The Teacher's Billionaire (20 page)

Thanks to a rainstorm, the ride to Callie's took longer than usual. Finally, sometime after three
in the morning Dylan pulled into the driveway behind her building. He fought to keep his worry and fear in check as he banged on her apartment door not caring if he woke her neighbors. Something upset her enough to send her running home. He needed to know what that was. At the same time he was pissed she hadn't bothered to tell him she was leaving.

Like his many phone calls, his knock went unanswered. “It's me Callie! Open the door! I know you're home. I can see the light on inside.” He pounded again this time a little harder.

The outside light went on, and she opened the door for him. Soaked to the bone he moved into the tiny kitchen where Callie backed up till she leaned against the counter. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying, and she stood with her arms crossed hugging her body.

“What are you doing here?” It was the first thing she said to him so far. Dylan thought it was the most ridiculous question he'd ever heard. She'd run out on him and hopped a train. What had she thought he would do when he discovered her gone? Go out for a beer?

He moved to stand in front of her. “Why do you think I'm here?” What the hell was wrong with her. This wasn't the Callie he'd come to know.

Relax, Talbot. Getting upset isn't going to help anything.

“I went to talk with Phillips. When I got back you were gone.” Dylan tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. “I tried calling but you didn't answer your phone.” He knew she had to hear the anger creeping into his voice, but he couldn't do anything about it. “I was worried.”

“Worried? About what?” Her eyes flashed with anger. “That I would tell someone I was Warren Sherbrooke's daughter?”

Of all the things she could have said this was the last he expected. “What? No. What are you talking about? Where did you get that idea from?”

“I heard you,” she began her voice cracking. “You didn't have to sleep with me to keep me from going to the press.” She wiped a tear off her cheek. “All you needed to do was ask me. I would've have told you that.”

Shit she knows.
How was he going to defuse this situation? Obviously she overheard his conversation with Phillips. Raking a hand through his wet hair, he moved toward her. But stopped when she moved away putting more space between them again.

“Maybe you should add acting to your resume. You're very good at it.”

Taking a deep breath he slowly exhaled. He knew his silence was damning, yet he didn't know how to explain. He couldn't deny what she'd heard. Still, he hadn't been acting either.

“Let me explain. Please,” he pleaded. “Phillips was worried about what you might do before Warren makes a formal announcement. He asked me to keep an eye on you. Make sure you were happy.”

Dylan moved towards the counter again. This time to grab a towel to wipe the rain from his face. Yet Callie again moved further away. Her insistence on keeping distance between them cut him deep.

“And you felt you just had to go along with him.”

“If I didn't Phillips would have found someone else to do it.” His explanation sounded so cold even to him. He could only imagine how horrible it must sound to her.

Callie moved to the door and yanked it open. “Please leave.” Her voice was soft and cracked with emotion. “And next time you see him make sure you tell Phillips he has nothing to worry about. I won't tell a soul.”

He didn't want to leave. Not like this. “Callie, yes I agreed to help Phillips but I do...”

“I don't want to hear it, Dylan. Just go,” she said interrupting him.

Just leave.
If that was what she really wanted there was no point in him staying. Without another word he walked back out into the pouring rain.

Leaning against the closed door Callie gave into the tears she'd been holding back. Gut wrenching sobs racked her body. Slowly she slid down to the floor.

How could she have been so stupid? She should have known something was up. Men like Dylan Talbot didn't fall for women like her. Maybe in books and movies they did but not in the real world.

Lucky nudged her with his nose as if to comfort her. Hugging the dog close Callie sat and cried till no more tears would come. Physically and emotionally exhausted she stood and headed to her bedroom. Right now she wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and block all thoughts of Dylan from her mind. But the minute she saw the neatly made bed memories of their time together in it hit her head on like a freight train.

I can't sleep in here tonight.
Callie grabbed a pillow and headed back to the living room. However, even this room contained painful memories. She could vividly picture them sitting in here eating ice cream and listening to music that night after the baseball game.

“Unless I plan on sleeping in the bathroom tonight, I am just going to have to suck it up,” Callie said tossing her pillow on to the couch. Every room in the apartment except the bathroom contained memories of her time with Dylan. Plopping down on the couch, she forced her eyes shut and prayed for a dreamless rest.

***

Why were they playing Bon Jovi at the fundraiser?
It seemed like an odd choice of music for this event.

It took Callie a few seconds to realize she was dreaming and that the music she heard was her cell phone. Dragging herself off the couch, she retrieved the phone from the kitchen counter. Warren Sherbrooke's name glared up at her from the phone's screen. Sighing she pressed the talk button.

“Callie how are you feeling today? I was worried when Elizabeth said you left last night with a migraine.”

Callie had almost forgotten the excuse she'd given Elizabeth for leaving early.

“Better, thanks. Just a little tired,” Callie lied hoping she sounded more convincing to Warren than she did to herself.

“I had hoped to visit with you today, but when I called Dylan's he said you'd already gone home.”

She could hear the unasked question in her father's voice. He was wondering why she'd bolted from the city so quickly. There was no way she was telling him the truth, so instead she lied again.

“The earlier train was cheaper.”

It's not a complete lie
. The train she'd taken home had been fifty dollars cheaper than the one she had originally planned on taking this afternoon.

