Caleb
CALEB DIDN’T LEAVE DRAMATICALLY, though obviously he would have been capable of that. He stood, adjusted his jacket like a man trying to fold chaos back into neat lines, and walked out like he needed oxygen.
Caleb had waited until Arthur had her. Or rather, until Arthur co-opted the woman he’d just slept with. He made it into the hallway before stopping short.
Because what the fuck.
That was the craziest thing he’d ever done, which was saying a lot. Caleb had once gone home with two Budweiser girls after a charity poker tournament and learned the limits of brand loyalty. And NDAs.
He’d had flings. He’d done fun. He’d done impulsive. He’d made decisions he did not fully stand by. None of those came with a condom-dispensing bodyguard.
Caleb leaned back against the wall and exhaled. It wasn’t the sex. The sex had been a ten out of ten, hall of fame performance. No notes.
It was everything wrapped around her.
He’d seen her with multiple other men that day and still hadn’t met her fiancé. The fact that Arthur stayed like it was policy. Like there were bylaws and he hadn’t read them before signing.
Caleb dragged a hand down his face. “Why did no one warn me she came with infrastructure,” he muttered.
His phone buzzed. Caleb glanced down, already irritated.
[You’ve been added to THE STERLING SITUATION]
Caleb stared at the screen and opened it. Messages were already stacked, moving fast.
“No, that’s not a thing.”
He scrolled, brow furrowing. They were discussing April. Her day. Their impact on it.
This wasn’t chaos.
It was coordinated.
Caleb:Why am I in a chat called “THE STERLING SITUATION”
Caleb:With people I don’t know?
Caleb locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket.
April was great.
Which was the problem.
Because he did not understand why sleeping with her came with onboarding.
Follow the white rabbit.He was not following the white rabbit.
He pushed off the wall and headed down the hall, shaking his head.
“This is a red flag.”
FOURTEEN
The Fainting Couch
April
April's heels clicked against marble with a rhythm that sounded like escape dressed up as purpose. She was power-walking away from her emotions like a responsible adult who definitely had her shit together. Not at all reeling from the fact that she'd just had sex with America's Favorite Bachelor in a library while the CFO watched, then climbed into said CFO's lap like it was the most natural thing in the world and kissed him like—
