by Ivy Jordan
Caleb was an influential man and was always in the media. There was a chance that he could help me with my career; he may know some important people. He was wealthy and famous, after all; there was a good chance that I could end up with my big break just by being involved in this gig. The more I thought about it, the better I felt about the whole situation. I could take every opportunity that came my way and see if there were other doors that could be opened.
I would take advantage of whatever I could, and this girlfriend gig could turn into something so much bigger. It was a gig that would be a lot of fun if I just got into character more. Many girls would kill to be in my position, being wined and dined by a handsome man. Just the thought of it put a huge smile on my face.
“What are you smiling at, gorgeous?”
I turned to Caleb, whom I was sitting beside in the booth. We had tired of dancing and had gone back for a drink. I was sipping a vodka tonic and didn’t realize that I had got lost in my own thoughts. We had been having a good talk while socializing and I had to admit I wasn’t having a terrible time. The club was one of the most exclusive ones in the area, and I couldn’t help but feel important just being there with him. I had never been in a club like this before; if I would have tried, I probably would have spent the night outside in a line.
“I was just thinking about what a good time I was having. It’s been fun.”
“I agree, and I’m glad you are having a good time. So, Hailey, tell me a little more about yourself? Tell me about your acting career, how has that been going.”
Oh, God, that was the last thing that I wanted to talk about with him. He was a successful, important person. I didn’t want to have to tell him that I couldn’t even get a job on a reality TV show. I wouldn’t want him to regret hiring me. But what could I say? I couldn’t lie to him. It’s not like I had been in anything big that I could brag about. If I sat there and told him what my acting career was really like he probably wouldn’t be able to stop laughing. I didn’t want to look like a complete loser in front of him.
“Oh gosh, you don’t want to hear about that. It’s boring, and I’ve just kind of started, you know. Getting my feet wet.”
“Well, I’d love to hear about some of the gigs you’ve done. It sounds like a lot of fun.”
“Wow, do you find it hot in here? Do you mind if I excuse myself to go to the bathroom?”
He looked alarmed, “No, of course not. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I smiled, “I’ll be right back.” I winked at him as I left the booth. It was nice to be out of the booth where I could breathe. I made my way through the crowd and found the ladies room. I was impressed by the fact that even the bathroom was upscale and luxurious. There was a couch in the room, and I went to sit down on the supple leather. I didn’t need to go to the bathroom; I just needed a bit of a break from my role.
I was getting tired and thought about heading home shortly. It was getting late, and I didn’t need to be there all night. After all, I was playing the part of a girl; that meant that I could be as mysterious as I wanted to be.
I pulled out my phone and texted my sister. I hadn’t talked to her since I got to Miami and I wanted to let her know that everything was okay.
Hailey- How are you?
Mandy got back to me in the fraction of a second, which made me smile. She always had her phone with her, so it was rare that she didn’t get back to me right away.
Mandy- What took u so long? I’ve been dying to hear all about it.
Hailey- Sorry, it’s been crazy. I got the job. It’s decent so far, but a little weird, if u know what I mean.
Mandy- That’s awesome.
Hailey- Yeah, I just can’t believe I’m moving here – it’s such a big step. Am I crazy?
Mandy- No, of course not. It’s a great opportunity. It’s only for 3 months then u move back if u want.
Hailey- True. Caleb is so hot! It’s distracting lol Ugh!
Mandy- I bet lol That’s hilarious, but doesn’t sound like a bad gig. Lots of $$$ and a hot guy? Sounds like an easy decision to me.
Hailey- Ok, ok. Lol, I will stop complaining. I wish u were here.
Mandy- So do i. I miss u already.
Hailey- It’s too bad that u weren’t here. But I will be back there tomorrow.
Mandy- Yes I can’t wait. How long before you have to be back?
Hailey- I have 3 days to get my life settled there and move.
Mandy- Oh wow! Lol, The bistro should be really impressed.
Hailey- Well, unless they are willing to pay me 50k, they can’t really blame me for going.
Mandy- U deserve this, so don’t feel guilty
Hailey- What am I going to do without u here? I’ll lose my mind.
Mandy- I can be there, just bring me with u. I can’t stay here alone; I will be so lonely. Plus, I can help you in any way that u need.
I hadn’t thought about having Mandy with me, but why not? She could work from anywhere because she was a writer, and it would be a relief to have someone I knew around. We could have a blast. I wasn’t sure where she would stay, but since I had planned on getting an apartment originally, we could still split one, and that would give me the chance to escape the property at times if I needed some freedom.
I would let Caleb know, of course, that she would be coming as a support system for me. I couldn’t imagine that he would care. It would be easy; all it would take is for Mandy to pick up her laptop and come with me. It would make the gig easier because I would have some support on my side. We could go to the beach together, and she wouldn’t have to worry about money because she would still be able to work whenever she wanted to. She might even network some new clients while she was in the area.
