A Haught Date

by Leela Lou Dahlin

  “I’m not looking for a match. I’m looking for someone who will help me by playing a role. Then letting me end it with minimal questions from my family. I’m not ready to date, and I’ll probably never be ready to date him,” Gemmi said and focused on the miniature waterfall she had on her mantel.

  “Why?” True sounded a bit offended and Gemmi had to remember True was close to Camden and his family.

  “Come on, True. I needed someone to play a simple role. If I was going to start dating it wouldn’t be with a guy like him. I need to get back on the horse with an easy date—like elementary style. Camden is more like the dissertation date, the one you experience when you are at the Ph.D. stage of dating”

  “See there you go again, assuming that just because he’s attractive he’ll be unfaithful or difficult like your last couple of boyfriends, but you can’t judge everyone by the raggedy measuring-stick of another.”

  “You are trying to make this all peace, love, and happiness, but I need someone who is willing to play a role and someone that’s believable and realistic. Does he seem like either of those things?”

  “Is it that hard to believe Camden could be into you?”

  “Yes. That is extremely hard to believe. Especially when I am going to have to make my family think I’ve gotten over Rosalyn stealing not one, but two of my boyfriends. She topped it off by humiliating me and slept with them at our yearly family reunion. I just wanted an average guy so my family would stop shoving every human with a penis my way.”

  “Did you tell Camden what was going on and what you wanted him to do?”

  “Are you asking if I admitted that my last two boyfriends left me to sleep with my beautiful cousin?” The humiliation rolled through her body like waves. The incident felt like it happened yesterday. “No, I didn’t. That’s embarrassing for one, and two if you think Rosalyn was crazy for those goobers, she would try to kill me if she saw this one.” The kettle was whistling, and she walked back to the kitchen.

  “Good.” True sounded elated.

  “Not good. I don’t want to make any waves. I just want my mother to stop nagging me about getting back on the horse, I want to be able to hold my head up, and I want to stop feeling so pathetic.”

  “Then you’re going to have to stop acting so pitiful.” True said it gently and Gemmi hated that she had a valid point. “That’s the main reason I think Camden’s excellent, he’s a great guy, and he would never embarrass you.”

  “You don’t know that. You have never met Rosalyn. She’s like a drug to men, they go crazy for her. Seriously, she can get anyone she wants.”

  “I think you believe her hype. Snap out of it, girl.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, but you don’t know Rosalyn, and you don’t know my family.” She poured the hot water over the tea bag and stirred.

  “No, I don’t, but I know you, and if anyone can turn this all around, you can.” True was always so sure of herself, Gemmi wanted to be like more like her. “You just need a bit of a confidence boost.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “I’m so excited to see all these people tomorrow. I can’t wait. I feel like I know them already. The good and the bad.”

  “Thanks for going with me. I haven’t been around the whole family since the humiliation a year ago.” Gemmi cuddled into her favorite chair drawing her legs around her cradling her warm mug in her hands.

  “You can’t know how much it means to me that you invited me. I’ll be there for support…united front and all that.”

  “Don’t act like you don’t know how horrified I am to go to this dinner. I don’t want to go, but my mother says Rosalyn is quite upset that I haven’t been around the family, and she wants to apologize. I don’t want her to apologize in front of everyone, that’s more humiliating than not being able to keep a guy interested whenever she’s around.”

  “Gemmi…”

  “Oh no, I can hear another inspirational talk in your voice and right now I just—” Her cell phone chirped in her ear and startled her making her spill a bit of her warm tea on her shirt. She knew she should have changed her clothes.

  “What is it?” True asked.

  “Someone’s on my other line.” Gemmi was puzzled because no one called her at this time of night.

  “I bet its Camden. What’s the number?”

  “555-8545,” she answered after looking at the caller ID.

  “I texted him your number this evening after I thought he didn’t show up so he could find you. Then I just called him, and you were already together. The night went better than you thought, huh?” True sounded so proud of herself. She knew they talked about a lot of things, but she wasn’t going to tell her everything that had happened tonight.

  “Yeah, right.” She wondered what he could want. Probably calling back to find out why she’d abandoned him at the coffee shop after the sexual assault in the bathroom, she thought grimly. “Let me talk to him, and I’ll see you tomorrow, alright? Okay, bye.” She looked at her phone and clicked to the other line.

  “Hello, Camden,” she said. Her dolphin voice was back, but not as loud and the little bit of tension that had eased was back as she gripped the phone and turned to sit up straighter. She hoped he didn’t bring up the fact she practically ran from him earlier.

  “Gemmi. I’m not sure why you sprinted out of the coffee shop, but I’m glad your car was near the window. I watched you get in, wanted to make sure you were safe.”

  “You didn’t watch me get into my car.” She got up and returned the cup to the kitchen.

  “Dark blue, hard top Jeep, right?”

  “Right.” She was impressed.

  “So why did you leave me at the coffee house?”

  “I told you,” she cleared her throat. “I have to get up early in the morning to work with True.” She could tell he wasn’t buying it but what else could she say.

