Echo

thoroughly genuine, likeable and very loyal young woman. He knew that positively, for he had his men thoroughly investigate her. He realized by now she must know who he was. But out of respect, she never alluded to it. He wondered how he could continue to see her once the election was over. Perhaps, it was time for them to have a serious discussion about her future. Maybe she needed to play a more visible role in his life. Considering his plans for his wife, he thought a cushy yet prestigious job in Washington might be in her future. Giving a big smile and a thumbs up to his daughter as she checked to make sure he was still watching, he slipped down the elegant stairs to the pool to join her.
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    Omar’s daughter loved her very handsome daddy. She knew he was an important man because everyone fussed over him so much. Her mother said they were going to live in the big White House in Washington, DC. She wished they didn’t need to move. Her swim team needed her here. And her school friends would grow up and forget about her. She knew that to be true because her daddy had told her she must learn to be independent and not rely on other relationships. Her mother told her, relationships were all she had to rely on. Her parents were very different. She knew she was loved by both her parents, but sometimes she felt very lonely. She wished she had a sister or brother. Everything would be so different in the big sunny house they lived in if she had a sibling to talk to instead of just her nanny, or Mrs. Iskander, her father’s secretary. Her best friend Nancy owned a little dog named Snowball, fluffy and white. Nancy treated Snowball like her very own child. It made her long for a pet of her own. One she could sleep and cuddle with when her daddy left home or when her mother was indisposed, which is much of the time.
    Her daddy waved to her from the terrace of their bay front mansion. She loved to excel with her diving, as it pleased her daddy so. She hoped he would be able to spend some time with her when her instructor left. Glancing up, she saw her daddy coming down the staircase and walking toward the pool with a big smile on his handsome face. Oh, goody, she just knew today was going to be a good day.
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    Lita set her cell phone on the counter. She just received instructions from Omar. She would be seeing him this afternoon. She hastened to the lavender Jacuzzi tub in her extravagant cream marble bathroom to prepare for the riotous lovemaking that was sure to follow soon after she collected him from downtown. She found the constant charade of pretending not to know who he was, exceedingly tedious. It was bad enough her life had obsessively revolved around him long before she met him. But he would never know that.
    As she disrobed, she examined her lithe tapered arms and seductive hips. Faint traces of the ugly bruises, left by Omar the last time they were together, still existed. She rested her head on an Egyptian cotton pillow as she soaked in the Jacuzzi. She tried to shake off her depression as she thought of how much of her life she gave to her job. She might have a Syrian heritage but Omar knew nothing of the fact that first and foremost, she is an American; a very proud American . So proud, she had not even batted an eye when asked to undertake this undercover assignment over seven years ago.
    At first, Omar Nasir had been a small potato on their radar, just another wealthy Muslim with some hazy roots and questionable sources of income. She had been part of an investigation that followed his movements for many years. It was not until he started his fledgling political career that her superiors became worried; his rise in politics, nothing short of meteoric. Her superiors decided they needed to get closer, to ascertain how much of a threat he may be. Without question, they selected Lita for the assignment. Single, beautiful, intelligent and best of all, she could pass as Middle Eastern. Her cover was exemplary, impossible to pierce, as her last seven years would attest to.
    The most surprising aspect of this assignment had been the discovery of what an excellent little actress she became. Who knew? She only improved as the years passed. Her newfound talent certainly came in handy whenever he laid his loathsome hands on her. He made her flesh crawl. In the throes of passion, his handsome face looked dissipated and repulsive. But he had slowly started to confide in her; nothing big. Just the occasional tidbit,