Chapter 6
“How’d the two of you meet?” Lauren asked after everyone settled in around the table.
Lying had never been Cam’s strong suit. Sure, he told a white lie now and again like the next person, but nothing so intricate as pretending to date a stranger while his boss sat across from him.
“Through social media, actually,” Emma said, trying to rack her brain for any details Cam had mentioned last night.
He cringed inwardly. Social media? He’d never been the type to slide into someone’s DMs. “At first, I ignored her messages, thinking she was probably a spam account or hitting everyone up.” He stifled his grunt when she stomped his foot under the table.
“What?” Lauren’s brows rose as she eyed Emma with a look that said she was impressed. “You made the first move? You’ve always been more of the ‘let them chase you’ kind of girl.”
Emma laughed at that and turned toward Cam. “Back in high school, anytime Lauren had a crush and asked us for advice, we always told her to just ignore them. They’d come running.”
“And they always did,” Lulu chimed in, her smile bright at the memory.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the restroom real quick.” Emma stood from the table, ignoring the look of panic that Cam shot her before turning back around.
“When you get back, you have to finish telling us how you met,” Lauren shouted after her.
Emma let out a sigh, hoping Cam could manage the next few minutes without her. She was sure Lulu would jump in to help him if need be. Jeez, what did she get herself into?
Of course, they’d want to know how they met. She hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend these past few weeks, so it’d make the perfect topic to catch up on.
She entered the bathroom, found an empty stall, and pulled out her phone. She had absolutely no clue what Cam’s username would be on social media, or even his last name for that matter, but maybe a little digging could help.
After a failed attempt at seeing if Lulu might be friends with him online, it took several more minutes of typing in his name along with his company to find a professional photo of him with his last name included. A quick scroll at profile photos and she finally found the one she was after and thanked whoever was looking out for her when she saw his settings weren’t on private.
When Emma exited the bathroom and made her way back to the table, she found the waitress there taking drink orders. That was a good thing, she told herself. That meant they probably didn’t have much time to grill him.
She added her order to the list as she retook her seat.
“I don’t know how you kids do it these days,” Henry said once the waitress was gone. “I swear dating was easier back when I was younger.”
“Oh here we go,” Lulu said. “Time for some ‘back in my day’ talk.”
The women chuckled at that, clearly used to his ways.
“Save your commentary for later, Dad. I want to hear Emma and Cam’s story.” Lauren looked at them expectantly, and Cam suddenly found the genuine excitement to be too much. He didn’t know he could find kindness and support annoying, but he was starting to.
Thankfully, Emma took over once again. He wondered if she was always the controlling type or only when she spun a web of lies.
“Technically,” she started with emphasis. “I was the one to message him first, but it was his idea to meet up.”
Cam clenched his jaw. He hoped she had more to add because he was drawing a blank. If this was supposed to be some finish-the-sentence game, he’d lose.
She turned to look at him, her face serene and for a moment, he could’ve believed she was his girlfriend too, if it weren’t for the other four sets of eyes watching them.
“There was just something about her,” he said, giving a small shrug and smile. “Part of me thought she might be a little crazy, but I was still drawn to her.”
That got a laugh out of everyone. Except for Emma, who looked at him with a glare. Thankfully, they ate it up, even if Cam knew her annoyance wasn’t acting.
“He’s full of it,” she piped in. “He was enthralled by me.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “Said I was the excitement he’d been looking for all his life.”
“That’s so sweet,” Lauren said from across the table.
“Indeed,” Lulu said, looking more and more entertained.
The waitress came with their drinks and left with their food orders.
“But what made you message him?” Asher asked.
Cam noticed the slight way Emma’s back went straight. She remembered the half-concocted plan she’d come up with in the bathroom before speaking.
Instead of looking at him, Emma directed her response to those she considered like family. “Remember that gig I took with the outdoor blogger this spring? The one to Banff National Park?”
Lulu sat up a little straighter, looking curious as to where this was going to go. “Yeah?”
“That’s where you went backpacking with her to shoot content for her posts, right? Everyone else had bailed or something,” Henry said.
Emma nodded. That was an unbelievable and unexpected trip for her. She’d been nervous to go because it was only the two of them, which was precisely why Chloe, the outdoor enthusiast who was now a good friend, needed a professional photographer. As it turned out, the people she normally planned trips with were her usual picture-takers. They all played photographer for one another, but the other two had to cancel last minute and she had a brand deal that she planned around the trip. Canceling hadn’t been an option for Chloe.
Lucky for her, Emma had been throwing herself into working and saying yes to new opportunities.
“You went backpacking?” Asher asked, surprise lighting his face.
“Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve always enjoyed traveling.”
“I know. You’re a workaholic,” he said, to which Cam noticed Emma’s smile strain. He wondered if that was a topic of argument in their past. “But I’m surprised you’d go with a total stranger.”
“Emma can take care of herself,” Cam said before thinking, then reached over to grab her hand in his. “She’s smart and careful. Always takes the necessary precautions, planning, and research first.” He had no clue what he was talking about, but he didn’t like the idea of sitting idly by while someone made her sound bad.
He hadn’t even known she was a photographer. Hell, he didn’t know anything about her, but if she was hired to travel along and take photos, especially to beautiful parts of the world, and get to experience what it had to offer, he’d say that was pretty damn spectacular.
Emma was thankful for the support, although a bit unnerved by how comforting the large and rough hand now holding hers felt. When he gave it a little squeeze, she had to mentally tell herself this was all a ruse. He was just helping her like a normal boyfriend would.
