The sun was particularly brilliant this morning—or so it seemed to Cayden. As he woke, he shielded his eyes and groaned at the light, acting something like a vampire in daylight. His whole room looked like Heaven: impossibly bright, like the light was bouncing off every surface and reflecting straight into his eyes. Even with his hands covering his face, he could still feel his eyeballs burning.

Muttering a few nasty words that he felt bad for saying in retrospect, he stumbled out of bed and made his way to the window, kicking the corner of his dresser in the process. Adding to his string of curses, he felt for the curtains with one hand and pulled them together forcefully. He dared to look through a crack between his fingers, and was relieved beyond belief to see the room enshrouded in darkness.

“That’s better,” he croaked, only to discover that his throat felt like it was on fire. He walked on nine toes over to his little kitchen, and chugged most of a bottle of water. It helped, but his head still had the sensation of having been opened and put in the middle of a desert to dry.

He scowled at himself. That’s what you get for having a crazy night when you haven’t partied in a long time.

Little snapshots of the night before came back to him in flashes. Katharina had invited him over. A “small gathering,” she had called it. He knew that didn’t mean what it did for him back at his house. When he said small party, he actually meant it. When Katharina said it there were at least fifty people on the guest list, not including the ones who showed up throughout the night.

He let himself fall onto the bed, propping his head up on two of the memory foam pillows Janine had provided him with. He draped his arm over his face and tried to ignore the remnants of the spins. In the fogginess of his thoughts, he tried to remember how many shots he’d thrown back and who he’d danced with. All he remembered was that Katharina bought a round for everyone, and then everyone else bought a round for the group. A lot of laughter. Too much alcohol. The details were too fuzzy to recall, aside from the club’s great DJ.

Cayden made a mental vow never to jump into the party life so suddenly after such a long period of doing the opposite.

He fell asleep in that position, and so did his arm. When he woke up again, he had lost all sensation in his upper limb and had to physically move it with his other hand. The pins and needles trickled down his arm as the blood flowed back into it; watching his arm rest so helplessly on the bed brought a chuckle to his throat. Out of habit, he reached for his phone to text Lillian. He didn’t realize what he was doing until he opened her messages and saw the one about moving on.

Crestfallen, he stared at her name and was tempted to read through their whole message thread to feel like she was still there—like she would reply with a silly joke and then ask how his weekend was going.

He loved hearing from her. In their distance, the technology connection became something extra important for him, whereas before it never had been. The miles between them didn’t seem like such a terrible thing when they could call each other and talk for hours every night. But now, with no exchange of any call or message, the pain grew bitter. Especially today, no thanks to his hangover.

Finally his arm was back to normal, but he still didn’t move. He zoned out, letting his mind explore all possibilities to get her back. It wasn’t going to happen if he was still in Los Angeles.

He had to get out of here and go back home.

What would happen if I went back? I know I could make it happen again between us. Moving back would show her that I’m not going anywhere. The thought distracted him from the killer headache for a few minutes as he envisioned just how he was going to win Lillian’s heart again. If they were in the same place, next door to each other, it would be easier to be together again.

I want to fix this. He couldn’t help but harbor some guilt over their breakup. If he’d just been more straightforward with Janine from the beginning that he would only be gone for, say, three months maximum, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

Checking the time, he was relieved to find that he still had plenty of time before his morning engagement. Janine had arranged for a few of Los Angeles’ top personal trainers—all recommended to her by word of mouth from other millionaires and big-wigs—to come to her gym today and interview with Cayden. After she had told him yesterday about meeting with them, he walked with his chin higher and with a little more swagger than he usually did.

He didn’t feel like he could walk with any swagger right now, especially since he didn’t have Lillian’s lap to lie on while she scratched his head. He closed his eyes and could almost feel her fingernails gently raking his scalp.

His cell phone beeped just as he began to nod off again. It must be Janine. No one else texted him before 9:00 am. Picking up the phone, he was surprised to see Katharina’s name pop up on the screen.

What are you doing later, Handsome?

