by Donna Hill
What about Justin—her life—their life? She knew that before she could be right and righteous with him, she’d first have to be right with herself. Perhaps this trip to Atlanta would be the cleansing one, the one to finally break her ties to the past so that she could live in the present and move on to the future. A future with Justin—that is, if he still wanted her when all of this ugliness was over. She knew she couldn’t offer him anything less than one hundred percent. It would be a difficult road ahead—a lonely road. It would take all of her courage to meet the challenges that faced her. There were changes occurring in every area of her life and, in order to break free of the mental shackles that had controlled her for so long, she was going to have to be strong enough to withstand the changes.
David sat at the dining table of his co-op apartment, reading the morning paper. He lit a cigarette and took a sip of his coffee. Scanning the headlines, he stopped at a bold headline on page three: “ASSEMBLY WOMAN HAMILTON—SOFTENING HER HARD IMAGE.” The article elaborated on Hamilton’s decision to hire an image consulting firm in an attempt to improve her image and strengthen her appeal among male voters. This latest article also alluded to the notion that she’d exhausted her father’s influence and had branched out to hang on the coattails of businessman, philanthropist, and legal wizard Justin Montgomery. It related Montgomery’s association with the Harrison murder case and even hinted that Montgomery’s law firm was getting preferential treatment because of his alleged connection to Hamilton.
David took a long gulp of coffee and chuckled heartily. “Now that’s what I call payback,” he snickered. Leaning back in his chair, he visualized the look of self-righteous indignation that must have twisted that beautiful ebony face of hers into knots. He sighed, contented. His work was done. He’d held up his end of the arrangement, now it was time for Stone to pay up. He reached for the phone and dialed Stone’s office.
Elliott paced the confines of his judicial chambers like a caged panther. Livid could not begin to describe the intensity of his outrage. He pounded his thick fist against the table, scattering the damning newspaper onto the floor. He knew this would happen, but Vaughn was too lovestruck to listen. The only thing he could be grateful for, at this moment, was that he had foreseen the future and had prepared accordingly. He picked up the phone and dialed the private number. Gruffly announcing himself to the secretary, he was immediately put through to Stan Waters.
“Elliott, good morning.”
“There’s not a goddamned thing good about this morning! I need results, Stan. I want them now.”
“Just calm down, Elliott,” Stan countered. “I’m doing every thing I can. I can’t make the mountain come to me.”
“Then you better get to it, Muhammad.”
“I’ll call you when everything is settled. I’m sure we’ll have an answer by the end of the week.”
Elliott took a deep breath and was on the brink of apologizing when he thought better of it. Stan Waters owed him. It wasn’t the other way around.
“You know how to reach me,” Elliott said, and hung up. As soon as he did, his line rang and, he snatched the receiver from the cradle.
“Elliott, have you seen today’s paper?” Sheila asked in a tight voice.
“Yes,” he replied shortly, knowing that there was more to come.
“She needs to get out of this now, Elliott. I have a very bad feeling about it. There are leaks in her own office. Reporters are digging into her private life. They…”
“I know. I know,” he thundered, cutting her off. “All of this goes back to that Montgomery. If she hadn’t gotten so starry-eyed over him, she would’ve been more focused and in-tune to what was going on right under her nose,” he shouted. “I told her, but she wouldn’t listen,” he ended pompously.
“She deserves a life too, Elliott. She can’t live in a vacuum of politics forever,” she cried, reflecting on her own life of predictable loneliness and superficial joys.
“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” he huffed. “Now she needs to concern herself with keeping her name out of the scandal sheets, and curtailing her association with Montgomery.”
“Elliott,” she warned, “stay out of Vaughn’s personal life. You’ve done enough,” she added, the simple words laced with innuendo. “Let her handle it.”
“I’m due in court,” he replied, ending any further conversation. “I’ll see you this evening.”
“Justin,” Khendra called out to him as he hurried down the corridor of the courthouse. She picked up her step and quickly caught up with him. Her long-legged, high-heeled stride smoothly matched his. “Did you read the morning papers?” she inquired, shifting her briefcase from one hand to the other.
“Yeah, I read it,” he answered gruffly. He’d read the inflammatory copy shortly before he’d left for court. The entire piece had his teeth on edge. Momentarily he wished that he was meeting with Stan Waters then instead of at the end of the week. He was beginning to believe that Waters may have some of the answers he needed.
“What the hell is going on?” she asked in a low whisper. “We can’t afford to be connected to a smear campaign. Not with this kind of high-profile case.” Her heels clicked rapidly against the marble floor.
“I’m well aware of that Khen,” he answered in a tone that cautioned, leave it alone.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump all over you. It’s just that…”
“I know you and Sean have worked your tails off on this case. I’m not going to let anything jeopardize that. Beyond everything else, it’s not fair to our client.” He took a long breath. “In the meantime, let’s just deal with this jury selection.”
Khendra fought to contain her curiosity, but lost the battle. “How’s Vaughn taking her new level of notoriety?”
