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* * *
The next morning Megan awoke to the sounds of birds chirping outside the window ledge of her loft apartment and a splitting headache. Usually the echoes of birds soothed her nerves, but not this morning. She wasn’t able to sleep last night. Every time she closed her eyes, she fantasized about the handsome Steven Monroe and his strong hands roaming over her figure. Or his lips moving from her hand and wandering over every inch of her body until she passed out from pure ecstasy. She’d almost swooned last night when the caress of his warm lips pressed against her skin sent her to a point of oblivion while she tried to remain composed on the outside. No man had ever stirred her like that before. But she knew getting involved with a politician was out of the question. Or any man for that matter. Right now her focus was her career and a serious relationship was out of the question.
After tossing and turning, Megan had gotten up in the middle of the night and spent a few hours online researching Steven. She’d heard of him before but because she wasn’t all that interested in politics, she never paid him much attention, and she didn’t read the gossip blogs. She discovered he was divorced but with no children. No mention of a dog, but it was a possibility. Men like him usually had a dog for companionship.
As Megan continued her research, she learned that Steven was a politician that believed that his constituents should be able to voice their opinions. He based his platforms on their concerns as well as his own moral and personal beliefs. As a state senator, he held monthly meetings with the citizens of his district to discuss their needs in the community. Steven had opened a children’s after-school center, organized community gardens and raised funds for new roads in poverty stricken areas as well as more funding for the schools in his district. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, which made him well liked by his constituents though frowned upon by some of his fellow politicians.
The only negative news Megan discovered was that he was dating several different women at the same time. The media labeled him as both an eligible bachelor and playboy. She found that hard to believe considering he was a perfect gentleman the night before and paid no attention to other gorgeous women who threw sexy smiles his way and dirty looks at her. However, there were plenty of pictures of him and beautiful women on the gossip blogs so apparently it was true.
Megan rose from her bed to put on a pot of coffee. Percy, her Persian cat, was staring at her from his heated cat bed on the floor. She was surprised that he wasn’t in the bed with her, but sometimes Percy needed his own space. Just like a male. She laughed.
Megan sipped on hazelnut-flavored coffee seated at her kitchen’s island and reviewed paint colors for her latest project for Chelsea. Chelsea was her role model and mentor. It was because of her that Megan had a steady flow of clients lately. She was supposed to meet Chelsea to look at fabrics in the next hour. Luckily, the store was only within ten minutes of both her loft and office. She decided since it was a lovely April day, she would walk and clear her brain.
After her shower, she threw on some jeans with a fuchsia T-shirt and pulled her hair into a bouncy ponytail. She glanced at the clock and realized she was ahead of schedule. Grabbing her cell phone, she was surprised to see over twenty missed phone calls and text messages from her cousin Tiffani Chase, Sydney and Jade all within a span of ten minutes. The phone then rang while it was still in her hand. It was Sydney.
“What’s up Syd?”
“Wow, don’t you sound calm.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I guess you haven’t seen today’s paper or the local gossip blogs this morning.”
“I just got up. Haven’t been online yet.”
“Turn on your computer and go to the Atlanta Social website.
Megan went into her living room where her tablet sat on the coffee table. She opened the website Syd mentioned and almost dropped her tablet on the hardwood floor. On the screen were pictures from the fund-raiser last night, but the main picture of the article was of her and Steven when he kissed her hand. The accompanying caption read, “Who’s the senator’s new lady of the week?”
“Oh, no.” Megan sighed and sank onto the couch. “This can’t be happening.” She scrolled through some more of the event pictures, and there were four more of them laughing and having a good time.
“Girl, those aren’t the only pictures of you two. I’m at the GBI office and one of the agents just brought me the social section of the newspaper. There’s another one where Steven is leaning over whispering in your ear, and you’re staring at him like a lovesick puppy with your eyes half closed.”
“We were just talking. I’m not dating the senator. Why would they print this?”
“Calm down, sis. This happens to him all the time. You just don’t keep up. It’ll all blow over I’m sure. He’ll be on the same blog tomorrow with a different woman, and no one will give you a second thought.”
