In Love With My Best Friend

by Sheena Binkley

  Camille laughed as she put her chopsticks into one of the cardboard cartons. She took out a spoon of noodles and placed it in her mouth.

  “How is the wedding coming along? I do have to admit, I was a little surprised when you said the wedding date was in three weeks.”

  “Why are you surprised? I think Chelsea and I have waited long enough to get married. We’ve been together for eight years.”

  “I know, but you just got engaged.”

  “We didn’t want a long engagement. Cam, I’m thirty years old and I’m ready to settle down. I’ve done all I wanted to do in regard to the single life, so I’m ready to see what marriage is about.”

  “Haven’t you already? You and Chelsea have been living together in Dallas.”

  “Technically we haven’t been. We agreed to live separately until we got married. It was Chelsea’s idea.”

  “Well, that’s good in a sense. When will Chelsea get back from Dallas? I know she mentioned last night that she was leaving today.”

  “She’ll be back two weeks before the wedding. She did have some news to share with you, so you should be receiving a call soon.”

  “Great,” Camille said softly as she took a sip of her water.

  “I was thinking about doing something special for the wedding by surprising Chelsea during the couple’s dance. I want to actually know how to dance, so I signed up for ballroom dancing.”

  “Trevor, you can dance. Why do you need lessons?”

  “I wanted to do something extra special, that’s all. I was hoping you would be my dance partner for the class.”

  Camille looked at me and smiled. “Fine, but it’s going to cost you.”

  “Of course, name it.”

  “Can’t think of anything right now, but when I need something, you’ll know.”

  I gave Camille a smile as I removed some noodles from her carton. “Really?”

  I put the noodles in my mouth and laughed at the pout Camille was giving me. Wow, she looks sexy, I thought as I stared at her. What am I thinking?

  z

  Camille

  I

  loved hanging out with Trevor. It seemed like old times as we used to sit in my living room watching TV shows and making fun of the actors. Now that he had moved back I felt great knowing that he would be around when I needed him. But now that he would be a married man, how much longer could I rely on him to be there for me?

  While he was eating, I had to take a quick peek at my friend, who even in relaxed mode looked hot. Dressed in a blue T-shirt and gray sweatpants, with his hair semi-messy from moving, he still pulled off the sexiness without even trying.

  “I didn’t realize it was so late. If you want, I could come by tomorrow and help you finish.”

  “Why don’t you just spend the night? You could sleep in the bed while I take the couch.”

  I started to become a little hot by the thought. I didn’t know if I should even ponder the thought, let alone do it.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I probably should just head out.”

  “Cam, what’s the problem? It’s not like we never spent the night before. If you’re worried about Chelsea, she would be cool with it. She pretty much considers you her sister.”

  I don’t think she would if she knew what I was thinking right now, I thought as I looked at Trevor again.

  “Fine, but if I’m staying, we have to continue unpacking.”

  “We can do that tomorrow.”

  “We were just taking a break with dinner, so now the break’s over,” I said as I got up from the floor and went to the trash bin to throw away my carton.

  “Fine, we can get back to work if you tell me what happened between you and Eric.”

  I turned around from the bin to look at Trevor. “Why do you need to know?”

  “I don’t know; this is the third guy you broke up with in almost two years. What gives?”

  “Nothing, Eric just wasn’t the right guy.” He’s not you.

  Trevor got up from the floor and started to stretch, half of his shirt rising up to reveal his rock-solid abs. I had to bite my lip to keep from uttering a word. He walked over to me and put his arms around me.

  “I can’t argue with that. Cam, you’re a wonderful woman, and I just want you to find the right man who will treat you like you need to be treated. I only want what’s best for you.”

  The look he gave me at that moment made my knees go weak. I don’t know how I could be in the same room with him, let alone his condo for the whole night. Sure, we spent the night together, but nothing ever happened, and just having him close by made me restless.

  “I know you do, and I will find him someday. There’s still hope for me. Look at you and Chelsea.”

  “Yeah, we’re perfect together,” he said as he walked toward the coffee table to pick up the rest of the empty cartons.

  I could hint a sense of regret as he went over to the trash bin. Our arms brushed against each other, causing us to share a brief gaze. I quickly walked over to the nearest box sitting near the couch and begin to pull out its contents.

  Trevor came up to me as he put the item I had in my hand back into the box and turned me around. “Let’s do something fun.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “You’ll see. Come on,” he said as he held out his hand.

  I laid my hand in his as he grabbed his keys, and we headed toward the door.

  Chapter 4

  Trevor

  I

  had to find something to do to get us out of my condo. The sexy way Camille looked at me earlier made me even more confused. Throughout the years, I had always kept any type of feelings I had for her at bay. I never really wanted to think about them, let alone pursue them.

  Being friends with Camille had always been great for me, so I never wanted to ruin it if we did enter into a relationship. That was also why I decided to give Chelsea a chance. Although I loved Chelsea, there would probably always be a tiny part of me wondering what things would have been like if Camille and I were together.

