by Lauren Wood
***
The party was at a friend of hers house and there were a lot of people there when we got there. I was still trying to get used to everything and the speed of life that she was used to. Anne was the belle of the ball and it wasn’t the first time that I wished I could be like her. She may it all seem so easy and I was trying to fit into the new way of life, but it was hard to do when I was so used to a slower pace.
I was watching her with one of her girlfriends and I didn’t see the guy coming up behind me. It was only when he said my name that I looked over and realized that he was talking to me.
“Can I help you? I don’t think I know you.”
“No, you don’t, but I would like to get to know you. Anne said that you were single and I thought that maybe you would like to have a dance.”
“Anne said that huh?”
My eyes went back to where Anne was and I caught her gaze. She smiled at me and shrugged. She knew that I was busy with another guy, but I wasn’t going to admit to it, so I turned back to Sam and we started talking. He wasn’t my type, not by a long shot, but he was nice and I found out that he was from a small town as well. It made me feel a little better to know that I wasn’t the only one.
“We have to stick together in the big bad city, right?”
Again I didn’t know how to answer and it was only when he was asking me if I wanted to go somewhere to be alone that I realized what he was getting at. He may have been from a small town in Ohio, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t been here long enough to pick up the fast lifestyle. He was ready to go somewhere and screw and I certainly wasn’t. It was literally the very last thing on my mind.
“Thanks for the offer Sam, but I am going to be leaving soon. I have a job to do in the morning and it is getting late.” I didn’t want to string him along.
The smile on his face fell and he gave me a look like I was being rude or something.
“I thought you were cool. If you are a friend of Anne’s I thought you would be like her and less uptight.”
I didn’t like being called uptight and I didn’t like the way he was looking at me as if I was a tease. I wasn’t a tease, but after spending time with Grey, it was hard to see myself with another guy. I knew that Grey was what I wanted and I knew that he was the type of man that I couldn’t have. Sam was nice and all, but he would never be able to compare to a guy like Grey. I was afraid that Grey had spoiled me and even though I would most likely never hear from him again, it was going to be hard to push him out of my mind, even with that knowledge in the back of my mind.
“Sorry that I am not what you expected Sam. I have to go, but it was nice meeting you anyways. It was good to see you.”
I turned around and walked away. I knew that he was going to think what he wanted and when I turned back around after getting my coat on, he was talking to Anne. I could only imagine about what it was he was saying to her. Anne looked at me and kind of gave me a sly smile. At least she wasn’t going to be mad at me. She wouldn’t have forced anything on me and I waved to her because I was going to go home and get a little sleep. She was a great roommate and fun to be around, but I was still a small town girl and I wasn’t able to keep up as good as I had hoped. I was tired and I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow at work. Maybe I just wasn’t made for the city.
Chapter 11
Grey
Leo was here bright and early to get me. He asked where I was the day before and I forgot that he was far more into my schedule than I was. We had worked together for a long time and I had always told him what it was that I did. I even gave him talking points on the women I was with, but now it was different. I wasn’t going to tell him about Cameron. She was the one girl that I was going to hold close to me. But it didn’t take long to know that Leo knew more than he was supposed to. It was becoming a problem that too many people knew my business.
“So did you have a good trip to the dentist?”
He had a smile on his face that I could see through the rearview mirror and it pained me to know that he was talking about Cameron. How did he know?
“Yeah, I had to get a cleaning done. It had been too long since I had gone and gotten that taken care of.”
“Doesn’t look like they are any cleaner. You may want to say something about how they did. I don’t think they did a very good job of it.”
“Cut the shit Leo, what are you getting at?”
“Well I know that you went to see Cameron and I was just wondering how it went. Inquiring minds want to know and all.”
“How did you know that I went to see her?”
“Just a guess because she works there and I can tell that you are smitten with the woman, even if you don’t want me to know about it. You aren’t as hard to read as you would like to think you are counselor.”
I wasn’t going to ask him how he knew that. Leo just knew things. He had a lot of connections and I had used them all more than once to get the information that I needed. It was hard not to think that he was a little clairvoyant, but right now I was trying to push him off of the trail. I wasn’t sure if I should just go with it and admit that he was right or what I should do. What I did know was that I was going to have to push him from the idea of it though. I don’t know why, but I wanted to keep what happened between us, between us. She was the only woman that I wanted to shield from the comments and the assumptions that Leo was bound to make.
“Well I didn’t even know that she worked there.”
He gave me a look that told me that he didn’t believe what I said. I knew that I was going to have to say something eventually, especially if it went any further. This is what I wanted anyways. I wanted him to drop it, but the look on his face told me that he wasn’t going to.
“You are not a very good liar Grey.”
“And you have never been good at minding your own business Leo.”
He grinned. “True enough. Give me a few details and I will leave it be.”
