“But if you love someone enough, you find a
way to make it work.”
Caleb took another sip of his water. He
didn’t know where Evan was going, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“Could you ever see yourself in a
relationship with someone like Elle?”
“A celebrity, you mean?” Caleb smiled when
Elle caught his eye and winked. He loved that she’d singled him out, that in
the middle of her performance, she was thinking about him.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Evan sighed. “You’re not givin’ me a lot to
go on here, man.”
“What do you mean?” Caleb tried to force
his gaze from Elle. He enjoyed the mischievous glint in her eyes as the crowd
roared when she played the first few notes of a familiar hit song.
“I’m trying to figure out whether you’re
really into her or if Drake put you up to this just to keep an eye on her.”
“Maybe you should ask the lady.” Caleb
wondered how Elle would respond if Evan questioned her about their
relationship. Would she tell him it was nothing more than a professional
arrangement, or would she allude to something more?
“I’m asking you.”
Caleb looked Evan in the eye to let him
know he wasn’t intimidated. “And I’m telling you I don’t talk to strangers
about my personal life. If Elle wants to fill you in about what is or isn’t
going on between us, she will. If she doesn’t, I’d suggest you back off.”
Evan smiled. “I like that. Elle needs a
strong man, someone who doesn’t back down. Her last boyfriend was a real jerk.
He was a struggling artist, and I think he thought his affiliation with Elle
would help his career.”
Caleb couldn’t imagine any man being stupid
enough to use a woman like Elle just to further his career, but he knew plenty
of people would much rather take the easy road to success.
“You’re kind of quiet,” Evan said. “Did I
strike a nerve?”
“Excuse me?” Caleb asked, hoping he’d
misread the question. “You’re not implying that I’m using Elle, are you?”
Evan smirked. “I know you run a successful
company, Caleb. I did my research when Drake told me he’d suggested you
accompany Elle tonight. I wasn’t trying to imply you’re after Elle’s money or
trying to ride her coattails to success.”
“Good, because that’s the last thing on my
mind. I don’t care who Elle is or how many zeroes are on her bank statement. I
like spending time with her, and I’m here with her because I choose to be. End
of story.”
“Glad to hear you say that. I feel better
with someone like you watching her back. It’s not easy to get close to Elle.
She’s guarded, even more so lately. I think it has something to do with the
ex-boyfriend, but whenever I ask her about it, she tells me she’s fine and just
wants to focus on her music.”
Caleb repressed the urge to sigh. He didn’t
like where Evan was going. If Elle chose to confide in him about her previous
relationships, that was fine, but he didn’t want to hear about it from someone
else. “If that’s what she wants, you should respect that. Everyone’s entitled
to their privacy, right?”
Evan frowned. “Maybe I didn’t make myself
clear. As her friend, I’m worried about her. Working 24/7 isn’t healthy, and
being too paranoid to trust anyone must be hell. Don’t you think?”
Caleb couldn’t say. He’d always had a
loving family and close-knit group of friends he trusted. “I’m sure Elle will
work it out.”
“But it would help if she had someone to
work it out with her.”
“Why are you pushing this?” Caleb asked,
frustrated by Evan’s persistent meddling.
“I saw the way she looked at you when she
performed that first song. Man, the fireworks between y’all put the fourth of
July to shame.”
Caleb couldn’t deny what Evan observed. Their
chemistry was palpable, and obviously even bystanders could see what he felt.
“What do you want me to say? I’m attracted to her? I think that’s pretty
obvious.”
“I came over here because I wanted to find
out what kind of guy you are, figure out whether I should warn you off.”
“And?” Caleb crossed his arms. “What did
you decide?”
“I decided you could be exactly what Elle
needs right now.”
“Gee, I’m so relieved I have your stamp of
approval.”
Evan smirked. “You and my brother Ryan
would get along great. He’s a smart-ass too.”
Caleb couldn’t help but smile. “You don’t
have to worry about my intentions with Elle. I have no idea where this thing is
going, but I don’t give a shit about her celebrity status. For all I care, she
could flip burgers for a living.”
***
The ride back to Elle’s house was too
quiet. She was dying to know what Caleb was thinking, but she was afraid to
ask. Was he still annoyed about what had happened in the manager’s office? Had
she offended him to the point he was no longer interested in her? She was
pondering her options when Caleb reached for her hand.
He whispered, “Quit overthinking it.” His
smile was warm and genuine.
Elle felt the overwhelming urge to weep
with relief. “I’m sorry for brushing you off in the office. That wasn’t my
intent. I just…”
“You just what?” he asked, squeezing her
hand. “Talk to me.”
“I’m just afraid of starting something I
can’t finish. I’m going back out on the road soon, and that means a
relationship would—” She stopped herself when she realized he hadn’t given her
any indication he was interested in a relationship with her. Sure, he was
physically attracted to her, but that may be the extent of it.
“What were you going to say?”
“I don’t do one-night stands. It’s not that
I’m a prude or anything. In my line of work, you can’t afford to be
promiscuous. I’ve worked too hard to build my brand, and I don’t want to do
anything that might compromise it.” She was babbling and telling him more than
he needed to know, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Did I say anything about a one-night
stand?”
She felt like crawling under the seat. He
hadn’t said anything about sleeping with her, period. Her over-active
imagination and desperation had led her to that conclusion. “Can we just forget
this conversation ever happened?”
“Now why would we wanna do that?”
“Because I’ve embarrassed myself and made
you uncomfortable.” Tears of shame burned her eyelids, and she was grateful it
was too dark for him to see the evidence of her humiliation.
