The Teacher's Billionaire

already met Jake.”
    Warren pulled a chair out for her. Memories of Dylan doing exactly the same thing for her on countless occasions flooded her mind.
    You really need to do a better job of not thinking about him.
    “He surprised us and showed up last night.”
    Lost in her own thoughts, it took Callie a moment to realize Warren referred to Jake who was now sitting next to her.
    Please don’t let there be any other surprise guests this weekend.
One surprise was enough.
    Reaching for her water glass Callie took a sip, content to sit and listen to the conversation around her. It wasn’t like she had anything to add to it anyway. They were talking about politics and the campaign.
    “Marty said you did a fantastic job in New York and Ohio, Jake. Our poll numbers among voters under thirty took a definite jump.”
    Callie choked on her water at the mention of Marty Phillips. Overcome by a coughing fit, the water in the glass she held sloshed over the sides and all over her shirt.
    Jake pried the glass out of her hand. “Are you okay?”
    Still coughing Callie could only nod yes until it stopped. “It just went down the wrong way. I’m fine,” she answered once she could speak again.
    “Are you sure?” Warren asked sounding concerned.
    Feeling embarrassed Callie nodded.
    “Do you want to go up and change?” Elizabeth asked eying Callie’s wet shirt. Callie thought the older woman had been looking at her oddly since she walked in. And so far Elizabeth hadn’t really said much to her.
    Does she know?
Her father might not know about Dylan’s little arrangement with the campaign advisor but that didn’t mean his wife was also in the dark. More importantly did Elizabeth know how involved she and Dylan had been?
    Please don’t let her know.
A burst of pain and anger exploded in her heart. How she wanted to hate him. But even as angry as she was with Dylan, she just couldn’t. Callie hated herself instead. She should have known better.
    “We don’t mind waiting,” Elizabeth continued to say pulling Callie out of her own thoughts.
    “I’m okay. It’s just a little water. It’ll dry.”
    Elizabeth let the matter go. The conversation quickly returned to some upcoming campaign stops Warren was making that month. With only a few months remaining until the election this would most likely be his last time off until November.
    During the meal Callie ate in silence, perfectly happy to listen to the conversation around her. She wasn’t big into politics. She followed it enough in the news to know the basics of what was going on and to make an informed decision at the polls, aside from that it held little interest to her. Yet she did find this insider’s view into the campaign fascinating.
    “Dylan wants to know if we want to have dinner next week when we are in Connecticut,” Elizabeth said changing the topic.
    The saltshaker in Callie’s hand slipped through her fingers, crashing into the center of her plate. Three sets of eyes turned on her.
    “Sorry it slipped,” Callie muttered looking down at her plate. She knew her face was beet red. She could feel it.
    Next to her Jake started a new conversation with his father. But Callie could still feel someone’s eyes on her. Looking up she meet Elizabeth’s steely gray stare. Her eyes were the exact same shade as Dylan’s.
    Hell, she knows. She knows everything
. Callie couldn’t explain it. Yet, she was positive that Elizabeth Sherbrooke knew everything from Dylan’s agreement with Phillips to the fact that she and Dylan slept together.
    Great. Just great
.
This weekend is going downhill fast
.
    When Callie entered the kennel early the next morning Lucky immediately jumped of the couch and bolted straight to her. “Hey there buddy.” Picking up the dog she gave him a quick squeeze. “How about a game of fetch?”
    Grabbing a bright yellow tennis ball from a basket of toys, she pushed open the door. The air outside was warm, already close to seventy degrees even though it was barely 8:30. She could hear the crashing waves in the distance. For a moment she closed her eyes, simply absorbing the atmosphere. It was so tranquil and relaxing.
    “You’re up and about early.”
    Opening her eyes she saw Jake coming toward her. Wearing a pair of shorts and a sweat soaked t-shirt, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess he’d been running.
    “I wouldn’t call this early. I’m usually at work by now,” she responded tossing the tennis ball. Lucky took