by Mills, L. C.
“Why the hell did you let go?! She could have fallen in and hurt herself!” Cameron snapped at the young man now standing staring at him.
“Figured you'd got it! Sorry!” He shrugged. “Your stuff is there!”
“Do you like working here?!” To anyone else it would have sounded like a casual inquiry, but his tone said it was far from it.
He faltered. “Oh yeah, it's okay.”
“Then may I suggest you adopt a better customer service attitude if you want to keep your job!” His cut glass accent was a little more pronounced than it normally was.
This was Cameron's way of saying, I am a powerfully connected man, don't piss me off little boy and it had the desired effect.
“I'm really sorry, I didn't think, I didn't mean to scare your girlfriend. Miss I'm really sorry.” He looked sheepishly between me and Cameron.
“It's okay, we all make mistakes, don't worry.” I smiled.
Cameron seemed pleased as he let me go and took hold of my hand. “Let's go get a 99 with a flake!”
I laughed. “What the heck is that?!”
He led me off towards the picnic basket. “It's an ice cream cone with a chocolate flake in it! You'll like it!” He picked up the basket.
I shook my head. “Oh, I see! Well, all ice cream is good to me, but what has that got to do with the number 99?!” I laughed. I didn't understand that.
“Good question! Apparently it’s called that because the majority of ice cream merchants in the 50’s were Italian. The King of Italy had an army of 99 elite guards! So anything elite or really good after that was referred to as 99! I think the chocolate flake company called it a 99 to attract the Italian sellers.”
I puffed out my cheeks. “Oh I see! That’s actually really cool!” I loved that he had such a base of knowledge & didn’t mind me asking questions.
His hand gripped mine as we walked over to the little cafe building, it was bustling with people inside, but we headed for a little hatch to the side.
“Two 99's with a flake please, Evan do you want chocolate sauce on yours?!”
The smirk played at the corners of his mouth. I blushed automatically remembering how his mouth had removed the chocolate sauce from my body.
“Yes, please.” I shifted from foot to foot as the lady went off and did our ice creams.
“Hmm you’re blushing again!” He let go of my hand and traced his fingers down my cheek.
I closed my eyes and leant into his touch. “Probably sunburn!” I lied.
He chuckled as he counted out the money for the ice creams. “Hmm, no, that lovely shade of red is definitely a blush! Remembering are we?!”
I nodded at him. “Maybe!”
The lady came back over and handed us our cones, the ice cream whipped into a perfect little peak that fell to one side. Cameron handed her the money and then took the cones and handed me one. She gave him a wide smile as he thanked her.
As we walked away I took a lick of the ice cream to stop it melting.
“All the ladies love you! Even the older ladies!” I giggled as we walked back the way we'd come.
“Do they?! Well, I don't play them much attention to be honest! Only interested in my current company.”
I watched his tongue dart around the ice cream and had to force myself to look away. My body remembered perfectly how his tongue had felt on me.
Oh sweet lord... Get a fucking grip Watson!
I forced myself to concentrate on my ice cream.
By the time we'd walked back to his apartment building we had both eaten right down to the very bottom of the wafer cones.
“Wanna swap cone ends?!” I asked as I pushed open the door that opened out into the reception area.
“Sure thing! I'll feed you mine and you can feed me yours!” He grinned as we walked to the lifts.
“Oh, okay cool! I'll just call the lift down!” I poked the lift call button and turned to face him.
He smiled. “Open wide.” He held the cone out.
I opened my mouth and let him feed me the cone. I bit down on it, the melted ice cream filling mouth.
I held my cone to his mouth and fed it to him silently while I eat.
“Hmm, so yum!” I grinned at him.
“Yes rather was.” He grinned back at me.
We travelled up in the lift, Cameron was still holding my hand, he liked being able to touch me. I think in many ways he knew things were okay if I let him touch me, if I didn't or I was reluctant he knew there was something wrong. He was, is, a very physical man.
As the lift doors rolled open we walked off hand in hand, chattering between us as he pushed open the door Jones walked out of his office, he tried to hide the worried look on his face but failed.
“Cameron I need a word! It's about that trace you were following!”
I frowned, wondering what he was talking about as I glanced at Cameron he was studying Jones with interest.
“Has he resurfaced?!” He put down the picnic basket.
Jones shook his head. “Let's talk in my office!”
He?! They were talking about a person?! Who where they having a trace put on?!
Oh my god... Sean! It had to be him!
“Are you having Sean followed?! Why?!” I looked at Cameron confused.
He sighed. “I always said she was more observant than she gave herself credit for but how did you guess?!” He narrowed his eyes, trying to work me out.
I chewed my lip nervously. “Oh well you know that night you fell asleep in your office?!”
The smiled spread to his eyes. “How could I forget that?”
I giggled embarrassed. “Uh, well when you moved your head it activated your laptop and a bunch of photos popped up of Sean! He looked kinda bad in the last photos! But you distracted me and I didn't like to ask after that!”
He smiled. “Would you extend me the courtesy of speaking to Jones alone, if I promise to tell you why and what's happening after?!”
