Cam (Hollywood Binge #1)

by Julia Bright

  The door opened and Andrew stepped in. “Keep it down, Cam. I can’t hear the exact words but people are listening out there. They know you two are fighting.”

  “Who the hell is this?” Rose asked.

  “My agent, Andrew.”

  Andrew didn’t stick out his hand to shake Rose’s, and he didn’t say hello. It was the first time he’d ever seen Andrew be rude to anyone. Cam blew out a short breath then turned to face Rose.

  Wrapping his mind around this was difficult. He’d thought Rose was different. His ability to judge someone’s character must be incredibly bad. Maybe he should stick to dating prostitutes, at least then he knew they were only in it for the money.

  “Why did you sell the story to TMZ?” Cam had worked at keeping his voice even and he thought he’d done a good job of it.

  “What story?” Rose looked between Cam and Andrew.

  “The pregnancy story.” Andrew’s brows shot up and he lifted his hands, spreading them open and shrugging.

  “Pregnancy? Who’s pregnant?” Rose looked bewildered, and her brows bunched together tightly before she opened her mouth then closed it. She held up Cam’s phone, pushing the button. “It’s off. I can’t— What story?”

  “The story that names Cam as the father of your baby,” Andrew spit out.

  “But I’m not pregnant. I haven’t—” Rose’s cheeks turned bright red. “I haven’t had sex in a long time. I couldn’t be pregnant.”

  “We need to get out of here,” Andrew said.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you two, not after you came in here and acted the way you have.”

  Rose took a step back and Cam’s anger mounted. How could he get her to discuss this if she didn’t come with them?

  Andrew stepped closer to Rose and he held out his hand with the palm up. “Rose, you need to come with us. Whatever happened, we need to figure it out.”

  She shook her head, her gaze going from Cam to Andrew. “I don’t need to figure anything out. You two are crazy.”

  Cam swallowed and forced his voice to stay even. “Rose, someone shared our photo and they made up a story about us. We need to figure this out.”

  “You’re the one who took the photo. How could I have shared it?”

  Cam held Rose’s gaze, looking for any deception, any lies from her. She appeared to be innocent. Andrew probably wouldn’t agree with his assessment, but he didn’t think Rose had sold the photo or the story.

  “The photo was on your phone,” Cam said.

  “You took a photo of us while I was asleep with my phone. What were you thinking?”

  Andrew stepped closer to Rose and held out his hand. “Rose, can we please take this somewhere more private?”

  Rose shook her head, but Cam reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Rose, please. I swear you’ll be safe coming with us. We need to work this out. Once we figure it out, you can walk away and never see me again.”

  “Why should I?” Rose stepped back, moving away from his hand.

  “Because once people figure out who you are, you’re going to be a target for all kinds of hate.” Andrew lifted his brows and stretched his hand out farther.

  When Andrew had first stepped into the small storage room, he’d been rude to Rose, but now, his agent was being kind. It gave credence to how Cam felt about Rose at the moment. When Cam had first shown up, he’d figured she was lying. Now he didn’t know what to think. Every accusation had been met with denials. It was so confusing.

  What if she hadn’t sold the photo?

  But who had she shared it with who would have sold the shot?

  He knew better than to trust anyone, much less a stranger. Now, he was in a terrible position with no way out.

  They stepped out of the little room and into the kitchen. He headed to the main dining room when Rose placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “Listen, I don’t know what happened, but is it actually wise for us to be seen together? That photo is on TMZ, who knows who has seen it.”

  “She’s right. People saw you come in here and you’ve been arguing. People couldn’t hear exactly what was said, but they heard raised voices because I did when I entered the restaurant. You can’t go out there together.”

  “Is there a back door?” Cam hated sneaking out in the alley, but they didn’t really have much of a choice. Something wasn’t right here, and he needed to figure out what was going on.

  “There is. You can leave that way.”

  “Wait, aren’t you coming with me?” Cam asked.

