William's Tale by Regina Morris Page B

Barely able to speak, she managed to say, “I’ve been meaning to go on the public tour. Just never got around to it.”
    She counted each step, reveling in the glory of where she was. But then something occurred to her. Halfway up the stairs, she stopped. “Are we going to be in trouble for just walking in here?”
    William stopped, as well. “I work here. I’m here every day.”
    She stood one step higher than him and looked directly into his eyes. “But do you have any reason to be here tonight?”
    He continued walking and urged her to follow. “Yes. I want to show you the White House.”
    She smiled and realized she had been smiling most of the evening. As far as best dates go, this was numero uno on her list.
    As they made their way into the building, the swiftness with which the guards let them pass impressed Jackie. With only a few words from William, nearly a virtual red carpet was laid at their feet. She figured he stood higher up in rank in his job than she thought, or maybe these people owed him a favor, or perhaps it was just this easy to enter the White House. She hoped it wasn’t the latter one.
    More guards greeted them when they walked across the Grand Entrance Hall. Jackie took in her surroundings as William briefly talked with the guards.
    If she had ever guessed how magnificent this home really was, she would have missed its true beauty by a mile. The reflection of the chandelier sparkled in the marble tile as they made their way towards a room across from the entrance doors. Large paintings of presidents hung on the walls, and Jackie, as a teacher, recognized each one — although she may have confused the identify of a few of them in her mind. Every last detail accounted for, including crown molding and red carpet in what William had called the Cross Hall leading to the adjoining staircase.
    He paused at the open door and nodded for her to enter first. To her amazement, the room was… well, it was green. The walls, the carpet, the drapes, even the furniture were all different shades of green. It was green, but dazzlingly beautiful.
    “This is the Green Room,” he said, walking into the room behind her.
    “Oh, I think that’s obvious.” She smiled as she walked across the room, her finger lightly touching the back of the couch as she made her way to the fireplace. The atmosphere almost didn’t seem real.
    She could tell he followed her by his footsteps so close behind. “There’s also a Red Room, a Blue Room and a Yellow…”
    “Let me guess,” she interrupted. “There’s a yellow room.”
    He chuckled. “The yellow room is upstairs. The President and his wife use it as a private den, so it’s off the tour.”
    She walked over to the window and looked outside. “I never thought of the White House having a television, or of the first family watching programs.”
    William now joined her at the window. “They’re a normal couple, just like everyone else.”
    “A normal couple where the husband is the ruler of the free world.” Jackie took a step back and admired the crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. “You know what room I’ve always wanted to see? The dish room.”
    A smile crossed his lips. “The China Room?” When she nodded, he asked, “Why is everyone so fascinated with a bunch of plates?”
    She now looked over to him, a sly smile on her face. “Do you take all of your dates to the White House?”
    “No.” He blushed. “I mean, what dates?”
    She watched as her question made him squirm where he stood. It was a joke, and even if he didn’t enjoy it, she did.
    *******
     
    William noticed over the course of the evening how playful Jackie had become, but the question still surprised him. Other vampires of the COLONY team had taken women into this home to impress them, but Jackie was the first one for him. She was special, and even though he was a bit nervous using the allure of the majestic building to sweep her off her feet, the Green Room had a