bringing up the daily calendar for both of them to see. “You have an early breakfast meeting with Senator Ross at eight o’clock. Then you’re back in the office until twelve. After that a meeting with Senator Bailey on the Hill, then several conference calls coming in at two o’clock. After that—”
“That’s enough, Kent. Why don’t you take the morning off? And, James—” the driver looked up in the mirror again “—sleep in late, I’ll drive myself in tomorrow morning.”
He nodded. “Sure thing, boss.”
“You okay?” Kent asked, seeing Randolph’s pensive expression.
“Yeah, just tired. I guess I could use a vacation. I guess we all could.”
“I’ll add that to my list.” Kent pressed a button and darkened the screen. “One more thing about Miss Wingate, do you trust her?”
“I don’t know her,” Randolph said, “but I think I’d like to.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
James drove off slowly as soon as Alyssa got into her car and pulled away. The three men sat in silence as James drove out of town toward Virginia.
They arrived at Randolph’s house a few moments later. He said good-night, got out and went inside. As soon as the lights went on in the foyer, James drove away, taking Kent home and then going home himself.
Randolph placed his briefcase on the first step, took his jacket off and loosened his tie. It was a long day and long night, but oddly enough, shorter than his last few. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water and two fried chicken legs left by his housekeeper. She always prepared a small snack for him when she knew he’d be out late.
Since he made it a point not to eat at receptions, he and Kent usually grabbed whatever they could catch on the run. Usually something James picked up for both of them between events.
He took a bite of the cold chicken leg and debated heating it up in the microwave, but it tasted so good cold he decided not to bother. A few seconds later, he tossed the bare bone in the trash, wrapped up his goodie snack in a dinner napkin, grabbed his water bottle, jacket and briefcase, then went upstairs to bed.
Chapter 5
M orning came way too soon as Alyssa crawled out of bed, stubbed her baby toe on her too-large bed in her too-small bedroom, then hopped into the bathroom to get ready for work. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, grabbed a shower and pulled out the annoying curlers. Limp and weak, her hair sagged, meaning she had to take the time to use her curling iron even though she’d suffered through the pain and torture of sleeping in curlers all night. She had a sneaky suspicion that the rest of the day was going to be just as torturous.
Dressed and out the door in record time, she’d opted against using the curling iron and instead maneuvered her long hairstyle into a French twist. She’d dressed casually in slacks, knit top and short jacket, then hurried to her car to begin her day.
As usual, traffic into the city wasn’t as accommodating as it could have been and it seemed that Fridays were always the worst, and to add to that it was her turn to pick up doughnuts and bagels for their weekly meeting. That meant a fifteen-minute detour to the bakery to stand in line to get doughnuts that would be consumed ten minutes into the meeting.
After gathering the pastries, she rushed into the storefront office to begin her day.
“Morning, all. Sorry I’m late,” she announced to the small group assembled around the makeshift conference table in the side room. She dumped the three boxes of doughnuts, pastries and bagels in the center of the table, then sat down, deciding not to remove her jacket. Normally she would, but obviously Ursula Rogers was having another personal heat wave, because, even though it was warm outside for early May, she had the office air conditioner blasting full force.
“Anybody freezing in here?” Nina wrapped her arms around her body, shivering. Wearing a sleeveless low-cut top, she
“That’s enough, Kent. Why don’t you take the morning off? And, James—” the driver looked up in the mirror again “—sleep in late, I’ll drive myself in tomorrow morning.”
He nodded. “Sure thing, boss.”
“You okay?” Kent asked, seeing Randolph’s pensive expression.
“Yeah, just tired. I guess I could use a vacation. I guess we all could.”
“I’ll add that to my list.” Kent pressed a button and darkened the screen. “One more thing about Miss Wingate, do you trust her?”
“I don’t know her,” Randolph said, “but I think I’d like to.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
James drove off slowly as soon as Alyssa got into her car and pulled away. The three men sat in silence as James drove out of town toward Virginia.
They arrived at Randolph’s house a few moments later. He said good-night, got out and went inside. As soon as the lights went on in the foyer, James drove away, taking Kent home and then going home himself.
Randolph placed his briefcase on the first step, took his jacket off and loosened his tie. It was a long day and long night, but oddly enough, shorter than his last few. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water and two fried chicken legs left by his housekeeper. She always prepared a small snack for him when she knew he’d be out late.
Since he made it a point not to eat at receptions, he and Kent usually grabbed whatever they could catch on the run. Usually something James picked up for both of them between events.
He took a bite of the cold chicken leg and debated heating it up in the microwave, but it tasted so good cold he decided not to bother. A few seconds later, he tossed the bare bone in the trash, wrapped up his goodie snack in a dinner napkin, grabbed his water bottle, jacket and briefcase, then went upstairs to bed.
Chapter 5
M orning came way too soon as Alyssa crawled out of bed, stubbed her baby toe on her too-large bed in her too-small bedroom, then hopped into the bathroom to get ready for work. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, grabbed a shower and pulled out the annoying curlers. Limp and weak, her hair sagged, meaning she had to take the time to use her curling iron even though she’d suffered through the pain and torture of sleeping in curlers all night. She had a sneaky suspicion that the rest of the day was going to be just as torturous.
Dressed and out the door in record time, she’d opted against using the curling iron and instead maneuvered her long hairstyle into a French twist. She’d dressed casually in slacks, knit top and short jacket, then hurried to her car to begin her day.
As usual, traffic into the city wasn’t as accommodating as it could have been and it seemed that Fridays were always the worst, and to add to that it was her turn to pick up doughnuts and bagels for their weekly meeting. That meant a fifteen-minute detour to the bakery to stand in line to get doughnuts that would be consumed ten minutes into the meeting.
After gathering the pastries, she rushed into the storefront office to begin her day.
“Morning, all. Sorry I’m late,” she announced to the small group assembled around the makeshift conference table in the side room. She dumped the three boxes of doughnuts, pastries and bagels in the center of the table, then sat down, deciding not to remove her jacket. Normally she would, but obviously Ursula Rogers was having another personal heat wave, because, even though it was warm outside for early May, she had the office air conditioner blasting full force.
“Anybody freezing in here?” Nina wrapped her arms around her body, shivering. Wearing a sleeveless low-cut top, she
Similar Books
