First Love (13 page)

She was sure she and Mark would be delegated to the end of the line. “Come on, we have time for one more drink before shaking hands. Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer.”

Mark was in awe. “What do we do?”

No answer was needed as a woman escorted them to the receiving line.

“Gee, I wonder who the people are behind us if we’re in front of them in line?” Drew whispered. “Must be Democrats who can’t decide which they are.” Drew shook hands and made inane comments. The sooner this was done the sooner she could get out of there.
This was a mistake.

There was a change in the mood of the crowd. President Harold Thompson and his wife were near. Drew’s reaction was visceral. The dislike was as natural as breathing. Even more, she knew he was a homophobic fear monger. Intellectually, she had accepted Jordan as his daughter, but the reality was repugnant. She regretted her decision and just wanted to get out of the building as fast as possible. She also needed to reevaluate a friendship with Jordan.
That’s kind of drastic, isn’t it?

She reined in all other thought but to survive the evening. Her hands were wet and her throat dry when she finally reached the Thompson family.

“Drew, Mark, thank you for coming.” Jordan was standing next to her parents with Brandan to her right. Her smile widened when she saw Drew. Jordan’s greeting was warm, but formal. “Maybe we can talk later.” Her voice was soft, more intimate.

Drew was speechless. Jordan was dressed in a simple, flowing, royal blue dress with enough cleavage to show rounded, full breasts. Her hair was pulled back and up away from her face. The style emphasized her long neck, the high cheekbones, and dancing eyes. Dangling earrings caught the light. The simple necklace dipped low enough to draw attention to the ample breasts.

Drew was having trouble breathing. Jordan was the most beautiful, and sexy, woman she had ever seen. And sophisticated. She couldn’t focus and she barely heard the introductions. She could no longer think of Jordan as just another student.

“You look different.” Drew couldn’t believe how weak that was.

“Good different or bad different?”

Jordan was flirting! Drew had no doubts. “Fantastic different.” Drew regained some semblance of civility. “Jordan, you look wonderful.”

“Thank you. So do you.” Her voice was almost a whisper. She squeezed Drew’s hand then turned toward her parents.

“Mother, Father, these are my friends, Drew Hamilton and Mark Garcia. Mark and Drew, these are my parents, Harold and Marcia Thompson

“Mr. President. Mrs. Thompson.” Drew reluctantly shook hands. She smiled and remembered her parents’ frequent admonitions about being gracious, even if it galled her to be in this situation. “It is an honor to meet Jordan’s parents.”
God, I’m turning into an outright liar.
Drew started to walk away, but the president was reluctant to let go of her hand. Drew took a deep breath.

“So you’re the person responsible for my daughter’s success. I can’t tell you how pleased we are. Jordan speaks highly of you. The First Lady and I are grateful for your help.”

“Thank you, sir, but Jordan is the one who succeeded. She did the work and took the exams. She is an excellent student.”

“Yes, we’re proud of our children.”

Drew noticed that he said “our children,” not Jordan.
Just another reason to hate the bastard.

“Jordan, be sure to bring these fine young people to visit so we can get to know them better.” Jordan smiled and appeared to be pleased with her father’s comment.

“Thank you.” Jordan briefly reached for Drew’s hand. Her whispered gratitude was both sincere and hopeful. “Thank you both for coming tonight.”

Her smile was gorgeous and then gone as she greeted the next guests. Only then did she let go of Drew’s hand.

“Let’s leave,” Drew said once they were away from the Thompsons. “I’m not sure my stomach will handle much more, or my leg.” Mark drove home, the entire time talking about having to purchase a new gown to visit the White House. Drew ignored him. Her insides were in such uproar, she was certain what little she had to eat would not stay down.

“There’s no way I’m ever going to again be in the same state as that man,” she said.

Tonight, Drew wasn’t thinking about Harold Thompson. It was the First Daughter who had her tied up in knots. Jordan had a gorgeous body, and no matter how much she tried to deny her feelings, she found Jordan much too sexy. She corrected herself. The president’s straight daughter was damn sexy. When Jordan smiled, Drew felt the early fluttering of desire.
Shit! This can’t be happening. I’m attracted to Jordan Thompson.

