Her Perfect Candidate

by Candace Shaw

  One evening, Megan was looking over some swatches at her office. She didn’t like to work late at night but she had to prepare for the beach house she was decorating that would be featured on the Fabulous Living Channel. Jade and Lucy had already left and Steven was in meetings all day. They were supposed to have dinner, but at around 4:00 p.m. he’d called and cancelled. He said that he had a lot of work to catch up on and would be at his office all night. She decided to stay late and catch up on work as well since she would be at a client’s home for the rest of the week. After work, she decided she would stop by his office and surprise him with dinner. She knew he wouldn’t mind since she’d done it a few times before, much to his enjoyment.

  She called one of her favorite places to dine and ordered two dinners to go. She wanted to spend as much time with Steven as she could before she left for Hilton Head in a few days.

  Megan parked her SUV next to Steven’s Range Rover. She noticed another car in the parking lot that didn’t look familiar. She hoped he wasn’t in a meeting. It was nine at night. Her goal was to convince him to eat and then follow her back to her place for a little romantic time. She walked around to the front of the building. The door is unlocked so he must be in a meeting, she thought. She walked into the empty “showroom,” as Shawn called it. Ten cubicles were in the middle of the room. On the walls were the copy machine, faxes, water cooler and the worktables. In the back were Steven’s and Shawn’s offices, a conference room and break room with a bathroom. Steven would usually hold any meetings in the conference room. So she decided to wait in his office.

  As she walked back to his office, she noticed the door was ajar and the light was on. Megan went to the door and stuck her head in. She saw Veronica sitting in Steven’s chair and Steven sitting on the desk facing Veronica with his back to the door. Veronica saw Megan peeking in and smiled sweetly at Steven rubbing her hand on his knee.

  “I enjoyed catching up over dinner tonight,” Veronica said loudly enough for Megan to hear and rubbing her hand back and forth. “We must do this again real soon.”

  Megan entered the office.

  “Oh, hello dear,” Veronica said sweetly to Megan. Steven turned around quickly and stood up. He looked surprised and guilty.

  “Hello, Veronica. I didn’t know you were in town,” Megan stated still remaining poised.

  “Yes, Veronica came into town this morning. She’s speaking at Atlanta Memorial College for a Women’s Day program tomorrow,” Steven answered calmly.

  “I must run now. I need to read over my speech again.” Veronica stood, displaying a very short red dress that was clinging to her figure like a glove. “Thank you for a lovely time tonight. Call me and let me know if you can escort me to the banquet on Saturday. You know I only prefer to have a handsome man on my arm, and Judge Hill is unavailable. But you and I always look good together at black-tie affairs,” Veronica said kissing Steven on the cheek. She then turned her tall frame toward Megan.

  “Bye, Maggy, It was nice to see you again,” Veronica said. She then grabbed her purse off of Steven’s desk and sashayed out of the office smiling.

  Megan waited until she heard Veronica open and close the front door

  “I thought you were here working late?” Megan asked in a composed tone.

  “I am. I intend to be here until midnight, if not later. Shawn will be back at ten. We have some things to go over. Is there something wrong?” Steven said sitting down in his chair and looking over some papers on his desk, avoiding eye contact.

  Megan felt the anger rising in her, but she decided to remain poised and listen to his side of the story of what she’d just walked in on.

  “You cancelled our dinner plans this evening,” Megan said. She walked over to where he was sitting and stood over him with her right hand on her hip. “And then had the audacity to have dinner with your ex.”

  “Megan. I didn’t just have dinner with her. The president of Atlanta Memorial College was there as well to persuade me to speak at the Woman’s Day ceremony tomorrow,” Steven said as he stood up and placed his hands on her waist.

  Megan stepped back. She was too upset for him to touch her. She didn’t want to lose trust in him, but if he was beginning to act like Alfonso, then she was in the wrong relationship once again.

  “Really? Are you speaking at the program?” she inquired.

  “Yes. I told her I would attend the opening session in the morning.”

  “You and Veronica looked really cozy when I came in. Are you also escorting her to the banquet on Saturday?”

  “No. What’s with all of the questions tonight?”

  “You lied to me, Steven.”

  “I didn’t lie to you. She called after I cancelled our dinner plans. It was all business. Veronica means nothing to me.” Steven grabbed her hands.

  “And I guess I don’t either if you can’t tell me the truth.” Megan stormed out of his office and into the showroom.

  “Megan, I don’t have time for the jealous girlfriend act. I’m in a very serious time in my life right now,” Steven said following after her.

  “You know what? I don’t have time for the ex-wife act right now either. Steven, I heard the way she was speaking to you!”

  “She only did that because you were here. This evening at dinner, she barely spoke to me. She was on her cell phone most of the time. Trust me the only man she is after right now is Judge Hill. He’s trying to make it to the Supreme Court one day. You’ve seen the stories on the news about that. Veronica is all about gaining prestige. I know you realized that when you met her in Washington.”

  “What if someone got a picture of you at dinner tonight with her? It could be all over Twitter and Facebook by now.”

  “The dinner was at the president’s home. There was definitely no one there to snap any pictures. It was just an innocent dinner. Trust me, there is nothing going on between Veronica and I.”

