by Lauren Wood
My mind was going a mile a minute and I didn’t have anything to distract me from such thoughts. When a car pulled up that had tinted windows and parked next to me, I was sure that I was about to get snatched.
It seemed to sit there idly for some time before it was finally shut off. I don’t know who it was, but the lights were still on and I could hear music coming from the interior. All I could think was that I didn’t want the company. It was better when I was the only one in the tiny rest area. It wasn’t like Georgia where there were guards at night. Here I felt like I was out here in the middle of nowhere all by myself.
A man got out and he stopped for a moment and waved when he saw me in the car. There was a look on his face that told me that he was feeling no pain. The smile was too wide and the way he was walking protested the same conclusion.
I finally breathed out a breath when he passed me. I hated that I was afraid, but this was all new and a little scary. I didn’t like being stuck out here with my car acting up. I wasn’t going to check under the hood, knowing that I had no idea what I was supposed to be checking for anyways. It was a waste of time.
The tall guy was coming back and I saw him pass under one of the lights. His jacket looked expensive and he looked like a business man more than he looked like a predator. I was going to take that as a good sign and when he hollered through the window asking if I needed any help, I felt a little more comfortable to answer than I did before. I did need some help and he looked like the kind of guy that could help me.
“Yeah, I would if you know anything about cars.”
I was still talking through the window, but when he shook his head that he did, I unlocked the door and opened it up a bit. There was a second of fear that he was going to rush the car or something of that nature. When he didn’t, I figured that I was going to be okay.
“Thanks, I don’t know anything about cars. The light came on that it was overheating and then smoke started to come out of it. I don’t know what is going on with it, but Triple A said it was going to be a few hours before they could come out this way. My name is Cameron by the way. What’s yours?”
I was babbling because I was nervous and because I realized how handsome the man was. He was not only dressed nice, but he held himself like he was used to having things his way. The black sports car was worth more than my house back home that I just sold, so I was starting to doubt what he actually knew anything about it. He was the classic tall, dark and handsome with a grin on his face that made him look close to devilish.
“Do you know anything about cars?”
“A little bit. Let’s pop the hood and see if we can figure this out. My name is Grey.”
“Like the color?”
His eyes smiled as well as his lips. “Yeah, like the color, though I haven’t heard that for a long time. I am used to people knowing who I am.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I didn’t know who he was. “Well I am not from around here. I am just passing through on my way to New York. It’s not too much further, right? I think I am already going to lose the room I booked for the night.”
“You are going to the city?”
I nodded my head as he popped the hood with a lever that I can say honestly that I have never used. I didn’t even know what it was there for.
“Yeah, I just got a job with a big dental office there. I am an assistant. Wanted to get out of the small town I am from. Had to see what the rest of the world is like.”
He chuckled and told me that he did the same thing when he was younger.
“Do you regret it?”
“No, I still live there so I guess not.”
Grey leaned in and took out his phone to get some light. “It looks like you don’t have any coolant in here. No wonder it got hot. Do you have some in the trunk?”
“I don’t think so. Is that something I am supposed to carry with me? I thought they filled that up when I get an oil change?”
“Yeah, but you should carry some with you. You need coolant or your car’s engine will overheat. I think I have some in my trunk and if it wasn’t hot for too long, you might be fixed up and ready to go.”
I was hoping that he was right. I didn’t want to wait any longer and the rest area was creeping me out. I stood by the car, waiting for him to go to his car and push a button to get the trunk to open. I had a feeling that he was more knowledgeable than me, but he still didn’t look like the type. I was trying to figure out what he did for a living while he got the bottle and put some into my car.
“So what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Well it is almost morning and I figured I might as well get back into the city before work. I have been late the last couple of days and I thought it would be a good time to make it on time.”
“Oh, what do you do?”
“I am a lawyer.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed.”
I tried not to sound that way, but I didn’t like the idea of him being a lawyer. I hadn’t met many with that profession, but I had met none that I actually liked.
“It’s nothing against you Grey, promise. It’s just that lawyers seem to be a different type of guy. I dated a few and I think I am bias now.”
“I can see that. We lawyers like to get our ways.”
“And you are smooth talking…”
“Yes Cameron, I guess we are. That is what our job is so at least the good ones are.”
“And are you a good one Sir?”
That got me a grin and my heart flopped a little in my chest. Yeah, I bet he was one that was really good at convincing people. The man was a charmer. It hadn’t taken me but a few minutes to see that. He was one of those that could talk you out of anything he wanted and I knew that men like that were dangerous.
But he was not just a talker. He actually fixed my car and when it started up and didn’t start smoking again, I was delighted that I would be able to get out of there sooner, rather than later.
“Thanks Grey. That was so nice of you. Maybe if I hightail it to the city I will still have a room booked.”
