“He’s magnetic,” I countered.
“He’s fickle. And he’s the kind of man that moves on without much warning. I don’t want you to get hurt when Caine is done with you. You deserve a man who’s in it for the long haul.”
“We haven’t even gone on a second date, yet,” I said. Or a first, really, I amended. The open call hadn’t been a real date at all. “All of this is really moot at this point.”
“You need to know what kind of man Caine is going into this. It’s the only way to protect yourself.”
“I thought you two were friends.”
“We were, and we are.”
“Doesn’t sound like it,” I shot back.
“Look, I haven’t seen him in years, but people don’t change. He is who he is, and that perfect veneer he’s shown the world is starting to crack. I mean, the man is trending this morning, and not for anything good.”
“I already know about that.”
“Then you should know that you’re putting yourself at risk if you go into this with your eyes shut. Guard your heart, Shelton. Please.”
“I will. It’s not like I was going to rush into things without any thought to my own feelings. I’m having fun and we’re just friends right now.”
“As long as you’re careful. That’s all I ask.”
“I promise I will be.”
“Thank you.”
We were silent for a long while before I spoke again. “What are you going to tell Mother?”
“That you’re focused on your business and good things are happening. I’ll encourage her to remember that you’ve got a good head on your shoulder and great parents.”
“She always did enjoy a bit of flattery,” I laughed. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being there when I needed someone to talk to. I have a lot going on and I don’t want to worry about Mother freaking out while I’m trying to make my own way in the world. I wasn’t worried until she called.”
“I know. She doesn’t mean to be that way. But you’re her miracle child and she can’t just turn that off.”
“I wish she knew how much pressure that puts on me.”
“She doesn’t expect you to be perfect.”
“Isn’t that worse?”
Preston chuckled, then he sighed. “As much as I’ve enjoyed this, I have an appointment in a few minutes. You can call me anytime, Shelton. Don’t wait until you need me, all right?”
“If you promise not to wait until Mother is in crisis mode to call me.”
I was still smiling when we hung up, and when the phone rang a few seconds later, I snatched it up without looking, laughing. “Miss me?” I teased.
“Just a little bit, but my aim is getting better.”
Startled, I looked at the caller ID on my cellphone and groaned out loud. “Oh my gosh, Caine. I thought you were Preston calling me back. We just got off the phone, and-”
“You don’t have to explain it to me,” he said. “Besides, I thought it was funny.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. “Can we start again? Hi, Caine. It’s so nice to hear from you.” Finally.
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Things got busy.”
My eyes went to the latest Caine Cole article open on my laptop. I wanted to be mad, but with so many outlets jumping on board to put their own spin on what should’ve been a private conversation, I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t know how I would handle a situation like that, and I never wanted to find out.
“I’m really glad to hear from you,” I said a little more upbeat than I’d meant to, but Caine didn’t seem to notice.
“I enjoyed myself at open call the other night. I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch and chat. We could chat about your business and pick up where we left off at The Club.”
I was almost giddy, but I held it back. Cool, calm, and smooth, I told myself, waiting a beat before I answered. “I would like that,” I said, then I closed my eyes and savored the moment. Our first official date. All the doubts Preston had put inside my head disappeared at once.
People did change, and I knew today was the beginning of something special between us.
7
Caine
I pulled into a parking space at the tiny little bistro a few minutes early, and I searched the lot, trying to pick out which car could be Shelton’s. None caught my eye. My bag was heavy when I slung it over my shoulder and started walking toward the restaurant, the small box inside rattling quietly every time the bag bounced against my leg. When I was halfway across the lot, a blue Ford Escort tapped its horn and I saw Shelton’s smiling face through the windshield. I waited for him to park, then we walked to the door together.
I opened the door for him, drawing a sweet, almost shy smile from him. “We’d like a table in the back,” I told the waitress when she turned her attention our way.
I sat down in the booth and Shelton sat across from me, looking comfortable in his jeans and a button-up shirt in a soft, mint green. It was open at the collar, but tastefully so. Our eyes met and he smiled. I knew he’d caught me looking him over, but I didn’t avert my gaze. He was a gorgeous young man.
“I was glad you finally called,” Shelton said. “I forgot to ask for your number and I wasn’t sure if you were answering email from your website this week.” He flinched. “Sorry. I’ve managed not to bring all that up until now.”
“It’s all right,” I said with a shake of my head. “It happens when you’re in the public eye, and you’ve dealt with your fair share of trolls.”
“Did Alex tell you that? He says that’s why he recruited me.”
“No. I haven’t spoken to Alex.”
“Oh. You checked out my Instagram?”
“You look surprised.”
“I am. I guess when you didn’t call, I thought you weren’t interested. I was relieved when you finally asked me out.”
It was my turn to look surprised. “Asked you out?” Had I not been clear that I wanted to talk business?
When Shelton’s face fell, I knew I hadn’t been. “I guess I misunderstood,” he muttered, pushing his food around his plate, sulking.
“Not really,” I hurried to say. “I wanted to talk about dating, and how that can benefit us both.” I slid the box I’d brought across the table.
He took it, unwrapping the plain blue paper with a furrowed brow that lifted the instant he saw the packaging beneath. “Is this?”
“Yes,” I grinned. “Same model as mine. Not available to the general public.”
“This is amazing,” he breathed out, turning the still closed box over in his hands, then he frowned. “I don’t think I can afford a plan for a phone like this. My phone is leased and I use it for a hotspot so my bill is already astronomical and I can’t get a new phone until this one is paid off. I would have to get a second line.”
I shook my head. “No second line needed. The phone comes with service. It’s part of what I’m offering you, in addition to the normal perks of being a consort.”