ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟛𝟙 #2
Rachel smiled as she looked back toward Dixie. . "I'm just saying...you've got yourself a pretty perfect man."
For the tiniest moment, I waited.
I wasn't even sure why. Maybe because part of me wanted to see Dixie get just a tiny bit possessive.
Cross her arms, and pull me closer. Something.
Anything.
Instead she just smiled. That was almost annoying.
"Cameron's way out of my league."
Rachel laughed. "I like your confidence."
"Shouldn't I be?" Dixie tilted her head.
Rachel blinked once before smiling again.
"That's fair."
The conversation drifted back toward me. Rachel reached over as she spoke and lightly touched my forearm.
"Oh, you're wearing the same watch?"
I looked down. "Yeah."
"I remember this one. You had it on the day we had lunch."
"Well it is my go-to."
Her hand lingered for only a second before falling away again.
Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Dixie.
She wasn't even watching Rachel. She was busy brushing an invisible speck of lint from my shoulder.
Seriously, Dix?
She finished dusting my jacket before looking up at me. "You've got something in your hair."
"What?"
She reached up, carefully plucking a tiny piece of thread from my waves.
"There."
I stared at her. "You're not going to ask?"
"Ask what?" She looked confused.
"About Rachel."
She blinked before turning to her.
"Oh, no. I don't see why I have to." She shook her head.
"No?"
"You introduced her, said she worked with you. I figured that was enough."
Rachel looked at Dixie with obvious surprise.
Rachel smiled to herself before turning to me. "I think that's why you're always talking about her."
I smiled without realizing it. "Yeah."
"Were you talking about me again?" Dixie bumped my shoulder lightly.
Rachel answered before I could.
"Almost the entire conversation."
Dixie sighed dramatically. I watched as she tucked a curl behind her ear.
"Cameron, you've got to stop advertising me."
"I wasn't advertising."
Rachel laughed one last time before lifting her champagne glass. "I should probably let you two enjoy the reception."
She looked toward Dixie.
"It really was nice meeting you."
"You too."
Then Rachel looked at me. "Take care of yourself."
"I will."
"And don't talk about your wife quite so much."
I laughed. "I make no promises."
She disappeared back into the crowd, leaving Dixie and me standing together. Dixie looked after her for only a moment.
"She seemed nice."
I stared dumbfounded. "That's your takeaway?"
She looked up at me. "What? Is something wrong with my takeaway?"
"No, nothing." I slipped my arm around her waist again.
I picked up her drink from the table next to me, handing it over.
"Oh, this is for you."
She smiled at me before taking a sip. "Thank you."
By the time I had finished my drink, I felt warmth everywhere in my body. It was like a feeling I've never had before.
Like somebody had wrapped me in one of those heated blankets Cameron insisted on buying every winter because apparently one blanket wasn't enough.
Maybe the ballroom had gotten warmer. That had to be it.
Maybe this was how the people at the reception felt after all that booze in their system.
I looked up.
The chandelier looked shinier. Why was it so shiny?
"You're staring at the ceiling."
I turned toward Cameron. "...Am I?"
"You've been staring at that chandelier for a good minute now."
"It's gotten shinier, hasn't it?"
He stared. "The chandelier?"
"Mm. I don't trust that."
"Dix, how many drinks have you had?"
I frowned. "One."
He looked at the empty glass in my hand.
"Are you sure about that?"
I looked down. "Maybe two."
He reached over, gently taking the empty glass from my fingers before I accidentally dropped it.
He put both hands on my shoulders. "I think somebody's a little tipsy."
"You're calling me drunk?" I narrowed my eyes.
"I'm calling you adorable." He chuckled.
The music changed somewhere behind us. A slower song. Couples immediately began moving toward the dance floor.
I looked at Cameron, then the dance floor.
"Dance with me."
"I thought you didn't want to dance."
"I changed my mind."
"What changed it?"
I leaned forward. "Everything's prettier."
He laughed again.
"I'm serious. The flowers are prettier, the lights are prettier...you're prettier."
Cameron laughs sheepishly, it was one of the first times I've seen him get flustered.
By me.
"Well, I think that settles it. You are drunk."
"What? I can't appreciate my husband now?"
Before he could answer, I grabbed both of his hands. "C'mon."
"Dixie," he sighed.
"C'moooon."
"I guess I don't have a choice."
"You really don't."
He followed me anyway. The dance floor wasn't crowded anymore.
