Salty taste

Alyssa entered the room hesitantly. She felt his eyes pinning her from the moment she closed the door behind her. She leaned against it not taking another step towards him. “Alyssa…” He broke the silence, “Really? You’re going to stay there?” He enquired leaning against his office desk. He looked powerful, handsome and confident. Just like she’d remember him.

“We promised. You promised.” She said lowering here eyes to the ground and sighing. “You’re President now. This cannot happen.” She met his eyes and the tension became thicker. Every time their gazes locked it was as if a lightning stroke.

Alyssa had met Richard during his service as Senator three years ago. He had already been 4 years into his marriage and tired from the pretense of a happy husband. He loved his wife. But he was not in love with her. He viewed as an ally of his, of his political dreams and goals. They met through a mutual friend, the Vice President, known as Erik Collins, a fervent supporter of Davis. Alyssa had just come back from her service in Iran when Homeland Security approached her. She had been gathering intel for her country. She was a secret agent. Because of her studies in International Relations and Crisis Management and her long years of work in CIA and US Army, she was the perfect candidate for Director of US Secret Service. She contacted her friend Erik knowing well that he would help her build her political image. And when she went to visit him in the Senate, during campaigning, she met Richard.

“Aly. Come on. Come here.” He motioned to his side but she refused shaking her head. When he stalked towards her, she slithered away to the middle of the room.

“No.” She breathed heavily touching her stomach which swirled every time he was around her. “They are cameras in here Richard. Engraved in the ceiling. A Secret Service agent reviews the footage every day.” He took a step closer. And another. She jolted backwards. “Everyone will know. Your career will be over. Our careers will be over.” He cornered her against his desk and his chest.

“Good thing you’re the Director and have the power to delete it then.” He planted a soft kiss on her neck and she squirmed.

“Richard… stop. Stop!” She pushed him off trying to resist every instinct in her body telling her not to. He towered over her. Her forehead rested on his chin as she regained her breath.

“Tell me you want this to be over.” He breathed against her hair, leaning over neck as he breathed out, “Say it, Aly.”

Her toes curled in the heels and the tension became too much to bear as a groan escaped her. “Mr.President,” she put her hand in his chest gently putting some space between them, “You need to get ready for the inauguration ball.” She gulped. “Your wife will be expecting you.”

“Aly… Aly please.” He took hold of her wrist. The touch burned with passion. His eyes were begging her to give in and so did her heart as it shred to pieces. She had been smiling at the First Lady this morning. She had managed to hide her face from her sight before the elections but now…

“I need to leave.” She headed to the door. “Jayson will be escorting you to the ball tonight. I have to work on the designations of some agents.” The door handle twisted in her hand.

“Meet me at our spot after the Ball.” Richard’s footsteps approached. He halted. “Promise me.”

“Enjoy your evening,” she opened the door regaining her posture, “Mr.President.”

The hours passed as she settled into the office room on the left of the oval room. A internal door connected the rooms. It gave immediate access to the President in case of emergency. She took off her heels and kicked them aside. Alyssa was one that did her research good and prepared months before, so when she told Richard she had to work on designations, they both knew it was an obvious lie. She took her hair off and wiggled her fingers through the scalp. She was just about to go find herself some liquor when Erik entered her office.

“I was just leaving. You sure you don’t want to come? Slip into something severely less comfortable?” He chuckled and she smiled sniffling to hold back her watering eyes. Erik didn’t know. He knew but he didn’t know. Not to the full extent. He knew enough to know what made Mr. Davis have a bad day or be unwilling to cooperate with him.

“I’m fine. But you’re not. The blonde journalist from the Press Secretary Office will be annoyed at you being late.” Erik smirked.

“You know everything don’t you?” He asked in a half-amazed half-curious manner. I nodded winking at him and proceeded to exit the room.

“Where are you going?”

“To find something strong enough to make me forget everything I know.” She chuckled at him throwing her hands in the air in frustration. Sometimes knowing too well and too much was exhausting.

Finally, after 20 minutes of roaming the kitchen she found a Chardonnay wine and popped it open downing it from the bottle not bothering to use a glass. Drops of wine glided down her neck sulking on the dress’s neckline. She did not care.

She walked back to her office and sank in the couch opening the TV. His face was everywhere. Every channel has his smile on display, their first dance, their second dance, every goddamn dance. She envied what Katherine had. She envied that she had the one thing she wanted. But it was hers. He was Katherine’s before he was hers. She was the bad guy here.

She downed more wine until her head grew dizzy and her mood became tipsy and giggly. She checked the hour, 10.56 PM. She heard the limousine in the driveway. He was back. The escort of SUVs followed. She heard Katherine’s laugh from the window. She needed a cigarette.

Alyssa reached for her back pulling out her circumstantial cigarette package that had become a necessity since Richard. Putting her heels and coat on, she headed towards the South Lawn, in a dark corner close to edge of building covered by an old sycamore tree. She smoke. The smoke feeling her lungs made her breathe again. An oxymoron. But the oxygen she shared with him made her more breathless than the destructive habit of smoking.

She let her head fall back exhaling the smoke. Through the leaves, the night sky appeared in all its midnight glory. Well not yet midnight technically. The stars. So beautiful. She’d miss those when she had been down there in Iran. Missed the feeling of home. She stepped on the cigarette putting it off.

Suddenly, she felt two hands wrapping around her waist. She knew his perfume, his scent, his touch and his breath. She had memorized him like the lyrics of a song you want but can’t forget. She was too exhausted to care and so she didn’t fight as he buried his face at the crouch of her neck. “I wanted to dance with you.” He said in a breathless tone.

The coldness of her military discipline crumbled like a pile of cards at his words. He had that effect on her. A tear dripped down her chin and she was quick to wipe it away. “Aly?” His eyebrows furrowed in worry as more tears followed. Maybe it was the wine or the dances or just the damn luck of the mall. He turned her around and pushed his forehead against hers.

“You should have waited for me.” She whispered. “You should have waited for me.” She repeated again. Richard clung onto her as if she was the only thing keeping him alive.

“I belong to you, Aly.” He cupped her face forcing her to meet his eyes.

“No. You don’t. You belong to the people. You’re the leader of the free world. You’re the President of the USA. You belong to everyone before you do to me, Richard.” Her voice was sharp as a knife yet it spoke the truth. Richard knew it but he couldn’t let her go. He couldn’t let her go. He just couldn’t let her go.

“So this is the end?” He asked with a heartbreaking tone. “How can this be the end when you’re literally the one person supposed to be with me at all times?” He tightened his grip around her hands.

“It has to be.” She locked his gaze with hers. “We have to try.” He let her hands go. His grip loosened and his hand retreated to his sides.

“If that’s what you want.” He took a step back.

“What I want?!” She asked frustrated boring her eyes to his. “You’re a husband. You have a wife for God’s sake! A wife that I’m supposed to be looking in the eye from now on! I can’t smile at her while I reek off your perfume!”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” He said back with his eyes glistening with the threat of tears. “I hate that cheating on her with you feels like a fresh breath of air! I hate that you’re the only thing I can think of! Constantly!”

Alyssa went to walk away but he reached out to her wrist pulling her back abruptly and in one motion slamming his lips on hers. The kiss had the salted taste of her tears while Richard savored the only moment that made him feel alive. He bit his lower lip backing away. She shook her head in disbelief. And rushed back inside leaving him standing alone under the sycamore.