38. Cole
“Thanks again.I know it was last minute.” Charli smiled as we rode in the back of the SUV she’d hired.
“Of course.”
Charlotte James, or Charli, was a repeat customer. The once-supermodel-turned-doctor owned a physical therapy practice that was world-renowned. She was a highly sought-after PT for elite athletes, actors, and musicians. There were men lining up to take her out, but she hired me for the same reason successful, attractive men paid for escorts. They weren’t paying for the sex; they were paying for them to leave after.
Except, in Charli’s case, she was paying me not to try to have sex with her or harass her after our ‘dates.’ She said it was freeing to spend the night with an attractive man with whom she could relentlessly flirt, with no consequences.
Since this wasn’t the first event I’d been to with Charli—I’d gone to a Christmas party and a black-tie charity dinner—we didn’t have to get our story straight. We met at spin class a year ago and were casually dating.
When she’d texted two hours ago, I was actually happy for the distraction. It meant, for a few hours at least, I could stop obsessing over Bailey. Or at least obsess over her in a different environment than my apartment.
“My date bailed last minute and it’s a small wedding. Everyone is basically coupled up, and I am done being the third wheel.”
“This is a wedding?” I’d gone to two weddings in the past month, and Bailey hadn’t been at either of them. I missed her so much; it was driving me crazy. No matter what I did, or what I told myself, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“Yes.” A huge smile spread on her face. “My bestie’s dad is marrying his first love. They met forty years ago when he was a Chippendales dancer, and she was a waitress at the Playboy Club.” She wagged her brows.
“Wait, that sounds familiar.” I wracked my brain, trying to remember where I’d heard that, and then it hit me. “Do you know if they were guests on The Duel podcast?”
“Yeah, they were.” Her head tilted to the side. “You listen to The Duel?”
The Duel podcast was basically a he-said-she-said format where the hosts, Nick Locke and Serena Grace, took calls and then argued with each other over the responses. Although I found it entertaining, I would never put it on by choice.
“No, my niece listens to it.”
“Oh, you have a niece?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
Shit.That was the third time I’d let personal information slip out during a job. For two years, I’d been like Fort Knox. I never came close to disclosing anything personal. But the past few weekends, on jobs, I kept opening my mouth and saying things I shouldn’t say.
Two weeks ago, at a ten-year high school reunion, my ‘date’ Monique said that her ex, and the reason I was hired, was a pro wrestler and would be there. I told her my nephew loved wrestling. And last week, at a fiftieth wedding anniversary, I was hired by Claudia, a woman with seven sisters who were all married. She just didn’t want the event to be filled with relatives, and her parents, putting pressure on her to meet someone. I was speaking to one of Claudia’s aunts, who told me she had RA and was on a clinical trial for a new steroid. I immediately said that my sister had RA and asked for information on the trial.
I needed to face facts. I hadn’t been myself at all the past four weeks, and I knew the reason. Something had happened at that vineyard with Bailey. She’d cracked something open in me that I was having a difficult time closing back up. She hadn’t just brought color into my life again; she’d brought feelings, connection, and intimacy back into my life.
“How old is she?” Charli asked as she pulled out a lip gloss and reapplied it.
“Who?” I asked, thinking that she somehow knew I’d been thinking about Bailey and was asking her age, even though I knew that was impossible.
“You’re niece. How old is she?”
“Eleven.”
“Eleven.” She smiled, andI could see she was reminiscing. “I had my first Vogue cover when I was eleven. It was Vogue Italy, but still.”
“Do you ever miss it? Modeling?”
“Noooo,” she emphasized. “Never. I love my job. I love helping people. What about you? Do you love your job?”
“I’m working on it.” Last week, I passed both my law and business exam, and my trade exam. Now, I just had to save up the rest of the fifteen grand to get my contractor’s license bond. I’d ended up giving Carly the money for cheer. I was still a few months away from having my savings built back up.
The car pulled to a stop, and I got out and went around to get Charli’s door. The driver she’d hired had almost beat me to it, but I managed to get there first.
“Thanks.” She smiled and took my hand, and I helped her out.
Fairy lights lined a path around the side of a massive home, leading us to the backyard where I assumed the wedding was taking place. When we rounded the corner, I saw someone familiar. Sadie from the bakery was there. She had a baby boy on her hip and was talking to a girl who looked to be around the twins’ age.
