Summer on Highland Beach

Chapter Twenty-Two A New Challenger

August 2022

Someone banged on CJ’s door.

“Can you believe it!” Janice marched into the house with a rolled-up newspaper tucked under her arm.

“Good morning, Janice. I suppose you’ve read the paper,” Olivia said, greeting CJ’s admin.

Janice stopped just in front of the sofa. “Yes. Haven’t you?”

“We received the news last night.”

Janice threw her hands in the air. “Then why are you so calm?”

“It’s her right to run.”

“Yes, but the current mayor’s ex?” Janice shivered. “It’s tacky. And she apparently has the support of Pastor Stanley.”

Olivia sighed. She didn’t know the pastor all that well, but he seemed to enjoy throwing his weight around.

“CJ’s record speaks for itself.”

Janice twisted her lips and her neck. “Please don’t be dense.”

“Dense?”

“Yes. Lauren, Pastor Stanley, or someone else clearly has a vendetta against your father. Let’s see, we have the unsolicited picture of you, his daughter, posted online,” she said, raising a finger to count. “The article about his sister Indigo revealing a personal letter she’d written, and now his ex-girlfriend plans to run against him, as a write-in candidate no less.” She lifted her second and third fingers to count the remaining points.

Last night, when Olivia had discussed Lauren’s candidacy with CJ, he’d said that as a write-in candidate, Lauren didn’t have much of a chance to win, but her intentions were clear: to divide the vote.

“Will the town think she’s a woman scorned?” Olivia drummed her lips with her fingers.

“Oh no. Lauren will make sure no one will land that low-brow narrative. She’s a phoenix. She rises despite her adversity. Although Lauren has money, she didn’t come from a prestigious family like some of our other residents.” Janice snapped her fingers. “I’m telling you, there’s something not right with that woman.”

Olivia tilted her head. She wasn’t all that sure Lauren was a complete monster. In fact, Lauren had warned her about someone being a shark. Unless that was all a front to soften Olivia’s defenses.

“What do you have against Lauren?”

“I don’t think she truly likes CJ. There’s no light in her eyes. No passion when she’s around him.”

Olivia nodded, not surprised by Janice’s observation. CJ and Lauren had been in a platonic relationship to rehabilitate his image after he dated his junior staffer. “Maybe she isn’t into PDA.”

Olivia had been the same way. Until Garrett. He didn’t mind kissing her in restaurants, holding hands, and occasionally squeezing her ass when Zora wasn’t around.

A tiny pinch of pain plucked her heartstrings.

“Trust me. For Lauren, CJ is just a means to an end,” Janice said in a singsongy voice.

“How so?”

“He worked late nights, and she never seemed upset. Just only when they had plans to make an appearance. But a canceled movie or date night? Not a peep.” Janice mimed locking her lips.

“Did you tell your boss about this?”

“No.” She scoffed at the question. “We aren’t close enough to discuss such matters. Besides, it’s not appropriate for me to give him my opinion about his personal life.” Janice dropped her voice as if they weren’t the only two people in the house. “But... I’m not the only person who’s noticed.”

“The team?”

“Yes. Everyone. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to bash another Black woman. But every time someone speaks of them as a couple, it’s about their status. They’re powerful, smart, and beautiful together.”

And that was likely what CJ and Lauren wanted people to focus on—their status, wealth, and maturity. Nothing as passionate as an affair with a woman young enough to be his daughter.

“Yes. They were well matched,” noted Olivia, repeating the words her grandmother had used when she first met Lauren.

“You get it.”

Olivia stared out the window. In a place so rich in history, strategic partnerships and marriages made sense.

She understood why her mother had no choice but to walk away.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Olivia sighed and said, “Lauren is running, and CJ could use the ‘scorned lover’ angle, but it won’t be good for either of them in the long term.”

Janice shook her head. “No, CJ wouldn’t disrespect Lauren like that. He’ll stick to the facts—his experience, the fact he’s always lived here year-round.”

