by J. Kenner
And Mina, who was still half-asleep and too exhausted to argue, nodded, pressed one hand on Faith's back, took Cam's hand with her other, and fell back to sleep.
Chapter Nine
"I've barely seen you or my sister since Saturday," Darryl said on Wednesday when he slid into the booth opposite Cameron at Pizza Mambo, a new pizza by the slice place just a few blocks from the Federal Building.
"She wrangled me into babysitting with her. Although, technically, I think Brent wrangled her into babysitting a few more days than she'd originally planned."
"Brent. That's the security guy, right? The cute one?"
"Yes, and if you say so. And before you ask, I'm pretty sure he's straight. And I definitely know he has no time for anything but work and his kid."
Darryl took a sip of his Dr. Pepper. "Considering how busy the judge has me already, I'm pretty sure I won't be dating until after my clerkship."
"But you like it?"
"Yeah, it's great. The judge and the other clerks are terrific." He lifted a shoulder. "But even if they weren't, it would be worth it. A Federal Clerkship is resume gold."
Cam nodded, but he was thinking of Mina and her laser-like focus on getting to LA. As far as she was concerned, the Austin job she'd be starting soon was only a stepping-stone to bigger and better things, even though the small studio had a successful record and an impressive team.
Of course, Cam knew the twins' father, so he knew how important career was in the family. And he'd also seen the way father and brother doted on Mina. And, frankly, he understood the need to succeed. To live up to the bar set by a parent or, in his case, an older sibling.
Still, he couldn't help but think her career path was a road that led far, far away from him. He just didn't know how long it would be before she started walking it.
Christmas, a little voice in his head whispered. And even though he knew that they'd moved past that conversation--and even though she'd pulled the date out of a hat in the first place--he couldn't help but feel like the end was already barreling down on them even though they'd only barely gotten started.
"--you into it."
"Sorry," Cam said. "What?"
"I said thanks for letting her drag you into it. Even though I'm confident she could handle a five-year-old, I'm sure it's a lot easier with you along."
"It's been fun, too. Over the last couple of days, we took Faith ice-skating, to the Children's Museum, to the zoo, and we rented a paddleboat. Basically, we wore the poor kid out. But she loved it."
He'd loved it, too. Mostly because every day when they'd returned to Brent's house, Faith conked out. Which meant that he and Mina had plenty of time to talk on the couch or drink coffee on the back porch or just watch a movie while they recovered from dealing with a five-year-old.
They'd held hands and laughed together, and it had felt ridiculously domestic and wonderful. And while he had no desire for kids of his own yet, there was a sweetness to the situation that had bubbled inside him, like a shiny promise for the future that he could tuck away.
A promise that became more and more tarnished whenever he thought about Mina's stated goal to get to LA, and her plan to use her upcoming job in Austin as a stepping stone.
But that was a long way off. She didn't even start the job for another week, and the point was to get experience. She wouldn't even begin looking for LA-based jobs for at least a year, maybe two.
And who knew what could happen in a year? Hell, so much had already happened in only a week.
Like, for example, the fact that he was absolutely, totally, one hundred percent falling in love with Mina Silver.
Not that he was surprised by that revelation. After all, he'd been half in love with her his entire life. But what he felt now was no teenage crush. It was rich and deep. Desire mixed with admiration and respect and longing and a connection so intense that when she was away from him he missed her with a physical ache. And not merely the sexual kind, though he wouldn't deny he had that kind of craving as well.
They hadn't made love since the weekend of Darryl's party, and Cam was fine with that. Their sweet courtship had solidified his feelings, and, he hoped, made Mina see him, and not just a good time.
The hard part was that he wanted to tell Mina how he felt, but he feared scaring her off. And now, after years of hiding his crush from Darryl, Cam desperately wanted his friend's advice, since no one knew Mina better than her twin. But he'd promised Mina, and so he held his tongue.