“But this has never happened to me before. I don’t want my reputation ruined with my clients because they think I’m dating a playboy politician. No, wait. It says ‘lady of the week.’ That’s even worse.” Megan looked at a few more local blogs she found through Google, and the same pictures with similar captions popped up.
“Try not to worry about it,” Sydney said in a sincere tone. “They don’t even know your name.”
Megan’s phone beeped with another phone call. Perfect.
“Our mother is calling me on the other line.”
“Now you can worry. Don’t answer.”
“I’m not. I can only imagine what she’s going to say.”
“Chin up, sis. I have a meeting, but call me if you need to.”
After hanging up, the phone rang again but this time from a number she didn’t recognize. She decided to answer it anyway just in case it was a potential client.
“Hello?” she answered cautiously.
“Hey, Megan this is Steven.”
“Oh, joy. It’s the playboy politician,” she said sarcastically as she walked to her bedroom that was separated from the living room with a sliding wall. She grabbed her purse and keys from the bench in front of the bed. She needed to head out soon to meet Chelsea.
“I guess you saw the blogs this morning.”
“Yes, I did, and I’m not amused at all. I don’t even know you! We just met yesterday.”
“I’m so sorry this has happened. Trust me last night I was supposed to mix and mingle and not flirt. I’m trying to clean up my image if I’m going to run for my dad’s seat, but whenever the media sees me with a woman they assume I’m seeing her...which sometimes I am.”
“Maybe if you stop kissing women’s hands and whispering in their ears, your photo won’t get taken as much,” she snapped.
He chuckled, and her breath caught in her throat. She was supposed to be mad, but how could she when his seductive voice was in her ear reminding her of the tossing and turning she did last night over him?
“You have a point, but my team sent a statement to all of the blogs and news outlets that have the pictures that we aren’t dating, and that you’re an interior decorator who will be working on some projects for me in the future, all of which is true.”
She let out a sigh of relief. She knew it wasn’t his fault that this had happened. He was a politician from a very prestigious family so naturally he would be in the limelight. Too bad his playboy past was getting him in trouble even when the situation was innocent. While she had just met him, he seemed like a cool, down-to-earth guy. Maybe the media blew his reputation out of proportion.
“Thank you for releasing the statement. I know it’s not your fault, but it did shake me up because I live a simple, drama-free life. And I like to keep it that way.”
“I completely understand. I wish my life was simple at times. So, are we still on for this Monday?”
“Yes, of course. Remember, I’m not really the lady of the week, I’m the interior decorator you’ll be working with.” She laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Besides, you aren’t ‘lady of the week’ material. More like the lady forever, and I would hate for anyone to think otherwise.”
The heat in her cheeks began to rise, and she had a feeling they would be burning red if she looked in a mirror.
“Thank you. I hate to cut this conversation short, but I have a meeting in a few minutes.”
“On a Saturday?”
“Normally I wouldn’t schedule a meeting on a Saturday, but it’s Chelsea.”
“Cool. Give her my best.”
After saying their goodbyes, Megan grabbed her tablet and purse and headed out the door. She felt somewhat better since Steven called.
While browsing through material in the fabric store, Sydney sent her a text that a statement had been released about her and Steven’s platonic relationship and the blogs had been updated. She decided she wasn’t going to worry about it. Like her sister said, it would all blow over, and some other woman would be in a picture with him tomorrow. The thought of that made her a little sad, but she knew he was the last man she should be involved with even if the very thought of him caused her to go weak.
Her main focus was expanding her business and taking it to the next level. Her and Jade were in the process of landing a guest spot on the famed show Decorator’s Dream on the Fabulous Living Channel. They’d sent in pictures of all of their decorating jobs over the past few years and their audition video. Now they were on pins and needles waiting to hear back. Plus, much to her family and friends’ dismay, Megan actually enjoyed being single at this time in her life. She shook her head to wipe the thought of dating Steven out of her mind. From now on, she would think of him as a potential client. Nothing more.
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.