When I left the bathroom, I felt a lot better about the situation. I headed back to the booth and sat beside Caleb. I was done with the night, however, and wanted to head back to my hotel. I had played the part, and I had no intention of being the kind of girl that went home with a guy on the first night, so there was no reason for people to see us leaving together.
I leaned in to him and kissed him on the cheek, which brought a huge smile to his face. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Are you leaving?” he said with surprise.
“Yes, I’m tired. Maybe I’ll see you again soon.” He knew I was just playing with him, but it was fun to be coy.
“I would like that.”
I got up to leave, casting a look over my shoulder, and was surprised to see a disappointed look on his face. It was obvious that he thought I was at least going to spend the night with him at the club. He probably even wondered if I would go home with him and sleep with him. Well, this was a job for me, and I wasn’t about to do anything to risk it. We both understood that. I felt like I had all the power in the situation, and, why shouldn’t I? This was my first real gig.
Chapter Thirteen
Caleb
It was good to be back in the tournament. I was stretching my legs and getting back into the groove of things. Despite the fact that I was doing well so far, I was feeling distracted. I could barely concentrate on the game because all I could think about was Hailey. She had haunted my thoughts for days, and I wasn’t really used to that.
Hailey was arriving that day. I had spoken with her the night before, and she had told me she would arrive sometime on Wednesday. Knowing that she would be arriving soon kept me on edge. It made me feel good about my life. Things were going to start getting back to normal, and I would be able to enjoy my life again.
I had not seen her after the night at the club. She had stayed in the hotel and disappeared back home the next morning before I could even call her. She was one mysterious girl. I had called her and gave her all the information she needed to make arrangements to move out here.
She mentioned that her sister would be accompanying her later after she secured some accommodations for her, and it was something that I could totally understand. It would be nice for her to have someone in the ci
ty that she knew because he wouldn’t always be available to entertain her. This way she would have her sister to keep her company, and they could tour the city together. It actually made the whole situation a lot better for both of them, and if I could help in any way, I would.
I had suggested that Mandy stay at the house, but and Hailey was quick to dismiss that, stating that her sister would not feel comfortable with that arrangement. I guessed I could understand that. She didn’t know me from a hole in the ground, and it wasn’t my goal to make anyone uncomfortable. It wasn’t like she was working for me; it was Hailey who I expected a little more of, and that’s because she was being paid.
I was standing on the green surveying the situation, and everything looked good so far. I looked back at Matthew, who handed me a driver. He knew exactly what I needed every single time, and I trusted him with everything.
“It’s a long hole and the wind is pulling to the east so watch out for that. You have a sand trap also that you may want to avoid,” he said with a smirk. There was nothing better than having your best friend always looking out for you, making sure that you never made a mistake.
I nodded as I took the driver and steadied myself on the green. I glanced out a few times before taking a breath and swinging. The ball shot out, and I smiled as I watched it drop and bounce along. I handed Matthew the driver and watched him put it away. We watched as the other players took their turns and then we moved towards the 9th hole.
It was a warm day, and the weather was holding up for the tournament. We couldn’t have asked for a better day with the sun shining. I was looking forward to having beers with Matt after the game was over. I had a good sweat on already; a cold beer would be amazing.
“So, Hailey is coming in today.”
“Yes, I know you mentioned it about eight times. Remember, I will be picking her up at the airport.”
I laughed, “Don’t be a dick. I’m just saying I’m anxious for her to get here. Her things are being shipped down, and I told you she was bringing her sister, right? I think she’s thinking about getting her own place, but I wouldn’t even care if she stayed in the guest quarters.”
“Do you know anything about the sister?”
“She’s a freelance writer, so she works from home. Definitely convenient if she just follows her sister around all the time. I guess they are really close.”
“Cool.”
We got to the next hole, and I stared off into the distance. “I think this is pretty good, right? It’s going to work out.”
Matthew rolled his eyes. He was becoming frustrated with me; I could see it all over his face. “Caleb, we can talk about Hailey over beers later. You need to focus on your score, because clearly you’re not.”
I scoffed and waved him off. “I’m doing incredibly well today; it’s my best day yet. Don’t worry about the scores.”
Matthew stayed firm, though. “Yeah, you may be doing well, but you stay focused. We’ll worry about Hailey and her sister later. Let’s just focus on the tournament right now. Got it?”
“Sure thing, Dad! You do realize that I’ve already been invited to the Masters in April, right? So, relax.”
“Whatever, man. Just take your shot.”
“I get what you’re saying, Matthew, but this is the time for me to brag. I’ve gotten into the Masters; this is all just additional money in the pocket and the chance to show off. I got this stuff down pat. I could practically do it in my sleep.”
I turned from him and approached the green, thinking about my shot. I looked off into the fairway and planned my swing. It was going to be a good one, but I thought I had it in one shot, I was that confident about it.
