Olivia nodded. She recalled the name, and if she wasn’t mistaken, Duan and Terrence had gone to school with some of them. They were a huge family. “So what’s his platform? How do the two of you differ?”
“On a number of issues, we’re in agreement. The main thing we differ on is whether or not Georgia can support another state-financed university. He thinks we can, and I don’t. We have a number of fine colleges and universities in this area. Why on earth would we need another one? Besides, he’s inexperienced.”
Olivia couldn’t help but smile at that, because her father didn’t have any political experience, either. In fact, she and her brothers had been shocked when he’d announced he was running for a political office. The only thing they could come up with as to the reason was that his good friend and golfing buddy Senator Albert Reed was retiring and wanted someone to replace him whom he knew and could possibly influence. Not that her father was easily influenced, but he was known to give in under a good argument, without fully standing his ground.
“And young Westmoreland will run on his name recognition since he has a couple of celebrities in the family. One of his cousins is a motorcycle racer, and another is an author.”
And your son just happens to be a very well-known former NFL player, she wanted to say. Who you have called upon to appear at a couple of rallies. So you are just as bad.
Olivia said nothing but listened as she took another bite of her apple. At least she tried to listen. More than once her mind took a sharp turn, and she found her thoughts drifting to breath-stopping memories of the tall, dark and handsome man she had met and spent a wonderful night with. She could vividly recall his kisses and the way he had been methodically slow and extremely thorough each time he’d taken her mouth in his, eating away at her lips, unrestrained, unhurried and not distracted.
And there were the times his mouth had touched her everywhere, blazing a trail from her nape to her spine, then all over her chest, tasting her nipples and making her intensely aware of all her hidden passion—passion he’d been able to wrench from her.
The only bad thing about last night was the fact that she had lost one of the diamond earrings she had purchased a year ago in Paris. The earrings had been a gift to herself when she landed her dream job. She would love to get it back, but knew that wouldn’t be happening. But she would be the first to admit that the night spent in her one-time lover’s arms had been worth the loss.
The ringing of the doorbell claimed her attention and brought her back to the present.
“That must be Cathy,” Orin said. He quickly rose from the table and headed to the front door.
Olivia studied her father and couldn’t do anything but shake her head. He seemed awfully excited about Cathy’s arrival. Olivia couldn’t help wondering if perhaps her father had finally awakened and smelled the coffee and just wasn’t aware he’d been sniffing the aroma. She had been around her brothers long enough to know that when it came to matters of the heart, men had a tendency to be slow.
She turned in her seat when she heard a feminine voice, Cathy’s voice. Olivia smiled when she saw the one woman she felt would be good for her father and again wondered why her father hadn’t asked Cathy to be his escort for some of these functions. Cathy was very pretty, and Olivia thought, as she glanced at the two of them walking into the kitchen, that they complemented each other well.
Brent Fairgate waved his hand back and forth in front of Reggie’s face. “Hey, man, are you with us, or are you somewhere in la-la land?”
Reggie blinked, and then his gaze focused on the man standing in front of him, before shifting to the woman standing beside him, Pam Wells. Brent had hired Pam as a strategist on a consulting basis.
“Sorry,” he said, since there was no use denying they hadn’t had his attention. “My mind drifted elsewhere for a moment.” There was no way he was going to tell Brent that he was reliving the memories of the prior night. Brent was the most focused man that Reggie knew. Reggie was well aware that Brent wanted him to be just as focused.
“Okay. Then let’s go back over the layout for tomorrow,” Brent said, handing him a folder filled with papers. “The luncheon is at the Civic Center, and both you and Jeffries will be speaking. The order will be determined by a flip of a coin. You got the speech down pat. Just make sure you turn on your charm. Jeffries will be doing likewise. Without coming right out and saying it, you will have to make everyone see you as the voice of change. You will have to portray Jeffries as more of the same, someone who represents the status quo.”
“Okay. Give me some personal info on Jeffries, other than he’s the Holy Terror’s father,” Reggie said.
Early in his professional football career, Terrence Jeffries had been nicknamed the “Holy Terror” by sportscasters. Reggie understood that Terrence was now a very successful businessman living in the Florida Keys.
“He also has another son, who’s a couple years older than the Holy Terror,” Pam replied. “He used to be on the Atlanta police force, but now he owns a private investigation company. He’s low-key and definitely not in the public eye like Terrence.”
Reggie nodded. “That’s it? Two sons?”
Pam shook her head. “There’s also a daughter, the youngest. She’s twenty-seven. An artist who lives in Paris. I understand she’s returned home for the campaign.”
Reggie lifted a brow. “Why?”
Pam smiled. “To act as her father’s escort for all the fund-raisers he’ll be expected to attend. From what I understand, he hasn’t dated a lot since his wife up and left him.”
Reggie frowned. “And when was that?”
“Over twenty-something years ago. He raised his kids as a single father,” said Pam.
Reggie nodded, immediately admiring the man for taking on such a task. He was blessed to have both of his parents still living and still married to each other. He couldn’t imagine otherwise. He had heard his siblings and cousins talk about the hard work that went into parenting, so he admired any person who did it solo.
“As you know, Orin Jeffries is a corporate attorney at Nettleton Industries. He’s worked for them for over thirty years. And he’s almost twenty-five years older than you. He’ll likely flaunt the age difference and his greater experience,” Brent added.
Reggie smiled. “I’m sure that he will.”
“Do you need me to look over your speech for tomorrow?” Brent asked.
Reggie met his friend’s gaze. “I haven’t written it yet.” Concern touched Brent’s features, and not for the first time, Reggie thought his best friend worried too much.
“But I thought you were going to do it last night, right after you came home from the Firemen’s Masquerade Ball,” Brent said.
Reggie sighed. There was no way he was going to mention that he hadn’t made it home from the ball until this morning, because he had made a pit stop at the Saxon Hotel. Actually, it had been more than a pit stop. The word quickie in no way described what he and Wonder Woman had done practically all through the night. They had refused to be rushed.
Before Brent could chew him out, Reggie said, “I’ll do it as soon as the two of you leave. If you want to drop by later and look it over, then feel free to do so.”
A stern look appeared on Brent’s face. “And don’t think that I won’t.”
Reggie rolled his eyes. “Just don’t return before six this evening.”
Brent raised a brow. “Why?”
“Because I need to take a nap.”
Brent chuckled. “You never take naps.”
Determined