“That she is,” Henry agreed, giving Cam a nod. “So were you in Canada, too?” he asked.
Cam had been there early this spring, he realized, but what were the chances?
“Not at the same time,” Emma replied for him. “I went afterward.”
Henry gave them a questioning look.
“I was checking the location tag online and saw a post he made when he went with his friends. I told Chloe, the girl I was going with, that it could be fun to see what recommendations others might have. It was only her second time there and we were going to have some down days after we were done backpacking.”
Emma slowly pulled her hand from Cam’s and grabbed her water for a quick drink before continuing. “That’s when I decided who better to reach out to than the handsome man who’d already been there.”
Cam knew she was playing a part, but damn if the compliment didn’t still hit and make a man want to sit up tall. He gave them a broad grin. “One of my buddies loves to hike, and he convinced several of us to get together for the trip. It was an amazing experience.” Emma noticed he left out who he went with, which was interesting considering one of them was a celebrity. She’d realized on her quick social media escapade that Cam was far more interesting than even she had thought, and not just because of his friends.
“I bet,” Lauren said. “But how were neither of you scared of camping among wild animals? I could handle a campground, but I don’t think I could backpack.”
Lulu laughed. “You wouldn’t last at a campground either. You hate bugs.”
Lauren smiled. “True.” Then shrugged it off, unfazed.
“I bet if you really wanted to, then you’d do it and love it,” Emma said.
“Well now I know who to call if I ever do decide to,” she beamed at them. “We could take a group trip.”
“We could,” Emma said, her smile less enthusiastic now. “Anyhow, Cam hit me back with recommendations and slowly it turned into texting until he asked if I’d be interested in meeting.” She wanted to finish off this lie so they could move on to other topics. “And here we are,” she supplied, giving him a smile that was partly real.
“That must be some connection if you’re willing to do long distance with him in Missouri and you in North Carolina,” Lulu interjected, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Shit, that was right, Emma acknowledged. He mentioned going back to St. Louis after work.
Cam wrapped his arm around her shoulder and grinned. “Thankfully, life seems to be helping us out and pushing us together. It was a happy coincidence for us to both be needing to come to Dallas.” He still wasn’t sure how she was able to forge the story about them meeting, and he should probably be worried at the red flag it proposed, but then again, he was in this far so he might as well put both feet in the water.
Besides, if he was going to turn away at any signs of red flags, then he would’ve never knocked on her door last night.
Emma nodded, wondering why she’d been the one having to spin all the quick responses if he was so savvy on the spot. Then again, she did drag them into this, so maybe it was her responsibility.
Ready to take the spotlight off of them, she proposed her own question. “So what’s new with all of you? Enough about me. I want to hear everything.” And she did, especially if it meant getting through the rest of this dinner smoothly and then apologizing to Cam profusely before saying goodbye for good.
Lulu began to dive in with a story about a terrible date she’d had last weekend when the waitress came with their food. Their dinner rolled on with a lot more ease as Emma was able to relax and enjoy the company. She was surprised at how well Cam fit into the conversations and his easy nature of getting along with everyone. Even Asher, who wasn’t overly welcoming to anyone. It wasn’t anything personal, it was just his nature. Something she hated whenever they went out for plans or tried meeting new people.
All in all, the night looked like it was going to be okay. Cam leaned back in his chair after his plate was empty and casually laid an arm across the back of Emma’s chair. He could tell she’d loosened back up, her true confidence radiating from her again.
Whenever the waitress came with the bill, he beat Henry to it, insisting it was the least he could do for them after allowing him to intrude on their meal. Henry finally gave in and everyone offered their thanks.
Cam was ready to call it a night when that stern voice said, “It’s been a great dinner. I’m looking forward to vacation.”
The group nodded in agreement, Lulu piping in. “I’m ready to lay out with a drink in my hand, do some shopping, and explore the museums.”
“Here, here,” Emma joked.
“It’s too bad you aren’t joining us,” Lauren said from across the table, ever the caring and considerate one.
Up until this point, Cam had never thought that a good person could cause so much damage because as Emma patted his arm and offered, “It’s okay, he already knew I would be gone for vacation. We’ll make plans to get together when I get back.” Henry then said, “Nonsense. Cam, how about you join us this week. St. Croix is going to be wonderful, and there’s no sense in you two taking off time apart when you could have a vacation together.” It wasn’t posed as a question.
Emma’s hand paused from its patting on his arm, his heart freezing in his chest. There was no way his ears heard what he thought they did.
“But work,” Emma said, trying to function around the shock.
Henry just waved a hand. “Taken care of. What’s the point in having my position if I can’t do a thing or two for my employees? I’ll square it all away for you.”
Think, think, think. But Cam couldn’t think of anything. “Sir,” he started. “I don’t want to intrude any further or take advantage–”
But Henry cut him off. “It’s settled, you’re coming. You can figure out your clothing issue, but everyone deserves time off to reap the rewards of hard work.”
“There’ll be lots of places to buy swim trunks and shorts and stuff when we get there,” Lauren said, the excitement radiating through her voice.
Cam looked up to find Lulu trying not to laugh, Asher looked surprised but otherwise indifferent, and then he saw the big smile on Henry’s face at the gift he had just given them.
“Well, um, thank you,” he said because he had no clue what else to do.
“Wonderful,” Emma said and did her best to look like she meant it.
If she was dreading this vacation before, then she was terrified of it now. Because within a matter of a couple hours, she just got herself stuck with Cam Wright, and she was going to need to learn a lot more than his username to survive this next week.