Exclusive story: “The World of Men”
by admin ~ October 31st, 2008The World of Men
by Delilah T. Jones
She stands in the cramped bathroom and stares at her reflection in the small, dirty mirror. An aide is rapping his knuckles against the door insistently, but she ignores him, the roar of plane engines, the incessant buzz of the press corps, her cell phone beeping in her purse. “I am Sarah Palin. I am the future president of the United States,” she says softly, allowing the corners of her mouth to curl. Carefully, she smoothes the wrinkles out of her blouse and skirt, makes sure she’s showing some cleavage, and gives her shoulders a little shake. She has been repeating this mantra for weeks now and every single time, she feels a rush of sensation between her ears and her thighs. In these vainglorious moments, she doesn’t think of the old man who brought her here or Todd or the kids or the one on the way. No. She thinks about herself and she likes it.
“Governor,” we really need you, the aide says, his voice rising to a desperate pitch.
She eyes herself once more, gives herself a fresh coat of lipstick and shakes her head. “This is some fucking country.”
Sarah has always lived in the world of men—first, it was Alaska with her rough hewn fishermen and wildcats and prospectors and miscreants and then, the campaign trail where men, young and old, with their loosened ties and sweat-stained dress shirts and multiple cell phones usher her through a parade of events. She smiles for the camera and shakes hands and parrots whatever party line will get the crowds frothing for more. It is a turn-on, she has to admit, choosing just the right words to get a crowd to follow her blindly. When he called to offer her a spot on the ticket, the old man had only one thing to say—give them a good story and look good telling it. I’m the mother of four children, Sarah thought. I know all about a good story.
At night, after the aides and handlers and yes men have retired to their hotel rooms to continue plotting the future of the world, Sarah likes to strip naked and slide into bed next to her husband. She will throw one leg over Todd’s muscular, hairy thigh rubbing her cunt against his skin while he plays with her hair. She’ll bite his chest, slide one hand down his stomach, wrapping her fingers around his cock. When her cunt is slick and her clit is throbbing, she’ll straddle Todd, hovering above his cock until her thigh muscles start trembling. She’ll stay like that until it burns. There’s a look in her husband’s eyes, a bright and frenzied look. He’ll slide his hands up her stomach to her breasts, fantastic breasts, she knows, squeezing them roughly. He’ll try to force himself inside her but she’ll stop him, planting one hand over his breastbone. She’ll lean down and bite his lower lip, breathe into his mouth, ease down so just the tip of his cock is touching her pussy lips. “Please, baby,” he’ll say. He’ll beg. He will sound desperate. It is that moment, that sweet terrible moment, that she enjoys the most because she knows that she may not be the smartest woman in the world, but she’ll always have this.
She rarely knows what city she’s in and she likes that sense that she’s really nowhere at all. When Todd is fucking her, and her thighs are pressed against his hips, and her hands are tearing at the skin on his back he’ll say, “I’m fucking the next president of the United States.”
She’ll stop moving her hips for a moment, breathing loudly and look up at him in the darkness. “Yes,” she’ll say. “Yes, you are.” And he’ll groan, loudly, shamelessly, burying his head against her shoulder as he comes. Because it turns him on too, that everywhere he goes, everyone knows that he’s the man who gets to fuck the next president of the United States. He’s got it made. Afterward, as he’s falling asleep and Sarah is sitting against the headboard, refreshing her memory about the party line or reviewing the next day’s itinerary, he’ll murmur, “This is some fucking country.” Sarah will pat Todd’s bare chest. “Go to sleep,” she’ll say.
What Sarah likes most about skirts is that they fall just far enough above the knee to catch a man’s attention. If she’s learned anything living in the world of men, it’s that a woman must always catch a man’s attention because without a man’s attention, a woman has nothing. She is nothing. What makes Sarah happiest right now is that she has the attention of a great many men. If her favorite thing is telling herself she will be the next president of the United States each time she passes a reflective surface, her second favorite thing is to sit in a conference room full of men in their crisp, slightly sweaty dress shirts and designer slacks with their earnestness and condescension and turn away from the table just enough to slowly cross and uncross her legs. She’ll allow her eyes to crinkle, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly and she’ll lean forward just enough for her blouse to part. She’ll watch them and the predictable way their eyes follow the toned muscles of her calves up to her breasts. They’ll clear their throats and adjust their ties and shift uncomfortably in their seats. She knows what they’re thinking—they’re thinking if they play their cards right, they too could be fucking the next president of the United States.
