“Yeah, well, Eleanor didn’t find me as witty.”
"Eleanor isn't the one making decisions about the Riverside contract." He turned me to face him, hands on my upper arms, close enough that I could see the individual threads in his bow tie. "You were perfect, Willow. Natural, charming, exactly what I needed."
“Make sure to leave a good Yelp review for my service,” I quipped.
He laughed, the sound low and charming. “Are you planning on making this a career?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. Who knows? I might have a knack for playing the pretend girlfriend.” I leaned against him, enjoying the feel of his solid body next to mine.
The rest of the evening blurred into a parade of faces and names I'd never remember. Architects, developers, city council members, philanthropists whose net worth exceeded the GDP of small nations. Callum introduced me as his girlfriend, and each time, a small thrill shot through me that I couldn't quite suppress.
We mingled, smiled, played the parts we were supposed to play but after a while Callum must’ve sensed I needed a break because he steered me out the terrace doors where the cool night air was a welcome reprieve.
“Thank you,” I breathed in the night air. “How’d did you know my cheeks felt frozen in a fake smile?”
“I needed a break, too.” He leaned against the railing, looking effortlessly handsome and at the same time ruggedly masculine, as I lifted my face to the gentle breeze. I sensed him watching me, his gaze feeling like a subtle caress on my skin. I glanced his way. “You’re staring again.”
“Can’t help it. You’re the most beautiful woman here.”
My cheeks heated. “Careful, Callum, that sounds suspiciously like flirting.”
“Not at all. Just a factual observation.”
I chuckled.
"Ready to go?" Callum asked, pushing off the terrace to reach for my hand.
"God, yes."
"We should say goodbye to Richard."
We found him, cigar in hand, holding court with a group of men in expensive suits. He excused himself when he saw us approach.
"Leaving so soon?"
"Early morning tomorrow," Callum said. "But thank you for having us. It's been a wonderful evening."
"The pleasure was mine." Richard shook Callum's hand, then mine. His handshake was firm,his gaze knowing. "Willow, it was lovely to meet you. I hope we'll see you at more events."
"I'll try to keep Callum from hiding in his office."
"Please do. He needs someone to drag him into the real world." Richard leaned closer, lowered his voice. "Between you and me, I've never seen him this happy. Whatever you're doing, keep it up."
The comment lodged in my throat. This happy. As if Callum's contentment was my doing rather than a performance we'd both agreed to.
We said our goodbyes and made our way to the valet stand. The night air was cool against my overheated skin, and I breathed deeply, trying to shake off the strange melancholy that had settled over me.
The valet brought the car around. Callum opened my door, waited for me to slide inside, then closed it with the same careful attention he'd shown at the start of the evening.
We drove in silence for five minutes before I couldn't take it anymore.
"You were right," I said. "No champagne fountain."
"I'm always right."
“You’re insufferable.” I kicked off my heels, tucked my feet beneath me. "So. I’m a bit confused. If Richard isn’t exactly living the life of a saint, why does he care how his business associates live their lives?”
“At his core, I think Richard is a romantic. Hewants to find that love that you see in fairy tales and when he becomes disillusioned by the reality, he moves onto the next fantasy. But, like I said, at his core, he truly wants to believe in love and just because he hasn’t found it yet, doesn’t mean others can’t.”
