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“You are that,” Niko easily drawled.
Ignoring his comment, she replied, “Mo is friendly, casual, comfortable, a bit no-nonsense.”
“And unisex.”
“Yes.”
A very attractive woman wearing jeans, a silk sweater and five-inch heels rounded the corner. “Oh, there you are!” she said to Monique with a grin.
“Hello, Joy.”
“And with company, I see.” For Niko there was no smile; hadn’t been one since he’d broken up with her daughter, even though he and ex-girlfriend Ashley were on friendly terms. Joy turned back to Monique. “Some of the ladies who’ve offered to volunteer on your campaign wanted to know if you needed help today.”
“That’s very kind of them, but no, not today. Once they call the office, their names and contact information will be entered into our database, and they’ll be assigned to the appropriate committee or team. I’ll go back and explain myself so that they’re clear.”
Niko turned to the woman conspicuously ignoring him. “Hello, Joy. Didn’t know you were helping the competition.” He smiled. “But I’ll still give you a rose.”
He held one out to her. She refused it.
“Flowers are fine. But breakfast was better.” She turned to Monique. “Mo, where did you get those breakfast burritos? And that sauce that tastes like grape jelly? Amazing!”
“From a caterer who came highly recommended,” Monique responded. “I’m glad everyone enjoyed them.”
“If you ladies will excuse me,” Niko interrupted, not surprised at Joy’s rudeness but a tad chagrined. Out publicly for mere hours and the new candidate was already trying to steal some of his shine. “I’ll be on my way. Monique.” He held out his hand. “I look forward to a fair, friendly, yet hard-fought race.”
“You can count on it,” Monique replied as Joy chuckled.
Niko nodded at both women, then turned the corner into the shop’s main room. Soon, thoughts of what had just occurred were forgotten as he engaged the roomful of women in conversation. His topics shifted along with his personality; he was slightly flirtatious yet professional, down-to-earth yet knowledgeable, highbrow yet practical. Yes, this was a beauty shop, but some of the questions coming at him were intellectual and well thought out while others were simple and straightforward.
“We need more affordable housing,” one woman boasting big plastic rollers said. “Everyone isn’t wealthy like you. Do you have a plan for dealing with us regular folk?”
“What is your name, ma’am?”
“Diane,” she stated with a smile.
“First of all, that is a very good question,” he began after addressing her personally and embracing rather than running from the issue of his wealth. “The fact that my family has been very successful in the area of local real estate puts me in the very unique position of being able to personally help oversee this task. As many of you know, Drake Realty has been around almost as long as this town has been incorporated. We’ve worked hard to present a variety of living options based on consumer needs. As our town has grown and expanded, so has the diversity of its citizens. One of our latest projects was designed with this changing demographic in mind. The Seventh Heaven complex offers competitively priced housing, including condominiums, for our middle-income citizens. Now we’re turning our focus to apartment buildings, for those in the low-to-mid-income range. I can’t guarantee how large a supply we’ll have at this level, but I do know that there will be some opportunity for renters, and those who’d like to buy a lower-priced home will have more variety from which to choose.”
“Monique.” The woman behind Diane looked over Niko’s shoulder. He wasn’t aware she’d come back into the main salon room. “Where do you live?”
“I purchased one of those middle-income condominiums that Niko spoke of,” Monique answered. “In Seventh Heaven. Yet I’m also all too familiar with the myriad of families and working people who can’t afford the homes in my neighborhood, and others for whom a community such as Golden Gates may as well be in Beverly Hills for the likelihood of their living there. In my practice as a defense attorney, I know what poverty and lack of opportunity can do for a neighborhood and to a soul. Paradise Cove is a beautiful part of California’s landscape, and I’m here to ensure that every citizen, from the richest to the poorest, gets the chance to enjoy what you can currently afford, and to provide the resources so you can aim even higher.”