If her favorite thing is telling herself she will be the next president of the United States and her second favorite thing is toying with boys in conference rooms, then her third favorite thing is to read the things people say about her. When she’s flying between cities and the men in suits are buzzing around planning the future of the world, she loves to sit with her laptop, alone, reading about her inexperience and right wing politics and the tanning bed in the Governor’s Mansion which, it must be known, is one of the few places where she can have a moment to herself, and as such is a crucial part of the gubernatorial process. The caustic barbs and Photoshopped images and conspiracy theories about the maternity of her youngest don’t bother her. They’re a turn-on. They are talking about the next president of the United States, she thinks. And they just don’t get it. I could give a shit about reproductive health or alternative energy or tax cuts because when the old man kicks it, sooner than later, I will be fucking in the fucking East Wing.
One of the GOP aides who’s been assigned to Sarah is an eager young man with an earnest, serious haircut named Conor, with one “n.” He is tall and handsome in that uptight, muscular manner unique to Republican men whose bodies have not yet given way to too much bourbon, too much red meat and too many cigars. Conor recently graduated from one of those elite East Coast schools that the Republicans love to criticize but always attend. He has not been out of school long enough to realize that a degree in political science teaches one exactly nothing about politics and this ignorance is somehow endearing to Sarah. Conor is not very bright but he is good at getting things. He always knows the location of her phone, husband, glasses and suit jacket. He also knows how she takes her coffee and maintains custody of a pack of Marlboro Reds at all times. These are not inconsequential skills.
On those nights when Sarah is alone, when Todd is back in Alaska looking after their brood, Sarah is not really alone and it is not a well-kept secret. Amongst her staffers, it is not Trig Palin’s maternity in question but rather, the boy’s paternity. Some time after midnight, after she’s slipped out of her suit and set her glasses on the night stand, and she’s watching the image of a late night talk show host flicker silently on the TV screen, she’ll hear a soft tap at the door. She’ll wait for a second knock, and then she’ll open the door and let Conor in because in addition to getting things, he’s also fairly adept at giving things. He’ll look both ways, making sure the hallway is empty because he doesn’t yet realize that there are no secrets on the campaign trail. When he thinks the coast is clear, he will slide past the door and lean against it as it shuts. He’s always wearing jeans and a t-shirt and Sarah enjoys seeing the boy out of uniform.
“Madame Governor,” he’ll say, shivering because Sarah likes to keep her hotel room frigidly cold. It reminds her of home.
Sarah will hook her fingers in his belt loops, pulling him to her and she’ll smile as, predictably, his cock stiffens. Conor hasn’t traveled much but he wants to know more about the world. Conor hasn’t traveled much so he doesn’t realize that Sarah hasn’t traveled much herself but she’s good at telling a good story and that is enough. “Tell me about Alaska,” he’ll say. “Tell me about Europe. Teach me about the world.” She will slide her hands under his shirt, and grab at his neck with her teeth. She’ll leave a mark that he will try to cover the next morning with a high collar and a persistent lean.
“Alaska is a cold, hard place,” she’ll say. “And so is the rest of the world.” One doesn’t have to be well traveled to understand how the world works.
She isn’t one for ceremony when there are no cameras flashing. She gets that from her father. Sarah will slide to her knees, while Conor fumbles with the zipper of his jeans, and hurriedly shove them down around his ankles, his cock bright red, the tip moist with silver. He doesn’t know many women who are willing to suck cock because the women his age haven’t yet realized that in the world of men, a little head goes a long way. He thinks that Sarah, on her knees, her lips squeezing the base of his cock, is something special. She knows that being on her knees is a means to an end—in the world of men it’s important to have someone like Conor under her control.
Conor’s cock is average in length, but thick, and when he’s in her mouth Sarah drags her tongue along the underside, making wet sucking sounds. She works her hand up and down the shaft, twisting around, while she licks the tip slowly with the widest part of her tongue. She’ll cup her balls with her hand, pressing one fingernail just below his asshole.
It won’t take long for Conor to come, his hands pressed firmly against the back of Sarah’s head, thrusting his hips so that his cock reaches the back of her mouth. He will throw his head back, gripping her hair tighter between his fingers. He’ll only hear one thing—the sound of her gagging and struggling to breathe. As his cock softens, Sarah will bite because she has her spiteful moments. It won’t take long for Conor to get hard again. While they’re waiting, he’ll review her itinerary for the next day, telling her what to say to whom and when. He is careful and studious in these moments because he wants to do a good job. He wants to be a good boy.
Sarah will leave the TV on and she’ll drape herself over a low chair, her ass high in the air, studying the newscasters on Fox News. Conor will stand behind her. He’ll hold his cock and inch forward until he’s inside Sarah and he’ll sigh, enjoying the tight warmth clinging to him. As she bounces her ass and leans into him, he will shyly slap the backs of her thighs. Sarah will roll her eyes. He’ll rest his hands on her hips, pumping erratically. “Fucking,” she’ll think, “is a lot like drilling for oil.” Conor will be sweaty and red when he’s fucking her, the muscles in his neck straining. He has little control or finesse. But he makes her feel stretched wide open and sometimes, that’s enough.
