"Aaron? Do you mind if I unplug this radio to plug in the baby monitor? I want to put it where she can't reach it." Emily called from the living room. She waited but no response.
"Aaron?" she called again as she started down the hall to his bedroom. She and Elena had been staying with Aaron for almost a week now. As much as Emily fought it, Aaron's place had quickly began to feel like home.
The bedroom door opened slightly as she knocked. "Aaron?'
She could make out Aaron singing in the bathroom "I'll make love to you. . . like you want me to. . . . "
Emily chuckled lightly. She stepped into Aaron's bedroom. "Boys 2 men huh?" She called out
Aaron sauntered out of his bathroom, nothing on but a towel. ""Baby all through the night. . . i. .Emily!" he yelped, surprised to see her standing there.
Emily's eyes drank in the sight of his freshly showered body, his chest still glistening. The towel was knotted low on his hips, revealing his perfectly carved hip bones. She moaned loudly, embarrassed that her body could make such an animalistic noise. "I. . . I . . . um. . ." She nervously tugged the sleeves of her sweatshirt down over her hands.
His obsidian curls hung loose, spiraling down, almost to his cheekbones, thoughts of her on top of him, her fingers running passionately through his loose curls filled her head.
He smirked smugly, " enjoying the show?"
She marched over to him, every nerve in her body electrified. She melted into him like ice cream in a warm porcelain bowl, pulling him as close to her as he could get.
"What's going on?" he asked, looking down at her. "Is everything ok?"
She lifted her lips to his, kissing him hard. He welcomed her soft lips, all the nights he dreamed of kissing her, now becoming a reality. Her hands laced through his hair, tugging slightly as she traced the outline of his lips with her tongue. He slipped his hands to her backside and silently cursed the thin pair of shorts she was wearing. Her hands slipped down and began to untie his towel.
He broke apart from her, his heart racing, and placed his hand on top of hers. 'Emily, no."
Emily's face instantly flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry I. . . " and she took off running out of the room.
. . .
Aaron knocked softly at the guest room door. "Emily?"
He waited for a minute then opened the door slightly. He poked his head in. "Can I come in?"
Emily was sitting on the bed, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. She nodded timidly.
She glanced at him, avoiding eye contact as he walked in. She was both disappointed and relieved that he had slipped on a pair of sweats.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Emily. . ."
"I'm so stupid!" She blurted out. "To think that you would still want me. . . after everything I did.. . .and. . ." she began to cry.
Aaron climbed across the bed, pulling her close to him, his muscular arms enveloping her in a hug. He kissed the top of her head tenderly. "That's just it. I do want you. A lot."
Emily looked up at him confused. "Then why did you push me away?"
Aaron smiled, pulling her close. "I want you. All of you. While I've thought about what almost happened in there quite a bit, almost too much, I don't just want you for sex. Emily you're amazing. You're one of the few honest people left in my life. There's just this magic about you. Something in the way you laugh that reminds me of my better self. You have the kind of creative brain that brings such mystery and interest to life. Every day you blow my mind."
Emily arched her eyebrow. "You're not making any sense."
"You deserve the world. Not some quickie in the bedroom where we both wake-up feeling guilty. You deserve flowers, and dancing, and candle light." Aaron sighed. "I want to do this right. I want this to last forever."
Emily nestled her head in the warmth of his chest. She slid her hand around his waist and squeezed him tight. "I'm so happy you found us."
Aaron rested his head on top of hers. He held her tight, taking in every bit of her that he could. She smelled like rose water with hints of jasmine, remnants of the perfume that she had worn every day since he met her. A lot had changed, but she was still the Emily he fell in love with. He hugged her, aching to feel her body pressed against his. "Me too."
…
"MOMMY! MOMMY LOOK!" Elena twirled around the tulle skirt of her dress, fanning out like Cinderella's gown. "Mommy I'm pretty!"
With it's chiffon bodice, and lace embroidery, the bright lapis colored dress was absolutely breathtaking. The Kirkman campaign must have paid a pretty penny for the dress, Lorraine sparing no expense to market Elena to the voters. Emily leaned over and kissed her head. "You're beautiful baby."
Aaron appeared, wearing a silk tie that matched Elena's dress perfectly. "And what about me?" He spun, playfully modeling his suit.
