Then You Happened

by Sandi Lynn

  “Oh. Sorry to hear that. Well, let’s hook up when we get to L.A.”

  “Didn’t you know?” Cameron interrupted.

  “Know what?” Lowen asked.

  “Sierra’s a lesbian now.”

  The look on his face was priceless and I know for damn sure it would have gotten at least a million hits on YouTube.

  “For real, Sierra?”

  I looked over at Cameron, who was smiling at me.

  “Yeah, I’m dabbling in the lesbian ways now. Dick just wasn’t doing it for me anymore.”

  “Well, then. It was nice seeing you. I’m just going to go back to my seat,” he said nervously.

  “Bye. Bye, Lowen.” I waved. “You’re good.” I smiled at Cameron.

  “I didn’t like him and I could tell by the look on your face you didn’t either.”

  “You’re very observant, Mr. Cole. I may just keep you around.” I winked.

  “Are you going to tell me about him?”

  “No. Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

  He shook his head and laughed as the flight attendant handed me my glass of wine. I wasted no time finishing it off and, before I knew it, we were back in the land of the living.

  Chapter 26

  Sierra

  I walked through the LAX airport with a huge grin on my face. I couldn’t help it. I was happy to be home. Cameron and I went to baggage claim and I saw James and Kirsty waiting there for us. Kirsty squealed when she saw me and hugged me tightly.

  “So glad you’re home,” she said.

  “Me too. It’s good to be back.”

  James smiled as he hugged me and then shook Cameron’s hand. James and Cameron walked over and waited for our suitcases to come around while Kirsty and I talked.

  “So, how was it?” she asked.

  “Let’s just say I’m happy to be home where I have unlimited phone service. That was brutal.”

  “You look great. Why are you walking funny? Did you and Cameron have too much sex?”

  “Umm. No. He made me go hiking with him and climb a small mountain.”

  “Yeah, right.” She laughed.

  “I’m serious. My body is screaming in pain and my muscles are asking me why I had to do this to them. I really feel bad for my poor aching muscles.”

  “That’s why you had me book the massage tomorrow. Well, you look great.”

  “Thanks. I don’t think I’ll fire you today.” I smiled.

  Cameron and James walked over to us with our bags and we headed to the limo. While we were driving home, Kirsty asked to see pictures. I pulled out my phone and showed her a few that I had taken of the lake, the mountain view, and me and Cameron.

  “Wow, that place looks really pretty.”

  “It’s beautiful. Isn’t it, Sierra?” Cameron asked.

  I didn’t know what to say about it. “Sure. It’s pretty there. Just as long as you know what you’re getting when you get there. Like no phone service and no internet.”

  “But you survived, right?”

  “I don’t know. Did I?” I asked. “I seemed to complain a lot.”

  “Yes. Yes you did complain a lot, but I think, overall, you enjoyed it.”

  I didn’t say a word because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I just smiled.

  “Sierra knew someone on the plane. Some guy named Lowen,” Cameron said to Kirsty.

  “Oh my God. Isn’t that the guy who had the handcuffs around his dick?”

  Thank you, Kirsty.

  Cameron’s eyebrow arched as he turned and looked at me.

  “Forget she said that. I told you that you didn’t want to know. Anyway, Cameron told him I was a lesbian.”

  “Huh? Why?”

  “It’s a long story. One I don’t want to discuss right now, but Cameron’s sister, Jolene seems to think me and you are a hot-looking couple.” I winked.

  “Huh?” she asked again in confusion and James smiled at me through the rearview mirror.

  “Sierra, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live without being a part of your crazy life,” he said.

  We pulled up to the house and I headed straight to my room and fell back on my plush, king-sized bed. I ran my hand over the comforter, taking in the softness and beauty of being back home.

  “Oh, how I’ve missed you,” I said to it.

  “You talk to your bed?” Cameron asked as he walked in the room with my suitcase.

  “I sure do. This bed never fails me and I’m happy to be lying on it.”

  “You’re weird.” He smiled.

  “I know. But somehow, I think you like my weirdness.”

  “I do. I don’t know why, but I do. Don’t forget to call Delia.”

  “Why did you have to ruin my moment?” I pouted.

