Chapter 16 Cameron
Cameron
After I toss a hundred dollars worth of champagne down my throat (by the way, in Dom Perignon speak, that’s not very much) a gaggle of nurses comes over to Riley.
They want to congratulate her and throw a bachelorette and all the things girls do when they find out about a wedding.
They also poke fun, as my salty little nursing staff likes to do, warning her about me.
She just laughs and I let them have their moment.
For one, I need some fresh air. And some food.
I make my way to the grazing table and pile charcuterie meats and cheeses on a red plastic plate along with a healthy scoop of buffalo chicken dip.
As soon as I pop a chip full in my mouth, a hand claps on my shoulder.
I turn to see my brother standing behind me with a thin blonde I’ve never seen before next to him.
“Don’t start,” I say. “At least let me eat first.”
Josh lets out a haughty laugh and his date giggles on cue. “My grumpy older brother, always assuming the worst in me.”
“Give me reasonable evidence to assume different,” I say as I pop another spicy chicken chip in my mouth. I was so on edge all night I didn’t realize how hungry I was.
“Ginger and I came over to congratulate you on your engagement. Nothing else.”
I chew more slowly, studying my predictable younger brother with an untrusting eye. The way he said the word engagement alone tells me there is something else. And considering the situation, I know what that something is.
Suddenly, Riley appears next to me, grabbing a plate and loading it up as well.
“Hey you,” she says with rehearsed pleasantness.
“Hey beautiful,” I shoot back and it’s almost surprising how easily the words come from my mouth. Although, I’m not sure why. She is beautiful.
“Isn’t this just lovely,” Josh says and I square my shoulders. He gives her the once over and I know what he’s thinking. And if he’s stupid enough to say it, I’m going to shove my drink glass down his throat.
Riley smiles at him and looks at me.
“Oh, I’m sorry darling. How rude of me. Riley, this is my brother Josh.”
Riley blushes. She just popped a cheese loaded cracker in her mouth and she chews quickly before smiling and shaking his hand. “I’m sorry. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Josh says. “Though I have to say I’m surprised your engagement is the first I’m meeting you.”
“Well, like Cameron said, we have kind of kept our relationship a secret. You know, just to keep things professional.”
“Professional or legal?” he says and I nearly choke.
Riley swallows hard, looking up at me but Josh goes on.
“What I mean is…it’s been a long time since my brother here has been in love.
Or even been on a date for that matter? The last time was right after your divorce right, Cam?
Although if I remember right, that was more of a rebound hookup. ”
“Where are you going with this, brother?” I ask, my tone behind my smile icy.
“I’m not going anywhere with it. I’m just trying to figure out when this happened,” he motions between us. “It all seems so out of the blue. So…convenient.”
“That’s a lovely dress,” Ginger points out and Riley manages a smile, most likely thankful for the change of subject. She looks like she’s going to be sick.
“Thank you. I got it–”
Ginger cuts her off. “It really works for your figure.”
Riley stops. Her eyes sweep over Ginger’s skin tight red dress that looks more like a tube top, barely covering her ass. Or lack there of. “As does yours.”
“Funny you should say that,” Josh says. “That’s another thing that makes all of this so…interesting.”
I’m not throwing him the bone he’s looking to chomp. Unfortunately, Riley doesn’t know better.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Nothing at all,” Josh waves it off. “Just an observation.”
“Josh,” I warn him but Riley is getting riled up.
“What observation was that?” she asks.
“Just that…all of this is hard to buy, you know what I mean? A mystery date. A spur of the moment engagement. And to a woman who is…” he trails off. Then, “Not really his usual type.”
I’m going to level him. One more word and I am literally going to flatten him so deep into the floor, the cleaning crew is going to need a squeegee to scrape him off the tile. But Riley keeps going.
“And what type is that? Barbie dolls? Girls who nibble on celery sticks and maybe a cube of cheese before purging in the bathroom so they can zip up their latex party dress.”
Ginger stops sipping on her seltzer and looks at Riley, then Josh, then Riley. “Joshy, I think she’s talking about me.”
Josh and I speak at the same time. “She’s not my type,” “He’s not her type.”
Jesus.
I wipe my hand down my face and we all stand there for a moment while Ginger’s brain works to connect enough dots to piece the picture together.
“That’s fine. Plenty of doctors in the sea.
” Ginger tip toes off and I shake my head.
She has to walk like that because her heels are too pointy and her dress is too tight.
