She giggled. “I’ll make sure to make it up to the Bear tonight.”

“You know, I think it’s time to retire that nickname.”

Her brows shot up in surprise. “You do?”

I nodded. “I’m thinking from here on out, he’ll be the First Penis.” Addison groaned as she started to the door. “What about the Commander in Cock?” I called to her retreating form.

“Dream on,” she replied.

With a laugh, I hurried to catch up to her at the door. “Fine, we’ll keep the Bear, and he’ll be regulated to your cave and your cave only.”

She shook her head at me. “That is both repulsive and endearing.”

“That’s me.”

She grinned. “Yes, indeed it is.”

“And you love me?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And I love you.”

ADDISON

There are some moments in life you will never, ever forget as long as you live. When you’re old and grey and listening to the heave and sigh of your front porch rocking chair, you will recall those moments with a smile. I had just had just such a day, and in fact, it had been so jam-packed with memorable moments, I felt like I was on sensory overload.

Hours later, every molecule in my body continued to hum with a post-excitement buzz. Although I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained, I couldn’t have slept if I’d wanted to. I wasn’t sure I would ever sleep again without literally being knocked out. Besides, I never wanted today, Inauguration Day, to end. It had been far too magical.

Like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, I hadn’t been able to sleep last night. Barrett seemed to be suffering from the same problem, so we ended up keeping each other occupied by making love into the wee hours of the morning. When our six AM wake-up call came, I stumbled out of bed and lurched around like a zombie.

A hair and makeup team was dispatched to our suite to get me ready. Even Barrett got some pampering as he got a shave and a haircut before being helped into his suit and tie. With the high only in the 20s, I wished to be wearing long underwear rather than pantyhose under my navy wool sheath dress, as well as knee boots instead of heels.

At precisely nine AM, we arrived at the White House to have pre-inauguration coffee and breakfast with the soon-to-be former President Mitchum. As Barrett and I followed his mom and dad down the carpeted halls, I couldn’t believe that in a few hours, this would be their home for at least the next four years. When you added in the Secret Service contingency and the vast corridors of the White House, it was overwhelming. If James and Jane were nervous, they didn’t show it. Instead, they sported their usual warm smiles.

Fast-forward three hours later to when I sat shivering in the inaugural boxes. Three rows down, Senator Callahan placed his left hand on the Bible Jane held and raised his right hand to take the oath of office. His voice echoed over the speakers. “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…”

Tears flooded my eyes at the enormity of the moment. On my right, Caroline sniffled and raised a tissue to dab her eyes. Glancing at Barrett, I couldn’t hide my surprise that even he had tears shimmering in his blue eyes. Months ago, I would have never thought him capable of showing emotion in public, yet here he was. I reached over to take his gloved hand in mine. When I squeezed it encouragingly, he didn’t take his eyes off his father, but he did smile in acknowledgement. I loved seeing the pride in his eyes.

Once the swearing in ceremony was over, we headed back to the White House for a lunch reception in the State Dining Room. It was packed with friends, family, and supporters of James. My parents and Evan had also scored invitations, along with my sister, Amy, and her husband. It was nice having my family together again.

Then there was the parade where we marched along the Mall, waving to the cheering crowd. By the time it was over, I felt like my smile was frozen on my face, and my hand and arm ached from the exertion. After that, we headed back to the White House in time to attend yet another formal dinner where you made polite small talk with someone you’d never met and probably would never see again.

With a full stomach, I left dinner to head upstairs where my entourage waited to get me ready for my appearance at the ten official balls President Callahan and the First Lady, Vice President Smith and his wife, and their families were expected to attend.

After smoothing my white opera-gloved hands over the intricate beading of my sapphire blue dress, I glanced at the antique clock on the antique mantle. Everything in this room was old and pulsed with historical significance. For the days following the inauguration, I’d been given the Queen’s Bedroom to stay in. Since Barrett and I weren’t married, the White House staffers decided to preserve some decorum by having us stay in separate rooms, but I didn’t know who they were kidding thinking Mr. Sex Fiend would go one night without sneaking from the family quarters into my room.

Turning slowly, I once again took in the pink painted walls and floral carpeting. I fought the urge to pinch myself for probably the thousandth time that day. I mean, I was standing in the Queen’s Bedroom, which had gotten its name from the fact that so many royal queens had stayed there. American royalty had stayed in this room as well, when Jackie Kennedy had occupied the room while the family quarters were renovated back in ’61. It wasn’t just a bedroom—oh no, it had its own sitting room and bathroom as well.

In a dress designed by Valentino, a new pair of Jimmy Choos commissioned especially for me, and a ridiculously expensive sapphire and diamond necklace and matching encrusted earrings on loan from Tiffany’s, I couldn’t help feeling a little bit like royalty. Although Barrett wanted me to get used to the upscale life he was accustomed to, it was harder than I thought. I often felt like Cinderella in her rags, and I knew it was something that was going to take time. You didn’t spend summers in one-room houses in poverty-stricken areas just to one day not bat an eye about having a driver or wearing designer clothes.