"Have you seen her today?" Cam asked. "Do you know if she got that paper done?" She'd spent a good chunk of Tuesday on her laptop in Brent's house finalizing the cinematography article she'd been writing for publication with one of her advisors.
"She came into the house for breakfast," Darryl told him. "Said she hadn't had time to hit the grocery store and needed eggs. And yeah. She said she finished and was meeting with the professor right after lunch to go over it one last time."
"And you? What's on your agenda today? Anything after work?"
Darryl frowned. "I was hoping to go for a bike ride, but I'm going to end up working late. Want to go down to the Veloway this weekend?"
Cam nodded. "Sure." Frankly, he could use the exercise. He'd blown off all his recent training sessions at the gym with Matthew. Fortunately, he'd gotten quite a workout chasing Faith.
"I'm back on the clock at the Fix starting Friday," he told Darryl, "but my shift doesn't start until six."
Darryl was an avid biker, and though Cam knew he preferred the city streets, considering the mess that was Austin traffic, Cam would much rather bike on the path.
"Are you biking to work?" It was a trek from Darryl's house to the downtown Federal Building, but Cam knew that was nothing for Darryl.
"Maybe when the weather gets cooler. Right now, I'm too focused on making a good impression on my judge. I don't need to be juggling clothes, too. Speaking of, I need to get back." He pointed a finger at Cam. "Saturday," he said. "I'll pick you up. I've got a rack on the back of the Land Rover."
They finalized the plans and paid the bill, then walked out together. And although Cam had every intention of heading back to his room in the West Campus co-op, he somehow ended up in the open area in front of the main doors to the film school.
Which was ridiculous, since even during summer the University of Texas was an ant bed of activity, and the odds of him bumping into Mina were incredibly slim. For all he knew, she and the professor had finished hours ago, and she was at The Domain shopping with one of her girlfriends. Or she and the professor had gone to the Student Union to have a drink while they went over the article line by line.
He tugged his phone out of his back pocket, intending to tell her he was on campus, and to ping him back if she was free. Then he'd walk back to the co-op slowly, just in case he heard from her.
He didn't get the chance.
"Cam!"
He turned toward the sound of her voice, and when he saw her delighted smile, he felt as if he'd been lit by a beam of sunlight.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she hurried to his side.
"Would it sound stalker-ish if I said I wanted to see you?"
Her smile widened and a tint of pink bloomed on her cheeks. "Absolutely. But in a kinder, gentler stalker way."
He laughed, then took her hand. "Are you free for the rest of the day?"
She frowned, looking genuinely disappointed. "I told Megan and Taylor we could do shopping then drinks at The Domain. What?" she added, obviously seeing his grin.
"Not a thing," he said, though he'd predicted that very scenario. "Tell them I said hello. What about tomorrow night?"
"That I can do so long as it's after seven."
"Hot date?"
She tilted her head up to meet his eyes, the heat in hers just about melting him. "Well, I certainly hope so."
"I think I can pretty much guarantee that after seven. Before, you're on your own."
"Not too much in the way of excitement there
. I'm taking the handheld around The Fix before it gets too crowded. Just to make sure the editors have enough background footage. But why don't you meet me there? Have you got something in mind for the evening?"
He paused, then made it a point to rake his eyes over her, very slowly and very thoroughly. "Yeah," he said. "I do."
"Oh. Well, good." She took his hand. "I'm free for a couple of hours. Isn't your co-op around here?"
"Actually, I have another idea."
"Yeah? What?"
"Trust me," he said, pleased when she acquiesced without begging him for details of what he had in mind. Not even when their first stop was the Student Union, where he bought a bag of raw sunflower seeds. Then he led the way through the maze of roads and buildings as they headed east toward the law school, stopping periodically to feed the always-eager squirrels.
Apparently the critters had some sort of wireless communication system, because word travelled, and every time they sat to feed one, more and more came. So that by the time they reached the grounds by the law school they were out of nuts and, Mina decided, getting the stink-eye from the still-hungry legal squirrels.
