First Lady (35 page)
“That was nice of
Wayne
. He’s a good friend to you, isn’t he?” Devlyn remembered him sniffling his way through their wedding and wondered if it was because his hopes of dating Lauren had finally been dashed or whether he was simply happy for a dear friend.
Once in the bedroom, Lauren stripped out of her pants and began working on the buttons of her cotton blouse. “He is. And he’s good at what he does, too. I don’t think my writing career would have taken off the way it did without him fighting for me.”
“Maybe, many, many years from now, I’ll see if he’d like to handle me working on my memoirs. It’s almost a presidential must.”
Lauren gave Devlyn a pointed look. “He’d sell his first born, hell, he’d sell my first born, if either of us had first borns, for that opportunity.”
“Well, the man is a total maniac when it comes to business. Why I—” Devlyn’s tongue froze when Lauren’s blouse hit the floor. Dev swallowed. “No bra?”
“I’m on vacation, Devlyn.” Lauren grinned. “No bra.”
Dev looked up towards God. “Have I said thank you in the last five minutes?”
*
*
*
THE WEATHER WAS crystal clear and in the low 80’s with just a hint of a breeze. The surface of the water was calm, and both women felt remarkably refreshed when they hit the beach.
Lauren patiently instructed Dev how to clear her mask and her snorkel, fit her fins tight enough so that they wouldn’t slip off when she kicked, and then they ventured into deeper water.
“Maybe we’ll see a shark,” Dev said excitedly, before glancing down at her feet. “Fins are hard to walk in.” She lifted her foot in an almost comical motion and scowled.
Lauren couldn’t help but smile. “I know, but you’ll get used to it. Do you remember what I told you about blowing out your snorkel?”
Dev’s eyes narrowed with faux anger as she glanced over her shoulder at Lauren. “Contrary to popular belief, I can retain instructions for more than 30 seconds.” She made a face before spitting into her mask. “Are you sure you’re not joking me about this part?”
Lauren laughed and crossed her heart. “Honest.”
Once Devlyn was wearing her mask, she placed the snorkel in her mouth and followed Lauren’s lead by watching her swim about a few meters.
The surface of the water shone like diamonds, reflecting the bright sun. But she managed to keep an eye on Lauren as she swam. After a few seconds she began to follow Lauren to a shallow reef, taking care to keep the inside of her mask and snorkel free of water.
Wow! She watched as a small school of neon-yellow fish swam beneath her as though they didn’t have a care in the world. They’re fish, Dev, they don’t.
She nearly remembered too late that smiling could lead to drowning, but she was hard pressed to contain her emotions at seeing the beauty that surrounded her.
She turned her head when Lauren tugged on her hand and gestured to a small green turtle, paddling along under the water, but the movement was too quick and water flooded into her snorkel and an instant later, into her lungs. Choking, she yanked her head up above the surface of the water, with Lauren right behind her.
Lauren pulled off Dev’s mask, knowing that sometimes it made people’s panic even worse, and grabbed Dev’s arm to help her keep afloat. “Are you okay?”
Coughing, Dev nodded and sputtered, “Yeah, I… I—”
“Got a big mouthful of water.” Lauren finished the sentence for her partner as she gave her a contrite look. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have startled you. I was just excited about the turtle.”
Dev nodded again, still coughing. “S… s’okay.” She sucked in a deep breath when her lungs finally stopped spasming and pushed her hair out of her face. “Whew.”
“I’m sorry.” Lauren handed her back her mask.
“It’s not your fault.” Dev took Lauren in her arms, able to easily tread water because of the long fins she wore. “Thank you for teaching me. I’ll get the hang of it eventually.”
Lauren’s smile returned. “I’m sure you will and I’m glad it’s something you enjoy. It’ll be something we can do together when we can sneak away. Okay?”
Devlyn’s expression brightened. “It’s a deal.”
*
*
*
THIS WAS, LAUREN decided, nearly perfect.
