by Ivy Jordan
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 picture 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?
I tried to shake it off – it was ridiculous for me to even be thinking like that. It was all fake; it didn’t mean anything, so what was I getting worked up for? I would let him play it however he wanted to as long as he got the attention he was looking for.
In the long run, none of it would matter as I would be gone in three months and there would be a breakup story for the papers to print. But by then the majors would be over, and he would be a champion. The sponsors would be happy, and Caleb could go back to…well, being Caleb. I needed to focus on the script and not worry about whether “my girl” meant anything at all.
I smiled and nodded as the guy talked about the majors, and then just like that, Caleb swept me away to the car waiting outside. The next stop was his apartment in the city, where he could change, as well. I was curious about his personal space. He must take the apartment as a means of escaping his parents from time to time.
When we entered his apartment, I could already tell that it was a lot different from his parents’. It was less polished and more modern.
“Make yourself at home, Hailey. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure, take your time.”
I moved around the apartment, taking it all in. He was a minimalist, to be sure; there were no random knickknacks or items there just for show. I walked into a room that could only be his study and found framed pictures on the shelf. I moved to take a closer look and smile. They were of him and his parents, some of him and his father. They looked a lot alike. It was obvious where Caleb got his good looks from.
“That picture was taken last year at the tournament. He’s always there at the majors to see if I win.”
Startled, I turned around. Caleb stood there in the doorway, fresh in jeans and a t-shirt looking as handsome as ever. “He’s a handsome man, just like you.”
He smiled. “Thanks. He’s a hardass, though. He definitely has his opinions on how I should be living my life.”
I smiled. “I think all parents are like that.”
“My father won every Masters he was involved with. He was a force that couldn’t be stopped. People were probably relieved when he finally retired so that he could give someone else a chance to win.”
I laughed, “He sounds like quite a guy.”
“Yeah, he’s a legend,” he agreed softly.
“Those have to be some pretty big shoes to fill,” I said looking up at him. The weight of him wanting to be like his dad was literally pushing down on his shoulders. He was trying to stand tall amongst it all, but it was clearly weighing heavily on him.
“You have no idea.” He said it with a laugh, trying to joke around about it. I didn’t want to push him too much. If he wanted to talk about things, he would. I didn’t want to pry into anything that was none of my business. We didn’t know each other that well, and there may be a better opportunity later to talk about things when I was around for a little longer.
He sighed and changed the subject. “Well, shall we go?”
“Of course.”
We headed out of the apartment, and Caleb drove us to a popular restaurant in the downtown district. I was excited to see what the nightlife was like, even if we were just going for dessert. I still had a solid buzz on from the day, so I didn’t want to do any more drinking. It would be embarrassing if I was tipsy in front of cameras – that was the last thing Caleb needed.
He was all smiles as we walked into the restaurant, introducing me to people as we went along. The hostess brought us to a table, and I could tell by the number of people inside that it was a very popular place. We sat down, and the waitress brought us a dessert menu.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” she asked.
“Yes, I will take a coffee; cream and sugar,” I said and then looked to Caleb.
“I will take a coffee, as well, but put Bailey’s in mine.”
The waitress nodded and left us alone. I glanced at the menu, noticing that there were so many delicious desserts to order.
“What do you say we order a couple of them and share?” Caleb asked.
“Su
re, that sounds great.”
We decided on a caramel cheesecake and something that was called a chocolate explosion cake. Both sounded divine, and I couldn’t wait to dig into them.
“So, are you happy to be back?”
I smiled. “Yes, I am. I’m exhausted, though; it’s been quite a day.”
He chuckled ruefully. “Maybe I should have let you rest before throwing you to the wolves. I’m sorry, I got overeager.”
“It’s okay; it’s not the end of the world. I’ll have time to relax tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I promise to let you have some time off tomorrow.”
