Her Leading Man

by Maggie Dallen

  “I’m happy that you’re having fun,” Meg said, her eyes studiously fixed on the to-do list in her hand. The bigger her stomach had gotten, the more she’d morphed into the role of team leader, assigning tasks to those without a giant belly handicap.

  Caitlyn waited for her friend to continue. That wasn’t everything Meg wanted to say. She was just glad Tamara, Marc, and Jake were chatting amongst themselves. One friend’s unsolicited advice was one thing, but hearing opinions from the group at large? No thanks.

  “I’m just worried,” Meg continued. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Caitlyn sighed. “I know. But please don’t worry, okay? It’s not like that between us. It’s just sex.” She flashed back to the way he’d had her laughing so hard this morning that tears were streaming down her face as she tried to escape his wrestling moves to take a shower. “And friendship,” she added. “But that’s it.”

  Meg’s head tilted to the side as she studied her. “And just what do you think relationships are based on?”

  Caitlyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Setting the mop to the side, she walked over to stand in front of Meg. “Neither of us wants a relationship right now.” Meg opened her mouth but Caitlyn cut her off. “And even if I did, believe me, I wouldn’t want it with Ben. We are complete opposites. It obviously wouldn’t work. Not in the long run, at least.”

  It was the truth. Even if they both wanted more, they wouldn’t make it as a couple. They were too different. It was something she’d known from that first night and what she’d been saying to herself ever since. But this time, saying the words out loud, they didn’t exactly ring true. They sounded like a mantra she’d repeated so many times she’d forgotten the meaning.

  If Meg was going to protest again, she was mercifully cut off by Alice’s noisy arrival.

  “Well, I did it,” she said as she strolled in, looking for all the world like she’d been in hair and makeup all morning, compared to the rest of them.

  “Did what?” Meg asked.

  “Made it here on time?” Tamara asked, glancing at a nonexistent watch on her wrist. “Oh wait, no, that’s still a feat yet to happen.”

  Alice ignored the teasing as she waltzed into the center of the lobby. Once all eyes were trained on her, she grinned. “I got my company to back a fundraiser for us.”

  Caitlyn looked to Tamara and Meg, both of whom were blinking up at Alice in surprise. “What does that mean?”

  Alice had clearly been waiting for that because she whipped out a rolled up poster from behind her back—it was a professionally done poster, advertising for a costume party fundraiser at the theater itself.

  “Costume party? Awesome!” Marc said.

  Alice nodded, her wide grin full of excitement. “Right? I was thinking we could go with an old Hollywood theme. What do you think?”

  She was looking at Tamara, as were the rest of them. It was really her decision.

  Tamara bit her lip as she studied the poster. “It sounds wonderful but… I can’t imagine the owner will go for it.”

  “Didn’t he give you free reign over special events?” Jake pointed out.

  Tamara’s eyes widened and a hint of excitement lit up her face. “He did. And he doesn’t pay much attention to what goes on around here, anyway.”

  “And he’s never owned up to the fact that he’s selling,” Marc added. “So you can play dumb.”

  She looked to Caitlyn, as if needing to hear approval from all her friends before saying yes. “It’s true,” she added. “If the owner is going to be underhanded about putting the theater on the market, why not take advantage? I think it’s a great idea.”

  After that, it was just a matter of finalizing the details and making sure the logistics would work. When Tamara took out the theater’s calendar to check what date would work, the answer had Caitlyn frowning.

  “What is it?” Meg asked.

  “Oh nothing, I’m just supposed to go to Ben’s office Christmas party that night. But it’s fine, we can come here afterward.”

  Now Meg was scowling and Caitlyn hurried on. “It’ll be fine, I promise. We’ll get here by nine at the latest.”

  Meg raised one brow and Caitlyn sighed. Here it comes.

  “You are going to be Ben’s date for his office party?”

  Caitlyn mentally kicked herself. She should never have said anything. Of course her friend would read into this. “It’s not like that. I’m not going to be his date-date. Well, I am, but only like he was my date at last night’s party. It’s just to make his ex jealous.”