I could have said no, but he was going to tell me so I didn't see the harm in it. “Sure, I guess! But I know him better than anyone else! If he's gone to ground, he'll be either drunk or high! Don't expect him to surface for a few days!” It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone on a bender and gone off grid so to speak. They were the worst weeks, either not knowing if he was okay or being involved and seeing him hit self-destruct.
He narrowed his eyes. “How do you mean?! Has this happened before?!”
I sighed, I knew I'd have to explain, but even thinking back to those days made me shudder. “Sometimes he'd get so mixed up in his own head that he'd drive off to some random small town down the east coast, no one knew where most the time we just prayed he'd come home! But one time he said he wanted to go on a road trip and I tried to say I didn't want to go but he insisted I went! It wasn't a good time! Seeing him when he's like that isn't nice!” I gripped my upper arms.
He sighed. “So he forced you to go! What happened?!”
I glanced at Jones, who seemed to be taking it all in before glancing back at Cameron his face was unreadable.
“As soon as we got to the motel he stopped at, he was just on edge, I tried to talk to him. I tried to calm him down, so I went out to get food because he wasn't capable and when I came back he was so paranoid. He'd obviously taken something while I'd been out, I gave him the food and told him to eat, that he wouldn't help himself if he was high, but he just kept pushing me, shoving me around, saying I was out to get him. I kept trying to tell him to eat the food I'd gotten for him, that'd he'd feel better after but he shoved me away and I was so tired I overbalanced and fell hurting my wrist. There was no ER for miles so I just strapped it up as best I could.” I absent-mindedly rubbed my right wrist. “In the winter, when it's really cold, that wrist always aches! I guess I prolly had a hairline fracture or something.” I felt all the old emotions welling up inside me, threatening to over spill if I didn't get off this subject.
I sighed. “Because I loved him, that's why! I wanted to fix him! I wanted to lay next to him at night and feel his fingers stroking my hair because he loved me not because he just wanted sex but that wasn't ever going to happen! I learnt the hard way!” I took a deep breath suddenly feeling very exposed. “I need to go to the kitchen!” I walked away before he had the chance to say or do anything else.
“Evangeline?!” Cameron called after me, he sounded confused.
“Let her go Cameron! Let's go talk, give Miss Watson time to breathe!”
I was great full Jones was distracting him from me for a while. I had no idea what I even wanted in the kitchen so I grabbed a soda from the fridge and sat down at the breakfast bar, to distract myself from bad tasting memories of Sean I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the photos I'd taken. I grinned, seeing Cameron in the boat. I watched the video a couple times. I loved him more than I'd ever loved Sean, I wished I had left Sean earlier on in the relationship, but if I had I wouldn't be sitting here now! Would I?! The simple answer was no! I would never have moved to the UK if I hadn't of been running away from Sean! I uploaded the little video to Instagram and tagged Cameron in it, then uploaded my selfie.
I put my phone down and undid the soda, and taking a sip.
“Are you okay?! I didn't mean to push you for information out there, I'm sorry.”
I turned my head in the direction of Cameron's voice and found him standing at the edge of the breakfast bar.
I grinned at him, he was loitering unsure what to do.
“It's okay, it made me realise some stuff, and I’m okay!”
His body relaxed as he walked over to stand next to me. “Bring your soda with you, let's go talk in the lounge! Much more comfortable!” He held his hand out for mine.
“Are we gonna discuss why he's being tailed?!” I placed my hand in his and picked up my soda and my phone.
“I think it's best I explain it, then you'll understand, but if you'd rather not know, that's okay too, I'm dealing with it.”
“I need to know, I might be able to help, and I guess I have first-hand knowledge of how he thinks!”
We sat down in the lounge, he stole my can and sipped some before handing it back with a playful smile. “So I am having him tailed because I needed to know how he reacted after the restraining order was served against him.”
I nodded at him. “I guess I can understand that, given that we are going like next week right?!” I was trying to figure out when we were actually going.
He nodded, confirming it. “Yes next Friday! So I had him tailed before to actually locate him! You see the band, they've asked him to either get help or leave, he'd not taken that well by all accounts and then I had the order served on him and it all went a little haywire!”
“Wait, what?! The guys asked him to get help or leave?! Shit!” I was actually almost speechless, I'd always said they had to be harder with him, they could easily continue without him, he was a talented guitar player sure but Finn was a better singer and the girls adored him! He had that boy next door thing going on.
Cameron nodded. “Yes, they had a warning from their label, they either sorted him out or all lose out! I was having him tailed right up until today when he went off the grid! He's been using social media, but I can't get a trace on him! If we go to New York I want you by my side at all times so I know he can't get at you.”
I pulled a face. “Whoa there, what do you mean if we go?! Why would we not go?!”
He raised a brow. “Well, because your ex is on the loose and as yet we don't know where he is or what he's doing! You could be at risk and so could I!”
I sighed. “What's he gonna be able to do if you're with me?! He's never really been violent, as such, not really, not in the way you think! I don't think he'd try and hurt you!” I hoped he wouldn't, but couldn't be sure. It did worry me a little, but I wasn't going to hide away in the UK forever.