“Of course, if I get a new gown, what will you wear? And didn’t Jordan look stunning in that dress? And did she ever have eyes for you. I saw how she looked at you. Girlfriend, we may need to get you a decent tuxedo to escort a fox like that.”

Drew ignored the comments, just wanting to be home. She couldn’t, however, ignore the image of Jordan draped in blue, her neck bare, and the dress revealing too much for Drew to ignore.

Her mouth was dry, but her crotch wasn’t. She was definitely in need of distraction. Being around Jordan didn’t help.

*

As soon as she was free, Jordan walked around looking for her friends. There was no evidence of Drew or Mark anywhere. Disappointment loomed large. How was she going to survive the evening?

“There you are,” Brandan said.

Jordan definitely knew the evening was going downhill. For the first time in her life, she truly missed someone.
I thought she would stay.

“Jordan, that Drew girl.” Brandan grabbed her arm when he realized she wasn’t paying attention. “She’s a dyke, isn’t she? We have to let your parents know.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come on, you know who I’m talking about. She’s a fucking dyke.”

Jordan was going from sad to angry. “Let go.” She pulled herself free. “Don’t talk that way about my friends. For your information, my parents like her and her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? Are you that stupid? Your parents wouldn’t want you anywhere near those people if they knew.”

“Leave my friends alone!”

“I can’t have my girlfriend around those perverts. There’s no telling what they may try.”

Jordan was beyond caring what Brandan thought. She walked to an empty corner before turning on him. Only her parents’ presence kept her from raising her voice. “One,” she said, “they are my friends. So be careful what you say. Two, you are not, and I repeat, not my boyfriend. The only time you even notice me is when my father is around.” This time she lowered her voice. “If you don’t walk away now, I’ll ask the Secret Service to escort you out.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Brandan’s smug expression was infuriating.

Brandan was right about one thing. There would have been a time when she wouldn’t even consider such behavior. The last year had begun to change her. She was beginning to believe she was a good person, separate from her father.

“Try me,” she replied.

“I don’t believe this. They’ve already begun to poison you.” He lowered his voice. “Jordan, you need some help. You need to get away from them. And fast.”

“The only thing I need is for you to go away. Now.” His accusations were out of line. What gave him the right to make such outrageous statements or think he had any claim?

“You’ll regret this,” Brandan said.

It wasn’t until he was several feet away that she finally relaxed. She was tired of being the First Daughter. She was tired of others thinking or telling her what she could and could not do. Jordan wanted an ordinary life with ordinary friends. She needed Drew. Tomorrow, she would find her and talk to her.

Jordan was having trouble concentrating. Studying was the last thing she wanted to do. She was still angry at Brandan and confused by Drew’s sudden departure last night.

“Is something bothering you?” Drew asked. “I don’t think you have heard much of what I said.”

“I’m sorry.” She closed the books and put her hand on top of Drew’s. “Do you like me?”

“Uh, why are you asking?”

“I was so looking forward to spending some time with you last night and you and Mark disappeared. I was afraid I had done something wrong.”

Drew linked her fingers with Jordan’s. “Yes, I like you, and, no, you didn’t do anything wrong. I was tired and my leg was sore from all the standing.” She let go of Jordan’s hand. “Hope the rest of the evening went well for you.”

Jordan jumped up and began to pace. “Brandan Carter was awful. I can’t stand him.”

“What did he do?”

“It’s not what he did so much as what he said.” She sat back down and looked at Drew. “He said you and Mark were gay and that I should tell my parents. I had to threaten to have him thrown out. I told him you weren’t gay.”

Shit! What do I do now?
Drew felt as she had been pushed into a corner. What would Jordan do if she told her the truth?
Maybe it’s time to find out.
“Jordan, I am gay.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“What about Mark? Isn’t he your boyfriend?”

“No. I’ve told you before. We are just friends.”

Jordan jumped and walked rapidly around the kitchen. “I don’t believe this. I thought we were friends. And you’re gay?” Her voice was getting louder. She turned away from Drew and leaned over the sink.