  “I got that part, but I didn’t understand the mad dash to your car. Did I say something to upset you?”

  “No.” She walked to her room and sat on her bed, but just looking at her bed and having his sexy voice in her ear was a bit much to take.

  “Well…then what was the problem?”

  “No problem, I just…I wanted…” She tried to explain what happened without sounding paranoid. “I just felt like whole shop was just staring at us, and I know what they were thinking.”

  “You’re a mind reader too. Hmm, any other hidden talents I should know of?”

  “No, I just felt foolish sitting there.” She kicked off her shoes and sat on the make-up bench in front of her mirror.

  She sat waiting for a response in what felt like five minutes but was probably closer to ten seconds.

  “You felt foolish sitting with me…” he said. It didn’t sound like a question. It sounded more like he was trying to figure out what was going on and drawing a blank.

  “It’s nothing against you, but I just wanted someone a little more average looking.” She felt crappy as the words left her mouth. She couldn’t believe she said that. She turned away from the mirror not wanting to see the face of the woman who could say that. The girl who knew what it was like being made to feel not special enough, not sexy enough…just not enough was saying things to make someone else feel like that. There was that pregnant silence again on the other side and she was torn between taking back what she said and sticking to her guns.

  “You are turning down my sincere offer to help you because of my physical appearance?”

  “It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that, but my last boyfriend was pretty attractive, and he wouldn’t stay faithful. Just too many women giving him attention and the temptation was just too great.” Damn it, she didn’t want to have to explain this. It sounded right and made perfect sense in her head, but his pregnant pauses spoke volumes.

  “So, to clarify,” he said before clearing his throat, “your last boyfriend was attractive and unfaithful therefore all attractive men are unfa
ithful. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “I just know all that goes with being with a man who garners so much attention.” She knew she was acting like an idiot. Maybe she should just see where this led. The one thing she did know was she wasn’t going to use him with her family, but had she blown everything admitting what she knew to be true. His deep sigh told her he’d probably had enough of her silliness.

  “When can I see you again?” The softly spoken words made the butterflies—that arrived in her stomach when she’d heard his voice on the phone—start spiraling in formation.

  “What?” Gemmi couldn’t believe he was still talking to her or wanting to be in her presence again. “Why would you want to see me again? I’ve been rude, abrupt and not terribly rational.”

  “Well, points to any person who can at least admit that they aren’t acting rationally.” He cleared his throat, and his tone turned serious. “Look, you have a need, and I can help. Why can’t that be enough? Plus, I want to prove that you’re wrong about me. Whatever misconceptions you’ve made have been about what’s on the outside, right?”

  “I guess so,” she didn’t think he was the person for what she wanted, but she couldn’t quite tell him no. When was the last time she had a beautiful man almost insisting she get to know him?

  “You should take the time to find out if you’re right and hold your judgments until you actually know me. Do you like being judged solely by a stereotype?”

  “Fair enough. I have to do something with True tomorrow night, but I may need a drink afterward. How about I call you when I’m done, and we can talk about it a little more?”

  “You’ll show up with an open mind and have a clean slate with my name at the top? I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I don’t want to pay for another jerk’s mistake.”

  “Open mind, clean slate with Camden Rumplestiltskin on the top. Got it.” She felt uneasy about this and that deep laugh that went directly to her unsated core didn’t help. This was too neat, too nice. Her life wasn’t like that. She focused on the miniature waterfall again to get the peace she knew she was going to need.

  “Sounds like a plan. Alright, I’ll let you go… sweet dreams, beautiful.”

  “If I go along with using you for this project, you can’t be that outrageous. I know I’m perpetrating a fraud, but I want us to be honest with each other.” She was determined to ignore the little tingles running through her body. His voice deepened when he’d said it…almost as if it were heartfelt.

  “I’m being honest.”

  “You just said—”

  “I know what I said, and I meant it. We can talk more about that when we get our drink. I’ll be waiting for your call. Goodnight, Gemmi.”

  She put the phone down and had to give it to him, he didn’t give up. She didn’t think using him in this role was a great idea, but she knew how it felt to be judged and misjudged and whether she liked it or not she was running out of time.

  Chapter 4

  “So how was it?” Camden heard True say as she breezed into his kitchen with her cup of coffee for herself in one hand and green juice shake for him in the other. She knew his schedule and always seemed to know when to stop by. Hell, she knew all the brothers’ schedules and had a knack for showing up when he wasn’t doing much of anything. Her usual laid-back manner was on hold, and she seemed concerned. He’d seen her uptight before, but this time seemed different. She placed his drink in front of him and slid into the adjacent seat. She studied him the whole time.

  She was always a whirlwind of energy. Most of the time she could barely sit still. The only time he’d ever seen her sit still was when she was painting or taking pictures, but she seemed demure today without an acrylic paint or a camera around. She sat at the kitchen table, and he wondered what she had planned. She rarely did anything haphazardly, and he knew this visit was no different.

