“So, if you had gone to the majors, what would your song be?” I asked him impishly, looking up at the side of his cheek. He rested it against the top of my head and sighed.
“My song?”
“You know, when you come up to bat, your song?” I held my fist up in front of my mouth and tried to do my best announcer impersonation. “Cole Parker, the viewers at home want to know, what’s the significance of your introductory song?” I brought my fist in front of his face, and he laughed softly.
“Well, Bob, I’m glad you asked that question,” he stated. “I like to use the song ‘Crazy Train’ because it reminds me of the night that I met my beautiful wife. Even at times like these, when the outcome of the World Series rests solely on my performance in this at bat, I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Oh, you’re good,” I chuckled. “You’re really good.”
“Yeah, I like to practice these types of conversations in my head,” he teased, kissing me on the temple.
“And when we’re married, will I be privy to these conversations?” I asked, smiling to myself.
“I doubt I will be able to pull myself away from you, so probably,” he reasoned, laughing at me.
“Maybe then I’ll get a firsthand look at some of that swagger you exhibited on those videos.”
“You liked that, did you?” he wondered, sounding shocked.
“I’m not sure. I found it very intriguing.” He sighed and ran his fingers gently down my arm.
“I promise you, Camdyn, I will do my best to keep you intrigued.”
Chapter Thirteen
The weekend passed so quickly it was almost a blur. Friday I helped Rosalie work on her website, and that night Cole took me to watch the Triple-A Redbirds play baseball in Memphis. It was much more relaxing watching a game with Cole knowing that Trey wasn’t sitting next to us. The next morning we hiked seven miles near the river, and that night went out for dinner and a movie. I laughingly joked with Cole that we got engaged first, then started dating afterwards.
Sunday morning Cole came over early so we could run together, and then after church we ate lunch at his parents’ house. By the time our afternoon was nearly spent, I told him I needed to pack for my trip to New York. He sighed loudly, but took me back to Rosalie’s and sat in my room while I worried about what to take. After I had piled at least six outfits on the bed, he began to laugh.
“You’re only there for three days, right?” he wanted to know, tilting his head with a smile.
“Yes, it’s only three days,” I agreed, “but I have no idea what these meetings are about. Plus, I don’t mind admitting to you that I feel a little out of my element.” He stood up and came over to where I was facing the closet and put his hand on my shoulder.
“You want my advice?” he asked quietly, and I nodded. “Stop trying so hard.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I muttered, managing to quietly laugh at myself.
“Camdyn, you’re amazing, and they know what they have in you,” he continued. “Just relax and be yourself and let them fall all over themselves.” He pulled out a dress and a fitted blazer and handed them to me, and I smiled at him as I tried to take his words to heart.
I was still thinking of his statements the next morning while we entered the airport. Cole had been insistent about sending me off, and he carried my suitcase through the terminal as he held my hand. I couldn’t help but feel a little fidgety, like a kid whose dad was taking her to summer camp, even though I knew that was completely ridiculous. Cole didn’t seem to notice, and for that I was extremely grateful. As he stood waiting with me, I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest, aware of how much I was going to miss him.
It was during this moment of shamelessly clinging to my fiancé and making a forlorn pouty face that I could have sworn I heard someone say my name. Cole must have heard it too, because he leaned back a little and separated himself from me.
“Camdyn, that is you, isn’t it?!” I heard my name again. I glanced around for any familiar faces, and suddenly my eyes found Laurel. I let out an audible gasp and turned to face her.
“Cole, do you remember me talking about Laurel? We met when I was in Louisville? We were staying at the same hotel?” He looked down at me and nodded, and then he smiled at Laurel and stuck out his hand.
“Of course,” he stated. “Laurel, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you both going to New York, too?” she asked, shaking Cole’s hand. “Talk about a crazy coincidence.” I thought about looking at Cole’s face, because I knew he didn’t believe in coincidence. Truth be told, I really didn’t believe in it anymore, either.
“Not both of us, I’m afraid,” Cole told her with a sigh. “I’m just seeing Camdyn off.”
“Cole’s terribly worried about me,” I teased, poking him in the ribs. “I can’t get him to admit it.”
“I admit it! I worry about you!” he laughed, putting his hands in the air as though he was surrendering. “I honestly feel slightly better right now, knowing Laurel will be on the plane with you.”
“Well, I am beyond thrilled to see you, Camdyn!” Laurel exclaimed. “I was going to spend my time on the plane making notes for my meeting tomorrow, but now I have an excuse to procrastinate!”
“What are you doing in New York? What type of meeting?” I asked her then. She shifted her carry-on bag to her other arm and looked up at the ceiling.
“Well, let’s see…” she started, “I have a meeting with a talent coordinator on some conference things that are coming up. Then a meeting with a production company that is going to be teaming with us for a really big show we’re working on. Two dinner meetings with clients on the same night… It’s going to be fun!” I laughed at the way she widened her eyes. “What about you?”
“Hmm… Word has it that my publishing company wants to schmooze me,” I said sarcastically. “Honestly, though, I’m not really sure yet.”
