by Gloria Doty
“Hello?”
“Hi Camille. It’s nice to hear your voice.”
CHAPTER 20
CAMILLE WAS SHOCKED enough she lost her voice for a minute. When she could regain it and control her temper and not let her first words be a string of expletives that would burn Will’s ears, she answered. “Hello, Will. I guess your magnetic personality has managed to charm my information out of Allie, hasn’t it?”
“No, no…that’s not true. Don’t blame Allie for this. Not that I didn’t try but she not only refused to give me your cell phone number but she told me to never contact her again.”
“Good for her. I’m sure there’s more to that story but please spare me the details. So if you couldn’t wheedle it out of Allie, how exactly did you find me and why? Why, Will? What on God’s green earth do you need from me? You don’t have the decency to give me some time alone?”
“Calm down, Camille. Don’t get your bloomers in a knot. Hear me out and you’ll be happy I have such awesome detective skills.”
She heard the doorbell and knew it was Collier, ready to pick her up for the evening. She wasn’t about to let Will ruin this.
“Sorry Will, but I have to go. My date is at the door.”
She smiled as she said it, knowing this wasn’t a date, but she couldn’t refrain from telling him that.
“Now that you have the land line number, you can call tomorrow morning. Bye.”
As soon as she hung up, she unplugged the phone from the wall jack.
“Wait, Camille…damn!” The line was dead and he still didn’t have the combination to the safe. He had no choice but to wait until tomorrow. He poured himself a glass of Scotch and turned on the television. What difference did one more day make?
‘I know you too well, Camille. You’re going to unplug that phone from the wall jack and I’ll be back to square one.’
He absently swirled the liquor in the glass and suddenly had an inspiration. Cell phones had area codes from anywhere but landlines still had area codes from cities. He grabbed his phone and googled the area code he had previously dialed. Montana…what? Only one area code for the entire state? Perfect…just perfect. He decided to check the prefix of the number. Surely the towns had different prefixes. This time he was successful. The prefix was for a town called Bozeman. If she didn’t answer tomorrow, he would fly there. It wasn’t a tiny town, but somehow he would find her.
His mind replayed their short conversation. ‘Did she say she had a date? That was fast. She didn’t date anyone when she lived here.’
***
Camille answered the door with a smile on her face hoping she didn’t look as pissed off as she felt inside.
“Hi Collier. I’m ready. Do I look okay for where you’re taking me?”
He nodded his head slightly and gave a low whistle, “You look fantastic. Wow is about the only word I can come up with at the moment…Emily.”
She was impressed with him, also. She’d never seen him when he wasn’t wearing work clothes. He looked good then too but tonight, he was stunning…if you could use that word to describe a man. The tight jeans, cowboy boots, hat and chambray shirt were a plus although she had to admit she liked the ‘no shirt’ look, too.
“You remembered my name. I’m so impressed.”
“Well, I’m here to impress, ma’am. Seriously, I remembered to call you Emily right now, but that might not last all night so if you see me faltering with your name, just jump in and rescue me, okay? I’ve never had a date with a woman who had two names.”
‘Did he just call this a date? That’s okay with me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out with someone other than friends from work. I could get used to this…maybe I’ll be a real-life cougar.’
Collier couldn’t help but notice the smile that slowly spread across her face. “Was it something I said or is my shirt on backwards or are my jeans unzipped?”
She shook her head. “None of those things. You look all put together to me, Cowboy. Let’s go find this bar you told me about.”
“This is a night of ‘firsts’ for me,” Camille commented as they left her drive.
“How so?”
“Well, I’ve never worn a pair of cowboy boots, I’ve never had a pair of jeans this tight, I’ve never gone out to eat with someone I just met and I’ve never ridden in a pick-up truck.”
Collier glanced across at her and blurted, “You’re kidding, right? I mean, you haven’t been living much, huh? Do you classify yourself as a workaholic or just anti-social?”
She pursed her lips and frowned. “Let me think about that. Maybe both. I do work an inordinate amount of hours, I suppose, but the anti-social part…hmmm…maybe. Yeah, maybe I am. My coworkers are all younger than me and with the exception of a few of them, we don’t have the same taste in food, music or conversation. We don’t share the same life experiences.”
“They can’t be that much younger than you or they’d all be in college.”
“You know how to flatter a woman, that’s for sure. I appreciate the compliment, Collier but I’m a bit older than post-college.” She hesitated and then decided what difference did it make? Might as well be truthful about something. “I’m 56. Now you know and if you want to forget our evening, I’ll understand.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Camille.”
She didn’t have a response so she went back to their previous conversation. “I’m sure I am missing out on a lot. It’s easier after a day at work, to go home, kick my shoes off, have a glass of wine and maybe watch a little bit of television with Will, although we don’t usually like the same shows either.”
Collier frowned a little. “Who’s Will? I don’t mean to pry but I’ve always made it a point to not go out with married women and I don’t aim to start now.”
