Laina Turner - Presley Thurman 01 - Stilettos & Scoundrels

by Laina Turner

  “Excuse me, miss.” A man in a somber black suit interrupted my thoughts. By the look of him, I could tell that he was one of the plethora of security guards. The earpiece gave him away. “No unauthorized people are allowed in this area of the hotel.”

  “Well then,” I said with exaggerated sweetness. “It’s a good thing that I am authorized. My name is Presley Thurman. I am here to interview Senator Daniels. It was confirmed with his assistant, Tobey Stone, this morning.”

  “One minute, please,” the man said, holding up his finger as he proceeded to talk into his secret ninja microphone discreetly hidden in his lapel, which I admit was somewhat cool but also annoying. “I’m sorry, miss, but there has been a change in plans. You will have to call and reschedule for tomorrow. Senator Daniels is not seeing anyone else today.” Attempting to usher me to the door, he had his hand on my elbow and was almost pushing me toward the exit.

  “You’ve got to be kidding!” I exclaimed. “But we had an appointment. I am from out of town, and I don’t have time to reschedule. What do you mean he is not taking any appointments?” The guy just looked at me, seemingly bored and resigned to having to deal with this inconvenience. Smug jerk. Was the main job qualification here to look and act condescending? If so, he must be their best employee.

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you will have to reschedule,” the man repeated in his calm patronizing voice. That might work to intimidate most people, but I wasn’t most people. If he thought I was going to cave and reschedule, he was crazy. I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by. I was about to embark on a whole new career and wasn’t about to be defeated before I even started. I wasn’t going to waste my Donna Karan power suit by just going home either. The fact that the Senator thought he was so much more important than the rest of us and that he felt he could inconvenience others whenever he pleased made me even madder.

  As I geared up to give this guy a piece of my mind and clearly express my displeasure, I heard someone walk up behind me.

  “What seems to be the problem, Simon?” a man asked, addressing the wanna-be bald thug, whose name was apparently Simon. The man’s voice sounded really familiar, which I thought strange. I couldn’t think of anyone I knew who worked for Senator Daniels other than Tobey Stone, and this voice was definitely not Tobey’s.

  “Well, sir,” the man named Simon started to reply, but I cut him off.

  “I had a three o’clock appointment with…” As I turned around to face the man who had spoken, I came face to face with Cooper Sands. Where did he come from?

  The proverbial bad boy in high school, Cooper was tall, dark, handsome, and a lot of trouble, which made him even more attractive to the average high school girl. Hell, it made him attractive today, and I wasn’t a high school girl anymore. He ran with a more dangerous crowd than my own, partied, and got in minor trouble with the law, much like his good friend Dirt—the garden-variety smashing mailboxes and spray-painting-street-signs kind of trouble. However, this bad boy with the chip on his shoulder had come to my rescue once, after one of my many breakups with Brian. We had talked for hours and ended up having sex in the back of his car, something I hadn’t even done with Brian, which ironically, was the main reason Brian and I had fought; sex had always been Brian’s goal back then. However, something about Cooper made it feel right at the time. I couldn’t really explain it. Big freaking mistake that was. It showed how little I knew back then. Although I wasn’t much better now, come to think of it, looking back on my disastrous relationship with Rick.

  Cooper had taken me home that night and, afterward, had never spoken to me again except for a nod as we passed in the halls. I was crushed. I had thought we shared something special, but he was just a stereotypical teenage male. It had happened right at the end of the school year, so luckily I hadn’t seen him at school for that long before we graduated and went our separate ways. I headed to Chicago and, over time, forgot about Cooper Sands. I hadn’t spoken to or seen him since then and hadn’t thought about him in years. It was all childish history, I thought as I faced him, except that he was still great looking. He hadn’t faced the same ravaging effects of premature aging that Brian had experienced. No matter what kind of jerk he may have been and probably still was, I couldn’t argue that he was hot—whew—hot enough that I felt I was about to melt. Cooper was always tall, but he wasn’t skinny anymore. He had filled out in all the right places, I noticed, against my better judgment. He obviously got to the gym more often than I did, which really wasn’t saying much, but he definitely worked on those muscles. His hair, which had been dark brown, longish, and wavy, was now cut short on the sides and a little spiky on top. The effect was very masculine, and in combination with his piercing blue eyes, made him look like a Gap model. In fact, he reminded me of the poster I saw last time I shopped at the Gap with Wentworth Miller, another badass hottie, a complete turn-on.

  If I wasn’t so shocked to see Cooper, my hormones would be in overdrive, but there wasn’t any time for my hormones to act because I was too busy wondering what the hell he was doing here.

  “What the hell? You have to be kidding. Of all people to run into…” I exclaimed. “Where the hell did you pop up from?”

  “Well, hi to you too, Presley Thurman.” Cooper said with exaggerated politeness. “Simon, I’ll take it from here.” Cooper nodded to him.

  “Sure, boss.” Simon walked away, glaring at me as he left. I wouldn’t want to work in security, but I had to admit that covert communication stuff was cool. I could envision hanging out at the bar with Tonya and Trevor, checking out guys and talking about them through the cool ear buds.