I groaned out loud and he grinned wider. I had a feeling that he knew that I was going to give in. I always did. “Fine, but only a few details and then no more about it. She is not like the rest of the women I meet. You were right about that.”
***
Work was long and tiring. I had a couple of court dates that I had to keep and instead of getting away with a settlement that I had hoped for, one case was going to end up taking more time than I was willing to give because it was going to be going in front of a jury. I should have been happy that I had a lot of billable hours coming my way, but I wanted more free time, more than I needed more money. It was one of those days and when I got off work, I went home instead of staying in and working like I was supposed to. I just needed a break from the law and everything that came with it. In reality, I wanted to spend my time thinking about Cameron and what had occurred between us.
My mind was constantly on Cameron much of the day. She was all I could think about and even though I knew that it was too early to call her, I wanted to, desperately. I didn’t want her to know how badly I wanted to see her. It was against my rules, but so help me it was hard not to give her a call and see what she was doing.
I had many rules that I lived by. It helped keep things straight in my mind and I told myself that it was something that I did to avoid all of the complications that could come with women. I didn’t want to fall for her, but I had a feeling that what was on my mind was nothing short of that. It was dangerous to feel this way about anyone, even her.
Scott called me and I was starting to think that he was going to be in town longer than he and I had anticipated. He wanted to go out again and again I almost declined, but he was good for a few minutes of not thinking about her. That is what I needed more than anything else right now, so again I agreed.
“Do you want to meet at the strip club, or is there somewhere else that we can go?”
He shrugged. “It’s up to you. I just want to see some titties and have a few beers. Do you know of a better place?”
I did and I gave him an address. It was another strip bar like the one we had went to before, but it was closer and a little classier. There was no way to buy a girl there and I didn’t want the urge to come over me. It would have been a waste of time after having Cameron. No woman was going to compare to her.
When I got there, Scott was already inside and it looked like he had already kicked a couple back by the time I got there. I asked him what he was still doing and he finally confessed that he and his girlfriend had broken up. She had kept the apartment and he was looking for a new place to live. “It started as business, but now I am here for good I think.”
I wanted to ask more, but Scott got sidetracked with a pair of tits that were above par and I had a moment where I couldn’t think as well. I don’t know what it was about boobs, but they were hypnotizing in some mystical way that no man was able to avoid.
“I thought you guys were doing well?”
He shrugged. “I thought so too, but you know how broads are. They don’t know what they want and even when they tell you and you give it to them, it still isn’t enough. It was always like that with her and it is no different now. But I am not worried about it. I am going to enjoy my freedom now that I got a little bit of it.”
Why didn’t I believe him? He didn’t sound or look to sure of his own words, but I didn’t want to kick him while he was down.
“So what about you? What about that hot little slice that you were telling me about? The chick with the crazy name?”
He was talking about Kaika and I told him that I hadn’t seen her since that night. I knew I wouldn’t see her again. I didn’t want to see her and she didn’t want to see me. I wasn’t even thinking about her or her magic mouth anymore. I should have thought about her more. We were together for some time, but the realization that I didn’t, just told me that it wasn’t meant to be. If it was, wouldn’t I think about her like I was thinking about Cameron?
“That girl is old news Scott. I told you after I left you the other night that we were through. She smelled another woman on me, that stripper that smelled like cotton candy and that was that. I doubt I will see her again. Besides, I was about done with her anyway.”
He shook his head and told me that I was cold. Was he right? Was I wrong for not feeling more about her then I did? I should have missed her, right? I should have felt something, but I didn’t.
“I guess. I don’t know. They come and go, right?”
Scott agreed and put his attention back to the woman in front of us that was getting naked. She was down to her skivvies and I have to say that I felt nothing. I should have. I know that, but I didn’t and I don’t know why. All I could see was the long legs of Cameron and the petite body that she had. Did it make her more special because I knew that I was the only one seeing her? I liked the idea that I didn’t have to share her and now it was becoming clear that this wasn’t helping.
I told Scott I would be back in a little while, I had to hit the head, but really I just wanted to talk to Cameron and see what she was doing. I called the number that she had given me, but there was no answer. I called twice, refusing to leave a voicemail and then I realized that it was almost midnight. I doubted that she was even still up, but I still tried for a third time. I wanted to be inside of her again, but it didn’t look like it was going to happen. All of my rules be damned, if I would have thought that calling her again would have gotten through to her, I would have done so. I wanted to see her again and all of the rules that I used to live by went right out the window. It was time for her to see that it wasn’t just a fling going on with us. It was something more and I was eager to see where it all ended up.
I got back out of the bathroom and Scott was getting a lap dance. He seemed rather pleased with himself and I wasn’t going to stick around any longer. I motioned that I was leaving and he tried to stop me, but it really was a waste of time. Nothing I did was going to get the blonde out of my mind. I was just going to have to find another way and all I could think about was seeing her. That would fix it all and it was what I needed to do. I needed to see the woman that had captivated my mind, if only she would answer her damn phone.
