26. Cam
CHAPTER 26
CAM
“YOU LOOK LIKE YOU LOVE ME” - ELLA LANGLEY & RILEY GREEN
I spent the night with Will! He was endearing, sweet, and fun and made me feel safer than I have felt in longer than I can remember. Being around him, no matter the setting, relaxes me in a way that’s more than soothing. It feels nice to have someone look after me, and the lengths he went to ensure I could unwind after a long couple of days were exactly what I needed.
We hooked up! Well, kind of. I guess you would call what we did “rounding second base,” maybe third. I’m not sure which base means what exactly in that whole analogy. All I do know is it was hot with a capital H. Kissing him is not awkward at all, it’s like our mouths already know exactly what to do, and if I let go, it just happens and it’s perfect.
Speaking of perfect, Will has a holy, chiseled-by-the-gods body. It’s seriously unfair, and yet I’m over the moon with gratitude. His chest and stomach look like replicas of Michelangelo’s David , while his manhood is far above average.
More than his body, though, his face and heart draw me in the most. He has perfectly straight white teeth and those ocean- blue eyes that sparkle unlike anything I’ve ever seen. He has secrets and pain hidden behind those deep pools, and I find myself longing to discover each and every one of them. I want to take away the pain I see, and the pain I know is buried in that tender heart. I am desperate to give him peace the way he has given it to me recently.
I worked today. It was light for a Saturday. I spent the majority of the day setting up my new chair and station since I haven’t officially booked any clients yet. Filling Daveed in on my evening was a much more in-depth conversation than I’d expected. He practically threatened me that if I messed things up, he would sweep in and steal Will away. Gosh almighty, so much for his loyalty. Between Micah and Daveed, the competition is stiff—pun intended.
All in all, last night was everything I dreamed it would be: romantic, relaxing, and downright sexy. At the same time, though, it makes me nervous. He’s so good at this part, the wooing, but I’ve done this before. What if I can’t recover from the fall this time, the one that I know will inevitably come?
Tonight, I want to see Will, and I want to have fun, let loose. We need a minute to enjoy each other without the feelings and heated moments clouding our judgment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really in it with him, but I need to slow down on the heart side of things, for my own well-being. I texted Lo on my lunch break and asked her to help me out. She obliged, after demanding all the details, and now we are set to meet up with the whole group at the Waterin’ Hole “for some drinks, dancing, and debauchery”—her words not mine.
Glancing at my phone, I see that I have roughly one hour to get glammed up before the guys arrive to pick us up. Ruiz volunteered to be our designated driver since he has a large SUV, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Money is getting even tighter now that I won’t have my steady income, and while walk-ins are pretty frequent, I’m a bit nervous about how I’m going to make ends meet. Spending extra money on ride shares is just one more thing I need to be cautious about in the interim while I build my book of clients.
“Hey . . . whatcha thinking of wearing tonight?” Lo pops her head in my room.
“Haven’t decided yet, you?” I ask, shrugging nonchalantly.
“I’m either going with that little turquoise dress or shorts and a cropped tank...but I was thinking . . .” she starts, eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Should I be worried?” Amusement dances on my face.
“No! I was thinking you should wear this.” She chucks a gray shopping bag at me.
I open the bag and pull out a green cropped, thin-strapped tank top that’s got lace and sequins. It’s unequivocally the most beautiful shade of emerald I’ve ever seen.
“Lo! This is stunning, you shouldn’t have,” I scold her, even though there is no way I am giving it back.
“Really, it was nothing. I saw it on clearance at the mall and I knew it would bring out the green flecks in your eyes perfectly.”
I hop up, strip off my T-shirt, and pull it on—holy smokes. It’s a little snug but hits in all the right places. My boobs look great and I don’t even need a bra with it, which makes it a winner in my book. I’ll do practically anything to avoid those torturous devices.
“Are you sure it’s not too much?” I ask, glancing in the full-length mirror carefully propped against the wall by my dresser.
“Cam, you will never be too much. If anyone ever tells you that you are, then they are not enough,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Thanks, you’re my best friend, you know.” I reach out to pull her toward me and into a hug.
“Yeah, yeah...Now get a move on.” She smacks my backside. “We don’t have long, and I know you’re going to fret over what to wear for bottoms so I already decided. Wear your black high-rise jeans, the ones that flare at the bottom.” She winks at me, slipping out and heading toward her own room to get ready.
I don’t dare go against her advice after she gifted me yet another stunning piece of clothing so I do as she says and put on the black denim pants. I re-curl my hair and throw it in a braid on one side to keep it out of my face. Flicking on some mascara and opting for lightly tinted ChapStick, I’m ready to go.