  Meg looked unconvinced.

  “I swear!”

  Some of the worry on Meg’s face melted away to be replaced by resignation. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”

  Caitlyn nodded. “Of course I will.”

  Chapter 10

  Gregory was glowering at Ben over his beer. “What are you so happy about?”

  They were in a back booth at one of Gregory’s favorite dive bars. An odd choice for lunch, perhaps, and an even odder choice for a billionaire like Gregory. For a rich guy, his friend had pedestrian tastes. That afternoon he even looked the part of a starving artist. His normally slicked-back black hair was falling over his forehead and his typically clean-shaven face was covered in stubble. He looked…disheveled.

  “I’m having a good day,” Ben said. Leaning back in the booth, he couldn’t help the self-satisfied grin as he thought about Caitlyn’s startling offer that morning. And the amazing sex that had followed once they’d returned home.

  “Happiness doesn’t suit you,” Gregory said.

  Ben let out a bark of laughter. “Don’t worry, old friend, I’m only happy because Caitlyn and I have hatched a revenge plot against my ex. I haven’t gone and become optimistic or anything.”

  Gregory’s brows rose in a cynical, questioning look. “Are you sure your roommate isn’t the cause of this sudden—and annoying—upbeat mood?”

  Ben sighed. He should never have told his friend about this arrangement. “It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

  “And roommates, and lovers, and apparently partners in crime now,” Gregory added.

  Ben took another sip of his beer. The more he denied it, the more his friend would leap to the wrong conclusions. Instead, he changed the topic. “What’s the matter with you?”

  Gregory didn’t even flinch at the abrupt shift or the rude question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t you?” He pointedly looked his friend up and down, pausing meaningfully at the empty shot glasses that sat in front of him.

  Gregory exhaled loudly and thrust a hand through his already disheveled hair. “Vanessa moved out.”

  Ben froze. “Oh.”

  What else could he say? Sorry? He wasn’t really. He’d known Gregory for a long time, well before Vanessa had come on the scene, and he knew from firsthand experience that she was no good for him. He’d watched her manipulate him and tie him up in knots. Not unlike his ex, actually. Maybe bad relationships were contagious.

  But despite the fact that he was relieved by this sudden turn of events, it was never fun to watch one’s friends in their misery. Caitlyn would know the right thing to say. What would she say?

  “That’s tough, mate.” Well, she wouldn’t use the British slang, but she would find a way to empathize without judgment. She was good like that.

  Gregory’s jerky nod was his only response. Then he took another long swig of his drink. “Yeah, well. I know it’s for the best, it just…”

  “Sucks,” Ben finished. “Yeah, I know. Been there, done that, remember?”

  Gregory’s lips twisted up in a pale imitation of his usual lopsided grin. “Speaking of your twisted ex, what’s this scheme you and your friend concocted?”

  Ben chose to ignore his friend’s sarcastic tone when he said “friend.” Instead he told him about their act at the bar the night
before, doing his best to make it entertaining and light to keep his friend distracted. It was the least he could do.

  “Sounds like you two had fun.” Gregory’s face was unreadable, but Ben heard the unspoken judgment.

  “I’m telling you, it’s not like that.”

  “Whatever you say. So what’s the plan now? You two are going to pretend that you’re a real couple at the Christmas party?”

  Ben couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of Olivia’s face when she saw them together. “Seeing me move on…and with someone like Caitlyn? It’s going to kill her.”

  Gregory laughed, most likely at the sheer evil in Ben’s voice. But his friend’s next question threw him. “Someone like Caitlyn?”

  Ben’s head shot up. “What?”

  “You said ‘someone like Caitlyn’—what does that mean?”

  Ben shrugged. Why would his friend not let this go? He seemed intent to make something out of this that wasn’t there. He knew Gregory long enough to know that he was no prude. He had nothing against casual flings and one-night stands. But apparently he drew the line at sleeping with one’s roommate because he couldn’t seem to get it through his thick skull that it was just about sex.

