Читать книгу Her Perfect Candidate - Candace Shaw - Страница 12

Chapter 3

“Steven, we have one more topic to discuss,” Shawn Bennett said uneasily to his best friend.

Steven sat at the desk in his downtown office while Bryce and Shawn sat in the leather wingback chairs in front. They’d been discussing the latest comments about Steven from the media including gossip blogs and social media. He had begun to tune them out after a while considering it was the same conversation that’d been had over and over.

Instead, his thoughts began to wander to Megan. He couldn’t seem to get her bubbly personality, cute smile, flirty eyes or whimsical voice out of his head. He didn’t know which was cuter: the way she spoke or the sparkle in her eyes when she laughed. He was eager to leave for their lunch meeting just to resolve which one.

He glanced at the clock on the opposite wall and then back at the two men in front of him that he’d momentarily forgot were there. Maybe if I pay attention to them we could speed this boring meeting up.

“What else do we need to talk about?” he asked nonchalantly.

Bryce cleared his throat, stood up from his seat and positioned himself in front of his brother.

“Ok, big brother. It’s like this. We feel that you have a wonderful platform and a good chance of winning the nomination for Dad’s seat. There are constituents who will vote for you because of who you are plus they agree with your views on certain issues. You’re a great senator. But because of the way you’ve been portrayed in the media, people may not take you seriously as a U.S. senator,” Bryce said as he paced back and forth around the room. “Your escapades have caught national attention lately since there’s a buzz going around about Dad retiring at the end of his term.”

“Man, maybe you need to slow down some with the ladies,” Shawn added. “You know...save some of the action for me and Bryce.”

Steven looked at his brother and his best friend. He’d been friends with Shawn since their days at Harvard, and he always had his back. Steven knew they were both right. He wasn’t trying to have a reputation as a playboy, he just happened to enjoy the company of different women. Some spent the night and some didn’t. And after the last incident at the ski resort in Colorado with an alleged threesome, the media was following his every move.

“Steven, is there someone in your life you can date exclusively?” Bryce asked.

“No, not really. They were mostly one-nighters. And I don’t mean one night stands, necessarily. Just one date and then I wasn’t interested anymore.” Steven thought over the list of women he’d been out with or slept with lately. Even though only one woman was occupying his mind at the moment.

“What about the interior decorator you were photographed with?” Shawn offered. “You two were having a grand time at the fund-raiser event. The shutterbugs couldn’t get enough.”

“We have a meeting at noon to discuss her possibly decorating my house... Once I find one and buy it, of course. But I doubt she would want to go out with me. She’s already called me the playboy politician.”

“This is exactly our point. You can easily lose the female vote if women only see you as a playboy,” Bryce said.

Steven thought about what Bryce said for a moment and then gave a cocky smile.

“Or the opposite. You know, some women will vote for me because they think I’m a good-looking playboy. Have you seen these dimples? Women go crazy!” Steven said trying not to brag and more so lighten the mood of the room.

“Oh, you find this funny?” Bryce asked in an irritated tone. “The Monroe name is on the line. Our family has worked hard for generations in order to become established and to be taken seriously in the political world. Dad has groomed us for this, and you’re not going to ruin my chances of becoming a district attorney one day. Plus, Jacqueline is considering going into politics, so don’t ruin this for our baby sister. Shape up and get it together.”

Steven nodded as he listened to his brother. He knew he was right. Fun and games were over. He was a grown man. He was a Monroe man. He knew his family was influential in politics thanks to his grandfather and father.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Cut out this playboy persona and settle down with one woman to improve your chances to win the nomination. You need to be seen in the media as a good guy and a devoted boyfriend. Ever since your divorce, you’ve been on this wild roller-coaster ride for the last ten years. It’s time to get off.”

His divorce. It should have been an annulment, but his ex-wife, Veronica, wanted the prenuptial agreement to stand so she could receive her settlement should they ever part. After only six months of marriage, Steven knew it was hopeless. Veronica had only married him because he was a Monroe. When he realized that she never loved him, he was crushed. He thought she was the one when he saw her studying in the library while both law students at Harvard. Apparently she’d done her homework and was determined to be his wife. Over the years, they remained cordial running into each at events or speaking engagements. She was now a law professor at a college in Washington, D.C., thanks to his last name that she refused to drop no matter how many millions she was offered during the divorce settlement.

Since they’d parted ways, he dated, but nothing serious ever came out of it. And once he realized they were only interested in the Monroe name, he dropped them, thus igniting his persona in the media.

“I hear you, Bryce. Which one of my past conquests should I consider?”

“Actually, Megan Chase would be the perfect candidate. You’ve already been photographed with her, and you two appeared quite cozy.”

