Caught in the Middle (Romantic Getaway Series)

Chapter 1

Cam Wright switched lanes before he missed his turn. With all of the road construction, he had been doing well to make it on time this week, especially since he wasn’t familiar with Dallas. He’d been here all week for leadership training and with tomorrow being Friday and his last day, he was ready to get back to the hotel and relax.

It wasn’t that the week’s meetings and speakers had been exhausting or boring, but he”d been persuaded into taking a more active role than just an attendant. Normally, he could show up to one of these, see colleagues from other locations, and catch up while bringing back solid information to apply at his office in St. Louis. However, his center had been making waves with the new systems the company rolled out last year, and his team in particular had been catching the notice of the bigwigs.

The nice part about his job was that it didn’t go unnoticed when an employee worked hard and produced. The downside of that meant he was roped into being one of the speakers without more than a day’s heads up and he had to find an innovative way to explain what he was doing to hit numbers. That was the exhausting part. It didn’t help that in the world of telecommunications, things were always changing too. His motto was to be adaptable while finding ways to stay proactive instead of reactive. He’d done his best to explain that in a way that didn’t put his colleagues to sleep.

As Cam recognized where he was, he could feel the tension of the day begin to fade away. Soon, he’d be back at the hotel, could change into something more casual, and decide what he wanted to do for dinner. As his destination came into view, his phone sounded over the rental car’s speaker.

“You off work already?” he asked by way of greeting.

Nate chuckled. “Yeah, I promised Katie I’d stop micromanaging and learn to call it a day.”

Cam smiled. Nate Winslow had become one of his good friends over the past six months. He’d ended up falling for one of Cam’s best friends from college, Katie Johnson, who had always been like a sister to him. They were both driven with the kind of work ethic that made the people around them seem lazy in comparison. Katie had been on Nate about keeping a healthy workload and work-life balance, which was comical considering she gave him a run for his money in that department. Still, as the owner of several restaurants spread over different cities and states, Nate was having to learn to delegate more and trust his instincts since he couldn’t be everywhere at once.

Cam had been skeptical of Nate at first, mainly due to Katie’s last boyfriend having been a worthless ass. But it didn’t take them long to hit it off, and now they’d grown as close as any of his other friends.

“Did she give you a speech before or after she made an excuse as to why she would be working late?” Katie was in the marketing industry, and the hotel she worked for, which also housed one of Nate’s restaurants, was working on expanding and she had been delivering on her promise to grow their business and revenue to make that happen.

“I think the only person who can guarantee that she’ll be out of there at a said time is Slone, and that’s only if she’s promising a dinner.” Nate heard Cam’s laugh and echoed it.

Their entire friend group loved Slone’s cooking. She was another one of Cam’s best friends from college, who married Nate’s best friend, Derek, a famous actor who gave up his spotlight to be a podcaster. It was at Derek and Slone’s wedding anniversary celebration last winter that Nate met and fell for Katie. Hard. Now they all felt like one big family.

“Just wait until Slone’s due date, and we’ll really see Katie rush out of the office.” Slone and Derek were expecting, the first of their friends to start a family and they were all excited for them. They’d just shared the news a couple of weeks ago as they entered their second trimester.

“She’s already been buying baby stuff and gushing about being the best auntie this world has ever seen. I’m drowning in baby supplies as it piles up around the apartment.” Nate laughed. “I had to check and make sure she remembered it was Slone and Derek who are pregnant and not us.”

Cam cracked up as he could imagine it just as Nate described. He pulled into his hotel, getting in line behind a couple other cars waiting for valet. “Wait until it’s your turn. This is probably a fraction of what it’ll be like.” Nate and Katie hadn’t begun talking of kids or anything, but he had no doubt they were a couple that was going to last.

“Shit. I hate to admit it, but I think I’ll be just as bad at that point,” Nate said.

A small pang hit Cam unexpectedly. He was happy for his friends, all of them, but there was still that small part of him that looked forward to finding happiness with his person down the road. They’d deemed him the romantic one ever since college, and he had nothing against the label, but it sure never helped him find the right woman.

Thankfully, Nate interrupted his thoughts. “What are you going to do tonight?”

