Chapter Six
CHAPTER SIX
Stevie
I ’d never been one to eavesdrop, but it was difficult not to overhear the heated conversation between Caleb and Alyssa as it drifted down the hallway and into his bedroom. Their voices were raised, and there was no mistaking the anger in Caleb’s tone, or the disdain in hers when it came to me.
I was normally a confident woman, but I couldn’t deny the way she’d initially called me a whore, then mocked my clothing, my job, and insinuated that Caleb was slumming it, had dug up old insecurities. Because for a girl who’d grown up in a trailer park, a man like Caleb was out of my league. Not that he’d ever made me feel that way, but I could understand why anyone in his affluent social circle might look at me and wonder what a wealthy, gorgeous man like him was doing with a simple, unworldly woman like me.
There was also no misconstruing what he’d said to Alyssa. Stevie isn’t random or casual. She’s a serious girlfriend and we’re in a committed relationship.
Yeah, that declaration made my jaw drop in shock.
Having been privy to their discussion, I understood why he’d tell Alyssa that lie. He had Owen to think about, and even though I doubted Caleb had violated that morality clause they’d talked about since Owen hadn’t been here during our time together, he’d been nervous enough about the situation, and how Alyssa might twist it to make that statement.
And now, as I sat on his bed and listened to him order Alyssa to leave, I wondered how he was going to get himself out of that little lie.
A few minutes later, I heard him heading down the hall, then he walked into the bedroom carrying my dress, bra, and shoes. He looked harried and distressed, and I hated seeing him so troubled when he was a man who was always so composed and seemly unflappable.
“Is it safe to come out?” I joked, trying to lighten the moment.
A deep sigh escaped him as he set my clothing on the mattress beside me. “Yes, and I’m sorry you had to hear any of that.” Genuine regret shimmered in his eyes.
My fingers absently pleated the hem of the T-shirt I was wearing. “You dug yourself a hole,” I said with a teasing smile, because there was no ignoring what I’d overheard. “I’m not even close to being your serious girlfriend.”
He grimaced and rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that…” He trailed off, obviously unsure of what he wanted to say or perhaps how he wanted to say it.
“Yes?”
“Can you and I discuss the possibility?”
“Of what?” I frowned, momentarily confused.
He held my gaze. “Of you being my girlfriend.”
I blinked, stunned, his words the last thing I’d expected to hear.
“Temporarily,” he was quick to add, as if he sensed I was about to reject that request. “Just until the custody case is over.”
My head spun. Of all the ways I thought he might resolve the girlfriend comment he’d made to his ex-wife, asking for a pretend relationship for the next few months wasn’t it.
“I…uh…” Still flustered by the request and certain his ex wouldn’t buy the arrangement regardless, I shook my head and stared up at him. “Caleb…I don’t think—”
“Dad, I’m hungry.”
Interrupted by the smaller voice, my gaze went to the doorway of the bedroom to see Owen standing there the same time Caleb turned around. The tense set of his shoulders relaxed a fraction as he looked at his son.
“Didn’t you have breakfast with your mom?” Caleb asked him.
Owen shook his head. “No. She woke me up and said she was bringing me home. I didn’t have time to eat anything.”
I couldn’t see Caleb’s face, which was probably schooled for Owen’s benefit, but I could easily imagine he was livid that Alyssa hadn’t fed her own son because she’d been more concerned about getting to Caleb’s to catch him in the act with a woman after being tipped off by a friend.
“I was just going to make some eggs,” Caleb said in a neutral tone. “Want some?”
“No.” Owen made a face that would have made me laugh under different circumstances. “Can I have cereal?”
“Sure,” Caleb relented, clearly not in the mood for an argument with his boy.
Owen glanced around his father, and he smiled when he saw me sitting on the bed. “Hi, Stevie. What are you doing here?”
I wasn’t sure how he’d missed seeing me earlier in the kitchen when he’d arrived, but I was grateful that he hadn’t witnessed that awkward moment between myself and his dad. As to how to answer his question, I was at a loss for an explanation.
“I…um…”
Caleb jumped in. “Stevie came by to have breakfast with us.”