Justin slanted her a glance as he pushed open the courtroom door. “I wouldn’t know,” he answered tersely, holding the door open for her, then leaving Khendra with more questions than she dared to ask.
When court recessed for the day, Justin returned alone to his office. Making a cursory acknowledgment to the remaining members he passed, he headed for his office. Once inside, he closed and locked his door, then headed for the wet-bar tucked behind the roll away bookcase.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a real drink. All he knew was that he needed one now. He reached for the unopened bottle of Black Label, opened it, and poured the amber liquid into a glass filled with ice. Glass in hand, he walked over to the small sofa in the corner of his office and lowered himself down.
Staring out of the window, he watched the last rays of sunshine tumble over one another, struggling for survival over the horizon. Funny, that’s how his thoughts were at the moment—each one struggling for dominance. Vaughn. Simone. His practice. The trial. Samantha.
The leaks from Vaughn’s office had gone beyond just idle gossip and rumor. It now involved her private life and him. And with that, the ambiguous comments made by Stan Waters sounded more ominous. He wished he’d been able to move up the meeting date, but Waters would be out of town until the end of the week. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that it was merely a ploy to pique his interest.
Maybe what had happened between he and Vaughn last night was for the best. It was becoming crystal-clear that they needed to stay away from each other for everyone’s sake. He took a long sip from his drink and squeezed his eyes shut as the liquid burned its way down his throat.
“Aaugh,” he sputtered. “No wonder I gave this up.” He put the glass down on the table next to the couch and sank back against the cushions, letting his thoughts take over. He wondered what Vaughn was doing—what was she wearing…?
The knock on his door caused him to jump. He blinked and checked his watch. It was nine P.M. He’d dozed off. He pushed himself up and walked to the door.
“Sean, what’s up? You’re here pretty late,” he said for lack of something better.
Sean stepped through the partially opened do
or. “I figured you’d need someone to talk to.” He crossed the room to the bar and fixed himself a quick drink. “I elected myself,” he announced, turning toward Justin with an expression that seemed to say, “I’m listening.”
“Then I guess you’d better cop a squat,” Justin said. “This may take awhile.”
He thought he’d feel better after talking things out with Sean. But his revelations and introspections only intensified his confusion. He’d briefly told Sean about his nebulous conversation with Stan Waters and of the impending meeting. He’d also voiced his concerns about Vaughn’s refusal to tell him why she had to go to Atlanta.
Sean’s take on the rash of news articles was that it was just politics as usual. But he did agree that Justin should keep a low profile, although he couldn’t fully agree with Justin’s decision to stay away from Vaughn.
“She needs you more than ever, man. You gotta know that,” Sean said.
“I do know. That’s not the issue. The issue is, Vaughn has to come to terms with me and the kind of relationship she wants. I’m ready for the whole nine. She’s still on the fence.”
“Hey, its something you’ll have to deal with. When she’s ready she’ll come around.” Sean pulled himself up from his partially reclining position on the couch. “My advice—don’t issue ultimatums. They generally backfire. You don’t have to take the advice, just borrow it.” He grinned, and clamped Justin heartily on the shoulder. “I’m outta here man. Full day tomorrow.”
“Yeah, me too.” Justin rose. “Hang on a minute. I’ll walk out with you. And Sean…” Sean turned, his thick eyebrows arching into question marks. “Thanks,” Justin said simply.
“Remember, I’ve been there. There were times before me and Khen got married that I thought I’d lost her forever. But we got it together. And look at us now,” he chuckled, grinning broadly.
“Yeah, look,” Justin teased. He threw his arm around Sean’s shoulder, and they walked down the corridor to the elevator.
“What are we going to do about this?” Crystal asked, just short of losing her last shred of calm.
Vaughn braced her hips with her fists as she paced the length of the office. It was nearly 10 P.M. and this never-ending day seemed to have gone from bad to worse. She’d thought that Justin’s declaration of the previous night had been her lowest point. Today proved that she had yet to reach it. After dealing with Crystal, she had the false hope that things would get better. Then she’d read the papers.
“My plan is simple,” she said finally. “We do nothing. We won’t rise to the bait. Questions will be answered honestly, but no additional information will be given.”
Crystal nodded. “This is all my fault,” she stated morosely. “If I hadn’t been such an idiot…”
“There’s no point in shouldering blame. What’s done is done.” She sighed heavily. “Let’s go home. I’ve had it for today.”
Vaughn arrived at her townhouse and immediately felt the emptiness swallow her. Over the short months she’d come to know and fall in love with Justin, he’d become an integral part of her life. The sudden realization that that portion of her life was halted, left her adrift, like a boat without an anchor.
Mechanically, she prepared for bed. When she returned from Atlanta at the end of the week, she would set everything straight with Justin. She just needed this one last time to put the past to rest. For an instant, she thought of calling him, but hesitated, her hand above the phone, then pushed the thought away.
