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I’m at your house, where are you? the message from her cousin read. I’m getting worried about you. Since she’d moved into the condo, Chloe often stopped by unannounced, especially on the weekends if neither of them were scheduled to work. In fact, Chloe had her own key. And not once in the two years she’d lived there had Chloe ever stopped by and found the place empty. Please call me, the next message read. With the likelihood that Trent would wake up at any moment, she didn’t want a long drawn out conversation with her cousin. If she told Chloe she’d spent the night with Trent, that was exactly what would happen. At the same time she wanted Chloe not to worry about her. Maybe if she kept her answers vague enough, she could reassure her cousin and keep the conversation short.
Addie put her coffee down and took a seat at the table. Then before her cousin called the police and reported her missing, she dialed her cell phone.
“Where the heck are you?” Chloe skipped the normal pleasantries when she answered. “I got here an hour ago. I’ve been calling your phone and the office. You never see clients this early so what are you up to?”
“I’m with a friend. Don’t worry I’m fine.”
“Then why didn’t you answer any of my calls?”
“I was”—Addie paused, about to say asleep, then changed her mind—”didn’t hear it.” A tiny white lie like that never hurt anyone and as far as little lies went it wasn’t that bad. After all, she hadn’t heard the phone ring.
“Oh.”
“Is something wrong?” Addie asked before her cousin could question her exact whereabouts.
“There’s a picture of you and Trent outside Lucerne on the cover of The Star Report. Did you know that?” Chloe asked, the worry in her voice now replaced by excitement. “And inside there is a two-page spread of pictures of the two of you together. You didn’t tell me you’ve been seeing him.”
She hadn’t meant to keep her relationship with Trent a secret from her cousin, but at the same time she hadn’t gone out of her way to tell her either. “I told you I was doing some projects for him.” She had shared at least that much.
“Please,” Chloe said, drawing out the word. “There’s a picture of you two together at WaterFire and his arms are around you. No client, not even Trent Sherbrooke, holds business associates like that. Now spill it.”
Addie ignored her cousin’s demand. “What other pictures are in there anyway?” She hadn’t seen the sedan again since the night she and Trent enjoyed dinner at Lucerne and hadn’t thought anymore about it. Had its owner been a photographer, and if so why hadn’t she seen the car since?
“There’s one of you exiting his office building and another of you two having coffee together. Then there is one of him heading inside your house. The article speculates on how you two met and the status of the relationship between you.”
The picture of her and Trent that first time in the bakery had made her uncomfortable, but at least it had been in a very public place. The idea that pictures had been taken outside her home and office angered her.
“So is any of it true? Have you “Caught the Eye of Billionaire Playboy Trent Sherbrooke” like the headline says?” Chloe asked, quoting the article’s headline.
What a stupid headline. Who came up with them anyway? “I’ll tell you everything later. Promise.”
“Come on, Addie,” Chloe said, and Addie could imagine her cousin rolling her eyes. “This is me. I won’t say anything to anyone.”
More like sisters than just cousins, they’d always shared even the most personal information with each other. However, now wasn’t the time or place to share. “We’ve been”—Addie stopped and searched for the most appropriate word choice—”spending time together.”
“I can see that.”
“Good morning.” At Trent’s greeting, Addie spun around and watched him enter the room.
“Chloe, I’ll call you later tonight. I promise, okay,” she said as she stood.
“You’re with him now, aren’t you?” Chloe asked, and Addie heard the smile in her voice. “Call me as soon as you can. I want all the details.”
The line went dead before Addie said another word.
“Everything okay?” Trent wrapped his arms around her.
Leaning into his embrace, she encircled her arms around his waist, his bare skin warm against hers. “Chloe got worried when she stopped by my house and I wasn’t home.” Addie reached up and kissed his cheek, the facial hair that had grown in during the night rough against her lips.
Trent mimicked the kiss on her cheek, but then dropped an additional one on her lips. “I hope you told her you’ll be unavailable all weekend.” He moved his head and kissed her other cheek.
“Oh, am I?” She pulled back enough to look up at him.
“Yes, you are,” he answered, kissing her between each word.
“Well, if you insist, I guess I can hang around.” She tried to sound put out but the smile on her face ruined it.
He kissed her one last time before he moved to the coffeemaker on the counter and poured himself a mug. “Does your cousin always stop by like that?”
