The President's Young Daughter
JARED
I was going through the ledger when I heard the little commotion going on outside my office.
What was happening?
I rose from my chair and stepped out of my airy office to see my secretary having a little banter with someone.
Other staff were watching with interest. Few eyes caught my presence and went back to their station or faced their jobs...or at least they pretended to.
I had never seen Miss Bordeaux in this infuriated manner. And the person she was talking back to was a bit hidden by a staff's work station.
"You do not have an appointment, little girl." My secretary snapped.
"Do you know who I am? Who my father is?" The familiar voice had me halting in my tracks.
Maybe I should let Celine handle this one all by herself.
I had just done a U-turn and was about to flee to my office when I heard the excited squeal. "There he is! There's my boyfriend!"
I froze in place. I could hear the deafening silence that followed her statement.
Eyes were on me. Everyone knew I was married and this young, seemingly over pampered girl had just made everyone question my integrity and faithfulness as a married man within the following few seconds.
The light running of her converses as she approached me was the only sound in the wide, work station of my employees.
Having no choice, I turned to face her. "Hello, Miss Vaughn."
She giggled, looking like a pretty doll. "Stop addressing me formally, Jared." She stuck out her tongue at a shocked, speechless Celine.
I bit back a smile. She was truly a child. A spoiled one. I couldn't be mad at her. I just had to find a way to let her down gently.
"S-sir, you're both dating?" Celine finally asked.
The eyes of staff were on us and the unfolding scenario.
I furrowed my brow. Was that pain and jealousy I detected in her tone? What was wrong with Celine of late?
Yesterday she would not stop staring at me with expectancy as though she was waiting for me to say something. She'd smiled extra and behaved a bit less formal with me.
"Go back to work, Miss Bordeaux." I ordered firmly. "And the rest of you too." I addressed the rest of my staff.
They quickly obeyed, except for Celine who seemed a bit hurt. She stared at me for longer before returning to her seat.
"Is she truly who she claims to be, sir?" Someone asked from my small crowd of employees.
"What did she claim to be?" I faced the person.
"She claims to be the President's daughter, sir. But we all know President Vaughn has only sons. Three of them."
"How dare..."
"It's okay, Miss Vaughn." I calmed the flushing teenager with big, stubborn eyes. "She is the last child and only daughter of President and First Lady Vaughn. She was not lying if she told you exactly this."
"Told you, Miss Bordeaux." She hooked an arm around mine and held firmly.
Eyes were on us. To leave this embarrassing scene, I walked with her to my office.
"Your office is big and nice." Her eyes roamed keenly around the space of my working area.
I removed her hold on mine. "Thank you. Please have a seat, Miss Vaughn."
"Call me by my name, Jared." She pouted and folded her arms, refusing my offer of a seat.
I ignored her child-like pout. I had so many questions for her, I'd start one after the other. "How did you find my office, Miss Vaughn?"
She paid me the silent treatment, looking away from me.
I went to assume my position back on my chair with a resigned sigh. "Nina."
She immediately paid me attention with a big smile. "Exactly. That's my name."
Her red bouncy curls framed her heart shaped face. She was really pretty and her fashion sense was topnotch but it didn't match her crude personality.
She took a seat across from me. "I came to see you."
"How did you find my office, Nina?" I clasped my hands and placed them on the desk.
"You told me the name. It's a big, famous company, so it wasn't hard to find." She replied.
"Did you come with any security?" My guess was if she had come with security, they would be in this office right this minute, crowding my office space.
I didn't know if I should be grateful I didn't have muscular men standing as tall statues in my office or be concerned that she might have left White House without any security.
What if she had been kidnapped? This was election period for political positions. Other opposition parties who knew how close I was to the President, through the means of my uncle, were upset and would be ready to play dirty if they knew the President's last child left home unsecured.
She shook her head. "No."
That affirmed my guess and I immediately began to berate though calmly. "Why would you take such risk? Don't you know your father has enemies and they might want to hurt you?"
"I came to see you." She uttered as though it was enough excuse to risk her life.
I heaved a sigh and prayed for patience. "How old are you?"
"I'll be eighteen next month. It's part of my reason for returning. Daddy wanted my step into adulthood to be celebrated at home with my family." She explained.
For fuck's sake, I had a minor sitting in my office and giving me lovey dovey looks.
"Why did you come?" I questioned further.
"Because I want to see you." She shrugged.
"And?" I quirked a brow.
"Well, I like you. I know you're older but I don't care. Age means nothing."
"Yes, it does. It means everything when you're a minor." I argued reasonably.
"I just told you I'll be eighteen next month. We can hold off the relationship until I celebrate my eighteenth birthday." She had that determined stare.
"Relationship?" I could not help but stare at her in quiet amusement.
She was bold, I'd give her that. How many teenagers could outrightly profess their feelings to someone they liked, especially when that someone was older than them.
Way older than them.
"Yes. Once I turn eighteen, we'll become lovers and you'll be my first."