  He thought of their nights on the couch. Sex and friendship. But that was it.

  Gregory was watching him, waiting for his answer.

  Someone like Caitlyn… What had he meant? He made a few vague gestures with his hands as he struggled to find the right words. “You know, someone who’s…” What? Sweet, caring, intelligent, funny? “Classy.”

  Gregory gave a little snort of laughter. “What is she, a dame or something?”

  Ben gave a long suffering sigh. “I don’t know how to explain it. But trust me, Olivia will hate her. Caitlyn is everything Olivia is not. She’s not manipulative or bitchy, and she’s not trying to claw her way to the top.”

  Gregory kept silent and Ben found himself babbling. “She’s the type of woman you take home to meet your parents, you know? She screams out long-term, mother of your children.” He took a quick sip of his beer, excruciatingly aware of Gregory’s eyes on him. “Plus, she’s hot,” he added with a shrug.

  “Hmm.” It wasn’t much of a response after that odd little diatribe. Ben thought perhaps Gregory had moved on, but a few moments later, he said, “And you’re sure she’s not your long-term, mother of your children type of woman.”

  Ben recoiled into the cushioned booth in horror. “Of course not! How long have you known me? How many women have you seen me with? Do you really think she sounds like my type?”

  Gregory shrugged. “Sometimes tastes change.”

  Ben deflated a bit as his defensive anger dissipated. His friend was angry and hurt. Besides, Gregory had never met Caitlyn. If he met her he’d see that she was so not his type. Except in bed, obviously. In bed, she was his perfect match. But anywhere else and the idea of them as a couple was laughable. Even Gregory, who was his biggest supporter, would be able to see how incompatible they would be. Even Gregory would admit that she deserved better.

  Gregory had always had his back, but there was no way in hell he’d ever let Ben date his sister. Why? Because he knew him—he knew that when push came to shove, he was a selfish bastard. One who’d chosen to pursue money rather than love. And one who was capable of hurting anyone stupid enough to love him.

  “So,” Gregory said, a little too loudly. “Have you and Darren signed the deal? Are you backing his latest real estate venture?”

  A twinge of guilt had Ben reaching for his beer again. He never had gotten around to reviewing the new docs thanks to Caitlyn’s interruption. For a self-professed workaholic, this slip was akin to playing hookie or taking an actual vacation.

  “Haven’t reviewed it yet,” he admitted.

  Gregory grabbed a fry off Ben’s plate. “Darren ran it past me and it looks good. He’s got a solid plan, especially for that block downtown. You know the one with that old movie theater that’s practically falling down? Seems the owner is finally willing to sell.”

  Ben’s blood ran cold. His stomach made a move to flee. Oh fuck.

  “Something wrong?”

  Ben cleared his throat. “No, no. Not really. It’s just… There might be a bit of a conflict of interest there.”

  Gregory’s forehead furrowed in confusion. “Since when? Are you working with another real estate company that’s got its eye on that block?”

  “Uh, no, not exactly.”

  Gregory’s look of confusion turned to unabashed curiosity, most likely at Ben’s awkwardness. “Not exactly?”

  Oh fuck it. He told Gregory everything—about the little crew that was determined to keep The Ellen open and, more importantly, Caitlyn’s involvement.

  “This would kill her,” he said. “And she’d kill me in turn.”

  Gregory’s obvious amusement would have made him furious if he wasn’t so relieved to see his friend back from the brink of depression. “Don’t tell me you—you, ‘Ben-the-ruthless-asshole’—would actually tank a solid investment rather than hurt the feelings of your new girlfriend?”

  Ben shook his head. “She’s not my girlfriend.” Noting the looks from the patrons around them, he lowered his voice. “But she is my friend. And her friends are kind of my friends, too.”

  Which was true, he realized with a start. He’d gone from one friend to a slew of them, thanks to Caitlyn.

  “But I’m not tanking anything,” he added.

