Close to Mom

The writer is telephoned by U.S. President Sarah Perkins, called Mom, early one January morning to tell him to come to the White House from NYC, where he is Commissioner of Water Supply, Gas and Electronics. She says she wants him near her, & he knows she is asking him to be a special agent. He calls his literary agent, who had attached himself to the writer when he heard that he had gone to jr. high school with Sarah, and who gets excited about what can be published in a year about working for her. The writer reminisces about dating Sarah, who was taller than all the boys in their class except Beanpole Hodge when she wore high heels. She was called Not Now Perkins for always telling her dates "Not now." She had won the election with a device the writer made to insert her words electrically in the long pauses in her opponent's speeches. He finds Hodge acting as her appointments secretary, because she said her job was lonely. When the writer suggests that she marry him so that people won't wonder at calling her "Mom", she says "Not now," and swinging on her newly installed swing in her office, she tells him she wants him to go to Alaska, which the CIA says is about to secede. He is nostalgic about his easygoing job as Commissioner until he thinks of what he will write. The next installment will tell the inside story of Alaska's secession & details of the President's marriage to Mr. Hodge.

See the rest of the story at newyorker.com