Caitlin never expected Dan would actually come. And yet, here he was—dressed perfectly for the childish little gathering inside. Usually, Daniel looked casual when he was with her. But honestly, Caitlin didn’t really care what he wore. Her rented boyfriend always looked good in anything. At the very least, he’d come to rescue her from the jerk that was Tobey.
Truthfully, her head was pounding since that conversation with her ex. But somehow, Dan’s quick kiss afterward managed to calm her nerves, even just a little. Now Caitlin had to survive without overreacting—or worse, bursting into laughter like an idiot—because Daniel’s left hand was mischievously pinching and squeezing her waist. This man truly knew how to make her laugh, even at the most inconvenient moments.
"Hi, I'm Daniel." He extended a hand. “You must be Tobey. I've heard a lot about you.”
Tobey ignored the handshake and walked off. Caitlin and Daniel exchanged a smug little smile. They’d successfully gotten rid of him—how easy that was. Right then, Caitlin tried to peel Dan’s hand off her waist. She couldn’t handle the teasing much longer.
"I thought you weren’t coming, Dan. Thank you." Caitlin looked up at him. He was as ridiculously handsome as ever.
Daniel shrugged nonchalantly and shoved his hands into his pockets. "What would you even do without me, Cat?"
The truth was, Caitlin was still pretty shaken from how harshly Tobey had treated her. He’d never been like that before. Back then, Tobey was kind and attentive. He’d always been there when she was in trouble, willing to listen to all her worries. But that was the past—something that would never come back. Tobey didn’t belong to her anymore.
"My head really hurts, Dan. Can you take me home?" Caitlin asked softly.
Daniel nodded. "But give me a second. I need to take care of something.”
There was a mischievous lilt in his voice, and Caitlin’s eyes lit up, curious. Whatever Dan was up to now, it was going to be something ridiculous. He always acted like a kid around her—playful, reckless, full of his own ideas. Daniel called over a young janitor, an Indian guy carrying a mop bucket.
“I’ve got a little job for you. It pays well.” Dan grinned.
The young man blinked, confused but intrigued. “Sure, Sir. What do I need to do?”
Daniel pulled some cash from his pocket and leaned in to whisper something. Caitlin couldn’t hear what he said, but she watched them closely. Whatever Daniel told him seemed simple enough—the janitor looked pleased.
“You can do it?” Daniel confirmed.
“No problem,” He nodded firmly and took the money.
The janitor then followed Tobey, who hadn’t gone far. He lugged his mop gear along and casually poured some water near Tobey’s feet. The arrogant man almost slipped and stumbled, then began ranting as dirty mop water splashed onto his expensive suit. And just as he tried to walk again—he slipped and fell flat.
“So sorry, Sir,” the janitor said, trying to sound sincere.
By the time Tobey was cursing and yelling, Caitlin and Daniel were already in the car. The janitor continued mopping as if nothing had happened, while a few onlookers laughed at Tobey’s humiliating fall. Daniel drove onto the main road, taking Caitlin away from it all.
“Sorry,” he said.
To Caitlin, Dan was pretending to be sorry—for not showing up sooner. Maybe he really had forgotten. She probably didn’t mean that much to him anyway. She sighed and looked out the window, avoiding his eyes. Caitlin felt embarrassed. Awkward.
Daniel glanced at her sore wrist. “After what he did... have you finally realized?”
“Yes. I know I was wrong.” Caitlin lowered her gaze to her hands.
Daniel smiled gently and brushed her hair with his fingers. A moment later, a phone started ringing—but the one on the dashboard remained still. Caitlin blinked in confusion. Another phone? She was curious but chose not to ask. What was the point? Dan never answered her questions anyway.
He pulled a phone from his jacket and took the call. “Yeah, Jeff, sorry about earlier. Glad you didn’t end up homeless.” Daniel chuckled. “Also, next time don’t keep handcuffs in your back pocket. You looked like you were trying to arrest me. Yeah, talk later.”
Caitlin stared at him. “I’m not going to ask.”
Dan gave her a cheeky grin. “Fine. He’s the detective who tackled me, remember? When you were following me around. That’s all I’ll say.”
“Oh,” Caitlin replied, pretending not to care.
“You look beautiful today,” Dan said. “Was seeing your ex really that dramatic?”
Caitlin blushed. “Thanks. You look... like a businessman?”
“Have lunch with me, Cat? Seems like a waste for someone this gorgeous to go straight home.”
Her cheeks burned even more. Maybe it was just flattery—just Dan being Dan—but he had no idea how much it meant to her. Their relationship wasn’t what it used to be. At least not for Caitlin. She needed to know why Dan kissed her that night.
“Besides, I haven’t had the chance to take you somewhere decent.” Dan gave her a sideways glance. “What do you want to eat? Me? Honestly, I’m not that bad, right?” Then he laughed again.
Caitlin’s eyes widened, caught off guard. Out of all Dan’s teasing comments, this one was new. And it was probably something she needed to get used to. Who knew? It might happen again. After all, she had given herself so willingly to Daniel—because she was lonely, her life painfully empty. When else would she feel this desired, this wanted, if not by him?
Dan cleared his throat. Deliberately. “So? What do you want to eat?”
“Pasta? I’m in the mood for Italian,” Caitlin said, trying to keep her voice level.
“You didn’t miss me?” Dan asked. “We had fun last week.”
“Am I even allowed to miss you? You’ve got plenty of women to meet.”
He loosened his tie. “Finally. Let’s eat.”
Daniel didn’t answer her, leaving Caitlin to swallow her own disappointment. She knew it. He wasn’t going to explain anything, no matter how much she wanted him to. He got out and tossed the car keys to the valet. Caitlin rushed to match his stride, the dress she wore making it hard to walk.
Suddenly, Daniel stopped and offered his left arm. “Sorry—I was walking too fast, wasn’t I? Hold on, Cat. Let’s walk together.”
“Thank you,” Caitlin whispered, linking her arm with his.
They were escorted by a waiter. Once seated at an empty table, Daniel ordered a bunch of dishes without letting Caitlin choose. After the waiter left, Caitlin skimmed the menu just to look at the pictures.
“Do you think I should go to his wedding?” she asked quietly.
Daniel set the menu down to look at her directly, his gaze sharp. “Don’t hurt yourself like that.”