  She gave her head a sharp shake. “I have to finish my shift.”

  Cam turned to look at the kitchen and saw it empty. “What do you have left to do?”

  “I need to fill the sugar and napkin dispensers.”

  Irritation rose and he huffed. “That’s insane. Just leave.”

  “No, I can’t walk out. That’s irresponsible.”

  Rose moved quickly, stepping out of the kitchen into the dining room. He was going to go after her, but Andrew stopped him with a hand on his chest.

  “I’ll go talk to her. You stay back here. We don’t need any more negative publicity right now.”

  Cam slumped against the wall, defeated. How had this happened? This scandal would ruin everything. His relationship with Zach was already bad, and he was on the brink of a career change that might go to hell all because he’d been kind to this woman who might just be the end of everything he was working toward.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rose felt like she’d been punched in the gut. She had no idea what the hell Cam and his agent were talking about, but somehow a photograph of the two of them was splashed all over the internet. She picked up three sugar shakers and turned, spying Kady stepping into the diner. She had on a blouse with her press credentials dangling from the waist of her slacks.

  “How could you?” Kady had tried to whisper, but the question was voiced harshly and came out rather loud.

  Rose gave a quick look around, seeing that the place was mostly empty, so they weren’t causing a scene, but Mike would only put up with so much drama before he fired her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “This.” Kady held up her phone, displaying a photo of her and Cam.

  Rose groaned and shook her head. She was about to say something when Andrew stepped between her and Kady.

  “You can’t talk to the press,” Andrew said.

  “She’s my roommate.” Her words were tinged with all the anger she felt at the situation. How dare Cam do something to ruin her name and then blame her for it. The more she thought about it, the more she considered that Cam had done something to make a story out of nothing. It had to have been him. She couldn’t imagine how else that photo had been shared with TMZ.

  Andrew turned to Kady then back to her. “We’re getting out of here now.”

  “I can’t. I have to have this job.”

  Andrew grabbed her by the arm and marched her to the kitchen. Kady followed, gasping when she saw Cam Harris leaning against the wall.

  “We’re leaving, now,” Andrew said.

  “Wait. No, wait. Rose, that’s Cam Harris. Why didn’t you… Oh my God, you’re having his baby.”

  Rose couldn’t allow the lie to go on. “I’m—”

  Andrew cut her off by placing his hand over her mouth. Mike stepped in and Andrew nodded to him. “You own this place?”

  The man sneered then nodded. “Yeah, what are you doing with my waitress?”

  “Here’s five hundred. She has to leave early. Don’t penalize her. This should cover the inconvenience of her taking off before her shift ends.”

  Mike looked from Rose to Andrew then smiled. She couldn’t believe Mike was taking Andrew’s side. Hell, she was taking Andrew’s side because she needed to know what had happened, but she still had work to do and she’d never shirked on work.

  “Rose isn’t going with you.” Kady clutched Rose’s other arm, attempting to tug her away from Andrew.<
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  “Stop,” Rose called out. There had to be a way to solve this issue with Cam, and she agreed with the men that it couldn’t happen here in this public place where anyone within hearing distance could listen to her private business. “I’ll go. This has to be settled. Kady, don’t worry. I’ll be home soon.”

  “Don’t worry? Are you freaking kidding me? Of course, I’m going to worry. They can’t take you like this. You deserve to be treated fairly. I can’t let them just go off and take you God only knows where.”

  “I’ll be fine. You know who I’m going with. If they hurt me, you’ll know.”

  “This is crap,” Kady said.

  Cam stepped close and put his arm around Rose’s shoulder. She thought about shrugging off his hold, but she gritted her teeth and stood still.

  “We’ll take care of her and bring her home soon.”

  Kady shook her head. “This is wrong.”

  Rose finally shrugged off Cam’s hold. “I’ll be fine. I’ll call you once this is done.”