“I’m not uncomfortable,” he said, squeezing
her hand. “And you have no reason to be embarrassed. I love that we can talk
like this. Hell, we just met tonight, and I think we communicate better than my
ex and I ever did.”
“Really?” She peeked up at him from beneath
her lashes. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“I can promise you one thing, Elle. I’ll
always be honest with you, even when it’s not what you want to hear.”
She believed him, which spoke volumes given
how hard it was for her to trust people.
When they pulled up in front of her house,
Caleb got out of the car and opened her door. Reaching for her hand, he helped
her out before pulling her in close. “I’m really glad I let Drake talk me into
this. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much.”
She smiled. “All that pushing and shoving
appealed to you, huh?”
“You appeal to me.” He glided his hand
through her hair, gently massaging her head. “A lot.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” She looked up at
the imposing doors. The last thing she wanted was to be alone. “Would you like
to come in for a drink?”
He followed her gaze to the door before
slipping her hand into his and leading her to the entrance. “I wouldn’t say no
to a cup of coffee. I’ve got to finish up some paperwork when I go home
tonight.”
“This assignment is keeping you from your
work, isn’t it?” She couldn’t deny she loved spending time with him, but she
felt guilty that she was taking up so much of it. He had a company to run, and
his off time was likely rare and precious. “I’m sorry. If you need to back out,
I totally understand.”
He chuckled as he reached for her keys and
unlocked the door. “If you think spending time with you is a hardship, you’re
dead wrong.”
Elle punched in her security code while
Caleb looked the other way. “About that coffee…” She led him into the kitchen.
She bent over to retrieve a wicker basket from the bottom shelf and pulled out
one flavored pod after another. “What kind would you like? There are lots to
choose from, though I can’t say I’ve tried them all.”
He reached for a Columbian and tossed it to
her. “This suits me just fine.”
She popped the pod into the dispenser and
reached for a mug from the overhead cabinet, cognizant of his eyes tracking her
every movement.
“Aren’t you going to join me?” he asked.
“I think I’ll have an herbal tea.” She
reached for another pod from the basket. “I’ve been having a little trouble
sleeping lately. This seems to help.”
“Why’s that?”
She closed her eyes as his mug filled with
coffee. Taking in the strong scent, she wondered if she had the courage to open
up. “I’ve got a lot going on. Between working on new material and the upcoming
tour, I guess I just can’t shut it off when my head hits the pillow.”
He looked disappointed, as though he’d
expected her to say more. “I know how that is. Sometimes your mind keeps
working long after your body’s reached its breaking point.”
Elle piled cream, sugar, milk, and the two
mugs on a wooden tray. “Why don’t we take this into the family room? That way
we can get comfortable.”
“Sounds good.” He reached for the tray.
“Here, let me carry that.”
“Thank you.” He was a gentleman, something
he’d proven over and over throughout the night, and she found his chivalrous
gestures sweet and unexpected. “Your mother really raised you right, didn’t
she?”
Caleb laughed. “Let’s just say my mother
expected a lot from me, and God help me if I disappointed her.”
“So she was kind of hard on you?” Elle knew
what that was like, never living up to a parent’s expectations.
“Not at all,” Caleb said, setting the tray
on the coffee table. “She was great. She wanted the best for me, and she made
sure I worked hard to fulfill my dreams. It was never about her dreams for me;
it was always about me figuring out what I wanted and going after it.”
“Was your father the same way?”
“Definitely.” He sat on the suede
sectional, tucking one leg under the other before reaching for his mug and
taking a sip of the black coffee. “They were both supportive. I couldn’t have
asked for better parents. They’re a big part of the reason I was so hungry for
success. I wanted them to be able to retire, travel a bit, and enjoy life.”
“You’ve obviously accomplished your goals,”
Elle said, sitting down beside him. “Your business seems very successful.”
“It’s exceeded my expectations. When I
started out, I didn’t know what the hell to expect. You hear the stats about
most new businesses failing within the first year, and I sure as hell didn’t
want to be another sad story. Truth is, I didn’t have a plan B, so I had to
make this work.”
“How many employees do you have?” She took
a tentative sip to test the temperature of her tea.
“Last count was about three hundred and
sixty.”
Elle took a larger swallow and sputtered
when it went down the wrong way. She reached for a paper napkin and wiped her
mouth. “I’m sorry, did you say three hundred and sixty?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “We’re opening our
tenth office in Birmingham next month. Each office employs about thirty-five to
forty people, so we’ve got a nice little business.”
“A nice little business? Sounds like an
understatement.” Elle couldn’t deny her respect for him just climbed another
notch. “Congratulations, Caleb. That’s amazing.”
He set his coffee on the tray and stood to
slip off his jacket. He rolled back the sleeves of his white dress shirt before
loosening his blue silk tie. “It’s not as impressive as it sounds. I perfected
the formula here in Nashville. After that, it was just a matter of duplicating
a proven strategy.”
“I think you’re being modest.” She tried to
ignore the tightening sensation in her stomach as she watched him slip off his
tie and undo the top two buttons of his shirt.
“What you’ve accomplished is a hell of a
lot more impressive. You’ve made it in a town and business that’s used to
chewing people up and spitting them out. Tell me, how’d you manage that?”
“I met Evan Spencer.”
“Ah, yes, the owner of Titan Records. I met
him tonight while you were performing.”
“Really? I didn’t even know he was there
tonight,” Elle said. “I wonder why he didn’t stick around to talk to me.”
“He must have slipped out right after your
set… He’s very protective of you. He wanted to make sure my intentions were
honorable, that I wasn’t trying to get close to you to further my own agenda.”