ALL IN: Race for the White House (11 page)

“Quiet, Dad-dah!” She contorted her face, shaking her head, “Mom!”

Sarah chimed in gently, “You’re always teasing those girls. You really have to stop; sometimes they don’t get your humor.”
 

“Honey,” she said to Martha, “Daddy’s only kidding, he actually thinks that’s funny.”
 

“Well,” I said, “When you girls love me and give kisses and hugs whenever I want, I’ll stop - until then, that’s how I feel about it.”

Martha said, “Dad, we love you a lot, but you’re our dad-dah.” I always kissed and hugged the girls tons when they were small.
 

I said, “I want it to be like it used to be when you were little.” I went over to Martha, gave her a big hug, and smothered her with kisses on the side of her head.
 

“Too much, Daddy,” Sarah was saying. That was the standing joke whenever I overdid the love with the girls and Sarah.
 

“We love you, Dad, but you have to relax; I’m a grown up now and I’ll never be a little girl like that again.”

“Oh my God,” I said, “Sweetheart, if you only knew, you’ll always be my little girl. You’re just a baby, and Bethany is like a little infant.” I said in her direction, using my Sophie-voice.
 

Bethany called back, “I’m in fourth grade, Dad!” Saying it as if she were the leader of a small country.
 

I walked over to Bethany, who was sitting, and gave her a long hug, counting 20 kisses on the top of her head.
 

“Jack,” Sarah said. “Now you’ve got Sophie and you can pin her and she’ll never complain about it.” Sarah and the girls had done well the week before in New Hampshire and the press had eaten it up. Everything was primed for our announcement on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. The date was specially picked. If coverage was subpar, we could blame the media for paying too much attention to the trivial.
 

We would awake for the rest of our stay in Kentucky to the sound of helicopters overhead and a media circus, the likes of which I had never seen. We were set to announce at 10 a.m. I would stand on the front porch between the glossy white pillars, each one outfitted with a flag holder and American Flag for the event. The morning started off like any other; I awoke at my usual time, walked downstairs, gave Sarah a kiss on her forehead, and walked over to pour a cup of coffee.
 

“Morning, Hon.” I poured some cream into my cup and took the first sip; there’s nothing like the first cup of the day.
 

“Would you like any eggs?” I asked.
 

Sarah said, “A little, some white for the protein.” She had been a vegetarian for years but now ate eggs and chicken. My routine was to make my breakfast and eggs for Sarah. I grabbed a carton from the fridge and started cracking, careful to keep the yokes from five of them, dropping one completely into the bowl. I took out a medium-sized frying pan, placed it on the right front burner, and turned the gas on medium, adding a small amount of margarine.
 

As I was frying up the eggs, I heard Sarah walk out onto the screen side-porch and then down the stairs into the yard, saying, “Sophie good girl - Sophie bum-bum, good girl, smart.”
 

I flipped the eggs hearing Sarah say, “Hey, Jack, come on out here.” She was cutting back some of the bushes that she kept in pots along the patio. I turned down the eggs to the lowest heat and walked out onto the side porch through a sliding glass door, open from the unseasonably warm day we were having.
 

I hugged her from behind and pressed against her, wondering what she had called me out to the yard for, “What, Honey?”

She said, “Look in these pots, there are trees growing in them. What kind do you think they are? I think they’re apple trees.”

“Apple? Sarah, do you remember the time we took the girls to the Smithsonian? You and the girls ran through a breeze filled with apple blossoms and they stuck in your hair.”

She said, “Yes and you bought the girls their first roses, we have it on video.”

I said, “Neither of them knows it was your idea.”

Sarah said, “First roses mean more coming from their daddy.”

I said, “Let’s go inside and have our eggs.”

I remember that being one of the last normal mornings we’d have for a long time.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The trip to see the Saudis went well. Our group arrived at the airport just before midnight. We jumped out of the car and ascended the steps of a specially equipped Boeing 757 Cruise Liner outfitted with every imaginable luxury.
 

