Page 2 of Caden's Situationship

“Tell me about it.” And at thirty-four, it was getting old.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“Not her,” I told him. “But she didn’t take the rejection well. Now, she’s over there talking to that group of women, and from the looks I’m getting, she’s telling them her version of the story.”

Houston shrugged. “These Dallas chicks are used to getting what they want, but we came here on a mission. Who cares what some pampered princess has to say.”

“Her boss might,” I mumbled as Lance Rose approached the woman. It didn’t take long before he was also looking my way with a stern expression on his face.

“Shit,” Houston mumbled. “Maybe you should have just fucked her.”

I shook my head. “Not my style, man. You know that.” Besides the fact that she was a prima donna, I wouldn’t have slept with her even if the situation hadn’t caught me off guard. Women like her didn’t have much substance and were more so worried about their social standing in society rather than doing something that impacted their community. My views made me sound judgmental at times, but I had yet to meet a woman like Abigail to prove me wrong.

“He looks pissed,” Houston pointed out.

“No shit.”

I wasn’t sure what she told him, but the last thing I was expecting when he approached me was for him to extend his hand and tell me, “Thank you for being there for my sister when that man tried to get her to go to the barn with him.”

My eyes widened.Sister? She’s his damn sister?“Ah, what?”

Lance glanced over his shoulder. “Abigail told me that you were there to rescue her when a man who had a little too much to drink approached her. I have security trying to find him now.”

“Um, you’re welcome,” I said, deciding to play along. “Glad I’d been out there to help.”

Houston almost choked on his drink. “That’s Caden. Ever so much the boy scout.”

Lance smiled. “Tonight only attributes to the other great things I’ve heard about you. How about we chat in my office about that expansion we discussed on the phone?”

I briefly glanced to Houston before accepting Lance’s offer. We followed him through the crowd, and not surprisingly, Abigail tapped me on the arm when we neared her.

“You’re welcome,” she whispered.

I glanced down at her and squinted my eyes. “Why did you help me land a meeting with your brother after what happened in the barn?”

Her eyes softened. “Don’t get me wrong, no man has ever turned me down before. But I just broke up with my boyfriend, and after I cooled off, I appreciated the fact that you were a gentleman.”

I smiled.Southern charm wins again.“His loss,” I told her, right before I tipped my hat and continued to follow her brother. Okay, so maybe I’d misjudged Ms. Abigail, but I still stood by what I believed. Nothing worse than a woman with good looks and little substance.

Three hours later, the party was ending and we’d successfully landed an investor for our new business venture.

“I wasn’t sure tonight was gonna pan out for us,” Houston admitted as we headed to the parking lot. “But I’m glad it did.”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, it paid off big time. Can’t wait to tell Linc and the rest of the gang that we’re initiating the next phase of the business soon.”

Houston nodded in agreement before he reached to his head. “Damn, dawg. I left my hat inside. Let me get it real quick.”

“I’ll be at the truck,” I yelled to Houston who was already jogging back to the estate. As I neared my car, commotion caught me off guard. I glanced to my right to see a woman yelling into her phone, wearing a dress with so much fabric, I wouldn’t have known it was actually a human being if not for her voice.

“You’re going to regret the day you dismissed my idea,” she yelled. “Everything you just said to me is hosh-posh and irrelevant. Just remember that you passed on perfection.” She hung up the phone and started shouting out words I didn’t even understand.

“Rich folk’s problems,” I mumbled, turning back toward the direction of my car.

“Sir, did you have something to say to me?”

I turned at the sound of her voice directed at me. “No, ma’am. I was just making my way to my car.”

“You know, eavesdropping is a crime.”

---