Page 40 of Smooth Talk

“Who do I need to speak with to get this handled?”

“The bank manager is James Blalock. He took over after Harvey retired a few months back. I just sent over his contact info; you should be getting it now.” My phone dings with a text. “He’s the one who called to alert us of the suspicious activity. Small world. I had lunch with Pres yesterday, and she’s apparently been dating him. The first blue collar man she’s ever been with and couldn’t stop singing his damn praises. It’s odd that I get a call from him not twenty-four hours later.” Yeah, odd. And a bank manager isn’t exactly ‘blue collar,’ but I’m not telling Cann that.

“Well, I’m happy for Pres; I hope things work out for her. His name isn’t ringing any bells; what’s his story?” I could’ve sworn I knew everyone our age in town, but the fact that I just recently met Poppy discounts that theory.

“Relatively new in town; moved here a little over a year ago. Came from NYC, by way of Chicago. Ivy League educated. Started as a day trader before moving on to banking, apparently. After we get our little banking issue settled, I’m gonna have my team vet him, see what we can dig up.” He’s protective of his sister. Believe me, I get it.

“Sounds like a smart guy. I’ll give him a call and get the ball rolling.”

I need to get off here so I can get this handled, but he speaks again before I can end the call. “Okay, also please don’t forget the ladies’ luncheon at the club on Monday. Your mother has called and emailed with two reminders today. It’s the only thing on your schedule before The Fourth. I assured her we’ll both be in attendance.” Ugh; way to change the subject.

Don’t get me wrong, I love going to the country club for a round of golf; it’s the best course for miles around, but those luncheons filled with vapid, vacuous socialites is not my idea of an enjoyable afternoon. But I suppose I have to go if I want to receive continued community support.

“Then there’s the Independence Gala Friday. Your weekend after is free also, but the subsequent weeks are pretty heavy with appearances and such. G, if I’d known filling in for Bev were going to be like this, I’d never have volunteered. That lady deserves a raise.”

“I just gave her one. And who do you think is paying for her vacation? If pampering that woman a few weeks out of the year gets me the kind of effort she puts into her job, it’s more than worth it.”

I’m so grateful he’s filling in for Beverly this week, it’ll be my last case as an attorney for a while, and I needed someone to keep my life organized. Hell, I’m grateful he decided to run my campaign for me, despite having close ties to the Montgomerys. It’s a conflict of interest for sure, but he said he didn’t care. He ‘couldn’t live with himself if he let Sanders ruin our hometown.’

Cannon’s worked on his father’s campaigns for years, so he knows the drill. There’s a run for presidency rumor circling, but I doubt that will happen for a few years. After November, he’ll probably be back in DC for a while. Although I think he secretly prefers our small-town politics. I asked him for a favor, and thankfully he said yes.

Cann’s a talented fixer; a whiz at branding, marketing and promotion and has no plans to run for office himself. Nothing would please Nick more than to have his son follow in his footsteps, but he only helps his father out of familial obligation; his consulting firm is where his heart truly lies. He started it in college and only takes on one client at a time. His rates are high, but he’s worth every penny. His team keeps him sane and does most of the traveling and research these days; he’s just the guy piecing it all together. He likes to claim he’s the white, gay, male version of Olivia Pope (whoever the hell that is).

Nick thinks he’ll win him over and someday soon he’ll announce he’s running for office. Wishful thinking. There’s a lot about Cann both of his parents are in denial about. They think homosexuality is a phase. Like puberty. Eventually, they’ll figure out how wrong they are, hopefully before he tires of their intolerance. Nick and Sylvie still have some pretty archaic views. Appearance is everything to the Lawrence family.

It’s not like I can say a lot. My parents are old school too, but if I came home with a guy and told them I was in love, I don’t think they’d bat an eyelash before welcoming him into the family. Not that I’m into guys (nothing wrong with it, just not my style); I just always took the ease of my eventual commitment for granted. I can’t imagine the struggles Cannon’s gone through and the battle he’s in for when he finally sits his parents down and gives them the talk. He’s historically kept his private life very private, but surely that won’t continue when he finds the right guy.

“Speaking of vacays, I’m taking a few personal days next week. I’ve been invited to a Fourth Party that I actually want to go to. It sounds fun and several hotties will be there. Most importantly, no one from our circle will be. I won’t be judged or harassed for being myself.” He huffs out a sigh. Cann was bullied mercilessly by his frat brothers and it took its toll. He’s slow to trust, but I hope he finds someone. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s him.

He’s probably nervous about taking some time off, and hopes no public appearances, means no public fuck ups. He’ll be able to enjoy his downtime without having to worry about any potential messes I could make. I don’t blame him; he’s been working hard to clean-up my image. “Speaking of hotties, Oliver stopped by earlier and mentioned you’d be busy this weekend with a certain redhead.”

Fuck, he’s almost as bad as my mom. I don’t know whether he’s calling Poppy or my brother a hottie, most likely, O. There’s only one hottie on my brain, though. “I was planning on spending some quality time with a certain someone this weekend, but I have not mentioned those plans to anyone. Including my nosy-assed brother and the aforementioned redhead.” Damn, O and his sibling mind-meld.

He giggles lightly, “G, I would normally caution you against getting in too deep with a female this close to the election. But in this case, I think she might help your brand.”

“How so?”

“Single men of power are less attractive than their attached counterparts. It’s just the way Americans are. We love marrying off a hot bachelor. Hell, American television has taught us that for how many years now?” He’s laughing at his little joke. It’s probably funny, but I don’t watch a lot of tv. I don’t really have time for it. “It could potentially put a stop to the tabloid style reporting a certain person at The Willow Weekly likes to do. Now that it’s out that you’re, in fact, not in a relationship with my sister, and you’ve always been quote ‘just friends.’ Constituents feel more confident placing their trust in a man that is settled down. If he can commit to a woman, he can commit to his country—that sort of thing.”

He pauses briefly before continuing, “just in case though, I think it would be smart to do a little digging through Ms. Monroe’s background, we don’t want any surprises. Especially with how chummy Sanders and Rusty have gotten lately.” I couldn’t agree more. And I can kiss a relationship with Poppy goodbye if the press decides to run a salacious story. Maybe we can get ahead of anything by stating how much we value our privacy. It’s worth a shot.

Even though she told me about her past in confidence, it’s hardly a secret. I need Cannon to know everything so he can put a positive spin on anything that may crop up. For both our sakes. Hopefully, the press will see Pop and Harp as off-limits, and none of this will come back to bite me in the ass.

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