The President's Wife - Kathy Myme Page 0,80

have my deepest apologies for that. I was doing what I believed to be necessary. Instead, I violated the nation’s trust.”

I can practically hear the hissing and screeching of people reacting to this. Forget Netflix. It has more twists and turns than a HBO drama.

“But I’d also like to talk about something else.” David sits even straighter in his chair if such a thing is possible.

Is he going to resign? I hadn’t believed it, but he looks so serious. He really might do it.

“Over the last few weeks, the working relationship I’ve had with Veronica has changed into something else,” David says, looking directly into the camera. “What started as a cover story grew into… something more. Something real. I’m deeply, madly in love with her and I can’t pretend to hide it for a moment longer.”

I stop. The world stops.

What is he doing? This isn’t what he should be saying. Surely none of his fancy PR people have advised him to go ahead with this plan. He should be denouncing me, surely. Saying that I seduced him into stupidity, maybe, or that I conspired to bring down the nation somehow.

Not this.

And yet I can’t look away.

“As president, I have had to do a fair share of publicity in my time,” David continues. “I’m sure that I will be judged for what I’m saying now. There will be headlines about me that aren’t flattering. Headlines that tell me I need to resign.”

Tears fall from my eyes, although I can’t work out exactly why. David...

“I’ll be honest with you, America,” he says. “I haven’t slept in days. I’ve spent the last few nights wondering what I should do. My advisors have been clear with me. According to them, I should denounce my relations with Veronica Waters and make her out to be the guilty party in all of this.”

David bangs a fist down on the desk.

“Never again,” he swears. “America, I’m used to getting what I want. But I understand there may be a cost. So… if losing my job as president is what it takes to win the woman I love, then I’m prepared to lose everything.”

“David,” I whisper, although I know he can’t hear me. I have no idea what I want to say to him right now. A part of me wants to stop him, to try to make him see what he’s giving up. But mostly I just want to jump into his arms.

“So to make things clear…” He coughs. “This whole affair has been brought on by the meddling of the media. Veronica Waters and I were never previously in a relationship. We are not engaged.”

I have no idea where this is going. David is holding a lot of cards close to his chest. How exactly is he going to spin this? It doesn’t look good for him. If anything, this is more a confession than an attempt to save his job.

“But…” The camera zooms out, away from David’s desk. “I’d like to change that.”

Slowly and carefully, the President stands up. But after getting to his feet and walking around the desk, he sinks back down again.

Except this time… he’s down on one knee.

“Veronica Waters,” he says softly. “If you’re out there somewhere, watching this… will you marry me?”

David

For what seems like the second time in a matter of months, I’ve achieved the impossible.

First, I won the election from outside the two-party system. Second, I won the woman of my dreams.

The press are having an absolute field day with the proposal. Some channels are just running it on loop, and others are reporting record levels of approval for me. Not that it really matters, but it is a nice touch.

Veronica called me, minutes after that press conference. “Yes,” she had said, her voice still echoing in my head. She was going to marry me. And then she got on the first plane she could back to DC.

I’m waiting at the airport for her, in the arrivals lounge. It feels a little silly, the way everyone is watching me, but I don’t care. I just want to be with her as soon as I can.

The Secret Service has pushed people back to give me some breathing room, but the crowd is still extremely hyped up. People are calling out to me, congratulations and thanks. One guy even shouted that he was going to propose to his girlfriend thanks to me, which I must admit is a new experience.

Then the doors open, and people start to come out.