“That sounds all sorts of awesome,” she surmised. Right about then boarding began, and she told me she would catch me in a minute. I knew she was just being polite to give me a moment with Cole, and I was grateful as I turned to him and put my arms around him again.
“Be careful,” he ordered. “Don’t be too trusting. Watch out for muggers. Try not to be alone anywhere.”
“Cole…” I whispered, trying not to roll my eyes.
“Stand your ground in those meetings,” he added. “Don’t let them talk you into anything you don’t want to do. And no matter what, remember that I love you, and I am beyond proud of you.” I smiled up at him as I looked into his eyes.
“I love you too, so much it almost hurts,” I whispered. He kissed me, and then he slowly let go as I backed away and grabbed my suitcase. When a pained look crossed my face, he responded by giving me one of his killer smiles.
“I think I’m dying a little inside,” I laughed. He stood there waiting the entire time, until I finally had to turn the corner and couldn’t see him anymore.
Laurel and I boarded the plane together, and even though she didn’t have a first-class ticket like I did, she somehow managed to wind up next to me anyway. Her negotiating skills were quite impressive. We spent our flight catching up, and when we reached New York, we made plans to meet for dinner on Tuesday night. Walking together and casually chatting, Laurel grabbed my arm when she saw a middle-aged chauffeur holding a sign with my name.
“Let the schmoozing begin!” she whispered excitedly. “See you Tuesday.” I walked up to the driver nervously and tried to smile.
“That’s me,” I said simply, pointing at the sign. He raised his eyebrows a little before he took my suitcase, and I followed him through the airport. When we reached the long black car and he opened the door for me, I hesitated for a split second to ask him where we were going.
“Fairmont Publishing,” he told me matter-of-factly, sending my stomach into a mass of nervous butterflies. I slid into the seat and wished we were going to the
hotel first, or to lunch, or shopping, or anywhere other than Fairmont Publishing. When at last we pulled up in front of the building, the driver was most courteous and informed me to let Mr. Fairmont’s assistant know when he should come back around.
“My suitcase?” I asked hesitantly, and he smiled easily.
“I’ll hang onto it for you,” he stated. “Don’t worry – you’re my only responsibility today.”
“Oh,” I said stupidly, standing there staring awkwardly. “In that case, I feel like I should know your name.”
“It’s Jesse,” he replied.
“Thank you, Jesse,” I told him. “I’ll try not to drive you crazy, then.”
“Not a problem.” He nodded his head before he walked back to the driver’s side of the car, and I stood with my laptop bag staring up at the building.
You can do it, Camdyn. Be assertive!
The directory on the wall indicated that I needed to be on the fourth floor, so I made my way to the elevator and pushed the upwards arrow. It seemed to be taking quite a bit of time, so I lowered my bag to the floor for a moment and checked the messages on my phone. When the elevator came to a stop, I nodded politely to two men who stepped out before I made my way inside, pushing the number four button. The instant the doors closed, I realized I had forgotten my laptop bag on the floor. I was getting ready to frantically push the button to reopen the door when suddenly it did so on its own, and the doors split apart to reveal a stylishly-dressed man of about thirty, who had a slight grin on his face as he held my bag aloft.
“Oh my gosh, thank you!” I muttered. “I was about to panic.”
“Don’t mention it,” he stated as he stepped inside the elevator. “It’s always a pleasure to save the day. I don’t think we’ve met.”
“No, I literally just flew in,” I laughed. “Camdyn Taylor.”
“The Camdyn Taylor?” he asked, winking at me as he shook my hand. “Lex Fairmont, at your service.”
“Fairmont?” I questioned with surprise. “So are you the one I’m meeting with tomorrow?”
“No, unfortunately,” he chuckled. “That would be my father.” I smiled my understanding, and he continued undeterred. “I wish I was the one meeting with you. Edith and I have been talking about your book, and I have a lot of ideas about how to market it. I think with someone like you, it’s important to really think outside of the box, don’t you? But, my father is a traditionalist. I’m sure he will be very levelheaded and businesslike about things.” He raised his eyebrows slightly as the elevator doors opened at the fourth floor. I studied him for a minute, his dark blonde hair parted on the side and perfectly in place, and wondered if he was serious about Edith and thinking outside the box.
Intriguing, I decided to myself.
Lex insisted upon showing me around, finally stopping at the desk of Stacy, Mr. Fairmont’s assistant. She went over a couple of meeting times with me, and then Lex took me in to meet his father. He was slightly stocky and fairly bald, and he wasn’t very tall; when he stood to meet me, we were eye to eye. (I decided then that Lex must have gotten his looks from his mother.) Lex was definitely correct about him being businesslike – he was making an attempt at being friendly, but I could tell he didn’t like the interruption. Still, I couldn’t really complain – he wasn’t hostile or rude. We were preparing to walk back out the door when Lex suddenly turned back to his father.
“Dad, what would you think of me giving Camdyn some of my ideas tonight?” He moved a couple steps closer to his father, an urgent tone in his voice. “I’ve got a couple of really great strategies that I’ve been mulling over…”
“That just doesn’t seem to be your forte, son,” Mr. Fairmont said with a shake of his head.
