Madame President - Tara Sue Me Page 0,9

as possible. Now, all I can think is I’ve lost the last opportunity I’ll ever have to be close to her again. I want to rage against that thought. It couldn’t have been my last chance. Fate can’t hate me enough to bring her back into my life only to yank her back out.

Her being single was surprisingly not a major deciding factor in most people’s minds when evaluating the Presidential candidates, at least according to GBNC’s data, but I assume her advisors wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for a few good PR shots at the balls by pairing her up with someone. It came as no surprise when it was announced recently her escort for the evening was Captain Jackson Phillips. Jackson grew up in the foster system and bounced around from house to house until he turned eighteen and enlisted in the Navy. He’d served our country bravely for over twenty years. Until around a month ago, when he’d almost single handedly stopped an armed robbery at a bank the week before Christmas, and was shot in the chest twice by the suspect.

There were holdups, misfiled papers, and massive amounts of red tape to get through in order for his benefits to kick in. Jackson called everyone he knew and quite a few people he didn’t before eventually making it to one of Anna’s staff members. Needless to say, when Anna heard of his plight, she stepped in and got it taken care of.

I know all of this because I interviewed Jackson last week. And that’s not where his story ends. Because, yes, it has a happy ending, and yes, Anna’s ensuring that those who serve their country are not overlooked by that same country, but that’s not why everyone will be watching coverage of the Inaugural Balls tonight.

No, tonight will be the most watched ball because of what happened next. Anna flew to Tennessee to ensure Jackson had everything he needed. He said he did, and he thanked her. That should have been the end of the story. Closed. Done with. All’s well that ends well.

But it wasn’t. Not by a long shot.

Before she could leave, Jackson just happened to mention that if she didn’t have anyone to escort her to the Inaugural Ball, it’d be his honor to do so.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he said during our interview. “I just had this thought of, you’ll never know if you don’t ask.”

After word about her upcoming date went public, Anna laughed and said Jackson was the only man who’d asked. She doesn’t mention that she had asked someone and had been turned down. No, of course not.

Jackson is a nice enough looking guy, I suppose. He’ll be in his dress uniform tonight and that always tips the good looks scale in your favor. It’s very easy to know they’ll look beautiful together. Then, just in case being beautiful isn’t enough, throw in the fact that she’s President and he’s a national hero. Even people who had opinions about her being single before are a lot less vocal now that they heard he would escort her for the night. Seriously, if her campaign went out looking for a guy, they would never dream of landing one so perfect.

Anna’s probably happy now that I turned her down. She’ll get more positive press from attending with Jackson than she would with me. That alone should make me feel better.

It doesn’t.

Chapter Eight

Her

Inauguration Night

Washington DC

There is no way to adequately prepare oneself to being sworn in as the POTUS. None. It’s an eerie feeling as I realize there are only five people currently alive who have felt the way I do standing on the grounds of the Capital Building moments before taking my oath of office. Five. I met four of them today, the fifth is at home and under hospice care. The other four men who held this position before me are pleasant to my face, but I get the impression I’m an outsider in their eyes.

Though I’m surrounded by people, I feel indefinitely alone, yet I’m not lonely. It’s odd to gaze out over the sea of people gathered to watch, knowing only a little more than half voted for me. Likewise, I’d be lying to say I don’t feel former Vice President Roberts’s eyes burning a hole in my back.

Following my win, there were rumors he wanted to demand a recount, but someone talked him out of it. In some stories, it’s his wife, and in