“I wanted to talk to you about this in person. Next week I have an interview with Lindsay Phelps from NBC.” Warren began to explain, not commenting on her decision to take the earlier train. “I wanted to tell her about you. Get everything out in the open. But I wanted to speak with you first. Are you okay with this?” Warren asked, his concern coming through the phone loud and clear. “If you're not that's fine. We can wait.”

This was exactly what Dylan and Marty Phillips had been trying to prevent. The logical part of her mind screamed that making any major decisions now while upset was a mistake. But she ignored it. Pissed at the two men for trying to manipulate her, she made up her mind in a split second. “I'm okay with you doing that.”

“Why don't you join me. The interview is being done in New York. I can make arrangements for you to stay at one of the Sherbrooke hotels in the city.”

Letting Warren tell the reporter that he had a previously unknown daughter was one thing. Being present for the interview was something else entirely.

“I'm not sure I could handle that. It's probably better if I stay home and let you handle it.” Callie had no desire to be on television.

Warren didn't respond at first. Callie couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. But eventually he said, “If you change your mind let me know. I would like to have you with me for that part of the interview.”

“If I do, I'll call you,” Callie replied although she knew there was no way she would change her mind on this one.

Chapter 13

It's done. For better or worse it's finally over.
She was sitting in Starbucks waiting for Lauren yet her mind was not on their upcoming shopping trip. Warren's interview with the reporter had been earlier that morning.

When she'd spoken with Warren she'd been angry at Marty Phillips and Dylan. Giving him the go ahead had been her way of getting back at them. Now though she wasn't sure it'd been such a good idea. She didn't want people to start treating her differently just because Warren Sherbrooke was her father.

Callie finished off her latte and went to order another. Two lattes in the same day wasn't good for the waistline, but today she didn't care. Someone near the counter had their laptop open, and she glimpsed a picture of Warren on the screen.

“Looks like the media finally uncovered some skeletons in Senator Sherbrooke's closet,” she heard the laptop's owner say to his friend. “According to this article he has an illegitimate daughter floating around.”

“Big deal. All those politicians have their secrets. I think it's a job requirement,” the companion responded not bothering to even look up from his magazine.

Wow! That was fast.
Technology made getting news out too easy. At least she didn't see anyone that she knew. And she wasn't likely to since the mall was so close to Boston. Most of the people she knew went to the Salem Mall which was just a few towns over from Slatersville.

She didn't want to think about all the questions she would face now from people she knew. Luckily, school was out for the year.

Damn. I really shouldn't have made this decision when I was so mad.
Callie sat back down with a fresh latte in her hand.

“All right chickie. Lets do some shopping,” Lauren said joining her. “And then pedicures.”

Callie held back a groan. She wasn't in the mood for one of Lauren's shopping sprees. Still, she'd agreed to go along because she knew Lauren wanted to cheer her up. She'd been trying to since Callie told her everything about that night in New York. Unfortunately, Callie knew a day shopping and getting pedicures wasn't going to cut it. Perhaps it would keep her physical body busy, but her mind and heart would still be on Dylan's betrayal.

He'd tried calling her once since that awful night. When she saw his number on the caller id she let it go directly to voice mail. Since then he hadn't tried to contact her again.

Lauren pulled Callie to her feet. “Smile, we're going to have fun. And spend more money than we probably should.”

Stop thinking about him.
It wasn't real anyway, Callie reminded herself entering the busy mall. He's sure as heck wasn't losing any sleep over her in that huge penthouse of his. He probably already has someone else in his bed. Maybe he'd had someone else all along. Who knew what he'd been doing when they weren't together.

“When we're done at the spa, I made us reservations at the Melting Pot. I heard they have the most amazing Hazelnut Chocolate fondue.” Lauren continued, referring to the new fondue restaurant Callie had wanted to try for months.

“Thanks, Lauren. For everything.”

Lauren stopped walking. “What are friends for? You'd do the same for me.” Linking her arm through Callie's she started walking again. “First, I want to hit the new swim suit store. I'm in desperate need of a new suit. And I have to stop in Pottery Barn to get a present for my cousin's bridal shower next week.”

As Lauren rattled off the rest of her plans for the mall, Callie tried to appear enthused. “Sure. Whatever. Doesn't matter to me.”

When she got home several hours later there were reporters and a man, that could play the Incredible Hulk if they ever made another movie, who informed her Warren sent him to be her personal body guard waiting outside. There were also twenty voice mail messages on her phone. Somehow, she'd forgotten her cell phone at home, so she had missed all the calls. There were even some on her house phone. “Word sure travels fast.”

Every single message sounded the same. Was she really Senator Sherbrooke's daughter? How long had she known? Why hadn't she told them? Even the principal from her school called much to Callie's disbelief. While she had a great professional relationship with the woman, they were not friends. Still, she called wanting to know if Callie planned on returning in the fall.

Out of all the calls that one was the only one she felt she needed to return. Callie dialed the number left by the principal. “Irene, it's Callie Taylor,” she said when the woman answered.

“Callie, I apologize for calling, but I had to after I saw the news this afternoon. Is it true?”

She wanted to say no, it's a big joke but she held her tongue. “Yes. I only found out recently.”

“I see.” Irene paused for a minute. “Does that mean you won't be returning in the fall? Should I be looking for your replacement?”

Why Irene even thought she wouldn't be back was beyond her. “I'll be there in the fall, Irene. This doesn't change anything. I have no intention of leaving the school.”