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“Thanks for that vote of confidence. I’ll see you soon.”
Monique sipped tea and thought about the call. What happened to bring about Lawrence’s change of heart? And the police chief calling? What would make him do that?
As days went by, the question changed. It became not what…but who?
* * *
The night before the election, Monique called Niko. They hadn’t talked since the night she’d gone to his house. She hoped he’d answer. That he wasn’t busy. Or with someone else.
“Hello?”
“Niko, it’s Monique.” Silence. “I won’t keep you, just called to thank you for what you did for Devante. You are the one who talked to Lawrence, correct?”
“I made a couple calls. No big deal.”
“It’s a very big deal. He’s superexcited to come back, and that the chief of police welcomed him personally? That type of behavior from law enforcement is something that men like Devante rarely see.”
“From what you’ve told me, I felt he deserved a chance.”
“He does. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She settled back on the couch with a huge grin on her face. Simply talking to a man shouldn’t make her this happy. But it did. “So…are you ready for tomorrow night?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“I guess so. Still working, though.” She waited, but he said nothing further. The ice may have thawed a bit, but it hadn’t melted. “Well, I’ll let you go, then. Good luck, Niko.”
“You, too, Monique. Goodbye.”
Ending the call on this election eve, she came to a painful truth: she’d gladly give up being mayor to get back her man.
Chapter 29
Monique sat in the hotel suite with Margo, Lance, his partner and her parents. The results were coming in, and with 70 percent of the votes in, things did not look good.
Mrs. Slater looked over at her daughter’s forlorn face. “It’s okay, Monique. You ran a clean race and did your best. That’s all we can ask for.”
“It’s not over yet.” George’s eyes remained glued to the TV screen. “He’s only ahead by five percent. Thirty percent of the vote has not been counted. Anything can happen.”
“Dad, you’re an eternal optimist.”
Lance looked at Monique. “I’m with your dad.”
“We’re all very proud of you,” Margo said, muting the television during a commercial break. “You withstood a nasty scandal with strong character and grace. You turned a sour lemon into sweet lemonade. Sharing your story was inspiring. It’s not the act of falling, but getting up that counts. You were sincere and honest. That resonated, and not just with women voters.”
Lance reached for the remote. “It’s back on!” Monique rose and paced as she watched the anchors pontificate on the election and its possible results.
“She did well,” the male anchor was saying as she stood with toe tapping. “Especially given the scandal that midway through rocked her campaign.”
“But she went up against a Drake,” the female anchor countered. “Given the number of homes they’ve built, businesses they’ve helped and charities they’ve funded, they’re like royalty in Paradise Cove.”
Monique slowly shook her head. “I guess that says it all.”
Margo eyed her watch. “How long do you think it will be before they call the race?”
“Probably another hour,” Monique replied. “Really, Margo, I know it’s late. You’ve been so supportive, but I can have Lance drive you home.”
“I wouldn’t think of leaving. I want to be one of the first to hug our city’s new mayor.”
“In that case,” Monique answered sarcastically, “you may want to go join Niko at the country club.”
* * *
Or not. Contrary to what Monique believed, Niko was not inside watching the election results. He wasn’t even near a television. He and his brothers were enjoying an impromptu pickup game, sweating hard and talking trash about who could do what on the basketball court.
“It’s been a while, son,” Terrell said to their eldest brother, Ike Jr. “I’ll try not to whip that butt too bad.”
