“The rules between a consort and patron are between the two of you. If you want to be one hundred percent exclusive, make sure you put it in the contract.”
I nodded, then I reached out and shook his hand. “I hate to party and leave, but I have a big day tomorrow, and I wanted to thank you for convincing me to take this chance. I’m excited to see what will happen between Caine and I.”
“Just remember if it doesn’t work out, there are plenty of wealthy, available men ready to step in and cherish a man such as yourself. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.”
“Thank you,” I said with a nod.
“I’ll have the car meet you outside.”
Another smile and then Alex was gone. I took one last look at the large room filled with revelers, some chatting up new friends, some dancing and others in dark corners trading tentative first kisses. The open call had been more than I’d expected and better than I could’ve hoped for. And after years of pining away for a man that I always thought was out of my league, I’d finally met my hero.
I slipped out of my suit jacket and slung it over my shoulder, my other hand hanging loosely from my beltloop as I walked out the door. I felt amazing, I had Caine’s number and-
It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized that I hadn’t actually put his number in my own phone. I’d met my teenage crush and somehow, I had let him walk away without noticing I’d forgotten.
I would have to wait for him to call me, and patience was not one of my virtues. I let out a heavy sigh, then I got into the waiting car and watched The Club disappear into the night.
5
Caine
I took a sip of my coffee and grimaced, setting the cold brew aside as I scrolled through the internet. Though it had been three days since the first article had popped up, I was still getting dragged online, and every new take on what had happened was more outlandish and exaggerated than the last.
I opened my email box and skimmed the messages even though it was Friday and the automatic away message would run until Monday morning. No one had to know I was reading their messages while I was supposed to be on vacation.
As expected, there were a few cancellations, but most were from clients worried that they had scheduled me as a speaker not knowing which version of Caine Cole they would be welcoming on stage. Groaning, I picked up the phone and dialed Walter’s number. He picked up on the third ring, voice a little gruff as if he’d been sleeping.
“Can I pick your brain for a minute?” I asked.
“Sure, what’s going on?”
I read him a few of the emails I’d received from clients. “I was going to wait until Monday to answer correspondence, but I think with these clients, it would be best not to let this fester all weekend.”
“And you’re trying to find a way to tell them no matter which version they end up with, you’re still a professional and you’re the expert, so they should have faith in you?”
I scoffed. “You know that’s not where I’m going with this.”
“A man can dream,” he said sarcastically. “All right, what is your plan of attack? Are you going to keep at this with upbeat Caine, pushing your true self aside for the money?”
“For now. I have to rework my speech if I change right now, and that takes time.”
“But you are going to change?”
“I don’t know, Walter. This has worked for me for so long. What if they don’t like what I have to say?”
“It’s their loss. You methods and your genius don’t require fake behavior. You’ll find a way to create a successful product that doesn’t force you to deny everything you are.”
“I wish I had that much faith in all this, but right now what I need is damage control. Once this mess is over, I can present the new me in a way that I choose, not via some gossip online.”
“I understand what you mean. So, what are their concerns, specifically I mean? We need to identify the major issues so we can address them without looking like we’re handling it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I knew you would get what I meant. So far the common theme seems to be that they’re concerned with my activities at Short Leash, they wonder if my cynical comments are in line with my brand, and if they can expect the program they signed up for.”
“Those are valid fears from a business standpoint. Not your after-hours activities. Those aren’t anyone else’s business, but that fact rarely stops people from butting in. Give me a minute to skim some of these while I think.”
“All right,” I said, clicking over to the next article featuring my name.
“So, how did you like open call? I’m sorry I left without finding you to say goodbye. When I noticed you midway through the evening you seemed…busy?”
“I enjoyed myself,” I commented as I jotted down a few things from one article that seemed intent on diving into the psychology behind my “twisted BDSM needs” despite having no information on my personal kinks. I rolled my eyes. “Is fact-checking even a thing anymore?”
“Hardly. They’re most intent on getting the story out first. If they can do that, then they sell more ads. You know that’s what they’re really after. More clicks means more ad revenue.”
“That’s fine, but some of these claims are so outlandish that they’re absurd. I’ve been called everything from a possible robot to a soulless shell of a man who is too self-involved to ever fall in love. It’s ridiculous and I would laugh if it wasn’t my life.”
“I’m sorry, Caine. We’ll find a way to fix this. What about that young man I saw you with? Did anything come of that?”
“He was sweet, and he was easy to talk to, but he’s really young for me.”
“He’s over twenty-one, so not too young.”
“He’s twenty-six, and he grew up with a much older brother so he’s more mature than a lot of men his age.” I didn’t know why I didn’t say right then that I went to college with Shelton’s older brother, but I decided to hold that back. “But there’s almost a twenty-year difference, and one good night doesn’t mean we’ll have much in common.”
“You didn’t mention that quite a few of these pieces talk about the fact that you’re over forty and have never been married. They bring it up quite a few times, along with claiming that a man who can’t hold down a steady relationship may not be the best person to give out life advice.”
“How do I address all that without looking like I’m giving into peer pressure? I can’t have that be part of my platform, then kowtow to the internet mob like a coward.”
“This is true. And it appears the biggest issue with your BDSM club activities is the fact that you’re not partnered up.”
“I was there socializing. I wasn’t even in the scene that night.” I slapped my hand on the desk in front of me. “That’s what makes it so ridiculous. I’m not getting judged for kinky behavior. It’s just about the conversation I had with Keith about hating always having to be on, and how exhausting it is to act like everything has a positive solution. It doesn’t, and it’s all right for people to be tired and show concern when business takes a hit. Life isn’t all rainbows Which was as damn vanilla as it gets.”