  As Simon walked away, Cooper put his hand on my elbow and tried to lead me off to a side office, which brought my attention back to the present.

  “Get your hands off me!” I said with my hands on my hips, while I tried to act angry. I was angry, but it was hard for me to maintain outrage when I had to work so hard to keep from drooling. What was that saying from Casablanca? Of all the gin joints in all the world? However, that wasn’t the priority now. I needed to focus on getting this interview with Senator Daniels and good looks or not, he wasn’t going to stop me.

  “I hope you aren’t planning on telling me the same thing your little security dude did. I am talking to the Senator today,” I said defiantly with what I considered my tough I-don’t-take-shit attitude with a bit of my condescending attitude thrown in. I was quite good at both.

  “Calm down,” Cooper said and rolled his eyes. “It’s not as if this is a life or death matter.” I could tell he found this amusing.

  “Maybe not to you. It’s not your career on the line,” I retorted.

  “Oh, well, in that case, please do tell me what it is and I will get you in right away,” he said sarcastically.

  “Listen, pal,” I replied and returned his sarcasm with much more skill. Poor guy, I almost felt sorry for him, he just didn’t realize he was up against a pro at projecting disdain. I had spent years perfecting it. “Like I told that other guy…”

  “You mean Simon,” he interrupted.

  “Whatever,” I said rolling my eyes. “I told Simon I had a three o’clock appointment, and I’m not taking no for an answer. I have a deadline I can’t miss. Why is the Senator canceling his appointments anyway? Doesn’t he know that’s rude? I just confirmed this morning. What could possibly have happened between then and now?” I asked in a rush.

  Cooper stood there and listened with half a smile on his face. I couldn’t tell for sure if he was laughing at me, but I had a strong suspicion he was. The fact he found me amusing was pissing me off.

  And he did find her amusing. Cooper thought to himself that she was more beautiful than she had been over ten years ago and she was just as feisty. He had often wondered what she had been up to over the years. He felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of seeing her again after all this time.

  “I drove down here from the city to interview the Senator and I have a deadli
ne,” I repeated slowly so he would be sure to understand. “I’m not leaving here without my interview. Where is Tobey? He is the one who set this up.”

  “Wait a minute,” he said patiently and held his hands up as if to ward off my anger. “I can see you haven’t changed much. You are still the same headstrong, opinionated person. I’m sorry to disappoint you, King, but there is no way you are getting in to see the Senator today. Maybe tomorrow, call Tobey later and see, but Senator Daniels is not taking any more appointments today.”

  I was mad at the situation, really mad at Cooper, and downright pissed that I was having a hard time focusing on the problem when I just wanted to stare at Cooper.

  “I don’t think you understand,” I said saucily. “I am not leaving here without talking to the Senator. Don’t think for a minute you can make me. And don’t call me King,” I added. I hated that I found myself pleased that he remembered it after all these years. I had told him the family nickname and how much I hated it during our night together. Amazed he remembered, he went up a few notches in my eyes, which gave me mixed feelings.

  “The explanation is that he is not seeing anyone. He has made that decision, and I am sorry if it upsets you,” Cooper said. “You will have to reschedule.” I looked intently at him. He still had the casual arrogance he had in his youth and I found it just as attractive now as it had been then, and probably more since. He exuded more confidence now as an adult and the whole effect was unsettling to say the least. Jerk.

  As we stood there glaring at each other (well, I was glaring and he was just amused), the Senator walked out of the adjoining office and began to pass right by. Here was my chance. Screw it, I was talking to the Senator whether Cooper liked it or not.

  “Senator Daniels, excuse me for a second.” I strode away from Cooper to where the Senator had stopped. He looked at me. Annoyance was quickly replaced by a plastered political smile, as he looked me up and down.

  “What can I help you with, sweetheart?” the Senator asked in a tone that was a bit creepy, while shaking my hand. The Senator was a handsome man, if you liked the aging-pretty-boy look, although to his credit, he was aging well. He was dressed in a conservative grey suit, plain shirt, and a splash of color with a lime green tie. His suit looked expensive, and considering his wife came from money, I’m sure it was.

  “We were scheduled for a three o’clock interview, but he,” I said, giving Cooper a dirty look where the senator couldn’t see, “said you had to cancel. Surely, you have a few minutes to spare. I promise I won’t take up too much of your time. This is really important to me, and I am sure your constituents would love to hear from you.” It was not my norm to suck up, but in this case, I figured it would get me what I wanted the quickest way possible. The Senator seemed like someone who would easily succumb to flattery.

  “Well, I did have something come up, but I can take a few minutes for a pretty little thing like you.”

  Had he never heard of sexual harassment? I hadn’t yet figured out if the rumors were true about him being egotistical, but he sure was a chauvinist, and it didn’t seem like him being a womanizer would be a stretch. I hated these types of men and could see why he wasn’t exactly Dirt’s favorite person, but I had a job to do and I needed to be objective— well, as objective as possible.

