Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
SAVANNAH
Calliope’s Column
It’s Not Him, It’s You (Kind Of)
Rule Number 5: Don’t Be Clingy. Jealousy Is Unattractive. (Or Is It hot?)
I thought I had the title for my next column. Figured I knew precisely how tonight would go. Showing up at a Christmas party and acting jealous when a man talks to a beautiful coworker is the reddest of flags. A guaranteed way to send a guy running.
So why the fuck is Camden Snow pulling me closer? Why is he smiling when he says the word girlfriend like my claiming of that title when we very obviously are not at that stage yet is the best thing in the world?
“It’s nice to meet you,” the blond who was just hitting on Cam says to me.
The annoying thing is, she seems to mean it. The woman stepped back the moment I grabbed Cam, aggressively I admit, and gave us space while we played tonsil hockey. And now she’s smiling at me sweetly.
“You as well. You must love traveling all over the country and capturing images of all those beautiful men in action.” I let a sly smile curve my lips at that last part.
She tips her head back and lets out a loud laugh. “Sometimes I catch the type of action I shouldn’t,” she agrees, catching my innuendo, “but they’re all good guys. So yeah, I do love my job. What do you do?”
“I work for Jolie. I’m a junior editor there.”
She lights up. “Oh my god. I can’t even imagine how incredible it would be to work for Catherine Bouvier.” She says Cat’s name the way we all do, with complete reverence. Even at nearly sixty, the woman is a fashion icon. And honestly, she doesn’t look a day over forty-five. She’s timeless.
“It is pretty awesome.”
“The Calliope articles are my favorite. The most recent ones are killing me. Did you see how she’s dating guys and—”
“Ah, yeah. They’re the best,” I say, my heart lurching.
“I know the woman who used to write the Calliope articles,” Camden says. “The original Calliope.”
My breath catches. “Really?”
He nods. “Yup. The whole team used to read them.” He laughs, genuine humor dancing in his eyes. “I haven’t kept up since she sold the rights years ago. Maybe I’ll have to check them out.”
I shake my head, going for blasé, hoping like hell I can stop him from even bothering. “They’re sex columns. Nothing you don’t know about already.”
He smirks like he thinks I’m being possessive again.
Like I’m pointing out that of course I know about his sex life because I’m his girlfriend and we have sex.
But I’m not actually saying this for Erica’s benefit.
I’m saying it because if he reads the articles, there’s a good chance he’ll realize that I’m Calliope and he’s the man I’m trying to drive crazy enough to dump me.
Erica clears her throat, doing a poor job of hiding a grimace, and changes the subject.
“I was just telling Cam how pretty it is tonight and how I wish I’d brought my camera.
” She pulls out her cell phone. “But I’m going to get some shots with this.
It was nice meeting you, Savannah. Hopefully I’ll see you again. ”
Cam nods. “You will.” Then he presses a kiss to the side of my head.
Thrown off by his reaction, I can only nod and smile as she wanders off.
Shit, now that we’re alone, how am I supposed to act?
“Want to grab a drink?” he asks, his tone totally relaxed.
“You’re not mad?” I study him, searching for a reaction beneath his easy facade. Some hidden thought or perhaps an internal freak out that I’m missing.
He smirks. “That you got jealous and claimed me?”
Cringing, I nod a little.
“Wouldn’t that be a little hypocritical, considering how I acted when I saw you with Theo James?”
I shrug, a little of the tension easing from my chest. He’s got a point. Still, he didn’t call me his girlfriend that night.
“Baby girl,” he husks, dipping his head so I can’t look away. “The title isn’t exactly the one I want to give you, but it’ll do for now.”
Frowning, I roll the words over in my head. What does he mean by that?
He chuckles like he knows I’m lost and presses another kiss to my lips. “Come on, I want to get my girl hot chocolate and then win her a teddy bear.”
Off-kilter, I accept his hand and allow him to pull me through the crowd.
Around us snow falls from the “sky.” Lang Field is one of very few baseball stadiums with a retractable roof so it can be enclosed in the winter and on rainy days.
The designer of the event worked some kind of magic and made the ceiling look like a night sky filled with stars and falling snow.
It doesn’t even feel like a baseball field.
We walk down the “cobblestone street” toward a stand selling a variety of drinks, and as Cam steps up to order hot chocolate, I dig my buzzing phone out of my pocket.
Addie: Sav, where’d you disappear to?
Josie: I literally turned away for one second, and you were gone!
Me: Shit, sorry. I saw Cam with another woman, and I don’t know what came over me.
I can’t explain the emotion that hit me when I saw the two of them.
My stomach twisted into a painful knot, and then my legs were moving.
I’d like to say it was because of the article.
That I saw an opportunity to push the envelope.
But I can’t lie to myself. For the first time in my life, I was overtaken by jealousy over a man.
It felt like if I didn’t do something in that moment, I’d miss out on something wonderful.