  But I can’t think about that. I’m marrying Chelsea.

  As I pulled into the parking lot to the Downtown Aquarium, I paid for parking and went to the nearest spot available. Camille gave me a huge smile.

  “This should be fun,” she said.

  “Definitely. Remember the last time we were here?”

  “How could I forget? We had such a great time, especially on the Ferris wheel.”

  “Well, tonight let’s not worry about anything but us two having fun,” I said as I got out of the car.

  I walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. Camille got out of the car, and we both traveled to the entrance.

  The Aquarium is one of the central attractions in downtown Houston that is not just known for its aquatic exhibits. The attraction is also a mini amusement park, complete with games and a Ferris wheel. After getting our tickets, we decided to head over to the carnival booths, which Camille loved. Personally, I thought they were a rip-off, but it was fun to be competitive sometimes.

  “Basketball Shootout? Winner has to pay for a funnel cake,” Camille said.

  “You’re on.”

  As we gave the attendant our tickets, we waited for him to hand us a couple of basketballs. I gave Camille a wink as she held her basketball in position.

  “You’re going down, Williams,” she warned.

  As the game began, I started to throw the basketballs into the basket while watching the timer quickly ticking away. Camille had already scored ten points, which give me a slight disadvantage since I’d only scored two.

  The timer ended and Camille won by three, making me the loser of our bet.

  “Of course I’m the winner,” Camille said, while laughing.

  “You had a slight advantage.” “How so?”

  “The baskets were more on your height level.”

  “Oh please, Williams. Now where is my funnel cake?”

  “Co
ming right up, after we take a spin on the Ferris wheel.”

  Camille smiled as I took her hand in mine and went toward the attraction to wait in line.

  After being seated and waiting on the other passengers to sit, I leaned over to Camille and gave her a light push. “You plan on bringing a date to the wedding?”

  “I’m not sure. I probably won’t though.”

  A tiny part of me was thrilled to hear her answer, making me wonder, why should I care if Camille brought a date?

  “I’m thinking about swaying away from dating for a while. I’ve had too much bad luck with men lately. Just the other day, I was thinking about going onto one of those dating sites I keep hearing about at work; either that or speed dating. We’re actually planning an event next month, so I might give it a try.”

  “Do you really want to do that? Don’t you want to find someone the natural way?”

  “I do, but sometimes it gets a little frustrating.”

  “That’s because you’re expecting it. Give it some time.”

  “I think I waited enough time for my dream man,” Camille said silently. I looked at Camille, wondering what she was implying, when the Ferris wheel made a sudden move. I knew Camille got nervous when the wheel began to move, so I placed her hand in mine and gave it a small squeeze. She turned toward me and gave me a tiny smile. She put her head on my shoulder, giving me a chance to take in the sweet floral scent she was wearing.

  I really didn’t know what was going on with me, but at that moment, I suddenly started to see the girl I was just friends with as something more.

  This is definitely not good.

  After the Ferris wheel, I bought Camille a funnel cake, which we shared while staring at the night sky and enjoying the wonderful breeze blowing softly. We stayed at the Aquarium for another hour before heading back to my place. As soon as we walked in the door, Camille went straight to the couch and fell down on the soft cushion.

  “Had fun?” I asked as I sat beside her.

  “Of course, it brought back old memories.”

  “It did for me too. Chelsea doesn’t normally do stuff like that; I guess that’s why it means so much to me when we do them.”

  “Well, I’m always here if you need the occasional Basketball Shootout or Ferris wheel adventure.”

  I smiled. “Definitely.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll call it a night,” Camille said as she moved from the couch.

  I took Camille’s hand, preventing her from moving. “Stay up with me. I haven’t seen you in so long, I want us to hang out like we used to.”

  Camille gave me an unsteady glance as she sat back down on the couch.

  I picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned on the TV. I needed to break the ice between us since it suddenly became chilly in the room.

  “Can I at least change first? I would like to be comfortable,” Camille implied.

  “Sure, you can wear any of my T-shirts that are in the bedroom. It’s the last door on your left.”

  “Thanks,” Camille said as she ventured off toward the back of the condo.

  I went to my entertainment center to retrieve another DVD to put into the player. A few minutes later, Camille walked back into the living room wearing one of my plaid shirts. Although I tried hard not to, I couldn’t help but stare at her legs and how toned they looked. She left three buttons undone, giving a little peek at her smooth caramel skin as well as her breasts. I suddenly needed some water to help cool off whatever urges I was having. I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

  “Sorry, I know you said a T-shirt, but I decided to opt for one of your plaid shirts. Hope you don’t mind.”

  If you only knew what I was thinking right now, I thought as I started to check out my friend again.

  “Is everything OK?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine. It actually looks better on you than me.”

  Camille smiled as she went back over to the couch.

  This is going to be a long night.