  Andrew left the kitchen, saying he was headed out to retrieve his car. Kady’s brows were bunched but she stayed silent. Mike had pocketed the money, and there really wasn’t much left for Rose to do. She grabbed her purse from under the storage table and headed to the rear exit. Cam followed on her heels but said nothing. Going to that party had been a mistake. She’d thought the invite might lead to some excitement in her life, but this was ridiculous.

  She opened the door just as Andrew stopped at the end of the alley. Cam moved quickly, opening the door for her. Her heart stuttered as she slid into the car, scooting over so Cam could hop in too. They looked like a couple, and she knew if someone snapped a photo, it too would be all over the internet in minutes. Cam said nothing as they drove away from the diner. After a few turns, they pulled into the garage of a multiple story office building.

  “We have a conference room we can use in the office. I don’t want either one of you to say a word until we’re up there. Just smile for any cameras and walk fast. We don’t need any more made out of this story than there already is.”

  Rose nodded then opened her door, stepping out into the parking garage. Cam came around and placed a hand on her back. She looked up, anger filling her. He smiled and stepped closer. Her body reacted, betraying her feelings. She didn’t want to be attracted to the man, but he was amazingly hot. Sexy was a natural state for Cam Harris. He didn’t even need to try and he was ridiculously desirable.

  Andrew had been following them to the building but stepped in front of them and pulled open the lobby door. She caught their reflection in the glass of the building. They looked like a couple. If anyone snapped a photo, it would look like they really were together. She needed to get to the bottom of this story because having to be around this man was jacking with her emotions.

  They rode the elevator up to Andrew’s office and stepped out into an open lobby with a receptionist sitting at an impressive desk.

  “Mr. McKellen, I have— Oh, Mr. Harris. It’s wonderful to see you.” The woman hopped up and moved around the desk. “Would you like coffee, water, or tea?”

  Rose watched as a smile spread over Cam’s face, his eyes crinkled at the corners, before he leaned in and brushed a kiss over the woman’s cheek.

  “Thank you, Melissa. I think some water would be good for us. You know, caffeine isn’t good for the baby.”

  Shock washed over Rose as the lie rolled off Cam’s tongue so easily that it made her doubt the truth. What was going on here? How could these people lie as though it didn’t affect them at all? It was as if they didn’t even care that they were deceiving everyone.

  “Water and some snacks. Something healthy,” Andrew added. “We’re going into conference room six. Please mark that room as taken.”

  “Yes, sir. Rose, it’s nice to meet you. We weren’t aware that Mr. Harris was dating anyone.”

  “Surprise!” Rose laughed as panic filled her.

  “You two look so good together. Let me show you to the bathroom. My last pregnancy, I had to pee all the time. Come on, then I’ll show you to the conference room.”

  Rose followed, feeling like she’d stepped into some weird movie where she was playing the part of clueless girl who knows nothing about what was going on around her. Once in the bathroom, she washed her face then decided to use the bathroom. When she stepped out of the stall, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Still dressed in her uniform, she looked a mess. Her hair stuck out all over the place, her lipstick was gone, and her makeup was smudged. A knock sounded on the door, and she washed her hands again, deciding to use the washcloths beside the sink to wipe the rest of her makeup away before she stepped out of the bathroom.

  The woman stood outside the door and waved her arm to the left, indicating which way for them to go. “They’re already in the conference room and we have snacks. I hope you don’t have any allergies.”

  “No, no allergies. Okay, I’m sorry, but what was your name again? I wasn’t paying attention earlier.”

  The woman laughed and placed her hand on Rose’s shoulder as they walked. “That’s okay. Pregnancy brain is tough to work with. I’m Melissa. I’ve worked with Mr. McKellen for a few years. He’s a really good agent. Mr. Harris was right to switch. We’re all happy to have him be a part of our family.”

  Melissa opened the door for her, and she stepped into the conference room, feeling totally overwhelmed. The door closed behind her and she turned to see Melissa hadn’t come in with her. Now she wished Kady had come. She felt outnumbered in this huge room with Cam and Andrew.

