Elmira tilted her face upward slightly to receive her daughter’s peck on her cheek.
“Everyone, you remember my baby girl, Madison?” Joseph asked with pride.
“Joe, I don’t think you can call this beautiful young woman your baby girl anymore. She’s all grown up!” Senator Houssman said.
“She certainly is. Why, the last time we saw you, young lady, it was with a face full of braces and pretty little pigtails,” Patricia Houssman chimed. “You, my dear, are an absolute knockout.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Houssman. Senator.” Madison smiled.
Joseph pulled out the chair to his left for Madison, who slid into the seat with a radiant smile.
“I don’t care how old or beautiful a woman she becomes—she will always be my baby girl!” Joseph said proudly, squeezing Madison’s shoulders firmly before taking his seat again.
Chatting resumed at the table as the band played and the champagne flowed. Thus, the evening progressed. It was one of the first political affairs that Madison had attended where she actually was not bored out of her mind. Georgetta Price was a laugh a minute, regaling their table with stories of the many schizophrenic directors and unscrupulous starlets she’d come across in her career, which spanned more than three decades. Madison listened with half an ear, as her mind remained preoccupied with thoughts of the charismatic young man with the English tongue and charming wit. Her feminine senses had been stroked by his teasing, making it difficult to forget him. She surreptitiously scanned the room from time to time, hoping to catch a glimpse of him; however, like Cinderella at the ball, he seemed to have vanished into thin air.
As the evening wore on, Madison made every effort to push all thoughts of the handsome stranger from her mind, reminding herself that she did not need romantic entanglements in her life right now. She was doing well all by herself and the last thing she needed was for some guy to come along and make her lose her focus. Despite occasional pangs of loneliness that were normal for a young woman, she rather enjoyed the time and space of living alone in the city that never sleeps.
It had only been six short months since she’d moved off of her bourgeois parents’ luxurious Southern estate and out of their reach. Leaving the drama and scandal she had caused in North Carolina behind her, she had seized the opportunity for a fresh start in the Big Apple. New York City was a metropolis of big buildings and even bigger dreams, and unlike the glove in the infamous O. J. Simpson trial, it was a perfect fit. Gone was the flowing warm brown hair that had not been cut more than a quarter of an inch since she was five years old and in its place were short, funky new locks in hair that had been dyed honey-blond. This new hairstyle was becoming, giving her buttermilk complexion a fresh, quirky look.
Since she’d landed in New York, Madison had become devoted to living a healthy lifestyle by eating right and working out three times a week at the New York Sports Club. Her naturally sexy, curvaceous frame was in tip-top form physically, which also boosted her mental and emotional states. She had never felt more motivated and ready to take charge of her destiny. Of course, she had yet to figure out what that destiny was, leaving her reliant on the monthly allowance her father sent. Her Upper East Side apartment was small, yet chicly decorated, and by subsidizing what her father gave her with work at odd jobs—ranging from dog walker to yoga instructor—she was able to live a comfortable lifestyle.
Money matters didn’t concern her, however, because she realized that she was a work in progress who had come a long way from where she once was. She was contemplating her options and even considering going back to college on a part-time basis. Admittedly, she was enjoying the relative calm of a life that did not include nightly partying, alcoholic binges and the distraction of juggling relationships like a circus trickster. That was precisely why she’d sworn off sordid affairs with men…handsome, charming men.
“How’s everyone enjoying the party?”
Madison started at the sound of that baritone voice, instantly recognizable. She felt a sudden flush in her cheeks when his strong hand landed lightly on her shoulder. She suppressed her body’s urge to tremble under his unexpected touch.
“We’re enjoying it just fine, young man. Say, aren’t you Gregory Elliott’s son?” Senator Houssman asked.
“Yes, sir, I’m Stevenson Elliott. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senator Houssman.”
“Your father and I did some business together years ago when I was a consultant in the natural resources industry. I lived in England for over three years. Very fine man, that Gregory Elliott. Is he here tonight, son? I’d love to say hello,” the senator remarked earnestly.
“Yes, sir. He and my mother are seated right over there, with Congressman Powers.”
“Oh, yes. Excuse me, folks,” the senator said, rising and shaking Steve’s hand before departing.
Steve walked around the table, shaking hands with the men at the table and delivering compliments to the ladies who were seated there.
“Stevenson, this is our daughter, Madison. Darling, say hello,” Elmira said, her voice a tad too cheery for Madison’s tastes.
“Mother, we met earlier in the evening,” Madison answered dryly, avoiding making eye contact with Steve.
She picked up the glass in front of her, taking a long sip of the cool, sparkling water to soothe the sudden dryness that had developed in her throat.
“Yes, we have. In fact, that’s precisely why I came over to your table. I was standing across the room wondering to myself if the lovely young lady would like to join me on the dance floor. I think we’d be a perfect match to show the more mature folks how to get this party started the right way,” Steve said.
Madison looked up at him finally, glancing from his extended hand to his face. A flash of benign irritation passed through her eyes as she stared at him without speaking. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip as she thought of a tactful way to get him to leave her alone, but when his gaze fell to her mouth and he smiled seductively, she realized how suggestively her action might have been perceived.
“What a lovely idea. Go on, Madison,” Elmira encouraged, her lips spread as wide as they could possibly go without splitting her face in half.
Madison gave a slight smile, quickly putting in check the old Madison, who would have snapped her mother’s head off right in front of a roomful of people for her transparent attempt at interfering in her life and matchmaking. She took Steve’s hand and rose from her chair, allowing him to lead her out into the middle of the dance floor. The band began to play “So Amazing” by the late Luther Vandross just as Steve slid his right arm around Madison’s body, drawing her to him closely as if they had danced together a thousand times before. Madison rested the palm of her left hand on his shoulder blade, while he closed her right hand in his. His long fingers wrapped around hers tightly. In her heels she was still three or four inches shorter than him, landing the top of her forehead against his chin. A perfect fit.
“So, Madison Daniels. Pretty name for a pretty woman,” he said.
Their faces were just inches apart. Madison could feel the warmth of his breath on her nose and it made her conscious of how close their bodies were to one another, but at the same time rendered her incapable of breaking the intimacy even if she wanted to. It felt too good to sever.
“Thank you,” she said, all too aware of the erratic beat of her heart.
“No, thank you…for sparing a few moments of your precious time to dance with me,” Steve said, his voice tinged with mocking amusement.
“So, let me guess. You’re some sort of funny guy, huh?” Madison inquired. “Or so you think.”
“No,