Sex, Lies & Black Tie Read online

  “Shall we go to the tent?” I asked. “I’d like for you to take a look at everything before the floor goes in. I think we have a beautiful set up.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Boone replied. “It’s a little warm out, may I leave my jacket here Miss Celia and collect it later?”

  “Of course. Just watch out for the children,” Celia chimed in. “They were planning on a game of hide and go seek this morning.”

  “Thanks Celia,” I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking toward the mud room and out the back to the main lawn and flower garden.

  “The pool area is lovely,” Boone said.

  “Yes. I’ll have it lit, and some floating votive candles in the water Saturday night. It will be in the distance as people make their way to the tent. I don’t want security to cover too much territory. Mac said if we keep it simple, you know the pathway from the house to the tent, it will be less for them to carefully watch.”

  “Your husband is a smart man.”

  “That he is, Senator Henry,” I replied, continuing to walk toward the tent. It wasn’t until I was ten paces ahead of him that I realized he was no longer beside me. Turning to look for him I shaded my eyes from the bright morning sun. “Is something wrong?”

  “Yes. Please don’t call me Senator Henry. I want us to be friends, Samantha. I’m begging you. Call me Boone. Or B, or anything but Senator Henry.”

  I paused. For the past six months he’d asked me repeatedly to call him by his first name. I couldn’t help myself. He was a senator and I felt the need to address him as such. I was a southern girl raised on manners and tradition. That meant being respectful—especially to age and title. Still, I thought his request was sincere. “You want me to call you… B?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and the white t-shirt that gripped his muscular biceps raged against the cotton band around his arm like Bruce Banner transforming into the Hulk.

  “Look, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about this benefit—that I didn’t care about putting it all together with you. I do. I really—well—”

  I tried my best not to seem taken aback, but I could sense the angst in his voice. It was almost as bad as the first time a middle school boy asked me to my first dance—painful, but sincere.

  “I like you, Samantha. Don’t get me wrong. I know you’re married, but I have a connection with you—and that’s something—” He paused to stare at his feet. The self-assured man about the Capitol was suddenly a shy boy. It was contrary to everything I’d known him to be.

  “Boone.”

  “Samantha,” he mimicked.

  My dander went up. I knew a come on line when I heard it. My head told me to keep him at arm’s length. My heart told me it was something more. Perhaps he was fighting an internal war I didn’t understand. After all, there was no way I’d stand up to the shadow of scrutiny a life of politics would undoubtedly cast on a person. “Fine.” I sighed and realized at once it made me come off as indifferent. “I mean, go on.”

  “The connection with you. It’s something I never have with—”

  “With what?”

  “People. I just want to be your friend. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less.”

  I nodded, now upset with myself for seeming callous. “Okay…B.”

  I didn’t understand why Boone was single. I didn’t understand it at all. Here was a powerful man who was completely amazing and smart as a whip confessing he didn’t connect with people. It was always interesting to me to find that the people I thought really had it all together, were in the end, just piecing it together as best they could—like the rest of us. Mac was right, the grass was never greener on the other side, everyone just had different fertilizer. The good Lord knew we could barely deal with our own crap, let alone someone else’s.

  “Wonderful,” Boone said. “Now that we have that squared away we can get to work.”

  I nodded, holding my arm out for him to walk ahead. Instead he took it in his own before bringing it to his lips. “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Sam.”

  I pulled my phone from the pocket of my skirt. No calls. No Mac. As soon as I finished the walkthrough with Boone and the event coordinator, I was putting my own all-points bulletin out on my husband. I’d call Micah if I had to, even though I knew she had her own worries.

  Shelia, the event planner called out to us. “Mrs. Callahan! Senator Henry!”

  I waved at her as we entered the tent, taking in everything accomplished in just two days.

  “We’re ready to lay the floor and carpet,” she began. “The band has their own set up crew and roadies for their electrical needs. We’ve decided to bring in a couple of extra generators for the event, just to be on the safe side.”

  We followed her through the open space of the white tent and listened without getting a word in.

  “The catering trucks and their staff have a tent going up today and the porta-potties and restroom tents go up this afternoon. Your guests will never even suspect they’re not in a real restroom.”

  I looked to Boone and raised my eyebrows. I knew they could do wonders with portable bathrooms these days but in the end, they were still portable bathrooms even if we did hang chandeliers in the tents and have attendants there to cater to the guests’ every need.

  “Wonderful,” Boone replied. “Anything else we need to be aware of?”

  “I’m meeting with Secret Service this afternoon,” she said. “We’re going over the security plan for the event because…” she paused and lowered her voice. Bringing her palm to her face, she spoke in a hushed tone from behind her hand. “Word on the street is the President may be making an appearance.”

  I only nodded.

  “We’ve heard that as well,” Boone said with a huge grin. “But I agree it’s best not to speak of it. We’d hate to start a rumor if it turned out to be false. Know what I mean?”

  Shelia was taken with Boone, which meant if I needed anything done for the next forty-eight hours, the handsome man standing beside me would need to make the request.

  “Yes, sir. I know exactly what you mean. We will prepare for the best and worst case scenario.”

