Her Perfect Candidate

by Candace Shaw

  “You sound like Jade.”

  “I’m just speaking the truth. Here he comes. Have a nice evening.”

  A few minutes later, Megan sat numbly in Steven’s car fiddling with her purse. Luckily, Steven was on his cell phone talking to Shawn.

  Megan stared out the window trying to concentrate on something else. Even though all she could manage to do was inhale his cologne and listen to his deep voice. She had no idea what he was saying but the angrier he became the sexier he became, and her mind kept travelling back to the kiss.

  She stole glances at him wondering how long she could keep up this charade that she wasn’t really attracted to him. She was becoming highly upset at the fact that he had been on the phone the entire time, which made it clear he had no interest in her. Megan shook her head angrily and then gave him an ice-cold glare. She couldn’t believe she thought that kiss could’ve meant something to him, as well.

  When they arrived at her parking garage, Steven was still on the phone in a deep conversation with Shawn. Megan reached to open her door, but Steven placed his hand on her arm and shook his head. Megan looked at him and realized his facial expression was one of annoyance but not for her.

  “Shawn, I can’t keep going over and over on this issue with you. You know my view and it’s not going to change. So let’s just drop it.” Steven breathed heavily and hung up his phone without saying goodbye. Keeping his hand on her arm, he loosened his grip and then rested his head back on his seat. He turned to face Megan.

  “I apologize for being on the phone and ignoring you. Trust me that wasn’t my intention, baby. Shawn can be so...what’s the word...?”

  “Annoying?” Megan asked, feeling a little better that he wasn’t trying to ignore her. Did he just say baby?

  “Something like that. He keeps trying to change my mind about certain things. He’s not in my shoes and doesn’t understand the pressures politicians have to face. I’m sorry for complaining to you. I know you probably don’t want to hear me babble about my political stuff.”

  “That’s what girlfriends are for right? To listen and support their man?” Megan said, teasingly and punching him lightly on the shoulder.

  Steven smiled at her comment. “I’m beginning to think perhaps that’s what they’re for.” He chuckled and patted her hand. “I forgot to tell you thank you for tonight. You really did work your magic,” he said touching her face tenderly with his hand. He moved closer to her and pulled her face close to his, resting his head on her forehead.

  “Just one more little kiss?” he asked in a sexy voice that sent a tremble through her body.

  “But...” Megan started.

  “But what? Didn’t we have a good time on our first date?”

  “It wasn’t a date.”

  “So you didn’t feel anything with that kiss on the dance floor?”

  “No.” She couldn’t tell him the truth. The last thing she wanted to do was to get caught up in a fairy tale that she knew would end sooner for him than it would for her.

  He slid back to his side. “Well, let me walk you up to your loft,” he said seemingly taken aback.

  “I can manage by myself,” she said, opening the door and stepping out of the car. He got out and pushed the remote to lock the car.

  “I said I would walk with you, Ms. Chase.”

  “Ms. Chase? I thought we were on first name basis, Stevo,” she said, giving him a sincere smile. However, he remained silent. She continued to walk ahead of him to the elevator. They remained quiet on the ride up and when they got off, he continued to follow her to her door. Megan unlocked it, but she didn’t open it. She turned to face Steven and smiled at him. She stood on her tippy toes and reached up to kiss him lightly on the cheek.

  “Good night, Steven. I had a lovely time on our first date.”

  Megan went inside and leaned her back against the door. Boy, that was close, she thought as Percy greeted her by rubbing around her legs.

  “How did I ever get myself into this mess?” she asked herself out loud, picking up the cat and walking toward her bathroom to take a refreshing shower. Steven Monroe was making her feel things she had never felt before. She just hoped she could get through the next few months without completely falling in love with him.