“Yes,” Shawn said as he grabbed a folder from his briefcase. “We did a little research as always when you’re photographed with a new woman. She’s twenty-seven years old. According to her DMV records, she’s five feet six inches and weighs 125 pounds. Her father is a principal at a local high school and her mother is a first grade teacher. They were high school sweethearts and have been married for thirty-five years. Ms. Chase has never had any arrests, and has only had one speeding ticket. She won a full scholarship to Clark Atlanta University and started her interior-decorating business out of her parent’s basement along with her best friend when they graduated from college. But now they have an office in Buckhead.

“Ms. Chase’s twin sister is a GBI agent and their older brother is a musician who owns a jazz club/restaurant here in Atlanta. Her uncle on her mother’s side is Dr. Francis Arrington, a world renowned heart surgeon in Memphis and all his children are doctors, as well. She likes hanging with her family and her girlfriends. Her ex-boyfriend is a doctor here in Atlanta. She helped him start his practice, but they broke up about a year and a half ago once she found out he was cheating with one of his nurses.”

“Wow. Do you know her blood type, too?” Steven asked sarcastically. Shawn had done research before but never to this extent.

Shawn glanced through some papers in his folders. “Yes. She’s AB.”

Steven chuckled. “I was just joking.”

“We aren’t,” Bryce stated in a firm tone. “This is serious.”

“Anything else I need to know about Ms. Chase? Is she lactose intolerant? How does she like her eggs prepared?”

“Yes. She’s trying to get a spot on the show Decorator’s Dream.” Shawn closed the folder and laid it on Steven’s desk.

Steven then glanced down at it and shook his head in disbelief. “Well, I’m not sure if I’m totally on board with this absurd idea, but I’ll give it some thought.”

* * *

Megan sat nervously in the parking lot of her brother’s restaurant on Peachtree Street downtown. She’d called Braxton ahead of time to tell him she was coming because she wanted to make sure her favorite booth was available because it overlooked the stage. It was the perfect spot for when jazz bands played in the evenings and occasionally during lunch.

She tapped her steering wheel nervously, trying to decide whether or not she should restart her SUV and drive home before Steven showed up. She knew it was just a business luncheon, but for some reason she felt as if they were going on a first date. Taking a deep breath, she checked her hair and makeup in the visor mirror before stepping out of the car and walking toward the front door of the restaurant. She saw her reflection in the glass doors and stopped briefly to make sure she looked presentable. She had decided to wear a pair of dress jeans with a white tee, a pink seersucker blazer and wedged sandals. Her hair was curly and swooped to one side over her shoulder. Huge gold hoop earrings and a charm bracelet completed the casual look.

She tried to tell herself that this meeting wasn’t a big deal but deep down she was nervous. He made her nervous. Not because he was a politician or a millionaire. She’d dealt with people of his social status before. She was nervous because she knew somewhere inside of her, she wanted him and that scared her. She’d been on quite a few dates thanks to her girls playing matchmaker but none of the men had flustered her to this point. None of them had kept her up at night with sinful thoughts that made her cheeks turn pink like Steven had. His scent. His smile. The seductive way he gazed at her when he kissed her hand, were all imbedded in her brain.

“Megan!”

She looked up to see Steven walking down the elegant staircase of the restaurant. He, too, had dressed casually in khaki dress pants and a red golf shirt. His smile was simply charming, and she couldn’t help but return it as she walked toward him. She began to get a little wobbly in the knees, and she couldn’t stop smiling at the magnificent man in front of her. Heaven help me!

* * *

When Steven saw Megan looking up at him from the bottom of the staircase, he was captivated. He thought the dress she’d worn when he met her was sexy, but there she stood in jeans even sexier, and she wasn’t even trying.

“Wow, you look great,” he said, reaching out his hand to her to lead her back upstairs. “Our table is up here. I was told it’s your favorite.”

Once seated, the waiter took their drink and lunch order. Thirty minutes later, they were eating shrimp po’ boys and fries and laughing at all of the blind dates Megan had been on lately.

“So let me get this straight,” Steven said, amused, “This dude was on a date with you trying to sell you a time-share?” He laughed again, taking a sip of his tea. “Did you buy one?”

“No, I declined. Then he tried to tell me about some other get-rich-quick scheme. I have tons of stories.”

“Why do your family and friends keep setting you up? You’re breathtaking. I would assume men ask you out all of the time.”

She lowered her head and tried to stifle a smile when he mentioned she was breathtaking. He didn’t want to embarrass her. He was merely speaking the truth. She twirled a French fry around in the ketchup before looking back up and answering him.

“They do, but I always cancel at the last minute or find some reason not to go on a second date. My girlfriends say I’m just being picky so they set me up with guys that they think would be perfect for me.”

“So how many dates are we going to go on before you decide to dump me, too?” he asked jokingly.

“This isn’t a date. We’re supposed to be discussing decorating your future home. You haven’t even looked at my portfolio yet.” She reached into her oversize leather tote bag and pulled out her tablet and slid it across the table to him.