It was 3 A.M. Justin still lay wide awake in the king-sized bed. Sean was right. Vaughn should be here with him. They should be figuring out this thing together. He breathed heavily, punched his pillow, and turned over on his side. How long was he going to be able to stand behind his own dictum and stay away from her? he wondered. Five days and counting, he groaned. If and when Vaughn was ready for a real relationship, he’d be waiting. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take her too long to come to her senses, he ruminated, feeling the telltale effects of his body’s reaction whenever her thought about her. He didn’t know if he could stand the wait.
However, between the trial, the daily pile-up of work on his desk, and his calendar filling up with upcoming speaking engagements, Justin remained too exhausted to focus heavily on his personal life. He poured his energy into his work. His tenuous relationship with Simone strengthened daily. He felt so much empathy for her situation and for the countless youths like her. She’d confided in him about her fears, her insecurities, and her deep desire to find her real parents. Although, rationally, she could understand why parents gave up their children, on an emotional level, she refused to accept it. She wanted to find them, not just to validate her existence, but to show them what a success she was without them.
Listening to her hurt tore at Justin’s heart. Whether Simone was his daughter or not, he silently pledged that he would do whatever was in his power to find her true parents.
Miraculously, the week sped by and he’d only thought of Vaughn a mere million times at last count. The idea that she hadn’t called pricked his ego and his emotions. But, thankfully, there were no more news articles to stir up his already raw nerves.
As he prepared for his meeting with Stan Waters, he tried to evaluate all of the possibilities that could have precipitated Waters contacting him. He concluded that Vaughn was at the root of it.
As Justin pulled into the valet parking area of Hogarth’s restaurant, where the meeting was being held, his thoughts veered toward Vaughn, raising countless questions. Where was she now? Was she thinking about him? Did she have any idea about Stan Waters? And he wondered if she’d already left for her mysterious trip to Atlanta.
“Yes, Mother, I’m on my way to the airport. My plane leaves in an hour,” Vaughn said in a rush.
“I don’t understand why you have to go to Atlanta at a time like this. With so much going on…”
Vaughn cut her off. “You don’t understand, Mother. This is something I have to do. It’s important to me. Can’t you understand that?”
“Vaughn, honey,” her mother sighed, “I just want you to be happy. With all of these rumors and articles runnin’ rampant…I just don’t like the idea of you traveling alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Listen, Mama, I’ve got to run. I’ll call you when I return on Sunday.”
“I wish you wouldn’t do this, Vaughn.”
“I have to.”
While Vaughn sped along the highway en route to the airport, Justin sat in the company of four of the most influential men in Washington politics. He was being offered the opportunity to salvage Vaughn’s life as she knew it.
Chapter 22
“I can’t believe you’d have the gall to ask me something like this,” Justin growled between clenched teeth. He tossed his napkin across his plate and stood.
Stan Waters grabbed his wrist. “Mr. Montgomery, I wouldn’t be so hasty if I were you. I think you should sit down and listen. The careers of two very important people are at stake.” He gave Justin a steady look, until he finally sat down.
“I can’t begin to imagine what you could possibly have to say that would convince me to run against Vaughn Hamilton.”
“But I do,” Stan said. The three other men, Carlton Fitzhugh, owner of the largest hotel chain in Washington, J.T. Johnson publishing mogul, and Morgan Livingston, head of one of the most powerful lobbies on the Hill, all nodded in silent agreement.
“Listen,” Justin cut in, holding up his hand to forestall any further comment. “If you thugs, which is how this is all shaping up to me, have something concrete to say, then put it on the table. Or you can continue your discussion without me.”
“Very well. Simply put, if you do not take up our offer to run against Ms. Hamilton, we will release information about her activities that will topple her career.
“Ms. Hamilton can handle any trash that’s put in those rags. She’s been in the business long enough to know that it’s all part of the game.”
�
��Perhaps. But are you willing to test the power of the press? Remember Gary Hart, Reverend Baker, Dukakis? Those are just a few—even the president is not immune.”
Justin’s pulse picked up a beat. His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. “Are you saying that you were responsible for their downfall?” Stan Waters sat back and a slow smile of triumph inched across his mouth.
Justin rubbed his hand across his face. He shook his head. “You wouldn’t do that. She’s a judge’s daughter. She has a clean record in the assembly. What kind of evidence do you have?”
Stan Waters pulled a small Manila envelope out of his breast pocket and slid it across the table toward Justin. Justin quickly skimmed the faces of the men at the table. Their expressions remained closed. Stan was sure that his powers of persuasion, alone, would be enough to convince Justin to enter the race. It was Elliott who insisted that Stan take along the sealed envelope for added insurance. Even he didn’t know what the folded documents contained. But by the stony expression on Justin’s face, the tension in his jaw, and the slight flaring of his nostrils, the papers had the desired effect.
Justin felt reality slide out from under him. Emotions raced so fast through his system, he couldn’t latch on to them long enough to digest them. Anger, betrayal, a sense of disbelief, and ultimately resignation to the truth took hold. Yes, Vaughn did have plenty to hide, plenty to worry about. And she’d been hiding it from him along with everyone else. Slowly he refolded the papers and inserted them into the envelope. He slipped the envelope into the pocket of his jacket. “What makes you think I’d want to help her?” he asked cautiously.