  Chapter 6

  A week had passed since Megan had seen Steven but she’d spoken to him a few times while he was out of town. Their relationship was growing into a comfortable friendship that she pleasantly enjoyed. She was genuinely concerned about his senatorial duties, and she could tell that he loved to hear her opinions. Although politics had never sparked an interest in her before, she was up all night reading his platform, speeches and emailing him her thoughts.

  The day after the fund-raiser, tons of pictures hit the internet on gossip blogs, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. However, there was one she couldn’t get out of her mind. The kiss. It had been snapped from so many different angles that there were at least twenty different pictures, but they all conveyed the same thing. That the senator was finally in love and had tossed aside his playboy ways for her. Of course that’s what they wanted the media to think. Unfortunately when she looked at the pictures, she saw herself falling in love with a man that would never want her in that way. Sure, she figured he was attracted to her, and she sensed he wanted her but more than likely only for sex. Since it was Friday, she decided to work from home instead of going into the office. She’d brought home the duvet, toss pillows and shams she was working on for Chelsea, but Megan wasn’t in the mood to work. Her thoughts were still on last Thursday night at the fund-raiser. Dancing with Steven felt nice. It had been a long time since a man made her feel special. It reminded her that she would find love again and that all men weren’t like her ex.

  She glanced at the clock. It was a quarter to seven. She got up and walked across the room to turn off the alarm that would sound in a few minutes. She wasn’t in the mood to jog on the treadmill, so she opted to do one hundred stomach crunches on her yoga mat.

  Afterward, Megan walked barefoot to the kitchen with Percy following closely behind her. He was hungry, otherwise he would still be on her bed. She took out his food and noticed the roses and tulips on her island. They still looked beautiful even after a week, and she hoped they would stay alive for just a little while longer. It had been a long time since she had flowers in her home that she hadn’t bought for herself.

  After giving Percy his food, Megan decided that a cup of coffee followed by thirty minutes of yoga and meditation would help her relax. While she was rinsing out her coffee pot, her phone rang, and she already knew who it was. Her dad was the only person who would call this early in the morning. He was always at his school by six-thirty to make sure he had everything in order for the day.

  Megan had been avoiding her parents. Her mother had left a very distraught voice mail yesterday about her dating Steven. But she finally decided she might as well get it over with and speak to her dad. He was more understanding. Megan didn’t bother looking at the caller ID as she answered the phone.

  “Hello, Daddy,” Megan sighed.

  “Daddy? I thought my nickname was Stevo, but I can get used to Daddy. How about Big Daddy? Big Poppa? S. Diddy, you know, like P. Diddy? No wait, it’s just Diddy now.” He paused, but continued when she remained silent. “Well, I was hoping to get a laugh or a smile from you this morning.”

  “Steven, I thought you were my father!” Megan said embarrassed. “He’s the only person to ever call me this early.”

  “I wanted to catch you before you went to work.”

  “I took the day off, but I still have a project to finish and an appointment this afternoon with a potential donor for the community center.” Megan walked to the kitchen table to double-check her schedule on her tablet.

  “I have to go to Washington, D.C., today. I wanted to
know if you could go with me.”

  “I didn’t know I would have to travel,” she said, wrinkling her brow.

  “I know its short notice, but I have a black-tie charity function to attend on Saturday night that I hadn’t planned on going to, but Shawn is insisting I go. Other congressmen and senators will be there with their wives and girlfriends. I thought it would look nice to have you on my arm. You can fly out on the private plane that Bryce and I share.”

  Private plane?

  “I see. When are we returning?”

  “You could come back on Sunday or Monday. But I have to stay for some meetings, so I’ll return on Wednesday.”

  “Steven, this is such short notice. I don’t have anything to wear to a fancy function in Washington, D.C.,” Megan said truthfully.

  “I knew you would say something like that. That’s why I arranged for you to go shopping with Chelsea today at Barneys. She’s already in New York City meeting with some other clients.”

  “But I have an appointment at two with an executive from Coke about donating to the community center.”

  “Shawn can go. What other excuses are you going to come up with?”

