THE PRESIDENT'S GIRLFRIEND Read Online Free PDF Page B

society.  The same for former prostitutes and drug addicts.  Many of the residents of her community credit BBR with changing the entire trajectory of the young people’s lives.  That, in and of itself ladies and gentlemen, is an achievement.  Let’s therefore welcome Miss Regina Lansing to the stage to accept the award on behalf of Block by Block Raiders.  Miss Lansing, ladies and gentlemen.”
     As they had done for the other organization reps, Dutch and all of the onstage dignitaries stood and applauded as Gina made her way onto the stage. 
     Oh, how lovely , Dutch thought as she walked onto the stage, her movements an education in grace and dignity.  And when he gave her the framed award certificate, and reached out and shook her hand, her smile seemed so warm, so oddly familiar, that it took him aback.  And he suddenly felt as if he knew her. 
     Gina felt a bolt of electricity when his hand touched hers, when she remembered what those hands once did to her.  And when she looked into his kind, glassy, forest-green eyes, she found herself smiling.  Smiling?  She was about to rip him wide open, tear this mutha up with some truth, and she was smiling?  She got serious again, accepted the award from him, and stood at the podium to give what they all undoubtedly assumed would be her prepared, staid remarks. 
     When everyone was seated and silence came into the room like a sudden cloud, she thanked the president and all of those assembled, exhaled in nervous exasperation, and then told it like the reality of BBR’s situation decided that she had to.
     “This award,” she said as she stood behind the podium and stared at the certificate in her hand, the president, along with other dignitaries, seated not ten feet from her, “is without question the highest honor our small, truly grassroots organization will ever receive.  Without question.  And we thank-you for it.  But, Mr. President,” she said this as she turned sideways to look directly at Dutch Harber, “this award isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.” 
     There was an audible gasp from the audience, an audience that included a pool reporter and cameraman with a live feed going to the 24-hour cable news channels.  It was obvious the reporter had expected Gina’s speech to be more of the same because he was on his Blackberry more than he was watching.  Until she said her not worth the paper it’s printed on line.  He looked up then. 
     Dutch stared at her as she spoke, at the way her eyes showed strength, but also a kind of sad familiar yearning he could not place.  But she kept on.
     “You’ve been in office for almost three years now, sir, and you’re a Democrat.  But your policies have been as destructive to organizations like mine as any Republican president has ever been.  You say you’re a champion of at-risk youth in America, and many of my colleagues have stood on this stage and praised you for your work in that area.  But talking is cheap where I come from, sir, and your actions speak a different reality than your words.”
     Gina hesitated, as her nerves were trying to get the best of her, as his eyes seemed so intensely glued to hers.  But she continued.  “Your administration has cut funding for organizations like mine two years in a row, and those cuts, sir, have been devastating.  I know we have a serious budget deficit, I know everybody has got to take a hit, but you’re trying to balance the budget on the backs of the very people who can least afford to take that big a hit.” 
     She exhaled again, had to relax her nerves again.  “I used to admire you, sir.  When you got elected I sighed relief.  Finally, I thought, we had a fighter in the White House, a fighter for the poor and disenfranchised.  But you have been a huge disappointment, sir.  A huge disappointment.” 
     Dutch’s heart sank at the thought of her being