by Ivy Jordan
I found Caleb sitting on a couch drinking coffee when I arrived. Well, the rich certainly are well taken care of, I thought.
“Hi, I’m ready.”
He looked up and smiled at me approvingly. “You look fantastic, Hailey.”
“Why, thank you. What do you plan on wearing to the beach?”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m covered.”
We went back outside to the car, and I put my beach bag in the back. Caleb smiled at me as we climbed in. He was so handsome that I found it hard to breathe sometimes. It wasn’t a long drive to the beach, and when we got there, I almost laughed. I had assumed that we were going to grab a couple of lawn chairs and sit on the beach. What I didn’t expect was to find a beautiful beach house.
“Wow.”
“Don’t get too excited; it’s not mine. It’s my father’s, but why not go to the beach in style, right? The huge house had a beautiful patio on the front with chairs on it. We walked up to the porch, and he let us into the house. The inside was more breathtaking than the outside.
“I’m going to go change. Make yourself at home. There should be some champagne in the fridge; if you don’t mind, you can put it on ice.”
“Sure, no problem.”
I watched as he left the room and spun around. What a life, I thought. I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge to find it fully stocked, just in case. I grabbed a bottle of champagne and found a bucket to add ice to it. I brought it out onto the patio and set it down.
I opened my bag and grabbed my sunscreen, and started to apply it all over my body. I was just finishing up when Caleb came outside. He was shirtless, and I couldn’t help but look at his six pack and the muscles in his arms. He definitely spent a lot of time in the gym, and I could appreciate the view.
“Do you need some help with that?”
“You can do my back, if you don’t mind. I can never get it.”
“Sure.” He grabbed the bottle as I turned around. He squirted the sunscreen onto his hand and then started rubbing it into my back. I flinched from the cold sunscreen. It always felt cooler when someone else was putting it on. It was a little awkward having him put sunscreen on my back, but I couldn’t help but smile when he did. It felt nice to have him rubbing my back. He took his time and made sure every inch of my skin was covered.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
I turned around and took the bottle from him. “Do you need some?”
“I took care of that when I was changing, but thanks.”
He went to the bucket and pulled out the champagne. He pointed it out towards the water and popped the cork.
“Oh, I forgot glasses!” I said, embarrassed.
He chuckled, “No problem, let me get them.” He went back inside and returned with two flutes. He proceeded to pour us both a glass of champagne and handed me one. I took a sip and sighed. It was the most delicious champagne I had ever had.
“Wow.”
“That good, is it?”
I giggled, “Yes, oh my goodness. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Sitting out there with him truly was relaxing, and I was glad that I had agreed to come out. The beach was still full, despite the houses that littered it. It was a beautiful day with the sun beating down on my skin and the sound of the ocean all around them. I leaned back in the lounger, enjoying the company and the delicious champagne.
The day at the beach went well. We sat on the patio for awhile drinking champagne, and I even got a little buzz from it. At one point, he asked if I wanted to go for a dip. He grabbed my hand and led the way off the patio and across the beach. The sand was hot beneath my feet as I ran across the beach.
A few people recognized Caleb and came running up to him. They got pictures with him on their phones, and it was obvious that they were taking pictures of us while we were in the water together. I was sure we would see some social media posts the next day – we might even find ourselves on the cover of a magazine. I felt both excited and nervous all at the same time. Things were starting to get interesting.
Chapter Fifteen
Caleb
In the water cooling off from the hot day, I couldn’t stop looking at Hailey. She was so hot in the pink bikini. Her stomach was flat and toned, and her full breasts were practically calling to me. I couldn’t stop staring at her round bum, which her bikini bottom was hugging nicely. She was incredibly sexy, especially when she would laugh – and she laughed a lot. All I wanted to do was collect her in my arms and never let her go.
How did I get so lucky that this beautiful girl is going to be in my company for a few months? I kept having to remind myself that it was just pretend, but she was a great person to pretend with, that’s for sure. She was everything you could want in a situation like that.
I wasn’t the only one checking her out, either. Men on the beach were checking her out more than I was getting checked out. That was a different feeling for me. They were probably wondering if she was some kind of celebrity that they didn’t recognize. Where had I plucked this new girl from? The questions were probably already circulating the social media sites. Who was the mysterious girl hanging out with Caleb Harris? She was getting a lot of attention.
Thankfully, she was there with me and couldn’t be taken away. Though I doubted that she would want to be taken away; she seemed pretty happy in my company. Her cheeks were flushed from the sun, or maybe it was the champagne, but she had never looked more beautiful.
I moved closer to her and put my arm around her pulling her close. She smiled up at me. It was the perfect scene for photos. Two lovers out in the water, embracing each other. I couldn’t have planned it out better if I’d tried. The water was cold, so it felt nice having our warm bodies close together. She wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me closer.
“Are you having a good time?”
“The best; what an awesome day. Thank you.”
“Do you want to go in and dry off?”