“Ms. Slater is absolutely correct,” Niko countered, using a debate tactic whereby the debater agreed with their opponent only to later use their very words to dismantle them. “The average person can’t afford to live in the gated community my family helped develop. Starting with my grandfather, Walter Drake, we worked our butts off to establish and grow our company and used blood, sweat and tears to establish our brand. I have not nor will I ever either misrepresent who I am and where I come from, nor apologize for the blessings that this hard work has produced. The story of my family, who rose from humble Louisiana country beginnings to the top of the real-estate and architectural industries is one that is well-known to almost everyone with deep roots in Paradise Cove, and one that everyone who is new to our community will undoubtedly hear.” He shot a friendly glance over at Monique and relaxed his stance. “I’m sure that Monique and I don’t want to get into a debate about which of us cares more for all of the citizens of this community. It is clear that we both do. What you’ll have to decide is who’s best equipped to take us to a better future—someone born and raised in the midst of you or someone who’s just arrived.” He looked at his watch. “You ladies are as wonderful and intelligent as you are beautiful, and I’d love to spend more time answering your questions, but duty calls for me to move on to the next appointment. And considering that you were just given breakfast this morning, compliments of my opponent, I can’t see why my office can’t continue the gratuitousness set with these actions by offering everyone in the salon a fifty percent discount on their next salon visit. Just make the appointment with Joy and one of my staff members will be by next week to work out the details for receiving our matching payment.”
The unofficial debate ended with women surrounding both Niko and Monique. He shook hands, signed marketing cards and gave hugs as he surreptitiously made his way to the front door, determined not to be late to the fundraising luncheon that had been organized by his staunchest supporter, his mother, Jennifer Drake. This event was as good an excuse as any for the whole family to get together. Quite frankly, Niko was looking forward to basking in their unwavering love.
“Thank you so much,” he said to one ardent supporter, determined not to let her pass until she’d given him an enthusiastic hug.
“Send your concerns to my office,” he heard from a little ways behind him. Monique was having just as hard a time leaving the packed salon as he was.
Finally they made it out of the crowd and onto the sidewalk.
“I guess that was our official beginning as political rivals,” he said, calmly straightening the tan suit coat that he wore over a black button-down shirt and black jeans.
“I’m surprised you chose to enter into a debate,” Monique responded, falling in beside him in a comfortable stroll toward their cars.
Niko’s laugh was as hearty as it was genuine. “It’s obvious that lone college victory gave you the confidence needed to throw your hat in the ring against me.” He stopped, turned toward her. “But please understand. I’m no longer that inexperienced sophomore trying to make a name for himself in the academic community. I am now a confident, successful businessman with nothing to prove, who knows that hands down I am the perfect choice for mayor of Paradise Cove.”
“Well,” Monique said, reaching her car and pointing the remote to unlock it, “someone who’s confident, successful and perfect surely has nothing to worry about.” She got into her car, started the engine and rolled down the window. “Except for someone who’s not at all intimidated by him. See you on the circuit, Niko,” she finished, with a casual wave of her hand.
“Not so fast.” Lightly grabbing the hand she’d just waved, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and produced a business card. “Let’s keep in touch.”
“Okay.” She pulled her hand from his and took the card.
“Don’t I get one?”
Monique eyed him for a second before reaching into her card case and handing him one.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She maneuvered her car out of the parking space and was gone.
Niko watched her car travel down the street, noting the Slater: Slated for Success and New Mayor, New Vision, New Day stickers that decorated her bumper. He walked the few yards to his own vehicle and got inside, trying to shake the feeling that he’d just been one-upped by Monique Slater. More than fifteen minutes later, as he pulled up to the entrance to Paradise Cove’s exclusive Golden Gates community, he was still rattled. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear that the ultraconfident, business-savvy sister had just thrown down the gauntlet. Niko exited his car and walked toward his parents’ front door, feeling more than ready, willing and able to accept Monique’s challenge. The next time he saw her, he had only two more words to say before pulling out all the stops: game on.
