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“He texted me about the Joint Chiefs and said it was an outrage. I asked if he’s been going to class, and he said they do come up for air every now and then.”
Sam laughed. “They must be so happy to be back together.”
Candace’s parents had had the twins’ older brother, Elijah, charged with statutory rape when he was seventeen and she was fifteen. After not having had any contact for three years, they’d recently reunited after her eighteenth birthday and surprised everyone by getting married.
“I think they’re deliriously happy. He said he’s looking forward to seeing us for spring break.”
“I can’t wait to have them home.”
Roland returned with another tray and set Sam’s lunch on the table with silverware rolled into a cloth napkin. “I took the liberty of bringing some of the iced tea you like, too, ma’am.”
“You’re spoiling me rotten, Roland.”
Roland grinned and placed another plate on the table with the chocolate chip cookies she and Nick had gone crazy over when they’d first had them. She’d told the butlers to keep them far, far away from her after the first indulgence. “For you, Mr. President,” he said with a wink for Sam.
“Well played, Roland,” Nick said.
“Please let me know if I can get you anything else.”
“Thank you,” Nick said.
“Yes, thank you, Roland,” Sam said. “I’ll call you when my clothes don’t fit anymore.”
“We can get you some new clothes, ma’am.”
Sam and Nick were still laughing when he exited the room.
“Such a nice guy,” Nick said.
“They’re all so nice.”
“They make it fun to live here.”
“Yes, they do,” Sam said as she put the smallest possible amount of dressing on her salad. “But those cookies will be the death of me.”
“What a way to go, though.” He reached over to put his hand on top of hers. “I had no idea how much I needed this until you arrived and showed me.”
“Glad to be of service.”
“It’s amazing how I can be having the shittiest day in the history of shitty days as the first president ever to have his Joint Chiefs try to unseat him. And then you walk in, and it’s like none of that matters. There’s only you.”
“You do know how to make a girl swoon, Mr. President.”
He took back his hand so he could feed her another fry.
“It occurs to me that maybe I should cut back at work so I can be here for you like this more often,” she said hesitantly.
His hand froze as he was in the middle of eating a fry. “What?”
Sam shrugged. “I’m just saying… You’re kind of trapped in hell here, and if it makes things better for you to have me around, then maybe I should be around more.”
He ate the fry, but his gaze never left her face. “You would hate that.”
“Not as much as I hate you being stressed.”
“I’m always going to be stressed, whether you’re here with me or not, and I’ll be extra stressed if you’re unhappy, which you would be without your job.”
“Maybe not.”