  “So you’re going to back his plan and ruin Caitlyn’s little pet project?”

  Ben paused. He couldn’t say yes. Physically, he couldn’t form the word. Every time he went to say it, he had an image of Caitlyn’s face if she found out, and it just about crushed him. “I don’t know yet.”

  When Gregory smirked, he added, “I haven’t even reviewed the new numbers. It may not even be worth the risk.”

  Gregory just shook his head in amusement. “I may not have seen the numbers, but I know a good project when I see one. This one has serious potential. I’m kind of pissed I didn’t think of it myself.”

  Shit. He’d have to tell her, that much was clear. Either way, she should know that the owner was moving forward with his plan to sell. She and Tamara and the others deserved to know that much, at least.

  He’d tell her when he got home. When he got to her home, he mentally corrected.

  Crap. This was not going to be fun.

  He was temporarily distracted by Gregory’s flailing hand as he attempted to get the waitress’s attention, though with a quick glance Ben could see she was far more interested in flirting with the bartender than in serving her customers.

  “You want another round, too?” Gregory asked.

  Ben looked at the clock on his phone. “A bit early to get sauced, no?”

  He ignored Gregory’s scowl. Right. Who was he to judge when he’d spent the better part of two weeks in a drunken coma in Gregory’s spare bedroom after his split. Still, he hated to see his friend in such a sorry state.

  “Can’t have another, I’m afraid. Caitlyn and I have plans—” He ignored Gregory’s look of cynical amusement and drained the last of his beer. “We’re heading uptown for a screening of Vertigo.”

  When Gregory started to laugh, he added with more defensiveness than absolutely necessary, “It’s just a movie. Jesus, grow up.”

  His friend eventually stopped laughing at him and let his hand drop. Ben saw the brief glimpse of desolation in his friend’s eyes and forgave him for the mockery.

  “Come with us.”

  He started to shake his head but Ben cut him off. “Come on, you can’t keep drinking like this. You need to get out of the house. Be around people.”

  Gregory’s eyes narrowed on him. “Are you sure I won’t be intruding?”

  Ben rolled his eyes and slapped down some money on the table. “We’ll see you there at eight.”

  * * * *

  Caitlyn pra
ctically pounced on Ben the moment he walked through the door. She couldn’t help it; her good mood had made her a crazy person. “Guess what?”

  He dropped his jacket onto the couch and flopped down beside it, a tolerant smile on his face. He hadn’t shaved yet and a five o’clock shadow gave him a sexy, disheveled look that had her itching to climb into his lap.

  Oh, why not? They’d long since broken the unspoken rule of only having close physical contact at night or in the bedroom. She’d come to crave his cuddles almost as much as his body. Almost.

  He laughed as she made herself comfortable on his lap and he pulled her against him so she was nicely nestled. “What are you so excited about?” She started to tell him all about the fundraiser that Alice was planning. A marketing professional, any event Alice planned was sure to be a success. She had the connections and the know-how to bring in lots of money, enough to garner the kind of attention they needed to get the theater on the list of protected properties.

  Ben’s hands were rubbing her arms, her shoulders, her thighs—but they stilled as she was talking. Even his lips stopped their exploration on her neck and were frozen against the side of her head.

  Pulling back, her voice trailed off and she half turned so she could face him. “What’s wrong?”

  The unusual tightness around his mouth set off alarm bells. “What is it?”

  “Caitlyn, uh…” He thrust a hand through his hair, his eyes not meeting hers but rather fixed on the doorway as if contemplating escape.

  What the hell? Caitlyn’s mind raced to think of what could have changed between that morning, when he’d been laughing and happy, and now? The only topic that ever made him this uncomfortable was Olivia.

  So that was it. He must have seen the date on the poster. Caitlyn eased back against him, the tension melting as quickly as it had formed. Of course that’s what he was worried about. “Don’t worry,” she said, reaching up a hand to lightly stroke his jaw. “I know it’s the same night as the Christmas party, but I have no intention of leaving you high and dry.”