Chapter Twenty-One Were Here Now
Simone was still staring at her. Camille couldn't help it.
She laughed. A soft, warm laugh. The one Simone spent years finding reasons to hear.
"You okay, Simone?"Nothing."Simone."Then finally Simone said something.
"You what?"The look on Simone's face was priceless.
"I had a crush on you."Simone stared. Still processing.
"You're telling me,"Camille was already laughing again.And Simone?
Simone had officially stopped functioning.
Simone was still staring at her. Completely speechless.
Camille laughed."Okay."Simone opened her mouth.
Then closed it again. Then opened it."Cam,"Camille pointed at her.
"Before you ask why I never said anything.
"Simone stopped talking.Camille smiled."We were fifteen.
""I didn't really understand what it was.
"She looked down at her wine for a second.
Then back up."I just knew you were cute.
"Camille laughed."And I felt good being around you.
"The smile on Simone's face softened."But then we became best friends.
"Camille shrugged. "Life happened."For a second, neither of them spoke.
"Cam."Camille smiled."What?""You had a crush on me?
"The disbelief in her voice made Camille laugh.
"Yes."Simone shook her head. Still trying to process it and failing.
"Honestly, since we got here."Camille looked down for a moment.
Almost shy. Then she looked back up."I kind of felt like that fifteen-year-old girl again.
"The words landed softly. But they hit Simone harder than anything else she'd said all evening.Camille smiled.
"Noticing you, thinking how pretty you are.
"A small laugh escaped her.The noise of the restaurant faded away.
The wine. The conversation around them. Everything.Simone wasn't thinking about the twenty-three years she had lost. She was thinking about the possibility that maybe, just maybe they hadn't missed their chance after all.The server arrived carrying their appetizers.
He carefully placed each dish on the table.
The burrata, the truffle arancini, the scallops.Everything looked incredible. "Enjoy."
"Thank you." Finally, Simone looked down at the food. Then back at Camille. Then she looked down again. Camille smiled.
Simone shook her head."Camille." Simone shook her head.
"What?""You can't just say something like that.
""Apparently I can." Camille was already smiling.
"Cam." The look on Simone's face was priceless.
After another second, Simone pointed at her.
"No, seriously.""What?""You had a crush on me.
"Camille laughed."A small one."Simone looked at her.
Then finally asked,"Was that the only time?
Or did you realize I was your friend and said, no?
"The smile on Camille's face faded. Camille looked down at her wine. Then back at Simone.Thinking about what to say. Still deciding how honest she wanted to be. And the fact that she didn’t say no, told Simone everything she needed to know.
"Maybe."Simone nearly choked on her wine.
She coughed as she grabbed her napkin."Oh my God.
" Camille started laughing."Maybe?" Simone repeated.
“You okay, Simone?”Simone was still coughing.
"Maybe?"Camille smiled into her wine glass.
"Yes, Simone."Simone stared at her."When?
"Camille looked down. Suddenly, she was very interested in the appetizer sitting in front of her.
"Camille."“Okay” Camille said as she set her glass down.
"Do you remember sophomore year of college?
"Simone nodded."The year you dated the captain of the girls’ basketball team?
"Simone nodded again."Yeah, that was the year you did your internship.
""Yeah."Then she said,"But I didn't have to.
"Simone blinked."What do you mean?""I could have waited.
" Camille said.The smile on Simone's face slowly disappeared.
Because something in Camille's voice had changed.
"I didn't know that.""I know."Camille looked down at the table.
Then finally said, "I took it early because I couldn't stand seeing you with her.
"Simone froze. Completely froze. Camille.
"Okay. that came out wrong.""No, it didn't." Simone's voice came out softer than she intended.
Camille looked at her. Then away again."The week before you told me about her,"She paused.
Thinking of right words."I was actually thinking about telling you I liked you back in high school.
Those feelings came back."The restaurant disappeared.
At least for Simone. All she could do was stare.
Camille smiled weakly."But then you called me and you told me you had a date.
"A small laugh escaped Camille."You were so excited.
"The memory was still clear. Painfully clear.
"You talked about her for twenty minutes.
"Simone covered her face."I know.""And I just, I didn't want to make things weird.
"She looked at Simone again."So, I did my internship early.
"Now they both saw just how many chances they had almost taken. And how close they had come to a completely different story.Simone looked away first. Trying to process everything. Trying to make sense of things she possible couldn’t.Then, she thought about something.