He snorted in disbelief. “How can you say that when he's broken your arm, fractured your wrist and burnt you to name but a few?”
I cringed. “I guess when you put it like that, but I don't want to miss out on seeing Jess or my Dad and I don't want them to miss out seeing us, you and me! Sean knows the terms of the order right?! He knows if he breaks it, he goes to jail or whatever!”
He stroked his fingers down my cheek, softly. “I know I'm just wanting you to be safe! Will you agree to not go out alone while we're there?! I can't protect you if I'm not with you!”
I nodded. “I agree! I won't need to go out alone! I want to introduce my boyfriend to my Dad and my best friend, after that I'm locking you in the hotel room for hot sex!” I winked at him.
He raised a brow. “Thank you for agreeing, it puts my mind at rest and really?! What do you plan to do with me?!”
I hadn't thought that far ahead yet. “Oh well the details are still in the planning stages, but yanno, I'm open to suggestions!” I grinned impishly at him.
“Hmm, well the hotel suite will have plenty of surfaces to explore! Balcony, tables, beds, baths, showers! Take your pick baby!” He smiled as he pulled his phone from the pocket.
“I tagged you for the video and couple photos by the way!” I sipped from the can, I loved how bitter the lemon was against my pallet.
He bought up the notifications and smiled. “Well, so you did! Oh my sister has commented on the video!” He showed me his phone screen.
I started laughing at her comment.
'You are totally taking me and Evan on the boats when I come stay next!'
She'd liked the photos too.
“She's never ever been interested in them before!” He shook his head.
“She probably never took any notice before! I really enjoyed this afternoon, thank you.” I leant over and brushed my lips against his cheek.
He smiled lopsidedly. “You don't have to thank me, it was wonderful to spend time with you like that. You sure you don't want to come with me Thursday?!” He looked hopeful I'd change my mind.
I smiled. “I still want to stay at mine, I need to get ready for Saturday and Sunday! You can come round Friday, I will cook for us! I'll even get a decent bottle of wine!”
He chuckled. “Okay, I'll miss you! I know it's just one night away, but I just know I'll be staring at the hotel ceiling all night, unable to sleep cause you’re not next to me!” He sighed softly.
I cuddled up to him. “It's strange huh! How we both had sleep issues until we started to share a bed! We relax around each other and that allows our minds to turn off and sleep I guess!”
His arm hung around my shoulder. “That's true, and I actually feel relaxed at the end of a day, with you by my side I could sleep anywhere!”
I giggled. “And you're a cute sleep talker too!”
“I'll confess something to you, I often used to fall asleep at my desk! I would do work because I couldn't sleep and then I'd wake up like 3am with a stiff neck and have to drag myself to bed!”
I thought over his confession. “Was that why you took sleeping my pills so you'd fall asleep in your bed and not at your desk?!”
“Yes, it was, but I don't need them now I've got you! The best sleep aid and exclusive to me! I'm very lucky.” He stroked his fingers down my neck.
I breathed in, his fingers where actually very relaxing, the way he stroked them up and down my neck. “I'm glad I make you relaxed! And you're right, it’s exclusive to just you and me! The best sleep club in the world! Ballard dream sleep industries!” I giggled.
“Sounds like an advert for air beds or something!” He laughed.
“Would be the best air beds in the world! Which we would naturally have to test out first!”
“Of course! Quality control is very important!”
I rested my head on his shoulder. “Is your meeting thing set up for New York?! Is that what you wanted my help with?!”
“Yes, it is, it's more of a dinner, wine and dine sort of thing, talk over the proposals, some of the investors will be there too, I've bought you a dress for that, it's a surprise though but I know you will love it!” His fingers stroked my shoulders.
The rest of the afternoon we had spent playing music and dancing around his lounge, he laughed freely with me as I twirled around, he could dance okay, and I just made up my steps as I went. Come night time I was so tired we’d headed to bed early.
A few hours after we’d gone to bed, I felt him shake my shoulder.
“Baby wake up, your phone is ringing.”
I groaned and buried my head into my pillow. “Don't care!”
“It's an American number, you should answer it!” He was persistent.
I sighed and grabbed it from his hand, I didn't even bother to look at the number I just hit answer.
“What is it?!” I said sleepily.
“I've missed that sleepy voice.”
My body went rigid in shock. I'd not heard his voice for a while and it caught me off guard.
“Why are you ringing me Sean?!” I sat up in bed. He must have used a different number because his was blocked.
Cameron sat up closely behind me. “Give me the phone, please.”
“Do you think a bit of paper will keep me away from you Evan?! Nice video by the way, you sound different now though! He's changing you! Are you in bed with him now?! I know that fucker is having me followed, I'm not stupid! I’ll be waiting for you, you know I will find you!”
I felt like my brain was frozen, all I could do was breath in and out heavily, while I tried to bring myself to my senses. I should have been telling him to shut up, to leave me alone, that I'd not hesitate to have him arrested if he broke the order but I couldn't. My hand shook slightly in the darkness of Cameron's room.
“Evan, are you okay?! Just breathe in and out calmly, I'm taking the phone!”
I let him take the phone and hugged my knees, breathing in and out as normally as I could manage.