Scandalous. Donna Hill
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He pulled her solidly against him, burying his face in her hair. A low groan rose from deep in his stomach. With great effort, he brought his breathing under control.
“That’s how I know,” he said raggedly, willing his body to contain the shudders that whipped through him.
Vaughn eased back and looked up into his eyes. A slow, seductive smile curved her lips. Her dimples deepened. Her eyes trailed languidly over his face. “I think you’re right, Mr. Montgomery,” she conceded in a whisper. “But we’re going to take it very slowly,” she added softly, “very slowly. I don’t want to make any more mistakes in my life, Justin.” Vaughn reached up and cupped his cheek. He turned his face into her palm and kissed her open hand. “You’ve got to be patient with me, Justin.”
“I’ll be whatever I have to be, Vaughn. If it’s what you want.”
She let out a deep sigh. “Then I guess this is the start,” she said, hope, fear, and joy filling her voice at once.
“You won’t regret it,” he assured her solemnly.
“If I do, you’ll be sorry I did,” she warned, poking him playfully in the chest, needing this moment of frivolity to regain her equilibrium.
“You’re on!” He smacked her solidly on the lips with a kiss to seal the pact.
“Well,” she breathed, “I hope you still have plenty of money left in your pockets, because I seem to have worked up an appetite.”
Justin let out a hearty laugh, wrapped his arm around her, and ushered her to his car. “Your appetite will be the one thing to topple this relationship, lady.” They both laughed, the sound bright and promising as the budding blooms of spring.
Over the next few weeks, Vaughn and Justin spent all their free time together—discreetly. Their lives consisted of concerts, sharing late-night dinners, and home-cooked meals as Vaughn attempted to keep her private life out of the public eye. They talked of world affairs and of her campaign plans, took long drives in the midnight hours of spring. From that first night forward, their destinies were irrevocably sealed.
Chapter 4
Simone Rivers sat in the small living area of her Spelman College dorm. Like a sponge she absorbed yet another news article in the Atlanta Journal, detailing the fund-raising event of the season for Vaughn Hamilton. She had avidly followed the rise of the many African-American female politicians for years. The few details she’d gleaned about Vaughn Hamilton only confirmed her conviction to become just like the woman.
Simone folded the paper and placed it on the dinette table. Unfortunately, Simone didn’t have the political connections Vaughn had. She didn’t have a judge for a father or a political socialite for a mother. Her foster parents were simple people. Her foster father worked for the Atlanta post office, and her foster mother was a part-time librarian. What Simone did have were determination and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. And this summer she was determined to do her undergraduate internship in a political environment outside Atlanta. And she hoped to get to meet Vaughn Hamilton in the process.
She sighed heavily, drawing the attention of her roommate, Jean.
“Sounds deep,” Jean commented, peeking over the edge of her textbook.
Simone shrugged. “I was just reading this article on Vaughn Hamilton’s big shindig last week.”
“And?”
“I really admire women like her—women who are willing to go against the odds and take what they want. Women who aren’t intimidated by outside forces, but who are secure in who they are.” Her light brown eyes glowed with admiration.
“Sounds like you’d make a great walking advertisement for her campaign,” Jean teased.
“Very funny.” Simone rolled her eyes in annoyance. She hated it when Jean teased her about her political zeal.
“Don’t get all bent, Simone. You know I was just kidding,” Jean said, half apologetically. Jean was a biology major, and politics was the furthest thing from Jean’s mind. She tried valiantly to keep up with Simone’s rhetoric and name dropping, but the whole abstract concept of politics crashed against her logical, analytical brain like a mack truck. However, it was Jean’s unshakeable reason that Simone sometimes relied on to keep her focused on her goals. Jean returned her attention to her textbook when her eyes brightened with what she thought was a brilliant idea.
“Hey, if Hamilton is running, she has to have a campaign staff. Why don’t you try to get an internship with her this summer?”
Simone gave a weak smile. “I’m way ahead of you on that one.” She plopped down on the plaid couch and stretched out her long legs. “I called about two weeks ago. One of her aides told me that they had just filled their quota for summer interns.”
“Hmmm. Bad break. That would have been perfect.”
The two friends sat in silence, both caught up in trying to arrive at an alternative solution.
Simone folded her arms beneath her small breasts and twisted her lips in consternation. She knew she’d waited too long to make her contacts. But until two weeks ago, she wasn’t sure how she’d have managed living expenses outside of her dorm. She knew that her parents had spent most of their savings to send her to college. Or at least, that’s what she’d thought; until they’d revealed to her that upon her nineteenth birthday, which was in three weeks, she’d have access to an account in the amount of $250,000. They’d refused to say how they’d amassed that much money, only that it was now hers. She was still reeling from the shock.
“Hey,” Jean said suddenly, making Simone jump in surprise. “Remember about three months ago when that f-i-n-e brother, um, um, whatshisname?” She popped her fingers trying to make the name materialize. “Montgomery!” she cried triumphantly.
Simone sat up in her seat, her thoughts racing. “Right. When he came here to speak, he said he’d be happy to help out with internship and job referrals,” she shouted. “And I was really impressed with his stance on children’s rights and advocacy.” How could she have forgotten? She’d been so preoccupied with working with Vaughn Hamilton that she’d completely overlooked Justin Montgomery’s generous offer.
Briefly she thought of her own situation and what an impact his presentation had had on her at the time. It had really made her think it was possible to find the truth, that the law was there to be used, if you knew how. That was what she’d wanted more than anything, to learn how to use the law to find the truth. And now she had the means to do it.
“Do you still have his card?” Jean asked.
“I hope so.” Simone popped up and trotted off to her room with Jean close on her heels. Simone reached up to the top shelf of the closet and took down a well-worn shoebox.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Simone and Jean sifted through the myriad papers, old love letters, and news clippings.
“Here it is,” Simone said jubilantly, holding up the cream-colored card.
“Great. Give him a call,” Jean urged, nudging Simone.
“Today’s Saturday, silly.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” Her bright idea momentarily dimmed. “Well,” Jean said, “that gives you two days to prepare a knock-’em-dead internship-of-the-year presentation speech.”
Simone grinned. “That’s just what I’m gonna do. By the time I finish my pitch to Mr. Montgomery, he’ll be begging me to join his staff!” She turned toward her friend, her black eyes sparking with fire and her soft but firm voice growing serious. “I have a real strong feeling about this, Jean.” She clutched the card in her hand. “I really believe that this internship is going to be the turning point in my life.”
Lucus Stone tossed his copy of the Washington Post across the glass table in disgust. The grainy black-and-white photo of Vaughn Hamilton stared back