  “What time are we leaving? I have to finish a project,” Megan said reluctantly. She couldn’t believe she agreed to go with him to Washington, D.C.

  “I’ve arranged for the plane to take you to New York City this morning and then to D.C. once you’re done shopping. I have a function to attend this evening in Atlanta so I’ll meet you later on tonight. I’m sending a car to take you to the airfield around ten, so get to packing.”

  “I don’t have Barney’s money,” Megan answered, thinking about what she had in her closet to wear.

  “But I do.” Without another word, he hung up.

  Three hours later Megan was in the limo headed to a private airfield that she didn’t know existed in Atlanta. Since her conversation with Steven earlier that morning, she managed to finish her project, pack and drop Percy off at Tiffani’s. Megan also had the misfortune of answering the phone without looking at the caller ID while packing. When she heard her mother’s voice, Megan cursed in silence and hoped the conversation wouldn’t last long.

  Her mother wasn’t happy about her daughter flying to Washington with someone that she hadn’t met yet. She told Megan about her research on Senator Monroe and that she wasn’t at all thrilled with the results. Her teacher friends even told her to tell Megan to be careful.

  “Megan, it’s not a good idea to date him. He doesn’t care for you. You just got out of a long term relationship,” Mrs. Chase fussed. “You’re very vulnerable right now. Men feed off of that! Men like him love that! There is no challenge for him, and he’s going to just use you and then throw you away like all of the others!”

  “Mother, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Everything is fine. I’m not trying to start a serious relationship now. We’re just dating. That’s all!” Megan threw her clothes into the suitcase instead of folding them. Megan and her mother never saw eye to eye, and most of their conversations usually ended because of disagreements.

  “Dating? It seems as if you’re flying out of town with him! I hardly call that dating! He just wants to have sex with you and then move on to some other pretty young thang!”

  “Mother!”

  “Megan, you’re my daughter. I love you. I’m only looking out for your best interests. And dating a senator, especially one like Steven Monroe, isn’t just a regular relationship, honey.” Her mother paused and was silent for moment. Megan hated that. She knew that meant her mother’s mind was churning for more reasons as to why she shouldn’t date Steven.

  “Mother...” Megan started before she continued.

  “Everyone will know. You’ll be on television, in the tabloids. Your life will no longer be private. This is so embarrassing!”

  “Embarrassing for whom? You? Are you scared of what your teacher friends will say to you or what they’ve already said to you? Mother, I’m a grown woman, in case you’ve forgotten. I know what I’m doing. Steven is a nice guy. Now I have to go finish packing. I love you, Mom.” She then hung up before her mother could bicker more.

  Megan decided to call her dad on the way to the private airport. It was easier to call him at work when she knew her mother wouldn’t be around to snatch the phone and voice her opinion some more. She spoke to her father briefly in between him suspending two boys for fighting.

  “How did you meet him? Isn’t he out of your circle? Is this Syd’s doing?” Dr. Chase sounded concerned. Megan had always been daddy’s little girl, and she understood that her father didn’t want to see his daughter hurt again by yet another man.

  “We’re just trying to get to know each other. It’s not that serious,” Megan told her father.

  “Does he play golf? I’m sure he does.”

  “I think so, Dad,” Megan answered making a mental note to ask him.

  “When do I meet him? I have some political and personal questions for him.”

  “Soon, Dad. I’m going to Washington with him for a function this weekend. Maybe next weekend.” She had no intentions of introducing them. She doubted Steven wanted to meet her parents.

  “Your mother called earlier ranting. You just be careful. You know how those politicians are, and he’s a playboy.”

  “People change, Dad.”

  “Yeah, and you said that about that punk ex-boyfriend of yours. He was too arrogant and only concerned about his status and not loving and taking care of my baby girl. You know I never liked him.”

  “Yes, Daddy, I know. Well, I’m going to let you get back to running your school,” Megan said trying to get off of the phone. Once her dad got started on a tirade, he didn’t know how to stop.

