Free The Reluctant First Lady by Venita Ellick

been told by past presidents was true. After the surge of euphoria and adrenaline rush on election night, there came a tremendous emotional crash. He simply hadn’t anticipated it being so dramatic, but then he’d never factored Ashley’s untimely declaration to the world into the equation either.
    Surely tomorrow would bring more optimism back into his life. He wasn’t prone to moodiness. This blip on the wavelength of his emotions was strictly an anomaly. He fell asleep on the sofa, acknowledging somewhere in his brain he should get up, pack, and check out of the hotel.
    He awoke with a start. He jumped up and banged his shin on the coffee table, causing him to fall as he grabbed his leg. The next thing he knew his Secret Service agents, who had heard the crash, were standing over him, some guarding him, others swinging their flashlights and guns around the darkened room to assess the situation.
    “Are you okay, sir?” One of the agents asked, switching on a table lamp.
    “I’m fine. I fell asleep on the sofa, woke up with a start, and bumped into the coffee table. About the only thing hurt is my pride. I don’t usually get so disoriented coming out of a deep sleep. Thanks for checking, but it’s definitely a false alarm.”
    “No problem, sir. Is there anything we can get for you?”
    “No, but thanks.”
    “Then we’ll be right outside if you need us.”
    Michael checked his watch; it was 5:00 a.m. He couldn’t believe he’d slept straight through the night on the sofa. It was a little earlier than he normally started his day, but he might as well get to work.
    He knew Ed would be up and eager to show him the latest headlines and any feedback from yesterday’s press conference. He hoped today’s news would be more encouraging, but he didn’t harbor any unrealistic expectations. Ashley was completely misguided in her belief that she could step away from the spotlight. She would be more famous, more sought-after now than ever, but her attitude was always the same: “Maybe, but at least I’ll be working at something I love.”
    Some of the traits that had attracted Michael to Ashley were her wit and humor and how tenacious and strong-willed she was. Now some of those same characteristics were causing him immeasurable harm. He’d never cared for clinging-vine females. Too much upkeep. No, he preferred someone who could carry her own weight. However, this time, Ashley had carried things too far. Despite the trouble and controversy her decision was causing him, he didn’t want her with him if she didn’t want to be there. He wanted her to want to share the White House experience with him. But if this is the way she wanted it, then fine. He’d manage without her, once he got past all of the fallout and put the director of protocol position in place.
    Michael glanced at his watch as he called Ed’s cell. “Good morning. Sorry for the early call. I got up earlier than normal. I’m still at the hotel; I didn’t make it to my apartment. I fell asleep where I dropped last night. I need to check out, and then I’d like to meet with you and Jack around nine at the office. I’d like to hear the feedback from yesterday’s press conference, and I want to get moving on the director of protocol position.”
    “Great. I’ll get in touch with Jack, and we’ll see you there.” Ed hung up.
    At nine o’clock, Jack handed a copy to both Michael and Ed of the synopsis he’d put together of the media’s reaction to yesterday’s press conference.
    “As you might expect, everyone is still in shock over Ashley’s position. There’s a lot of division among the various factions. Most of the newspaper editorials are pretty predictable. The older, more established conservative publications are outraged. They’re crucifying Ashley for walking away from her responsibilities. The more liberal publications are debating the merits of the First Lady role and are giving Ashley a lot of leeway. Have you seen any