Chapter 26

The car ride is awkward, to say the least.

Honestly, I'm still a little aroused, but I know that this is no longer the time or place to tease Calder into some naughty misdeeds. He's distracted, and his knuckles are white around the steering wheel. I want to break the silence, but what do you say to someone in a situation like this? Oh, no one reads those gossip rags anyway! I'm sure it will all blow over soon! Ugh. It just sounds condescending.

We're halfway back to my place when his phone goes off. Calder doesn't seem to notice at first - or maybe he's just ignoring it. Maybe he's afraid they found his number and are calling to harass him some more. The phone is sitting in the center console, and its vibrations rattle the plastic cup holders and the loose change he's started collecting there. On the third ring, I glance down at the screen.

"It's not one of them," I assure him. "It's Tim Renley."

Tim - that's the guy helping him with all the financial stuff, right?

Calder lets out