Page 19 of Hold Me
He scratches the back of his neck. “I know it can’t.”
“How can you know that?” I gape at him.
“Because I do.” He blinks, then shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. At least you enjoyed the movie.”
“But...” I don’t want to upset him, so I bite down on my lip to stop myself from asking anything else. Does a disappointment in his love life have anything to do with his current job? I doubt he’d tell me even if I asked. “I’m starving. Wanna join me for dinner?”
“Sure.” He takes out his phone and checks something, then focuses back on me.
“Great.” We walk down the busy street while I’m trying to make up my mind about where to take him. Would he prefer a fancy restaurant or something more familiar? I don’t even bother to ask because I’m sure he’d just tell me to pick whatever I want.
As we pass through another street, I notice a tall man in a black shirt and gray jeans. If I’m not wrong, he’s actually looking at Caleb and me. I’m not sure if the man recognized me or anything, so I quicken my pace.
A couple of moments later, we take another turn, and when I glance over my shoulder, the man is still there; not too close to us, but definitely keeping an eye on us. I grab Caleb’s shirt and pull him toward me. His eyes are wide as we stop, our noses almost touching.
“Someone’s following us,” I whisper, slipping my fingers through Caleb’s hair and pretending I’m just fixing the stray strands.
Caleb’s face is expressionless as he steps away from me and looks right in the direction of the man, who is now standing at one of the corners and pretending to be busy with his phone. Caleb clears his throat, squirming, and I tilt my head.
“Do you know that man?” I ask.
He nods. “He’s... like my bodyguard.”
“What?” I can’t believe my ears. Why in the hell would Caleb need a bodyguard, especially one who looks like a stalker and not a professional? “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I... I didn’t want to worry you. Just ignore him. That’s what I do.” He gives me his best pleasant smile and places a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Why do you need a bodyguard?” I start walking again, feeling the man’s eyes on my back. I’m sure he’s started walking too, even though I can’t see him. Before Caleb can open his mouth to answer, I raise my finger. “Look, I know you want to protect your privacy, and I understand that, but if you need a bodyguard, I need to know why. I might be in danger, too.”
“You’re not in danger. I assure you,” he says.
“I’ll only relax once you tell me why.”
He licks his lips. “He’s there to protect me. In case my clients get ideas that... could endanger my safety.”
A frown line creases my brow. “Do you think you need protection from me?”
“No, that’s not...” He grimaces. “I have many clients, and some of them can get... a little jealous. My bodyguard is here in case someone sees me with you and wants to attack us.”
“Um, okay.” I run my hand through my hair. “I just don’t understand why you keep doing this if it’s so dangerous for you, but hey, that’s none of my business.”
“Thank you for your understanding.” A relieved smile stretches his lips, and I can’t help but keep glancing back at the man. Bodyguard, huh? More like a creeper. Ugh. I’m ecstatic when we reach the small restaurant that has been my long-time favorite. It’s a sweet little place, far from noise and annoying people.
Judging by the look on Caleb’s face, I can tell that he likes it too. As we settle at one of the tables, I’m glad the bodyguard decided to stay and wait outside, although I’m not sure how he’s supposed to protect Caleb if he can’t really be at his side.
“Lilith! Hey!” The waitress waves at me, her smile broadening when she spots Caleb with me. I wave back at her. She comes a moment later with the menus.
“Clary, this is Caleb,” I say while he is scanning the menu. “Hopefully, he’ll be your new regular.”
“Hi.” She grins at Caleb, who nods, then she turns to me. “Want the usual?”
“Yeah.”
“Right away!” she says after she jots down Caleb’s order and walks away.
Caleb’s eyebrows are raised in question.
“She’s a friend,” I say. “From high school.”