“If not, give me a call and you can stay with me. Sometimes it is hard to get a room on a Thursday night in the city, well a good place anyways.”
I thanked him, but I wasn’t going to take him up on his offer. I had planned everything out so I wouldn’t become a damsel in distress and once a night was enough for me. I got in my car and waved to the man, wondering thoughts that I pushed back in my mind. What would it be like to wake up to a man like that in the morning? So kind and helpful. He really was a godsend. But I had a feeling there was a darker side to Grey, like his name suggested, everything wasn’t quite black and white.
I waved one last time and drove away with mixed emotions. Why hadn’t I given him my number? We were in two different worlds, but I wouldn’t have minded too terribly seeing him again. Maybe if it was meant to be I would, though even as I thought that, it felt like a cop-out and an excuse to not pursue it any further.
Chapter 3
Grey
I do not know why, but I couldn’t get that woman off of my mind. Cameron was a short blonde and with her coat on I couldn’t see much, but she had a winning smile and I liked the way she looked at me. She had been nervous at first, but something had made her change her mind and I was glad she had.
The only thing that was different was how she responded to me. I gave her my number and she had barely looked at it. If I knew any better, I would have thought that she wasn’t going to give me the time of day, but I don’t know why I wanted it to be another way. I met women like her all day long, but there was something about the way she had looked down when my eyes met hers that I really liked. There was a lot about the woman that I couldn’t stop thinking about and even as I watched her drive off, I was still smiling to myself from our meeting. They didn’t have a lot of women like that in the city.
I sat at the rest area for a few more moments, grabbing som
ething to drink before I made my way back to the city as well. The night was clear and soon the sun would be rising in the sky. It was a nice night and I was going a bit faster than I thought I was. It wasn’t long before I was passing the car that I recognized from before.
Cameron wasn’t looking my way as I passed and I wondered for a minute if I would ever see her again. It was a strange thought to cross my mind since I didn’t usually think about things like that, but I knew that I wanted to. Wasn’t sure if I would or not, but it would be nice if I saw her again.
But it wasn’t long before I was focused more on the road ahead of me and a couple of cases that I had to argue in a few hours. I hadn’t had any sleep, but I never needed much, not when I was on an adventure. I was far more worried about getting back to the office in time.
I was home about an hour, getting out of the shower when I heard my phone ringing. I wasn’t going to answer it because I had too much to do, but something told me that I should. It was one of those feelings that I got from time to time and I tried not to worry about it too much. I went with my gut when it happened, sure that it was a sign that was going to help me on the way.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Cameron. We met earlier and you helped me with my car?”
I knew who it was just by the sound of her voice when she said hello. I was hoping that she would call, but I wasn’t prepared for the raise in my heart rate from hearing her voice on the other end of the phone. Why did I want to talk to her so badly?
“Yes Cameron. Did you make it into the city okay?”
“It took a lot longer than I thought. I don’t know how you guys deal with the traffic.”
“You get used to it I guess.”
“I don’t know if I want to get used to it.”
“Most people don’t drive. I never do in the city. Let the crazies do the driving for you.”
It sounded like a good idea to me, but she was silent and I felt the rush of the fact I was due in court soon. I didn’t want to rush the conversation, but some things were more important than a piece of tail. While she was different and made me think a bit more, work still trumped all in the end.
“So what can I do for you Cameron?”
“Well, you were right about finding a hotel and I am not sure which areas are good or not. Is your offer still open for a place to crash for a few hours? I am sure more rooms will be available after noon.”
It was unexpected. When I had offered that, I didn’t think that she would take me up on it, but I was delighted that she had. I wanted to see her, if only for a moment. I asked her where she was. I directed her to a parking garage and told her I would send a car over to pick her up. She was too far away for me to still be here when she got here, so I left her a message and hoped that I would see her again. We kept passing each other and I always felt like if something was meant to be, it would happen. No amount of sweat, blood and tears was going to change it. I was irritated that I wasn’t going to get to see her, but I wasn’t going to think that this was forever. It was just for now. I knew somehow that I would see her again real soon. Today I was going to be an optimist.
***
I made it to the courthouse on time, but I was thinking about the woman that was in my house. I called the doorman to see if she had made it and she had. I wanted to get out of court and to see her, but that didn’t seem possible. The day was full and I had a lot to do. I wanted to see her again, but it was just going to have to wait.
“Grey, where are you?”
I pulled my thoughts from Cameron and looked up at my assistant that was bringing me my paperwork that I forgot at the office because I didn’t have time to go get it.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you are staring off into the distance. Are you okay? I don’t think I have seen you like this in a while. Did you have a late night?”
