“I’m driving,” Annie said, making a beeline for Nikki’s Beemer. The only other car in the parking lot was a silver Porsche. She jerked her head in the direction of the parked car, and said, “Betcha we could get that set of wheels for pennies on the dollar tomorrow.”

“That’s a sucker’s bet, and you know it,” Myra said, laughing so hard Nikki had to push her into the backseat.

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Clyde Entwhistle, President Knight’s chief of staff, looked up at the President and did a double take. The leader of the free world looked ... Presidential. Today POTUS was dressed in a Savile Row suit, the crease in the trousers knife sharp. He was wearing a blood-red power tie. The shirt under his jacket was blinding white. Entwhistle looked down at the floor. The shoes were new, too, John Lobbs if he wasn’t mistaken. What the hell happened overnight that he wasn’t privy to? Gabriel Knight just looked so damn Presidential. It must be true what the fashion magazines said, clothes did indeed make the man.

What Entwhistle found the most startling though was what else he was seeing. A certain quietness of the man who was suddenly in total control of his whole being and his emotions, something he’d never seen before.

It wasn’t that the President never dressed well, he did. Today, though, there was something different about his boss. He wondered if that ride on the John Deere had anything to do with it. Or the absence of Lincoln Moss at the White House of late. Then again, maybe the First Lady had gone shopping. It was a well-known fact that Emma Knight did all the President’s shopping. Probably all of the above, Entwhistle decided.

Rarely was Entwhistle at a loss for words or anything else for that matter, but this morning he felt flummoxed for some reason. He looked over at the President, and because he couldn’t think of a thing to say, said, “You’re early this morning, Mr. President.”

“I know. I took the liberty of ordering coffee and pastries. I guess you’re wondering why this meeting is being held here in your office instead of the Oval Office.”

“The thought did occur to me, Mr. President.”