“Probably throw on shorts and order room service.”

Nate grunted. “Have you done anything exciting since being there?”

“No?” It sounded like a question. What was he supposed to do? It was a work trip, nothing else. Sure, he’d had a few drinks with some of the guys he hadn’t seen since the last conference, but that was about as exciting as one of these things got.

“Man, you gotta get out and go explore or something.”

“Explore what?”

“Anything. It’s Dallas. You’re somewhere else. There’s got to be something fun to do besides hang out in your hotel room.”

Cam thought about it as the valet approached him and he grabbed his work bag to get out. “I don’t know. There’s not much I want to do, I guess. Besides, I’ll be back this weekend and then I can pester all of you if I feel up to anything.”

“Nah. You need some adventure. At least go rock climbing or something.” As Nate continued, Cam entered the hotel and headed for the elevator.

“I’ll see what I get up to,” Cam replied, brushing off the suggestion.

“Go have some fun before we’re all wifed up with kids and you’re our only babysitter for a parents’ night out.” Nate laughed and Cam smiled realizing how his tone had sounded more hopeful than dreadful at the thought.

“Yeah, yeah,” he responded. “I’m back at the hotel though. I’m sure I’ll holler at you when I get back this weekend or pop by.”

“Sounds good, man. Go have fun.”

“Later.” Cam hung up the phone as he stepped onto the elevator. Sure, he could probably use something exciting in his life, especially considering Nate had a point. He only had one other single friend still, and he was already noticing the decline in guys’ nights. They still got together for game nights and dinners or basketball at the park occasionally, so it wasn’t all bad.

Yet there was still that part of him that hoped to find what his friends had found. Maybe Nate’s nonsense about finding something exciting to do tonight wasn’t too bad of advice. His friends didn’t meet their partners by staying at home or sitting by themselves in their hotel rooms. Maybe he did need an adventure. He just didn’t know what kind.

As the elevator opened and he turned to go down the hall, the scene at the end of it caught his attention and evaporated all thoughts of adventure.

A man was banging on the door across from his, shouting all sorts of outrage and insults, which only made it all the more absurd considering he had on nothing but a pair of briefs, one sock, and what looked to be a bunched-up shirt tucked under his arm.

As Cam approached he caught part of the yelling more clearly. “At least give me my other sock, you psycho,” he shouted through the door. Cam began to avert his gaze until he noticed the door part long enough for a woman to chuck a sock out.

As the door slammed shut, the man began his wrath again. While pounding with his fist, he started yelling about his shoes and pants. Cam did his best to keep a straight face as he moved closer, stopping behind him to open his door.

The guy paused long enough to look over. “Sorry for the nuisance. Hopefully, I’ll be gone soon,” then he raised his voice as to be heard through the door he was beating. “I just need this crazy woman to give me back the rest of my clothes,” he shouted.

Cam only dipped his head in acknowledgment. He wanted no part in whatever was happening behind him. He opened his door and stepped inside, but as he began to shut it, he turned at the sound of the door across the hall opening and a feminine response slicing through the air with an icy snap.

“Take your shit and get the hell out of here. Maybe next time don’t act like you’re in some ridiculous movie trying to step out of your clothes all over the damn place.” She threw two shoes, pants, and who knows what else at the man, who only mumbled as he dipped to grab it all and jet down the hallway not even bothering to turn around.

Cam was still paused with his door half open, taking it all in. Part of him wondered when the man planned on putting his clothes back on, the other part was suddenly thankful for his boring night.

Then a voice that could soothe the worst of migraines filled the hall and regained his attention.

“Sorry about that,” the woman across from him said with a slight shrug of her shoulder. Without his view obstructed by a pissed-off, half-naked fool and clothes flying through the air, he could finally see her. Dark hair that made him think of staring up at the stars, eyes like melted chocolate, and fully clothed compared to the man she just kicked out.

Cam nodded. “No worries.”

She gave him a small smile. “I promise, no more disturbances. Have a good night.”

Her voice was sweet and tranquilizing, her smile genuine. The total opposite of whatever had just taken place. She was a puzzle, Cam thought. One very intriguing puzzle.

“You too,” he replied before shutting the door to his room while a new thought took root.