“She would know. Every one of them has rebuilt some part of her body,” Riley mutters. With that, she walks off too, heading out the door that leads to the hotel roof top.
“This isn’t over,” I point at Josh before turning to follow Riley.
“Maybe not. But I’ll definitely be curious to see how it ends.”
I ignore his last comment and rush out the door, hiking up the stairs in search of Riley.
“Hey!” I call out, finding her near the railing, staring out at the city. “Sorry about that, I should have prefaced all of this with my brother is an asshole,”
Riley offers a light laugh but when I look over at her I see tears in her eyes.
“Hey. Are you alright?” I ask.
“Oh sure,” she brushes it off. “Nothing on it. I’m used to comments like that.”
“Comments like what?” I ask.
“About the dress. About the food in my hand. About my body…”
With that, I feel heat rising inside me. It’s not that I didn’t notice the jabs but the fact my brother and his shallow dates' low blows actually upset her enough to make her cry has me reeling.
“Fuck them, seriously. Riley you can’t possibly listen to things like that,” I say and she turns to face me. She is still smiling and still crying and it’s easily the prettiest, most tragic thing I’ve ever seen.
“Can I not? I mean, I’ve heard comments like that my whole life. But water off a duck’s back, right? I guess after so many years of having water dumped down your back it starts to saturate a little, you know?”
Riley goes to turn away, to look back out over the city but I grab her, pulling her against me.
“Listen to me,” I tell her, forcing her to look up at me. “You are beautiful.”
Riley tries to look away. She rolls her eyes, a defense mechanism I am sure she has always had to have. But right now, it’s not going to work because I want her to hear what I am saying. Not just that, I want her to believe it.
“You are always beautiful whether you’re wearing sweats or Halloween costumes or jeans or stunning dresses. And that is the only word to describe the way you look right now, Riley. Stunning.”
“You have to say that,” she says as she shrugs me off.
“Why do I have to say that?” I ask, getting a little irritated, not necessarily with her but with the whole situation.
“Because I’m your girlfriend. Your fiancé,” she puts the last word in airquotes and my brow stitches together.
“I don’t have to say shit. And certainly don’t have to do shit. I mean maybe in there I do because, yeah, we are trying to convince people we are a thing. But out here? I don’t have to lie. Not to you, not to myself. Nobody. And I also don’t have to do this–”
I grab her again, holding her against me before she can have any kind of say in the matter and I kiss her.
Hard. Hard enough to make her gasp and to steal away my own breath.
The kiss goes deeper on its own and I let in, my tongue parting her lips, my teeth nibbling her bottom lip gently, our tongues finding each other, teasing each other.
My jaw unhinges just enough to allow the kiss to go deeper still and Riley slips an arm around me, her hands on my ribs, clutching my abs when suddenly she pulls back.
“What is it?” I ask. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No…I…I just got this crazy overwhelming sense of deja vu.”
I kind of smile at that. It’s a weird thing to say. It’s also mildly offensive. “You mean you’ve been kissed like that before?” I ask, kidding but not.
“No. I mean yes. Maybe? God I don’t know. I sound crazy.”
“Well. If someone has in fact kissed you like that before then I guess I’ll just have to one up them…” I pull her again again, my mouth crashing into hers. This time my hands get lost in her hair, around her curves, exploring her without trespassing anywhere too off limits.
Suddenly, the door opens and I can hear Trevyn before I see him.
“There you two are! Gettin’ it on on the rooftop. I like it. But listen…I can’t hold the people back any longer. And what the people want is shots.”
“So do shots,” I say, wanting him to get lost. Riley has already put several feet of painful space between us and I swear I’m going to punch Trevyn in the face.
“They want to do shots with YOU brother. You’re engaged!
It’s time to celebrate. There will be plenty of time to ‘party’ later if you know what I’m sayin?
” He laughs while wrapping an arm around my shoulders and yanking me through the door.
I look back over my shoulder at Riley apologetically but she just smiles and waves and I’m suddenly frustrated with her too.
This woman is going to be the death of me. Till death do us part.
“Listen,” Trevyn says in a completely serious tone the moment the door clamors shut behind us. “You’re going to tell me everything. The whole story.”
“Wasn’t that what my speech was for? Or were you too busy flirting with the new red headed nurse to pay attention?”
But Trevyn isn’t laughing. He’s not even smiling.
“I want to know the real story.”
Shit.