Free Shades of Shame (Semper Fi) by Laura Cooper, Christopher Cooper Page A

laughter.  It was a sound she could live with forever.  But Leila wasn’t a teenager with her first crush; she’d had great sex before.  Okay she had to admit that she’d never had sex quite like that before but still, she had to maintain some semblance of normalcy.  She had to remind herself that love was a luxury for those who didn’t mind languishing at the bottom of the food chain.  Instantly she convinced herself that Logan couldn’t take her where she wanted to be…in the White House.  Her mind was now taking sides against her, she wanted this man more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life…or did she?  She finally broke the growing silence by patting his leg.  As he stood her up on her feet again she said, “C’mon, let’s grab a shower!”
     

Coffee?  Really?
    It was strange to be awake at this hour, especially on a Sunday, she thought.  Leila swung her legs over the edge of the bed and wiped her eyes.  7:15 a.m. blinked furiously on the alarm clock next to her bed.  What was even stranger was the smell of freshly brewing coffee and the faint sounds of someone rustling around in the kitchen.  No way , she thought with panic.
    Leila pulled her hair back into a haphazard pony tail and slipped her feet into giant fuzzy slippers as she made her way down the stairs.  Her mother was at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper.  Patricia Johnson looked as though she was the cat who’d eaten the canary.  “Good morning, Mother.  I thought you were in Boston with Elise?”  What had she heard?  Logan had finally left at around four in the morning; they hadn’t bothered to be quiet because they were sure no one was home!
    “Good morning, Leila,” she said, without even bothering to look up from her paper.  “Coffee is ready, and there are fresh bagels in the pantry.”  Leila took notice that her mother had already put on her make-up and was dressed to go out.
    “Morning.  Why are we up so early?” Leila mumbled in response.  What she really wanted to ask was why the fuck are you here and what do you know ?
    “There have been some developments in District 2, and we’ve all have to cut our weekend short I’m afraid.  I didn’t think you be moving before noon, after being up so late.”
    “I’m sorry, Mother.  I thought you were in Boston.  Did I disturb you last night?”
    “Not at all.  In fact, I barely heard you two.  Of course I only came in around two in the morning,” she said, her crooked little smile barely covered by the fine bone china coffee cup she pressed to her lips.  She raised an eyebrow and winked, as if to give her approval.  “I trust Logan had a good time?”
    “Mother!” Leila said, feigning protest.  “Really?”
    Patricia chuckled under her breath.  “I think it’s absolutely perfect.”
    “You would.”  Leila was beyond humiliated that her mother had been home for at least part of last night.
    “So, you gonna tell me?” Patricia posed defiantly on her kitchen chair.  She wanted, no needed to know just how serious this was between her daughter and Logan.  If there was going to be some kind of backlash at the office from jealous interns, she wanted to be a step ahead.
    “Tell you what?”
    “Gonna see him again?”
    Leila shot the most disapproving look she could muster, shook her head and sipped her coffee.  “Mistake.  Bad mistake.”  It didn’t matter what Leila really felt about last night, the bottom line was that Logan didn’t fit into her plans.  There was no need for her mother to exaggerate the matter and make it into something more than what it was:  Leila and Logan having a good time.  Besides, the thought of making her mother happy or excited about anything turned her stomach.
    “I think it’s perfect.  He’s grown into quite a handsome young man.”
    Leila laughed to herself; yeah he has… grown that is .  “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Mother.  Besides, I