“Oh no, I’m not married. Will is my housemate. We share a townhouse and the expenses. Well, we did share expenses until he lost his job. Now I’m supporting him, I guess.”
“I’m confused. You live with some guy but you don’t…you know…”
“Have sex?” she asked as she helped him find the words he couldn’t seem to spit out.
“Yeah…that.”
“Collier, are you blushing? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I occasionally forget not everyone is as straightforward as I am. Anyway, Will and I have known each other for a very, very long time. We began as friends, progressed to friends and lovers, then thirty years ago, our relationship digressed back to just friends. As of about thirty minutes ago, we are no longer even friends.”
“What happened thirty minutes ago? I mean, no one knows you’re here. How could he do something to irritate you that much if he can’t talk to you?”
Camille took a deep breath while looking out the window at the passing scenery.
“Somehow, he found a way. He called the land line that’s still connected at the house. I told him I had to leave, hung up and promptly unplugged the line. He doesn’t have my cell phone number so maybe it’s over.”
“What did he want? What if he does find you? Camille, are you afraid of him? Will he hurt you?”
She shivered at the thought but immediately dismissed it. “He won’t hurt me, Collier. He’s actually a decent guy and I loved him once…long ago. I believe he still has feelings for me but more importantly, I’m holding the winning card, so to speak. I have some papers in my safe that could do him a lot of harm but we have an agreement. I will never use that information and he will never divulge the details, either. It’s complicated. It deals with a hostile takeover, a brokerage firm, some traded stocks, and various other semi-illegal things. We agreed to never speak of it and the only reason I feel safe telling you is because I know you and Will are never going to meet. I’m also sure that’s way more information than you wanted to know.”
The subject was dropped. They arrived at The Branding Iron, found a place to park, and Collier came around the truck to open her door.
‘Aaan
d, he’s a gentleman, too.’ Camille thought.
As they entered, it took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the dim interior. There was a country tune coming from a sound system somewhere, several tables were filled and there were a few people at the bar. Collier placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the one end of the bar where a woman with beautiful red hair was conversing with a customer.
“Hey Maggie,” he shouted.
She immediately turned her head and smiled, while coming around the end of the bar. She wrapped her arms around him, saying, “Collier, where the heck you been? I’ve not seen you in here in months. I missed ya, you good-lookin’ devil. Where’ve you been hidin’ yourself?”
Collier was grinning and had his arms around Maggie in a bear hug. When they let go of each other, she noticed Camille. Collier said, “Maggie, I want you to meet a friend, Ca…Emily. And, Emily, this is Maggie, the best and most beautiful bartender in Montana.”
Camille offered her hand, and Maggie grabbed it with both of hers. “Well, now I know where Collier’s been spendin’ his time.”
They moved to a table and ordered drinks and sandwiches. As they were eating and talking, a tall, dark-haired man came striding up to their table. He walked with a pronounced limp but it didn’t seem to slow him down too much. Collier stood and shook hands with him. “Good to see you, Jace. It’s been a while. This,” he said, indicating Camille, “is a new friend and client, Emily. She’s living in the big house on Flagler Rd.”
Jace shook hands with her and she noted he had the most disarming smile that just tugged at the corners of his mouth, sensous lips and deep, penetrating eyes.
“It’s good to meet you, Emily. Bozeman can always use more beautiful residents.”
‘Good Lord, how many handsome men can I meet in this town? And they both seem to be much younger than me. Who needs a dating site with specimens like this walking around?’
Turning his attention to Collier, Jace agreed with his earlier statement. “It has been a while, Buddy. I’ve been doing a bit of wandering with the horses before I sent the one back to Texas by way of Colorado.”
Jace sat down at their table while he and Collier discussed the trip to Colorado he recently took and some other local happenings. Finally, he stood and excused himself. “I think Mitch needs me. It was nice to meet, you…Emily, right? Don’t be a stranger. You can come to The Branding Iron without bringing this old man with you,” he said, jerking his thumb toward Collier.
“Hey, who you calling an old man? If I recall, you were blowing out 42 candles on your last birthday cake, Jace.”
They both laughed, shook hands and Jace went to the back room.
“He’s a great guy. We’ve been friends for quite a while. I forgot to tell you he’s the owner of this establishment. I’ve heard some rumors that he’s in a financial bind. I hope it’s not true. I’d hate to see this place sold or worse…torn down.”
Camille looked around the interior. It had wooden flooring worn smooth by years of boots walking on it, the walls were a lighter wood and the bar, itself, was magnificent. It was large and had a soft patina from years of use. As a journalist, she wondered how many conversations had been shared there and how many life decisions had been made or affected while someone leaned on that bar. It would, indeed, be a shame to tear the building down.
