April 29, 2025
President Mark Robinson sat ashen-faced in the Oval Office; he looked like Al Pacino in his mansion towards the end of "Scarface," only there was no pile of cocaine on his desk.
It was the first 100 days of the Robinson presidency, and things seemed to be careening out of control. His March 23 nationally televised address calling for a $7 trillion Urgent Threat Initiative to combat climate change was scorned by members of the opposition party, who controlled the House and Senate. His approval rating-61 percent on Inauguration Day-had now dropped to 49 percent. The press accused him of ignoring rising tensions in the Middle East. Even his strongest supporters in the 2024 election seemed to be losing their enthusiasm.
The public also seemed to be turning against First Lady Kylie Maree Connolly-Robinson. The tabloids claimed she was awkward, lacking in class, a "jewelry addict," an "embarrassment to the White House." On the Sunday morning talk shows, Beltway pundits speculated that Kylie was "dragging the President down." A Time magazine cover story asked, "Is Kylie Likable Enough?"
The Time magazine story rankled Mark most of all. He didn't mind the press taking shots at him, but going after Kylie was another matter.
Martin Keeney, now serving as White House Senior Advisor, insisted that something had to be done to "soften" Kylie's image. "If the people start to love Kylie again, they'll start to love you again," Martin declared, suggesting that an interview with a popular women's magazine might do the trick...
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May 14, 2025
Emma O'Donovan could barely contain her excitement over the woman sitting in front of her in the Manhattan offices of Fleet Magazine.
"May I just say how insanely jealous I am of you?" the Editor-in-Chief gushed as the First Lady smiled. "I mean, talk about hitting the jackpot..."
"I'm jealous of you, too!" Kylie replied. "I wish I could trade places!"
"Can you believe it?" said Emma. "Two little girls from Sydney ending up here-I never could have imagined."
"Neither could I."
"Well, Ms. First Lady-"
"Oh, please, call me Kylie."
"As you wish."
For the next two hours, Kylie and Emma-the First Lady and the Editor-in-Chief-traded stories about their respective childhoods, the bizarre paths both took to America, and the differences between Australian and American politics. As they talked, Kylie seemed in awe of Emma, who was so naturally beautiful and glamorous. Her hair-even blonder than Kylie's-was styled in the classic Veronica Lake fashion, and her hazel eyes and clear ivory skin were simply stunning. Kylie thought that if Mark ever met this woman, he wouldn't be able to resist her.
"So," Emma asked, "can you talk about the night you and the President...well...you know..."
"Well, he wasn't the President back then!" Kylie smiled.