Part of him loved the fact that “Handsome” was her nickname for him—he was pretty damn handsome, after all, and he knew it just as well as anyone else did—but the other part of him cringed every time she said it. He couldn’t get Lillian out of his mind when he was with Katharina, and hearing her call him something flirty felt wrong even after he had been clearly instructed to see other people. He felt like he was becoming his mother, who cheated on his father, and then his ex-girlfriend, who cheated on him. Anything close to infidelity was a huge trigger for him.

Still drowsy, Cayden blinked a few times to clear the blurriness from his eyes. His reply took twice as long to type as it should have because his clumsy, sleepy fingers kept hitting the wrong letters. I have something this morning, but I’m free this afternoon. He was glad Janine was out again today. It was rare for her to miss two days in a row of workouts, but today was not a day he wanted to exert himself.

He didn’t expect her to respond so quickly, but it came in no time. I desperately need a workout after last night. My body feels like jelly. Could you come?

What time? he texted.

Perhaps around one. I also have something to do this morning.

One is fine. I’ll see you then. Thinking their conversation was over he put down his phone, but it promptly beeped again.

What is your something?

Cayden smiled. It was just like her to be nosy and ask everything he was doing. I’m interviewing some trainers for Janine after I go back home.

Oh, you can’t go home. I need you here. I have so many people who want to hire you.

The prospect sounded great. If his heart wasn’t tied somewhere else with someone else, getting established so quickly here was a dream come true. He was already thriving career-wise, but it didn’t feel right without Lillian.

We’ll see, was the only thing he could think of to reply. What’s your something?

I’m organizing my house at last! She sent a photo of herself smiling widely, the tip of her tongue lightly touching her teeth. She looked as seductive as ever. He examined the photo a long time. Katharina was definitely the total package, but he just couldn’t make himself unwrap it. Not when Lillian was out there.

His stomach began to twist itself up in hunger. Have fun! he messaged back, hoping she didn’t try to start another conversation, and sure enough there was no reply.

Unable to focus his mind on anything else besides shoving a huge, protein-packed diner breakfast down his throat, he pulled on the first clothes he could find that didn’t reek of last night’s tequila shots. Downing another glass of water, he hurried out in search of the hearty meal that would make him feel more alive again.

***

“THANKS, MAN. LOOK FORWARD to talking with you more.” Cayden reached his arm out to shake the trainer’s hand.

“Absolutely. Good to meet you, Cayden.” With a firm shake and strong eye contact, the other trainer flashed a smile and went out the door of the gym. Cayden watched him walk down the street, climb into his car, and drive off.

The way a person walks tells a lot about them, he thought, and I like the way that guy walks. He held himself not in a haughty way, but with confidence and openness. When he arrived for the interview, he wasn’t nervous by any means; he was laid-back, but professional and very friendly.

Not to mention, he did know his stuff about nutrition and training. Perhaps even more than Cayden did—which made him dislike the guy just a microscopic bit, but he knew that meant something good for the future. Janine would be very impressed. She hadn’t met any of the trainers contacted for the interview; she’d only ordered her personal assistant to call them and inquire whether they were interested or not.

Cayden had to admit that the instant he met this guy, a surge of hope ran through him. He’s the one, were the first words that came into his mind as they sat down to begin their discussion. The more he learned about the trainer, the more he knew that he was about to make the right decision. The guy had experience, knowledge, personality, and dark and exotic good looks.

Yes, Janine would definitely love him, and she more than likely wouldn’t be complaining about workouts anymore. She might not even miss Cayden as much as she thought she would. Part of him wasn’t upset about that, because finding the perfect trainer for her so quickly meant one thing for him: being able to go back home. And home meant getting Lillian back. And having Lillian back meant that he fixed what he had messed up.

He knew that it wasn’t everyone who could get established so quickly here in Los Angeles; things had happened all at the right times for him. People wanted him—wanted to hire him as their trainer, of course, but people also wanted him in other ways. He would definitely be able to thrive here.

But Lillian wasn’t here. And since he hadn’t even had a chance to get her back yet, his passion for training people was slowly decreasing.

I’ve got to get home. He hadn’t expected to be so excited about finding a replacement for himself, but here he was. Leaning against one of Janine’s few ellipticals, all of which had cost thousands of dollars, he opened his phone and called her. While it rang, he wondered why the heck Janine and her husband had two ellipticals for each of them.

