President's Girlfriend 07 - What He Did for Love (3 page)

Roman Wilkes, looking tall, dark and handsome if Dutch had to say so himself, hurried to them with his hand extended.

“Welcome to BBR, Mr. President,” Roman said as he and Dutch shook hands.

“It’s good to see you again, Roman.”

“Thank-you, sir.  It’s an honor to see you.  Didn’t expect it, which makes it a double honor.” 

Then Roman looked at Gina.  And as soon as he saw her, not only his face, but his entire world lit up with joy.  He loved this lady he used to know as Regina Lansing.  He loved her even though, when she was his girlfriend long before she knew Dutch Harber existed, he didn’t know how to keep her.  He cheated on her repeatedly and ultimately lost the love of his life.  But time had taught him a harsh lesson.  He had had a rare, beautiful diamond, and threw it away for glass.

“Well, hello, Mrs. Harber,” he said as he turned to her.  “Welcome home!”

He always had the urge, whenever he was around Gina, to want to throw his arms around her and kiss her passionately.  But he knew better than that.  Dutch was a lot of things Roman didn’t agree with, but an inattentive husband wasn’t one of them.

Gina, too, felt the desire to hug Roman.  She counted him as one of her dearest friends.  But she knew his feelings ran deeper than hers, and she wasn’t about to lead him on.  “Thank-you, Roman,” she said as they shook hands.

Then she addressed the entire staff.  “And thanks to all of you,” she said as the applause finally ended.  “I feel so blessed to be back.  I don’t know the fine details because I’ve been otherwise engaged,” she added, and they all laughed, “but I do know the fine work you’ve been doing for our clients.  It’s a pleasure to see how this organization has grown and matured so dramatically.  I really appreciate all of the time and effort that all of you have put into making BBR a wonderful success.  Thank-you.” 

Another round of applause.

“But, please,” Gina said, “go on with your work.  The president and I are going to meet with Roman and get out of your hair.”

“As if they want you out,” Roman said jovially.  “They love you, Gina.  We love you.”

The staffers applauded wildly, with more whistles and a
here-here
or two, but Roman had a more heartfelt response.  He did love Gina.  Deeply and desperately.  But he also understood, because Dutch Harber was a no-nonsense, don’t-even-think-about-hitting-on-his-wife kind of husband, the limitations of that love.

“Let’s go upstairs to your old office,” he suggested.

Gina agreed and allowed Roman to lead her and Dutch up the stairs.  The Secret Service agent followed closely behind them, but the protection was more unseen than seen.   But it was there.

“I don’t recognize any of those faces downstairs,” Gina admitted to Roman as they walked.

“New staff all around,” Roman said.  “The old staff didn’t want to go in the direction I felt we absolutely had to go into.  So they decided, and I decided, that it was best that we parted ways.”

Gina stopped walking and looked at him.  “You fired them?” she asked him.

Roman glanced back at her.  When he realized she, and the president behind her, had stopped walking, he stopped, too.  “Yes,” he said.  “For the good of BBR.”

Gina hesitated, but continued to make her way up the steps.  Dutch followed suit.

But when they got into her old office, she revisited her concern.

“What do you mean you let them go for the good of BBR?” she asked Roman.  She was sitting in front of her desk, while Roman sat behind it.  Dutch had declined a seat and was walking around, looking at the paneled walls, the shelf of old books, the African artwork and paintings that lined the walls. 

“What I mean is that they didn’t see the vision,” Roman said.  “And we couldn’t have that.  They were mostly older people who were used to everything being done a certain way.  The problem was that I wasn’t going to do it that way.  Since I have never been the kind of manager to battle with his staff, I didn’t go to battle with them.  Since they weren’t willing to get with the program, I had to let them go.”

But Gina was shaking her head.  “I’m not comfortable with that explanation, Roman,” she admitted with that earnest look Dutch loved.  Dutch, in fact, was now standing there staring at her. 

“This isn’t a for-profit organization,” Gina went on.  “This is a non-profit that treats human beings with dignity and respect, regardless of the mistakes they’ve made in their lives.  Some of those same people you so casually fired were volunteers before we were able to pay them a salary.  They were here working their butts off for free when nobody else cared.  They went without so that we could serve more gang bangers and prostitutes and drug addicts.  They were here when I needed them most, Roman.  So now that the place pretty much runs itself, do you think I’m going to let you turn them away like that?”

