Chapter Twenty-Seven
Caleb
After dinner, Hailey and I excused ourselves from the table to take a walk on the beach. The night was warm, and the beach wasn’t too crowded, so it was the perfect time to take a walk. We left the other two at the table as they continued to eat dessert.
Mandy and Matt didn’t seem to mind as they sat laughing together at the table. I wasn’t sure if there was a love connection between those two, but they were definitely working on a friendship and got along well together. What more could you ask in this world? Matt was just like me in the sense that he enjoyed being a bachelor. He wasn’t the one being forced into a relationship, so it was unlikely that he would suddenly want to start dating Mandy.
He may get her to sleep with him, but that was also risky. He wouldn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize my situation with Hailey. If things went badly between him and Mandy, that would be enough for Hailey to pack her things and get out of my life. For that, I would kill him to be sure. So, I doubted he would go there with Mandy unless he was genuinely interested in her.
It would probably take a pretty special woman to make him give up bachelorhood, but I guessed that Mandy would fit under that category. Both the girls were pretty great. I had to wonder if all Georgia girls had that kind of magic to them. Soon, however, Hailey would be an LA girl and everything would change for her.
Now that the night was winding down, I just wanted to spend some time alone with Hailey, and a walk on the beach sounded like a perfect idea. My life had been so hectic lately that I couldn’t even remember the last time I had just taken a walk. Before Hailey came, I was so interested in the club scene and going out with Matt that something as simple as walking on one of the many beaches of Miami rarely occurred to me.
The sun was setting so the view was just beautiful. There were purples and oranges in the sky that contrasted with the blue of the water, creating a mess of wonder that you would be stupid to ignore. It was nice to have someone I could wander the beaches with without an agenda.
We both took off our sandals and let our feet touch the sand that was starting to cool down from the hot day. The sand between my toes felt nice. We walked in silence for a little bit, listening to the sounds of the waves and just enjoying being in one another’s company. I always used to believe that I had to have something to say to a girl or a date would be a disaster. Maybe that was true for some girls, but I felt comfortable enough with Hailey to know that sometimes I didn’t need to say anything, that we could just be together and that was okay too. I did want to say something to her, though; something that had been on my mind for awhile.
We continued walking as I began, “Hailey, I just want to tell you how much I appreciate you being here.”
She looked up at me with surprise, a slow smile forming on her face. I couldn’t read her thoughts; I still didn’t know her looks yet.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know, I know. It’s your job, but you’ve done such an amazing job already, and the sponsors are just thrilled with everything. The fact is you didn’t just come down here and do the bare minimum to get the job done, which you could have – you genuinely helped me out. It’s been fun having you around, and that’s why I’m thankful. It could have been a nightmare if we didn’t get along.”
She laughed, “I agree. But you don’t have to thank me. I like being here, and it wasn’t at all what I expected. I was worried that it would be weird or uncomfortable, but it hasn’t been, not for awhile anyway. You have helped me out, as well, and for that, I’m grateful for this opportunity. Things are good for me, too, you know. I’m making money and doors are opening for me. We are helping each other.”
“Good, I’m glad to have helped you out. I want you to be happy. I think you are really going to go far in life. You’re smart, and you know what you want. Plus, you are beautiful, which is always a bonus in Hollywood.”
She smiled at the ground, and I could see a blush forming on her cheeks. I don’t think she realized just how beautiful she was or the kind of effect she had on me. The stunning girl was truly one of a kind.
As we both got lost in our own thoughts, I couldn’t help but think about the night we shared together and how much I wish we could do it again. She was so sexy and free about herself. She wasn’t inhibited at all like so many girls were; she wanted to be pleasured just as much as she wanted to give it.
Thinking about sex was pretty easy with someone as beautiful as Hailey, especially since I genuinely liked her. She was a great girl with so much to like about her. I was insanely attracted to her, which made it hard not to act on it sometimes. It would be nice to spend the night together knowing that we both wanted it without the excuse that alcohol made us do it.
I wasn’t sure how possible that would be. She had been firm on the fact that we should just stick to business. I wanted to be close to her so badly, but I didn’t know how to go about doing it without scaring her off. Nor did I want to do anything that would screw up our working together. She had already been so good to me so far; I didn’t need my hormones wrecking anything.
“It’s just two weeks before the Masters happen in Augusta. I can’t believe how quickly time has passed.” It was scary how close it was coming, but I was determined to focus properly that time and bring home the win.
She smiled. “I know. I’m really proud of you, and I know you will get through things just fine. You are stronger than you think you are. I’m glad that doctor is helping you to focus on the good things in your life.”
I smiled down at her. “Thanks, Hailey. That’s cool of you to say.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You will be by my side, of course, helping to make everyone believe that our love affair is headed for marriage.”
She laughed nervously – it was the most awkward laugh I’d ever heard. I laughed along with her, not knowing what to say. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned marriage. Would that be too soon, in a real relationship, despite how awesome the other person was? I hadn’t dated a girl in so many years that I really didn’t know what expectations there were these days. Lately, I had just been swiping left or right, without a care in the world.
Hell, it was an awkward situation, so what could you do about it? We had to make people believe that we were marriage-bound, which was definitely out of my comfort zone. People needed to believe that there was more going on between us than just casual dating. We would be okay though; Hailey had done an excellent job so far, so I really wasn’t worried about her ability to convince people of anything. She was one hell of an actress, and if I needed people to believe that we were headed towards marriage, she would make it happen.
I stopped walking and turned towards her. She stopped as well, looking up at me expectantly. Does she expect me to kiss her? I couldn’t judge her expression at all.
“Will you come to my place with me tonight? If you’re not comfortable with it, I totally understand. I just thought you could come back and we could do something simple, like watch a movie. Maybe snuggle up and have some popcorn, keep each other warm for the night.”
I hated myself for wanting to break part of our deal, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to be close to Hailey, even if it was just snuggling in front of a movie. She was an incredible girl, and if there was no job, I would have made her mine in an instant. We would be fucking like rabbits every single night. I wanted her by me at all times, and I had tried to keep my cool since we slept together so that I didn’t make her uncomfortable enough to leave, but at that point, I was sure she would stay the course because we were friends now.
I didn’t want to push my luck, but if she agreed to watch a movie with me, then I would at least be happy with that. If she wasn’t okay with it and wanted to return to her sister’s apartment, I would be disappointed, but I would also respect her decision.
She looked up at me and smiled. “Sure, I’m all for it,” she said with a laugh. I couldn’t have been happier.