Instead of taking her directly home, Collier drove around the darkened streets of Bozeman. “I hope you don’t mind. This is a little night sightseeing. If you stay long enough, you’ll hear about Old Bozeman and New Bozeman. Don’t be too swayed by some things people say. It really is just one community with of course, different elements, like any town or village. Some of the long-time residents resent the newcomers and vice-versa but they also know those same people bring in much needed funds for development and progress. We all have to live together because ultimately, we all love our town and this state.”
When they reached her house, he walked her to the door.
“Would you like to come in for a minute?”
He checked his watch. “Yeah, that’d be okay. I want to check that phone and make sure there are no others anywhere else in the house.”
Camille hadn’t thought about that. Of course there would be others. Land lines were seldom in just one room. She made a pot of coffee while he checked the entire house.
“There were two more. I unplugged all of them. I sincerely hope this Will guy doesn’t try to contact you, Camille. I’m worried about you, all alone in this big ole house.”
She waved her hand to dismiss that thought. “Thank you for your concern but I assure you I will be okay. Will is harmless…really. He knows I could probably get him a prison sentence although I’d be taking the chance I’d be serving time with him, as an accomplice. I think that’s the charge when you know something and don’t tell.”
They drained their cups and she walked him to the door.
He turned to her and seemed to be about to kiss her but changed his mind at the last minute.
“Good night, Camille. I enjoyed the evening.”
CHAPTER 21
CAMILLE HAD HER first submission ready for Allie and the staff to transcribe into a printable article. They had agreed she would list her experiences, send them and they could put them in the order they thought best plus correct grammatical or punctuation errors. There could possibly be many of those since she was writing in a semblance of shorthand.
She read over them one final time, alternately smiling and frowning, depending on the interaction she had with each man. She not only wanted women to see some of the honest, sincere men but also a few of the looney ones they might meet. She wanted to impress upon them the need to be smart and safe.
She began with a bit of explanation.
For anyone who has never been to a dating site: Most sites have an area where the members can privately chat with each other…one on one if they want to.
If someone is interested in your profile they can send you a ‘wink’ or a ‘hello.’ Then it’s up to you if you choose to answer or not.
Don’t give anyone your email address unless you want to be contacted that way. I find email is safer than a phone number.
Don’t give your house address, even if he sounds like the nicest guy in the world.
Definitely don’t believe everything they put in their profile information.
If they say they are from some far part of the country, stay away from them.
When they give you a real name, check to see if they are on any social media sites. I only found one who was.
If there is no profile picture, use your discretion when deciding to answer their ‘hellos.’
As she took one last look at the list of her experiences before hitting the “send” button, she quietly chuckled to herself at some of them:
Denny: age 68 had no profile picture, listed his marital status as legally separated
I talked with him in the chat room of the dating site. He explained his wife had been in an accident and was incapacitated. She was in a nursing home and had been for quite some time. He wanted me to know he took care of all her needs and always would. I commended him for that but questioned his faithfulness if he was on the dating site. He said he was just looking for a ‘friend’ because he was lonely. I chatted several more times with him; he finally got around to talking about meeting at a motel. It took about two weeks to go from needing a ‘friend’ to saying we could be ‘friends and lovers.’ He described his prowess in the bedroom and I told him goodbye as I certainly wasn’t going to help him cheat on his wife, regardless of her condition.
Edgar: age 45 no profile picture, single, never been married we talked several times and made arrangements to meet for lunch at a busy fast food restaurant (safer) At the last minute he sent me a text saying he was shy and could tell I was much too outgoing for him and he just couldn’t bring himself to meet me.
Sam: age 48 profile picture showed nice looking man. He also wanted to meet for
coffee but insisted it be in a different town. He said his community was small and everyone knew each other. He didn’t want anyone to know he had his name on a dating site.
Roger: 43 no picture professed to be in the military in Afghanistan. He called me every evening at the same time, which he said was early morning there. I checked the time difference between my time and the time in Afghanistan and he was correct so either he had his facts all lined up or he was telling the truth. We had some deep philosophical discussions. I liked him and enjoyed talking to him. One day he simply disappeared. I never heard from him again. Either I was duped or he was telling the truth and perhaps he was killed in action. I was surprised how sad it made me and how I could be that emotional about someone I had never met in person.
Thomas: 56 no profile picture and marital status was legally separated. This one was a professor of engineering at a college. After a few weeks of chatting, he e-mailed pictures of himself accepting an award. I checked that college website and his name was listed. His story was that his first wife died and he remarried too quickly. He was extremely unhappy with his new spouse. I had no intention of meeting a married man but we had some interesting talks.
Daniel: 56 profile picture average looking fellow He was not married. We talked a few times and he asked for my e-mail. I gave it to him but what he wanted to send me was a list of 46 questions. I started to answer them but by the fifth one, I decided this guy was way too paranoid for me. He had obviously been hurt at some time and was searching for a guaranteed relationship. Every question was asking if I had ever cheated in a former relationship or if I had ever lied or if I considered lying to be a normal trait. I never talked to him again.