Chapter 3
She thought she’d prepared herself, had felt she was ready for being face-to-face and up close and personal with the devilishly handsome Niko Drake. But the truth of the matter was that seeing him in person after so many years had almost taken her breath away, had brought back all of those girlie feelings of the secret college crush she’d had from the moment she’d first laid eyes on him in the auditorium on the day of their debate. A crush that she’d hidden, not only because of her introverted nature and inexperience but also because Niko had barely given her the time of day. Outside of their arguments, he hadn’t shared a word with her and after an obligatory handshake had left the stage without a backward glance.
She’d gone back to her room, fired up her computer and learned everything about him that was online: about his successful family and deep roots in Northern California and about his love of sports and being a member of the college tennis team. In the ten years since their last meeting, she’d conducted an online search from time to time and checked out the images available. There were lots of them, mostly society related, with him attending this star-studded fundraiser or that charity ball, almost always with a stunning model type by his side.
It was in these moments that she’d push the old crush back to the recesses of her memory, where it belonged. She wasn’t a match for him then, and even now, with workouts, fashion consultants and career success, she still didn’t feel that she was his type. Although the other points were legitimate, having to regularly see and interact with Niko was the single main reason why when Margo first approached her about living in Paradise Cove, let alone running for mayor, she’d balked. It had been enough to keep him off her mind while hundreds of miles apart. But now? Having to not only see him but interact, hobnob and, at times, debate? Really, she’d done some crazy things in her life: zip-lined, parasailed, bungee jumped; she’d even participated in a flash-dance mob in New York’s Times Square. But purposely create a life that had her in constant proximity to her college crush? One who’d gotten even finer in the past ten years? One who by just grabbing her hand had almost brought her to orgasm? What the heck was she thinking?
There was only one other person on the planet who’d known how Monique felt about Niko during those years, Monique’s college roommate, Emma White. They’d gotten along famously during those years. After graduation, Mo continued on to law school while Emma married her college sweetheart. Distance and lifestyle kept them from regular meetings, but they maintained a close friendship through phone calls and emails. Emma was quiet, smart and filled with a good dose of small-town Midwestern common sense that made her wise beyond her years. Monique felt she could use that type of wisdom right now.
She looked at her watch. Thirty minutes before my meeting with the farmers association. She pulled into a parking lot and dialed up Emma. Hearing her good friend shout at children in the background made her instantly feel better.
“Sorry about that, Monique. The holy terrors are placing their emphasis on the last word today.”
“Ha! In the throes of some imagined story line, no doubt.”
“You know them too well.”
“Who are they playing today?”
“Thor and Odin, this week’s superheroes. I’m trying to convince them to move their battlefield from my living room to the backyard before something gets broken!”
“Sounds like a plan, and they sound like a handful. How are you, Em?”
“Currently, I’m under the belief that I’ve lost all semblance of sanity and control.”
“Why?” Monique asked, with concern.
“Because as crazy as these boys have made us, we’ve decided to do it again.”
“Do what again?”
“Uh, that wasn’t a trick question, Ms. Attorney. Surely you can follow that clue.”
“You’re pregnant!”
“Bingo! Now there’s the brain that helped my friend pass the bar first try.”
“Okay, I’ll admit I’m sometimes slow when it involves family business. Plus, you and Steve swore that you were... How did you guys put it?”
“Two and through.”
“Exactly.”
“And we meant it. But looks like a little sperm wiggled its way past my totally tied tube, joined forces with an errant egg and now Hunter and Cody are about to have a sibling.”
“Boy or girl?”
“Don’t know yet, but we’re hoping for the latter.”
“I’m happy for you, Em.”
“Thanks, Monique. But enough about me. What’s going on with you?”
“I guess you could say I’ve lost my mind, too. I took a leave from my job at the firm and am running for mayor.”
“Oh, my gosh! You’re running for mayor of Los Angeles?”
“Ha! My goals are lofty but not quite that high. It’s a small town of almost four thousand people in Northern California, called Paradise Cove.”
Silence. Crickets. For a full five seconds.
“Em?” Monique looked at her phone. “You still there?”