Since I have plenty of time before we need to leave, I venture into our kitchen and set about making Superman shots. I am inexperienced at best when it comes to making drinks, but this is one I have mastered. I shake the blue curacao and vodka with ice, pouring it carefully in the variety of shot glasses I was able to scrounge up from the cupboard. Using a straw, I layer in the grenadine slowly, so it’s the perfect ombré of red fading into a slight purple where the two liquids meet and then into solidly bright blue.
Just as I finish, there is a heavy knock at the door. Lo rushes out to answer it, giving me a slight eyebrow raise when she notices my concoctions. I hit her with a lopsided grin, silently communicating that I’m trying to impress.
Our knights in shining armor along with Amy, filter into the quaint kitchen.
“Wright,” Will says, sliding his arms around me from behind.
“Hi, you look handsome. Got a hot date, Rambo?” I turn to face him, fully knowing I’m letting my insecurity show, but handsome is an understatement. He looks lickable. His soft black two-sizes-too-small T-shirt shows off his ridiculously chiseled arms, and I can’t help myself from wanting to climb him like a tree. His denim is worn and faded, accentuating his muscular thighs and squeezable booty. Down, girl.
He winks at me and I know he’s reading my very dirty thoughts right now. He presses his lips to mine quickly and I groan a little, chasing his mouth as he pulls away. He chuckles and whispers, “Later,” so that only I can hear.
Reluctantly, I turn back to my shots and explain them to the group, my voice laced with anxiety. “I call these Superman shots because, obviously, they are the right colors, and I had a borderline-obsessive crush on Clark Kent as a teenager. Not in a creepy way. Just, I m-mean...I mean, have you seen the movie? Henry Cavill is a brilliant actor. He should have won an Oscar for that role,” I blurt out nervously.
Will squeezes my hip, chuckling to himself softly, causing me to look around the room at the array of raised eyebrows, smirks, and a single eye roll from Lo. I may or may not have done a little overexplaining due to my nerves and desperate attempt to make my friends love the shots as much as I do.
“I promise they are delicious and go down so smoothly,” I say, willing them not to tease me about this.
“I don’t really care what you call them as long as there’s liquor in there,” Smith says, winking at me.
“To Clark Kent,” Butler toasts.
After the shots are done, we pile out of the apartment and into the SUV. The guys all chime in to thank me for being the one girl Will is willing to go to the country bar for. There are a minimal number of comments about me being his kryptonite. Yes, I deserved every one of them...Why did I give that whole explanation and not just tell them it’s a shot like a normal person?
Waiting in line is the worst. I don’t usually have to do it when it’s just Lo and I attempting to con our way into a bar, but the whole group thing seriously cramped our ability to flirt our way past the bouncers. We spent close to half an hour waiting to get in! It’s obviously more crowded than the last time we were here, but the vibe seems good and I’m over-the-top excited to dance with Will.
I made a mental decision before coming tonight that I would avoid the green syringe shooters at all costs, and so far, I’ve been able to pass without anyone truly noticing. I’m nursing a whiskey and ginger ale while we all gathers around a small table to take in the atmosphere and get our liquid courage up. It’s not a big enough space for a group this size, but there isn’t any room on the rail around the floor, and at least we still have a decent view of the dancing.
The first couple of chords to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” stream out from the speakers. I turn to make eye contact with Will. He doesn’t have to say a word, he just simply nods and I know it’s time to head to the dance floor. I’m amped because not only do I love the song but we just successfully pulled off the whole silent communication thing that I’ve been jealous of Lo and Smith over.
I make my way to the center of the floor with Will nipping at my heels. We both get in the rhythm of the beat and quickly fall in step with where everyone else is in the dance. I’m jumping, kicking, stomping on cue, lost to the music, letting my body perform the moves from muscle memory. This...here...with Will by my side. There’s nothing better.
“Oh my God, I can’t keep up. How do you know how to do this?” Lo yells, as she sashays up beside me.
“Just look at my feet and follow my lead. There wasn’t much else to do in the small town we grew up in!” I shout back at her over the music.
She’s trying, but, my gosh, she’s so bad at it. It’s honestly a little embarrassing and exciting at the same time that I finally found something I can do better than her. I know, I know, I should be all supportive because she’s my best friend, but it’s nice to excel at one thing over her. Sue me!
The music fades out and just as quick the starting beat of the famous “Footloose” song rolls on. I look at Will. Yet again, I’m on the receiving end of a self-assured nod. I tell Lo to stand aside and watch, which irritates her and makes her laugh in equal measure.
Will grabs my hand, dragging me to the very front of the dance floor, where we perform every move to the song flawlessly. He hits every step and spins me at exactly the right times. We’re having so much fun that I’m completely engrossed in the moves. I don’t immediately notice the crowd that has gathered around to watch and cheer us on.