Dressed in a one-piece bright teal swimsuit, she sat on the private beach beneath a brilliant blue sky dotted with just a scattering of white, puffy clouds. Her bare toes were snuggled into the warm sand, and her hair was just beginning to dry from her last dip in the salty, tropical water.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, adjusting her sunglasses as she gazed across the sea to the horizon. She let a feeling of utter contentment wash over her. “Nice,” she murmured, already deciding she was going to badger Wayne into begging Starlight Publishing to allow them use this place as much as possible.
“Well, don’t you look ready for a life of leisure?”
Unconsciously, Lauren’s lips pulled into a smile and she turned her head. She could hear the Marlowe children’s squeals of excitement down the beach and shaded her eyes as she looked up at her tall lover. Lauren sighed. “Now everything is perfect. I thought you’d never get here.” She reached out and tugged gently on Devlyn’s hand, urging Dev to join her on her large, soft beach blanket.
“Why can’t I get that sort of greeting whenever I address Congress?” Dev huffed playfully, dropping down onto the blanket with a groan and kicking off her sandals.
A pale brow lifted slightly. “I guarantee that if you do to the members of Congress even a fraction of what you do to me, you’d get a standing ovation every time you took the floor.”
Dev made a face. “No thanks. I don’t want tax reform that badly.” Her eyes suddenly glinted.
“Although the representative from
Now Lauren’s other eyebrow lifted. “I heard she has to shave off her mustache every morning.”
Dev snorted so hard she began to choke.
“Heh.” Lauren patted Dev’s Hawaiian shirt-covered back. “Careful, Devil. You choking on your tongue on your honeymoon would be really hard for me to explain.”
“She does not shave her face!” Dev paused. “I hope.” She gave a little shiver. “What a horrible mental image.”
“I do my best,” Lauren answered smugly, waving at the boys as they raced up to greet her. “How was Disney World?”
“Great!” Aaron flopped down on the blanket next to Lauren and threw his arms around her in an enthusiastic hug. “We went on a roller coaster! And we ate ice cream at the airport!”
Lauren smiled indulgently at the boy. “I’ll bet you had chocolate.”
Aaron’s blue eyes widened. “Wow, how did you know?
Lauren bit back a smile
“You’re magic?”
She shook her head and pointed to a chocolate stain the size of an egg that was plastered squarely in the center of his chest. His eyes tracked hers and he blushed. “Oh.” He glanced up, cringing. “I spilled.”
“Imagine that,” she said fondly, knowing full well that Aaron wore nearly as much as he ate.
“Hi, Lauren!” Christopher bent down for a kiss on the cheek, making room for himself by giving his brother a playful shove.
“Hi, sweetie.” Then she turned to Ashley, who had come up from behind her, and wrapped her arm around the girl’s legs, giving them a solid squeeze in silent greeting.
“I missed you all.” And that was, she admitted to herself, startlingly true. While the peace and quiet had been a glorious, bordering on orgasmic, experience, she found herself wondering what the kids were doing and looking forward to seeing how much they were going to love the beach.
“I’m so excited!” Christopher sputtered. “I’ve been thinking about this forever!”
Lauren’s ego purred a little under the attention. “Well, I’m happy to see you too—”
“Have you seen any sharks yet?” Aaron broke in, his face a cross between anticipation and stark fear.
“Yeah! Have you? Have you?” Christopher leaned closer to Lauren as he awaited her answer with bated breath.
“Have you?” Aaron questioned again, looking incredibly anxious.
Dev muffled a laugh and Lauren sent a low watt sneer in her direction.
“They have an uncanny way of bringing you back to earth, don’t they?” the President commented seriously, making a space for Ashley to sit next to her.
“Oh yeah.” Lauren reached out and ruffled Dev’s bangs. “But I recall a certain 6-foot-tall woman who was excited about the very same thing.”
“Well?” Aaron asked impatiently, his gaze flicking around the sand. “Where are they?” His chubby body was slightly shaking.
Lauren laid a comforting hand on his leg. “They’re not on the beach, honey. You don’t have to be afraid.”
