"You're Dr. Ben Foster," I feel the need to correct him. "You're the founder of the Foster Foundation."
His eyes float towards a beautiful woman standing next to the bar. "My brother, Noah and I are co-founders and my wife, Kayla, she's the brains behind it all."
I know without having to ask that the woman at the bar is Kayla. I can sense it just from the way he looks at her. "I've heard a lot about the Foundation. I think it's an amazing endeavor."
"It's something we started for our mother." His eyes dart to the floor for a brief moment. "She died when we were teenagers. We wanted to help others in her name."
I stare at him as he speaks, noting how much he looks like Caleb, Gabriel and Asher. It's obvious that they all come from the same gene pool. It's not just the familiarity of his smile that I recognize but it's the strength in his brow and the shape of his nose.
"Corteck is donating some software for us tonight. You're a part of that, aren't you?"'
I quickly scan the room for Caleb. I want to be able to introduce myself as his girlfriend although we've never established that's who I am to him. My eyes roll past Ben's head to a clock on the wall of the hotel's dining room. He's late. He told me he'd meet me here at six. It's almost seven and there's no sign of him.
"My boss, Clive Parker, is here to make the presentation. He said you're friends with his wife."
"Lilly." There's a lilt in his voice as he says her name. "We’re close friends. You know her, don't you?"
I nod absentmindedly. "I should check in with Clive to make sure everything is set. You'll excuse me?"
"Of course," he says politely.
I look up into his face before I walk away. He's handsome in a way that is different than Caleb. He's more refined and polished. He's kind and as his eyes wander back to his wife, I watch the brilliant smile that consumes her face at the sight of him. That's what I want with Caleb. It's exactly what I've always wanted.
***
"Rowan, has Caleb talked to you about the new lingerie boutiques we're opening?"
This is it. This is the pitch I knew was coming.
"Lingerie?" Noah Foster appears next to where Gabriel and I are standing. "My wife told me about this. You're opening lingerie stores now, Gabriel?"
I highly doubt that Noah Foster remembers the brief conversation I had with him years ago at one of his photography shows. At that time, he was selling his pieces for a steep price and women were lining up to be one of his models.
I don't know anyone who posed for him, but I had heard the rumors. There was a contract and the rules were strict. No clothing allowed at all when he had his camera out and that worked both ways. Apparently he worked in the nude.
He smiles down at me and I instantly notice the scar that is now a permanent part of his cheek. I'd asked Asher about it after I met Noah the first time. He'd been stabbed and although he had the resources to seek the most skilled plastic surgeon in the world, he had made a conscious decision to not have his face repaired. It doesn't impact how attractive he is at all. He's hot and when I met him years ago, I made certain to tell Gabriel and Caleb how incredibly handsome I thought Noah was. They'd teased me about it on and off for years.
"You're Rowan Bell, aren't you?" Noah waves his finger in front of my nose. "You and I spoke a number of years ago. I think it was at a gallery."
No way. There's no way he can remember that.
"We did," I say suspiciously. I'm not memorable. It's not that I view myself as not being special; it's more that I'm realistic. He has to meet dozens of people on any given day. It's hard for me to imagine that he'd be impacted enough by our brief conversation that he'd remember me. "How can you possibly remember that?"
"You're Caleb's friend." He glances briefly at Gabriel. "He told me all about you a few weeks after that show and I recognized the name."
"Caleb talked about me?" I shouldn't sound as shocked as I do. I entered the doors of this event as a sophisticated, representative of Corteck. I now sound like a giddy school girl who just realized the boy who sits next to her in Algebra class likes her.
"No," he says quickly with a glint in his eyes. "Caleb talks about you. Every time I see him he talks about you. Rowan graduated with honors. Rowan got a promotion. Rowan is beautiful. It's all Rowan, all the time."
I look up and past his face to quiet my heart. "Caleb and I have been friends for a long time."
"Since you were born." Noah taps my shoulder. "I may know more about you than your own mother does."
I blush at the suggestion. "I had no idea."
He touches my forearm. "My cousin may be mildly obsessed with you. I'd keep an eye on him, if I were you."
I nod as I hear Gabriel's voice interject. "I was just about to offer Rowan a job with the new lingerie division. We should talk about us contracting you to take the photographs for the website and catalogues, Noah."
I know Noah responds, but I can't make out anything he says. The only thing I can focus on is Caleb's smiling face across the room.
Chapter 50