“Yes, I do. Maybe we can have another glass of champagne.”
“Sure, anything you want. I can grill us up some dinner, too, if you want.”
“That would be great. I should probably eat something with all I’ve had to drink.”
I laughed, “No problem. Let’s go in.”
We started walking back to the beach, and she shook off her feet after we got out of the water. It wasn’t long before our feet were covered in sand. I noticed people staring at us and taking pictures, so I pulled her close to me for a hug and squeezed her tight. She giggled and let me hug her – we were supposed to be lovers after all. It felt good to hold her close, and I warmed up her skin that had cooled from the water.
I knew we were getting our photos taken, but I tried to act as casual as possible. There were times when it felt awkward to be that close to her. After all, I barely knew her, and this was a scene that was more romantic than sexual. I was totally out of my element. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had even taken a girl out on a date.
Hailey was definitely drawing in all the attention I needed for this new change of lifestyle. I could imagine that the news would have a field day with these pictures. The sooner word got out about us, the better it would be. Then maybe we could start having a little bit of fun.
A girl approached and asked for my autograph. I was more than willing to oblige. I let go of Hailey, and she turned and smiled at the girl. She was completely sweet and gracious as a few people approached us to talk. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to show her off to everyone. As I signed autographs, one girl piped up and asked, “Are you guys dating?”
I smiled. “This is my girl, Hailey. So, you’ll be seeing a lot more of her around. I’ve decided to give up my party ways and try a new way of living, and this girl has been beside me the whole time. I’m ready for something better.”
“No more party videos,” one girl said with a pout.
I laughed, “
Sorry, those videos are behind me. My only goal right now is winning the majors. It’s going to be a hell of a year.”
There was some clapping as the group before us got bigger. Everyone had their phones out, and I wasn’t sure who was taking pictures and who had videos going on.
Hailey looked up at me and smiled just the way a girlfriend would who was proud of her man. I grinned down at her, looking forward to sitting on the patio with her and making some dinner. We would be on the covers of magazines the next day, for sure. I would be surprised if they weren’t already posted online.
I felt like I might be overdoing it a little bit, but I had to do what it took to get noticed right now. I had a lot of negative attention on me and needed to turn that around as soon as possible. This was the way to do it, and I knew as soon as Aria saw the pictures, she wouldn’t be able to stop grinning. She might even hire me to be an underwear model – she really should after all she was putting me through. I should probably suggest it after the pictures went live.
There were a few squeals, and a couple of people asked if they could take pictures of us together. Hailey agreed, and we posed for a couple of pictures. It was perfect, and I knew that we would be the talk of social media that evening.
Things were finally starting to go my way. It would be nice to get my father off my back for a while. Dealing with him could be so exhausting at times. He acted like he never partied a day in his life, but I had heard some of the stories of his youth. He was no angel, that was for sure.
“She’s so pretty.”
“Aww, thank you,” Hailey said.
“Well, we have to get going. I promised my girl that I would make her some dinner.”
They backed away as we headed towards the house. I took Hailey’s hand in mine, and we made our way back up onto the porch. I turned and waved to my fans, and they returned the wave, calling out that they loved me. I chuckled as we started climbing the stairs.
Once we were on the porch, Hailey laughed, “Wow, that was intense. So, that’s your life, right?”
“I guess so. You might want to get used to that if you continue to further your acting career.”
She smiled, “Yeah I guess you’re right.” She seemed lost in thought for a minute there. She didn’t talk much about her career, and I didn’t want to pry. I started to brush the sand off my feet with a towel before I went into the house.
“Have a seat. I’m going to get another bottle of champagne and get the grill heated.”
“Thanks.” She took a seat as I went to the BBQ and turned it on. I let it heat up as I went inside the house.
I went to the fridge and took out some chicken. I took it out of the wrapper and seasoned it for the BBQ. I quickly chopped up some vegetables that could be grilled, as well. I didn’t want to leave her out there for too long on her own. Chicken and vegetables was a nice light dinner for a hot day. I left the food inside while the BBQ heated and grabbed another bottle of champagne from the fridge and headed outside.
I poured us both another glass.
“Everything okay in there?”
“Yes, I just got some chicken and vegetables together.”
“Oh, cool. Do you need any help?”
I smiled, “No, I have things under control, thanks.”
She nodded and looked out at the water. In the short time I had known her, I had never seen her looking more at peace and genuinely happy than she did right at that moment. She was beautiful in any light, but right then, she was stunning. I sat down beside her and sipped at my own champagne. Things were going amazingly well, and I felt almost blessed to have her there to help me with my bad reputation.
“I just want to thank you for being here.”
She looked up in surprise.
“I mean, I know this is a job for you, but I think you are doing a fantastic job already. I just want to thank you.”
She grinned. “It’s no problem. I’m having a great time, so it makes this job very easy. I’m glad to have this opportunity. It’s all very exciting for me.”
