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“Ugh,” she said out loud, and stepped into the artsy office.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Crystal said from her favorite overstuffed chair behind the door.
Vaughn jumped in surprise. “Darn it, Crystal, if you don’t stop doing that, you’re going to give me a heart attack!”
“Puh-leese,” Crystal tossed off, rising from her throne. “I’ve been sitting in this same damn spot every morning for the past four years. You need to stop.” Crystal sucked her teeth in dismissal of Vaughn’s complaint.
“Yeah,” Vaughn huffed, hanging up her teal Burberry trenchcoat on the cherrywood coat rack. “And every morning for the past four years you’ve been scaring me out of my pantyhose!” She rolled her eyes hard at Crystal and tried not to laugh.
Crystal boldly ignored her. “Girl, get over it. We have work to do.” She strutted over to the desk and deposited a stack of letters and folders. “Every newspaper in the tri-state area wants an interview. We gotta get busy.”
Vaughn smiled as she watched Crystal flip through her notepad. Under neath that down-home-girl facade lay the mind of a brilliant strategic planner and a heart of gold. Vaughn wouldn’t trade Crystal in for a whole staff full of Yale grads. The girl was awesome. But between friends, Crystal was just plain ole’ Chris from the projects. Vaughn and Crystal were physically opposite in every respect. Where Vaughn was dark, slender, and tall, Crystal was fair, with skin the color of sautéed butter and eyes that shimmered like the blue-green Caribbean. She had wide hips and the kind of high, firm behind women paid money to possess. Her hair, when she decided to wear it out, nearly reached her waist and was blacker than pitch, a result of her distant Trinidad heritage.
When Vaughn and Crystal had first met on their college campus, Vaughn had silently envied Crystal’s light tones and Barbie doll hair. It wasn’t until years later that Vaughn had discovered that Crystal had her own insecurities about her looks. Crystal, too, had never felt accepted by her peers. She was taunted for “thinking” she was white—boys wanted her only for her looks, and most girls hated her on sight. In retaliation, Crystal had adopted that wise-talking street-girl persona—to be one of the crowd. It was only with Vaughn that she allowed her depth to shine through. The friendship of Vaughn and Crystal was like a catharsis for both of them, and it had blossomed into more than just friendship over the years.
“So,” Crystal began, once Vaughn was seated. “I’ve scheduled three news conferences for you. One today, and two on Wednesday, and an interview with Channel 6…” she checked her watch, “in about two hours.” She paced the room as she spoke, only briefly checking the notes she’d committed to memory. “I contacted Lucus Stone’s office this morning to see if I could arrange an informal debate. They weren’t having me today,” she stated cynically. “But I’ll be back at them in a couple of weeks, after we get some heavy press coverage. They’ll be ready to talk then.”
Vaughn took it all in as Crystal continued with her agenda, which included luncheons, meetings, and follow-up appointments. But even as she listened, a part of her was totally detached from the conversation. That part was focused on Justin and the glorious two days they’d spent together.
She felt as if she’d been transformed into someone else, and she was scared. There was no doubt about that. Her track record as far as love and romance were concerned was dismal at best. The few serious relationships she’d been involved with had ended disastrously. The traumatic ending of her young love affair with Brian Willis had irrevocably changed her life and made her cautious of relationships. Her liaisons in between had been meaningless until she’d met Paul. She thought he’d be the one, but her brief relationship with Paul Lawrence had been the ultimate in betrayal. Though their relationship had been over for nearly two years, she’d remained wary of would-be suitors. Every man who’d come into her life had ultimately wanted something other than her; from a political favor, to money, to casual sex, to an appointment on her staff.
She knew that she was taking a big risk with Justin. But for the first time, she was with a man who had his own and didn’t need her or her influence to further his own goals. Justin clearly had no political aspirations. He had his own money and a flourishing career. Most of all, he made her feel—God, he made her feel—way deep down in her soul, a place that she didn’t know was still living and breathing within her. Just the thought of him made her toes tingle and her pulse pound.
She realized they’d barely known each other a month. Twenty-seven fabulous days, to be exact. She was still overwhelmed. She knew that her emotions were doing an Indy 500, but she couldn’t help it and she no longer wanted to. She deserved to be held, to be kissed senseless, to be loved. She needed to start living again. It was long overdue.
“I’ve never known a nonstop, ‘til you drop schedule could put a smile on your face,” Crystal said, effectively cutting into Vaughn’s steamy thoughts. Vaughn’s face burned with embarrassment.
“Sorry. I was just thinking. But,” she qualified, raising her index finger, “I heard every word you said.”
