Her Perfect Candidate

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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