Mostly couples swaying quietly. He placed one hand carefully against my waist as I immediately wrapped both arms around his neck.
I rested my forehead against his.
"You smell nice." I say.
"Oh, thanks."
"You also have really nice eyelashes."
He shook his head. "I can't believe this."
"What?"
"I've never seen you like this."
"Surprise." I whispered as I smiled proudly.
We began swaying slowly. I wasn't really following the music. I was mostly just looking at him.
He did look really handsome tonight. Has he always looked this handsome? I reached up and smoothed a piece of his hair back into place.
Before I could stop myself, I leaned up and kissed him on the lips. Then I keep going after that.
"Dix." He laughs.
"Mm?"
"You've kissed me like eight times now."
"..I can make it four."
He barely had time to smile before I kissed him again. When I pulled away, he was looking at me with a big grin plastered onto his face.
He laughed so hard this time. I loved making him laugh. It was one of my favorite sounds, after all.
"Hey, Cam?"
"Mhm?"
"I love you."
His expression softened immediately.
I poked his chest. "I really love you."
"Oh, you haven't told me that in awhile." He says. I watch as his smile grows.
"I don't think you understand. I love you a lot."
"I know, sweetheart."
"A ridiculous amount."
A familiar voice interrupted us. "Well. I've never seen this before."
I glanced behind Cam's shoulder. It was Ryan. He stood beside us holding a glass of soda, already grinning.
I immediately smiled. "Ryan!"
"Hey, Dixie." He laughed.
He looked toward Cameron. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine, she's just very... happy."
"I'm fantastic." I tell him.
"I can see that." Ryan chuckled.
Cameron looked around.
"I'm going to go grab her some water."He turned back toward Ryan. "Can you stay with her?"
Ryan nodded immediately.
"Of course, man. I got you."
Cameron squeezed my hand before looking at me. "I'll be right back."
I watched him disappear through the crowd, then immediately looked at Ryan.
"Isn't he handsome?"
He really was. It was honestly getting a little agitating. Somebody should tell him to stop being so handsome before it becomes distracting.
But then again, maybe nobody should.
Ryan burst out laughing. "Oh gee...Dixie, putting me in a spot."
"No, seriously."
"He is." Ryan nodded solemnly.
"He's the nicest man ever."
"I know."
I frowned.
I needed more enthusiasm from him.
"He still looks at me like he likes me." I smiled dreamily toward the crowd where Cameron had disappeared.
Ryan's smile faded into something gentler. "I don't think that man's ever going to stop looking at you that way."
"You think?"
"I know."
I looked back toward him. "Do you look at Linda like that?"
"Oh, definitely. Every day." Ryan smiled to himself.
"You love her a lot?"
"More than she'll ever let me explain."
I sighed happily.
"I hope everybody gets one."
"Gets what?"
"A Cameron."
Ryan smiled. "Me too, Dixie."
Across the ballroom, I spotted Cameron weaving through the crowd with two bottles of water in one hand. Despite the room still feeling pleasantly fuzzy, he was the only thing that looked perfectly clear.
He nods at Ryan. "Thanks, man."
Then he hands a cold bottle of water to me.
"Hey, tell Brody I dropped his gift off by those tables over there." Cam pats Ryan's shoulder. "Dixie and I should get going now."
"Alright, see you guys. Bye Dixie."
I wave as he walks away. Then I turn to Cam.
"Leaving already?" My eyebrows furrow.
I looked around the ballroom. "But I haven't even..."
I stopped. What hadn't I done?
I had no idea.
He helps me get up from where I was sitting.
"C'mon, let's go."
~
The ride back to the hotel was mostly quiet. Not because either of us was upset. It was mainly because Cameron had gently confiscated the car keys that I wasn't even holding.
"I wasn't even driving."
"I know," he says.
"So why'd you take my keys?"
"You kept reaching into your purse saying you were. Can't have any misslips."
"I was making sure they were still there."
"They're in my pocket."
"Oh. That makes more sense."
He smiled to himself as he unlocked the hotel room. The second we stepped inside, I sighed dramatically.
He closed the door behind us. I slipped my heels off halfway through the entryway.
One landed by the couch.
The other.. Somewhere else. I stared after it.
"We'll find you later." I whispered to myself.
Cameron bent down, picked up both shoes, and neatly placed them beside the wall.
"I was coming back for those." I tell him.
He gives me a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you were."
"I would've."
"I know," He looked over at me. "Are you hungry?"
I huffed. "Not really."