“To be honest, I’m having such a great time that I forgot this was supposed to be business luncheon. My meetings are usually with old men discussing politics, investments and golf. Not with an adorable woman cracking me up with her blind-date history.”

“Trust me they weren’t that funny to be on, that’s for sure. I’ve asked my friends both politely and rudely to stop.”

“Why do they keep setting you up? Did something happen in a past relationship?” he asked, thinking about what Shawn read earlier.

“Ever since my last long-term relationship ended, they think I’m lonely for a man because all I do is work. But what they fail to realize is that I’m happy being single. I enjoy my freedom. I was with my ex for almost four years and my world was centered on him. I helped him start his medical practice right after I started my interior-decorating business with Jade. I began to lose sight of my dreams and ambitions that he wasn’t even being supportive of in the first place. After I found out he was cheating with a nurse in his office, I dumped him and focused on me and building my business. I’m not lonely, but no one seems to understand except me.”

“They sound like my brother and campaign manager. Just earlier today, they were telling me to settle down with one person. They think that would somehow improve my image and give me a better shot of winning the nomination for my father’s seat.”

“Well, you are a self-proclaimed playboy,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and rolling her eyes away from his with a grin.

He chuckled at her sarcasm. “The media says that. Truth is, I’ve been married before—didn’t work out. Like you, I enjoy my single life. No strings. No attachments. No hearts to break.”

“I wish I could just tell my family and friends I have a boyfriend so they can stop harassing me.” She threw the cloth napkin from her lap into her plate and sat back in her seat.

Steven studied her angelic face, which at the moment appeared disturbed. He knew what she was going through. But now that he’d had met Megan, he wanted to get to know her better. Even though, it seemed as if she wanted to be single and free. Heck, so did he, but he knew he needed to settle down his dating habits and clean up his image if he wanted to win the nomination. Most of the potential candidates for his father’s seat were either engaged or married with families, summer homes and of course a beloved dog. He didn’t even have a dog.

As he watched Megan, he saw the epitome of what he wanted in a woman. Graceful, refined, sexy without having to try, successful and independent. He was ready to learn about her other qualities, as well.

“You know Megan, you could just tell them you’re dating me.”

“But that would be a lie,” she answered, shaking her head.

“It wouldn’t have to be.”

“Steven, that’s ridiculous. We can’t do that.”

“Think about it. Your family and friends want you to date and be happy. My campaign team feels I need to stick with one person. Why not?”

“Because it wouldn’t be right. It would be dishonest, and I know despite your escapades with women, you’re an honest politician. You’re a good man, Steven.”

“Thank you, but I need someone like you and...” he paused as he thought about something else Shawn said earlier. “You need me.”

She leaned over the table toward him and whispered, “I don’t need to date you in name only to please my family and friends. Besides, I have a blossoming career thanks in part to having more free time to concentrate on it instead of cater to an ungrateful man.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” She sat back against her booth seat.

He leaned forward and whispered, “I can get you more clients and a chance to meet with the bigwigs of the Fabulous Living Channel. You can showcase your work on an upcoming show they’re doing this summer.”

She blinked her lashes several times and stared in disbelief. “Decorator’s Dream?” she asked, leaning in toward him again with her eyes wide. Steven grabbed her hands in his when he thought he heard her heart beating faster.

“Yep, that show.”

“How do you know about that show? They’re only in the early-production stages.”

“I know the creator.”

“Justine Monroe? Jade and I sent her a copy of our portfolio and the audition video three months ago...” She stopped. She seemed to be pondering something, and Steven hoped it was a yes to his question. “Monroe...? Is she your ex-wife?”

“No. First cousin. I could put in a good word for you if...”

“If I agree to date you...in name only.”

“Why do you keeping saying in name only? Am I not to get any special benefits?”

“You’ll have the benefit of me on your arm, no more.”

“So, that’s a yes, Ms. Chase?”

“If I decide to do this, are you still going to see other women on the side?” Megan asked seriously.

“No, I don’t intend to date anyone else. Unlike what you’ve read or heard through the grapevine about me, I don’t have dozens of girlfriends.”

“I’m sure the word girlfriend isn’t in your vocabulary. So why me?”

“Because I need a successful, intelligent and classy woman such as yourself on my arm,” he said. “Plus, you’re the quintessential girl-next-door, which is the type of woman I need in order to clean up my image.”

“Don’t you have plenty of other female friends to ask? I read the gossip sites. There are tons of pictures with you and drop-dead gorgeous women. Supermodels, actresses, singers...someone more on your level.”

“I don’t want a woman like that. They get boring. They only care about fame, material things and spending my money. I want someone I can talk to. Someone to stimulate my mind. Someone to laugh with like you’ve made me do for the past hour. And I can save you from more horrible dates. So, yes I’d say you’re the perfect candidate.”

“Perfect candidate? I’m not the one running for office.”

“But will you be by my side when I do?”