Maybe they have family and friends come stay sometimes. He didn’t care, to be honest, and his thought didn’t get very far.

“Hi, Cayden. How’d the interviews go?”

She really had her phone at the ready to hear about this, huh? “I’ll let you guess,” he replied, trying to make his voice sound just a little disappointed.

“Oh, damn. Were they all terrible? They couldn’t have all been bad! Tracy told me that Stefan is just wonderful. And his resume looked really good.”

“Relax, Janine. I’ll tell you that when I saw the first couple of guys earlier this morning, I didn’t have such a good feeling about the rest of them.”

Janine cursed. “Ugh, I’m never going to find anyone.”

“Hang on, now.” He rolled his eyes. “After—”

“I’ll have to call more people this afternoon,” Janine wailed. Something fell in the background. “Dammit, first all my options for trainers failed, now I just spilled my coffee...”

“Janine,” Cayden said firmly. “Listen to me. I found you a guy.”

There was a pause. “What?”

“I found the perfect trainer for you. It’s okay.”

“Are you for real?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. Seriously.”

Janine let out a little scream. “Oh, thank bloody goodness! Cayden, you had me so worried!”

He chuckled. “I meant to. Just a little.”

“You’re awful. I’d pinch your cheek right now if you were here.”

I’ve never been more glad not to be somewhere, he thought.

“What are you doing this afternoon, then?”

“Grabbing some lunch and heading to another client’s house.”

“Ooh, house?” Janine’s voice had a blatantly humorous edge to it.

“Her gym is connected to her house,” Cayden clarified.

“Hmm.” The woman thought for a minute. “All right. How did you meet her?”

“Through one of your friends, actually.”

“Who?”

“The Parkers.”

“Oh, Gwen and Carl! They’re darlings. I’m so happy you’ve got other clients.”

I told you a couple of weeks ago I have two others, he thought. Janine was always so scatterbrained. There was certainly never a dull moment with her.

“Well, have fun. Is she cute?”

“Janine, come on.”

“It’s an innocent question! Anyway, have fun, whatever you do. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Great. Talk to you soon.”

“Send me the guy’s details, all right? The new trainer guy.”

“I will. See you.”

Janine hung up halfway through her saying goodbye. Cayden took a breath, still mentally tired. Today was hangover day. He didn’t want to be doing much of anything, especially anything that required more than a little mental energy. Despite his awesome breakfast that filled a void he didn’t know he had (and included a little too much grease), he still had a hint of the lingering headache. He couldn’t tell whether it was from interviewing so many trainers and asking the same questions over and over, or if it was a reminder of last night’s party.

Whatever it was he was hungry again, and he needed food before working out with Katharina. He remembered that on the way to her house there was a burrito place he had been wanting to try, and suddenly his energy came back full force. Locking up, he began the mile-long jog over toward Katharina’s neighborhood.

I wonder if she knows we live so close, he wondered.

The sun shone down, threatening his eyes again, but his dark sunglasses helped shield against the brightness. If I were to stay here, he thought, I could get used to the great weather. I wonder if I’d need to bring my heavy jackets from home.

He stopped, realizing that he had just touched the idea of leaving his home and making Los Angeles his new one. No, he scolded himself, that wouldn’t ever happen unless Lillian was with me. There’s no other way.

A little taken aback at where his thoughts had wandered, he absentmindedly jogged up to the part of the burrito place that offered outdoor orders, chose the heartiest beef one, and sat on a plastic chair to wait. Although there were very few clouds in the sky, the sun’s rays weren’t beating their flaming fists down on his skin.

How could I be thinking these things? Of course he would do well here. This city was fun, and the people seemed to like him a lot. They would like Lillian, and she would flourish here as well. He just knew it.

Maybe I could bring her here, he mused, trying to make himself feel less bad about his selfish thought earlier. I could tell more people about what she does. She would have work set for the rest of her life. She could make more money, and so would I, and we could travel together.

He got lost for a couple of minutes in visions of him and Lillian together, making this city their new home. They could share an apartment and go to the beach on weekends. It would be perfect.