  “But, Sir,” Cooper started to say. I could tell he wasn’t too happy with me. Obviously, I was interfering with his plans, but I was completely distracted by his two adorable frown lines. “…as we discussed earlier…”

  Senator Daniels waved him away and motioned for me to follow him back into his office. “You know, I’m not so sure that was something to be worried about. We can discuss it later when I am done with the little lady.”

  “Fine,” Cooper said, glaring at me. If he meant to intimidate me, it didn’t work. I thought it made him look cute—maybe even be a bit turned on. He was damned hot. I started wondering how I might work it out to see him again. He was definitely someone who could make me completely forget about Rick.

  I heard a buzzing sound from the Senator’s pocket. Reaching in and pulling out his phone, he looked at the number and then up at me before answering.

  “Excuse me a minute sweetheart, I need to take this. Just have a seat,” he said, again plastering on the obviously fake smile. Did anyone ever think he was sincere? He motioned to the chairs outside his temporary office. He walked into the inner office, so I took the chance to look around. Taking in the surroundings, I heard Senator Daniels raise his voice. The phone call must not be going well. The door was thin and a bit ajar and these offices were not as lavishly decorated as the main entrance, so I could hear his side of the conversation pretty clearly, especially after I scooted the chair as close as I could to the door without it being that obvious.

  “I told you to stop calling me, Peter. You’ll get your money. Don’t you always get your money? Calling me here is not appropriate,” he said in a loud whisper. I strained my ears to listen, and there was just a long pause. “You wouldn’t dare, you bastard. If you did, I’d be ruined, and you wouldn’t be able to get your favors. Don’t forget how much I do for you.” Senator Daniels tried to sound authoritative, but I could tell the caller made him a little nervous.

  There was another long pause, and I craned my neck as far as it would go to hear, almost falling out of my seat. I was, and always had been, a shameless eavesdropper. I found other people’s conversations fascinating, and if they talked loud enough for me to overhear, well, that was their own problem. He should have shut the door if he didn’t want me to listen.

  “I don’t care. Just leave me alone,” he said with exaggerated forcefulness, and I heard him snap the phone shut. I definitely wanted to know what that had been about. My wild imagination began cranking through the possibilities, when he walked back out and motioned me to come inside. He was visibly shaken, but quickly gained control of himself. The caller had upset him, that’s for sure.

  “Is everything all right, Senator Daniels?” I asked. “Can I get you some water or something?”

  “No, no, I’m fine,” he said, waving his hands as if to wave away my concerns. He fidgeted with his tie. How much had she overheard? It probably didn’t matter; she wouldn’t know what he was talking about anyway. Damn that Peter for calling him at work. It was starting to feel like the walls were closing in. How did he get so far in? He had to turn this around. He knew he could. Turning his attention back to the pretty young thing in front of him, he said, “Just the ugly side of politics. Sometimes you just have to remind people that it takes time to move things on Capitol Hill.” He forced out a laugh.

  I hadn’t been able to hear everything he said, but I doubted that call was all about politics, but I could be wrong. Either way, I knew he wouldn’t share the details of his call with me.

  Tom Daniels quickly moved past the call and on to answering my questions. We had been talking for about twenty minutes and, to my surprise, were actually having a decent conversation. Tom was very articulate and smart. Despite some of his less attractive qualities, he did seem passionate about what he wanted to accomplish. Then the door opened, and Tobey Stone came in glaring at me. I assumed he’d heard about how I had forced my way past Cooper.

  “I hate to interrupt, sir, but you have a call from Senator Prescott. He says it’s urgent.”

  “Okay. Tell him I’ll be there in a minute. This has been a delightful conversation, sweetheart, but I am afraid we will have to continue this another time. Please call Tobey, and he will see when he can fit you on my schedule, maybe later this week.”

  “You know, Senator, I think I have enough to go on. If I need more later, then I’ll call you.”

  “Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind talking with you again.” He leered at me. Twice I had pushed his hand off my leg. What was it about my legs that men just couldn’t stop touching? Should I be flattered? He may be a good conversationalist, but he was also a letch.

  “I’m sure. But thank you for your time
.”

  “Got to run, sweetheart, work beckons.” He winked at me and rushed out of the room.

  I turned to Tobey to say something, and he recognized the look on my face. Tobey felt a familiar discomfort in the pit of his stomach. He had this feeling every time the Senator was around a woman. Tom was a good guy, most of the time, but when he was around an attractive woman, all his common sense went out the window. “I apologize for the Senator,” Tobey said sheepishly. “He doesn’t mean any harm by his actions. He is just a friendly guy.” Friendly was an understatement, but Tobey tried to be subtle when he had to have these conversations. It was typically an effective form of damage control. Tom had thus far escaped any sexual harassment suit, though Tobey lived in fear of that very thing happening. “I know you didn’t get as much time as you wanted, but the Senator is a busy man,” Tobey said apologetically, nervously fiddling with the buttons on his blue suit. After these encounters, he would have an upset stomach for days while he waited to see if any of the women would make trouble for Tom.