“And then there’s his contender, Harold Munroe.”

“That’s who CJ will need to focus his energy on,” Janice agreed, with a decisive nod.

Olivia hadn’t met Harold Munroe formally, but she’d seen him in passing. In his late fifties, Harold seemed to care about the community. He’d never served as mayor, but he had a solid background in political communications, much like Alan.

“How is Harold’s relationship with the pastor?” Olivia asked, an idea suddenly sparking.

“Very cordial. He’s a member of the church. Which is interesting. Why is Pastor Stanley throwing his support behind Lauren instead?”

“Maybe by supporting Lauren he’s supporting Harold,” Olivia mused.

“How so?”

“You said Harold is the one we should focus on. Maybe he’s the one who’s using Lauren to divide and conquer.”

Janice laughed into her hand. “Have you met Pastor Stanley? That man isn’t a mastermind. He can barely remember the points of his sermon these days.”

“Aren’t you a member of the church, too?”

“Yes. Which is why I know it’s a snooze fest there on Sunday mornings and that man isn’t a mastermind.”

Is Lauren the mastermind?

Olivia narrowed her eyes. “Janice, do you know when Lauren will be hosting an event to drum up support? I imagine she’d want to do something before the mayoral debate at the Pavilion next week.”

“Of course I know. Lauren’s cohosting a picnic this Sunday after church.”

“I guess I’ll be dressing in my Sunday best this weekend.”

Janice laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re going to pick a fight during the fish fry in the church parking lot?”

“Absolutely not.” Olivia laughed with her. “I’m just going to have a friendly conversation.”

Lauren didn’t seem to love CJ. Even though CJ had broken their deal that he’d endorse her for mayor when he left office, Olivia needed to figure out why Lauren was running now, when she had little chance of winning. Was she the puppet or the puppet master?

When Olivia walked into the sanctuary Sunday morning, the churchgoers got their fill of staring at the mayor’s daughter.

She hadn’t told CJ and Cindy she planned to attend church. Otherwise, they would’ve thwarted her plan. And Olivia couldn’t have that. So she endured the staring. In fact, she welcomed it. The harsh lesson she’d learned was that small towns abhor secrets. Hiding in her father’s house and running away from feelings had led only to her being pushed to center stage. There was no such thing as hiding from the truth. Especially when Olivia was a doppelg?nger of Indigo. She just hoped people were more curious than wary.

Pastor Stanley began his sermon. The first ten minutes were strong, but then he began recycling some of his earlier points—word for word.

Olivia sneaked a glance at Janice, who winked before she shook her head in disgust.

But when the service was coming to an end and she saw Lauren stand to deliver closing remarks and kick off the picnic, Olivia was alert with attention.

Lauren wore a bright blue shirt with a matching skirt paired with a small stylish hat and a pair of silver sky-high Louboutin heels. “Giving honor to God. Pastor Stanley, Deaconess Adams, members, visitors, and friends. Wow, that was such a great sermon today, wasn’t it, family?” She clapped and the rest of the congregation joined in.

Pastor Stanley sat behind the pulpit, beaming from her praise.

“As you all know, I’m tossing my hat into the ring—I’ll be running for mayor of Highland Beach as a write-in candidate. I want you all to know that I take this seriously. Let someone who is entirely focused on the advancement and protection of this beautiful historical gem of a town lead it. That’s why I’m here... to serve the citizens of Highland Beach. I’ve got years of experience as a trial attorney and experience in environmental law that I believe will serve the community well. As we continue to grow, we must ensure that our community thrives environmentally, historically, and economically. Please allow me to usher us into the future while protecting our history. I’ll be outside and I’m happy to answer any of your questions related to my vision for Highland Beach. And if I don’t see you at the fish fry, I’ll see you next week at the debate. Thank you.”

She nodded to the congregation, who gave her thunderous applause, and then stepped down the aisle and out the door.

