I Do Solemnly Swear by D.M. Annechino Read Free Book Online Page A

calendar. I need him at the ten o’clock meeting. And ask Ellenwood, Kramer, and Cranston to join us.”
    “Anything else?” McDermott asked.
    “Is Elizabeth Rodgers still in Washington?”
    “I believe so.”
    “Get her here ASAP.”
    McDermott stood. “I’ve taken the liberty of increasing security measures. With all due respect, I ask that you limit your activities to the White House, Madam President. For the time being.”
    At first, it seemed like a prudent recommendation. But McDermott was forgetting the obvious. “Remaining in the White House proved to be quite unhealthy for President Rodgers.”
    “A valid point. But I don’t want you to take unnecessary risks. I promise you’ll be safer here than anywhere else.”
    “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it, Charles.”
    ***
    When Kate walked out of her private office, Emily Hutchins, her personal aide, reminded her that she had a nine o’clock appointment. Kate told Emily to cancel it. On her way to her private quarters, no fewer than twenty people respectfully smiled and waved at the president as she trudged down the main corridor, but she was dimly aware of their greetings. Her legs felt like Jell-O, and a strong, primitive impulse urged Kate to run away. But where? The Secret Service agent posted beside her front door snapped to attention as she approached the entrance.
    “Can I be of service to you, Madam President?”
    She forced a smile. “No, thank you, James.”
    She stepped into the apartment and made a beeline for her bedroom. Kate closed the door and sat on the bed. She’d only been president for thirty-six hours and already felt like she was riding on a runaway train. What she needed was a warm bath, something to soothe her body and mind, something to ease the tension in her shoulders before a day of marathon meetings. She removed her clothes, walked into the bathroom, and turned onthe water to fill the soaking tub. She wanted to light a candle and pour herself a crisp glass of Chardonnay, even at this early hour. But if someone got a whiff of alcohol on her breath, the next thing you know, some Photoshop whiz would do his magic, and she’d see her photo on the front page of the
National Enquirer
chugging wine from a paper bag. No, drinking alcohol just before a Cabinet meeting would be unwise.
    About to step in the tub, Kate glimpsed at her reflection in the full-length mirror. As always, her eyes were drawn to her breasts. She remembered her sixteenth birthday, one of the few birthdays she actually spent with her father. It was a day she’d never forget.
    ***
    Kate was sitting in front of the vanity mirror with her white terry cloth robe hanging off her shoulders. Over the last year, she had tortured herself with alarming frequency. But it was not something she consciously chose to do. Her uncontrollable curiosity was an addiction. Most teenage girls were infatuated with their flowering bodies, enthralled with an era of discovery. For Kate, however, it was an exploration of disappointment and utter terror. Today, as she studied her breasts with withering optimism, she painfully realized that her left breast would never fill a C-cup like her right one, that she’d spend the rest of her life stuffing tissue in her bra, fearful that someone would notice. She had believed, in some romantic way, that nature might have been merciful, that one morning she’d wake up and all would be well. But now it appeared that her fantasy was a hopeless wish. One breast would always be noticeably smaller than the other. When and if she ever fell in love, how could she know with certainty that her lover wouldn’t think of her as damaged goods?
    There was a soft knock at her bedroom door.
    “Honey, can I come in?”
    She wrapped the robe around her shoulders, tied it in front, and swiveled around in the vanity chair. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
    “Come in, Daddy.” She knew he’d take one look at her and recognize she’d been crying.