Affairs of Steak Read Free Page A

rubbed his fingers, as though itching for a cigarette. He had a hopeful look on his florid face. “Did you get a chance to talk to the chief usher for me? I sent my resume weeks ago, but I haven’t heard from him. A good word from you would—”
    “I haven’t had time, Milton. I’m very busy, you know.”
    “Please, Pete. Just this one time. A word from you and I’m set. I’ll make you proud of me again. I swear.”
    This was more family drama than I should be privy to. I took that moment to step back. Pointing in the general direction of Lexington Place, I said, “How about I meet you there?”
    A man hurried toward us, head down. Not seeing him, Sargeant took a step closer and answered my question with a vehement thrust of his arm. “No!”
    Just as he did, the man rushed by, crashing into Sargeant’s outstretched appendage and knocking our sensitivity director off balance. Milton grabbed his uncle to keep him from falling. “Hey!” Milton shouted. The man didn’t stop, didn’t turn, didn’t apologize. “You just bumped a White House official. You know, you could be arrested for that.”
    The guy stopped in his tracks and turned fully around. He was too far away for me to notice much beyond his dark jacket, blue jeans, athletic shoes, and thick head of hair.I expected him to deliver some hand gesture in response to Milton’s shouts. Instead, he hunched his shoulders and turned away again, disappearing around the next corner.
    “I really wish you hadn’t said that,” I said. “We don’t like to be outed in public. It’s not good for the image. Not good for security, either.”
    “Some people have no respect,” Milton said. “They ought to be taught a lesson.”
    Sargeant shrugged off his nephew’s protective hold. “You’re hardly in a position to do the teaching. For once Ms. Paras is right. There have been far too many skirmishes in the past involving staff members”—he glared at me—“to take our personal security for granted.” He tapped his watch. “Don’t you need to get back to work? Tous le Monde isn’t a dive, you know. These people won’t stand for your shenanigans.” His gaze roved up and down, assessing his nephew’s appearance. “It also wouldn’t hurt if you tried a little harder to at least look professional.”
    Sargeant started away without a backward glance. I turned to Milton and raised my hands helplessly as though to apologize for his uncle’s behavior. Like an abandoned puppy, Milton tilted his head and gave a sad smile. He’d known Sargeant a lot longer than I had. No doubt he was used to the man’s cutting remarks by now.
    “Call me,” Milton shouted.
    Sargeant raised a hand but didn’t turn. I double-stepped to catch up with him. “What was that all about?”
    He waved me off.
    “He wants a job at the White House, I take it,” I said, as though we were conversing normally and Sargeant wasn’t doing his level best to ignore me. I didn’t ask why Sargeant refused to put in a good word with our chief usher, Paul Vasquez, because I already knew the answer. Although one should never judge a book by its cover, in the two minutes I’d gotten to know Milton, I knew he wouldn’t be a good fit in the president’s home.
    “I just have one question,” I said.
    Sargeant glanced sideways. “He’s had a tough life. Isthat what you want to know? Most of it is entirely his own fault. He made his bed, let him lie in it.”
    “That wasn’t what I was going to ask. I wanted to know why you told him you were going to be in the area today. It’s pretty clear you had no intention of stopping by.”
    Sargeant ran a hand up his forehead, frustration tightening his features. This had to be one of the first times he’d exhibited an unguarded, human reaction—at least in front of me. “Milton changes jobs like most people change channels. When he called, I thought he was still working on the other side of town. He wanted to meet for lunch, but I told him I’d