Chapter 12
Cameron
I didn’t get home from the party till late, even though I tried to get out of there at a decent time. It was hard to get up the next morning and I didn’t even get to see Anne before I left. She was still passed out from a long night and when I passed her room, I saw that she had another woman in her bed. I was happy for her, but I wanted a friend to talk to. I had denied what happened with Grey, but I really needed someone to talk to about it. I was confused and she had so much more experience with relationships than I did.
But it wasn’t to be, so I made my way to work with a lot of questions on my mind. I was confused and it didn’t get much better when I got to work. I was on time, but I was called into the dentist’s office almost immediately after I got there. I felt like I was at the principal’s office and the more I thought about it, the more nervous I became. What did he want with me?
“What can I do for you Sir?”
He smiled at me in a way that made me feel a little uncomfortable and I didn’t know what I was supposed to say or do. He just kept staring at me, I mean really staring at me and he was freaking me out if I was honest. The longer he sat there and waited for me, the more ill at ease I felt. It was hard to imagine what was going on in his mind and after a time, I was sick of guessing. I was about to ask him again what was going on, when he finally came out with it.
“So Cameron, I thought I would come to you first about this. Yesterday when you were here, did you do anything that would be considered wrong?”
I was trying to figure out what he was talking about and one glaring thing came to mind more than anything else. It wasn’t hard to think about what happened with Grey in the room where I was cleaning his teeth, but I was not going to spill it unless I knew for sure. I wasn’t going to volunteer information like that.
“Wrong, Sir?”
He smiled and I didn’t like the way he looked at me.
“I will tell you know that we have CCTV in the rooms and in the office. Maybe that will help you figure out what I am talking about.”
My heart leapt in my chest and I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t have to think about it long because before I knew what was going on, my boss had turned his laptop around and I started to watch the recording of me and Grey in the room. It didn’t take long for it to turn dirty and I could feel my face getting redder by the moment. It was clear what we were doing and there was even audio to go with it.
“As much as I respect the fact that you tried to stop it Cameron, you can see why this sort of behavior on the clock is a problem.”
I nodded my head, telling him that I understood, but I really didn’t. I had no idea what to say and if I was honest, I would have rather melted into the carpet at that point, disappearing from sight altogether so I wouldn’t have to have this conversation with him, my new boss, or rather should I say, my old boss. There was no coming back from this and I was mortified to no end.
“I don’t know what to say Sir.”
“Well you need to say and do something if you want to keep your job.”
“Do?”
He smiled at me again and it was then that I got that creepy feeling back. I had a feeling that I knew then what he wanted from me and I was even more worried now. The very idea of being intimate with a man like that turned my stomach and I didn’t want to hear the rest.
“Yes, do. It seems that you don’t mind giving it up to strangers that come in. So if you are going to give that kind of service to our customers, I would like to see what you would do for your own boss. I can look to the side from this if you promise to never do it again and shall we say, return the favor?”
I was speechless, something that didn’t happen very often, but it was the way he said it and the look on his face that made it hard to answer. Was he serious?
“I don’t understand Sir.”
“I think you do Cameron. I want what you gave that man in the video and if you do a good job and scream for me like you did for him, I am sure we can work something out. It is very simple. You have something that I want.”
He was looking me up and down and I felt a little bile come up in my mouth that I had to push back down before it overwhelmed me. I still wasn’t sure that I had heard him right, but I wanted to make sure that I had.
“Sir, are you saying what I think you are saying?”
He smiled and leaned in a little. “I think you are not stupid and you know exactly what I am talking about. If you want to keep your job, then you are going to have to show me some of the same attention that you showed our client. It is pretty simple. Let me use that sweet mouth of yours and that body and we will pretend like none of this ever happened.”
“And if I don’t?”
He shrugged and sat back in his seat. “Well then you are done here. I can’t have women like you working here. It would give this office a bad name and we can’t have that. If the other girls found out about this, you wouldn’t want to work here anyways. I figure it would be pretty embarrassing for you. I will warn you, if you tell me no, then I am going to have to make sure that this video finds its way onto the internet as well.”
I was so mad that I was shaking. I was mad at the guy for being a pervert and at the same time I was mad at myself for ever letting this happen. I should have known better, hell I did know better, but I wasn’t able to say anything. I was shaking inside and the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became. He had a lot of nerve and I would have respected him so much more if he had just came out and fired me. The man was enjoying this far too much.
“I don’t take well to being blackmailed Sir. I don’t know who you think you are, but there is nothing that is worth being naked with you. You are gross and yes, I shouldn’t have done it, that is obviously clear now, but that doesn’t mean that I am going to compound my problems with what is going on now. I will not sleep with you Sir and if you choose to put it on the internet, I will not be able to stop you. My reputation is not worth it. Nothing is worth letting you put your hands on me.”