A Meeting Between Friends
It was a cool autumn afternoon as the President of the United States of America, George W Bush slowly drove his truck into the gates of his mansion after a long day of fishing. The US is in crises. The bail out failed, the Stock market almost crashed twice, and people are being laid off. Bush was up to his ears in first class problems he have to help fix but he was sick of it.
"You think I am a terrible president, huh? Well, let the next idiot worry about your problems and leave me alone!" He thought as he drove in his garage and closed the door. He was somewhat right. Everyone called him an idiot, an udder failure of presidents who can't talk worth of shit and now they want him to lift a finger to help them? He sighed. "Eight years of my life...."
George walked in and went into his kitchen for some beer and pretzels when he heard talking in his living room. He moseyed down and saw his First Lady Laura Bush talking on the couch with Mrs. Cindy McCain.
"Oh great George, you're home! Mr. and Mrs McCain just came over for a visit!"
Then, shuffling out of the next room, John McCain comes in and greets W.
"Mikey, I haven't seen you face to face in months!" He gives John a firm hand shake and a hug.
"Me and the Mrs came here to talk to you about the current situation in the stock market."
Bush felled his spirits sink as he was tired of being reminded to do something about this very serious situation.
"Can we talk about it later. How about some dinner?"
******
After a hearty meal of pork and gravy, the Mrs went back to the living room to talk some more. This left McCain and Bush alone in the kitchen while one of Bush's service men washed the dishes. Bush felt exhausted but not as much as McCain, he's sure. The man nodded in and out during dinner and he have been walking as if his back was killing him. Bush got up and stretched while slowly walking out.
"Well, we best get our beauty rest. I have a country to run in the morning." He says, knowing he is doing no such thing.
"George, I wanted to ask you about the stock market." Bush rolled his eyes as his back was turned away from McCain. He was sick of being reminded of this shit.
"I know...I am going to a cabinet meeting to discuss it tomorrow." Again, lying through his teeth.
"No, its not that. I.....can we talk about this alone?"
Bush wanted to go to sleep but he knew what McCain wanted to talk about was pretty important to him. He sighed and went down the hall. "Follow me downstairs."
They slowly (slowly because McCain had serious back pain) went to a very large and clean basement where Bush kept his secret room. His special room to get away from the world and just relax without interruption. It was a large room that had an Oval Office feel to it. It had an red carpet in it, like the Oval Office and a big desk in the middle of the room. Of course, there was a large arm chair in the corner with a big flat screen TV on the wall, a refrigerator, and a closet with a toilet and sink so he didn't have to leave the room for anything. It was like a small apartment.
Bush sat on his desk and McCain sat on the large office chair by the desk. He was quite impressed with the room. "Life at home isn't relaxing enough?" He laughed.
"Its like I have to lock myself in a closet to get any 'me' time these days." He laughed too.
It was quiet when Bush got up and walked to the refrigerator.
"Want a beer?"
"I shouldn't." McCain declined.
"Oh come on! A beer won't hurt! And besides, it will sooth some of the stress off your back."
"I'll take two!" McCain laughed and Bush brought a six pack over and sat back down on the desk to drink it. The two republicans drunk down one beer each until McCain remembered what he was here for.
"I know you don't want to talk about it but...can we discus the stock market?" He says quietly.
The beer loosened Bush's nerves enough to not be bothered by the subject of America's economy. "Well, tell me something I don't know."
McCain reached for a second beer and so did Bush. "I want to ask you for pointers on what to do if I'm elected as the next president." John says while opening and drinking his beer.
"Like?"
"Like....WHAT to do....." McCain says after gulping down a third of his beer.
"What to...do?" Bush was confused.
"Yes.....I...don't have.....any clue of how I can fix this.......at all." John nervously gulped down another third of his beer.
Bush stared at him, hoping he was joking. "You mean, you don't know......what to do?"
McCain answered W's question by looking away and drinking the rest of his beer. He then took and started drinking another. George was shocked. He didn't realize how both candidates could possibly be dumbfounded on this problem. He just realized he is leaving a serious problem on the laps on either McCain or Obama without caring how much serious stress this might bring to them. But then again, W was thrown the problem of September 11 early in his presidential term and he remembered how much it really strained him and his family. But the position of the president is a very important one. These candidates should be aware on how hard and stressful it can be. 4-8 years of your life trying to solve the problems of America and the possibility that everyone could hate you and want to kill you. He placed his hand on McCain's back in sympathy.
"Look, Mikey. You been on this earth longer then me. If you are elected, you could be the oldest president ever. I know you must of seen more horrible shit then I did and handled some really tough situations. But I believe in you. Why did you think I gave you my best wishes months back? I know you can do it and carry my torch and-"
McCain moved away from Bush's hand. "YOUR Torch? See, that is what I'm afraid of! I'm afraid that if I'm elected, it could just be a third term of W Bush. I--"
Bush interrupted him. "You say it like you are ashamed of it." He said half joking and half offended.
"No, that's a complement! I agree with everything you do, George! All your policies, all your ideas, everything you are doing I agree fully. But I just want to be myself. To go out with a bang. What 72 year old can say they were the president of the United States?" He drunk the rest of his beer and continued. "I want to be just like you. Here I am, an elder admiring a younger-"
"Elder?" Bush laughed and McCain chuckled. "You're not that old."
"Say that to MY back." He laughed again, kinda breaking the tension in the air.
"See, even though there is a lot of people who hate you, you have a likable personality. I admire that." McCain stood up and placed a hand on Bush's shoulder. Bush thanked him and McCain leaned in and kissed Bush's lips. Bush shot up quickly surprised. "What the hell!?!"
"I-I-I'm sorry! I just....you know....beer can....you know loosen you up...and..." McCain was petrified. Why the hell did he kiss him? He never did anything homosexual since his collage days when he playfully made out with his dorm mates. But that was years and years and years and years ago. He wasn't gay but bi-curious and he spent his days trying to hide it by being against gays and gay marriage.
Bush wasn't gay himself. But he was kissed before by Colin Powe after he came out to Bush as being Bisexual and being in love with him. He was against gays himself but something about the kiss forced open a new door in his heart. He cared for John McCain. But not as a father, as one would with a man his age. He cared for him as a good friend but the idea of kissing him sounded...nice and somewhat...forbidden.
"W-why did you kiss me, Mikey?"
"I-told you, I'm kinda tipsy and--"
"No, why did you do it? Kissing another man isn't something you would do if you were just drunk...."
It was quiet and McCain looked away. He couldn't explain his feelings for the president. He couldn't tell him he had homosexual thoughts about him. He just couldn't. "I better head out.....I have to give a rally at 11am....." He placed his beer down and headed out the door ashamed of his feelings.
"Wait." McCain stops with his back turned to Bush, embarrassed to face him ever again. Then all of a sudden, Bush wrapped his arms around John. Usually, this bodily contact on his back would give him a shitstorm of pain but it soothed him. John turned around and hugged George and they just stood there in each other company for what seemed like forever.
"George! George are you down there?"
"John, we have to go back to our rooms and get some sleep!"
The two Republicans parted and looked at each other deeply. W could see in McCain's eyes how he felt about him and vise versa. He watched McCain shuffle upstairs to his wife and leave.
"John, have you been drinking?" Was the last he heard of them before they went out the door. George sighed and cleaned up the beers they both had. He then turned out the lights and headed upstairs. It was a long day.