  “Atta girl,” Boone said with a pat to her back.

  Turning to me he asked, “Do you need me for anything else? I’m headin’ back to the house to make a few phone calls. It would be wonderful if Washington stopped working whenever I left town, but that’s simply not the case.”

  “No, no.” Shelia nearly fell over herself stepping in front of me to get face to face with Boone. “I’ve got it all covered here and I know where to find you.”

  Ending her comments with a wink and flirty punch to Boone’s arm, I tucked my lips inside my mouth, trying not to smile at Shelia’s forwardness. When he caught my gaze and rolled his eyes ever so slightly, I lost control, allowing the corners of my mouth to turn up.

  “I don’t think I’m needed here either,” I said. “But you can find me at the house as well, Shelia. And thank you for all your hard work.”

  She tore her eyes from Boone finally looking to me. The revelation she was actually at my house finally hit her. A couple of hard blinks and she was back to reality.

  “Yes, of course Mrs. Callahan. And let me say, Lone Oak is certainly one of the most picturesque venues I’ve ever had the pleasure of working. It’s truly lovely.”

  Boone smiled at me. “I do believe it is no doubt a reflection of the lady of the estate.”

  “Why, Senator Henry,” I drawled in my best Scarlett O’Hara imitation. “You are too kind.”

  Together, Boone and I left the tent, giggling our way back to the house.

  “You say you don’t connect with people, but Boone, for pity’s sake, that woman was practically throwing herself at you. C’mon, I’m sure you get that a lot.”

  “Sometimes.” The confession in his voice was evident. He was being modest. Of course women threw themselves at him. “The problem is the women I truly admire are alway
s taken.”

  I stopped in my tracks, halfway to the back door of Lone Oak—my dander rising again, kicking me in the subconscious. “You know,” I began, downplaying my need to be inside the house. “I’m going to leave you to your work. I need to head over to the stables. There are a couple of horses the vet is looking at today—checkups.”

  “Of course. You know where I’ll be if you need an executive decision on anything—or just want to chat.”

  “Um…sure.”

  “Oh,” he said stopping again. “If you see men in dark suits wandering around the property, don’t worry. They’re probably just doing a perimeter check—you know—figuring out where to station people so no one crashes the party.”

  “Got it,” I said, giving him an awkward two thumbs up as I backed away from our goodbye.

  I hesitated for only a moment as I watched him walk to the steps that led to the veranda. With a deep breath, I pulled the phone from my pocket. It was now nine in the morning and I wanted to talk to Mac. I needed answers.

  Passing two men in dark suits and mirrored sunglasses, I waved to them and realized if I wanted any privacy, I needed to walk as far away from the house as I could. My fake vet excuse became an even better idea.

  Two steps in, I found the one open stall without a horse and walked in, sliding the door shut to dial Mac.

  He answered without saying hello. “Hey baby, sorry I didn’t call last night. A lot has happened.”

  “I know,” I said. “I heard.”

  “What did you hear?”

  “Micah’s sister’s been kidnapped. You’re heading up the case. Another agent is meeting with the security detail this afternoon. Boone told me everything.”

  “Boone?”

  “Yes,” I said, finding a small stool in the corner and taking a seat. Leaning my head into the corner, I took a deep breath. The smell of fresh straw overcame me and Soldier, the horse in the next stall, whinnied.

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “The horse barn. Mac?”

  “Yes?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m sitting on the couch in my old office.”

  “You know what I mean. What are you doing?”

  “Samantha, I love you and the kids more than anything. You know that. It’s just…it’s just Micah is family too. You and I were both raised to take care of family.”

  “I love that you are such a giving man, Mac. I do. It’s one of the reasons I fell so hard for you.” A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed it, keeping my voice from shaking. “You have a big, strong heart—the heart of a giant. It’s just, my heart is fragile. Dax, Katy and I would never survive losing you.”

  I heard him take a deep breath on the other end. “Baby, you know I would never deliberately put myself in harm’s way. I know how much you worry. I do. Now, we’ve made progress here and I’m hoping to wrap the case in the next couple of days.”

  “Next couple of days?” I heard my own voice rise in disbelief. “You won’t be here for the black tie gala? What about Katy’s birthday? Are you going to miss that too?”

  “I’ll be home as soon as humanly possible. I promise. I won’t miss the party. You have my word, Samantha.”

  I couldn’t hold my tears of frustration at bay. “Mac,” I said, sniffing through the word. “I know you’re bored, sweetheart. I know that. And I don’t want to be selfish. We’re a team and a team isn’t a solo act.”

  “I know baby, I know. Believe me, I feel bad enough not being there.”

  But did he? If he felt bad, why didn’t he come home? Why couldn’t a full-time agent handle the case? I’d just finished pouring my heart out and he knew how it tortured me to think of him in harm’s way. I’d already buried one husband. I couldn’t bury a second. Still, I said the only words I knew to say. “Okay. Well, remember, I love you. And I miss you.”

  “You’re my sun, my moon and all my stars, baby. Always,” he sighed. “Always.”

  A tear fell, hitting my thigh, making a wet spot on my skirt.

