Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
MADDY
Cam
I wish you were here. Being on the road is never any fun without you.
Me
Tyler being annoying again?
Cam
You have no idea. He burst into my room with his laptop and insisted on watching How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days for the millionth time. And, like, I love a romcom, but we’ve watched that one so much I can practically recite the dialogue by heart.
Me
He’s always had a thing for Kate Hudson. Also, weirdly, Meg Ryan.
Cam
Oh, I know. Before his current obsession with How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, it was You’ve Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally on repeat.
Me
Well, you can never go wrong with Nora Ephron and New York City in the fall. They’re my favorites too.
Cam
You really can’t.
Also, hi. I miss you. I wish you were here.
Me
And what would you do with me if I was there?
Cam
For sure I would sneak you into my room so we could recreate our night of hotel room debauchery. I need to kiss you right now more than I need to breathe.
Me
I die, Cameron.
Hot single dad, collects candles, can rock a face mask, a freaking god in bed, and a swoony texter. How did no one snap you up before now? For sure some have tried.
Cam
Maybe, but it never worked.
Me
Why not?
Cam
Because none of them were you.
Me
I’m literally fanning my face right now, and it’s not because Celine is belting “My Heart Will Go On” and I’m standing over the stove trying to make my sugar caramelize properly.
Cam
Ah, yes, the famous Thanksgiving caramel sauce. How’s it going?
Me
Well, like I told you, I always burn the first batch because I’m easily distracted. It’s the first pancake phenomenon, you know?
Cam
In fact, I don’t know.
Me
It’s how the first pancake in a batch is always terrible because the griddle isn’t hot enough, or the batter is the wrong consistency, or a million other reasons.
Pretty much everything I bake suffers from the first pancake phenomenon, mainly because I’m easily distracted, so I’m just waiting for this one to burn so I can start the second batch, which is the one I always get right.
Cam
Why not just stand by the stove so you can make sure it doesn’t burn?
Me
Because then it wouldn’t be tradition. Keep up, Cameron.
I wish you were here. I bet we could have some serious fun with this caramel sauce.
Cam
Are you seriously teasing me with caramel sauce sex right now?
I have to have Thanksgiving dinner at lunch time with a bunch of dudes in a hotel ballroom and then play a football game instead of being with you and my kids tomorrow, and now all I’ll be thinking about is licking caramel sauce off your tits.
Me
What can I say? There are worse things to think about. I have fantastic tits.
Cam
No argument there. Maybe you should send me a picture of them. You know, as a reminder.
Me
I’ll do you one better.
[pic of Maddy wearing Cam’s T-shirt and nothing else]
Cam
Fuuuuuuck.
Holy fucking shit, Maddy.
I have to be downstairs in fifteen minutes and my dick is hard as a damn rock.
Please tell me you don’t have anything on under that T-shirt.
Me
I definitely don’t have anything on under this T-shirt.
Cam
I kind of hate Brian for giving you the game off for Thanksgiving. I want to strip that T-shirt off you and bend you over my hotel bed.
Me
Well, now I want that too.
Okay, we need a subject change before I combust.
What do your kids do for Thanksgiving when you have a game? Are they with your mom?
Cam
Funny you should ask, actually.
Me
And why is that?
Cam
Because my mom woke up this morning with a stomach virus, and when I mentioned it to Tyler, he called Brian, and twenty minutes later, Liv picked up Ry and Ethan and brought them to her house until I’m back from Dallas.
Me
Oh my god, are they coming to my grandparents’ house? That’s where we all have Thanksgiving dinner. Brian and Liv too.
Cam
Yep.
Me
This is so awesome. I found an old hockey jersey of my dad’s I’ve been meaning to give you for Ethan, and Riley texted me yesterday that there was hot play gossip, so now I can do all that in person.
Cam
It’s not weird for you that my kids are invading your Thanksgiving dinner?
Me
Why would that be weird?
Cam
Because we’re brand new and having Thanksgiving dinner with my kids is the opposite of fun and casual.
Me
I mean, we’re definitely having fun, but I think what we’re doing is actually the literal opposite of casual.
Cam
Yeah?
Me
Definitely yeah. I mean, I’m kind of crazy about you.
Cam
I think that’s my line.
Me
I like to think we can be crazy about each other.
Cam
I like that too.
Me
Listen, we’re fully a thing, Cam. Just because we have to be all secret and stuff now doesn’t make that any less true.
And Riley and Ethan are yours, which means they belong to my entire family now, even if my family doesn’t quite know it yet.
That’s just how the greater Wright/Parker/Sullivan/Hansley/Simpson family works. Has been for years.
Besides, your kids are cool as shit.
Cam
They are, aren’t they?
Me
Fuck yeah, they are.
Cam
I have to go see the trainer in a minute, but I fucking miss you.
Me
I miss you right back.
Talk later?
But, like, maybe the naked kind of talking?
Cam
Will you bring the caramel sauce?
Me
I don’t know…it’ll be kind of sticky without you there to lick it off me.
Cam
*groans*
Now I’m extra hard, and that’s going to cause some awkward moments with the trainer.
Me
Sounds like you need to focus, Cameron.
[pic of Maddy bent over the kitchen table with the T-shirt pulled up over her ass]
Cam
You mean focus like this?
[video of Cam coming all over his hand]
Me
*pants and dives for vibrator*
I can’t wait to see your face later.
Cam
Seeing your face is the best part of every single one of my days.
Later, Wildcat.
Me
Sorry, Maddy can’t come to the phone right now. She has expired at the intersection of scorching hot and achingly sweet.
God fucking dammit. I burned the caramel sauce because I was distracted by your dick in your hand.
Cam
So glad I could help keep the tradition alive.
Me
Thank you for your service.
Me
Why did a giant box of Frosted Flakes, a gallon of milk, iced coffee, and a note that says I miss your face just get delivered to my door?
Cam
I thought you might need sustenance to tackle your second batch of caramel. Besides, when I’m not there to give you breakfast in person, I still like to make sure you’re eating.
Me
Seriously, there’s no way you can be real. You have to have a flaw. Do you kick puppies? Not believe in a woman’s right to choose? Think Shonda Rimes is bad at making TV?
Cam
I love puppies. I would have, like, ten dogs if I didn’t travel so damn much.
People—men especially—who don’t believe women should be making decisions about their own bodies are the worst kinds of human.
And Meredith Grey, Annalise Keating, and Olivia Pope are three of the best characters in all of TV history.
Me
Oh, my fucking god.
I think you might literally be the perfect man.
Cam
Perfect for you.
Me
Cameron.
I just had to sit down on the floor.
Cam
Why the floor?
Me
The chairs were too far away and I melted into a puddle.
Why are you not here right now? You can’t say things like that to me and then be away for another 36 hours.
Cam
In 36 hours, I’m coming straight to your house.
Wait, maybe longer than that. We’re landing in the middle of the night.
Me
I literally do not care what time it is. You will drive your fine ass right over to my house where I will take terrible advantage of you.
Cam
Promise?
Me
One hundred percent I do.
Cam
Well then, I’m counting the minutes.
2160 to go.
Riley
MADDY.
We’re coming to your grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving!
Me
I heard! I can’t wait to see you guys.
Bring your gossip. I need to know everything, like, yesterday.
Riley
Oh, it’s on. Hoard the M&M’s. We’re going to need them.
Me
Consider it done. I’m bringing seven flavors.