“I’m here. And this is the first time I’ve been speechless since Steve proposed to me at the top of a Six Flags roller coaster.” Monique could hear Emma bustling around and imagined that she chewed her lower lip, something her friend was prone to do when thinking. “Okay, first question. Where in the heck did you get such a cockamamy idea to quit your job and run for mayor, and secondly, where is Paradise Cove?”
“Long story short, it was my godfather’s dying wish. He ran for mayor twice and lost. During one of our last conversations before he passed, he asked if one day I’d give it a shot. To appease him I said yes, but didn’t take the request that seriously. Margo, my godmother, did. When the man who’s been mayor for the past twelve or more years decided not to run for reelection, she called and reminded me of my promise. Paradise Cove is a small yet impressive community in Northern California, a little more than an hour southeast of San Francisco.”
“What’s the name again?”
“Paradise Cove.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Because over the years it’s one I’ve probably mentioned a time or two as the place where Niko Drake was born and still resides.”
“Right.” The word came out slowly and dripped speculation. “Very interesting. Do tell me more.”
“Well, I established residency about a year ago and moved into my condo here a few months later.”
“A year ago? And you’re just now telling me?”
“I thought I’d sent a text saying I’d moved.”
“Yes, and that’s all it said. I assumed it was across town, not out of town, and certainly not to your heartthrob’s neck of the woods.”
Monique sighed. “I didn’t say anything more at first because I wasn’t sure I’d get the nomination. Once that looked likely, my hands were full with relocating, closing out or reassigning cases and the election. And, by the way, he’s not my heartthrob.”
Emma chuckled. “No worries, Mo. I totally understand. So you’re the Democratic candidate?”
“Yes, it’s official as of this past week. I ran a very secretive campaign until I locked up the ticket.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to secure the nomination before officially coming out, thereby enjoying the element of surprise.”
“Did it work?”
“For months I’ve been able to quietly campaign under the radar. Now that the announcement has been officially released in the town’s newspaper...we’ll see.”
“What about the man who you insist isn’t your heartthrob? Have you seen him?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I totally wanted to jump his bones, though I tried to appear unmoved.”
The women cracked up.
“It’s a very small town. I’ll be seeing quite a bit of him from now until the election in November.”
“Wait a minute. What does Rob think about all this? Did he move, too?”
“Well, that’s the other thing. We broke up.”
“No! From what you told me, he seemed like such a nice guy.”
“He is a very nice guy and will make someone a wonderful partner. Just not me.”
“What happened?”
“I loved him, Emma. But I wasn’t in love. Once I made the decision to move to Paradise Cove, I also decided to end a relationship that really wasn’t working.”
A few seconds passed. Monique imagined Emma was digesting this news. “Monique, are you sure that the breakup with Rob wasn’t because of your age-old crush on Niko?”
“Girl, I’ve already admitted he’s hot, but any type of infatuation dissipated a long time ago.”
“Hmm, if you say so.”
“I say so.”
“Your life is nothing if not interesting. Moves, breakups, running for office. Reconnecting with Niko sounds promising,” Emma cooed, with a smile in her voice. “Rob’s a nice guy, but Niko Drake is a really nice guy, and superhandsome to boot. You guys might even start dating.”
“Debating, not dating.”
“Why? Is he married?”
“Not as far as I know.”
“Then who knows what the future holds?”
“Niko is my opponent, Emma. He’s running for mayor, too.”
“Oh, Lord.”
“Earlier we held a debate. Our first in over ten years.” She filled her in on the morning’s impromptu meeting. “I must have been crazy to agree to this madness. May my godfather rest in peace.”
“Let’s not draw any hasty conclusions. This might be just the perfect setting to finally snag the man you’ve been in love with since college.”
“Emma White, stop the foolishness! I am not nor have I ever been in love with Niko Drake.”
“Is that why you’ve only dated a handful of guys since I’ve known you, and why you dragged poor Rob along for the past, what, three or four years?”