  “Samantha?” he asked. “Sam, are you okay?”

  I sniffed and nodded, afraid if I opened my mouth it would be evident I was a crying mess.

  “Samantha.”

  “I’m fine.” I said the words in short gasps, holding my impending ugly-cry back for the last few moments of our conversation.

  “God, don’t cry. You know I can’t take it when you cry.”

  “I’m…not…crying,” I said with a hiccup.

  “And now you’re lying to me about crying.”

  “Well, I’m sorry,” I said, finally letting the tears loose. “What do you want me to say? Tell you I’m fine with you staying in D.C.? Say it’s okay for you to put your life on the line for Micah? A woman who doesn’t like me in the slightest and still carries a torch for you?”

  Mac was silent on the other end and I took it as my cue to say goodbye. He knew everything I was saying was the God’s honest truth, and the truth cut like a knife to the heart of him. If he didn’t feel guilty before for not being by my side, he surely felt it now.

  “Samantha, I love you. I love you. I love Dax and I love Katy. I will be home as soon as I can. In the meantime, please keep your phone close to you. I’ll be calling to check in on you.”

  I sat silently, drying the tears from my cheeks.

  “Samantha,”

  “Yes?”

  “I need you to pretend like you still like me.”

  “I love you.”

  “I know you do, baby. And I’m sorry about this. I’ll be home soon—safe and sound.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. Now,” he said. “Before I go, tell me how the plans are going at Lone Oak. Are they sending someone else over to handle the security detail?”

  “The plans are going fine. The new security coordinator will be here this afternoon to meet with Boone and me.”

  “Boone?” he asked. “Boone is coming to Lone Oak today? I thought he was just there.”

  “Boone’s not coming to Lone Oak, he’s staying here—in the big guest room on the first floor. You know the one that overlooks the backside of the prop—”

  “I know the one,” he said cutting me off. “I guess that’s a good thing?”

  “It’s nice to have someone here to—you know—help.”

  Mac took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. I knew I hit him where it hurt, and for the moment I didn’t mind—not one little bit.

  “I’ll be home soon. Don’t let Boone too far into your life. You’re mine Samantha Callahan, and I don’t like to share.”

  10

  MAC

  I ended the call with Sam, tossing my phone across the coffee table in frustration. I’d had three hours of sleep on the couch in my old office and when Micah woke me this morning, I saw in her eyes she’d had even less. I’d left Elias’ place and walked five blocks before hailing a cab to bring me back to the office. Only then did I discover the pet tracking device in my coat pocket.

  Shaped like an oversized pill capsule with a button on the end. The instructions were to press it into the skin and engage the button—similar to using an epi pen for anaphylactic shock. The device automatically implanted under the skin and was undetectable. The skin around the collar of the neck was suggested.

  Putting everything I’d taken out of my pockets back in, I took a better look at the apparatus in the light before putting it with the rest of my pocket change.

  “How’s Samantha?” Micah asked, poking her head inside my door.

  “Not good. She’s planning a huge party for this weekend and I’m supposed to be there.”

  “But you’re here,” Micah said, leaning into the doorknob to gaze at her feet.

  “I’m right where I need to be. As soon as we get Frankie back, I’ll head home and everything will be fine.”

  Jason walked past Micah in the doorway, offering his apologies as he brushed against her shoulder. “Good morning,” he said, placin
g a MacBook on the desk in front of me. “I just got this from Agent Jackman. Said he couldn’t get anything off of it, but we were welcome to try ourselves.”

  “But…”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Fuller said.

  “Thinking what?” Micah asked.

  We both ignored her.

  “I need a shower, and then I’ve got to go see a guy about getting a girl back.”

  “I’m coming too,” Fuller said.

  “If he goes,” Micah chimed in. “I’m going.”

  “For the love of all that’s holy, can’t anyone just hang on to their panties for a couple of hours? I need you right where I can find you, Micah. Not in my way. Now, I love you and I’m doing everything I can to help, but you’ve got to back the fuck off. Understand?”

  “I’m going,” she replied without hesitation.

  Fuller and I looked at each other and then back to Micah. “No,” we chimed in unison.

  “Fuck you. And you. Motherfuckers,” Micah hissed, storming out.

  Fuller pointed over his shoulder, still staring at me. “Should I?”

  “Let her cool off. She’s strung out like the rest of us.”

  I stretched my body. The couch wasn’t comfortable, and I’d aged a couple of years since the last time I’d been forced to sleep there. My cushy life was showing in the soreness of my back.

  “Mac.” Micah was back—again.

  “I’m going home to shower,” I said before she could start a new tirade. “You need to go home too.”

  “Fine,” she replied. “But I want to know everything you know.”

  “I’ve told you everything I know.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Micah,” Jason began. “I promise I won’t let him mess you around. If there was something I thought you really needed to know, I would tell you myself.”

  Micah seemed surprised, but also took Jason at his word. “Fine,” she said.

  “Great.” I clapped my hands together, rubbing them in indifference. “We’re all in agreement.”

  I tucked the laptop under my arm, dropped my tired shoulders and began to walk out.