Page 47 of Presidential Bargain
Jameson was immediately greeted by his father, who was only an inch shorter than Jameson. He had thick salt-and-pepper hair that I imagined was once jet-black like his son’s. The two men looked similar; they both had the same slim, pointed nose and bright, icy blue eyes. Jameson’s Cheshire cat grin came from his mother, who looked like the cat ate the canary; she was positively bursting at the seams with happiness. Ruth Martin was fairly tall as well; she stood a good two or three inches above me. She had rich chestnut-brown hair that she wore in a stylish pixie cut. She was slim and didn’t look anywhere close to her latesixties.
“Georgie, this is mydad,Sam.”
I extended my hand but prepared to be enveloped in another hug. Jameson’s father took my hand and held it gently in between his two largerhands.
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Georgie,” he saidtome.
“Thank you, I’m happy to finally meet you bothatlast.”
“Let’s not stand around in the foyer. Dinner is hot and ready for us on the table.” Ruth motioned to a room just off the foyer and we all turned andfollowedher.
Jameson’s family home was cozy and inviting. The foyer was large with a massive staircase protruding into the space with two rooms, the dining room and formal living room, off to either side. The dining room was painted a rich, deep red with white wainscoting breaking up the bold shade. Thick crown molding finished out the space, and two bay windows made the room feelspacious.
We all sat down, with Jameson’s dad at the head of the table and his mother at the opposite end, and we sat across from each other. I couldn’t remember the last family meal I had shared with my own parents. In fact, it had been quite some time since I was last around family of any kind. For the past few years, I was completely alone. Now I had a fiancé and I was sitting in his family home, about to have dinner with his parents. It was entirely too much for me to endure right now, in addition to fighting with Jameson and learning that someone recorded something so intimate and raw between us, then sold it to the highestbidder.
I bolted from the table, unable to hold back the tears, and disappeared behind a door in the dining room. I had no idea where it led. I ended up in the large kitchen, standing in front of a wall completely made up of windows. I stared out at the backyard, watching it continue to rain. I fidgeted nervously with my hands and let tears stream downmyface.
“Are you okay?” Ruth’s kind voice came from behind and I felt a warm hand on myshoulder.
“I’m sorry. I lost my parents a few years ago, and I haven’t been around family much since then. It got a littleoverwhelming.”
“I’m sorry about your parents.” She rubbed my back in small circles like any normal mother would do for an upset child. “You and Jameson seem a littledistant.”
How could she have possibly picked up on that? We hadn’t even been in the house forverylong.
“It wasn’t a good day for eitherofus.”
“I understand. Sam and I have seenthenews.”
I buried my face in my hands. Oh, God! His parents knew! It was absolutely humiliating to stand in front of Jameson’s mother, knowing she had most likely seen her son having sex. And we didn’t just have plain old vanilla missionary-style, which still would be just as embarrassing. No, it was the down and dirty carnal variety; the kind of sex where you don’t care much because all you really cared about was being connected to theperson.
“I’m sorry it happened.” I removed my hands from my face and wiped the wetness from my cheeks. “I’m sorry you had toseethat.”
“I’m actually worried about you.” She placed firm hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. “I know Jameson is my son, but you’re a part of his life now. I worry about how all of this isaffectingyou.”
“Honestly? I’m scared that one day, Jameson will wake up and realize he doesn’t need me anymore. You have no idea how lonely the past few years have been.Hehas no idea how lonely I’ve been. Now, I have everything I didn’t know I wanted, and he has this awesome power to take itallaway.”
“You have to tell him, Georgie.” Ruth led me over to a small table that sat in a corner of the kitchen. She took my hands in hers and continued, “Did you know that Sam and I met on a Friday night and were married thenextday?”
“What?” I was shocked. Was it even possible to know a person was ‘the one’ after only twenty-fourhours?
“It’s true. He had just finished Officer Candidate School and was getting ready for his first tour in Vietnam. He told me he didn’t want to die alone. If he was going to die in the jungle, then he wanted someone in the States tomournhim.”
“Oh my God.” I couldn’t believe what Ruth was sharing with me and I was sad that Jameson hadn’t told me this information himself. Then again, there was still so much about each other that was unknown. There was still so much todiscover.
“My point is that Sam and I wouldn’t have lasted so long together without communication. Sam was gone for an entire year before I saw him again. We spent twelve months writing letters to each other. Our letters were very boring most of the time, but a few letters were extremely intimate. If anyone else read them, I would have been mortified. I would still be mortified, actually. So, I know a little bit about how you feelrightnow.”
“Thank you so much for telling me allofthis.”
“You’re a part of ourfamilynow.”
Sam poked his head in the doorway, breaking the heavy tension in the room. “Dinner is getting cold,” he announced informally, as if Ruth and I hadn’t just finished an intenseconversation.
“We will be right there.” Ruth smiled lovingly at her husband and he winked back at her. Their silent communication was what I eventually wanted with Jameson. I wanted to have the quiet, comfortable affection that his parentsclearlyhad.
“I made Jameson’s favorite, braised short ribs, and I highly doubt he’ll wait much longer before devouring them.” Another piece of the Jameson puzzle fell into place. We both stood and she embraced me in a tight hug, then gave me a look; the kind that a mother would give to herdaughter.
My dad scowledat methe moment Georgie bolted from the table and cleared the doorway. A moment later, my mother excused herself to check on Georgie. I sat there with my father, in an uncomfortablesilence.