  “Met her at the jazz bar. Cool place you came up with, by the way, and she didn’t think we’d work out. Got her to go to a coffee shop with me to discuss her concerns and then without reason she ran out of the coffee shop like a world class sprinter. I’m sure you heard the same thing from Gemmi,” he said it slowly so she could take all of the information in. He watched True to see if she’d give away what this visit and her weird attitude was about.

  “Well?” she said loud and menacing. She looked at him and tapped her fingertip on the large oak kitchen room table. He’d dreamed all night about the woman who had turned him inside out in a bathroom when she didn’t know who he was but refused his help in her situation when she did know who he was. The intrigue he felt toward Gemmi didn’t put him in his signature good mood but watching True trying to get around to what she wanted to say was entertaining and brightening up his day a little more every second. This woman was painfully blunt, so observing her working her way to her point was fascinating.

  “Well, what? She’s prickly. I imagine you knew that when you asked me to take her out.” He knew his calm tone of voice would start to irritate her. They’d grown up together, and she was his brother Beau’s best friend. She practically lived in their house when he was growing up. She was a long-term foster child of the Bentleys who used to live next door.

  “Prickly. Is that what you think?” She had the same sly look she’d always had around Alec. She may think she’d fooled everyone to think that she was in love with her best friend Beau, but Camden knew better. He also knew better than to reiterate what he thought of her friend. He didn’t want her to get stuck by the matchmaking bug. He knew how she was when she was determined or thought a couple of lucky people should be together. He nodded at her question.

  “Are you going to tell me why a woman like her needs to pretend to have a boyfriend?”

  “She didn’t tell you? Come on Camden, you’re talented with women. I’ve seen you get women who were practically mute to talk. What happened?”

  “She told me a little bit about her situation, but she wouldn’t go into why? She’s a paradox bold and shy, playfully open then secretive, and she doesn’t want to use my services, but I’m working on it.” He wasn’t used to True looking disappointed and never with him. “You have held debts I owed you over my head since we were kids. You had enough stored up between my brothers and I that you could have made us buy you a house with all the indebtedness you held over us. Why did you pick this to call in your colossal favor from me?”

  He watched her look down at her coffee and mess around with the brown sheath they put around the cup, so it’s not too hot to touch. “Gemmi’s going through some things, and she’s pretty vulnerable right now,” she said looking up through her lashes. Dammit, she was up to something. He knew it.

  “I thought that’s why you wanted me to meet her and pretend to be the boyfriend she’s been telling her family she had. I’d never hurt a woman. You know that.” Since he’d spent his entire life helping women and trying to do right by them, he was honored True would think Gemmi would be safe with him.

  “Yes, I know that, but this woman is very special to me, and she needs a bit more help than I originally thought.”

  “I know she’s special to you, True.” He watched her squint, and he knew whatever she had to say next he wasn’t going to like.

  She sat up in her chair and looked him in the eye. He’d grown up with True and he knew her moods, and she knew his. Hell, she probably knew all the Haught boys better than they knew themselves.

  “I know why you do all the good deeds you do,” she whispered sounding more serious than he’d ever heard her.

  “Good. I do too. I like doing good things for people, it’s beneficial for the soul.” The smile he gave her felt weak, probably because he was trying to recover from the verbal punch in the gut he knew was on the way. Nothing of worth was going to come from this topic.

  “I know that’s what you tell yourself, and you are doing admirable things. You’re trying to compensate everyone in the world because you think you ruined your family.”

 
He stood and, for the first time since he’d known her, he wanted her to leave. He walked to the sink and stood there emptying out his drink wanting to tell her he was going to go to the rec center to help out before work. She was right behind him. The little bit of the drink he’d sipped swirled in his stomach and made him feel sick. “I don’t know what would make you think that, True.”

  “Come on, Cam.” She grabbed onto his arm and slid around, so she was in between the sink and him. Her curly brown hair and big wet brown eyes were beseeching him. Wanting to make him understand. “I’ve never brought this up before even though I’ve wanted to, but this situation with Gemmi has been running through my mind.”

  “What does one thing have to do with the other?” He watched her mouth open and close as she searched for what she wanted to say. He almost felt sorry for her…she wasn’t used to holding her tongue. It must mean something that she was attempting to do it now.

  “I want you to give her a chance a real chance. She needs a nurturer, someone who may be around for a while. Although I know you’ve never done that, I was hoping you could give it a try with her. I just don’t want her to fall for you and then you end up hurting her more than you’re helping.” She took a step closer, and he could see the beginnings of True’s signature hug—big smile, arms thrown wide—he wasn’t in the mood for that now. He side stepped her and the comfort.

  “Why did you ask me to do this in the first place?” Backing away from her he stood behind his chair because he still wanted her to go.

  He’d been intrigued by Gemmi from the moment he’d seen a picture that had been snapped at an art show she’d worked with True and that was before he’d heard True talk about her. That’s how he knew who she was when he saw her. He was excited when True had given him a way to meet her.

  “I thought that maybe you’d be good for each other,” she started, and he watched her ears turn a slight pink under her soft brown skin.

  “And now you’re changing your mind?” He pulled out his chair and sat down. He didn’t get involved with women—good women—he didn’t have the right to have his own family, and he would have thought True would have figured that out.