“Here you go,” said a voice, startling him out of his trance. The kid who had taken his order handed him the burrito. Still a bit dazed, Cayden handed him too much money and told him to keep the change. With a thrilled thank-you, the teenager ran to collect his tip and Cayden slowly walked off, burrito in hand. The smell shortly wafted into his nose and his mouth began to water so, while he kept trying to figure out what he wanted most, he devoured the hot burrito.

That is the best damn thing I have put in my mouth all freakin’ week, he mused, his attention suddenly totally diverted to the food in his hand. I have got to come here more often.

He turned onto a smaller side street, leading into a neighborhood where most of the houses had gated driveways. Looking down a few of the paths, he saw huge porches that wrapped around the homes, enough windows to set records, and...

Look at their yards, he drooled. At one point he was stopped in his tracks by a yard so beautiful, it almost brought tears to his eyes. He was transported back home to his own quaint little yard, so small and humble compared to these gardens. The last bites of the burrito were forgotten as he scanned the yards from side to side, making mental notes about how he could improve his own back home.

Maybe I’m not ready to sacrifice my yard for a successful life in Los Angeles, he thought, the nostalgia for his box bushes and hibiscus plants tugging at his heart. He forced himself to continue walking to Katharina’s house, which was just up ahead, and stuffed the last bits of the burrito in his mouth. Awkwardly holding the wrapper he hoped she had a trash can somewhere outside her home, so he didn’t appear—well, trashy when he met her. He snickered at the pun, and for a moment thought about how much appearances mattered in his line of work.

Always have to be professional, he mused as he walked up to Katharina’s driveway. At what point does a client become a friend enough that I can be more casual? He was already pretty casual; granted, it was his natural demeanor, but it was also to make his clients feel comfortable from the first time meeting him. He hadn’t known Katharina very long, and although she was friendly—he couldn’t decide if it was too friendly or not—he didn’t feel comfortable traipsing into her personal home before a workout with his old burrito wrapper.

Maybe it was because that was, strangely enough, a little bit intimate. He would walk into Lillian’s house and throw it away in her trash can. But Katharina? Nah. Not within the foreseeable future.

He pressed the button on her gate. The speaker blared out a ringing-telephone noise that was as dainty as her gentle, sultry laugh, and after two rings she picked up.

“Hello?” she answered, sounding more like she was greeting whoever stood at her gate than asking who they were. There was some noise in the background.

“It’s Cayden,” he said loudly, putting his face close to the speaker. He wasn’t sure where the microphone was, or how loudly he was supposed to talk.

“Oh! Hi, Handsome! Yes, I’m so glad you’re here.” Katharina said something he couldn’t understand; it sounded like she was talking to someone else. He heard someone respond, but couldn’t tell what they said. It sounded like a female voice. She’s got someone over helping her clean. Maybe that burrito was going to have a chance to settle before they started working out. It would give him a chance to go through the equipment in her gym again.

“Come in,” she said suddenly, and Cayden heard the gate click and slide open just enough for him to walk through. “Did it open?”

“Yep, I’m coming.”

“Excellent.” She hung up, but just before she did he heard the background voice clearly, asking her for help moving a table.

He froze.

No. No freakin’ way. Was he still drunk?

That voice was way, way too familiar. He must be hallucinating. In the last remnants of his hungover state, his mind must be playing tricks on him.

He replayed the voice over in his head, suddenly realizing he’d come to complete stop. If Katharina was looking out the window, she probably thought he was nuts. There he stood, frozen in his tracks, with an incredibly stupid look on his face. His heart sped up. With a burst of adrenaline he started up the driveway, walking noticeably faster than his usual laidback lumber.

It’s impossible. It can’t be.

His thoughts muddled until he knocked on her door and heard footsteps coming to answer him. The hand- carved wooden door swung open.

“Handsome!” Katharina took his head in her hands and lightly kissed both cheeks. Unsure of which way to face, he held still and let her do the kissing. “You must see my beautiful home! It’s so much better now than it was before. Your friend is incredible!”

The blood drained from his body. “My friend?”

At the mention of her, a head poked out from behind the kitchen wall to see what was going on.

Lillian. His mouth dropped.

“Cayden,” Katharina said, pulling him inside, “I am forever indebted to you for telling me about her. I never imagined all of this was possible.”