But Roman held firm.  “I understand your loyalty, Gina.  I get it.  But we also need to understand that this is a business.  A not-for-profit business, yes, but it’s a business.  And I run my law firm the same way I run this place or any other organization I’ve been associated with.  And those people I fired just didn’t fit the bill.”

Dutch continued to stare at Gina.  Would she accept that explanation and move on?  Or would she be the woman he loved, and fight for those poor people who were there for her when nobody else was?

She fought. 

“I want a list of all of the people you let go,” Gina said.  “And I don’t want one name left off of that list.  I will personally call and ask them to return, so make room for them.”

Roman was offended by her lack of faith in his judgment, but Dutch couldn’t have been prouder of Gina. 

Roman gave a perfunctory bow of the head.  “As you wish,” he said.

 And as Roman and Gina continued to talk about organizational issues and whatever else Gina wished to discuss, Dutch continued to look around.  And the more he looked, the less comfortable he felt.  He knew he could leave her here today without a second thought.  The media was pretty much camped out around this place, hoping for a comment from the president or First Lady, so there should be no issues.  But what about after his resignation was final, and the media moved on to the next hot topic of conversation?  Could he, in good conscious, allow Gina to come to a place like this and not worry sick about her then?   That, to him, was the question he had to answer.

“What I never would  have imagined,” Roman said as Dutch began to move toward them, “was that the president himself would make an appearance at BBR.”

Gina smiled.  “I wouldn’t have imagined it, either, to be honest with you.  But after we made. . .,” she began, prompting Dutch to cut a look at her.  He realized and she realized that she was just about to blurt out the fact that they had made love this morning.  And that after they had made love, he decided to come.

“After we discussed it,” she said, instead, “he decided to come.”

“I see,” Roman said, although he knew exactly what she was about to say.  The biggest mistake of his life happened long ago, when he cheated on Gina and ended their budding romance.  Now Dutch had the honor of her sweet vagina every morning.

“So,” Gina said, moving on.  “What’s the plan?”

Dutch sat down beside her.  He was curious about this plan, too.  He crossed one leg over his knee and placed his hands behind his head. 

It felt almost surreal to Roman to have Dutch Harber, soon-to-be former president of the United States, seated in this small office in Newark, New Jersey.  “The plan,” he said, “is for you to take over as executive director, and for me to relinquish that role and run the legal department, instead.  My law firm will handle the more difficult cases, and let the staff handle the others.”

Gina smiled.  “All of our cases are difficult, Roman,” she said.  “Trust me on that.”

“I agree,” Roman said, “so I’ll remain a very busy man.  But you’ll run the day to day again.”

Dutch, however, seemed less agreeable.  He knew she would continue to have Secret Service protection, although to a lesser extent, but that didn’t ease his anxiety.  All it took was some disgruntled ex-con or gangbanger, who was a client and therefore had every right to be in the building, targeting her.

But he also knew that Gina wouldn’t view it that way.  She would view herself as helping the downtrodden and the least among us, and would wear that risk as a badge of honor.  But Dutch couldn’t afford to be so honorable.  His number one job, as he saw it, was to keep his wife and child safe.  It was his intention, even if he had to battle Gina every step of the way, to be superior at it.

“Let’s not make that decision yet,” he said.

Roman looked at Gina.  Gina looked at Dutch.  “What do you mean?” she asked him.

“Roman should continue to run BBR for now,” Dutch said.

“And what will Regina do?” asked a now confused Roman.

“That’s to be determined,” Dutch replied.

“What’s to be determined?” Gina wanted to know.  “There’s nothing to be determined!  I’m returning to run the place.  Why else would I come back to the organization I founded if I wasn’t going to oversee it?  That’s been understood from the beginning, Dutch.”

“Understood by whom?” Dutch asked.  “Certainly not by me.”

“But, Dutch,” Gina said, genuinely surprised, “you knew I was coming back.”

“I knew you had some interest in coming back here, yes.  But that was before I saw what you were coming back to.”

“What’s wrong with it?  Just because it’s in the hood?”