  A thought popped into her mind. “Why was Veronica even here at your office if you had dinner at the president’s home?”

  “We rode together, and she came inside to use my computer for a work-related issue. That’s all.”

  Megan knew he was telling the truth, but she was still uncomfortable with his ex-wife being in his life, especially one as beautiful and vindictive as Veronica. Megan walked over to Steven and put her head on his chest.

  “Our first fight,” she said staring up at him. He bent down and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

  “Well, I guess we need to do some making up,” he said walking her back to his office.

  “Here?” she asked surprisingly. “Shawn will be here in about thirty minutes.” She said looking around.

  “Just real quick,” he said, kissing her on the neck.

  “Okay. But you’re never real quick,” she said as he carried her back to his office and laid her down on the couch for their make-up session.

  * * *

  “So are you going to hang out with me and Shawn tonight? I know you have some work in your car. You can use the conference room,” Steven suggested once they were done and sitting on the couch in his office.

  “No, baby. Just come over when you’re finished. You have a key. Besides, I’ll still be up working on some sketches for the Decorator’s Dream project. We can make up again when you come over,” Megan said, grabbing her to-go bag off the table. She hadn’t eaten since lunch.

  “It’s a deal. I promise,” he said.

  Steven didn’t come over until two in the morning, but they were both too exhausted to make love again. Instead, they cuddled while Percy watched from his bed. Steven also suggested a possible minivacation when she returned from Hilton Head.

  Before Steven left that morning, he reassured her he wasn’t going to take Veronica to the banquet.

  The rest of his week was full with visit
ing different colleges in the state to discuss his plans for the continuation of the Hope Scholarship. In addition to some other educational programs beneficial to college students.

  According to a pole in the Atlanta Newspaper, Steven was in the lead by 75% as a favorite to run for the U.S. Senate now that his father had officially put the rumors to rest that he was indeed retiring at the end of the year.

  Steven decided he would announce his plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat soon, as the primary deadline was approaching. He was happier however, that he no longer had to pretend with Megan. They were an official couple. There was a picture of them in the paper with a caption that read, “Has the senator finally settled down or is this just a publicity stunt?” The article went on to comment on his progress and compared his views with other potential candidates.

  After Steven returned from speaking at Atlanta Memorial College, he looked over the itinerary Shawn had left for him for the rest of day. He was supposed to have lunch with his father and Bryce and spend dinner and the rest of the evening with Megan. She was leaving the next morning for Hilton Head, and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before she left for a week, possibly longer.

  As he sat at his desk, Steven thought about lunch with his dad and brother and knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. His father was in town to discuss the upcoming election. Steven checked his watch. It was almost one, and he knew if he didn’t leave his office now, he would be late for his lunch meeting at the French Peasant.

  Arriving twenty minutes late, Steven saw his father and brother sitting in a booth at the back of the restaurant under a skylight. Mr. Monroe always made sure he was given the best table in any restaurant. The art on the walls was intricately wood-carved flowers. Megan had told him that she had designed a client’s dining room to replicate the restaurant. The young couple had their wedding reception there and wanted the same atmosphere in their home. Steven suggested the French Peasant to his father because he knew his dad enjoyed intriguing artwork and would appreciate his son being considerate of him. His father stood up to shake his hand, but Bryce stirred his ice tea with his straw and smirked at Steven.

  “Son, you’re late. That’s not a good trait for a politician. They’re watching you all of the time, even when you don’t realize it. Don’t forget you’re a very important man. Have been since the day you were born,” Mr. Monroe stated, shaking his hand. Steven sat down and glanced at Bryce who was still smirking. Steven wondered who “they” were while he looked at the menu.

  “So, Dad, how’s Washington?” Steven asked, hoping to sway the conversation off of him. He really wanted to enjoy a relaxing lunch with his father and brother, although he could sense from Bryce’s facial expressions that their father had a lot to say.

  “My son’s political career is at stake. Let’s order. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Steven glanced at Bryce who continued reading the menu, probably glad the heat wasn’t on him for a change.

  For the next hour, Mr. Monroe drilled and debated Steven on every issue that would come up during the election. When they were done with lunch and his mock debate, Mr. Monroe sat back in his chair looking proudly at his son.

  “You’re definitely a Monroe man. You both are. We never let anything stand in our way of getting exactly what we want.” He leaned over the table toward his sons and whispered. “If you keep doing what you’re doing now, you’ll be president one day. Your brother could be the attorney general and, of course, you’ll find something for your sister and your old man?”

  “Of course, Dad. You’re the reason I’m where I am today,” Steven complimented. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he was just like his father. Ambitious, hardworking and determined not to let anyone get in the way of his destiny.

  “So now tell me about this Megan Chase. Do we know her family? I haven’t had a chance to do an investigation on her yet because you usually recycle your women quite quickly. But I see she’s lasted for a few months now, and the media loves her. Is she part of the Chase family that we met a few years ago at Martha’s Vineyard?” Mr. Monroe said during dessert.

