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“Henry, this is my girlfriend, Kadence.”
My mouth popped open, but I had no retort. I had after all agreed to Caleb’s idiotic ruse, and he wouldn’t allow to me to get out of it.
Trust me, I’d tried.
As soon as he’d reminded me of the agreement, I argued that I wasn’t in my right mind when I decided to help him, but he wasn’t hearing any of it.
And he sure as hell forgot to mention it took affect today.
“Nice to meet you,” said Henry. Something about his shy smile put me at ease, and I relaxed.
“Henry is a fourth year nursing student,” Caleb told me. “He wants to be a pediatric nurse.”
“And why would you want to work for Caleb Callahan of all people?”
Ha. Take that.
I smirked, and ignored the heat of Caleb’s stare on the side of my face. Henry chuckled, and I liked that he at least had a sense of humor.
“Well aside from being the most respected businessman in the city, his daughter falls into the age group I’d like to work with after I graduate. It makes sense.” He cleared his throat, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment. “And it pays really well.”
“Caleb is very generous,” I mused. “But as a boss, he’s a hardass.”
Alfie snorted, and Caleb’s brows rose. Henry looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
I startled when Caleb’s arm wrapped around my waist, and tugged me into his side.
“You’re going to regret that,” he muttered against my temple.
Not as much as I’m going to regret agreeing to be your fake girlfriend,I thought.
Caleb let me go, and started walking down the hallway towards the nursery. Henry followed, and I assumed Caleb was going to ‘show him the ropes’. I grabbed my purse, and my sandals from my room, and was about to step into the atrium when Caleb reappeared.
“Where are you going?”
“There’s a market at Union Square.”
Caleb grabbed his house keys, his wallet and his phone, and joined me in front of the elevator.
“You’re coming with me?” I asked. I couldn’t help but sound incredulous. I’d never seen Caleb out and about, not even pictures of him so much as grocery shopping in the tabloids. Sure, he’d spent the last few weekends looking after Braelynn, but even before then I had him pegged as rather solitary. That he wanted to join me was quite a surprise.
“You don’t mind do you?”
Did Caleb Callahan just ask permission for something? Now that was something to write home about.
“Not if you mind walking,” I replied, pressing the elevator button that would take us down to the lobby.
Paul tipped his hat at us when we passed, and Caleb slipped his Aviators on just as we stepped outside. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in the city, the sidewalks crowded with pedestrians and hawkers alike.
Caleb extended his arm, smiling, and looking way too good in his casual attire. “Lead the way.”
We ventured up Lafayette Street, stopping at the Lafayette Grand Café and Bakery for some fresh pastries, and coffee. It was only a twenty minute walk to Union Square from Caleb’s penthouse, but with so much to see and experience along the way, it was no wonder that we got a little sidetracked. The conversation flowed, and to my delight I was quite enjoying Caleb’s easy banter, and laid back demeanor.
It was a change, for both of us I think, to be in a casual setting that allowed us to be ourselves. He wasn’t Caleb Callahan C.E.O, and I wasn’t Kadence Kavanagh, Assistant Publicist. We were just Caleb, and Kadence, two people becoming reacquainted with one another.
After popping into the bookstore, and treating myself to a new novel, Caleb and I wandered around the produce market. I purchased what I needed to make us a home-cooked meal, and then Caleb hailed us a cab so we could get back to his place. Our entire day felt so domestic, so normal, and from our interaction alone people wouldn’t have thought we were pretending.
The irony?
