The President's Muse

037

She watches, as the woman's smile widened as she noticed Theodore, and she approached them with eagerness.

"Well, if it isn't my President," she greeted Theodore warmly.

Theodore returned the smile and leaned in to hug the woman from the side, his hand still interwined with Nia's. With a wide grin, he turned to Nia and said. "Mrs. Lahey, this is Nia."

Mrs. Lahey turned her attention towards Nia, giving her a once-over before meeting their joined hands and making direct eye contact. She felt her heart race in her chest, but she managed to maintain a smile as Mrs. Lahey leaned in to whisper, "It's nice to meet you,"

Theodore's eyes remained locked with Nia as Mrs. Lahey spoke, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her, allowing her to speak. "Nice to meet you too," she managed to say, her voice tinged with nervousness.

With that, Mrs. Lahey directed them towards the room where the sounds of beautiful, upbeat jazz filled the air, mingling with the buzz of conversation and laughter. "You alright?" Theodore asked, pausing to stop them in front of the doorway before they could enter.

Nia hummed, and Theodore shook his head seeming not satisfied with that answer, as he touches under her chin lifting her face to meet his gaze. "I need words darling,"

"I'm fine Theo," That was partially true as she did feel a mixture of nerves and a strange sort of okayness.

This was all new to her and he knew that.

Theodore tilts his head to the side, and she chuckles. "I am o.k.a.y," She reassured him, and in response Theodore hums and then says. "Okay, just let me know when you start to get uncomfortable okay?"

"Okay," With her hand still in his, they entered the crowded room, where the sound of loud chatter filled the air.

Wanting to distract herself,
She took in the beautiful designs of the place, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the porch up top, it felt like a scene from New Orleans. The walls were adorned with intricate designs, depicting scenes of musicians playing on the streets, while flickering candle lights from above danced across the room.

The room was filled with the lively tunes of a jazz band, their melodies floating through the room inviting the guest to dance. The color scheme which had seemed to be red and gold, added to the beauty of the room.

To her it felt like stepping into a painting, but before she could get immersed into the beautiful art once more. She could sense the chatter slowly dying down and heads began to turn, she felt her hands instinctively unclasp from his hand, and she paused in her footsteps. Theodore turned to look at her, but before he could say anything, a few ladies and gentlemen approached him, greeting their future President.

With her heart thudding in her chest, Nia couldn't help but notice a few lingering stares from across the room. She could tell they had noticed the intertwining of her and Theodore's hands a second ago, as where they stood offered them an easy view of the entrance.

She noticed that at first, the women's gazes seemed filled with curiosity, but soon they morphed into piercing glares that seemed to bore into Nia's soul causing her to look away.

"Focus on me," she reminded herself silently, her eyes searching for Theodore amidst the growing crowd that was surrounding him.

Despite being surrounded by people, his gaze remained locked onto hers.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly began to move around the room, not wanting to appear like a statue stuck in one place.

As she scanned the crowd, her eyes immediately landed on Lisa Vera.