Drew stood and picked up her backpack. “I’m gay, Jordan. If that’s a problem for you, then I think I should leave.”

Jordan spun around. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why should I have told you? Remember this was a business deal. You didn’t make any effort to tell me who your father was. Why should my sexual orientation make a difference? You are the one who keeps insisting that my tutoring has made a difference.”

“But you did find out about my father. Still, you didn’t tell me a thing.”

“Why should I tell you? Your father has made it eminently clear how he feels about people who are gay. How was I to know that you weren’t homophobic? When you’ve talked about your parents, you’ve assured me that your parents are important to you. What was I to think?”

“And I’ve told you how important you are.”

“Damn it, Jordan.” Drew slammed her backpack on the table. “You’ve thanked me as your tutor. Not your gay tutor. Not your gay friend. Remember what you just said? You were angry with Brandan for calling us gay. Why were you angry?” Drew picked up her backpack and slid it over her shoulder. “I don’t need to explain myself. This is who I am. Guess this is where we find out what friend means to you.” She turned to leave.

Her world was crumbling. Jordan put her hand on Drew’s arm. “Please don’t go.”

Drew didn’t turn around, but she didn’t leave, either. “Why should I stay?”

“Because I’m asking you to stay.”

Drew turned around. “Why, Jordan? Why do you want me to stay?”

“Because I want you to stay.” Jordan paused and examined her heart. It was at war with her head and her parents’ admonitions. “Because I don’t want to lose you.” Jordan had never felt so uncertain.

Drew stepped away. She seemed to be making some kind of decision. Jordan hoped it was the one she wanted.

“Jordan, I’m sorry for yelling. One of the reasons I didn’t tell you was that I was afraid this would happen. I didn’t know if you were as homophobic as your father. In spite of your father, I began to think of you more as a friend. Can we just make this one more of the things we may disagree on?”

Jordan put her arms around her and rested her head against Drew’s chest. She hugged her and then quickly let go. “That works for me. And I don’t think I’m homophobic. I’ve just never known any gay people.”

Drew laughed. “Yes, you do, but I doubt if those people feel any more comfortable than I did.”

“Can we sit back down?” Drew nodded, putting her backpack on the table. “So you and Mark are not involved?”

“No.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No, Jordan. Like you, I’ve been too busy with school. Can I ask you a question?” Jordan nodded. “What’s with you and Brandan? Is he an ex-boyfriend?”

Jordan looked down at her hands. “He only pretends to be my boyfriend when my father is around. His father wants him to marry me. I can’t stand him. He’s always telling me how to behave, what to think, what to do.” She wanted Drew to understand her life. “I’ve never had a boyfriend.” She was nervous.

“Never?”

“Never.” Jordan started playing with one of her buttons.

*

Drew couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. She was actually talking about being gay with Jordan. Life was becoming bizarre. “It must be hard to have a relationship.”

“I’ve never had a relationship.”

No, Jordan is not saying…No, way.
Jordan was really nervous now. “Jordan, are you telling me that you’ve never been”—
oh, hell, how do I ask?
—“you’ve never been with a guy?”

Jordan shook her head. “My parents have always told us to wait until we get married. I’m probably the only virgin in my sorority.”

“Your brother is engaged. Is he, uh, waiting?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” Life had really gotten bizarre.

“I’ve always heard that gay people are promiscuous.” Jordan continued to fidget.

“And is that what you believe? Well, I could say that it’s hard to believe you’re a junior in college and still a virgin.”

“What’s wrong with being a virgin? Why is that so hard to believe?” Jordan was standing again.

Drew stood on her side of the table. “My point exactly. How many of your sorority sisters are sexually active? Are they straight? Why the hell should you think straight people have different values and lifestyles than gay people? I do not sleep around!”

Drew realized that they were standing several feet apart like two old gunslingers waiting for the other to draw first. It would almost be funny if the conversation weren’t so serious. She needed to defuse the situation, and fast. “I think one of things we can agree on is waiting for the right person.”