“Do you know if she owns a bakery?” I asked.
“Sadie? Yes, she does. Sweet Temptations, the best bakery in town. She’s my bestie, the one I was telling you about! This is her and her husband Alex’s house.”
For a moment, I got nervous being at my boss’s house, but then I relaxed. He had hundreds of employees. It wasn’t like he was my ‘boss’. He was the owner of a billion-dollar construction company.
“Hey!” Sadie smiled when Charli approached. The women embraced, and Charli took the baby from her.
“Sadie, this is—” Charli started to introduce me.
“Cole, right?”
“Yeah.” I couldn’t believe she remembered me. The bakery was always busy, and I’d only ever given her my name when I ordered Sara’s cake.
“German chocolate birthday cake for Sara.” As soon as she said Sara’s name, she pursed her lips together. She must have been scared that it was a girlfriend or something, and I was here on a ‘date’ with Charli. Little did she know, Charli would not care if I did have a girlfriend.
“Yep, my sister.”
Sadie looked relieved. “German chocolate. A girl after my own heart.”
Charli and Sadie talked about how beautiful everything was before Sadie excused herself to go check on her dad. We mingled with some of the guests before sitting down. One guest I met was Nick Locke, the co-host of The Duel. I couldn’t wait to tell Carly. Charli explained that Alex, Nick, and another man I was introduced to named Maddox Cruz—whose name I recognized because I’d read about him going public with his business and was now a tech billionaire—had all grown up in the system and were childhood friends.
Seeing the example of three men who all came from nothing and were so successful was inspiring. And I wasn’t just measuring their financial success. It was clear from the way they looked at their wives that they were besotted. Not only that, they all had children that they adored.
That’s all I wanted in life. Not the money so much. I did want to have enough so that Sara and the kids never had to worry about having a roof over their heads, food on the table, or their medical needs taken care of, but what I really wanted was a family to love and to take care of. A wife and kids of my own. But not just any wife; I wanted Bailey.
Within just a few moments of sitting down, music began to play, and the ceremony began. The groom took his place beside Nick Locke, who was officiating the wedding. He was an older man who had a stern look about him, but that stoicism was quickly replaced when he saw his bride. His eyes and expression softened as she walked toward him, beaming with joy.
The ceremony was short and sweet, and there were a few tears shed when the groom talked about losing his first wife and never expecting to find love again, especially not with his first love.
Once Nick pronounced the couple man and wife, the groom kissed his bride, who then lifted her bouquet and shouted, “Alright, now it’s time to party!”
The guests erupted in cheers as we stood. When I turned to watch the newlyweds walk back down the aisle, I saw Bailey standing by the tent where all the tables were. I blinked, thinking my mind was playing tricks on me. But when I opened them again, she was still there.
Her hair fell down around her face in soft waves, and she was wearing the sleeveless turtleneck I’d loved so much. She looked like an angel.
As we walked over to the tent with the other guests, Charli got a phone call. She pulled her phone from her purse. “I have to take this.”
I nodded as she walked away. My heart was beating wildly as I took the opportunity to approach Bailey, who was now only about ten feet away from me.
I smiled. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She didn’t seem surprised to see me. And she also didn’t seem happy. “How are you?”
“Good. How are you?”
“Good, yeah, good.” My palms were damp. My head was spinning. My stomach was on the ground. I was back up on that high dive.
The question was, would I jump?
“Cole!” I turned and saw Charli walking quickly toward me. “There’s an emergency with one of my PT patients. I have to go.”
I nodded.
“I’m just gonna go tell Sadie. I’ll meet you out front.”
“Oh, right.” She was leaving, so that meant I had to, too.
Charli headed straight to her friend, and I turned back to Bailey.
“Well, it was nice seeing you.” Bailey smiled before turning and speed-walking inside the house.
I stared at her retreating back, not sure what had just happened. She seemed so different. So distant. She was back with Simon. She had to be.
As much as I didn’t want to leave, at least I wouldn’t have to spend the next few hours trying not to stare at her, and trying to stop myself from speaking to her, trying to stop myself from jumping off the high dive. It would be torture.
Now, I could go home and be miserable instead of having to put on a brave face. It was a small win, but I’d take it.