Page 58 of Mister President

“Technically, it wouldn’t be cheating because Ryan and I aren’t together. He’s actually leaving tomorrow so...” Her smile wavered slightly as she shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Mandy. Our shit aside, I could tell you really liked him.”

“Yeah…Maybe in a different world, we could have had something special.”

When the light returned to her eyes, I smiled and pulled her closer. “And in this world?”

“My heart belongs to you…even though I don’t want it to.”

After placing a kiss on my cheek, she pushed my arms down and got in the car.

“Thank you, Amanda. Seriously. I needed to hear that.”

I needed her. Needed her in my home, even if we were in different rooms. I didn’t know what led her to stay last night, but I was glad she did.

“No thanks needed. I told you I got you always.”

The wink she shot me made me smile a little bit wider as I closed her door.

Today was definitely going to be a good day.

33

Amanda

A Week Later

As EJ lay against me,I caressed his head. He’d fallen asleep, reminding me of the days when he was a little baby. He was getting so tall now, and I finally felt like those mothers who said their child would always be their baby.

Since Elias and Fiona broke up and Ryan left, we’d been spending more time together as a family. For us both, I think it was healing parts of our hearts that were in desperate need of love and acceptance. It was his week to have EJ, but he told me to pack a bag and come too. I didn’t mind since the only thing I planned on doing was finishing a few lessons for the coaching program I’d started. I loved that it was something I’d not only be able to use to help women but the girls on my dance team too. The year was nearing its end, which meant I’d be back with my girls in March.

At the sound of Elias’s low rumble of laughter, I looked up. His head shook at the sight of EJ. Instead of waking him up andtelling him to go get in bed, Elias picked him up and carried him to his room.

When Elias returned, he sat next to me on the couch, taking his son’s place. It made me chuckle because they were so much alike, and I ended up rubbing his head the same way.

“You look beautiful,” he said, catching me off guard. “I like this studious look on you. Passion on you. Purpose on you. Is there anything I can do to help? You said you wanted me to be your mentor, but you haven’t really given me an in. Is that intentional?”

That was true. I meant it when I’d asked him for help, but it was hard for me to actually take it. We were great partners with EJ, and I allowed him to do whatever he wanted for me when it came to raising our son, but when it involved anything else, my independence took over. I set the papers on the coffee table, and we turned slightly to face each other. As soon as I looked at him, he smiled, and that made me blush. I wasn’t sure what it was about men and women with glasses and buns, but the attraction was insane.

“Do I need to take these off so you can pay attention to what I say?” I teased.

“You take them glasses off and it’s gon’ be a problem.”

I covered my face for a moment as I sniggled and composed myself. Elias had always been attracted to me, but it was different when it went beyond my body and sex. When he expressed attraction or even appreciation for my mind, heart, dreams, or character, it hit me in a different place.

“I meant it when I asked you to be my mentor and coach, but you know I’m hyper-independent. It’s hard for me to actually let you in to help, even though I want to.”

“I can take the initiative if you’re going to be able to receive my help.”

The way he worded that made me really pause and consider his words before I answered.

“I believe I can. I want this endeavor to be successful, and with you involved, I know it will be.”

“First…give yourself credit. I know I used to joke with you about it, but you had goals when you were stripping, and you came up with a plan to execute them. You didn’t want to do that forever, so you came up with your target audience and the clientele you would need to reach your financial goal. It’s the literal same thing as that. All you need is a blueprint, and there’s no doubt in my mind that you will succeed.”

“Thank you.” My tone was modest, but I truly appreciated his words. I told him a bit more about my plans, which led to him saying…

“Aight, so from the sound of it, we need to come up with a business plan. You already have a rough mission statement and target audience, but we’ll need to define both. After that, we can come up with actionable steps that will help you meet your goals. I think the first thing you need to put on the top of that list is getting an assistant and social media manager. You’ll have a lot on your plate, and time management will be essential.”

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