Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Cam
I sip my martini and snuggle up in one of the blankets that Al keeps up here for the winter happy hours. He has all the heaters going and the fire pit.
I glance down at my phone to see if Max has messaged me back. He’s been busy lately and I hate admitting I miss our little text chats, but I do. I grin when I see he’s replied.
Max: Sorry. Crazy schedule today. So, how’s your business situation going?
Me: I’m going to do a project with that business.
Max: You are?
Me: Yeah. There’s this thing that came up and we’re going to work as a team.
Max: Do you think that’s a good idea?
Me: (shrugging emoji)
Max: You didn’t sign anything yet, did you?
Me: (sheepish emoji)
Max: E! Why would you do that?
I grin. I love when he calls me “E.”
Me: The only way forward is through.
Max: I hope you have a plan.
Me: Sort of.
Max: We should talk later. I have to go to some event. Don’t sign any other contracts tonight, OK?
I laugh.
Me: I’ll try not to.
I look around at my friends and neighbors.
Jessa and Troy are deep in conversation with Margie and Cornelia, and Drew is perched on the arm of one of the oversized deck chairs that Margie is sitting in. They are having some debate about whether an actor from a show they all used to watch is still alive or not.
“He’s dead,” Drew announces as he holds up his phone. They all sigh and immediately launch into a morbid eulogy of sorts with each of them naming their favorite show or film the actor was in.
I glance at the bar. Roxy is sitting in Gray’s lap as they both watch some funny video on her social media while Al makes her another drink.
Piper is in Kasen’s lap. She’s sketching something in a notebook while Kasen chats with Hutch.
Roxy’s employee, Jocelyn, is up here tonight.
She’s standing by Hutch explaining why a character in her favorite book is better than the one in his favorite book.
Bray is sitting on the end seat with Ava in his lap. He’s half participating in their favorite bar game of tic-tac-toe while he chats with Carly. I swear those two have the hots for each other. I mean they already practically raise Ava as a couple without being a couple. Weird.
Everything seems so normal. Yet, I feel…distant. Like I’m watching all of this in a film instead of being a part of it.
“What’s eating you, kid?” Al asks as he leans over the bar to pour more martini into my glass. He drops two olives in there for good measure and stands back as he assesses me.
“I signed the contract,” I announce.
The space falls silent.
“Wait. What?” Drew asks. “When were you going to tell us this?” I cringe a little.
I had wanted to call him but he’s been so supportive of my fight against McDowell’s that I knew he’d talk me out of it and I really need this.
Fletch had made one change from our agreed-upon stipulations, a lien on my equipment for two years.
If the café goes belly up, he would be able to retain them for sale to pay off the money spent on covering my loan.
I admit I don’t love being tied to the McDowell’s any more than I already am, but it seemed fair and Winston didn’t have any major issues with that when we chatted.
I sigh as I take in everyone’s faces. Are they disappointed in me? “I just did it. Before coming up here. He had it couriered over this afternoon.”
“And you didn’t think to mention this to anyone here?” Margie asks. “Did you have a lawyer look it over?”
“Yes. Winston looked at it,” I say. My big brother is a lawyer for a nonprofit that rescues animals.
“Are dogs involved?” Drew asks, his voice laced with sarcasm.
I glare at him.
“I thought you’d all be happy. I’m going to be in the City Bake-Off competition. I’ll be on television. This is huge for Cam’s Café,” I explain.
“We thought you were going to bring McDowell’s down, not join with them,” Hutch states to a round of nods from my friends.
“Keep your enemies closer, right?” I say with a shrug.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Bray says with a look of concern. Shit. Now, I’m worried. Did I just make a deal with the devil himself? Possibly. But can I flip the script on him? Also possible.
“Listen. The new plan is to get close to Fletcher McDowell and then find his weak spot and exploit the hell out of it,” I explain.
“Like counterintelligence?” Kasen asks.
“Exactly. If I can learn more about what they plan to sell at this new place down the street, then I can change up things at the café in a way that hurts their bottom dollar. Plus, I got them to pay off my small business loan,” I say with a grin.
“No way,” Hutch says.
“Way,” I reply and he gives me a high five.
“OK, that’s one thing,” he says.
“Exactly. Now, I need to come up with a cookie, a cupcake, and a pie for this competition,” I say as I grab some chips from a bowl on the bar.
“Chocolate,” Ava says without looking up from where she’s making the tenth tic-tac-toe board on a napkin.
