Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Fletch
“There’s no way it’s all fitting in there,” Cam says.
“That’s what she said!” Drew yells from the other room.
“Well, it has to go somewhere,” I state as I look at the closet.
It’s a walk-in but it’s probably a quarter of the size of my walk-in closet.
I still can’t believe I sold my condo. I have half thought about kicking the residents out of the apartments over Cam’s Café, but the legality of doing it is a nightmare and Cam has repeatedly said if I do that, we are over.
Yet right now, it sounds tempting.
“Don’t even think about it,” she says as she stares at me.
“I mean, we could turn one whole apartment into a giant closet,” I point out.
I still have most of my things in storage.
I know this living situation isn’t going to be permanent, but for now, I have to figure out how it will work.
Cam has told me there is no way she’s moving and there’s no way I’m ending leases early across the street.
Eventually, I have plans for a two-floor condo above our café, complete with rooftop deck.
She puts her hands on her hips and glares at me. I laugh and pull her to me, kissing the tip of her nose.
“I’m kidding,” I state.
She leans against me and puts her head in the crook of my neck. I hold her tightly.
“Ewww! Get a room,” Drew calls out from the hallway.
“We are already in a room,” Cam retorts.
“OK, I mean, that’s fair,” he replies and then pops his head in the doorway. “I have news, by the way.”
Cam peels her head from my neck and looks over at him. “What’s that?”
“Come to happy hour. I want to tell everyone together,” he says.
She frowns and looks up at me. “What’s going on?” she asks as she steps out of my embrace and toward Drew.
“It’s all good. I just have happy news,” he announces.
“Don’t I get bestie intel first?” she pouts, pushing out her bottom lip.
“You sort of won’t be surprised about it. We’ve spoken about it, generally,” he teases.
“I hate you,” she grumbles.
“Love you too, pookie bear,” he says making an air kiss.
Cam rolls her eyes. “You two are driving me insane. I’m going to go check on the café. I’ll meet you at happy hour.”
We just finished the rest of the construction work and plan to reopen on Monday. In the meantime, I bought us a small food truck that we’ve been serving coffee and a few pastries from out front. I didn’t want Cam to lose any customers during our construction project.
“You want me to come with you?” I ask.
“No. I got it. Just want to make sure Hugh set up the new oven how I want. I’ll be up in ten minutes,” she assures me.
I watch as she goes and then I turn to Drew. “What’s the news?”
He shrugs. “Just some love life updates.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Please tell me you aren’t having someone move in here.”
He laughs. “Hell no. Three’s company and four would be a disaster.”
I chuckle. “OK. Glad we are on the same page about that.”
“Completely. Now, let’s get up to happy hour. I hear we have guests tonight,” Drew says, and I groan. Al had promised to invite my family to happy hour last week. I pretended that was a great idea, but I have a sneaking suspicion he believed me.
I follow Drew upstairs and sure enough. My brothers are at the bar. Al has the heat lamps on and the fire pit going where Ava, Carly, and Bray are roasting marshmallows.
Everyone else is clustered around the bar and a table. There are pizzas stacked to the one side. My parents are chatting with Jessa, Troy, Margie, and Cornelia, while Hutch, Kasen, Piper, Gray, Jocelyn, and Roxy are at the bar.
“Usual?” Al calls out to us.
“Yes, please,” we say in unison.
“Where’s your better half?” Spencer asks.
“Checking on the new ovens,” I explain as I lean against the bar.
“And then I had Kasen run it through more software but I can’t tell anything and neither can he,” Hutch says to Jocelyn.
“You know, you could just find another hobby,” she replies as she leans closer to him. I can’t help wondering if something is going on between those two. Then my eyes drift back to the fire pit. The fact that Carly and Bray aren’t together is more baffling.
“But why? I’m devoted to this until I solve the mystery,” he declares.
Everyone groans and my brothers give me a look that says they have no idea what the hell we’re talking about.