  “She isn’t part of the Chase family we met at the vineyard,” Steven said as he added way too much sugar to his coffee. His father was making him slightly nervous with his concern for his relationship with Megan.

  “I’m glad you’ve finally settled down with one girl. I was hoping Shawn and Bryce would talk some sense into you. I know you hadn’t planned on remarrying again, but remember it’s up to you and Bryce to carry on the Monroe name, with more boys of course. Our family legacy and heritage has been around for generations and it must continue. Could this girl possibly be the one to help make that happen for you?” Mr. Monroe asked, concerned.

  “Dad, I hope so. She’s perfect in every way, sort of like Mom. She’s supportive, independent and doesn’t care about playing games.”

  “Just checking, son. But you mentioned to me that she had her own business. There’s nothing wrong with a career woman, but the wife of a U.S. senator needs to be supportive of you. Her main obligation should be you and your family. I’m not trying to sound like a male chauvinist. Your mother taught school, but it wasn’t as demanding as having her own business. We don’t need any more problems in this family. You already had one divorce, and you know I did everything possible to keep that quiet. And I can’t believe that one is flaunting the Monroe name like she’s still part of this family,” Mr. Monroe said slamming his fist down on the table causing the fork on his dessert plate to fall to the floor.

  “We understand, Dad, but I promise you I know what I’m doing with Megan. She’s a wonderful person,” Steven said taking the bill from the middle of the table.

  “It’s not Megan I’m worried about,” Mr. Monroe said, looking at his cell phone screen and then turning it around to show Steven.

  Chapter 12

  Megan exhaled as she finished packing the last-minute items that Chelsea suggested, or rather demanded, that she pack. Chelsea had finally left and Megan was exhausted. She’d spent that entire afternoon trying on different outfits. Chelsea had put together a list of clothes for Megan and Jade to wear on the show and had even faxed it to the producers.

  Megan took a long refreshing shower, dressed and waited impatiently for Steven to arrive. She had planned a romantic evening for them. The candles were lit in every area of the loft and she had champagne chilling in the freezer. Her Thai take-out order was on the way. Everything was perfect including her new black lace panty-and-bra set under her short black dress she wore the night she met Steven. He told her she looked stunning that night and wanted to see her in the dress again. Megan wanted to make sure he had something to hold him over until her return from Hilton Head.

  Megan placed her suitcases by the door so she would be ready in the morning. Steven was taking her to the airport at five in the morning and afterward dropping Percy off at Tiffani’s home.

  After the Thai food was delivered, she glanced at the clock. Steven would be there soon, and she was ready to eat. She decided she would nibble on an egg roll but her cell phone ringing interrupted her trek to the kitchen.

  “What’s up Syd?”

  “Hey, Megan,” she said uneasily. “You’re calm.”

  Megan’s heart stopped. The last time Sydney said that, there was a picture of her and Steven all over internet. “More pictures of me and Steven?”

  “Steven, yes. You, no. I just emailed you the link.”

  Megan grabbed her tablet and clicked on the link, her heart stopping again. “I’ll call you back.”

  She paced back and forth with her tablet in her hand in disbelief. In front of her were pictures of Steven from that morning at the Women’s Day Program. One of which was with him and Veronica. There were actually several with him and Veronica posing with the students or guests at the event. However, the one that had
both Megan and the media in a frenzy was captioned “Is the senator getting cozy with his ex-wife again?” In the picture, Veronica and Steven were walking and holding hands as she stared back at him with a loving smile on her face. Steven was smiling at her, as well.

  The article went on to suggest that while the senator was more than likely running for his father’s soon to be empty U.S. Senate seat, were he and his ex-wife making amends and getting back together?

  At the sound of the doorbell, Megan’s anger propelled even higher because she knew who was on the other side of the door. And he was about to feel her wrath.

  “Percy, you may want to hide under the bed, sweetie. Mommy’s pissed,” she said as she stormed toward the door armed with her tablet. Percy followed orders and darted under the bed.

  She swung the door open, and the handsome smile Steven wore faded into a questionable stare.

  “What the heck is this?” She shoved the tablet in his hand.

  He came in and closed the door, tossing his overnight bag on the floor.

  “Humph.” Megan glanced down at the bag. “You might as well pick that up because you only have two minutes to explain.”

  “Megan, there’s nothing to explain,” he stated calmly. “You knew I was speaking this morning at Atlanta Memorial College. You knew Veronica would be there.”

  “Yes, but what I didn’t know was that there was still something going on between you two. I can’t believe I actually believed you last night when there she was rubbing on you and flirting with you in front of me. Now there’s a picture of you two holding hands and staring all lovey-dovey at each other.” She snatched her tablet out of his hand and pointed to the evidence.

  “Baby, I know the picture looks suspect, but we weren’t really holding hands. She was pulling me along because I arrived late, and I was going on in five minutes. She was rushing me through the crowd and showing me where to go.”

  “And the lovey-dovey smiles?”

  “We were laughing at the crowd of girls whistling and screaming, ‘We love you Senator Monroe’ and some other choice words about how fine and handsome I am. The event was recorded and it clearly shows just what I told you. You’re more than welcome to watch it. It was on the local news station earlier. I have nothing to hide from you.”