Chapter 33
33
MAGNOLIA
“ N othing makes me more proud than knowing I may have the great honor of representing the great state of South Carolina in Washington this fall. My family has lived in the Lowcountry for hundreds of years, proudly donating to the hungry and homeless while advocating for more personal freedoms and liberties.” The crowd gathered in front of the Old Exchange building cheered as my father gave them all a million dollar smile. His pearly white veneers reflected the flashes of the cameras that snapped photos to be blasted out to multiple news outlets over the next few days. A large, clunky video camera stood at attention on top of a tripod like a soldier waiting for orders. My eyes peered through the crowd in an effort to distract myself from the numbing pain that was developing in my cheeks.
My mother and I were flanking his sides—her to his left, me to his right—smiling out to the crowd and giving them the image of a perfect, happy, trustworthy family. If only they knew how before we came out to greet the crowd, she threatened to take the keys to my condo if I wasn’t anything but poised and supportive on stage. I flashed my eyes towards her now, standing on the opposite side of the podium, and took in all that she was. A dutiful wife who loved her husband and was willing to do or be anything he asked her to be. With her striking features that were the source of my own, she beamed at the crowd with an unshaking certainty that this is what her whole life had been leading to. To be a senator’s wife.
Part of me felt sad for her knowing that she wasn’t anyone without my father by her side.
The other part of me vowed to never end up like her.
When the crowd erupted in claps and cheers, my attention was pulled towards the sidewalk and street once more. I recognized several men who were part of our security detail, sent here to make sure everything for the rally went off without a hitch. I made sure to be on my best behavior all morning not for my mother’s sake but for theirs. I’d actually chatted with one of the guys, Parker, before the rally started, catching up on his life and family. He was always one of the men who came to the campaign events and over time, I’d learned he had a wife and two kids. I wrote their youngest’s birthday down in my planner as a reminder to send a gift. I know I had given him and the other men a hard time when they first started working for our family but the more I got to know them, the more I started to like them.
“Miss Sinclair, this way please,” a voice called from the street. It was a reporter wanting to catch the image of the picture-perfect family for everyone around the city to see. Coming out of the web of thoughts I was in, I looked towards the man standing just off the stage and clasped my hands politely in front of my skirt. I leaned closer to my father who had a firm hand on the small of my back and gave the camera a wild smile. The photographer counted down and snapped the photo, saving this moment to history forever. Once he pulled the camera down from his face, he gave us a quick thumbs up and disappeared into the crowd that was quickly dwindling. Our show of perfection now over.
“For a girl who went to a big fancy school and got a very expensive education, your head is truly full of air sometimes,” my mother hissed as we exited the stage. A few men in suits filed in behind us as we walked towards the company suburbans they had driven us here in from our plantation.
“Not now, Susan,” my father pressed firmly through a smile, waving towards the lingering onlookers and reporters who were watching us exit stage left. My mother pursed her lips together and gave me a look that chilled the deepest parts of my soul before stepping into the oversized SUV with blackout tinted windows. Parker was standing at the door as my parents slid in first and gave me a look as if to say, I’m sorry. I nodded my head at him and blew out a breath because at this point, I was used to the passive aggressive—okay obviously aggressive—remarks my mother liked to hurl in my direction.
Once he closed the door, Parker jumped into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb. As we made our way out of the city, I pulled my phone out of my purse—which my mother had demanded I leave in the car—and started to scan over the messages that were waiting for me. I tucked my lips around my teeth to stifle the smile that threatened to give me away when I noticed I had several missed texts from a certain secret someone.
Jack:
I think you’re at the rally, remember to be on your best behavior for my guys angel. You know you have to follow my rules or face your punishment for breaking them later.
I’m watching the rally on TV from my office. I like those shoes.
You should wear those the next time you come over. Keep ‘em on while I bend you over my knee and have my way with you.
How are you seriously so perfect? I haven’t heard a word anyone has said because I’m too distracted by you.
God you’re beautiful. I can’t wait see you again.
Finally making it to the end of the thread, my thumbs move feverishly across the screen.
Hey there handsome. I’ll happily wear the shoes the next time I see you
How did things go? You all looked great on the news.
It was fine. My mother only made me feel like a failure twice in the last three hours but that’s pretty good for her.
Wait, what?
I could just picture his strong brows pulled to the center of his chiseled face, looking at his phone with concern.
