So, we resumed to our old ways.
He lived his life.
I lived mine.
Separately.
It had been almost a month since I had heard from Callum personally. However, he had been making headlines as of late, partying until the break of dawn around the Spanish coast along with his other playboy friends.
I stopped following his “progress” after news broke that he went jet-skiing at midnight, naked to boot. Yeah, the crazy devil-may-care attitude was back. I cringed, thinking that he was putting himself in danger again, but that was what he lived for. He was an adrenaline junkie. I just didn’t get the chance to see it first hand.
He had been a lot tamer with me.
So after the article I read about him doing crazy midnight stunts, I decided to steer clear from any gossip and society magazines.
It was three in the afternoon and I had just gotten back from food tasting with Luciana for one of our main events when Ally buzzed through.
“There’s an Eleanor demanding to see you,” Ally informed me through the speakerphone.
“Did she say what she wanted?”
“No, but I could ask if you want me to,” Ally whispered.
This was what I liked about her. She was fun and easy, funny when she didn’t mean to be. She had recently announced that she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend. I had to see if she and Sienna could train another person before she went on maternity leave. I knew she was only three months along, but these things took time. I didn’t want to panic and pester Ally when she was preparing to give birth.
With a heavy sigh, I answered her, “It’s fine, Al. Send her in.”
Of all the people to see me, I would never have guessed Eleanor. Could it be about Callum? I hoped it wasn’t too serious.
Standing up, I skimmed over my skirt and strode forwards, opening the door to greet the older woman.
I kissed both of her cheeks and gave her a tight hug. “Eleanor, lovely to see you, but I’m a little apprehensive about this surprise visit. I hope it’s nothing serious?” My paranoia and my over-active imagination were running overtime and I just had to ask, manners be damned.
When her eyes immediately turned serious, I stilled, waiting.
“I came to speak to you about something personal and I hope you don’t mind me interfering, but I came about Callum.” The distress in her voice was evident.
Callum. Hearing his name alone resuscitated me. “How is Callum, Eleanor?”
She shook her head as I guided her towards the sofa to sit. “He’s alive.”
I frowned at her response. He’s alive? I didn’t follow…
When she saw that I was taken aback with her answer, she filled me in. “He got into an accident last night. Have you not heard? It was all over the news. He was speedboat racing with that Greek actor and that Italian guy.” She fanned herself. “They even have footage for it. Thank goodness they’re all okay.”
Accident. Speedboat. Racing, again!
“Goodness,” I shakily whispered. My greatest fear had almost gotten him. He’d had a close call with death. It had been my only wish when I had asked him to keep away from racing, but he was doing a splendid job of proving he didn’t have to listen to it now.
My entire body froze, suddenly numb as I pictured what would have happened had he not managed to survive the accident. “Callum’s in a hospital, I take it?” I tried to sound unaffected, but failed to do so.
“He was for a bit.” Eleanor sighed, worried. “This is why I came here. He’s back to his old recklessness and I’m afraid for what this will do to him.” She reached for my hand, seeking my eyes. “You see, he had always had this streak, but it spiraled out of control after Zara. His grandfather died with worry. He’d already had a mild heart attack the day before, but when he heard of news that his grandson and only heir had smashed into a boutique window in Monaco and that Callum was being taken into emergency, the second attack wasn’t as kind as the first,” she continued with that shocking news. “He’s officially on leave. Indefinitely.”
“On a leave? Why? Is he hurt? Does he need therapy? A shrink? What?” Okay I sounded like a mad woman, but for the life of me, I couldn’t grasp how Callum—who was a workaholic—would easily give up work for no valid reason. Not only was it mind-boggling, but truly disconcerting.
I was beyond worried of what would happen if he continued on this path. What if he had a hard time harnessing this wild streak of his and decided to live life as a truly reckless, privileged heir like a lot of the people born with money?
“He’s chosen me as the person in charge while he’s on vacation. At my age, I want to think about traveling and Sunday luncheons and dinners, not the stock market, videoconferences and bloody meetings. I’m not prepped for these things and he knows it.
“You’re the only one I can think of that could get through to him, love. You have to help him,” she pleaded, beseeching. “He holds you in a high regard, Miss Stella.”
What if he laughed in my face? After all, I hadn’t spoken or seen him in a month. A lot could happen in a month. For all I knew, he probably hated my guts. “Where is he exactly?”
She shook her head again, disappointed. “He’s on that Greek’s yacht, partying. If you check the gossip sites as much as I have for the last couple of hours, it’ll update you on everything. It’s mooring off the coast of France. The French Riviera, I believe.”
Yacht parties. Oh, bloody joy! “How do I get to him?”
“Don’t worry about any of that. All I need to know is when then I will take care of the rest,” she assured me.
“You’re quite the woman in charge. I’m glad Callum chose you.” I tried to sound optimistic, knowing quite well that Callum was going to be a stubborn one to reel back to England. If he was having a ball with his speed racing and streaking naked around the Mediterranean, he would hate me for trying to intervene with his party life.
Eleanor finally stood up, giving me a hug before looking me in the eye. “He’s like a son. I love him like one… I worry, is all.”
“I’m going to try and get him back to tamer pastures,” I murmured, somehow grinning at the thought of me trying to bring him to tamer pastures.
Oh boy.
Time to see my kryptonite. I could only hope I fared well this time around.
Chapter 35
Stella
“Welcome aboard. Who might you be and whose intimate room party should I escort you to?” A tall, tanned, emerald green-eyed man with careless sexiness and a potent dose of eight-pack abs glistened before me, curious to the newcomer. “Luca di Medici at your service,” he introduced himself.