A quick glance at Camden only reiterates that sensation.
And when he catches me staring and winks, my stomach flips in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced either.
Addie: You like him. That’s what came over you.
Me: It’s for the article. I told you my plan for tonight.
Josie: And how’s that going for you? Did he freak out when he saw you? Ask why you would show up to his work function uninvited?
Um, no. I’m pretty sure he was about to invite me himself fifteen minutes before I spotted him. I’m in over my damn head.
I should probably text Sutton.
No. With a shake of my head, I push that thought out of my mind and refocus.
Me: No. He kissed me and told me he’s happy I’m here. We’re getting hot chocolate and then he’s gonna win a teddy bear for me.
Addie: Okay, why is that the cutest thing I’ve ever heard?
Josie: Sutton is so going to win this bet.
Me: She can’t, because that would mean I won’t have an article to write, which means I lose my job.
My heart pounds as I type out the words.
I’m so fucked. What am I thinking, falling for a bachelor like Camden Snow?
This is just a fling for him. Probably his usual MO.
I’m hot, sure. That’s what he sees in me.
He’s the type of guy who has stripper poles in his basement and throws erotic holiday parties.
He’s not the guy a woman throws her career away for.
No man is.
And I’m not stupid enough to put a man ahead of my career.
Internal pep talk completed, I remind myself of the details of the plan that I laid out for the girls earlier. Then I lean into Camden, head tipped back, and smile sweetly. “You’re really gonna win me a teddy bear?”
The smile he gives me in return makes the skin around his eyes crinkle. “Yeah, baby. Let’s go get you a prize.”
It’s completely ridiculous how quickly he wins three items. He’s good at every game he tries.
When he beats the first game, I select a bear as my prize.
Then when he spots the Burberry scarves displayed with another grouping of prizes—seriously, what is wrong with the Langfields?
Freaking Burberry scarves as carnival prizes? —he wins two.
When I notice the Burberry baby outfit hanging near them, I point it out. The opportunity is too perfect to pass up. “Aw, look how cute that baby outfit is.”
Camden presses his tongue to his cheek, eyeing the prize.
I hold my breath and wait for it. Wait for the look of horror. Wait for his muscles to lock up. For the distance between us to grow. For the look that says where are you going with this? The one that confirms that I seem to be way ahead of him in this relationship timeline.
Instead, he breaks into a genuine smile. “Matches our scarves. Should I win it?”
The breath I’m holding escapes in a wheeze. “For our future child?” I ask slowly.
Holy fuck. Camden Snow, where the hell are you going with this?
Chuckling, he pulls me into his chest and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Maybe one day, but for now, let’s put it on the bear.”
I breathe out and relax against him. I kind of hate myself for the way I don’t hate how he said maybe one day. How I now realize I was holding my breath because I was worried he’d say No, obviously not for a future child. What the fuck, Savannah? What is wrong with you?
That would have been a reasonable reaction, though, right? Men freak out when women talk about their future shared babies before the official first date, right? That’s how this is supposed to go.
And yet…I’m glad he didn’t.
I need to get a grip.
As Cam steps up to the counter, I take a step back and survey him. Damn, he looks good. Dark jeans that hug his ass and thighs. A sweater that’s just tight enough to show off his biceps.
He throws three balls, getting three strikes in a row. Then he tells the attendant we’ll take the Burberry baby outfit.
“Got a baby at home?” the guy asks.
Cam glances at me, his brows arched. “Not yet.” Then he hands me the outfit. “You gonna put it on the bear now?”
The attendant watches him with wide eyes, no doubt thinking that Camden Snow has lost his fucking mind.
Okay. So I’m not the only one confused by this. Good, good.
“Uh, sure,” I hedge. “We should probably name him, huh? Since he’s our first baby?” I don’t know how I manage a straight face as I force the words out.
Lips twitching, Camden guides me away from the stand.
“Should we name him after Daddy?” I push, going from slightly deranged to full-on delulu. The second the words are out, I’m back to holding my breath.
Waiting for him to finally snap. To find a polite way to send me on my way.
Then, when he’s finally dumped me, I can write this article and move on with my life.
When he opens his mouth and an unintelligible sound comes out, my stomach free-falls and I clutch his shirt, tugging him closer, and force a laugh. “I’m just kidding,” I get out quickly, shaking my head. I don’t want him to dump me. I’m not ready for this to be over.
Shit. Fuck. I like him for real. Oh, dammit. What the hell, Savannah?
For the first time tonight, Camden looks at me with confusion in his expression. Like now he thinks I’m being ridiculous. He cups my face and brushes a soothing thumb over my cheek. “No, I kinda like it. Snow Bear? Has a nice ring to it.”
“Uh, yeah—”
My words are cut off when he presses his lips to mine.
Snow Bear?
What the hell, Camden Snow?
He pulls back and laces his fingers with mine. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s take Snow for his first ride on the Ferris wheel.”