This was what the problem was usually. I stayed out too much, usually in the arms of a beautiful woman and I wished that this was why I was so tired today, but I had been driving out of the city at night to clear my head. I had started driving out and not coming back till the wee hours of the morning. I don’t know what I was looking for, except a peace that came with silence. Now I was starting to think that I was out there for a reason and Cameron could possibly be that very reason. I didn’t believe in fate and all of that nonsense, but maybe I should.
“Yea I did have a late night. Can you tell?”
She told me that I looked tired, but she was always telling me that. “Not more than usual. Must have been a rough one because I have never seen you lose your train of thought so easily in court.”
Ashley was a great assistant, but she liked to get into my business too much. Sometimes I would have to tell her to back off a bit, but after a few years working with me, she would just tell me to piss off. It was funny in a way, but today I didn’t want to share what I was out doing.
“Well don’t worry Ashley. I am going to win this case no matter how much sleep I have had. Would you get me some coffee though? I think that is the only thing that is going to keep me going.”
She agreed to and went off to find the coffee machine down on the first floor. When she came back she had two cups in her hand and I was thankful that she didn’t listen. One wasn’t going to be enough and I loved that she knew me so well. Who needed a girlfriend when I had an assistant like her to take care of all of the important things.
Before the courts started, I asked her to check on the woman at my house. “Just call and make sure she has everything that she needs.”
“Does this woman have a name? Kaika isn’t still there, is she?”
I was irked that she knew so much about my love life, but roping her into it was part of the problem. “No, she is gone. Cameron is staying there now.”
I felt her judgment, but I ignored the look. “Just make sure she has what she needs.”
Ashley agreed and wished me luck. The way I was feeling today, I was going to need it. My optimism had worked, but set upon a whole new set of problems.
Chapter 4
Cameron
I hadn’t thought that I would call him. When he gave me his card with a number on the back and mentioned giving me a place to stay, I had thought that it was a big city. It wouldn’t be that hard to find somewhere to stay. I was wrong in my assessment of that it appeared. It was quickly clear to me that there wasn’t a single decent room in the city that wasn’t already booked. I felt like I was stuck and then I remembered the card in my pocket.
When he answered with the same gruff voice, it was impossible to hide the small shiver that it gave me. The man was a player, I could see from how he talked and how he looked at me, but it wasn’t like I had much to worry about. Men like Grey dated models and the like. I was barely five foot two and I knew that I was far from the long legged creatures I saw on all of the magazines. I wasn’t beautiful and since I knew that I wasn’t his type of woman, I wasn’t too worried about his attraction to me. I was far more worried about my attraction to him. It was hard not to think of him in a way that didn’t involve him getting naked and finding out what that grin was about.
The thought brought pink to my cheeks even now just thinking about it. Leo, Grey’s driver picked me up and I went with him and one of my bags that was stuffed into my trunk. I didn’t know how I was going to get back to my vehicle, but I wasn’t going to worry about that right now. Right now I just wanted to get a few hours of sleep before I met my boss later that afternoon. I wasn’t too nervous, but I was a little unsure of the future. The trip and big move was certainly not starting out the way I wanted it to.
The city was huge, bigger than I ever would have imagined it to be. Everyone was going somewhere and it all led to chaos as he drove me through the downtown area. Leo must have known that I wasn’t from New York because he would point out some of the great places there were to go. He made me feel welcome more than I could have imagined and I greatly appreciated it. It was a lot to take in
and my heart was racing a little faster with everything going on around me. It was getting later in the day and traffic had increased tenfold. Now I was thankful to be out of the streets and not having to drive. Driving here was never going to be something that I don’t think I would ever looked forward to.
“Would you like to stop and get something to eat before we arrive at your destination? I doubt that Grey has anything in his refrigerator. He never eats at home, so it will be a toss-up if Marie has anything there.”
It was strange to get information on the enigmatic man in such a way, but I was thankful for it all the same. I didn’t know what he was talking about or who Marie was, but I was hungry and the suggestion made me even more so. “That would be great. Anywhere fast on the way if you really don’t mind.”
Leo said he didn’t and I had to wonder what capacity he worked for Grey. Grey had told me that he didn’t drive, so I had to think that Leo was the one that did it for him. He certainly seemed to know him and didn’t seem all that shocked at all to pick up some strange woman, get her some breakfast and take her back to Grey’s place for some rest. That fact threw me off a little more than anything else. I half expected the man to ask me some questions, but he just didn’t and that made me wonder even more. The very idea that this was normal made it even less so.
But the driver was impeccable with his silence and the ability to not ask the burning questions. I know that if I had his job, I would be wondering what in the world was going on. There was a weird thing going on in New York. I had met only a few people so far and they all lived in a different world than I was used to growing up in Muskegon. The pace of life and what was said and not said was very different. In small towns, everyone was in each other’s business and there was always a wealth of information to be had. This wasn’t the case here. Privacy reined because the scale of people guaranteed a wide swath of anonymity.