I shake my head at them and mouth, “You don’t want to know.”
They shrug and go back to a conversation with Gray about a score he recently composed for a film. I’m about to ask Al if he can make Cam’s drink when I feel arms wrap around my waist from behind.
I take the hand on my abdomen and bring it to my lips, kissing the back of it.
“Usual, Cam?” Al asks.
“Yep. Thanks, Al,” she replies as I tug her around to my front. “Hey,” she says softly once she’s in front of me.
“Hey,” I reply as I gaze into her eyes. I’m not sure how my life ended up changing so drastically these past few months, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’m in charge of my own company. I’m doing something I love that doesn’t involve cutthroat business decisions.
I get to work with my girlfriend who I am head over heels in love with.
And I somehow got an entire new group of friends.
And unlike the friends I had when I was younger, these friends like me for who I am, not how much money I have.
“What?” she says as she looks up at me.
“Just happy,” I admit.
She grins at me. “Me too,” she whispers.
There’s a clinking of a glass and everyone turns to see Drew holding up his drink. “I have an announcement,” he says.
A quiet descends upon us.
“Are you getting a new bubble kit?” Ava yells from the fire pit where she’s holding up a marshmallow.
Cam nearly chokes on her drink, and I pat her back.
“Nope. But I might need to get one,” Drew replies. Cam coughs some more and several other people laugh. Clearly there’s an inside joke here.
“What’s so funny?” I whisper in her ear.
“We use bubble blowing as a term for something else and Ava obviously doesn’t get it,” she whispers back.
I grin and nod my understanding as we both turn back toward Drew.
“Vito and I have been talking and we’re giving it another go. I’m heading over to Rome for a few weeks to see how it works out,” he says.
“Wait, what?” Cam says as she steps away from me and toward Drew.
“I just want to spend a month there and see. Maybe we still have a spark and maybe we don’t, you know?” he says.
She wraps her arms around his middle, and he hugs her back with one arm while his other holds his drink.
“I’m going to miss you,” she groans.
“I’ll miss you too, but we can video-chat every day. Heck, if you all need a break, you can come visit me,” he insists.
“Wow, I can’t believe you’re doing it. I hope it goes well,” she replies, pulling away from him and leaning back against me. I wrap my arm around her middle.
“I’m sure we’ll find something to do while he’s gone,” I tease her. She elbows me.
But secretly, I’m excited for some alone time. Things have been so crazy that we’ve hardly had a break the last few weeks.
“Oh, and cheers to our new movie stars,” Drew adds as he motions to the two of us.
Cam blushes and bats her hand at him. “It’s just a little competition show.”
“Little!” Roxy says. “It’s all everyone is talking about. The media loves that you two ended up together. It’s so romantic!”
I groan and Cam laughs. “Who would have thought?” she says.
“Who would have thought,” I repeat.
“Cheers, beotches,” Drew says and we all clink glasses.
“Mr. Drew! That’s a bad word!” Ava yells.
“Thanks, Ava. I’ll remember that,” he replies as he drops a quarter in a jar on the bar that says, Ava’s Swear Jar.
“What does the money go toward?” I ask Cam.
Cam giggles. “Ava wants a commercial bubble blower for the rooftop.”
I press my lips together trying to fight my smile. “Oh,” I manage. I see Roxy leaning in to explain what bubble blowing means to my brothers whose lips both start twitching into a smile.
Cam doubles over with laughter, and pretty soon everyone around us is laughing too.
“What’s so funny?” Ava asks as she runs over to us with marshmallow all over her lips.
Drew is now in hysterics. “N-nothing,” he manages as he wipes tears from his eyes.
“Whatever. Mr. Al, can I have another Shirley Temple?” she asks.
“Coming up, kiddo,” Al replies.
I look around us, and for the first time in my life, I feel complete. I’m not sure when I built such a great life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Cam and I have everything we need right here on this deck.