CHAPTER 38
Cameron
“You’re moving?” Zane asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Where, exactly?”
“I have a rental lined up.”
“A rental? Why don’t you just buy?” he asked.
Cameron taped the box she’d been working on for the past ten minutes and said, “Because I don’t want to yet. I want to have time to look around and find what I want. I didn’t do that with this house as much as I should have.”
“You mean your mansion?”
Cameron rolled her eyes then and was grateful that her agent was on the phone and couldn’t see her.
“You just rolled your eyes at me, didn’t you?” he asked.
“How did you know?” she asked back.
“I could hear them roll through the phone.”
“Liar,” she replied with a little laugh. “I didn’t call you to talk about my move.”
“I figured. But I still need to know this stuff,” he said. “Wait. I do, don’t I?”
“You talked to Kennedy, right?”
“Yes, but she told me you two were being civil and that I wouldn’t have to parent trap this situation.”
Cameron laughed and sat on the floor.
“Parent trap?”
“Yeah, split you two up. One of you goes with a different agent, and one stays with me.”
“Zane, I know you’d choose her over me. It’s okay.
You were her agent first, and you were basically a second father to her when she needed one.
She told me you went to the store for her once when she got her period on set and was too embarrassed to ask anyone to get her pads or tampons because she should’ve been more prepared. ”
“I didn’t mind doing that,” he replied. “I’m not an unevolved man.”
Cameron laughed again and said, “I know that. And we are keeping things civil. You don’t have to worry about that. We’re going to be friends.”
“I hope you are. I know you two aren’t together like that anymore, but I think you two will be better as friends.”
“Me too. I only called you to say that if you still want to be my agent, Kennedy is cool with that, and so am I.”
“You’re not firing me?”
“No. And I’d like Jessie to remain on as my publicist. Kennedy does, too.”
“She mentioned that when we talked. I really only needed to hear that you still wanted me as your agent from you, even though Kennedy told me.”
“Well, I do. And I know I’m not getting offers thrown at me right now, but I also want to take a little time off.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know yet, but at least the summer. Maybe the fall, too. I’ll do auditions for stuff for next year, but nothing for this year unless you get something that you think I’d be crazy to miss out on.”
“So, I’m still your agent, but I’ve got no work to do for you for the next, like, six months at least?”
“I need some time, Zane. I want to get settled into this rental and find a house to buy. Then, I want to get settled into that and buy furniture I actually want, paint the damn place, and everything else.”
“What about Lacey?”
“What about her?”
“I know you’re together. Kennedy told me.”
Cameron sighed and said, “We’re not together. We’re dating, but not together.”
“I wish I had been there that weekend.” Zane laughed.
Cameron pulled at the end of a piece of tape on one of her boxes and asked, “Why?”
“I’m going to have get that footage from Jessie because I have to see how you ended up falling for one of the women we thought would help make you and Kennedy look good as a couple and how she did the same with the other one.”
“Her name is River. And I don’t know if they’re dating.”
“She hasn’t told you? I had to text to see if she wanted to talk to someone about a producing thing, and she said she couldn’t get to LA in time for the meeting because she’s still in Anaheim.”
“She’s been down there since the breakup.”
“Yes, but then she told me that she rented a house there, a short-term thing, and that she’s going on a date with River of double date contest weekend fame.”
“She is? That’s good.”
“You two are handling this whole thing very well,” Zane noted. “I’ve heard from other agents what usually happens when their client ends something with another celeb, and it sounded like a nightmare. I kept waiting for this to become mine, but it hasn’t yet. It’s not going to, is it, Cameron?”
“No. We’re good, I promise. I want her to be happy. If it’s with River, I’m glad.”
“And you with Lacey?”
“I really like her, Zane.”
“That’s good, too.”
“It is, but I think she’s worried.”
“What about?”