“Welcome aboard, Senator,” the Pilot said as Bill, Tip, Lisa and I boarded. Sarah and the girls were in New Hampshire and Bud had stayed behind to keep an eye on the office to get everything ready for our upcoming announcement.
 

Boarding, I counted seven smiling faces, two late-forties men, in pilot uniforms, another man dressed in a chef’s outfit, and four attractive ladies, all in their early thirties. The women were dressed in light blue blazers, matching mid-thigh skirts, crisp white shirts, and coordinating blue and white heels. Too high to wear to work on a plane, especially for such a long flight. I was glad they looked American, worried we might have spent the evening with attendants draped in black garb, covering everything but their eyes.
Not much fun
, I thought, as a lovely young woman took my arm. “Senator, please allow me to show you to your seats.”

“Ladies first,” I said, motioning for Lisa to walk ahead of me. Bill and Tip followed. Turning to them, I said. Just low enough for them to hear, “You boys better behave yourselves.”
 

Bill muttered under his breath, “Why the hell did we bring Lisa, again? These girls are gorgeous.” We were seated and the pilot quickly got underway, taxiing to the end of the runway. We could all hear the tower’s instructions playing over the intercom. The pilot was communicating in English. Moments later, we got clearance and were off. I remember thinking
, this jet must be light with seven crew and four passengers
. I felt pressure pushing me back into my seat when the pilot hit the throttle. Climbing much faster than any airliner I’d ever been on, he quickly took us up to thirty-five thousand feet.
 

He spoke to us on the still open intercom, letting us know if there was anything we needed, please let one of the crew know without delay. I sat back in the pale tan leather seat, sunk my arms into the armrests and adjusted myself, trying to get comfortable. Lisa said, “Hey, guys, look at this menu; it reminds me of a five-star restaurant, not an airliner.”

Tip joked, “When I fly I’m lucky to get an ounce of peanuts and a half-size glass of orange juice over a little ice.”
 

Bill said, tongue in cheek, “It’s going to be hard to get used to this.”

We each had an attendant offering us a menu. “Would you like anything to drink?” mine asked.

“Do you have Bud Light Lime?” I asked.

She answered, “I’m so sorry, we don’t, but we have Bud Light and I can add some lime if you like.”

“Same difference,” I said. She disappeared through the galley door. The cabin looked like a small living room, with swivel chairs positioned at the four corners. Attached to the side of each chair was a table that turned with it. I noticed the exceptional quality of the wood, finely embossed, with the coat of arms of the Saudi Royal Family.
 

My attendant came back with the beer, “Sir, have you thought of anything you might like to eat?”
 

I said, “I don’t want to be rude, Miss, what’s your name?”

She answered, “Tina.”
 

I said, “Well, Tina, I think I’ll drink this beer and then try to get some sleep. I’m usually in bed around ten o’clock and I’m feeling pretty tired.”
 

“Sir, enjoy your drink and when you’re ready, please call me over. I’ll make your recliner into a bed so you can get comfortable and relax.”

“Okay, that sounds great. I thought I might have to sit up all night.”

“No,” she explained. “You’ll be able to lie down and go to sleep.” I finished the beer, and rolled my neck around, feeling the squishy back of the headrest against my head. I didn’t see any buttons along the armrests, where they normally would be and I wasn’t feeling any adjustments on the sides of the seat. Raising my chin, I motioned for Tina to come over.

I would’ve preferred to adjust the seat myself and save her the trouble. Tina came back with a half-size down pillow softly covered in a light fabric matching the seat. She handed it to me along with a light blanket; I’ve never felt material so soft. Making a mental note, I’d ask her where I could pick up a couple of these.

She pulled a small remote from her pocket and leaned over me, her long hair accidentally falling on my chest and face. I looked up through the tunnel of blonde loose curls as she was standing up.
 

“Oops, I’m sorry,” pulling a hair clip from her pocket, she gathered her hair, pinning it up.
 