Confusion creased between Owen’s brows, but before he could ask any more questions Caleb strode over to Owen, turned him around, and ushered him out of the bedroom while looking over his shoulder at me. “We’ll meet you out in the kitchen.”
I nodded, and once they were gone, I took my dress and bra and went into the bathroom and changed so I wasn’t walking around half naked. Finding a brush in a drawer, I restored some semblance of order to my hair, then exhaled a deep breath before joining them in the living area. Even though Owen had delayed our girlfriend conversation, I knew at some point we’d have to sort out the issue.
“Come sit by me, Stevie!” Owen said as soon as he saw me. He was already seated on a stool at the kitchen counter, digging into his Frosted Flakes and playing with two action figurines while Caleb was back at the stove, finishing the breakfast he’d started earlier.
I smiled at his enthusiasm. Because of Raven being Caleb’s sister, I’d been around Owen enough the past year that we’d established a friendly and familiar rapport, so at least what Caleb told Alyssa about Owen knowing me was true.
“I’ll be right there. I need a cup of coffee first,” I told him, which was an understatement. I desperately needed a jolt of caffeine after this morning’s fiasco, and to deal with the discussion with Caleb that still lay ahead.
I came up to the counter next to Caleb where the Keurig machine was located. He glanced my way as he continued scrambling eggs and reheating the mushrooms and ham.
“That coffee cup is for you,” he said, nodding toward the navy blue mug he’d set out for me, along with creamer and sugar.
“Thank you.” I put a pod into the machine and while I waited for my coffee to brew, I glanced at Caleb. I was glad to see his earlier anger toward Alyssa had subsided, but he still looked unsettled.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly.
Despite everything, he managed a charming smile. “I will be if you agree to what I asked you earlier, before we were interrupted by Owen.”
So many uncertainties about that request warred inside of me. “We’ll talk…later, after we eat and Owen isn’t listening in,” I promised. I’d at least hear him out, despite my misgivings.
He divided up the eggs onto two plates, then added the warmed-up mushrooms and ham on top, along with a sprinkle of cheese. “I’m just taking it as a positive sign that you’re still here.”
I sighed, even as my stomach grumbled at the savory scent teasing my nose. “I haven’t agreed to anything, Caleb.”
His gaze held mine, and very seriously, he said, “I’m hoping you will.”
The brewer finished the percolating process, and while I added sugar and creamer to the coffee, Caleb carried our plates to the kitchen island. He set one next to Owen, and instead of sitting beside his son, he indicated that I should take that spot while he stood across the counter so he was facing us.
“So what fun things did you do with your mom this week?” Caleb asked his son after we ate a few bites of the eggs.
“Nothing.” Owen set down the Iron Man figurine he’d been playing with and took another bite of his cereal. Milk dripped down his chin and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. “I went to school, and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa because Mommy wasn’t feeling well.”
I didn’t miss the way Caleb’s body tensed. “What do you mean Mommy wasn’t feeling well?” he asked, his tone far more casual than his posture. “Was it like last time?”
“Yeah. She had a headache and was sleeping a lot. She called Grandma who came and got me.”
Caleb’s gaze flickered to mine, and the worry I saw there was concerning. The fact that this seemed to be a regular occurrence didn’t bode well.
“Stevie, look at this,” Owen said, abruptly jumping to a more interesting topic as only a six-year-old could as he turned toward me with a Spider-Man action figure in his hand. “Look at what Spidey can do!”
He lifted the toy’s arm and aimed it at me, then pressed a button and out shot a small white net that landed on my shoulder. I gasped dramatically, and Owen chortled, making me grin at his unfettered glee, which was exactly what I needed after this morning’s debacle. Even Caleb chuckled at his son’s tickled reaction.
“I gotcha with his web!” Owen said, then removed the little projectile from my dress. “Want to see what my other action heroes can do?”
“Not now, Owen,” Caleb said, redirecting his son’s attention. “How about you finish up your cereal. When you’re done, you can play Minecraft for a little longer, with the headphones on, while I talk to Stevie about grown-up stuff.”
At the mention of more video game time, he quickly finished his Frosted Flakes. He nearly leapt off the stool to run to his room but Caleb stopped him before he could.
“Hey, you know the rules,” Caleb said in a gentle, but firm tone. “Clear your dishes and rinse them, please.”
