Page 20 of Playing Pretend

“ON A SCALE OF one to ten, how mad are you?”

Aaliyah stopped in front of my desk, and I lifted my gaze from the screen of my laptop to look up at her. She looked somewhat remorseful, and held out a steaming cup of coffee from Starbucks.

I looked between her and the cup, and sighed heavily when I realized that I didn’t want to be angry with her, even if I felt that my privacy had been invaded. It was Friday morning, and after having such a late night, I was running on fumes. Caleb had left long before my alarm woke me up for work, and I didn’t want to make myself at home by making coffee at his place.

“That depends,” I replied, taking the cup from Aaliyah’s outstretched hand. “Are you going to make a habit of getting involved in my personal life?”

I sipped the caffeinated goodness, my senses humming appreciatively when met with the full-bodied Latte flavor. Oh, she was good, using one of my weaknesses to get me to forgive her with less effort on her part. I had to admire her determination.

“I can’t say that I won’t, I’m a nosy bitch, but can’t I get a pass just this once? It was extenuating circumstances, and I had to do something to help, Kadence.”

I regarded my friend, and co-worker, and saw the contrition shadowing the delicate features of her face. I wasn’t one to hold a grudge, but the latent anger I should’ve felt the night before, was shoved aside by everything else that had transpired from the moment Caleb had decided to be my Knight in shining armor. But even with Aaliyah standing in front of me, I couldn’t muster up enough energy to be angry with her for caring.

“I’ll forgive you, on one condition.”

“Anything.”

“Promise me that if you’re ever worried about me again, you’ll come to me instead of talking to Caleb.”

Aaliyah opened her mouth, and then winced when she said, “I can’t promise you that.”

I shook my head, and she was quick to add, “But only because Caleb would have my ass.”

I puffed up my cheeks, and then exhaled in a rush. Caleb was proving to be a conundrum, a walking contradiction. Trying to figure him out, along with his motives, was pointless, so why did I keep trying?

I was starting to think I was wasting my time.

“I’ll make it up to you with lunch at Bryant Park,” said Aaliyah. “How does that sound?”

On cue, my stomach rumbled, and Aaliyah responded with a giggle. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

“Fine,” I quipped, unable to stop the upturn of my lips. “Now let me get back to work.”

Aaliyah bounced back to her desk, and before I could get back to completing my to-do list, my desk phone rang.

I answered with, “Callahan Industries, Kadence speaking,” and expected someone to be calling for Macy.

“Kadence.” Caleb’s voice travelled through the phone, and I swear my heart fell over itself. Stupid thing needed to be replaced, or at least reminded what it felt like to be broken by the man on the other end of the line.

“Cal -” I started, but then realized I was at work and corrected myself. “Mr. Callahan. Macy isn’t in at the moment, but -”

“I wasn’t calling for Macy.” God, I hated it when he cut me off like that. Pompous ass. “I need you to come into my office. Now.”

The line went dead, and I stared at the phone with incredulity. Fortunately, I already knew that ‘rude’ and ‘abrupt’ were the extent of his vocabulary.

After finishing off my Latte, which admittedly was my small act of rebellion, I righted my black pencil skirt, and my silk turquoise peasant blouse before walking to Caleb’s office. My confidence was a little on the low side, but if I had to fake it in front of Caleb, then I would. I knocked on the door once, and pushed it open, expecting to find Caleb at his desk. Instead, I found the spacious office empty, and filled with beams of light coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. They stretched along my right, and rounded the back end of the space behind a glass, and steel desk. On the left stood three leather sofas, a small table in the middle of the sitting area, and to the side of Caleb’s desk was a dry bar. Unlike his penthouse, this was all man, and it lacked the warmth he’d created in his home.

“Took you long enough.”

Caleb’s grumble startled me, and I turned around from my spot in front of the windows. He appeared from behind the wall located just beyond his desk.

“I had something to finish for Macy,” I lied. “What is it that you wanted to see me about?”

In dark navy slacks, a white shirt, and a dark blue tie, he looked like every bit the shrewd businessman I’d read about. But after last night, I also knew he was a father, and that made him more human to me. The rest of the world hadn’t had the chance to see that side of him yet.

Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but was interjected by a knock on the door. It opened, and an older woman walked in. Caleb greeted her, and she kissed his cheek before turning to me.

“Kadence,” he motioned towards me. “This is Andrea. She’s the head stylist at Nordstrom.”