"We were going to meet in a public place and he didn't arrive on time. I ended up calling and his female friend picked up the phone. There was a misunderstanding and I thought he was playing me. Words were exchanged and I thought we would never talk again." That was the story in short.

  "At least you wanted to meet him in public…… How did he come to your home, though?" At least her father sounded less pissed off.

  "Angelina was mad at the whole situation and orchestrated a meeting with the help of Cage's manager. His manager drove him to my apartment without his prior knowledge." Her mother hummed thoughtfully.

  "Did you like each other in reality?"

  Katherine was taken aback at the question. Yes, she liked him more than she could possibly say.

  "Yes, dad. He's kind, caring, and sweet. He really likes me too." And that was the most important part of the conversation.

  "I'd be surprised if he didn't like you."

  'Thanks for the seal of approval, dad. Means a lot.'

  "Any boy would be a fool not to like you. Even if he is a star." Her mother sighed.

  "Now, you are being biased. If you saw Cage with your two eyes, you would think differently."

  Strike while the iron was hot. They seemed placated, so she threw in the punchline.

  "I won't be coming home for the long weekend because I am going to the mountains with Cage."

  "You're staying with a boy you just met?" he shouted. Katherine again had to pull the phone away.

  "I know you are happy he is rich and famous but I really don't think it is a good idea to rush into a vacation together so soon. The entertainment industry is ruthless and he could have any woman who wants to climb his bed." It was right for her mother to be concerned. Yet, Katherine found herself upset and offended on Cage's behalf.

  "That might be true, but Cage is not like that. I've come to know him and I am sure you will like him when you get to get to know him as well," she explained. She didn't want to force her thoughts on her parents but if they were negative, she would have to work hard to improve their outlook of Cage.

  "I'll have to read articles on him, then." That sounded like the worst thing anyone could do to get and know a person.

  "Please don't. Newspapers are great for local news, but the entertainment section isn't worth reading. No real news there all gossip and fluff." She sighed. "And just so you know. Angelina and Lily will be accompanying me, as will Cage's manager and Lily's boyfriend. We won't be alone. It's just a fun outing." She would reveal things about spending more time together later. Burn one bridge at a time.

  "And what about the world knowing about your relationship?" Give it to her mother to get to the crux of things.

  "We're going to keep sneaking around as long as we can." She didn't have the answer to that question but sneaking around was the best option.

  "Why? He wants to hide you away?" Her father sounded offended. "You aren't a dirty little secret."

  "No. He doesn't want to hide me. We mutually decided on this because we can both be protected in that way. He doesn't want the press following us around and taking pictures of me and I don't want to face public opinion and online abuse." That should reassure him a little bit.

  "I don't like this," the man grumbled.

  "I know that you really love him as an actor. I just want to know if you are confusing that with feelings of romantic love. Maybe you just like living out a fantasy of dating your celebrity crush."

  "Mom, I love him. You're right to doubt everything but please don't question how much I love him." Her mother sighed.

  "I won't tell you what to do. You are a grown-up. I'd like to meet him, though." Well, that was as close to a blessing she would get from her father. Her mother though was a different story.

  "Mom?" she asked tentatively.

  "Just come home with him soon," she said even though she didn't sound pleased. "Be careful. Stay safe. I will be keeping an eye out for dirt on Cage and you best believe I will pull him up on it. No way he is duping my daughter." Katherine chuckled.

  "I thought you were a fan of his!" she said.

  "Until he started dating my daughter," she grumbled. The call ended soon enough with pleasantries. At least she had not been threatened. It had gone much better than she had previously thought.

  She didn't want to look at a computer anymore, so she decided to slip into her room and lie on her bed. After a couple of minutes of staring at the ceiling, she started to doze off. She was getting tired too much these days. She wondered if it was the passing of anxiety that was making her body let go.

  She must have dozed off because the ringing of her phone startled her. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at the illuminated phone screen. Seeing Cage's name on the screen made her smile.

  "Hi," she breathed, putting the phone to her ear. She was sure that he could hear both the grogginess and happiness in her voice.

  "Fell asleep?" he asked gently.?She giggled.

  "How did your mom's visit go over?"

  "I wasn't grounded and we had a long chat about you and our situation. Dad came over, too and we had a family dinner."

  "What did you tell her?" she asked anxiously.

  "Just how we met and how much I like you. She wants to know you better." Katherine let out a squeak. 'She wanted to know more about me?' And obviously this man knew how to make her feel good about herself. She would have to thank his mother for the excellent upbringing. Who said chivalry was dead? It had just evolved into dirty talking.