Alien Diplomacy by Gini Koch Page B

“You mind waiting outside while I get their names?”
    “Not a problem,” I said cheerfully as I looked at their expressions, which were all kinds of horrified. “Wouldn’t want them misspelled so their parents miss out on how well their daughters listened to their lessons on politeness and treating everyone pleasantly.”
    Len and Kyle escorted me out while the salesgirls started complaining that they’d been misunderstood, and my money was just fine. I took a deep breath. “Hanging with Mister Joel Oliver has its benefits.”
    “Yeah, but you still don’t have a dress, we don’t know what’s going on, and we have to take the bus back to the Embassy,” Kyle pointed out.
    My phone rang. “Hey, James, what’s up?”
    “Hold your position, girlfriend.”
    “Why?”
    As I asked this, a gray limo pulled around the corner and slid to a stop in front of us. “Because your ride is trying to find you.”

CHAPTER 13
    “I T’S HERE, I THINK ANYWAY.” A man I vaguely recognized as one of the many human operatives I hadn’t enjoyed got out of the driver’s side and tossed the keys to Len.
    “Good. Now, there’s a surprise inside.” Reader sounded pleased with himself.
    “There was a surprise inside my last limo. I didn’t care for it.”
    “You’ll like this one. I hate the dress shop you were in, by the way. Great for going back to Vegas, completely inappropriate for the President’s Ball.”
    “You don’t hate it as much as I do. I didn’t buy anything, don’t worry.”
    “Good.”
    “I wish you were here. I need Gay Fashion Support. Desperately.”
    “I know. And, like Reynolds, I’ve got a fix that will help you not only with shopping but with the Washington Wife class, too.”
    “Oh, yeah? There’s an Uzi in the backseat?”
    Reader laughed. “Nope. Something much, much better.”
    “Yeah? What?”
    “You’ll find out. Love you, babe.” Reader hung up.
    The driver opened the door, and a slim, reasonably attractive man got out. I felt my mouth drop open. He smiled at me. “Kitty, darling, you look radiant. Motherhood agrees, I see.”
    “Pierre!”
    “In the flesh, darling, in the flesh.”
    “What are you doing here?”
    He grinned. “What I do best, darling. Saving the day.”
    I shoved Len at the stroller and ran and gave Pierre a big hug. “I can’t express my joy.”
    He patted my back. “So Jimmy said, darling.” He took my shoulders and held me at arm’s length. “Still have our wonderful, feminine figure, I see.” Pierre shot a derisive look at the dress shop. “But clearly Jimmy was right. You need a guardian before you get lost in the forest of heinous fashion choices.”
    I introduced Pierre to the boys as the limo’s former driver, and his A-C shotgun, wandered off and then came right back, armed with another limo filled with A-Cs. Clearly Alpha Team had decided we weren’t to be left alone, and Jeff had decided that Len was required to function as a shield when we weren’t driving.
    Oliver joined us, grinning from ear to ear. “That was fun.”
    “Pierre, Mister Joel Oliver, head paparazzo for the
World Weekly News
. MJO, this is Pierre, the best hairdresser, deejay, and all around fix-it man on the planet.”
    They shook paws. “Jimmy’s told me all about you, Mister Joel,” Pierre said. “I happen to love your articles. You also capture your subjects extremely well. You’re a clear talent in a field filled with dilettantes.”
    Oliver opened his mouth, cocked his head at Pierre, and laughed. “Mister Joel is acceptable under the circumstances. And thank you. It’s rare to find anyone who appreciates what I do.”
    Pierre grinned. “So pleased. And trust me, dearest, people do appreciate, particularly those of us in the beauty business. Clients do love to escape while they’re under the dryer, don’t they?” He rubbed his hands together. “Now, while you load up the car, I hear there’s a precious little princess who needs to meet her Uncle