Owen did as he was told without complaint, then grabbed his toys and disappeared into his room.
Caleb shook his head after he was gone. “I usually regulate the time he spends on his Xbox, but it’s coming in handy today.”
We finished our own breakfast, which was delicious. I helped Caleb clean the kitchen, putting the dishes into the dishwasher while he wiped down the counters and stovetop. The easy silence between us felt normal, but knowing the discussion still to come, anticipation churned in my stomach.
“Let’s go sit in the living room where it’s comfortable,” he suggested, his tone gentle but carrying an underlying seriousness. “This conversation might take a while because you need to know why it’s so important to me that you say yes to what I’m going to propose.”
I followed him into the adjoining room and sat down on the sofa, and he settled into the club chair next to me. I folded my hands in my lap, a nervous energy sliding through me.
He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as his gaze met mine, showing me a surprising glimpse of vulnerability for a man who was usually so confident and composed. “Clearly, you heard the conversation with Alyssa, which gives you a good indication of where things stand between us.”
“Yes,” I said with a nod. “And I hope it’s okay, but Raven did mention that things are contentious between the two of you, but I had no idea she was so…”
“Vindictive? Spiteful? Resentful to the point of wanting me to suffer emotionally?” He laughed, though the sound lacked any humor. “Yeah, they all apply.”
I heard the pain in his voice, and my heart hurt for him. “Was she always that way?” I asked curiously, unable to imagine Caleb marrying a woman so callous and cruel, yet he had.
“Maybe? I don’t know.” He shook his head at his own confusion. “The thing is, I never would have dated her had she shown me that side to her personality, but she did change after we got married, so that’s where my ‘maybe’ comes in. Because maybe those tendencies were always there, but she did a great job of concealing them until things in our marriage started to change and deteriorate.”
“Then you loved her at some point,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
He sighed, the sound full of regret. “I cared for her, yes. I can’t say I was ever madly in love with her.” He paused for a beat, his eyes flicking to the floor, then back to mine. “My mother set us up. Alyssa is the daughter of one of her affluent friends, so they pushed us together, because that’s how my mother is. Everything is about status and appearance for her. So, when Alyssa got pregnant with Owen, I stupidly felt pressured to marry her even though I knew in my gut that it didn’t feel right. But a part of me did like the idea of having a wife and a family, so I went into it with good intentions.”
Of course he had. Caleb struck me as a man who was honorable and upstanding. One who believed in doing things for the right reasons, even at the cost of his own happiness. I couldn’t help but feel for him, even though I didn’t fully understand the pressure he must have been under.
“So what happened?” I asked, my voice softer now, intrigued by the story he was revealing.
“After Owen was born, things changed. Alyssa changed.” He stared down at his clasped hands, avoiding my gaze for a moment, as if he was still working through the memories. “There’d always been a disconnect between us, but things got progressively worse. I’d just become partner at Manhattan Prestige Realty and I was spending a lot of time at the office, which she didn’t like. She wanted the money and status of being my wife, but she didn’t like the time I dedicated to work and we fought about that a lot, even though I did my best to juggle work with home life and spending time with Owen.”
He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, and I could see the shadows of that tumultuous past on his face. “But no matter what I did, it was never enough for her and quite frankly, dealing with her mood swings and the tension she created in our relationship became exhausting. To put things into context, she’s an only child, entitled, used to getting her way, and having all the attention on her. When I didn’t bend to her demands her resentment toward me grew.”
I could sense the frustration building in him, and I remained quiet, giving him the space to continue.
“That’s when I really saw her malicious side, and everything she did after that was all in an attempt to hurt me because she felt wronged. First, it was racking up an obscene amount in credit card debt like a spoiled child. She started ignoring Owen and leaving him with a sitter so she could go out during the day without him, and even at night. She told me she needed a life and that she wanted to spend time with her girlfriends after being cooped up with Owen all day…except I discovered she was out having affairs with random men.”
I winced, unable to imagine how awful that realization must have been for him. “I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say…but I did find it ironic that Alyssa could be so judgmental toward me when her own choices and past actions were so questionable.