If Olivia hadn’t been a Jones and the daughter of the incumbent, she would’ve clapped along with the congregation. The woman’s brief speech was convincing.

Olivia left with the volunteers to set up the picnic before Pastor Stanley dismissed the congregation. She easily followed Lauren in her bright blue and found volunteers already outside frying the fish. The aroma coming from the combination of cornmeal, grease, and Old Bay seasoning made her mouth water.

Lauren moved closer to the shore. Olivia scanned the area before approaching her. Everyone else seemed either deep in their own conversations or focused on setting up the picnic.

Striding up to Lauren, Olivia called out, “Lauren?”

The woman didn’t turn around. Not even when Olivia stood within touching distance.

“Lauren!”

Lauren whipped around, clasping her chest, her mouth open and ready to yell. When she finally noticed Olivia, she pressed her lips back together, as if swallowing her scream.

“You can’t sneak up on people like that.”

“I called your name several times. You didn’t hear me?”

“No, I... I was deep in thought.”

Olivia gave her a strained smile before she jumped into the conversation. “Listen, Lauren—”

“Don’t tell me you’re here to scare me off?”

“Scare you?”

“Yes. To protect your precious family,” Lauren snapped.

Olivia shook her head. “I would never presume to tell you what to do. I just want to understand.”

“So let me get this right. You wouldn’t presume to tell me what to do, but you have no qualms about understanding my motives?”

Olivia nodded. “That’s correct. And I... this may come out of nowhere, but did CJ hurt you?”

She didn’t feel that CJ would physically harm a fly, but given his past with Cindy, she wondered if he had given Lauren too much hope. Men like CJ were like giants. They didn’t know their own strength, but that didn’t change the fact that they could squash you like a fly.

“Hurt me?” Lauren laughed. “He would have to give me the time of day to hurt me.”

Her words and attitude seemed cavalier. She wore a sardonic smile and her arms hung casually by her side.

“You were partners for a while. You both are ambitious and have similar goals,” Olivia probed.

“Listen, Olivia. I like you.”

“You do?” She didn’t know if she could believe Lauren. They hadn’t had more than ten minutes of conversation.

Lauren nodded. “It’s difficult being the new girl in a tight-knit community like Venice or Highland Beach. It’s not easy to keep your head high when everyone has your name on their lips. Trust me, I know. But you’ve done an excellent job, and you don’t seem to give a damn about what others think.”

Olivia’s cheeks warmed at the praise. She’d been so hard on herself for leaving town—for hiding away when the news of her lineage had been discovered.

“That’s a rare trait in the infamous Douglass family.”

“Infamous?”

“Listen, you don’t need to understand my motives, but just know it doesn’t have a thing to do with my feelings for your father. We were never meant to be. Besides that,” she added with a nonchalant air, “I’m far too accomplished and easy on the eyes to worry about a man.”

“Then what about the leaked photo that revealed my identity? The rumors about the family, and the letter in the newspaper?”

She pressed her hand to her chest. “You think I’m here to harass your family?”

Olivia didn’t blink during the stare-down. She didn’t want to point fingers—she wanted the truth.

Lauren slowly smiled. “The advice I gave you earlier still stands.”

Olivia furrowed her brow. “That there’s a shark about that I should be alert to?”

Lauren chuckled. “Honey, you’re in shark-infested waters in your own backyard. Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself,” she said, pointing now at Olivia. Then she stopped and began to turn away.

“And now, I’ve got some schmoozing to do.”

“You’re asking questions now... and that’s good,” she whispered to Olivia over her shoulder as she began walking away. “But you need to ask your family questions.” She winked, turned, and greeted a waiting church member.

Olivia stood, stunned at Lauren’s pointed advice.

Was someone in the family responsible for the leak?

But who?

CJ wouldn’t do that to himself or harm his family. And Christine wanted CJ to run for Congress. She wouldn’t dare sabotage her own son.

There was someone else in the family. Someone else she didn’t know about.

She would take Lauren’s advice. Olivia would start asking her family questions.