“This is going to be different,” he pleaded with the older man. “These ideas…I don’t think she’ll be able to say no. Give me a chance.” Mr. Fairmont sighed his annoyance and gazed disapprovingly at his son.
“Okay, you’ve got one chance,” he finally answered. “When we get to the meeting tomorrow, though, time’s up.”
“Thank you,” Lex said quickly, and then he ushered me out the door. As soon as the door was closed behind us, he assumed his easygoing, nonchalant air again. He took me back to the elevator and we visited the eighth floor, where I was going to be meeting with Edith. As soon as she stepped around the corner, I knew that she hadn’t changed at all in the past two years. She still had flame red hair shaped into a fringe of bangs over her green eyes, and she was wearing a light blue cardigan. That was one thing I remembered the most about Edith – she was always cold. She had been the person I most easily fell into conversation with about all my books, partly because she seemed so interested in them, and partly because she was only three years older than me. No matter how the conversation began, it seemed that we always wound up talking about our personal lives.
“Camdyn, my pretty little friend!” she practically sang, walking up to hug me. “I have been waiting impatiently for you all day, I’m afraid. It’s so good to see you!”
“You too, Edith,” I told her sincerely. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Always the flatterer,” she scolded, and then she turned to Lex. “I’ve got her from here, Mr. Fairmont. Thank you.”
“Very well,” he stated, bowing slightly. “Ms. Taylor, I hope you will let me escort you to dinner this evening so we can discuss my ideas.”
“That would be fine,” I assured him, to which he smiled.
“Great. I will pick you up at eight.” I watched his back as he walked away, feeling oddly uneasy about the difference in his attitude when he was with his father and when he wasn’t. I tried to shake it off as I turned back to Edith.
“So, what’s the scoop?” she asked as we walked toward her office. “I’m dying to know what happened between you and Cole.” I sank down in a chair in front of her desk, and instead of answering her question, I pulled an envelope out of my bag and handed her a wedding invitation.
“I know it’s short notice…” I told her, watching her eyes grow huge as she read the words.
“I flat don’t believe it,” she laughed, sinking back in her chair. “You’re getting married? That’s just a couple weeks from now!”
“Trust me – I know,” I responded with a grin. She laughed again, and then we started discussing my book.
-§-
It was almost six o’clock when I finally had someone call Jesse and ask him to return. After seating myself neatly in the back seat, I started striking up a conversation with him. He seemed reluctant to talk to me at first, but after a moment he warmed up. He admitted that he would not be able to see his family that night, but he needed the overtime, so he was going to make the best of it. Jokingly, I told him that I would try to keep him out until at least midnight, so he would get his money’s worth.
The hotel was truly magnificent, and for my first few moments in the room, I couldn’t seem to make myself do anything other than fall into the bed or stare out the window at the gorgeous view. I knew Lex would be coming around soon for dinner, though, so I tried to mentally prepare myself and changed my clothes.
Cole called at around seven-thirty, to see if I made it to my hotel okay. I told him he was sweet to worry about me, but I was really fine. When I told him I was getting ready to go to dinner with Mr. Fairmont’s son, he made a low noise in his throat.
“How old is this son?” Cole asked.
“I don’t know,” I told him. “Maybe a little older than me? We’re going to be going over some ideas before the meeting tomorrow.”
“So my fiancée is in New York City at a swanky hotel, getting ready to go on a date with another man.”
“It’s not like that at all,” I sighed. “I think Lex just wants me to like his ideas so he can impress his father.”
“Lex?” Cole clarified. “I say be careful around that guy, with a name like that. You do know Lex Luther was Superman’s nemesis.”
“Of course I know that,” I i
nformed him, although as soon as he hung up I typed the name Lex Luther in the phone so I could see what he was talking about. I vaguely remembered Charlie watching Superman movies when we were kids, but it had been a long time.
The room phone rang just before eight, and when I picked it up, it was the concierge.
“Mr. Fairmont is here, ma’am,” he stated. “Should I send him up?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’m coming down.” I stole a quick glance at the room, let out a deep sigh, and went downstairs to meet Lex. When I saw him waiting for me with a dozen red roses, I inwardly cringed a little.
Surely he doesn’t think this is a date! He couldn’t, could he?
I awkwardly thanked Lex for the flowers, and the concierge stated that he would have someone take them up to my room. Lex ushered me outside to where Jesse waited with the car, and together we rode to the restaurant. He was the same detached guy I had visited with earlier at the publishing company – none of that nervous urgency I had seen in his father’s office.
The hostess seated us at a table near the back in a relatively quiet area, and once again my feelers went up. I was praying that Lex had no interest in me other than as a business relationship. He didn’t talk about business at all, though. We were probably thirty minutes into our dinner before he even mentioned publishing, and then it was just to tell a story. We had finished our meals and he had just ordered dessert when he finally leaned across the table slightly and prepared his pitch.
“So, are you ready for my plan?” He looked rather eager, and I inched forward in anticipation.
“Shoot,” I told him. He smiled before he began.
“We’re going to make you into a huge star,” he said. I felt the wind leave my sails a little bit. “By the time I’m finished, you’ll be a household name.”
A Reason to Be Alone (The Camdyn Series Book 2) Page 18