"They're ridiculously cute," she said. "And God forbid one decides to move off-campus. I can't imagine a more pampered squirrel population anywhere in the world."
"When I was little, Grandma used to bring Kiki and me here. We didn't have much money, so the University was like a playground. We'd have massive picnics on the hill by the LBJ Library and commune with the squirrels and the birds. It's one of the reasons I wanted to go to school here," he added with a shrug. "It's always felt like home."
"Why are we at the law school?" she asked. "You decide to follow my brother's career path after all?"
"A million times no. But I do want to level the playing field."
Her brows rose in question.
"I see a bit of what you do. The camera. Helping with the lighting. I kind of get it."
"Again I ask, why the law school?"
"The Tarlton Law Library has a rare books and manuscripts archive. I want to show you something. After the squirrels, I figure you'll think it's interesting. At the very least, you'll think it's cute."
"Well, now I really am intrigued. Lead the way."
He did, taking her into the huge, quiet library with its open stacks of law books and glass cases of artifacts. The librarians knew him, as he'd spent a good portion of the last year in the rare book collection working on various papers and projects.
He led the way back to the rare books room, where he met Kelly, one of the archivists. He'd texted ahead while they'd been feeding the squirrels, and she'd already put out the book that he wanted Mina to see. She greeted them, reminded Cam to use the cotton gloves if he touched anything, then melted into her office, reflecting a trust that humbled him. The books in this room really were priceless.
"It's beautiful," Mina said, her voice low and reverent. She stood at the end of the table, her hands behind her back as if to remind herself not to touch the thick bound book open to two pages filled with intricate drawings and almost indecipherable calligraphy. "Is it a Gutenberg Bible?"
"No, the Gutenberg Bibles were printed on a printing press. This is an illuminated manuscript, and this one was handwritten in the thirteen hundreds."
She tilted her head up to look at him. "Really? All of it?"
He nodded. "Monks would copy the pages, day after day after day."
"Tedious."
"Yup. Check this out." This was the part that always amused the middle school kids that sometimes toured the library. "When they got bored, they'd doodle."
He indicated the margin, and she bent closer. "Is that a mouse?" She looked up at him. "The monk drew a mouse?"
He grinned, more at her delight than at the mouse. "Cool isn't it? And some manuscripts have some pretty racy images in the margins, too."
He showed her a bit more from the collection, thrilled that she seemed genuinely interested. When they finally left the library and could speak in a normal tone and not worry about where they put their hands, she slid into his arms and sighed.
"Thanks," she said. "I like seeing a bit of what you do."
"It's not all monks and mice," he said, making her laugh.
"No, I get that. But it's a peek inside of you. And I like that." She rose up on her toes and kissed him then, casually and sweetly. A gentle kiss. Tender and soft and loving.
It was the kind of kiss that felt like a relationship.
But even as his heart twisted with joy, Cam knew better than to get his hopes up.
Chapter Ten
Cam woke before five a.m. to the sound of his phone ringing, the shrill sound rocketing him to consciousness. He snatched the phone, afraid it was Mina, then sagged in relief when he saw Kiki's number.
"Time goes the other way," he said.
"Shit! I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Are you awake?"
"Well, I am now," he grumbled. "Are you still in London?" His sister was the lead singer and songwriter with Pink Chameleon, a band that had recently made a comeback, and was now touring the United States and Europe to great reviews and sell-out crowds.
"Yup. Celia and I are walking through the park outside Buckingham Palace."
"Tell Noah he needs to do a better job monitoring your phone use," he said, the comment making her laugh. Her husband of almost two years now, Noah was the President of the Austin division of Stark Applied Technology. With Kiki on tour, though, he was doing a lot of work from the road.
"He's in New York with Damien," she said, referring to the head of the company, Damien Stark, a man Cam had only met a couple of times, but found to be ridiculously down to earth considering he could probably buy the entire solar system and then some. "I'm not going to see him until we meet up in Austin."