“This isn’t in the hood,” Dutch clarified.  “Saying this place is in the hood would be too generous.  This place is on a practically deserted, dead-end street with a gang presence just across the street.”

“That’s because our clients are gang bangers and prostitutes and ex-cons, Dutch.  We operate in their world.  We can’t pack up and leave these people just because I’m your wife now.  The entire premise of Block By Block Raiders is that we are visible in the communities we serve.  We stay where the people who need us most live.  They always have to know that they can walk a few blocks and come here whenever their lives get so low that they need to make a change.  We’ve got to stay where the people are who need us most.”

  Dutch didn’t say anything.  He just continued in what Gina often called his quiet broodiness.  But he knew what he believed.  And Gina was out of her mind if she thought he was going to allow her to work in an area like this.

“If I may speak plain, sir?” Roman asked him.

Dutch hesitated.  “Go on,” he said.

“Gina will be fine here, I can assure you of that.  This community loves and respects her.  And besides, she’s more than capable of taking care of herself.”

Dutch was somewhat irritated with the idea of some other man telling him what his own wife was capable of, but Roman couldn’t tell that he was irritated at all.  Gina, however, could.

That was why, when Dutch stood up, she wasn’t the least surprised.  She looked up at him.  Roman stood to his feet, too.

“Since Gina hasn’t been back here in years, I know you guys have a lot to talk about,” Dutch said.  “I’ve got some conference calls later today, so I’ll head on back.”

“Yes, sir,” Roman said, relieved that he was leaving.  “Thank-you for paying us a visit.”

Dutch knew how insincere that thanks was.  He looked down at Gina.  Her big eyes and earnest look caused his heart to melt.  And he knew Roman was right.  Gina was more than capable of taking care of herself.  But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to look out for her best interest.  They could say whatever they wanted to say, but he wasn’t yet sold on the idea of his wife working in this area day in and day out after the media was long gone.  The Secret Service would have a presence, and he understood that, but their presence would be minimal and nothing like it would have been had he remained president.  It would be risky still.

But it still didn’t make him rethink his decision to resign his presidency.  Eventually they had to go on with their lives.  Now was as good a time as any, and Gina was so ready to be away from Washington and the land of any politics that it wasn’t even an issue to her anymore.  But that didn’t mean their new life didn’t pose its own challenges.  Which made Dutch regret that he ever brought Gina and innocent Little Walt into his world.  But there was nothing he could do about that now.

He looked down at Gina and kissed her on the mouth.   “Take care of yourself,” he said.

“Will do,” Gina replied, and then Dutch was gone.

Roman looked at Gina and smiled.  “How do you stand it?” he asked her.

Gina looked at him.  “How do I stand what?”

“His smothering ways.  That’s one controlling dude, Gina, now come on.  Admit it.”

But Gina wasn’t about to admit any such thing.  “He loves his wife and he shows it.  If that makes him controlling, then so be it.  Now,” she said, leaning forward, “let’s review those cases again.  Especially the ones on the appeals docket this month.”

Roman knew she wouldn’t go along with any criticism he might have of Dutch, but he still had to try.  Because he believed, in his heart of hearts, that it was just a matter of time before he made inroads with her.  Just a matter of time.

The Ford Focus drove up across the street from the ma and pop diner in Cherryvale, Massachusetts.  Amir Alzahabi sat on the front seat, with Max Brennan on the passenger seat.  Kareem, who was standing outside of the diner, tossed his cigarette, buttoned his jacket, and made his way to the car.  Amir didn’t look his way until he had sat in the backseat and closed the door.

Amir looked at him through the rearview mirror.  “It’s a go?” he asked him.

“It’s a go,” Kareem said.  “Jacarta tells me that all subjects and their packages are in place and will deliver on time as promised.”

Amir smiled.  “That’s good to know, Mr. Smoker.”  Kareem knew Amir disapproved of his smoking, but it was a bad habit by now and he didn’t care.

But Max wasn’t satisfied by any of it.  “Are you sure Jacarta understands that no-one is to do anything until I say the time is right?”

“He understands,” Amir said.  “What do you think?  We’re doing this for our health?  We’re doing this in the name of our religion?  We’re doing this for the money.  Make no mistake about that.  And you, my friend, is the money man.  Or, at least, the money man’s go-between.”