Page 38 of Senator

I nodded again and followed Mary through a back hallway in the basement of the hotel. After clearing two more hallways and climbing three sets of stairs, we reached a room guarded by six Secret Service agents. One of them nodded to Mary and then opened the door.

I followed Mary inside to find more agents in the corners of the classical French-designed room and the striking first lady sitting by the fireplace while sipping a cup of tea. Her long blond hair was tucked into a loose but stylish bun and her baby-blue day suit accentuated her fit form. She was anything but an aging woman in her early sixties. She had the appearance and physique of a woman twenty years younger. The only things that showed her years were her green eyes. They were filled with knowledge and sadness.

“Mrs. Edgar, thank you for meeting with me.” I offered her my hand, and she stood, taking it.

“Jacinta, it is so good to see you.” She kissed my cheeks, released my hand, and gestured to a seat next to her. “Come sit. We have a lot to go through in a short amount of time.”

I took my place in the antique armchair and pulled out two folders, handing one to the first lady and placing the other one on my lap. “These are the logistics we discussed in detail. It has the timeline of negotiations Ms. Zain was involved in, as well as everyone she encountered. We’ve put in a date that we suggest you say was when you became involved in the No Bride project.”

“Since Mary was part of the planning, I’m sure it is exactly what I requested. It’s a shame Ms. Zain isn’t here—I would have loved to meet the legend in person. However, I completely understand her wanting to keep the spotlight away from us.”

“Once you make the announcement that No Bride will become your project, it will take the president’s focus off her and end the push for a probe into her actions.”

A frown touched her face. “Henry has a way of turning the scrutiny away from his actions and toward those of others. I should know—he threw me to the media and had them question why I accepted his infidelity, instead of admitting he was wrong.” There was a bitterness laced with sadness in her tone that made me want to hug her.

I remembered a recent conservative news broadcaster who said the first lady was a terrible role model to young women for putting up with the president’s affair. I couldn’t believe the reporter’s words. He completely ignored the fact she was a victim of the situation and tried to make her a villain.

“It is easy to criticize when they aren’t in your shoes. We live in a world of double standards.”

“Thank you for that.” She patted my hand. “Now let’s get to the nitty gritty and finalize how we’re going to stick it to my husband and come out smelling like roses.”

I laughed and started detailing every step of the next few weeks.

* * *

A few daysafter my meeting with the first lady, Trisha walked into the living room of my DC townhouse with a large bouquet of roses and a gift box.

“Senator, these arrived for you.”

“Who are they from?” I asked, but I knew who sent them. If there was one thing Kevin was good at, it was remembering special days. Plus, he was due any minute to take me out to dinner.

“It says a secret admirer.” She smiled.

I frowned. Kevin never addressed himself like that. If he were going to write anything, it would be something with a bit of humor, like, “From your sexy frog turned prince.”

I stood up from my couch, placing my book on the side table, and moved toward Trisha. “Set them on the coffee table.”

“I have to say you are one lucky lady with Kevin Stanton. He’s gorgeous, successful, and adores you. He’s going to make this birthday special.”

I nodded and picked up the card, seeing it was the exact message Trisha had said. Then I opened the gift. As the paper came loose, my heart began to pound into my ears.

Oh God, he wouldn’t. I reached in and pulled out a ruby-and-diamond-encrusted key. Tears filled my eyes as the memory of something Veer had said to me years ago when we were friends and nothing more surfaced.

The one I fall in love with will hold the key to my heart until the day I die. Even if we go our separate ways, she will be the only one for me.

My fingers shook around the pendant. Veer had known I’d remember. I remembered everything.

Oh, Veer.

“Wow. That’s the Tiffany Keys Round Star pendant. It’s like fifteen thousand dollars.”

I remained quiet, staring at the gems twinkling against the light.

Trisha must have picked up on my melancholy because she set her hand over mine. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed it was from Mr. Stanton.”

“It’s okay.”

“If it makes you feel better, Governor George isn’t doing much better without you.”

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