  “The room is soundproofed. The glass has technology that makes it impossible for anyone to pick up our conversation. You can say anything in here. Just tell us what happened. How did the story get out and why? What do you want?” Andrew seemed like a level-headed guy, but Rose had no idea what he was talking about.

  “What story? I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Her voice was rising with each word, and she felt totally out of control. “I don’t know. All I know is I was at work minding my own business when Cam came in and accused me of sharing a photo I’ve never seen. You should be asking him why he did it.”

  “I took that photo with your phone.” Cam was sitting at the table, his hands clenched together in front of him on the dark surface.

  “Why would you do that?” Rose whined. She hated that she sounded so weak, but everything that had been said to her in the last hour was crazy. Cam was crazy, and so was Andrew.

  “Your phone, look at the photos on it. You’ll see that it’s there.” Cam’s voice stayed steady as he talked. It was like he had no emotions at all.

  She grabbed her phone from her purse and pulled up her photos application, staring at the photos on her camera roll. “There’s nothing there.”

  “Let me see.” Cam stood and reached for her phone, and she jumped back, shaking her head.

  “No, let Andrew look.” She couldn’t hand over her phone to Cam. After what had happened, she didn’t know whom to trust, but she really didn’t trust Cam at the moment.

  “Fine, Andrew, take a look.” Cam threw up his arms and moved to the snack table to pick out a bottle of water—a brand she’d never heard of. He lifted another bottle and held it out to her. She took it, not really wanting the beverage, but knowing she needed something to keep her hands busy or she might rub a hole through her skin if she were left to stew.

  Andrew took her phone and looked at the screen. “It’s not here.”

  “See!” Rose turned on Cam, a smug smile quick on her lips.

  “It was there.” Cam took a step closer to Andrew.

  “Hold on,” Andrew said. “It’s in recently deleted.”

  “What?” Rose shouted. “I didn’t delete anything.” She took her phone, staring at the photo of her and Cam. “You took two photos? Why did you take them?”

  “I thought—” Cam huffed out a breath then dropped into a chair. “I thought you were nice. We’d
had such a good evening, and for a moment, I thought I could have a normal life. You didn’t jerk me around or play games. I thought maybe we could date.”

  Rose felt like she’d fallen down a hole and was trapped in some weird alternate universe. “I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t share that photo.”

  “What about that story? The pregnancy one. Who is the real father?” Andrew asked.

  “I’m not pregnant. Trust me, I just—” Heat filled Rose’s face, and she turned away from them, looking out the window.

  “You just what?” Cam asked.

  “I’m on my period. I’ve been on it since the night before the party. I wouldn’t have had sex with you. I’m not pregnant and never have been.”

  “Okay, so what the hell is going on?” Andrew dropped into a chair across from Cam and motioned for her to take a seat.

  She grabbed an apple and took a bite before dropping into the chair two down from Cam but on the same side of the table as him. She closed her eyes and chewed, thinking about everything that had happened since she’d come home from that party. Her phone had been in her possession the whole time. When she’d come home from work, Amanda had been there, demanding money. She grunted, surprised that it had been a few days and Amanda hadn’t come back asking for the deposit. The bitch had the nerve to demand a deposit she wasn’t owed. She shook her head, remembering what had happened. She’d stepped back into her bedroom after her shower and seen Amanda looking at her phone.

  She went cold then hot, her anxiety built as her mind tumbled over the events of that evening. Her phone, Amanda had been messing with her phone.

  She opened her eyes, panic racing through her. Cam met her gaze, and he sat up, his eyes widening as he stared at her.

  “What? You thought of something, didn’t you?”

  “Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh my God, I’m such a fucking idiot.” Rose hopped up and moved a few steps closer to the window before turning around to face Cam and Andrew. “I didn’t know the photos were on my phone when I got home from work that night. It had been a shitty shift, and I had to stay late.”