The Math Teacher ~ Chapter Seven

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Stephanie

DC in June. Can you say hot and muggy? The parents and teachers were friendly to me but gave Ranger a wide berth, despite their pleasure in his freebie donation of four nights at the Four Seasons for everyone. Boy, did the volunteers turn out when the parents heard that!

The kids however seemed fascinated by Ranger. He always said that dogs and kids love him and I could see that this was true. He had patiently traipsed around the museums and the monuments for the past three days, only disappearing when the tour took us to The Pentagon and Arlington Cemetery. The Pentagon, I could understand - the cemetery I wasn't so sure. Maybe it held sad memories for him. Or he saw his future in the flag bedecked fields of the dead.

The young woman named Alyssa Nichols, the teacher who had briefly dated my sort of future brother-in-law—and very dear friend—Anthony Stewart, was not on this trip. Seems she is a high school math teacher, go figure. Julie likes Ms Nichols a lot but I just can't see Antonio with a, well, teacher. But maybe that's just me. Or me and him, I don't know...

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Today was the White House visit. We stood in line, we got our visitor passes. Ranger got pulled aside briefly and he flashed an ID, before discreetly handing over his weapons to the Secret Service people. They treated him with immense respect—or was that healthy fear I was seeing?—and made no fuss or embarrassing commotion. Three hours later, we finished the tour. My feet hurt and I felt cheated. We saw all the neat tidy public areas, but where's the dirt? The dust bunnies? The leftover pizza boxes? Where's the friggin' President?

Ranger smiled down at me. I think I said that last bit out loud.

Ranger said, "I don't think the President appears for these tours, babe, he's a busy guy."

"Hunh."

We were interrupted by a White House page person who said, "Excuse me. You are Colonel Manoso and Ms Plum? And is this Miss Julie Martine?" He smiled at Julie who smiled wide at him in return. The kid gaped at her. Well, she is very pretty. Just like her daddy.

I said, "It wasn't my fault!"

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever happened, it wasn't my fault!"

"Uh huh." The kid looked confused.

Ranger said, "I'm Carlos Manoso. Is there a problem?"

"No, sir. But could you please come this way?"

The signs said Oval Office.

Omigod.

The page knocked and went in, gesturing for us to follow.

He said, "Sir. Colonel Manoso. Ms Plum. Ms Julie Martine."

Then he made a little hand gesture and said, "The President of the United States."

…..

Julie

I clutched Steph's hand and followed the young guy down a long corridor. All the signs said West Wing. Then: Oval Office. I could feel daddy calmly following behind us, right at home in the President's house.

The kid opened the big wooden door and said our names, then announced: "The President of the United States!"

Like we wouldn't freakin' know?

The President came around his big desk and shook our hands, speaking warmly to me and Steph. Then he shook my dad's hand and said, "Carlos."

"Sir."

The page seated Steph and me, and the President went around and sat in his big presidential chair. When the President sat, daddy sat. Protocol.

The President looked at Steph and said, "Colonel Manoso says you've made him a very happy man." He glanced at Ranger and added, "I expect to be invited to the wedding, Carlos!"

"Oh. Um," said Steph.

Daddy said, "Steph has not had time to adjust to being my fiancée, sir. We haven't even begun to discuss a wedding."

The President was too polite to mention that their baby had already been born and was back at the hotel with her grandma Ellen and Britta, the current au pair.

"I can't wait to dance with your bride, Carlos. Will this be making changes in your work status? We'll be sorry to lose you if it does."

"No sir. It won't."

"Good to know."

Now while all this chitchat was, like happening, I was totally noticing that my dad seemed to know the President really well. The President calls my daddy Carlos. Hardly anyone calls daddy Carlos, it sounded strange to me. Sometimes my uncle Anthony calls my daddy Carlito. And sometimes Ric...but never Carlos. Clearly daddy has yet another life most of us know nothing about.

"And this is Julie!" I jumped when the President's attention suddenly switched to me.

I said, "Yes sir."

"My daughter told me all about meeting you on Facebook. Imagine my surprise to find out you are the daughter of my good friend Carlos Manoso."

I said, "Imagine that," and daddy frowned at me a little. Well what was I supposed to say? No clue. Stephanie was no help, she was looking shell-shocked. I think she was still fixated on the idea that this man was inviting himself to her wedding.

What wedding?

We had tea and chatted. We were invited back for dinner sometime in the future. The President smiled at me and said, "My wife will order in pizzas, we'll be casual, eat upstairs."

Ranger said, "That stuff will kill you, sir."

The President clapped Ranger on the shoulder and laughed. He said, "Gotta bust out and enjoy life once in awhile, Ranger."

Omigosh, now he is calling him Ranger!

"Yessir."

We finally made our escape.

When we got outside the Oval Office, both Stephanie and I turned openmouthed to my daddy who said calmly, "Not here." And he led us back to our tour group, got his weapons from the Secret Service guys and managed not to answer any questions for the rest of the trip.

... … …

tbc/ epilogs probably on Friday!

Thank you all for reading and especially for your reviews, I appreciate your taking the time. I am so happy you've enjoyed this little slice of my Plum world.

sunny d.