Madame President - Tara Sue Me Page 0,39
not a very good one. If he’s able to tell when a thought makes me sad, no doubt he can likewise tell when I lie. And wasn’t he the one who brought up how my accent became more pronounced when I grew nervous? I’m suddenly aware it is a very bad idea for me to be near Navin for anything other than the briefest of moments. It’s enough he sees past my mask, but for him to be in the media makes it one thousand times worse.
I feel his presence near me, even with him sitting across the table. Being this close together and talking about the past, makes our past together so much more real. Though it’s always there between us, today it seems more vivid. My skin heats as flashbacks of the night we spent together replay in my mind. He knows how badly I wanted him then and he knows how much I still want him. My heart pounds and I feel a bit panicky because it’s as if I’m transparent before him.
I need to go back to how we were. There needs to be no more calling him to the Oval Office. No more singling him out when the Press Pool is around me. And no more private meals together of any kind.
There’s a knock at the door. I stand, not expecting anyone and more than a little peeved that breakfast is being interrupted. The Secret Service agent opens the door. It’s David.
“Mr. Herdsman.” I’m pleased my voice is calmer than I feel. “Is there a problem?”
He looks admonished, at least, as he steps forward. “Madame President, I’m sorry to barge in here, but…” He looks at Navin.
Navin, who’d stood as soon as I did, glances my way. “Should I leave?”
“No,” I tell him. I’m not going to invite him to breakfast and then ask him to leave because my Chief of Staff is acting strange. Whatever David wants, it’s not an emergency. If it had been, more people would have arrived with him. “Stay here.”
David gets the message Navin isn’t going anywhere, and he’s clearly not happy, but he doesn’t say anything about my decision to let him stay. “Those files from my desk?”
Right, they were still in my room. I’d wanted to look over a few of them, but hadn’t had the time yet. “They’re still in my room.”
“I need to look at one. It can stay in your room, but I need to get it.” David’s cheeks are flushed, but whether it’s because he’s embarrassed about storming into breakfast or over something having to do with the file in question, I can’t tell.
“And it couldn’t wait until I finished eating?”
The flush deepens, and I gather it’s due to embarrassment. “My apologies again for interrupting, Madame President, but it is quite urgent.”
I nod to the agent standing just inside the door and then turn back to David. “They’re on the couch in my sitting room. Have one of the agents let you in.”
After he leaves and Navin and I return to our seats, Navin casually sips his coffee. “Is he always that high strung?”
No, he’s not, and I want to know why he is today. But I can’t forget for one second that the man at my table is from the media. If I give a hint of suspicion concerning David, Navin will be all over the man and in his business, and therefore mine. Frankly, Navin Hazar is deeper in my business than I’d like. I’m not foolish enough to grant him more access. “It’s not unheard of,” is all I say in reply.
Chapter Twenty
Him
The White House
Washington DC
It’s so subtle it takes me a few days to notice. Even when I realize what’s going on, I wait a few more days to make sure I’m correct. And when I do, I lift a glass to Anna. Not only is she the first female and Independent President, but she also has super secret ninja skills. This shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. Or more to the point, I’m surprised her skills work on me and it took so long for me to notice.
The short of it is, President Anna Elizabeth Fitzpatrick is ignoring me.
Granted, it’s nothing blatant or in my face. It takes me almost a week to pick up on, so it’s doubtful anyone else notices. Which is good, because if they do, I’ll have to blame my mother. She’s the one who insisted, albeit only in my head, I bring Anna flowers.