“I don’t?” he questioned, his voice skeptical. “But Christopher and Ash said—”
“Whatever they said, you don’t need to worry. All the sharks are in the water.”
Fearfully, the boys looked out to the rhythmically crashing waves.
A wicked smile transformed Ashley’s deceptively innocent-looking face, and she tugged at Aaron’s swimming trunks. “Ready for a swim, Aaron?”
The boy gulped.
“In the water,” she continued, her expression the very picture of evil glee.
Christopher’s gulp matched his brother’s.
Ashley finished on a high note. “Where the sharks live.”
Both the boys screamed, and Lauren dropped her face into her into hands. She moaned a little, hearing Devlyn’s unsympathetic chuckles. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
Dev chewed her on her bottom lip and nodded. “Pretty much.” Then she glared at her daughter. “I think you should be the first one in the water, Ashley. The boys are a lot smaller than you. And bloodthirsty sharks are the hungriest in the late afternoon.”
Ashley’s eyes went round as saucers. “They are?” she asked, her voice ending in a squeak.
“Oh God,” Lauren moaned. “Bloodthirsty?” She gave Dev a swat. “You’re as rotten as the kids!”
“Of course,” Devlyn said proudly, brushing a little sand off her leg. “They’re all quick learners and I am their role model.”
“Lord help them,” Lauren teased. She decided a change of subject was in order or none of the kids would be going into the water today. “Tell me about your trip.”
For a moment Lauren listened as they all chattered about Disney World and their favorite rides and treats. Then she reached out and touched a new necklace Ashley was wearing, but her attention was drawn to the sour look that had transformed Dev’s face. “What is it?”
Dev motioned down the beach, groaning a little. One of the Secret Service agents who had been watching them, but remaining discreetly out of view, was walking towards them with a phone in his hand.
“Christ,” Dev mumbled. She turned pathetically sorry eyes on Lauren.
“Go, go,” Lauren made a shooing motion with one hand. “It’s not like you have a choice.”
Devlyn winced inwardly. “Laur—”
“S’okay.” Lauren leaned forward and kissed Dev lightly on the mouth. “Just hurry back, okay?” she said softly, smiling a little to show Devlyn she wasn’t angry. Annoyed — yes. But not angry.
Dev let out an explosive breath, her relief so clear that Lauren felt a little guilty for being annoyed at all. There had been regular, if short, interruptions in their time together, and she’d been an exceptionally good sport about the whole thing. But she was only human, and her patience only stretched so far.
“As soon as I can. I promise.” She jumped to her feet and began jogging down the beach.
“Here.” Christopher pulled a giant bottle of sunscreen from the back pocket of his lime green, Bugs Bunny swimming trunks and thrust it in Lauren’s face.
She blinked a few times, moving her head a little so her eyes could focus on the bottle.
Christopher said, “Emma told me to tell you or Mom to dip us in this.”
“Dip?” Lauren questioned, looking at the bottle. “Like a dog with fleas?”
Christopher shrugged. “I dunno. She just said to do it.” Then, unaccountably, all the children began to giggle.
Lauren’s forehead creased. “What? What’s so funny?”
Aaron began to jump up and down a little and excitedly said, “Emma said if any of us come home with a sunburn she’ll spank your and Mom’s bottoms!”
All three children dissolved into helpless giggles as Lauren’s eyebrows jumped. “Well, get down here then.” She poured a large dollop of thick, coconut-smelling lotion in her palm. “Lord knows I don’t want a spanking.” At least from Emma, she thought wryly.
Ten minutes and a half bottle of sunscreen later, the boys were coaxed into making a sandcastle at the edge of the water with Ashley and Lauren occupying comfortable spots on the beach blanket. Lauren picked up her camera and trained it on the boys. Then she quickly changed lenses and snapped off several pictures of them playing. It had been months since she’d been able to indulge her passion for photography, and she was grateful that Devlyn had reminded her to pack her equipment.