Heart's Reward. Donna Hill
had worked for him since he was named chief of staff for Senator Lawson. Six years. She knew him well, and that meant catching him when she could. She was a master at timing his entrances and exits. She was smart, discreet and damned good at her job, Claude thought. What he appreciated most was that she never wielded her sexuality. Joyce Holden was stunning. She was an exotic mix of East Indian and African American with a luminous honey-brown complexion, wide dark eyes and silky black hair that hung like a veil to the middle of her back. Her body rivaled a Victoria’s Secret model. He’d been hesitant about hiring her for all of those reasons. He didn’t need or want the distraction. But her professional demeanor dwarfed her allure. He gave her a chance and there wasn’t a day that he’d regretted his decision. They were co-workers, equals and friends. He wouldn’t be able to manage without her.
He took off his jacket. His stark white shirt appeared to gleam against his rich chocolate complexion. There was a line of women in D.C. who vied for Claude’s attention, Joyce thought. She placed the folder on his desk and opened it. What she admired about him was that he never mixed business with pleasure. In all the years she’d worked for him, there was never even a whisper of impropriety. He was often the topic of discussion among the female staffers. They all wanted her take on his availability and their chances with him. Her answer was always the same: “Set your sights elsewhere.” She was one of the few people that knew anything about his personal life and what had scarred him. Her loyalty and admiration of him would never allow her to share that knowledge.
“These are the staff reviews that you approved for this quarter.” She lifted them out of the folder and handed them to him one at a time.
As chief of staff he was responsible for more than one hundred employees who were part of Senator Lawson’s team, from file clerks to committee members. It was his job to know each and every one of them by name, their responsibilities and their ability to do what they were hired to do. He also took time to get to know them personally, their families, their long-term ambitions, their shortcomings and strengths. If the team looked good, Senator Lawson looked good. He had the senator’s ear and his complete confidence, and every member of the team knew that if they wanted to get ahead they needed to stay on the right side of Claude Montgomery.
“Long weekend coming up,” he said, glancing at the document in front of him. “Any special plans?” He scrawled his signature at the bottom. Joyce handed him the next file.
“Me and Luke and the kids are going to Seattle to spend some time with his parents.”
“How is his mother?”
She handed him another document. “Better. But she hasn’t been the same since the stroke.”
He glanced up and caught the unhappy look in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something else I could do. I know it must be a real strain on Luke.”
“You’ve done more than anyone could ask. The therapist and home attendant that you got for her has made a world of difference and took a lot of weight off of Luke’s and his father’s shoulders. We can’t thank you enough.”
He waved off the sentiment. “If you need more time, just let me know. We’ll work it out.”
They pushed through the paperwork and finally closed the folder.
“Your flight leaves in an hour. I have the car waiting for you outside.”
He stood and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. She walked to the corner and handed him his briefcase on his way out of the door.
They walked out together.
“Try to enjoy yourself. I know how much you hate those gatherings.”
He groaned. “I’ll try.”
“Have a safe trip,” she said.
He walked out of the building and into the late afternoon breeze. “Thanks.” He waved goodbye and jogged down the stairs to the waiting Lincoln Town Car.
Within moments he was reclining against the lush interior upholstery of the car and speeding through the streets of D.C. Before long the iconic images of the White House, the Washington Monument and the Capitol building became smaller until they disappeared in the distance.
He leaned back against the soft leather and closed his eyes. Getting out of town and back to his home in Westchester was always something that he looked forward to. It was an opportunity for him to unwind and shed the rigors and stress that confronted him in his life in Washington. Unfortunately, the demands of the job didn’t allow him to get home as often as he would have liked. That reality pricked him more so today. Rather than roaming the cozy rooms of his home, listening to music, maybe catching up with a friend or taking his bike out for a spin along New York’s highways, he was going home to get ready for a stuffy black-tie dinner. The very thing he worked at not doing—at least as much as he could.
He had Alan Harte to thank for this one, he thought, as he followed the line of boarding passengers and took his seat in coach. Alan could convince the devil to change his ways. He smiled to himself.
They’d been friends for years from Claude’s early days of doing community work back in his home state of Louisiana. Alan was newly divorced and climbing up the ranks at the State Department. They’d met during an education forum in Baton Rouge and had been friends ever since. It was Alan who’d introduced him to Senator Lawson.
They tried to get together as often as they could, but with Alan’s constant traveling and Claude’s busy schedule it was often difficult. So when Alan strong-armed him into attending an embassy event, he relented for old times’ sake. He’d said that it was high time that Claude had a woman in his life—not that Alan ever would again—and that his sister Melanie was the one who could make magic happen.
Claude had no real interest in a permanent relationship. At least he didn’t think he did. But in the weeks leading up to today the notion began to take shape in his head. When he looked at his life, it was a complete success. He had what most longed for. Yet, there were times when the loneliness of his life hit him. Like today, when Joyce talked about her husband and kids and visiting relatives during the brief time off. Most days he didn’t miss that kind of thing. But more often than he cared to admit he’d begun to long for a life that he’d almost had—once.
He fastened his seatbelt and opened his copy of The Washington Post. He turned to the arts and entertainment section.
The captain announced that they were next in line for takeoff and they should be landing at New York’s LaGuardia airport on time.
He folded the newspaper on his lap, leaned back and shut his eyes. Might as well catch a quick nap, he thought. He had a long night ahead of him. As he drifted off into a light sleep he wondered fleetingly if Alan’s sister was as good as he claimed she was. He’d always spoken of her in such glowing terms, and curiously enough in the years that he and Alan had been friends, Claude had never met Melanie.
He’d seen pictures and he’d often wondered if she was as attractive in person. There was something about her smile and her eyes that drew him. And he often wondered with the business that she was in if there was a man in her life. He’d never ask Alan anything like that, so it was ironic that their first meeting would be with her in the role of matchmaker for him.
He was the last person to even think about using a dating service, but Alan insisted it was much more than that—and he’d guarantee a wonderful outcome.
“Then why don’t you use it?” Claude had asked after Alan had all but browbeaten him into attending the gala and meeting Melanie.
“First of all, I’m family. That would be like winning the sweepstakes grand prize and being an employee of the company that sponsored it.”
Claude just looked at him, shook his head and chuckled. “Whatever, man. I’m only doing this because we’re friends.”
Alan slapped him on the back. “You won’t regret it. Promise.”
That remained to be seen, Claude thought as he finally