The Teacher's Billionaire

else in his bed. Maybe he’d had someone else all along. Who knew what he’d been doing when they weren’t together.
    “When we’re done at the spa, I made us reservations at The Melting Pot. I heard they have the most amazing Hazelnut Chocolate Fondue.” Lauren continued, referring to the new fondue restaurant Callie had wanted to try for months.
    “Thanks, Lauren. For everything.”
    Lauren stopped walking. “What are friends for? You’d do the same for me.” Linking her arm through Callie’s she started walking again. “First, I want to hit the new swimsuit store. I’m in desperate need of a new suit. And I have to stop in Pottery Barn to get a present for my cousin’s bridal shower next week.”
    As Lauren rattled off the rest of her plans for the mall, Callie tried to appear enthused. “Sure. Whatever. Doesn’t matter to me.”
    When she got home several hours later there were reporters and a man, that could play the Incredible Hulk if they ever made another movie, who informed her Warren sent him to be her personal bodyguard waiting outside. There were also twenty voice mail messages on her phone. Somehow, she’d forgotten her cell phone at home, so she had missed all the calls. There were even some on her house phone. “Word sure travels fast.”
    Every single message sounded the same. Was she really Senator Sherbrooke’s daughter? How long had she known? Why hadn’t she told them? Even the principal from her school called much to Callie’s disbelief. While she had a great professional relationship with the woman, they were not friends. Still, she called wanting to know if Callie planned on returning in the fall.
    Out of all the calls that one was the only one she felt she needed to return. Callie dialed the number left by the principal. “Irene, it’s Callie Taylor,” she said when the woman answered.
    “Callie, I apologize for calling, but I had to after I saw the news this afternoon. Is it true?”
    She wanted to say no, it’s a big joke but she held her tongue. “Yes. I only found out recently.”
    “I see.” Irene paused for a minute. “Does that mean you won’t be returning in the fall? Should I be looking for your replacement?”
    Why Irene even thought she wouldn’t be back was beyond her. “I’ll be there in the fall, Irene. This doesn’t change anything. I have no intention of leaving the school.”
    Before hanging up Callie reassured the principal three more times. Once she did end the call she turned the ringers off on both phones. If she received that many calls just while she shopped Callie didn’t want to know how many more she’d get that night.
    ***
    Dylan stretched out on the couch in his media room and flipped on his favorite news channel. As he expected the big story was Warren’s announcement. It had been on his mind all day. Not because it might affect Warren’s candidacy although it might but because of Callie. This was going to change her life in ways she probably couldn’t imagine.
    He unconsciously rubbed his chest trying to get rid of the dull pang he got every time he thought of her. Something he found himself doing constantly. Dylan hated the way things ended between them. That was what upset him. Or so he insisted on telling himself. He wasn’t upset because things ended. After all he didn’t do long-term relationships. He kept them to a maximum of two months. If he counted the time they spent together in Newport theirs had already hit the one-month mark.
    The fact that he hurt her was what bothered him. It had never been his intention to get involved with her. At least not as anything more than friendly acquaintances.
    You really screwed up this time.
Dylan figured that was actually a major understatement. Not only had he gotten involved with her, he’d gotten himself in deep. He’d let himself become emotionally as well as physically involved. Something he hadn’t done since Francesca.
    Francesca.
There was someone he didn’t think about too often.
    They’d been engaged, but thankfully he’d learned of her true nature months before the wedding. Not only had she been after his money and connections, which was bad enough, but she’d also been sleeping with one of his old college buddies. He’d actually caught them together one night in her apartment.
    Callie isn’t Francesca.
The fact that they were both women was the only thing they had in common. She deserved better than the way things ended between them. He’d tried calling to