"So, when you stopped calling me every night.
"Camille already knew where this was going.
"It wasn't because of work and classes, was it?
"Camille shook her head."No."Simone slowly nodded.
Looking down at the table. The answer somehow hurt and healed at the same time.Another memory popped in her head.
One she hadn't thought about in years."Thanksgiving.
"Camille looked up. Simone stared at her.
"The year you didn't come."A small smile appeared on Camille's face.
She already knew."You told me you had the flu.
"Camille sighed."Yeah.""You weren't sick.
""No."The answer came quietly. Simone laughed once.
Not because it was funny. Because she couldn't believe it.
"You lied to me?""A little.""A little?"That finally earned a laugh from Camille.
Then her smile faded."I just" She looked down, turning her wine glass slowly between her fingers.
"I didn't want to spend four days watching you sit next to her.
"Simone remembered that Thanksgiving. She remembered worrying about Camille.
She remembered missing her.All this time he thought Camille had the flu.
Camille looked down at the table. A little embarrassed now.
"A lot of things make more sense in hindsight.
"Simone looked down at her wine. Then at the table.
Then back at Camille. A few minutes went by and she didn't say anything.When she finally did, her voice was softer.
"I'm sorry."Camille frowned."For what?"Simone laughed quietly.
"I don't know."Camille smiled."That's a terrible answer.
""I know. I just feel bad."Camille's expression changed.
"Why?""Because you were sitting there thinking about telling me.
"Her eyes dropped to the table."And I was talking about somebody else.
"For a second, Camille just looked at her.
Then she reached across the table. Without overthinking it.
And took Simone's hands in hers."Hey."Simone looked up.
Camille waited until she looked directly at her.
Then she smiled."We're here now."The words were simple, but they were exactly what Simone needed to hear.
Then Simone smiled."Okay."Camille smiled back.
"Okay."A few moments later, the server returned.
"Have we decided?"The question finally pulled them back to reality.
Camille laughed and released Simone's hands. Even though she didn’t want to.
"Yeah."The server smiled and looked at Simone first."What can I get for you this evening?
"Simone looked at the menu one last time.
Then placed it aside."I'll have the filet mignon.
""Excellent choice."The server turned toward Camille.
"And for you?"Camille smiled."The sea bass.
"The server nodded and wrote down the order.
"Wonderful. I'll get that started for you." After collecting the menus, he stepped away. And just like that, they were alone again. Only this time, neither of them was as nervous as before.
The conversation continued. Some of it serious, some of it wasn’t.
A few times they caught themselves smiling for no reason at all.Other times they sat there looking at each other.
It felt different now. As if something that had been waiting between them for years had finally been said.Not too long after, their food came.
Camille looked over at Simone's plate."That looks so good.
"Simone looked down at her food as she took a bite.
Then back at Camille."It tastes amazing.
"Camille laughed."I'm sure it does."For a moment she tried to continue eating her own meal.
That lasted about three seconds. Finally, she asked,"Can I have some?
"Simone looked at her."You want some?"The way she said it got Camille's attention.
Camille looked up. Then, she suddenly became interested in her own plate.Simone smiled.
"Camille?""What?""You asked.""I know."Simone smiled.
Still watching her."Yeah, I did." She slid her plate a little closer.
"You can have some."Camille smiled."Thank you.
""You're welcome."She reached over and stole a bite.
Simone shook her head as she realized something.
Making Camille blush might be one of her new favorite things.The rest of dinner passed far too fast. The conversation became easier.
The laughter came first. Then the kind of comfortable teasing that was always between them.Only now, it felt different.
Every glance seemed to last a little longer.
Every smile seemed to mean a little more.More than once, Simone caught Camille looking at her.
And more than once, Camille caught Simone doing the exact same thing.Neither denied it anymore.
There wasn't much point. Not after everything that had been said.Not after everything they finally knew.
The food was incredible. The wine was even better.
But somehow, neither of them would remember much of either.What they would remember were the moments in between.
The smiles. The way Camille's cheeks turned pink when Simone caught her off guard.The way Simone couldn't stop smiling whenever Camille reached across the table.
The way being together suddenly felt new again.By the time dessert menus were offered, neither woman realized how much time had passed.
Or what they had lost. Only what was sitting right in front of them.A possibility.
A first date. And maybe, the beginning of something they never expected to find after all these years.