The President's Wife - Kathy Myme Page 0,15

The time I could be using to get a leg up in studying or my career.

But then again, I’m not usually the main event. I pull up the ‘trending’ section of the app to see #InternGate trending at #1 all over the world. When I click on it, it shows me hundreds of posts people are making. The number grows by the second.

@PatriciaxSue: Can’t BELIEVE some nobody intern has gotten her hands on the President! Hope somebody fires her ass xx

@AceSmithy9: ahahaha, the Prez is getting some #ShepIsTheMan

@GirlonLine544: Listen, i’m all 4 President Shep (he IS hot) but he needs to stay away from women like that lmao

God, I’m tired. I don’t mean to fall asleep, but when my head sinks into the pillow I don’t fight it. Right now, I’d rather be anywhere but here.

David

“Alright, does anyone else have any ideas?” I ask, looking around the room with what I can only assume is a rather stern glare.

No one responds. I can’t blame them, it’s not an easy situation and there’s no easy answer.

Also, I may have snapped slightly at the intern who suggested we try and cover things up by straight-up lying to the press and denying the photo was legitimate. I’ll have to remember to send them a note tomorrow and make sure they didn’t take things too personally.

It was an understandable suggestion at first glance. We could tell the press anything really, but if we get caught in a lie things will go from bad to worse. Or perhaps disastrous to presidency-ending bad. A denial such as that would be easy to disprove, and I seriously doubt anyone would believe it in the first place.

I look down at the photo print-out again. The man is certainly me. My face is far too clear to deny that. Part of me wonders who took it and from where. There’s something about it, the angle and viewpoint, that’s bugging me... but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

My thoughts are interrupted by someone raising their hand.

“Yes,” I say.

“We could just ignore it,” Miss Robertson suggests. “And distract the press with something bigger, and then in a few days quietly slip out a press release explaining it was a mistake or bad camera angle.”

I nod slowly. “Do we have anything big to release?”

I’m skeptical, to say the least. The gossip columns don’t care about policy announcements. What they care about is selling their trash.

And the one thing that sells better than anything else is a good scandal. Especially presidential scandals. Especially presidential sex scandals. And this is something they are definitely twisting to fit that exact mould.

“We’ve got a few new Treasury policy updates,” she replies, checking her notes.

“No one gives a shit about them,” I reply. “The headlines are all going to be talking about this scandal unless we give them something even bigger to talk about.”

Not only would it have to be bigger news, but also positive for me. I’m sure I could get a bigger headline by resigning overnight, but that would defeat the entire point of a distraction.

Miss Robertson nods and leans back in her chair. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything else.”

I sigh. I can’t blame her, but it’s still disappointing. I try to rack my brains for another distraction.

Half the problem is that any announcements we make will be a very obvious attempt to distract the press. And that fact would very much be mentioned in whatever articles they print.

There is still one other option. “Okay, what do we think about denying any wrongdoing, apologizing for the mistake and hoping this all evaporates over the next news cycle?”

I look around the room as the people think. I don’t like the idea. It’s far too risky giving up our control on the narrative and hoping things blow over. But honestly, I’m struggling to see a better option.

It also gives my enemies far too much ammunition to use against me. I can see the attack ads for the next election already.

‘Do you really want to re-elect President Shep-perv for another term?’

‘Protect Americans from President Shepard’s groping hands.’

But it might be the only way. Sure it’s kicking the problem down the road, but if I’m impeached now then the next election doesn’t matter.

“I’ve talked to some focus groups,” Mr Andrews says. “And an apology comes across as an admission of guilt for the majority of people.”

I frown again. Being straight and honest with people is my preferred course of action, but it’s clear that it just