“This being too hard. We had kind of a strange date. I stayed over, and we talked, but it was still awkward. Then, the next morning, the news posted about Ken and me. Lacey was with me, and it was better with her there. I didn’t want to be alone, and she held my hand and took my phone away when I kept trying to check the comments.
She had to go to work after that, and her job isn’t easy, and it means she has to be in Anaheim, where her clients are. ”
“And you’re here,” Zane said. “And famous.”
“I’m famous, yes, and I didn’t even think to tell her to go to a less busy restaurant or get us a room instead of having her come back here, to this house.
” Cameron looked around the room. “I think we’re okay, but I want her to feel secure in this and know that I’m really in it because I’m about to change her life, you know?
There were pictures taken of us in that restaurant, and people are starting to talk now that they know that Kennedy and I broke up.
Lacey can still go back to being anonymous right now if she wants.
The YouTube thing isn’t going to air, so people will forget about the double date soon enough if they haven’t already. ”
“And if she’s never seen with you again, she can stay right where she is?” Zane guessed.
“Yeah.”
“But you don’t want her to do that?”
“I want to be with her,” she confessed. “So, no. I don’t expect her to walk a red carpet tomorrow or anything, but it’ll be harder for her to just grab a cup of coffee once we tell the world that we’re dating or together.”
“Have you asked her what she wants?”
“She wants us to keep dating and not come out to the world for a while, which is fine.”
“Okay. So, what are you worried about?”
“My drama getting in the way of us.”
“So, have less drama. Or, better yet, no drama at all. Cam, just make sure she knows you’re in it and that you’ll figure things out together as you go. That’s really all you can do.”
“You’re right,” she replied. “And I won’t have many red carpets to walk anytime soon, so now might be the perfect time for us to see what this could be.”
“Exactly. When do you see her again?”
“We were going to FaceTime tonight, but I don’t know when we’re going out again. It’s been hard because she’s there and can’t always get all the way up here due to her job.”
“Can you go there?”
“Yes,” Cameron replied.
“Then, don’t FaceTime the woman. Go see her.”
“She said she doesn’t have a late appointment tonight. I guess I could.”
“It’s not like you have anything going on.”
“Hey, I am moving,” she said. “But this could be good. I have the key for the rental already.”
“Good. Drop your shit off there and go talk to her.”
“You’re full of good ideas today, Zane.”
◆◆◆
Lacey pulled open the door, wearing only a towel.
“Uh…” Cameron’s eyes widened, and she swallowed hard before she could gather herself enough to point and say, “Towel.”
Lacey laughed and said, “Did you forget how to speak?”
Cameron nodded rapidly and repeated, “Towel.”
“I’m just out of the shower. I didn’t expect company. I thought we were doing the FaceTime thing tonight.”
“Towel, Lacey.”
“Yes, Cam. I’m only wearing a towel. Do you want to come in?”
Cameron nodded rapidly a second time.
“It’s like you’ve never seen a woman in a towel before,” Lacey said and closed the door after Cameron walked in.
“Not you. You… were just in the shower.”
“Yes, I was. Babe, are you okay? I can go throw some clothes on. Would that be better?”
“Yes, please,” Cameron said. “But also no.”
“That’s confusing.”
“I don’t want you to put clothes on. I’d rather you drop the towel altogether. But we’re not there yet, and I need to take you somewhere.”
“Somewhere? Where?”
“Just… clothes, Lacey.”
“Okay.” Lacey laughed. “Sit. I’ll be out in a minute, but I need to know what kind of clothes to put on, Cam.”
“Comfy ones,” she replied before she sat down on the couch and watched Lacey disappear into her bedroom.
It had been a long time since she’d had sex, and falling asleep next to Lacey had been hard both times because Cameron had wanted her hands all over Lacey’s body, but seeing Lacey in a towel, with wet hair, looking sexy as hell, had her wishing she’d taken care of herself before the drive.
“Okay,” Lacey said, emerging in a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, with her wet hair pulled back into a ponytail. “What’s going on?”
