The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Forty Four

Aileen's P.O.V
Eight months ago

Thank god secret service can keep secrets. The amount around us now, they'd have to. Marisol and I have both gotten to the point of just being tired and needing a break. We've been going constantly for years and it's finally caught up with us.

Though we probably won't get another break ever with the jobs we hold, we're going to savor every second of this one. Almost four days on a private island near Hawaii. The new nanny'll be paid extra for watching those wild ass kids for four whole days and three nights. We sit now, on the balcony of the island's home, eating breakfast.

Dating the Vice President does have its benefits. You never have to worry about their safety. You get fed by a five star chef whenever you're around them, and get to vacation places like this. The island itself could be lived on easily, with all of the off grid features and the huge garden. It's large enough that you'd never run out of places to explore and things to do in one day, but small enough that you couldn't get lost. Close enough to Honolulu that you could get to normal civilization quickly if you needed to, but plenty far away enough that you could sun bathe on the beach and not be seen by anybody.

The sunrise view alone is enough to make somebody want to live here, if any of the other stuff wasn't. She bought the island shortly after Kyle won the election, wanting to have somewhere to escape to when the stress of her position became too much. "What an investment." I think to myself. I wipe oatmeal off of the corners of my mouth, slowly sipping on the green juice the island's Gardener made from scratch. It could use a little more pineapple, but it's not bad- and I don't remember the last time I had a vegetable, so I suck it up.

  I become aware of her staring at me as I finish the last drop. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  "You look peaceful- relaxed." She chuckles. "It's just not how I normally see you."

  "Oh yeah?" I raise an eyebrow. "How do you normally see me?"

  "Stressed as hell. Looking like you've never slept a single day in your life but still beautiful."

  "I'm not beauti-"

  "You are. And I'm going to keep telling you that you are over and over again until you accept the facts." Marisol smiles.

  "But you're more-"

  "No if's, ands, or buts. You're just beautiful." She gives me that look again. "Say it."

  "Say what?"

  "Say it."

  "Nope. Not happening." I reply.

  "Say it or I'll make you say it." The agent standing on the balcony with us coughs.

"Marisol-"

"Aileen." She mocks my tone of voice. "You will say it one way or another because you are too fucking gorgeous not to."

I stare at her straight in the eyes, challenging her, knowing what will come of it. "Why must you make everything so difficult?"she sarcastically asks. "Leave us." She tells the agent.

"Yes ma'm." He mumbles, running off to do something else.

"Do you remember your safe word?" She says lowly.

"Republicans are good people who care about others." I reply, my voice cracking. It's definitely something I would never, ever say ordinarily.

"Good-"She grabs me by the hair, making me lay on the nearby couch. "Because you'll almost want to use it by the time I'm done with you."

"We'll see about that." I mumble.

"What did you say to me?"

Nothing." I gulp.

"Oh I don't think it was nothing-" she says. "But I'll let that one slide. Hands."

I obey, quickly holding them out. She ties them to the couch in just a few seconds, having done this quite a few times in just a few months.

"Not so eager-" she smirks. "I'm thinking you'll have to wait a little while this time, since you were so insistent on being bratty."

"But-"

"No buts." She chuckles. "Wait here." With that she leaves me on the balcony, already panting.

"Well fuck me." I think. She does this because she knows how much I love and hate anticipation at the same time. It gets me excited, yet also pisses me off- a perfect combination in her mind.

And mine too, if I'm being honest. The past two months have been some of the best of my entire life, Despite the constant stress of this job, because I get to see her every single day. In front of other people, with her, ya know- being the Vice President of the United States and all, our relationship is professional. In private, it's anything but.

Eight weeks to be exact. Five since the first time we... did what we do. If the public finds out she's sleeping with somebody she has the authority to fire, her political career's as good as dead, even though she'd never fire anybody period unless they seriously fucked up. There was an aide that didn't show up to work for a week, bedridden with depression after her sister died. Instead of firing her, Marisol pre-paid a year of therapy appointments and told her to come back when she was feeling better. I've fallen in love with all of her; while the public has fallen in love with only the tip of the iceberg.

She's far beyond the definition of kind, with weekly trips to children's hospitals, charity events, and has even been to political protests in different countries. Protests don't really happen here anymore, with Kyle speaking to almost every American and bringing them to a more liberal viewpoint. Hell, we currently have the most democratic and independent congress in history. Every now and then there'll be small scale protests with the few racist, geriatric fuck-faces that just won't die. It's okay- they'll all be gone in ten years anyways.

I smile at the thought; the political party that has been on the wrong side of history for the past sixty years is finally dying out. Nothing could bring me more joy.