“Hmmm. That remains to be seen,” Crystal breathed, unconvinced and very curious. She took a seat opposite Vaughn, crossed her legs, put down her pad, and stared wide-eyed at her boss.
“What?” Vaughn questioned innocently, knowing full well that Crystal was waiting for a scoop.
“Don’t what me,” Crystal admonished. “What, or better yet, who put that starry look in your eyes and the glow on your face? If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you looked happy.”
Vaughn laughed out loud, albeit a bit nervously, at Crystal’s blunt observation. Generally, Vaughn was able to camouflage her true feelings expertly. It was a bit unsettling to discover that where Justin Montgomery was concerned, that practiced skill was disintegrating rapidly.
Vaughn sat back and began shuffling the papers and folders on her desk in an attempt to recover her composure and avoid Crystal’s pointed gaze. She cleared her throat.
“Can’t I look happy?” she asked lamely, stalling for time.
“Of course you can,” Chris replied gently. “It’s just that it’s so rare.” She paused. “And it’s been so long,” she added softly, her eyes filled with warmth for her friend. Crystal, more than anyone, was aware of the tight reins that Vaughn kept around her heart. Hers was the shoulder Vaughn had cried on after that fiasco with Paul. But Crystal also knew that there was something deep in Vaughn’s past, a wound that would not heal, and one that Vaughn had refused to disclose. There was a part of Vaughn’s past that she kept entirely out of reach. Crystal stood up and patted Vaughn’s busy hands, stilling them. “Listen, I’m not prying. I never have. If you’re happy—whatever the reason—I’m happy. If you feel like talking, you know I’m always here.”
Vaughn smiled up at her friend of over fifteen years. “Thanks,” she said softly. “I know.”
“Good.” Then Crystal did a quick switchback to her role as chief of staff. “Once you’ve gotten that smile off your face, go over your agenda and let me know if there need to be any changes. Not that anything can be changed.” She smiled mischievously. “But you know how I like your input.”
Vaughn flashed what could only be termed a sneer. Crystal stuck out her tongue in response.
“I’ll be back in an hour.” Crystal headed for the door.
“Could you send Tess in? I need to respond to these letters.”
“I’ll send her right in.” Crystal closed the door softly behind her.
As soon as Vaughn was alone, her thoughts drifted back to Justin. She wondered what he was doing right now. Was he thinking of her? Her heart beat a little faster. What was he wearing today? Did he splash on that cologne that made her brain turn to mush?
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. What was happening to her? This daydreaming and fantasizing was so unlike her. She seemed to have become engulfed in a whirlwind, a storm of unimaginable power. She was spinning helplessly. It was a heady, frightening sensation. For the first time in her life, at least since her teens, her emotions seemed to be totally out of her control. She couldn’t seem to rein them in and put on the brakes. Although there had been other men in her life, she had always felt some sense of control over her feelings, some sense of reality. Not now. And Justin Montgomery was the eye of her storm.
The light tapping on her door and the ringing of the phone competed for her attention.
“Come in,” she called out, while reaching for her private line.
“Yes. Vaughn Hamilton.”
“Good morning, Vaughn.”
Her stomach did a quick lurch. “Hi, Dad.” She waved Tess inside and motioned for her to sit. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. I thought we could meet for lunch and discuss a few things.”
Vaughn frowned slightly. She didn’t like the sound of “discuss a few things.”
“Has something come up, Daddy? Because if it’s not urgent, I really have a full schedule today.”
“I believe it would be in your best interest to fit me into your schedule. There are matters that must be dealt with immediately. What time is good for you?” he continued.
Vaughn sighed heavily and clenched her jaw. She knew she’d give in even as she told her father about her agenda. But she at least wanted to make him feel a twinge of guilt for disrupting her day, though she knew he wouldn’t.
“How about 2:30?” she said flatly. “I’d really appreciate it if you could come here. It’s going to be difficult for me to get away.”
“I’ll be there at two,” he replied. “Court reconvenes at three. See you then.” Elliott Hamilton hung up the receiver and looked, once again, at the pages in front of him. He pressed his lips together and slid his glasses from his nose. With his free hand, he rubbed it roughly across his face. He didn’t like it; he didn’t like it one bit. Vaughn had to be brought under control. Everything rested on appearances. He’d worked too hard to get her to where she was today. He wasn’t going to let her ruin it; that’s all there was to it. He slapped his hand against his mahogany desk with finality. That’s all there was to it.