I didn’t know why I couldn’t feel that confident when I was in the majors. That was the time when I usually choked, and I hoped again that I would be able to get passed it that year. There had to be a reason for it. I was determined to overcome it this time. I would not let that stupid feeling to take over me. It was not going to control my life forever – I had it in me to be truly great, and that’s what I wanted.
I took position on the green as Matthew handed me a 2-iron club. I swung the club, and the ball went flying. Just like that, it bounced along and went right in the hole.
I turned to him and said, “See what I mean? I got this.”
He gave me a high five, but didn’t give me the benefit of a smile.
I left the tournament with a huge grin on my face because I was the victor. It felt good to be back on top, and it was the one thing that I truly loved about tournament time. It was the leat stressful time to be a golfer; I didn’t even have to worry until I got to the majors. I considered this to be playtime for now. Matthew sometimes got on my back, but I wasn’t the least bit worried now – things were going as planned.
We sat down and waited for our beers to arrive; the waitress wasn’t long before she came with the beer. There was nothing better than having a cold beer after a long game out in the sun, and I almost wished we could have beers during the game.
“Well, congrats, man; you had a great game out there. So far, so good.”
“And you were bitching about my score.”
Matthew laughed, “I’m doing my job. It doesn’t matter how good your game is – if you don’t watch that score, it can turn around in a blink of an eye.”
“Yeah, I know. But right now, it’s not a big deal.”
“It’s always a big deal. Don’t get cocky.”
I laughed and took a sip of my beer. The day was great, I couldn’t have asked for better weather, a better game, and now we were celebrating with beers. Life was good.
“So, you have been talking to Hailey?” he asked.
“Well, we talked last night. She just let me know when she was arriving. I sent you her itinerary.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to seeing her.”
I laughed, “Are you, now?”
“Well, she’s a cool chick, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I do; we get along really well. It was more than I could hope for in a situation like this. I really like how mature she is.”
“A wild difference from you, right?”
“Easy there, I’m doing alright these days.”
“Cheers to that.” We clinked the mugs of beer together.
“I’m glad things are going well for you, Caleb; I think this is going to be your year, and Hailey is definitely a great addition to help you along.”
“I agree.”
Just then, Matthew’s phone went off, and he looked down at it. “Oh, shit. Hailey is here.”
“She has your number?” I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. How close were these two getting? I watched as he texted her back and wondered what they were talking about.
“Weren’t you supposed to pick her up?”
“Yeah, I thought so, too. But she just messaged that she got in early and is headed to the Hilton. She didn’t want to rush me away from the tournament. So, I guess we have time for another beer.”
“Sounds good.” I was getting no texts from Hailey and wondered why. I wasn’t expecting her to text me, but now that she was texting Matt, I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t feel comfortable enough to send me a message as well. Maybe it was because she still thought of me as just a boss. I was her boss, but I had no problem with having a friendship with her as well; it would help us if we felt comfortable around each other. Maybe I would mention it to her to make her aware that we didn’t have to behave like it was all business just because I had hired her.
The waitress arrived with another round of beers, and we got back into talking about the tournament. It wasn’t long before Matt was talking about Hailey again, which totally irritated me. He started in again after he got another text message from her.
“We’re going apartment hunting tomorrow.”
“Who’s we?”
“Hailey and me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Hailey is looking
for an apartment for her sister. She won’t be arriving until she has some place to live. So, we are going to find a place for her and get her settled.”
I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing. I was definitely not cool with Matt just taking care of all of Hailey’s needs. Shouldn’t that be my job? I knew we weren’t really dating, but I was the reason she was here, so why wasn’t she leaning on me at all for help. I took a sip of my beer, lost in thought and clearly ignoring Matt.
“Do you have a problem with this?”
I looked over at Matt. “Are you joking? Of course I do. It’s not cool.”
“Why? What’s the big deal? It’s another errand. I thought you would send me on it, anyways.”
“I want to go with her instead. She’s here for me; we are working together.”
Matt laughed, “Already getting possessive, aren’t you, Caleb?”
I didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure why I felt possessive of her – she was in no way mine. I just didn’t like how close the two of them were getting; it was a little weird for me. It was about time I started putting my foot down.
“Tell her to stay at the airport. I’m going to get her, just don’t let her know it’s me.” I got up without waiting for a response and left my beer behind.
Chapter Fourteen
Hailey
I was glad I had taken an early flight into Miami because the day was beautiful and should be enjoyed. I was tired from the flight, though, and was looking forward to relaxing by the pool at the hotel. I had messaged Matt and told him he didn’t need to pick me up as I had come early and didn’t want to put him out. I could easily take a shuttle to the hotel. I knew he was probably with Caleb because they had a tournament match that day. If I had to guess, they were probably celebrating with drinks afterward, and I didn’t need to intrude.
I made my way over to the baggage claim and waited patiently. It was then that I got a text back that said that I would be picked up after all. I didn’t know why he insisted on coming to get me, but that was fine. I wasn’t about to argue about it. I didn’t mind waiting. I collected my bags and headed over to the doors where I would be picked up.