It’s nothing, I don’t want to talk about it anyway. Parker is driving us home and then my ‘daughter of a potential senator’ act is on pause for a few weeks.
Thank god.
My eyes flicked up towards my parents who were both on their phones. My mother, no doubt looking at the news headlines about our family and my father yammering away with his campaign manager. I loved my parents with everything I was, I just wish I felt like they loved me back in the same way.
Well here’s something that will hopefully make up for it.
I read his message in anticipation. Anything I got to do with him made me happy. Just thinking about him made me feel a level of happiness I hadn’t felt before. I’d come to realize this as we left his family home two weeks ago after he took me there for Sunday brunch. The way they welcomed me into their family with open arms and not a shred of judgment. Something I’d never experienced growing up with my own family.
Thursday through Sunday. Next week. You’re mine.
What if I already have plans?
I know that you don’t.
What are you, stalking me?
Stop being a brat about it and just do what you’re told.
I’ll pick you up in the morning. Be sure to pack an overnight bag.
Pack a bag? What the hell is he doing?
You’re really bossy.
Don’t pretend like you don’t love it angel
The following week, I was standing at the oversized window with my arms crossed in front of me waiting for his blacked out Mercedes to come into view. He’d texted me last night letting me know he’d be here by seven thirty, so here I was dressed and ready for his arrival. I’d tried to pry more information out of him on what was going on when he snuck over to my place after he’d seen his friends, but instead of giving me any answers he just gave me an orgasm, which I wasn’t too upset about.
When I saw his car pull up, I threw my Louis Vuitton duffle over my shoulder and started to walk out to his car. My key was half turned in the lock of my front door when I heard his deep as the ocean voice call out to me.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get back inside, now.” I turned towards him slowly, immediately annoyed. Who the hell does he think he is to talk to me like that?
“Excuse me?” I snapped, dropping my duffle to my side and putting a hand on my now popped hip. He continued walking towards me with a purpose, crossing the wide sidewalk in long strides.
“I said, get back inside. Now .” He was standing in front of me now and reaching for the doorknob I hadn’t gotten a chance to lock. Reaching behind me, he turned the knob, gently pushed me inside, protesting as he did, and closed the door between us. I stood staring at the back of the door from just inside my condo, wholly confused by what the fuck just happened. Before I could react or call him a name or throw the door open to give him a piece of my mind, he knocked twice. I shook my head to myself in shock and swung the door open again, ready to give him the what for.
“Good morning flower, I’m here to pick you up,” he said in the sweetest, kindest voice, as if he hadn’t just yelled at me. I blinked at him slowly, finding it hard to process what the hell just happened.
“I’m sorry, what ?” I looked at him in disbelief.
“Got everything you need? Here, let me take that for you.” He went to reach for my duffle but I pulled it away with an ‘ah!’ and took a step away from him.
“Explain yourself. What the hell was all that for? Why’d you yell at me to get back inside?” I tossed my bag onto the floor and crossed my arms in front of me again, defensively this time. He dropped his chin and took a step towards me. Unable to tell him no, I let him wrap his big arms around my waist and pull me into him. I tipped my chin up to look at him just like I always had to do.
“My girl never comes out before I come to her door first.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to the side of my throat sending a wave of desire down my spine. “It’s the gentlemanly thing to do, the polite thing to do.” He smirked at me for a moment before bringing his lips to the other side of my neck. I dug my nails into his wrists as he lightly nipped at the sensitive skin behind my ear.
“Wait a minute, so you’re telling me you made all that fuss just so you could come and get me from my door?” He pulled away from me and chuckled as he nodded his head. “I can’t believe you! I thought I’d done something wrong or you were mad at me.” I balled up my fingers to give him a playful punch on the arm which he put his hands up to deflect before pulling me into him again. We were both laughing at the absurdity of the interaction.
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. But for real, don’t ever just come out. Let me come get you, okay?”
“If it means that much to you, I promise to make you come all the way to my door and knock a bunch of times before I come out.” I rolled my eyes at him but felt the butterflies taking flight in my belly.
“Thank you.” He kissed my cheek and took a step back. “Alright, for real, do you have everything?” He picked up my bag and held it up as if to make sure that’s all I was bringing with me.
“Yep, everything’s in there.”
“Good,” he started, taking my hand and opening the front door again. “Because we have a plane to catch.”