He shrugged, but I could tell this entire conversation, and revisiting the past, weighed heavily on him. “A part of me felt like maybe I drove her to that, but when I found out she was abusing prescription drugs on top of everything else, that was a deal breaker for me. Clearly, she was miserable, and so was I. And, mostly, there was no way I could trust her around Owen.” His voice cracked with pain. “I filed for divorce, and the only way she was allowed joint custody was if she checked herself into rehab, which her parents pushed her into. She was there for four months and she honestly thought I’d take her back once she was clean, but I was done with her, which is the impetus for her bitterness and resentment and fighting me for sole custody of Owen. For one thing it would give her more money in child support on top of alimony, but she also knows how much losing Owen would destroy me.”
“But you’re a great dad.” My brow furrowed in confusion as I stared at him. “How could that even happen?”
His lips stretched into a grim line, but his eyes were full of frustration and helplessness. “Here’s the kicker. Alyssa’s father is a judge with connections in family court here in New York. And despite everything, he has blinders on when it comes to his daughter. She’s a daddy’s girl and he would do anything to make her happy. And that morality clause? I’m the one who insisted on it when we divorced because of her history of random affairs and drug use, but I don’t want to give her any ammunition to use against me, which brings us back around to me asking you to stand in as my girlfriend for the next two months.”
His eyes bore into mine, so expectant and hopeful, while my own heartbeat quickened in my chest. “Standing in as your girlfriend…what does that even entail?”
“Accompanying me to business dinners, and an upcoming art charity gala that I know Alyssa will be attending. Being seen with me in public and spending time with me and Owen, and making sure the doorman sees you around. Just being a part of our lives for the next two months so it’s clear to anyone who might be watching that we’re a legitimate couple.”
His choice of words caught my attention. “Anyone who might be watching?”
He hesitated for a moment, then very reluctantly said, “I’m pretty sure that Alyssa is going to hire a PI to find out what’s going on between you and me. And that’s why I need everything to look real.”
My head started to pound, and I rubbed at my temples with my fingers, trying to process, well, everything.
He reached out and grabbed my free hand, and when I raised my eyes to his, I didn’t miss the imploring look on his handsome face. “I know this is an incredibly selfish request, but I can’t risk losing Owen. Please.”
I had a difficult time trying to wrap my mind around everything he was asking of me. “Caleb, I have my own life. I work nights and most weekends at The Back Door. I work as an intern at Dare PR twice a week and I have a degree I’m trying to finish—”
“I’ll make it worth your while,” he interrupted, and now there was an edge of desperation to his voice. “I won’t interfere with your internship, or your studies, but I would need you to take a leave from The Back Door because I’ll need you around in the evenings and on the weekends.”
I jumped up from my spot on the couch, my mind whirling. “I can’t—”
“You can because Raven will understand,” he argued, standing too. “Especially when you tell her the reason why. I know I’m asking a lot, but I’m prepared to offer you fifty thousand dollars for two months, just until the custody case is over.”
The amount was so staggering, so unexpected, that my jaw literally dropped. “What?” I asked, certain I must have misheard him.
“Think of it as a business deal. A temporary job. Two months of your time for fifty grand.”
Fifty grand …Part of me was insulted he was trying to buy my help, but I knew he was desperate. I thought about all the things I could do with a lump sum of money like that. Pay off most of my school loans. Get an apartment in a nicer neighborhood. Help out Valerie until she was settled again. Actually put some of it away into savings. Fifty grand was nothing to a man like Caleb…and life-changing for me.
And all I would have to do was pretend to be his girlfriend for two months.
Not really a hardship, except for the fact that a part of me wished it were for real. Because the truth was, I might have only spent one night with him, but this crush I’d had on him for the past year already felt like it was blossoming into something more. But he wasn’t asking for a true commitment, and after everything he’d been through with Alyssa I could easily understand why he’d have his emotional guard up.
“Please,” he said softly.
He looked genuinely terrified of losing custody of Owen, and compared to that pain, he was asking for two months out of my life. I could do this for Caleb, because I’d never be able to forgive myself if he lost his son over something I could have prevented from happening.
I swallowed hard. Somehow I knew this situation had the potential of leaving my heart in tatters, but this wasn’t about me, but Owen’s welfare because the little boy would be equally traumatized without his father in his life.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” I said, and hoped I didn’t come to regret my decision.