“Well, that was a long time ago. I’m sorry for your loss, Malcolm. I’ll give you Chase’s address at college and you can meet him. He knows about you.”
“Thank you. I’d like that.” He smiles at me and my panties melt. Fuck…
“I… um… I read over your service record, the parts that were public information anyway. You are the best candidate and you are undecided. I think that will appeal to voters of both parties; therefore, I’d like for you to be my vice-president. What do you think?”
“You want me to be your vice president?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
“I do, Malcolm. Can we set aside the past, you know, for America? I need your military expertise. I know it’s not customary, but I would be relying on you heavily to help me with matters pertaining to the military or God forbid, war. I was in the National Guard but I was in cyber security. Trust me, I know my limitations and I know when to ask for help.”
He stares at me for a full minute before saying anything.
“Of course, Larissa. I would never turn down an opportunity to serve my country but know this, I will never forget the night we shared. A twenty-year misunderstanding aside, you gave yourself to me when you gave me your cherry, Larissa. I’ll be taking back what I lost. Now, when do we get started? If you recall, I do love it when you’re on top.”
Oh. My. God. This is going to be hard, no pun intended.
two
Malcolm
My mind is blown right now. I have a son. A grown son at that. The whole day has been a whirlwind. Last night, I received a call from Larissa’s people asking me to come and meet with her. I had no idea what the governor of Maryland and the democratic presidential candidate wanted with me. I didn’t even know her last name, so I didn’t put two and two together until I was sitting in the waiting area outside of her office. Her portrait, with the American and Maryland flags behind her, stared back at me. I had arrived twenty minutes early. Her assistant gave me a cup of coffee and asked me to have a seat. Then I saw the portrait and that night, the night that’s never far from my mind came flooding back to me. Her little moans as I took her over and over again. I know I fucked up and fell in love that night. Fucked up because I let her get out of my bed without tying her to me, though it seems that I did that. It both breaks and warms my heart to know she raised my son on her own all the while reaching for the stars.
Armed with my son’s address, I board a plane back to California, secret service in tow already. I grew up in Los Angeles about twenty minutes from where he goes to school. I plan to go to my parent’s house, which has been boarded up since my mom died, and see if I can figure out if my mom kept the letters. She was a hoarder and kept everything, I can’t imagine she’d toss out my mail.
Seeing Larissa after all these years was harder than I thought. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of her. She got under my skin that night. There was never a woman before or after her. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Why mess with perfection? She looks amazing, as gorgeous as she was twenty years ago, if not even more so.
I didn’t want to leave her office but just knowing I’d be spending the next few months by her side made it bearable. I was stationed all over the world, never home for more than a few days. I didn’t have my own place after Arlington because I was never there. When I did come home I went to my parent’s place which was in California so I didn’t know where to find Larissa. She didn’t have social media that I could find without her last name nor was her phone number any help.
Knocking on Chase’s frat house door was nerve-racking. I stand on the porch waiting for the door to open. I never went to college, but I imagine that I would have joined a fraternity.
“Can I help you?” a girl, wearing nothing but a bikini and a smile answers the door.
“I’m looking for Chase.”
“Swanson or Reynolds?” she asks.
“Reynolds,” I say in awe that she gave our boy my last name.
“Sure thing. Come in. Reynolds! Door!” she shouts and then walks away from the foyer. Though stumbles may be a better description.
“You a cop?” a male voice asks from behind me. “We kept it down last night and I checked IDs personally.”