Cayden’s eyes locked with Lillian’s. Neither of them moved.

“I mean, I did expect my house to look amazing. But I never knew it was possible with what I have now. I expected to have to buy so many more things to impress my guests!” Katharina kept rambling as she led Cayden toward the kitchen by his wrist.

Lillian suddenly blinked rapidly and stood up, stepping out into the room to meet them. “Hi, Cayden,” she said. Her voice was soft and familiar.

“What...” he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you two must have gone a long time without seeing each other!” Katharina giggled her little tinkly fairy laugh and waltzed into the kitchen. “Would either of you like juice? I have elderberry, guava...”

“I’m helping Katharina,” Lillian replied simply, slipping her hands into her pockets. “Elderberry juice sounds great. Thank you, Katharina.”

The actress smiled cheerfully. “And you, Cayden?”

“Water would be great,” he said, feeling oddly dizzy. “Thanks.”

“So, Cayden is working out with you... or?” Lillian began a new conversation, turning to acknowledge Katharina.

“Yes, and more!” Katharina beamed up at him from across the room and winked. “Cayden’s the best trainer. I’m going to make sure he has so many clients that his body melts.” She handed them the juice in glasses so thin Cayden feared it would break just from him touching it.

Nervous, he set it down on the counter.

“I’m sure he’s in high demand here,” Lillian agreed quietly, her eyes darting over to Cayden before shifting back to Katharina.

“Have you ever had a workout with him?” Katharina asked, shifting her weight onto one leg. The curve of her hip looked like a small, elegant wave. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Cayden felt his face get hot. What was she referring to?

Lillian’s reply caught in her throat and she let out a tiny cough. “Uh, no, actually. Not like you have. I’m sure he’s great at what he does.”

“Oh, darling, you haven’t worked with him?” Katharina playfully slapped Cayden’s shoulder. “Cayden, I’m ashamed of you.”

“No need, really,” Lillian interjected.

“You look like you work out all the time,” Katharina commented, analyzing Lillian from head to toe while casually sipping her guava juice.

“I don’t,” Lillian muttered.

“How come?”

“It’s, um, it’s just not really my thing.”

“Well, you must have an incredible diet regimen.” Without giving her a chance to reply, Katharina added, “You look amazing. Don’t change a thing.”

Lillian looked at the ground with a forced smile. “The juice is great, thank you.”

“Isn’t it? I buy it from a juicer in Santa Monica. He gets the raw ingredients from farmers somewhere. I’m not sure of the details, but it’s wonderful.”

Feeling uncomfortable, Cayden cleared his throat. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting the two of you. I can come back—”

“You were absolutely not! Have you eaten? Lillian and I ate already, but I would be happy to...” she looked Cayden straight in the eye, “feed you before our workout.”

“I just ate,” he managed to say, turning his head to stare out the window.

“All right, then. Lillian, I believe we must pause here for the day.”

“It’s a good stopping point, anyway. Tomorrow we’ll finish the dishes and work on the bookshelves in the living room.” She smiled, seeming totally unfazed by the obvious sexual comment Katharina had just made.

“I’m really looking forward to that part. Let me go change and then I’ll call a car to take you back to your hotel.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I can do it myself.”

“Nonsense, let me do it. I’m going to change to my workout clothes. Be right back.” Without another word, she sauntered down the hallway. The sound of her bedroom door closing echoed on the hardwood floors back to the kitchen.

“How long have you been here?” Cayden heard himself asking.

“I just got here this morning.”

“You weren’t going to tell me you were coming?”

“I assumed you knew, Cayden. You were the one who brought me out here, basically.” The smile faded from her face.

“I had no idea you were actually coming!” He had to force his voice down to a whisper. “I just mentioned what you do in passing. I thought she was taking your number from me out of courtesy.”

“Wow. Thanks.” Lillian crossed her arms.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No worries.” She looked at her phone. “I’ve really got to go.”

No, Cayden yelled in his head, but he said, “I wish I’d known you were coming.”

She just stared at him. “So you could have avoided meeting here? It’s clearly very uncomfortable.”

I shouldn’t have said that, he thought, but he didn’t regret it.

