One Way or Another by Rhonda Bowen

Author:Rhonda Bowen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2012-01-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

“Mr. Maxwell will see you now.”

It was about time. Toni only had to wait three weeks to get on the man’s calendar for an appointment, and then another thirty minutes in his lobby—even though she had been on time.

She wasn’t going to be a diva though. Silver was in high demand. He was also very picky about the reporters he entertained meetings with. She had lucked out in getting onto his schedule at all—especially now that he had officially announced his plans to run in the coming election.

Silver Maxwell was Atlanta’s celebrity mayor. Though he had only served one term, which ended almost seven years ago, the Atlanta people loved him so much that his name ended up on a ballot for something every election. He was in the news almost every week. It would be almost sickening if he wasn’t so irritatingly charming. Even Toni, who couldn’t stomach most politicians, had a little celebrity crush on him. He was exactly what she needed to take her story from good to great.

Smiling, she stood to her feet and followed the perky and impeccably dressed receptionist and her afro down a short hallway and around a corner into Silver’s office. Like the rest of the floor, the spacious office was decorated in earth tones, with carved wooden sculptures, beaded rugs, handwoven wall hangings, and other pieces of African art. So it seemed Silver was in touch with his roots, from the hired help to the decor. Toni hoped that would work to her advantage.

Silver’s desk was positioned in front of a large window that covered one entire wall and offered a panoramic view of the Atlanta cityscape. This is where she found him sitting.

“Ms. Shields, pleasure to have you stop by today,” he said, rising from his plush office chair to shake Toni’s hand. Even from where she was standing, she could tell that the thing was genuine leather and probably cost more than her whole sofa. Silver might be about the working class people, but he definitely wasn’t living like one of them.

“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Maxwell,” Toni said, her lips curving into a smile. “And please, call me Toni.”

“Well, then I must insist that you call me Silver,” he said, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he smiled back.

Toni shook her head. There it was—that Silver charm. It didn’t hurt also that Silver didn’t look a day over thirty-five even though he was well into his forties. And from the photos, Toni knew that his coffee-colored skin, chiseled features, and rugged handsomeness were the same as they were twenty years ago. Toni didn’t know who was hanging on Silver’s arm these days, but she was one lucky woman.

She accepted the seat he offered her across from his desk and tried to remember she was a veteran reporter and not a seventeen-year-old schoolgirl with a crush.

“So, what can I do for you today, Toni?” Silver asked, once she was seated.

“Well, I am actually working on a series for the AJC on one of our local youth facilities,” Toni said, easing into the topic.

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