Free William's Tale by Regina Morris Page A

thought, especially since she still eyed the cheesecake on the counter.
    She didn’t even get into her second bite of food before her cell phone rang. The familiar tune from Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” sounded, so she knew it was Steve. Damn it. Of course he wanted to talk with her, but she wasn't about to pick up the phone. That football couch had obviously received his invite to the party. Last year they went in matching costumes and had even won the auction for a date–night dinner at an elite restaurant in town.
    The song stopped playing, and now a text came in.
    She stared at the phone, not even tempted to answer it. He could leave her messages, and maybe she'd read and listen to them later.
    She pushed the salad aside and reached for the cheesecake and dove in. Steve was just a loser, not worthy of her time. But, she did enjoy having someone to talk to, to touch, and to be held by. She nearly finished the cake when something on the TV caught her eye. The broadcast was a presidential briefing at the White House.
    She turned up the volume and realized that it wasn’t a huge news conference, like the state of the union address, but a small press release. Standing near the podium was the agent she had met a few months ago, William. She sighed heavily as she took in the sight of him. Clean shaven, expensive suit cut to fit him perfectly, and she bet he was packing a weapon. Yeah, she thought that to be incredibly sexy.
    She bit her lip as she thought what else he might be packing under that suit. She had thought of him often over the last few months, and not necessarily in a choir–girl sort of way. The camera scanned with a closeup and his doe–soft brown eyes were highlighted on her TV set. Her breath caught when she saw them up close. He appeared sensitive and secure, yet strong and forceful.
    That man was just the whole package. She licked her lips. How soft were William's lips? How passionately did he kiss?
    Next, the President was announced and he walked up to the podium. He wore a sweater instead of a suit jacket, the kind of sweater her father and Mr. Rogers from the old children’s show always wore. It gave the man a fatherly image as he began speaking. She listened as he gave a short speech about family values and living the American dream. He then denounced the allegations that he was having an affair with an intern — claiming to love his wife too much to put her through such stress. The details of the affair indicated it happened several months ago, and that the intern was dismissed from the White House due to the rumors she may have been pregnant.
    Jackie's eyes rolled. Even the President couldn't keep it in his pants! Why were all men after just one thing, and one thing only? And once they got what they wanted, they looked for something different? Jackie never thought she'd have something in common with the First Lady, but here it was.
    A short video of a very slender twenty–something year old intern refusing to talk with the press aired on the television. Jackie studied the young, slim woman. She was either a home–wrecker or a naive girl believing the President would toss everything aside just for her. A book deal would probably come soon enough. Her thin waist indicated to Jackie that the woman wasn’t pregnant, so soon the intern’s fifteen minutes of fame would most likely end.
    Jackie scowled as the President ended the announcement and left the press room. She always liked the First Lady, and, even though she didn’t like the budget cuts her husband’s administration was doing, Jackie hoped the woman would find happiness in whatever she decided to do.
    A tear rolled down Jackie's cheek and a heaviness settled upon her heart. Why did love have to be so complicated? It was supposed to be that you meet the love of your life and grow old with them. Someone to always be there for you. Someone in sickness and in health. Someone… someone to hold you in their arms as you lay dying.
    She set