When the song ends, I’m drenched in sweat with giggles bursting from my lips. Will whispers, “Want to give them a show, Wright?” Heat flashes up my neck, painting my cheeks even redder than they would have been from the sheer exertion. There’s a round of applause as we take a bow and Will spins me backward, dipping me suspiciously low to the floor before curling me into him for a heated kiss. The crowd lets out a round of hoots and hollers as we head back over to where our group has commandeered some space at the rail that opened up.
“Holy shit...Who knew you had moves like that, we coulda had chicks begging to come home with us this whole time,” Smith says pointedly to Will. Lo promptly smacks him on the arm.
“Don’t be jealous, it’s all my partner. Couldn’t do it without her.” Will shrugs and points at me with his thumb.
“Ha, you have no idea how many times he stepped on my toes when we spent weeks learning that dance in the barn after school,” I say winking at Will.
“Oooh, burn. She got you, bro.” Smith laughs huskily.
“She didn’t mention how long it took her to learn the two-step,” Will responds, his face morphing into a goofy, lopsided grin.
He’s not lying. It did take me a ridiculously long time to figure out a really simple dance. I’ve always been an overthinker. Trying to go too fast, then too slow, it was a real miracle the day I finally got it down.
“Okay, fine, that’s fair—ooh, let’s take a shot!” I point at the approaching server, steering the conversation away from my shortcomings.
I know I made myself a deal, but fuck it! I grab the waitress and we all take two Jell-O shooters each, down the hatch. Ruiz returns with a round of drinks, which also go down way too quickly.
We stand around singing some of the songs as they come across the speakers, taking turns dancing on the floor in different groups. Sometimes it’s just the girls, and other times it’s Will and I trying and failing to teach Smith and Butler the moves to various dances. I notice Butler glancing at Amy more than once...I need to explore that but don’t want to miss out on spending as much time with Will as possible. The night is progressing quicker than I had hoped, but it’s true that time really does fly by when you’re having fun.
A slow song descends and couples line up in pairs, forming an oval around the dance floor. Will extends his hand. “Shall we?”
I link my fingers in his and we get in position. I haven’t two-stepped in close to five years, but I know with Will leading it will all come right back.
Boy, does it. I glide around the dance floor with one of his strong arms carefully positioned at my lower back and our hands locked in front of us at each of my hips. It’s not intimate in the normal sense of slow dancing, but the occasional spins and dips he manages to put me in are just as intoxicating. Or maybe it’s the alcohol that’s intoxicating. Probably both.
We end the song with one last spin and dip, Will pressing his lips to mine and thanking me for the dance, like a real gentleman. I move to head back to the table and he playfully swats my backside. Fine, maybe he’s not completely a gentleman. But I’m more than okay with it.
Our group oohs and aahs with a round of applause as we approach. It’s a good thing I love them all. If I didn’t, they would be getting serious talks from me about how embarrassing they are.
We take a couple more shots and dance a little more before the swaying and blurred vision settle in. Lo and I have both obviously had more than we should have, and Amy is passed out on a stool, her face plastered to the railing holding her up. Butler is suspiciously close by, ensuring she doesn’t fall...I think. Lo and I look at each other, silently exchanging our need to find out more about that.
“Looks like it’s time to hit the road.” Will snaps his fingers, twirling his pointer in a circular motion in an effort to round up the group. I lean into him, intent on giving him a kiss, but I clumsily miss, ending up a little closer to his chin. I can’t feel much at this point, but the slow rumble of his laugh is comforting.
The next conscious awakening I have is that I’m home. Ruiz thankfully lived true to his word and expertly performed his designated driver duties. Will and Smith help Lo and me to our apartment and into our separate rooms.
“Come heeere, Ramboooo,” I slur from my position, perched on the edge of the bed.
“I’m gonna tuck you in. Do you need pajamas?” he asks, grabbing my shoulders to stabilize me.
“Not if I’m sleeping with you.” I bonk my finger to the tip of his nose.
“As much as I’d love that, not when you’re drunk, Wright.”
I put on my best puppy dog eyes and beg him to stay with me. Instead, he chuckles, helps me pull off my jeans, and expertly tucks me in like a burrito. My eyes are fluttering and I know I won’t be awake, or maybe alive, for long, but I do notice him placing a trash can and bottle of water by the bed.
Will kisses me on the forehead and tells me to call him in the morning. I huff an “Okayy fine, sur losssss,” and then he’s gone, quietly closing the door. I faintly hear him and Smith exchange a few laughs and then head out the front door.
I wish he would have stayed. We had a blast tonight, and yes, I definitely drank way too much. Cuddling would have been nice, although the thought of lying on my side stings the back of my throat with the precursor to what is surely bound to be vomit. I guess it’s good he didn’t stay for the disgustingly unflattering night and morning coming my way.