“Cookies?” I ask.
“All of them,” she says.
“S’mores,” Carly suggests.
“Oh, yeah. Mom’s right, s’mores,” Ava says, looking up this time to give me a big grin.
“I’ll consider that one. Any other brilliant idea?” I ask as I look around.
“Something with alcohol,” Cornelia says as she raises a glass of wine.
“Yeah, something with bourbon or whiskey,” Troy chimes in. And just like that, everyone is saying flavors from bubblegum to lingonberry. I type notes on my phone, hoping that one of these crazy flavors will lead to a brilliant idea because those strawberry margarita cookies were a hit.
By the time happy hour dies down, I’m feeling better and more confident in my decision.
“You know, Fletcher isn’t a horrible human,” Al says as he wipes the bar clean.
I laugh, which comes out more like a snort. “Right.”
He gives me a pointed look. “He’s not, Camryn. He’s a good kid. He lost his way for a bit, but he’s made up for lost time. He’s a decent young man. I think you both have a lot in common.”
This time I laugh harder. “Al, we have nothing in common aside from running competing businesses.”
He shakes his head. “You are both youngest siblings looking to prove yourselves. You are both stubborn. You both love your family. And you’re both very driven when you want something. But you also are both fiercely loyal and kind to those you love.”
I find all of those things very hard to believe, but I know Al won’t back down, so I just nod. “OK, Al.”
He walks around the bar and pats my knee. “I’m serious, Cam. Give the guy a chance. I think if you combined your talents, you’d be a force to be reckoned with. No one would be able to beat you at this competition.”
“I plan on winning it,” I state. With or without Fletcher McDowell.
“Good. I look forward to watching you do just that,” he says with a warm smile. “You’re a talented baker. I know you can win this.”
I hop off my stool and hug him. He pats my back. “Now, go figure out the winning recipes. I’m always here to try them out.”
I giggle and pull away. “And here I thought Ava would be my only taste tester.”
“The kid can’t have all the fun,” he says as we walk to the door. He turns while we’re on the stairs. “Just remember what I said. Fletch isn’t a bad guy.”
“OK,” I manage but inside I’m seriously doubting this. And why is Al pushing it? Fletcher probably puts on some show for family and friends. He seems like the type of person to manipulate people in that way.
I walk down to my apartment and find Drew sitting on the sofa, clearly just out of the shower. The man showers in two minutes flat, which is shocking considering how long he takes to do his hair. He literally just left the rooftop five minutes ago.
“So, what the hell, Cam?” he says, and I know I’m in trouble.
I sit across from him in my cozy chair and curl my legs beneath me.
“I’m sorry. I told you I was considering his offer.
I just didn’t see it till this afternoon and I sent it to Winston and then I…
signed it.” He gives me a knowing look. “Fine. I knew you’d try to talk me out of it and I wanted to make this decision all on my own. ”
“But why? You know I’m always here for you,” he says and I hate he sounds hurt.
“Because one, if something goes wrong, I don’t want to feel like it’s your fault for talking me into or out of something. And two, for once, I wanted to make a business decision all on my own. I love your advice. I cherish it, but this was something that I needed to do alone,” I try to explain.
I get up and walk over to him, plopping down on the sofa and leaning my head on his shoulder. “Please don’t be mad. I really need to take ownership of this all alone. It’s important to me that I did this. I made this decision,” I try again to put my thoughts into words.
“Promise me something,” he says.
I pause and wait for his request.
“If Fletcher so much as walks an inch out of line, you tell me. I will pummel his uppity ass, OK?” he says and I shake with laughter.
“Fine. That I can agree to,” I say as I hold out my hand and we do our secret handshake, the one we came up with while drinking together one night many years ago.
“Love ya, Drew. Thank you for always wanting the best for me,” I say because I do. This man has stuck with me through so many things. He’s my rock.
“Love you, too, you crazy beotch.” He pauses and I wonder if he’s going to keep laying into me, but instead, he says, “Now, let’s figure out these competition-winning flavors. We have a major corporation to take down.”
“Yes, let’s do that,” I agree as we begin going through the notes I took upstairs, looking for inspiration.
But as we discuss flavors, I keep thinking about what Al said.
There’s no way Fletcher can be a good guy.
He’s the villain in my story, right? A crazy, good-looking villain.
A villain that I might sleep with if I lost my good judgment. But a villain nonetheless.