Our coffees arrived, and I took a sip of the hot liquid. It was the best coffee I had ever tasted. Did the rich have the best of everything? I had to wonder if it was true. I noticed Caleb was glancing around the room to see who was watching us. He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. The act caught me off guard. I didn’t expect it, and it felt a little weird.
I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t real. Caleb just wanted someone to play the part with. Which was fine with me. That was truly the only reason that I was there. I wanted nothing more from the situation than a job, and I knew that he felt the same way. He just wanted to get people’s attention – and it was certainly working.
Just as I was taking another sip of my coffee, a few people that knew Caleb came to the table. I was introduced one after the other, and he always used “my girl” to introduce me. I tried not to roll my eyes. It was a job, after, all and it was only for three months. Then I would cease to be “his girl.”
Then the next thing I knew, there was a cameraman at the table taking pictures. Caleb asked him politely to only take a few as we were trying to enjoy the time together, but he was smiling the whole time, so I knew his irritation was only an act. When the cameraman left, Caleb moved his chair closer to me and leaned over for a kiss.
He placed his lips softly against mine and held it for a beat before he pulled away. It was the first time that he had kissed me and it was definitely not a terrible kiss. It was more uncomfortable knowing that it wasn’t real and that there was probably a room full of people watching us, I just needed to get through the rest of the night and I would be able to go back to the hotel to sleep. That was all I wanted to do at that point because I was exhausted.
I sipped my coffee and looked across the table at Caleb as he smiled back at me. I had my hands full already, and it was only day one. How on earth was I going to get through the next ninety days?
Chapter Seventeen
Caleb
Friday arrived, and I was on my way to pick up Hailey and her sister to go apartment hunting. Mandy had arrived early that morning and was staying at the hotel with Hailey for the time being. They could both stay at the hotel for a few days for all I cared, but Hailey insisted on looking at apartments so they could all be settled. She would have to return to my home, after all, so it was best to get Mandy settled as soon as possible.
I had not been able to make it the day before, and I hadn’t wanted to send Matt. I felt it was best for me to help Hailey in any meaningful way that she needed. If it was a quick errand, then fine, I would send Matt if need be. But for something like apartment hunting, I wanted to be there.
The guy had given me a good ribbing over it, saying that I was jealous of him. It was not true, of course. How could I be jealous over a girl that wasn’t even technically mine? Besides, it wasn’t like the two of them could get together when she was supposed to be playing my girlfriend. That would be way too weird. They had good chemistry together, though; they got along like they had known each other for years, and that made me uncomfortable.
Hailey was fine with staying at the hotel all day yesterday because she could zone out. I had exhausted her from the beach day, and she just wanted to relax. From what I knew, she ordered a lot of room service and went in between spending time at the pool and watching movies. That meant she would be recharged fully for her time to look at apartments. I was glad she had that opportunity as I felt bad for taking her all over town on her first day in the city.
I picked up the phone and called Hailey to make sure they were ready to go. I would be waiting for them in the car and didn’t want a delay. She answered on the first ring.
“Hi, Caleb; how are you?”
“Great, Hailey. I’m just five minutes from the hotel and wanted to make sure you girls were ready to go.”
“Yes, we are. We will meet you at the front of the hotel. Thanks again for doing this for us.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure.” I clicked off the call, and in a few minutes, I pulled up to the hotel. I got out of the car and saw Hailey and her sister. I was surprised to see that the two looked nothing alike. They were sisters, but they couldn’t have been more different in appearance.
I leaned in and kissed Hailey on the cheek when she got close enough and held out my hand to her sister. “I’m Caleb; it’s nice to meet you finally. I have heard a lot about you.”
She had a bright smile that lit up her whole face. “I bet not as much as I’ve heard about you. I’m Mandy, and trust me, it’s great to meet you.”
I laughed loudly. Mandy was not holding anything back. I already liked her and thought she would be a hoot to have around. Things were defiantly getting better and better. Where did these girls come from? Georgia must be growing some pretty amazing things. Maybe it was something in their water.