Emily giggled "you look pretty too Aaron."
He crouched down, eye level with Elena. "Are you nervous?"
Elena shyly glanced at him, and shook her head. "No way."
He smiled, warmly. "That's my girl."
He stood up, and turned to Emily. "And how are you?"
Emily shrugged. "I'm still not crazy about her being paraded around like some kind of show pony. All the coverage leading up to this conference has been solely focused on her."
"Don't worry! Did you see her waving to the cameras as she got off the plane earlier? She's a natural." He placed his hand on the small of her back. Besides, after I go public about you two, you'll be old news anyway."
Hearing Aaron talk about going public with their relationship made Emily's heart swell. Ever since She saw those two pink lines staring up at her, she felt like some dirty secret, a burden, something that needed locked away, but here was Aaron talking about publicly declaring his love for her. "I wish I could be out there with you two."
Aaron smiled at her. "Don't worry, you'll be right there beside me at the inauguration."
She scooped Elena up, straightening her bright blue bow. "I'm going to go to my seat now. You keep an eye on daddy for me ok?"
Elena grinned from ear to ear. "I will!" She cheered.
Aaron took Elena's hand. "Come on, I'll show you the stage. We can peek out from behind the curtain."
Emily watched the two walk away hand in hand before hurrying to find her seat.
…
"There he is, the man of the hour!" Lorraine called.
Aaron sat Elena down. "I think that's more Kirkman, than me. . ."
Lorraine brushed off his modest remark. "Nonsense! They're here to see the happy family! Ya'll are the perfect photo op."
"Family? I didn't know that you wanted Emily to walk on stage with us. I thought it was just Elena and "
"Emily?" Lorraine spat, "no. She's just drama. I'm not talking about her, I'm talking about the right choice for this campaign."
"The right choice for this campaign?" he asked, utterly confused. That's when he saw her.
"Isabel?" He jeered, feeling the heat creep up his face.
Isabel stood a few feet away talking to Mars, wearing a black pencil skirt, and a blue silk blouse that matched his tie and Elena's dress perfectly.
He turned to Lorraine. "What is happening here?"
Lorraine smiled. "Your girlfriend is escorting you and your daughter onto the stage,"
Aaron turned his face up in disgust. "My girlfriend? Lorraine you've just put yourself into something that is none of your business. Isabel is not my girlfriend. I'm in love with Emily! I. . . "
Lorraine leaned in close, her voice shrill and cold. "You can play house with your little bed buddy all you want, but until this election is won, you keep it on the down low. As far as the American People know, you and Isabel are hopelessly in love and she just can't wait to play step mommy to your little mistake. Try me and I'll make sure not only you, but your door knob of a baby mama will never work in the DC Metro area again. Got it?"
Aaron's hands were clenched in two fists, his jaw tight. "Don't you ever talk about Emily or Elena like that ever again."
"And Don't you ever ruin my campaign again." She glanced down at his clenched fists. "What are you going to do? Punching a little, old campaign manager isn't going to sit well in the polls. Might as well have Kirkman concede right now."
Aaron glanced out at Tom, on stage chatting away. Then he looked down at Elena, who was clearly concerned. He drew in a deep breath. "This isn't over."
Lorraine smiled. "There you go. Now put on a pretty face, he's getting ready to announce you." She turned to Isabel and Mars. "Isabel? Isabel come on now."
Isabel walked over to the trio, smiling. "Aaron! I've tried calling you, but all I ever get is your voicemail."
He sneered in her general direction, but remained silent. He grasped Elena's tiny hand, tightly. He leaned down, and whispered to her. "Are you ready?"
Elena's face lit up "Finally!" she cheered.
"Without further ado,. . . " Tom said, gesturing in Aaron's direction, " I'd like to introduce my running mate, current National Security Advisor, Shore."
The crowd erupted in applause and he and Elena started to make their way on stage, Isabel hot on their heels. As they emerged from the curtain, Isabel slipped her hand into his, confident he would not reject her affection in the public eye.
Aaron swallowed hard as he searched for Emily in the audience. As soon as he spotted her, he knew he'd messed up. She sat front and center, her face twisted up in utter heartbreak.