“One sex,” Cameron said and leaned in. “Shit. I meant one sec. One second.”
“Hot and bothered right now?”
“God, yes,” she replied and kissed Lacey quickly. “It’s been a while.”
“For me, too,” Lacey said. “But since you made me put clothes on, I am guessing we’re not about to do that for the first time. So, what’s going on? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I thought we were doing our nightly call thing later.”
“Can you come with me?”
“Yes. But where?”
“It’s not far.”
“It’s not Disneyland, is it?”
Cameron laughed and said, “No, it’s not Disneyland.”
“My hair is still wet. Should I even be seen in public with the Cameron Levine with my wet, messy hair?”
“We’re not going to be in public. But even if we were, I wouldn’t care if your hair was all over the place.” She cupped Lacey’s cheek. “Come on. If we go now, we can pick up food on the way there, and I’ll let you order for me, if you want.”
“Oh, that could be fun,” Lacey replied as she stood up. “Let me grab my shoes, purse, phone, and keys, and we can go.”
Cameron smiled and watched Lacey walk from one spot in the room to another, then back again, grabbing whatever she needed in the least efficient and organized way possible, and it made her happy.
It was adorable, and Cameron wanted to pull Lacey into her and hug her before she kissed her for the next several hours, but she needed to show Lacey something, so that would have to wait until later.
They stopped for fast food on the way, and Cameron let Lacey order her a small pepperoni pizza and three tacos, along with some drink that had way too much sugar in it and was bright green.
Lacey ordered herself breadsticks, a chicken quesadilla, and an iced tea.
Then, they were off. Ten minutes later, Cameron held Lacey’s hand as she turned the car into the driveway and squeezed it.
“I don’t get it,” Lacey said. “Are we visiting someone? Cam, if we’re visiting someone, that’s not cool. Not only do I look like crap, but we didn’t get them food.”
“We’re not visiting anyone. Come on,” she said and got out of the car, carrying their food for them.
Lacey carried her purse and the drinks, and when Cameron got to the front door, she pulled out her key and opened it.
“I left the garage door opener here earlier, or I would’ve pulled the car in, but come on in,” she said.
Lacey walked into the house before her. Cameron followed her in and set the food down on the box by the window next to the door before she closed the door behind them and took the drinks from Lacey, placing them next to their food.
“Where are we?”
“We’re in my new temporary house,” she replied.
Lacey turned to her and said, “What?”
“I wanted to get out of that house, and when I thought about where I could rent something because I’m not ready to buy a new place yet, I knew where I wanted to go.”
“Cam, you rented this house?” Lacey asked, pointing to the floor.
“I did. It’s a six-month lease. I don’t intend to stay here forever, but I can sign again after that if I want.
It’s in a safe neighborhood. No gate, but there’s a security alarm.
I have to pay for it to be turned on at the alarm company, but I’ll do that tomorrow.
I’m hoping no one realizes that I’m here for a while, so it should be fine until then.
Anyway, it’s a two-bedroom, and there’s a pool if you want to use it. ”
Lacey turned to her and smiled.
“You rented a place here because of me?”
Cameron wrapped her arms around Lacey’s waist and replied, “I told you, I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. I know you were worried about the drive, traffic, and your business and missing appointments, but you don’t have to do that anymore.
I’ve got all my stuff here now. As you can see, though, it’s not much, so I’ll need to buy some cheap furniture to fill the place up to make it feel a little homier.
Neither of us really wanted to be in that house I shared with Ken, so I thought this was a good idea.
Tell me I’m right, please, because I’m starting to worry that I might have moved us very quickly when I shouldn’t have. ”
Lacey wrapped her arms around Cameron’s neck and said, “No, you didn’t. You made the right choice.”
She leaned in and kissed Cameron on the lips.
“Want to eat our weird dinner on the floor and use a box as a table?”
“Yes. But we’re not sleeping here tonight, right?” Lacey checked.
Cameron laughed and replied, “No. I don’t have a bed yet.”