They heard something thump against Katharina’s door and kept quiet for a second, waiting to see if she was coming back out.

“You shouldn’t have told her about me,” Lillian mumbled.

“Why not?”

Her eyes softened like she was hurt, but she pressed her lips and didn’t respond.

He tried to say something in protest, but he had trouble finding the words. “Why did you come here, then?” he finally spat out.

“I came here because...” Suddenly she stopped and looked at the floor.

“Because why?” he pressed, desperate.

“Because I wanted—”

At that moment Katharina’s door opened, and her footsteps quickly rapped down the hall. “Did you miss me?” she asked happily, but Cayden could hardly tear his eyes away from Lillian.

Katharina didn’t seem to notice his fixation. “All right, Lillian, let’s get you a car. Your hotel has a spa. I trust the clerk has told you about all the amenities?”

“Yes, he did. Thank you so much. It’s much more than I could have dreamed of.” Lillian’s face, exasperated a few seconds ago, somehow magically turned to a cool, professional smile.

“Oh, really? Do you usually not stay at hotels with spas?” she laughed. “That’s the point of staying at a hotel, darling. To relax.”

“No, I usually don’t stay at hotels with spas.” Lillian sounded a tad timid.

“Well, don’t worry about that. I’m going to spread the word to my contacts all over the country and you’ll be staying in them much more often. Of course, mostly in Los Angeles, though. So I can see you regularly.” Katharina tapped and scrolled on her phone while she talked. “I must get a photo of you two. Go on, scoot together. Smile!”

Before they could do anything Katharina held up her phone and snapped a photo, scrutinizing it immediately afterward. “One more, okay? Smile, Cayden!”

His body almost physically hurt at how much he wanted to put his arm around her and pull her close against his side. He side-stepped and pulled one corner of his mouth up a little.

Katharina looked at the picture again. “Beautiful. Now, one together! Look at the lighting from these windows—isn’t it just perfect for photos?” She trotted forward between Lillian and Cayden, asking him to take a photo. Awkwardly, he took the phone, held out his hand, and snapped a photo.

Please don’t ask me to do it again, he begged silently.

“That’s perfect. I can’t believe it; only one take!” Humming to herself she opened another app, typed a few things in, and a happy little sound effect chimed. “Lillian, we’ve got you a car. The driver’s such a sweetie. He’s the guy I call to take me places. I only use three, so you know he’s good. Leo’s just at the end of the road now.”

“Great. I appreciate it, Katharina. Thank you.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and shoved a binder into her worn leather bag.

“Can you see yourself out?”

I’ll walk her, Cayden shouted to himself.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. It’s just right here. I think that’s the driver, actually,” she noted, craning her neck to see down the street.

“We’ll be in touch about the time tomorrow.” Katharina danced up to Lillian and kissed her on both cheeks. “Thank you, darling.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow. Enjoy your workout.” She opened the door to leave.

Is she going to say goodbye to me? Cayden wondered.

She didn’t. With a final smile at Katharina and a split-second glance at Cayden, she shut the door behind her. From where they stood, he could see the end of the driveway. Lillian was there in an instant, climbing into a swanky white SUV.

Then it was gone.

“Isn’t she a doll?” Katharina pinched Cayden’s cheek. “Are you sure you don’t need food before our workout?”

“I’m not hungry,” he muttered, pulling his eyes away from the window. “Thanks.”

“If you insist.” She shrugged, scrolling absently on her phone. Cayden figured she was probably editing photos. “All right, let’s have a stroll down to the gym, shall we? The sun’s just divine today. It would be a crime if we didn’t enjoy some of it.” Giving his arm a quick tug, they walked down her back steps to one of the lantern-lit pathways that led to her separate gym. All the while, Katharina rambled about how her other actress girlfriend had a massive swimming pool, something about a party, Cayden must come...

I’ll come if Lillian is there, he thought, not paying attention to anything else she said. It was only the sight of all her gym equipment when she opened the door that he was able to shake the image of Lillian from before his eyes. She was just as beautiful as ever, and he knew without a doubt he wanted her.

He needed her.

She’s in Los Angeles, he thought. I’ve got to fix this somehow.