“Just three. I have a place in Colorado too. Do you ski?”
“No, I never have.” I twist my mouth in a tinge of embarrassment.
“Do you play tennis?”
“Yes.” I smile, finally not feeling out of place.
“This house has a tennis court and a squash court, in addition to a sixty-foot heated pool. It is very relaxing, and a nice break from the city.” He puts his arm out. “Shall we?”
Kalin walks me through the lush green landscape. He pushes a few buttons on the security system and opens the door. The interior is warm and sunny, with large windows and a view of the waterfront to the bay. “The ocean is a block over.”
We pass through the house, lined with antique rugs and beautiful hardwood floors, to two large sliding-glass doors that open to a garden terrace.
He strolls across the gardens and lush landscaping to a boat dock. “You can hear the beauty of this place. It is so sublime.” A large luxury yacht is located in the boat dock.
“Oh, my God. Is that yours?” I ask in a quaking voice.
“I got it shortly after I bought the house. Why live next to the ocean without a boat? C’mon,” he says, clasping my hand. He extends the stairs and whisks me inside the boat. We step into a spacious entertainment room that is much larger than my apartment, with two long, modern sofas neatly facing over a sleek coffee table. Love seats, serving tables, and end tables are scattered stylishly across the luxurious room. Toward the end is a mini bar. Above is a retractable glass ceiling. The next room over has a large dining area, and up above is a spacious sundeck with a Jacuzzi pool.
“We have clients all over the world, Annabelle. This puts them in the right state of mind when encouraging them to sign on with us.” He smiles.
“This place is just like a house. I can’t feel the water beneath me or anything.” I sit on the sofa. “It’s huge.”
“It has a modern stabilization anchor. It feels like we are on land.”
“Is this where you take all of your girlfriends to impress them?” I tease.
“You’d be surprised, Annabelle. This is a business asset, used primarily for clients and business deals. We aim to impress.” He winks. “Besides, I’m not the playboy you think I am.”
“No? I find that hard to believe. Rich, good-looking, single.” I simper.
“Rich, good-looking, and engaged.”
“You’re getting married?”
He chuckles. “After the other night? No, Annabelle. But I was engaged at one time.”
“Mr. Kalin Davis, engaged?”
“Yes. We didn’t tell anyone about it, to stay out of the gossip channels. But I was madly in love, and ready to get married and raise a family.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Kalin steps away for a few seconds and turns away from me. His usual confident expression has clouded. “My fiancée was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly before we were to be married.” Kalin turns back to me, his demeanor darkened and sad. “We delayed the wedding and focused all of our resources on treatment. But it was too late. It was already spreading. There was nothing we could do.” Kalin’s strong, broad shoulders slump slightly, and I feel an aching heaviness in my chest, mixed with shock.
“Oh, my God. I am so sorry, Kalin.”
“I was in love with her, trying to save her. I couldn’t believe something could be taken away so fast. Your very life.”
Kalin glances at me with an air of sadness. “Have you ever been in love, Annabelle?”
I shrug and shake my head. “No. I’ve only been in one serious relationship, if you could even call it that. I was dating Lia’s boyfriend’s best friend. We were struggling financially, and he enlisted in the military. It really kind of ended the relationship. But I wasn’t in love with him. We were just dating. Lia’s pretty serious with Trevor, though. I think they plan on getting married.”
“She sounds like a good friend.”
“She’s been the best. She’s come through for me in more ways than I can count. She’s always there for me. She’s even helped me financially.” I dip my head down slightly. “I want to pay her back, but I want to make sure I actually have this job first.”
“Why would you say that?” His lips part slightly.
“You have to understand, Kalin, this is more money than I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s probably more money than I even need. So I want to help her with her tuition for nursing school.” I swallow hard and glance at my hands. “But she suspects that you may have ulterior motives in hiring me.”
“What do you mean?” he says with an amused smile.