First of all, it was because that man had never seen her as a woman or as someone worthy of standing by his side. Secondly, because that man was extremely materialistic, loving money more than anything else. Just look at the clothes he was wearing—they seemed simple, but their price was equivalent to Caitlin’s monthly salary.
If Caitlin’s assumption about him was correct, then Daniel was probably willing to sleep with his wealthy clients as long as the price was right. An ordinary girl like Caitlin could only admire Daniel like a fool. If only Daniel were really her boyfriend, wouldn’t that be wonderful? Caitlin quickly swallowed the bitter pill of her own daydream.
"This is for you. You like chocolate milkshakes, right?" Daniel offered her a glass of the drink.
"Oh, thanks," Caitlin replied half-heartedly.
"What’s wrong with you, Cat? You’ve been eyeing me suspiciously since earlier." Daniel gazed deeply into her eyes.
Caitlin alternated her gaze between the drink and Daniel’s hand, which was now touching hers. He squeezed her hand gently, playing with her fingers between his, sending an odd spark through her skin. Caitlin gasped slightly for a moment at the sweet gesture. When she tried to pull her hand away, Daniel didn’t let go.
"Since you didn’t book me and we met by coincidence, today is on the house. My treat. Just think of us as old friends," Daniel said.
"Friends? I don’t know anything about you." Caitlin snorted in amusement.
Daniel simply smiled, letting go of her hand. "Drink up. Once the rain stops, you can head home. I’m not taking you back—I have things to do."
"Okay," Caitlin replied lazily.
Now that Daniel had let go of her hand, Caitlin felt a slight disappointment. She quickly drank half of her milkshake in frustration, irritated that she couldn’t ask him anything about himself. So damn annoying.
Busy? Busy doing what? Meeting with his clients? Was Daniel Sanders even his real name? Caitlin wasn’t sure. She had once tried typing his name into every social media platform she could think of, but found nothing. His name wasn’t even listed in any university records. And if it was, it certainly wasn’t the Daniel she knew.
"You’re always busy, huh? Ahh, right, that’s how you got so rich, isn’t it?" Caitlin sneered.
"Not funny, Cat," Daniel smirked while stirring his drink.
Caitlin narrowed her eyes and rested her chin on her hand, observing Daniel closely. "I’m just curious."
He only smiled faintly, not reacting much. Instead, he leaned back casually in his chair. Caitlin could see the amused glint in Daniel’s eyes—he seemed untouchable, unfazed by a powerless little girl like her.
"Curious enough to die for it?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"I don’t want to die just yet," Caitlin teased.
Daniel waved a hand dismissively and took a sip of his drink. "Whatever you say."
Outside, the rain poured even harder, despite the weather forecast predicting a sunny day. If Daniel hadn’t brought her here, Caitlin might have been stuck sheltering in a shop doorway like a pathetic stray cat. Just like the nickname Daniel had given her—Cat.
She watched the raindrops fall relentlessly, lost in thought. Every now and then, she glanced at Daniel, who was busy responding to messages. For some reason, his phone never stopped buzzing with notifications.
"Dan," Caitlin called.
"What?" Daniel didn’t look up from his phone.
"Do you take private messages too?"
"Only from certain people. It’s not cheap."
Caitlin took a sharp bite of her sandwich, chewing quickly in frustration, feeling as though he was mocking her for not being able to afford his private message service. What kind of conversations did he have with his clients? She stared at him in disgust.
"I can see you, Cat." Daniel chuckled.
He finally looked up from his phone, meeting her gaze. Then, as if sensing her thoughts, he began explaining at length that he didn’t engage in anything dirty or illicit, contrary to what Caitlin might have imagined. He even showed her his phone screen as proof.
"What are you, a therapist? So kind, listening to people’s problems?" Caitlin scoffed.
Daniel rolled his eyes and pulled his phone back. "Some of them just sleep with me every time we meet and vent their frustrations about the same things over and over again. One of them is named Caitlin Blossom."
His sudden remark made Caitlin choke on her drink, coughing as she reached for a napkin. Guilt crept in as she realized how often she had called Daniel over to her apartment. Then, she remembered their next meeting was supposed to be a normal date.
"You plan the next date. I don’t feel like thinking about it," Caitlin said.
"Great! I’ll take you to fun places."
For Caitlin, anything would probably feel fun for Daniel. Especially since his way of making money seemed like a game compared to how hard she had to work to survive. Meanwhile, Daniel used his handsome face to rake in cash effortlessly.
"Look at this closely, Cat."
Daniel once again showed his phone screen to Caitlin, scrolling down to reveal hundreds of incoming messages. Most of them were heartfelt confessions from women—some complaining about their unromantic partners, some secretly texting him during class because they were bored with the professor’s lecture, and others whining about their dull family dinners.
"Funny, right? They treat my number like a diary. If I get bored, I just reply with a sticker."
"You’re awful," Caitlin muttered.
"I get paid to entertain lonely people, Cat. Relax, they know what they signed up for." Daniel shrugged nonchalantly.
"At least pretend to listen to them. Remember, Dan, you’re getting paid a lot," Caitlin said with sympathy.
They were probably just like her—needing someone to listen. There were some things she couldn't even share with family or close friends. That was how she met Daniel and had the courage to book his services.
"You know I don’t do anything inappropriate," Daniel said, his brows furrowing.
Caitlin immediately clamped a hand over his mouth, glancing around nervously, hoping no one had overheard. "Are you crazy? What if someone hears you?"
Daniel simply grabbed her wrist, making Caitlin flinch and pull her hand back. His sharp, mountain-god-like features locked onto hers with an unreadable expression. Caitlin felt a pang of emotion, thinking about how Daniel might be doing this with other women as well—it left her slightly disappointed.
"Hey!" Caitlin huffed.
"No one will hear," Daniel sighed.
Caitlin pulled her hand away from him, wary of his touch, which always seemed to carry some hidden meaning. He could be dangerous at times, making it impossible for her to stay calm. Daniel continued to argue that as long as his clients needed his messages and dates, he had the right to do whatever he wanted. No one was getting hurt, so he felt free to live as he pleased.
"Judge me however you want, Cat, but don’t interfere in my business. Don’t act like a child—kids love meddling in things that aren’t their concern," Daniel said.
"What’s that supposed to mean? You’re so weird." Caitlin frowned.
"So what do you want? For me to be your real boyfriend?" Daniel smirked.
"I’m broke. Don’t tease me," Caitlin replied, refusing to prolong the conversation.