The Chaney Building, which housed Justin’s suite of offices, loomed ahead. Moments later, Justin eased his BMW into the underground parking garage and swung into his spot. He looked across the lanes and saw that Sean and Khendra’s Lexus LS was also parked in their usual spot. Good, he needed to talk to Sean.
Retrieving his briefcase and his black leather trenchcoat from the backseat, he automatically activated the alarm system and locked the doors. In long, brisk strides, he crossed the gray and white concrete and entered the elevator that would take him to his offices on the sixteenth floor.
Justin pushed through the heavy, ornately carved wood doors that led to the immense reception area. Although he’d been coming through those same doors for nearly three years, he still had sudden flashes that it was all fantasy. Yet, this was his. He’d worked for it and everything, including every detail in the wood, had his markings. It was all a tribute to his enormous success, both in the courtroom and out. It was as a result of his success that he now had the time and opportunity to pursue other avenues, such as public speaking, advocacy, and writing that book that had been gnawing at him for years. And now, he finally had time for a woman in his life. He smiled unconsciously as visions of Vaughn bloomed ripe. He had the time to devote himself to making this relationship work and not have his work destroy the relationship—as it had between him and Janice.
Years later, it still hurt. Janice had been his first love, and his young heart had been fired with romance and ambition. He’d wanted Janice along for the ride. They’d married, had a child almost immediately, and before Justin had realized what had happened, they were divorced and Janice was gone, along with their infant daughter.
He’d expended his savings, his skills, and all the resources available to him trying to locate his ex-wife and child. They’d virtually disappeared off the face of the earth. Finally, after years of frustration, he’d given up and dove into his work with an incomparable intensity.
For that reason he’d become a devout advocate of children’s rights. He truly believed that he could somehow make an impact on legislatures to repeal the laws governing the sealing of adoption and foster care placement records and allow those children to lawfully find their natural parents. He had been a catalyst in helping to establish several organizations across the country who assisted parents and children in finding each other. It was his hope that although Janice saw no need to have him involved in their daughter’s life, his child would somehow find him through the channels now available. That hope was like an eternal flame that burned in his heart. If and when his dream of reuniting with his daughter was realized, he wanted Vaughn to be a part of that ultimate joy.
“Good morning, Mr. Montgomery,” Barbara Crenshaw, his executive assistant, greeted him cheerily. Her soft gray-green eyes warmed at the sight of him.
“Morning, Barb. Any messages?”
“They’re on your desk. Do you want coffee or should I send out for breakfast?”
“Coffee will be fine. I want to get my notes together for the staff meeting.”
“I’ll be right in.”
Justin waved and nodded acknowledgment to the bevy of staff members that made up his team as he wound his way through the maze of offices that led to his own. Once inside the soundproof room, he hung up his coat, rounded his desk, and punched in the extension for Sean’s line.
“Good morning, Phillips here,” came the distinctly feminine voice.
Justin smiled broadly. “How can that man of yours ever get any work done if you’re in his office doing who knows what when I’m not looking?”
Khendra’s husky laughter filtered through the phone. “Who says we’re here to work? We just come in to get a change of atmosphere,” she teased, enjoying the bantering that went on between them. “I presume you want to speak to my handsome, brilliant husband,” she added, giving her husband a quick wink.
“Well, only if you’re not keeping him too preoccupied to talk to me, of course,” Justin joked.
“Let me just check and see if he wants to be distracted, by business, that is, this early in the morning.” Khendra chuckled. “Listen,” she said, switching gears, “I was just going over the reports on the Harrison murder case. I think we should take it, Justin. I know I can pull this off.”
“Great. Bring your notes. We’ll discuss it at the meeting.”
“Here’s Sean.”
“Hey, Justin. What’s up?” Sean’s voice came over the wire.
“I was hoping you, uh, had some free time this morning, before the meeting.”
Sean immediately caught the hitch of hesitation in Justin’s voice. His thick eyebrows arched. Justin was never hesitant about anything.
“Sure. You want me to stop in now?”
“Yeah. Barb is bringing in coffee. Have you had breakfast?”
“We just finished. I just need to make two short calls and I’ll be right down.”
“Thanks.”
“Justin?”
“Yeah, Sean.”
“Is everything all right? You don’t sound like yourself.”
Justin thought for a moment and almost laughed out loud. He wasn’t himself. “Everything’s fine. Better than fine. That’s what I want to talk with you about. See you in a few.”
Justin reached again for the phone. His smile was broad. This time he dialed an outside number to the local florist.
Shortly there was a light knock on Justin’s office door.
“Come in.”