“Great, I’m glad it’s not torture for you.”
“Of course not.”
“Do you want to go have a few drinks later? After we eat?”
She giggled. “I guess we will have to see how I feel after this. I don’t want to get too wobbly.”
I laughed, “I guess we have been drinking all day already. How about we hit up a restaurant and have coffee and dessert, instead?”
She smiled. “That sounds perfect, actually. Let’s do that. Are you sure you don’t just want to stay here?”
“No, let’s go in public. That’s what we’re doing together, after all, isn’t it?”
“Sure, no problem, whatever you want. You’re the boss.”
I frowned. Yes, that was true. There was nothing more between us than that. I could live with that; it really wasn’t a big deal. I just wanted us in the limelight as much as possible that day so that the word would get out fast that I was making changes and had a girl in my life.
Once that happened, people’s opinions of me would start to change. Not only that, but Under Armour would take notice and then they would get off my back. They might even increase their sponsorship, they would be so happy with me.
I went about putting the chicken on the grill and adding BBQ sauce to the pieces. The vegetables were in a separate container with spices and olive oil. The meal would be quick, but delicious. When things were ready, I served them up on plates and handed her one.
“This looks great. A chef in the making.”
I laughed, “Hey, what can I say? I try.”
I could tell that she was hungry when she dug in. Maybe I should have cooked for her the moment we got to the beach. I was just so excited to have her there and to get the media going at us. I was already a terrible host, and I would have to check myself for the future. She deserved to have a great time, and it was my job to provide that for her.
She smiled at me as we ate, and I couldn’t help but smile back; it was infectious. I started to formulate a plan for that evening; word had probably already got out, so there was no need to do anything crazy...but maybe crazy was what we needed. I couldn’t help but smile again.
Chapter Sixteen
Hailey
We returned to the hotel so that I could change out of my bathing suit. I hadn’t thought of bringing a change of clothes because I didn’t think we’d be going out for the evening. The day was starting to get to me. I had already been tired when I’d arrived, and adding sun and champagne to it, I could have fallen asleep immediately.
I left Caleb in the lobby to have another coffee; he never seemed to want to come up to my room. Maybe he assumed I wanted some privacy. It didn’t matter to me either way. I just found it a little odd.
Caleb seemed to want to make the most of my first day there. I could hardly complain, it was why I was there, after all. Tomorrow, I would have a chance to relax and look for an apartment with Matt for my sister. Hopefully Caleb had nothing planned for us, so I would have a chance to collect myself a little bit.
Mandy would be arriving in town on Friday, and I needed to make sure that everything was settled by then. It didn’t leave us with a lot of time, so looking for an apartment had to be a priority. That was why I asked Matt to let Caleb know right away. Hopefully, he didn’t mind that I was taking some time to figure things out on my own.
Mandy was adamant about not staying at the estate. She didn’t even think that I should be staying there. She thought it was weird considering we had just met, but there was no arguing with Caleb about it, and I didn’t want to risk the job. Besides, I could go stay with her anytime I wanted to – it wasn’t like I was a prisoner at the estate.
I was looking forward to having my sister there. At least I would have someone to talk to about all the madness around me. The day had been a full one, and I could just imagine the social media posts at that point. I hadn’t had a chance to check myself, but it would be something to see my pict
ure all over the place.
Hell, that was a good thing, right? More exposure certainly wouldn’t hurt my career. I would have to talk to Jillian about that and see if there was a way that we could use the exposure to my advantage. Maybe I would have a ton of jobs lined up by the time I returned home.
I got into the hotel room and started stripping out of my clothes. I didn’t have time for a shower so I just toweled off as much sand as I could from my body, though it seemed to be just about everywhere. Thankfully, my hair didn’t get wet from the water as I had it up. I slipped into a pretty yellow sundress and stepped into a casual pair of strappy sandals. I let my hair down and brushed it out. Looking in the mirror, I noticed I’d got a little color that day and my skin seemed to glow. Polishing up my makeup, I took another look and felt ready to go.
I wondered how the evening would go and who we would meet. Things had already been a little crazy, and I felt the madness had only just begun. Once people realized that Caleb had a girlfriend, it would be a feeding frenzy. They would be on us all the time to get the latest scope on the relationship. It was certainly news since Caleb hadn’t had a real girlfriend in years.
When I returned to the lobby, I was surprised to find Caleb surrounded by a group of guys. He saw me coming and smiled, waving me over. It was showtime, so I put on my best smile and joined him. He pulled me close to him and smiled down at me.
“This is my girl, Hailey.”
I smiled and said hi to the guys around him; they seemed to know him so I knew they must be buddies from somewhere. I was a little offended by his use of “my girl;” it was the second time he had used it. Was that the same as being someone’s girlfriend? I wasn’t so sure. I had never had any of my previous boyfriends refer to me in that way, so I found it a little odd for Caleb to be doing it. Did he not consider me to be his girlfriend yet?