  “I have some teacher evaluations to do this morning, so yes I need to go.”

  “I’m sure they’re looking forward to seeing you arrive unannounced.” Megan was glad she decided not to become a teacher. She loved being her own boss and not having to worry about someone always looking over her shoulder.

  * * *

  When Megan boarded the private jet, she was greeted by a flight attendant. The woman held out her delicate, manicured hand to shake Megan’s.

  “Good morning, Ms. Chase. I’m Susan, and I’ll be your flight attendant for today. Senator Monroe has informed me to take extra special care of you. Would you like a mimosa while I give you a tour?” Susan stepped aside to let Megan walk in front of her.

  Megan stood in awe. The main cabin of the jet had six plush, oversize white leather chairs on top of a very beautiful gold-and-white Persian carpet. She was used to flying coach or sometimes business class, but the Monroe family jet represented accommodations seen only in illustrious magazines.

  “No thank you to the mimosa, but a definite yes to the tour. This is absolutely breathtaking.” She looked at Susan. “I bet you love your job!” Megan exclaimed as Susan began to show her around. In the cockpit, she made a quick introduction of Captain Simmons.

  The jet was about twice the size of a motor mansion, with the same luxuries, including a minikitchen, wet bar, a bedroom, and a bathroom in the back of the plane.

  Megan walked back to the front. She hated taking trips on a plane and preferred to be asleep during the flight. Especially the last twenty minutes because her ears would always clog up, and she wouldn’t be able to hear that well for at least three hours afterward. She’d brought a bag of jellybeans and a pack of gum to snack on to prevent excessive ear clogging

  She decided to sit up front in one of the reclining seats and have a glass of orange juice from the wet bar to accompany the breakfast that Susan served. Captain Simmons informed Megan that there was a thirty-minute delay because they had to wait for a clear runway at the small airport. While Megan enjoyed her breakfast of French toast, shrimp and grit
s, and a spinach-and-feta-cheese omelet, she was interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, I called to check on you,” Steven said.

  “I’m fine. I’m eating a delicious breakfast.”

  “Shrimp and grits?”

  “Yep, and it’s so good. We’re taking off in a few minutes.”

  “I have a meeting and then a fitting for my tux to wear on Saturday. My housekeeper Greta will pick you up from the airport.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know you had a housekeeper.”

  “Greta is a sweetheart. She’s been with the Monroe family since I was born. She’s almost like a second mom to me and my siblings. By the way, I may not be in Washington until after midnight, so don’t wait up.” He hesitated for moment and cleared his throat. “Megan, I need to prewarn you. Greta is expecting you to sleep in the master bedroom.”

  “Wait! I can’t sleep in the same bed with you,” she said aloud, but then remembering she wasn’t alone, Megan lowered her voice. “I’m sure your brownstone has a guest room!”

  “It does, but Greta also knows me, and my female guests have never slept in the guest room. Don’t worry, I have a California King bed. You won’t know I’m there.”

  “Fine! Stay on your side!”

  * * *

  Once Megan arrived to New York, she met Chelsea in Manhattan. Chelsea had arranged with Barneys and a few other places for Megan to try on and purchase a dress for the evening.

  Chelsea spoke on her cell phone a mile a minute, speaking in her usual “I’m in control and don’t you forget it” tone. She smiled and winked at Megan while they walked down 5th Avenue.

  Megan walked alongside her mentor, thinking about the upcoming weekend and what her father said earlier, even though Chelsea’s conversation was much more interesting. Megan had always admired Chelsea since her mother had first introduced them at a sorority meet-and-mingle tea. The two of them immediately developed a mentor and mentee bond. She admired Chelsea for her wit, sassiness and for always knowing the right thing to say in any situation. She was truly fabulous at fifty with her pixie cut hairstyle, size six frame, and stunning appearance that always turned heads.