Sean strutted in, the picture of polish, power, and control. Sean was a connoisseur of fine clothing. His instincts and tenacity when it came to criminal law could be paralleled only by his wife, Khendra. But Sean knew when to relax and enjoy the good life he’d built for himself. He spent hours in the gym and on the racquetball court, which was where he and Justin had met nearly eight years before. They’d become fast friends, sharing a variety of similar interests. Justin had come to rely not only on Sean’s legal judgment, but on his personal judgment as well.
“What’s up, partner?” Sean asked, breezing in and taking a seat opposite Justin.
Justin stood up, slinging his hands into his pockets. He turned dark eyes on Sean. “I’m thinking about making some…changes.”
Sean’s eyebrows rose in question. He remained silent and listened as Justin revealed a side of himself that Sean hadn’t known existed.
The morning flew by with blinding speed. Before Vaughn had completed half of her tasks for the day, it was time to meet her father for lunch. She’d had Tess order two jumbo salad specials, knowing that they would be both filling and in keeping with her father’s diet, which he readily ignored.
Her midday interview with Channel 6 had gone off smoothly; the statements she’d made to the reporter from the Herald would be in the next day’s paper. She’d gone through half her mail, returned nearly a dozen phone calls, and remained sane through it all. To cap off a morning of success, she’d just received a huge bouquet of two dozen red roses from Justin. The whole office was buzzing. And she knew that as soon as Crystal was finished with her meeting, she’d be beating down her door for some answers. She’d tried to call Justin to thank him for his thoughtful gift, but he was tied up in a staff meeting.
In the meantime, she had her father to deal with. She checked her watch. Ten to two. He’d be arriving in minutes. Vaughn straightened her desk and crossed the parquet floor to the small conference table that held their lunch. She looked over the array of salads, breads, and low-calorie dressings. Everything was in place.
The brief knock on the door signaled her father’s arrival.
“A little noisy around here today, I see,” Elliott commented, hanging up his coat on the rack. He took out his pipe and slipped it between his teeth.
Vaughn crossed the room and gave her father a quick kiss. “I took the liberty of ordering lunch,” she said, crossing to the table. “I thought we could eat and talk.”
Elliott took a seat without comment. He looked across at his daughter and waited for her to be seated.
“Would you like some spring water, or tea?” she asked nervously, the ominous look of her father rattling her. He waved the offer away. She sat down like an errant schoolgirl waiting to be reprimanded. She became angry at herself. She influenced all sorts of men and women and changed government policy. So, why did her father still have the ability to rattle her nerves?
“I want to get straight to the point of this meeting,” Elliott began without preamble. “I just received a report today on your activities over the weekend.”
For an instant she was sure she couldn’t have heard correctly. “You what?”
“You were seen at the docks on Saturday, with that Montgomery fellow in a very compromising position to say the least.”
Vaughn felt the heat of embarrassment and anger burn her face. She shot up from her seat. “Are you saying that you had me followed?” she asked, her voice rising in indignation and disbelief.
Elliott cleared his throat and shot her a thunderous look. “Let’s just say that your activities have been brought to my attention.”
Vaughn spun away, barely able to contain the fury and humiliation that welled inside her.
“Sit down!” Elliott ordered.
“I will not,” she tossed back, spinning around to confront him, her face a blanket of outrage. “How dare you? How dare you have me followed? What right do you have to interfere in my private life?”
“I have every right,” he countered. “Wasn’t your experience with Paul enough to teach you a lesson? And Brian,” he added. The impact of his last comment had the desired effect, he noted, as he saw her resistance crumble.
The cold, on-target remark was like a splash of ice water. Vaughn felt her eyes sting with tears that threatened to overflow. Her throat tightened. She would not allow him to see her cry. Never again, she vowed. She remained standing, stiff and defiant, meeting her father’s eyes head on.
“Vaughn,” he said, almost gently, “I have only your best interests at heart. I want to protect you. Now is not the time for you to get…involved.” He cleared his throat. “The last thing you need is for the tabloids to pick up on any relationships you may be having. They’ll eat you alive. You’ll have enough to contend with without the added burden of a relationship that couldn’t possibly go anywhere. For heaven’s sake, child, you only just met the man. I gave you more credit than that.”
“Did you really?” she asked hollowly. “I didn’t think you gave me much credit for anything, Daddy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I do. If I didn’t believe in your abilities, do you think I’d have guided your career for so many years? I want the best for you, sweetheart. But I want you to realize your ambitions before you make any commitments. You need to be sure of who you’re dealing with and ultimately of what they want from you. Everyone wants something, Vaughn; you know that as well as I do. It’s the nature of our lives. A mistake now could be disastrous for your career.”