  Chapter 5

  Camille

  T

  he entire night wasn’t so bad between Trevor and me. Instead of me ogling him at every chance I got, we decided to do some things we used to do, including playing video games and Monopoly. I could have sworn Trevor was checking me out a couple of times, especially when I first walked in wearing his favorite plaid shirt. I couldn’t believe he still had that shirt, but I loved it since it looked damn good on him.

  That was the whole point in wearing it, I thought as I lay in his bed.

  Morning arrived and I was laid out in Trevor’s bed, watching the sun peek in through the curtains Trevor had installed yesterday.

  As I raised myself up, I looked around the room and saw we still had some unpacking to do but should get done if we started now. A knock on the door disrupted me from my thoughts.

  “Come in.”

  Trevor strolled in with two cups of coffee and a large paper bag. He stepped over to the bed and sat down beside me.

  “I decided to go out and get some breakfast. I hope you still like these. I know you did when we used to go there.”

  “Chocolate éclairs from Parker’s Bakery? If so, give me the bag,” I said as I tried to grab the bag from Trevor. He was too quick as he put the bag further away from me.

  “What’s the magic word?”

  “Now,” I said, laughing.

  “All right, you won’t be getting these anytime soon.”

  “Fine. Pretty please?”

  “Here you go,” he said as he swung his legs onto the bed and pulled out the éclairs and some scones for himself from the bag.

  “I could get used to this,” I said as I gripped one of the éclairs in my hand and took a huge bite. I closed my eyes in total satisfaction over the delicious pastry treat.

  “Well, it’s just my way of saying thank-you for helping me unpack.”

  “I should be saying thank-you for a great night. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. It’s great to have you back.”

  “It’s great to be back.”

  I suddenly became sad as I put my éclair onto a paper napkin and set it on the nightstand. Trevor noticed the sudden mood change as he put his coffee cup on the nightstand on his side of the bed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just that you’ll be married soon. You just moved back, and I feel like I’m losing you all over again.”

  “Why are you saying that? You will never lose me.”

  “You’re saying that now, but once you’re married, you won’t have time to hang out with me.”

  “I still was able to when Chelsea and I were dating. Nothing is going to change.”

  “Things will change, Tre.”

  Trevor put his arm around me as I set my head on his chest. Just the smell of his cologne made me turn into mush.

  “Cam, no matter where we are, whether I’m married and you’re in a relationship, we will still be best friends. Nothing will ever change that. I won’t let that happen.”

  A smile escaped my lips as I looked up at him. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  He gave me a tight hug as he kissed my forehead. I knew then that even if I couldn’t have him romantically, I knew he would be my friend forever.

  After helping Trevor unpack several more boxes, I decided to go home to change. I promised Tia I would go to lunch with her to plan a retreat for her employer, a manufacturing company downtown. Tia was the office manager and sometimes event planner for the company. She recommended my company to help organize the event, which was great for me since I could spend time with my friend.

  As I pulled up to The Grove Restaurant, I immediately saw Tia standing outside wearing a bright-blue blouse and a pair of pink skinny jeans. I look at her outfit knowing I could never pull off that attire, but on Tia it looked gorgeous.

  I got out of my Lincoln MKS and closed the door. Tia was walking over with a huge smile on her beautiful face.

  “Hey,
girl. I’m glad you showed up for lunch. I went by your place and noticed you weren’t home.”

  “Why did you go there? I already said I was going to meet you here.”

  “I wanted to get an early start on the planning.”

  “We do have all weekend to brainstorm a proposal.”

  “You think I want to work on the weekend? Anyway, where were you this morning?”

  “At Trevor’s. I spent the night there.”

  Tia gave me a smirk as she waited for the hostess to seat us.

  “Before you say anything, it’s not what you think. I was helping him unpack, it got late, and he asked me to spend the night. All we did was play video games and ate Chinese food.”

  “I bet you wish something happened. In fact, I find it hard to believe that you and Trevor never hooked up. Even I have to admit Trevor is fine as hell.”

  “I guess being friends means more to us than the occasional booty call,” I said as I took a seat at the table near the window. The hostess handed Tia and me a menu and informed us our waiter will arrive shortly.

  “I understand that, but you are the one who wants the relationship with Trevor. I think you would have taken the booty call if it was given to you.”

  “Are you being serious right now? That would not be enough for me. I care too much for Trevor to just have a ‘friend with benefits’-type relationship.”

  “OK, I get it. I was just joking on the last part.”

  I sighed as I peeked around the restaurant. My phone started to vibrate in my purse, which I was glad for so I wouldn’t have to talk to Tia about Trevor. The call was from my video chat app, which indicated I had an invitation waiting. I pressed “accept” to see who the person on the other end was.

  “Hey, Camille! How is everything going?” Chelsea said in a happy tone.

  Since I was on video chat, I couldn’t hide my expression as I tried to give her a cheery smile.

  “Hey, Chelsea. Everything is going great. How are things in Dallas? Have you finished tying up all your obligations?”

  “Almost. I’m almost done with my two-week notice. Did Trevor mention that I had to tell you something really important?”

  “Yeah, he mentioned it. So what’s up?”