Looking at Surry was not helping him. He wanted to scoop her up and protect her from the storm. But to do that, he’d have to put his own dreams on hold, and Ian couldn’t do that. He averted his eyes. When that proved to not be enough, he went and stood in front of the window that overlooked the parking lot and then said, “I know politics. I don’t know the first thing about fashion. So, I’m not sure that I’m the one to help with this issue.”
Surry stood and walked over to the window. She put her hand on Ian’s shoulder and turned him to face her. Her eyes implored him as she said, “You don’t understand. If you don’t help me I could lose everything. I’ve worked so hard for what I have. I can’t lose it just because of a lie.”
He rested a hand on her arm as he leaned against the windowpane. This woman was so beautiful. She was everything he wanted in his personal life. But he was also a professional. “Surry, believe me, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. I can’t. I will be leaving the state in a few days to talk with a man who is interested in running for president. If he and I decide to work together, I’m going to be very busy trying to build a team to get his campaign up and running.”
Running her hand through her hair, she looked at him with determination in her eyes. “The sad part about it is that I was prepared to come over here and beg for your help if I had to, and you wouldn’t have been able to help me even if I had begged.” She patted him on the shoulder, stepped back and said, “Congratulations on the new client. I’ll find a way to resolve this issue.”
As Ian watched Surry walk away, he wanted to reach out and pull her back to him. Was he a fool? How could he let her walk away like this? The phone on his desk started ringing, jarring his mind back to the business at hand. As she closed his office door, he picked up the phone. “Ian speaking.”
“Well, my boy, what’s it going to be?”
Ian wanted to tell Governor Monroe that he was no one’s boy...had been his own man since he was nineteen and wasn’t trying to go back to school for nobody. However, this man might become the next president of the United States of America, so he’d hold off on telling him how he could and couldn’t address him. “Hey, Governor, I was just in a meeting. But if you hadn’t called me, I would have given you a call within five minutes or so.”
“I don’t have the patience of Job, my boy. I’m a man of action. I gave you the night to think about it, so what’s it going to be? Can I expect to see you in Charlotte on Monday or not?”
Ian went back to the window and watched Surry climb in her Mercedes C300. He didn’t know why, but Ian felt in his gut that he would forever regret not being able to help Surry. But he had a business to run, so he closed his eyes and took the plunge. “One question, Governor. Why me?”
“What kind of fool question is that? I was told that you are the best and I want to work with you.”
Ian had his answer and he was fine with it. “You can count on me, Governor. I’ll be there on Monday.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear. I’m looking forward to going over strategy with you.”
Surry was driving out of his life as he said, “Oh, and one more thing, Governor. You won’t ever have to doubt my loyalty to you. I live and breathe this job. So, I’m your man and we are going all the way to the White House.”
Chapter 3
On Saturday morning Ian went to the strip mall near his condo and purchased a few items for his upcoming trip. He then met Noel Carter at the Breakfast Klub for some waffles and wings. “Have you found a place to stay in Washington yet?” he asked his old friend.
Noel shook his head. “Ryla and I are going out there next week to look around.”
“I’m headed out of town next week myself. I can’t give you a name right now, but I’m meeting with someone who is thinking of running for president.”
Joy spread across Noel’s face. “That’s all right. I’m excited about that. You go handle his campaign, and then in about a decade or so, you and I will be working on my presidential campaign.”
“Now that sounds good to me. We will have another President Carter in the White House.”
“Yeah, but I’m going to be there for two terms.”
The men ate their food and then Noel put his fork down and said, “I’m not going to be able to go home if I don’t ask you something.”
“What’s up?”
“Ryla wants to know if you talked with Surry.”
“She came by my office yesterday. I feel for her, because this guy is trying to do a number on her. But I have to leave town on Monday morning, so I’m not sure I can help her.” Ian didn’t mention to Noel that he was also bothered by the fact that Surry couldn’t pick up a phone to accept his dinner invitation. But the moment she needed help, she came right over to his office. But he wasn’t bitter, so he was trying hard not to act like it.
After breakfast he went home and started packing for his trip to Charlotte, still trying to convince himself that he made the right decision. He was almost there, until he turned on the television and caught a glimpse of a tearful Surry on the six o’clock news. The reporter had obviously just asked her a question as he’d turned to this station. The microphone had been shoved in Surry’s face. Maybe no one else noticed, but he took note of the tears on her eyelashes as she declared, “My business means everything to me. I would never jeopardize losing it by stealing from a former colleague.”
Surry was going to be crucified in the media unless she did something to change the situation fast. She didn’t deserve what was being done to her. And Ian knew firsthand that once the media got hold of something, they wouldn’t let it go until they ruined the lives of everyone associated. He put a pair of pants in the suitcase and sat down on his bed, thinking about the pain he saw in Surry’s eyes as she talked about how much her business meant to her. Where did pain like that come from? Then he wondered if he was wrong about what he thought he saw in her eyes...maybe it had been passion for her business. Pain or passion, he wasn’t sure which, but he desperately wanted to find out.
Making a quick decision, Ian grabbed his keys and drove to Westheimer Road. He’d received an invitation to the grand opening of Designs from the Motherland from Ryla. Ian had been out of town handling some business in Washington so he hadn’t been able to make the opening. But he’d kept the invitation and therefore had the address.
Her shop was exactly twenty-seven minutes away from his condo. He parked next to the cute little Mercedes he’d seen her drive off in the other day and stepped out of his Range Rover.
Walking toward her store, Ian noticed smiling customers walking from one shop to another with their purchases. The area was vibrant and active. This was a good spot for business. Ian was admiring Surry’s business savvy as he watched her ring up a customer. At the front of the store he couldn’t hear what the customer said to her, but he could see Surry lean her head back and give a full-throated laugh. He could spend a lifetime with a woman who laughed like that.
Surry handed the customer her bag, and as she walked away, Ian stepped over, put his hands on the counter and asked, “Why does it matter to you so much?”
“Why does what matter to me?”
He waved a hand around, indicating the building they were standing in. “Your business...I saw you on the news this evening, and I remembered the way you looked in my office the other day. This whole thing has hit you really hard, and I want to know why