents hadn’t been Utopia, either.
For her running mate, Anna chose a Senator from Oregon, another Independent. Henry Westfield is old enough to be her father, but he is also highly respected by both Republicans and Democrats for his bipartisan ways and his ability to bring people together. From what I can tell based on the handful of times I’ve interviewed him, he has no interest in running for President, but jumped at the chance to be on Anna’s ticket.
“Is there something wrong, Mr. Hazar?” she asks, and I realize I have been staring for longer than what is appropriate. That her security detail has already swept my office and are back outside.
“No. Sorry,” I say, shaking her hand and ushering her into my office, feeling like a moron for not doing so before now. “It’s a pleasure President Elect Fitzpatrick. This is a pleasant surprise.”
She smiles. “Yes, it does come to mind that I’ve been here and in your studios a good number of times, and yet, you have never been present.”
“I’m a busy man,” I say, but those blue eyes see right through me. They always did, which was strange and wonderful twelve years ago. Knowing she still has that ability now is a bit disconcerting.
“Then I chose well by coming to the city today,” she says, while still wearing the shadow of a smile. Does she know I went out of my way to avoid her? I hope to hell not.
Yet, I’m not sure how to respond to that, so I say nothing. The insinuation is she came to New York today to see me, but it’s not an assumption I want to verbalize. Instead, I wait for her to make a move.
I don’t have to wait long.
“Gabe,” she says to the man standing in my office and watching our back and forth much too intensely. “Will you kindly allow me to speak to Mr. Hazar privately?” He looks briefly abashed, moving to step into the hallway and close the door to my office. She focuses on me. “Navin, it’s been a long time."
Over the past twelve months I’ve watched hundreds of Anna’s news clips. There’s something different I