"Well, then tell him to make you a cheat sheet, because every time he's away, you call me in the middle of the--wait. Did you say Austin?"
"Yup. We've squeezed in performances in Dallas and San Antonio at the beginning of the second leg of the US tour. And I insisted that we have at least one night at home. This on the road thing is crazy pants."
"That's fabulous." Technically his half-sister by a different father, Kiki was ten years older than him. She'd been as much a mom as a sister, and he'd been thrilled when she moved to Austin--and missed her terribly now that she was on the road. "When will you be here?"
"Dallas is Tuesday. San Antonio is Thursday. I intend to sleep in my very own bed on Wednesday night."
"Wednesday?" he repeated. "That's not even a week away."
"I know. Plan on dinner."
"Hell, yeah, I will. I--oh. Shit."
"You have plans." He heard the disappointment in her voice.
"Kind of. You remember I told you about the calendar guy contest at The Fix?"
"Comic relief," she said, and he could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "I can't believe you did that."
"I can't believe I told you," he said dryly. "At any rate, the contest is every other week, which puts Mr. March on this coming Wednesday."
"And you're entering again?"
"Hell, no," he said quickly. "Well, technically, I'm already entered since all the guys can roll over to the next contest if they don't win. But no. That's not my plan. But Mina's working the show, and since I'm an assistant manager now, I figure I should be there even if it's not my shift."
"That's right. I already said congratulations when you texted me, but congrats again."
"Thanks again."
"And what about Mina?"
He'd confessed the crush to Kiki before she'd gone on tour, figuring that she might have some brilliant, life-changing advice.
She hadn't, but just sharing his feelings with his sister had been a relief.
"Things are good," he told her now, then gave her the PG-rated rundown of his recent time with Mina. "Actually, I was going to text you when I got up and ask you--"
He'd intended to ask about using their downtown condo for a date
with Mina, but cut himself off as a brilliant idea swelled in his head.
"Cam?"
"Is it just you and Noah coming to Austin? Or is the whole band coming?"
"Just me and Noah. Celia has family in San Antonio, and Eden and Kristi said they want to fall face down on a hotel mattress and sleep until we perform. Why?"
"Would you be willing to do an acoustic number? Just you and your guitar? I know you can't do the songs you're touring with, but maybe something you're working on?".
"Um, I guess. Why?"
"Well, it would be a great surprise for all the customers. I mean, it's been well over a year since you've performed here, and that was before the band got huge. And I could get Nolan to talk about it afterwards on his radio show. And then word would get out that The Fix is the kind of place where Kiki King drops in to perform, and that would get it on the map. And since we're trying to increase revenue, I figure--"
"I get it," she said, laughter in her voice. "And sure. I can do that. On one condition."
He narrowed his eyes, even though she couldn't see him. "What?"
"You enter the calendar contest."
It was a good thing he was still in bed, because that demand would have laid him flat. "Seriously? Why?"
"Honestly, because I've been on the road for what seems like forever, I've missed you, and I haven't given you enough shit lately."
He rubbed his temples, then sighed. Because how the hell could he argue with that? "Fine. I'm in. But I have a condition."
"Good God, this could go on forever. What's yours?"
"I'm taking Mina out tonight. Can I take her back to your condo?"
"Of course. You have all the access codes."
"I know. I just wanted to ask. And is it okay to stay through the weekend?"
"Planning one hell of a date, are we?"
"Not planning so much as hoping," he admitted, making her laugh.
"Again, you don't even have to ask. So long as you're out before we get there on Wednesday, consider it yours."
* * *
Despite going back to sleep after he hung up with Kiki, Cam was exhausted by the time six o'clock rolled around. Mostly because he'd spent the afternoon running various errands and making trip after trip to the condo in order to get everything just the way he wanted.
Only when he was certain that everything was perfect, and he'd forgotten nothing, did he finally shower and change into clean jeans and a button-down shirt, then walk the few blocks from Kiki and Noah's downtown condo to The Fix on Sixth.