It was true. Monique and Rob Baldwin had met at a First Fridays event and bonded over lattes and shared political views. They’d begun dating not so much because Monique was head over heels but, well, because he was a good, decent man and because he was there. She no longer had to worry about who would escort her to office parties or industry events. She had someone with whom to share dinners, movies and occasional trips. He was safe and predictable, which up until Niko Drake had reentered her thoughts had suited her just fine. She’d never admit this truth, of course, not even to herself.
“Rob is a grown man. Had he been unhappy with our status, he could have left at any time.”
“Sounds like you were the unhappy one. But—” Monique heard a loud crash. “Monique, I’ve got to go. The boys staged their joust indoors, and once again, as I feared, my china has been the only thing defeated.”
“I don’t know how you do it. Let me let you go be mommy.”
“I will, but not before I give you what you called for even if it’s not what you asked for.”
“What’s that?”
“Sound advice.” Emma paused, and Monique found herself leaning toward the car’s speaker so as not to miss a single word. She shouldn’t have worried. There were only a few of them, delivered in that no-nonsense Midwestern style that Monique loved.
“Stop overthinking the situation. If you get a chance at what you really want, take it. And this campaign and your running for mayor is not what I’m talking about.”
Chapter 4
Monique was still pondering her good friend’s words when mere seconds later her phone rang again. “Monique Slater.” She looked at her watch and, with only ten minutes before the farmers meeting, started her car and drove out of the lot where she’d stopped to call Emma.
“Hello, Monique. It’s Niko.”
The way her body reacted to the sound of his voice was totally unexpected. Muscles tightened in obscure places and butterflies lined her stomach walls. Breathe, Monique. She did, and a good thing, too. Hard to drive a car if one passed out.
“Niko. I guess it shouldn’t have been unexpected, but I am surprised to hear from you.”
“You’re right. After asking for your card, hearing from me should have been totally expected.”
There it was again, those squiggles traveling from her core to her vagina and bursting within. His voice, deep and soothing, swept over her like a Southern summer breeze, causing inappropriate mental pictures to float through her mind. And try as she might to turn away these thoughts and focus on practicality and politics and Paradise Cove, all she could imagine right now was the strong, tall body she’d admired earlier that day hovering naked over hers.
Shaking her head to rid herself of the images, she spoke with a forced casualness and calm. “What can I do for you, Mr. Drake?”
The length of his pause made her immediately regret—or was it applaud?—the way she’d worded the question.
“There are several possibilities that come to mind,” he finally responded, his voice one of professionalism while Monique imagined that his thoughts were anything but. “However, joining me for dinner is my first request.”
“Thank you for the offer, Niko, but I’m not sure our being seen dining together is such a great idea. We are adversaries, after all.”
“We don’t have to be. There’s nothing wrong with two people going after the same goal doing so while getting along. It’s one of the reasons I’d like to talk with you. This morning our meeting was unexpected. We jumped into a debate almost before we said hello. I didn’t have the opportunity to congratulate you on your stellar law career or even welcome you to Paradise Cove.”
Monique reached her destination, a plain, small building in Paradise Valley, a farm community of rolling hills, herds of cattle and, most recently, vineyards, just east of the incorporated town of Paradise Cove. She pulled into a gravel-coated parking lot already filled mostly with Dodge and Ford pickups and SUVs.
She turned off her motor, checked her phone and saw that the meeting began in five minutes. “I’m heading into a meeting but have a minute or two.” Silence. “Niko?”
She was rewarded with his laughter, rich and throaty and filled with genuine cheer. In spite of herself she could imagine his smile, could see his sparkling teeth and the hint of a dimple in his left cheek. Today she’d noticed how perfect his lips were, and right now thoughts of what else those lips could do besides form a coherent sentence were about to be her undoing.
“I like your style. Quick and to the point, straight, no chaser. But I’m more deliberate in my approach and would really appreciate the opportunity to congratulate you in person. Say tonight, around seven or eight o’clock?”
“Fine,” Monique said, having once again glanced at her watch as two more cars drove up and the occupants went inside. “Text me where you’d like to meet. Eight o’clock is fine.”