Diplomatic Affairs (Book II of the BWWM Political Series)

Oliver

"She's not coming back", Anne Katherine said from the doorway of my office, making her presence known.

I closed the photo of Lucille that I had been looking at on the desktop computer.

"Do you need something?", I asked her.

"I'm just wondering when I can have my husband back", she said approaching my desk. "Lucille used you and then she left you high and dry but I'm still here", she said, "and I always will be."

I looked up at her, my face furrowed in confusion.

"Let's become as powerful as we can be together", she proposed. "I get it. She was cute, young, and exotic but now she's gone. It's time to move on."

When I gave her a weird look she went on.

"I know it will take time for you to trust me again but this partnership could work out for us. We can be like Bill and Hillary, without the sex scandals of course. And that means you need to keep it in your pants."

She couldn't have been serious. Anne Katherine nearly ruined me more than once. I would never fully trust her in a million years. But, if I play this right and always stay one step ahead, that won't matter.

I got up from my chair and walked over to her. I pushed her blonde hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. "You're right."

I kissed her lips and when she tried to deepen the kiss I pulled away. I felt disgusted.

"I need time", I said, instead of saying what was really on my mind which was the realization that I was in no way attracted to my wife anymore.

All I wanted to focus on was making Noah proud by being a better father to him and make Lucille proud by becoming the governor she knew I could be.

THREE YEARS LATER...

"You're watching the Breakdown with LBJ. Before the break I introduced one of the president's biggest supporters, Pastor Simon Daniels."

The older white man nodded at the camera.

Lucille got right down to it.

"So to continue our conversation about this senate candidate, what you're telling me is you would still vote for this man if he admitted to having sexual relations with an underage girl?"

I took a swig of whiskey from my glass. I rarely got to watch it live, but there isn't an episode of Lucille's snow that I haven't seen. Watching her go after all these scamming politicians and their supporters is soothing. She really lives up to being a member of the "fourth" branch of he government.

"You people are always trying to twist my words. I never said that!", the man rebutted. "The dishonest media have given evangelicals like myself a bad name and I don't think that's very fair."

Lucille shook her head. "I'm going to stop you right there. I haven't given anyone a 'bad name.' If someone has a negative opinion of you it's because of your own views and opinions and propaganda. I give my viewers the facts and I let them form their own opinions. Take some responsibility for your actions. As a matter of fact, cut his mic."

I could see her motioning to someone off camera.

"We'll take a quick commercial break but we'll be right back with more of the Breakdown with LBJ."

I shut my laptop. I had a lot to think about. My first term was coming to an end but another opportunity was in clear view.

Senator James Murphy of Tennessee, who locked in the Democratic presidential nomination, has requested a meeting with me. Pundits think he's looking at me as his running mate.