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“But what if he’s furious with us too,” said Cory, “if he finds out we let her go by herself?”
“Good point,” said Tess. “You go. I’ll let your supervisor know.”
As assistant director, Tess had a higher rank than Cory and Joy both. She could give him permission.
He took that permission and then took off after Joy. If anything ever happened to Mrs. Skeffington and he didn’t bother to go with her, he knew Mr. Skeffington would have his ass on a platter.
And besides, he wanted to make sure Joy would be okay. She was, after all, his best friend in the world. He gladly hurried behind her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The airstairs dropped down and William walked down to the tarmac and then over to a waiting SUV. The bodyguard opened the back passenger door for William, and he got inside. The bodyguard closed the door back.
Diana Davenport, a tall, curvaceous black woman, looked at William with a fondness they both shared for one another. Diana was currently a member of parliament, an MP, in Canada’s House of Commons. Of all of William’s prior relationships, she was the only one who understood the limitations. And he loved her for that.
She was also a very busy lady who had just made a very important, historic announcement. He knew something was seriously wrong or she would not have asked to meet. Even her driver was not allowed inside during their meeting. Even he was waiting outside of the SUV.
They sat side by side, but at a distance, as each remained against their respective side doors. “Hello William.”
She looked radiant to him. But different. As if her new situation gave her even more gravitas than she already had. “Hello, Diana.”
“As I’m sure you’re aware by now, I announced my candidacy on yesterday.”
He nodded. “Yes, I saw it online. I’m tremendously proud of you. Congratulations.”
But the look that came over her face made clear she did not ask to meet with him, the day after her announcement, for old times’ sake.
“What is it?” he asked her in a softer tone.
She still couldn’t bring herself to say it. She smiled a weak smile instead, and looked at him. “You’re a married man now.”
Where was she going with that? Surely not where his other exes had gone. He expected more from Diana. “That’s correct.”
“I’m sure a lot of ladies are angry with you this afternoon. They wanted to be Mrs. William Skeffington themselves. They wanted you for themselves.”
But William shook his head. “They never wanted me. They wanted my bankroll, alright, but they never wanted me.”
Diana smiled a sincere smile this time. “That’s what I always loved about you, William. You call’em like you see’em.” But then her smile left completely and anguish filled her eyes. “I was born and raised in Canada. It’s my country and I love it. And it’s been everything and more to me. When I was just twenty-two years old, I met Arthur. I was a young, idealistic girl in law school anxious to spread my wings. His wealth and his power allowed me to spread them even further than my wildest dreams. I became an MP. Yet another dream that came true for me. He’s been real good to me, William.”
A part of William had always been jealous of Arthur Davenport. Before Joy, he always thought of Diana as the grand prize of women.
But he met her too late.
“I’m sure you didn’t call this meeting to remind me of how good Arthur has been to you.”
“No, that’s not what it’s about.”
“Then what is it about?”
She hesitated again, and then spoke up. “If my candidacy is successful, I will become the first black woman prime minister in Canadian history. And only the second woman period. It’s a big damn deal.”
“Absolutely,” William said. “So what’s wrong?”
Another pause. Then she spoke. “I’m in trouble, William. We’re in trouble.”
He’d already worked that out or there would not have been this kind of sudden, urgent meeting. Especially not the day after she announced her candidacy. “What kind of trouble?”
She gave William a hard, regretful look. “Somebody knows.”
