The Billionaire’s Over 40 Love

“Sorry—I’m rambling. I just don’t want you to be mad at me, I came here as soon as I could. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Faydra said. “I didn’t leave you my number, that was my fault too.”

She’d felt so strongly earlier when she was talking to Candace and planning to get over Cal and onto the next guy. But now that he was standing in front of her, apologizing for what he claimed was a misunderstanding—she didn’t know what to think. She was torn.

Most of her didn’t believe him, it was all too sketchy and too consistent to be a coincidence. A small part of her didn’t care if he was lying. He was hot, and if she could manage to take her emotions out of it,  he was good for her. She needed to be getting out and enjoying her life and a guy like this was the perfect way to do it. Except for the smallest fraction of her thoughts that considered maybe he was telling the truth and maybe he was genuinely interested in getting to know her. If that was the case she needed to decide if she was capable of returning the feelings and if so, sneaking out at midnight was not the way to start a successful relationship.

“Why did you leave?” he asked, relaxing into the chair.

Faydra had been expecting this conversation but she hadn’t adequately prepared an answer so she opted for the truth. In her own chair, she pulled her knees up and her legs underneath her so she was facing him. She blinked a few times, her eyes searching the ground as if looking for the perfect words to start.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really sure if I was supposed to stay. I mean—it’s been such a long time since I’ve gone out with someone and gone home with them that I don’t really know what the norm is. I also figured that you would be busy the next day and not want to have to deal with getting rid of me and all that so I just left.” Faydra’s words sunk to the bottom of her stomach, she hated the way they made her sound weak and embarrassed when she wasn’t even sure how she felt. “I asked you what you wanted out of the date and you said s*x and/or something more long-term, but I never asked myself that question. And frankly, I don’t know the answer.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to right now,” Cal said.

“Well, I kind of do. I was in a relationship with a guy for a long time and when it didn’t end well, I realized that I needed to focus on myself and bettering myself. That’s why I’m so involved here and in the development of our new store. Because I need a distraction is one part of it, but I also need to be independent and be able to operate on my own. I didn’t ask myself what I wanted out of our date because I didn’t know. Did I want to have s*x with you? Hell yes—you’re attractive and kind, and the perfect guy to do that with. But did I want to stick around to deal potentially anything more than that? Not really. Just because I honestly don’t know yet, and it would be unfair for me to have stayed and given off vibes that I can’t confirm—if that makes sense.”

Cal waited a minute before responding.

“Faydra. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you’re not ready or don’t know if you’re ready for something serious, then let’s just have fun and enjoy ourselves. I can be okay with that too. But I do want to say that I have a blast when I’m with you, so I don’t just want this to be a hookup—and that’s where I stand. The rest is up to you.”

God this man says the perfect words. He was either an A-list actor or he was a really good guy. Only time would tell.

“I have fun when I’m with you too,” she insisted. “I do. Just so long as we can agree to just have fun with very little expectations, I have no problem seeing where this goes.”

There was something else bothering her, but she needed to approach the subject carefully in case he didn’t react well to it. The woman from the taco truck. The tall blonde who hung over his every word and exerted her dominance immediately upon sensing Faydra as a threat. Who was she and why didn’t he mention her? As she started to form the question in her mind, the silence must’ve gotten to Cal because he stood up and grabbed her hand.

She wasn’t exactly sure where this was going but she had an idea, and almost immediately the thoughts of the woman dissipated from her memory. The hallway that led to the break room, bathroom, and storage area was dark and empty. Before she knew it, her back was pressed flat against the cold wall and Cal’s hands were on her skin.

Faydra liked the way she felt when the two of them were together. It was better than being in public and dealing with strange glances or spending money. It was easy—just the two of them, and Faydra wondered if it could possibly last.