She will close her eyes and imagine that she’s fucking her opponent, not the widower but the younger, brilliant one who tells a good story—the man who is lean and athletic and eloquent and so easy on the eyes. She imagines her opponent fucking her backstage at a debate in a dark secret place guarded by Secret Service agents while their spouses have an awkward conversation somewhere nearby. It is only then that she will get wet as she thinks about his hands holding her ass, tearing at her underwear, lifting her onto a table, spreading her thighs. It is only then that her skin will tingle and she’ll spread her legs wider and she’ll bark at Conor to fuck her harder.
She will stare at her reflection in the TV screen and imagine her opponent standing behind her, one hand in her hair, yanking her head back, bruising her lips with his, nipping his tongue with her teeth. She’ll imagine her opponent twisting her nipples between his fingers until she cries out, then twisting them harder, hard enough that her knees buckle. She imagines him pulling her back up and slapping her hard enough to make her jump. She imagines him making her say his name. She imagines him making her beg. She comes, thinking about her opponent buried deep inside her, fucking so hard that her body starts to come apart. Then she will remember Conor.
The closer Conor gets to coming, the faster he will thrust and as he comes, he will fall on her back, panting. His sweat trickling along her rib cage will make her cringe. “I just fucked the next president of the United States,” he’ll say.
“No,” she’ll reply. “The next president of the United States just fucked you.”
Conor will be confused but won’t linger on the point. He’ll sit in the chair they just fucked on, pulling Sarah onto his lap. “What do you think of when we’re fucking?” he’ll ask.
“The next president of the United States,” she’ll say, imagining skirting away from that dark secret place while straightening her clothes and smelling her opponent on her skin.
Then, Sarah will push Conor away and take a shower. When she steps out, the mirror will be foggy so she’ll wipe away just enough condensation to consider her reflection. She’ll wonder how long the old man has left—how long she has before she becomes the next president of the United States. As she thinks of the boy in the next room and her husband at home, she’ll feel slightly nauseous. Then, as the mirror fogs up again, she won’t. The next president of the United States doesn’t need to concern herself with the trivialities of infidelity. She’ll sit on the edge of the tub, legs crossed, and light one of the cigarettes Conor keeps for her. She’ll lotion her legs between drags, tapping her ashes into the toilet. The hotel will charge her $150 because she has been installed in a nonsmoking room.
Back in the bedroom, a towel wrapped tightly around her body, she’ll find Conor comfortably asleep on her bed, one arm resting over his head, the other over his heart, the sheets tangled around him. Sarah won’t mind because she doesn’t like to sleep alone. She’ll lie next to him, sore¾but not sore enough¾and unsatisfied. She’ll call home and check in, listening to the children chatter about their day, then she’ll send them off to bed with her love. She’ll talk dirty to Todd with her back pressed against Conor’s and her fingers furiously rubbing her clit. He’ll recount the time they fucked against a tree in the deep woods in the middle of January and he’ll tell her about all the things he’s going to do to her when they meet up again. Her breathing will be heavy and when she comes, her entire body will shake uncontrollably. She’ll fall asleep with her hand between her thighs, her cell phone pressed against her cheek.
In the morning, she’ll fly to New York and sit for an interview with Katie Couric. She will not acquit herself the way she should but it will be of little matter. The current administration has lowered the bar of expectation for what the president of the United States should know. What Sarah will know is this: She will know that Katie doesn’t like her. She’ll know that her skirts hemmed a few inches above the knee will have no effect on the newscaster. She’ll also know that the reason she got the call from the old man is the same reason why Katie Couric won’t have her job for long.
Afterwards, she and Conor will sit in the back of a limousine and head to a meeting with world leaders and their spouses. She will look forward to meeting the first lady of France, a woman, to her mind, who has perfected the art of living in the world of men. Conor will reassure her that she did fine. They’ll both know he’s lying. As she is staring out the window, watching a city filled with the kinds of people she will never understand, Connor will kiss her neck and paw at her chest with his hands. Sarah will catch the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror and just slightly inch her head to the left. The driver will smirk as he raises the privacy divider. He loves his job. Sarah will uncross her legs, pulling Conor’s hand between her thighs. She’ll lean back as he pulls her panties aside and roughly slides three fingers into her cunt. She’ll dig her fingernails into his wrist and leave another mark. She’ll ignore her ringing cell phone and the cacophony of a traffic-filled street. She’ll look out at the city again. She’ll stare at her reflection. She’ll imagine that she her body is being filled by the man with the long, slender fingers who should be the next president of the United States. She won’t come and when she pushes Conor away, she will be sad because she knows how the world of men works. “This is some fucking country,” she’ll think.
Bio: Delilah T. Jones is a Democrat.