Tina pressed a button and the chair started to recline, the armrests folded down while simultaneously the sides of the lower chair began folding upward. Seconds later, I was lying down settling in for the night. I rocked my head from side to side a couple of times and shut my tired eyes, “Thanks.” The cabin lights were low.

Tina moved her lips to my ear, “If you need anything during the night, press this button.” She turned my hand over and opened my fingers. She placed a small transmitter into my palm and gently closed them around it. Holding my hand, she rubbed my forearm and whispered, “Sweet dreams, Senator.”

I must have slept soundly - when I awoke the next morning, we had landed. Tina and I were alone; she told me we arrived in Dubai a couple of hours ago. Everyone else was at the hotel owned by the Royal Family.
 

She said, “There’s a car waiting by the side of the plane whenever you’re ready.”

“Tina, it’s unbelievable; I’ve never slept on a plane before, let alone through a landing. Bill and Tip aren’t the quietest two guys around.”

As I was shaking my head, not believing I slept through all the commotion, Tina pressed her remote. The bed started toward the upright position.
 

“I must have been exhausted!” I got up from the recliner with Tina saying, “Please follow me to your car. Do you mind terribly if I hitch a ride with you? If you do, it’s okay, I understand.”

“No, I’d love to have the company.
 
Especially since the only people I know in Dubai decided to leave without waking me up!”
 

Tina said, “That was me, I didn’t want to wake you prematurely, I asked the others to please keep the plane quiet until you woke naturally. I figured as long as you were sleeping, I should let you sleep.”

I remember thinking how considerate she was, “Lead the way, Tina.”
 

She led me to the front of the plane, through the open door, down the steps to a black Hummer stretch.
 

“Wow, my girls would love this.”

Tina replied, “Yeah think? How old are your girls?”
 

“Ten and Fifteen.”
 

“Oh, they must be lovely.”
 

“They are,” I told her. Tina motioned okay to the driver who was standing about five feet from the rear door. A second man opened the door. Tina motioned, “Please,” for me to get in.
 

 
“After you,” I said.

 
She carefully entered the car and took the seat facing the rear. I entered and sat facing forward. She was beautiful; legs crossed, still wearing the medium blue flight attendant uniform from the night before, her hair pinned up.
 

I said, “It’s a good thing you took that seat, I can’t stand riding in a car facing backward.”

She laughed, “You’re kidding aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”
 

She replied, “Tim and Bill told me a little bit about you last night after you’d fallen asleep.”

She unpinned her hair and let it fall, then shook her head lightly combing through the loose curls with her fingers. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was curious about you.”

“No, I don’t mind.” I tried to be nonchalant, but curiosity piqued, I asked, “What else did they have to say?”

What I really wanted to ask was how many politicians had taken the same trip hat in hand. I wondered if she even had an inkling of why I was there. She must know or at least have an idea, I thought.
 

Maybe the Saudis were being cautious, knowing we had an energy plan that could work. Maybe they contributed to other candidates, but wanted to size us up a little better on their home turf.
 

We had made a classic negotiating mistake, agreeing to come to their venue. No, I must be one of many who have taken this ride over the years. I remembered seeing pictures of past presidents holding hands with a Saudi Prince or the King and then explaining it away. All the while, accused of having selfish interests in Big Oil. I answered my own question.
 

None the wiser about the conversation I was having in my head, Tina continued, “Bill told me you’ve been friends for years and you were going to be president one day.”

“Your mouth to God’s ear,” looking directly into her eyes gently moving my glance to her forehead, then down and away, “I’m going to give it my best try.”
 

I continued looking away for a moment, waiting for her to speak, “Is everything alright?” She asked.
 

“Can I tell you something, Tina?” I reached over as I said it, “Please don’t take this the wrong way.”

I began removing her shoes, “It’s nothing, really. You’ve been in those too long and I want you to relax.”
 

“Thanks, my feet are killing me.”

I stole a deep look into her luminous eyes, colored halfway between amber and chestnut.
 
Watching them grow in size, until there was nothing but clear-white showing around flecks of caramel. Tina’s perfect facade started to crack. She turned her enchanting eyes away for a moment.