“You’re not asking. I’m offering. I’ll still find time to fish. And if I don’t, who cares? I would have been home if not for you inviting me to join you.” He leaned forward, a devilish gleam in his eye. “Besides, just the fact that I’m here on Mr. Lexus’s dime is good enough for me.”
Leah paused for a moment, before admitting, “Actually, it’smydime.”
“Come again?”
“I paid for the retreat.”
Caleb’s forehead furrowed. “But I thought you said it was his mom who wanted you two to attend?”
“Yes, but I knew better than to expect Derrick to pay for it.” Leah released a sigh. “He was never the best at handling money, which is kind of funny when you think of what I do for a living. He never appreciated when I offered financial advice, so I just stopped doing it. It’s not as if it would help him anyway, not with the way he goes through his money.”
“You make it sound like he lives paycheck-to-paycheck,” Caleb said.
“You’re not that far off,” Leah said. “His paychecks may be a bit bigger than the average American’s, but it doesn’t mean much if all he has to show for it is a fancy car and a closet full of Ferragamo’s.”
“Um, what’s a Ferragamo?” Caleb asked.
Leah just stared at him for several moments before she burst out laughing. “You have no idea how refreshing it is that you have no idea what I’m talking about.”
He shrugged. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be sorry. It’s wonderful. They’re shoes, by the way,” she provided. “Derrick owns over two dozen pair. Can you imagine spending twenty thousand dollars on shoes?”
“You’ve seen the way I dress. I doubt I’ll spend twenty thousand dollars on my entire wardrobe over my entire lifetime,” Caleb said.
“I happen to like the way you dress.” She let the words slip without even thinking.
Caleb’s brow lifted with the barest hint of surprise. “I didn’t think you paid enough attention to notice.”
She didn’t think she had either, but yes, she’d noticed.
Caleb didn’t need to wear expensive, tailored suits or designer shoes to catch her attention. The understated, no-nonsense way he carried himself was just as appealing. Derrick probably didn’t even own anything as casual as the jeans and polo shirt Caleb wore right now, but Leah liked this look better than anything she’d seen on her ex-fiancé.
“I’ve noticed,” she told him.
“That makes two of us,” he said.
She grinned. “You’ve noticed how you dress too?”
“I think you know what I mean,” he said. His voice no longer held the trace of humor that had been there throughout much of their exchange. Neither did his eyes. They’d taken on a seriousness that made Leah’s breath hitch.
She knew exactly what he meant, but she wasn’t ready to confront it. Thankfully, the server arrived with their meals, saving her from having to reply. She wasn’t emotionally ready to reply.
They were both so famished that there was little time to talk as they devoured their grilled chicken salads. Just as Leah bit into the last chunk of juicy chicken breast, a couple she’d noticed in this morning’s orientation came up to their table.
“Hi there,” a brunette with deep dimples on either side of her mouth said. “Do you mind if we join you?”
“No, not at all,” Leah said, gesturing for them to take a seat.
“I’m Marcy and this is my husband, Mark.”
Really?
“I’m Leah. And this is my…uh…”
“I’m her Caleb,” Caleb said, extending his hand to first Marcy and then to Mark.
Leah felt her face heat with embarrassment over her stumble, but if the couple noticed, they had the consideration not to say anything.