“Hopefully what you heard was all good. I’m trying not to scare Hailey away.”
“Of course, it is,” Mandy said, “She only mentioned that you were a spoiled brat who has the house the size of Fort Knox.” She stuck out her tongue playfully.
I laughed, “Well, it’s all true then; what can I say?” I ushered them into the car, Hailey taking the front seat beside me. “Hopefully, we can find something that meets your standards today, Mandy.”
“I’m not picky.”
“Well, I had my realtor make a list for me of the places in the budget you gave me, and I’m confident he would only choose the best.”
“That’s great, thank you.”
I turned to Hailey, “So did you enjoy your day of relaxation?”
She giggled. “Yes, maybe a little too much. I may have a chocolate hangover. I ordered a lot of room service and movies, so expect a big bill. But it was glorious relaxing by the pool and reading a book. It definitely gave me the energy for today.”
I laughed, “That’s no problem; anything you want.”
She beamed at me, and I couldn’t help but lean over and kiss her. It was all part of the act, right? Or so she thought. It had just happened – I barely even thought about it. I just suddenly wanted to kiss her. That smile alone was enough to make anyone want to do the same; I was sure of that much.
She looked amazing that day in a pale blue sundress that made her eyes pop. I liked the fact that she was always in dresses. Some girls spent their lives in jeans, and it was nice to see a girl who still liked to be in a dress, even if they were going nowhere special. She had her hair pulled back as if she was going to a tennis match, and it really made her look pretty. They were both cute, even though they looked nothing alike.
Suddenly, Matt came to mind. I wondered if I could set Mandy and him up together. He was single, though he wasn’t exactly looking for a girlfriend, either. Maybe Mandy could distract Matt away from Hailey – now that would be ideal. It would definitely be something to consider. I wouldn’t be too worried about him developing feelings for Hailey, then. Not that Matt was that kind of a guy, because he wasn’t, but things happened, and I certainly had no real claim to her.
I took them around the city, looking at apartments. We had five on the list for that day. I was hoping that Mandy would like one of them because I didn’t revel in the thought of going out for another day of apartment hunting. There were so many more fun things to do than that. I wasn’t sure how picky Mandy would be, despite what she said.
The first two apar
tments we saw were strike-outs immediately. She didn’t like them at all, and we quickly left them and moved on to the third. We saw four apartments before Mandy found one that she loved. It was a great two-bedroom apartment that was fully furnished and within her budget. It even had a nice view of the city. It was modest compared to what I was used to, but Mandy seemed to be thrilled with the size of it. I wondered what kind of apartment they had lived in before coming to Florida. There was a lot about Hailey that I didn’t know, and I was beginning to think that I should find out more about her.
“So this is it then?” I asked.
Hailey looked at her sister, as well, waiting for an answer. Mandy turned towards her sister and said, “I want it. I absolutely love it!”
The two started jumping up and down and squealing with excitement. I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene before me.
“I guess that’s a yes, then.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” they screamed.
I left the two of them to squeal together and went to talk to the landlord. I told him to send the paperwork to my office, and I would have it filled out for Mandy. Mandy came up behind me and asked the landlord how much she had to put down. He knew she was only staying for a few months and told her to just pay the first month and then again on the 1st of each month.
“I can cover this, Mandy.”
“Absolutely not. You are already doing so much for my sister. I’m here for support; that’s not your responsibility. Besides, I would be paying rent no matter where I lived. But thank you for the offer.”
I nodded and turned to find Hailey watching us. She had a smile on her face, and I liked the fact that she was happy. It occurred to me suddenly that I could really enjoy having Hailey around if I let myself really get involved with her. I hadn’t thought about it before.
The thought of having a girlfriend had always sounded suffocating, but things were different with Hailey – she was an incredible woman and a lot of fun to be around. Maybe things could be real between us, after all. I wondered as I stared at her whether she would be willing to be my girlfriend in every sense of the word.