“Men perceived him like just a guy you could belly up to the bar for a beer with. Nikki said women would view it as if he was doing his honey to-do list. Just another guy mowing the lawn. Personally, I thought it was great even though I didn’t vote for him, either time. I would vote for him if he were able to run again, though, ” Jack said. “You know what else, it wasn’t a photo op. It wasn’t staged. I think the guy just got a burr in his jockeys and decided to do what he wanted to do at that moment in time. That’s what made it so great,” Jack said.

“Moving right along here, what’s going on in the war room that we can’t be there?” Abner asked.

“They’re plotting and scheming and strategizing, that’s what they’re doing,” Ted said.

“Where are the two ladies?” Dennis asked, hoping he sounded nonchalant.

“Upstairs. I heard Myra tell them to stay up there till they got back,” Espinosa mumbled as he fiddled with his camera. Anyone know what’s in all those FedEx boxes piled up in the foyer?”

“I do believe but am not certain that those boxes contain the women’s outfits for Saturday night. I looked at the return label, and even I know the names of Donna Karan and Vera Wang. I think Annie is friends with or knows them. Something like that,” Ted said.

“What about us? Are we chopped liver?” Jack grumbled.

“I think the boxes labeled Hugo Boss are our designer duds. Something about Fergus knowing someone at that fashion house. Don’t you guys know anything? It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, especially in the fashion business,” Espinosa said.

“And you know all this . . . how?” Jack snorted.

“I know it because Alexis told me. Everyone knows Alexis has fashion sense and can create something out of nothing. I’m not being a wiseass either, Jack. What I said is true,” Espinosa said, pointing his camera and snapping a picture of Jack with his mouth hanging open.

The talk turned to the new pool Nikki and Jack were putting in on the property they were in the process of buying from Nellie.

“I never realized how much earthmoving equipment was needed to dig a hole for a pool. We have mountains of earth piled everywhere. Now it’s mud, with all the rain we had. Things are at a complete standstill. We’ll be lucky if it’s finished by Labor Day, then it will be too cool to swim. But Nikki wanted a pool, so we’re getting a pool.”

“Does that mean you and Nikki are selling your house to Jack Sparrow?” Harry asked.