  “She’s your mom and she wants to celebrate your birthday. So call her now!” he commanded.

  “Wow. Who put you in charge?”

  He laughed and winked at me just as Rosa came into the room.

  “Welcome home, senorita.”

  “Thanks, Rosa. It’s good to be home.”

  Cameron said he was going to go to the guest house and that he’d get back to work on my bathroom first thing in the morning. I watched him as he walked out of the room and Rosa looked at me.

  “You better have been nice to him,” she said.

  “I’m always nice, Rosa. What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I know exactly where you were and it’s a small place. Not much going on, like here. I could just see you swearing up a storm and complaining about every little thing.”

  I looked away from her. Damn it. I hated when people knew me too well.

  “It was different, but sort of pretty, and I kept the complaints to a minimum,” I said as I tried to get up from the bed. “Help me, Rosa.”

  “What’s the matter with you?” she asked as she took hold of my arm.

  “I went hiking and it was brutal. Now, I can’t move.”

  “You? Hiking?” She laughed.

  “Spare me, Rosa. I’m hungry. Will you make me something? I’m going to go in the hot tub. Maybe that will help my aching body.”

  “I guess. Should I make Builder Boy something?”

  “I don’t know. Go ask him.”

  I changed into my bikini and walked downstairs and to the hot tub. I climbed in and sighed as my body took in the amazing feel of the warm water and relaxing jets. I closed my eyes and relaxed. This was living. I couldn’t stay in here long. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to go into the office and play catch up.

  “What’s going on out here?” I heard Cameron’s voice say.

  I opened one eye and looked up as the sun shined down upon him. “I’m trying to soothe my aching body. Would you like to soothe yours too?”

  “Nah. Mine doesn’t need soothing. I’m going for a swim.”

  “Okay. Swim away.”

  “You don’t want to join me?” he asked.

  “What part of I’m trying to soothe my aching body do you not understand? I can barely walk, let alone swim.”

  He laughed. I’d noticed that he laughed at me a lot. “Okay, you stay here and relax. I’m going to do some laps.”

  “You go ahead and do that,” I said.

  As soon as I heard him jump in the pool, I opened my eyes and watched as he did the breast stroke across the pool. Damn him. Why doesn’t he hurt? He looked so strong swimming, and sexy too.

  “Your food is ready. Come and eat,” Rosa said.

  Oh God, don’t make me get out of here, I thought. I was too relaxed and the thought of having to move from this spot nauseated me.

  “Give me your hand and I’ll help you out,” Cameron said as he stood there, soaking wet with a warm smile.

  I extended my hand to his and slowly stepped out of the hot tub. “I suppose this means no sex later?” he whispered in my ear.

  “Considering I can barely spread my legs, probably not.”

  “There are more ways than on
e and you are fully aware of that.” He winked.

  I smiled but rolled my eyes. “Is that all you ever think about? Oh, wait. Yes it is, because you’re a man.”

  “Not fair. You’re stereotyping.”

  “And you, my darling, are proving me right.”

  We sat down at the patio table and ate what Rosa prepared for us. “Rosa,” I yelled. “I need some water, please.”

  She walked out with a glass and shot me a look of disapproval as she set it down in front of me.

  “Don’t judge,” I said.

  “I’ve judged a long time ago, senorita.”

  “Have you called Delia yet?” Cameron asked.

  Oh shit. I was so consumed with my aching body that I forgot. “I’m calling her right now.”

  I picked up my phone and prayed she didn’t answer.

  “Well, it’s about time,” she answered.

  Shit.

  “Hello, Mother. I’m back,” I said as I put her on speaker and gulped my tequila.

  “How was your trip? Wait. We can talk about that tomorrow at dinner. I’ve already made reservations at the Beverly Hills Country Club for us tomorrow night at seven.”

  “I hope you made reservations for five because I’m bringing Cameron,” I said as I looked at him and winked.

  “Who’s Cameron?” she asked.

  “The escort I rented.”

  “I thought that was only for a week. He’s still around?” she asked with irritation.

  “He was so good at his job, I just had to go and hire him for another week.”

  “Sierra, I don’t like this at all. What has gotten into you?”

  Cameron began to laugh. “We’ll be there promptly at seven. Now I have to go because another call is coming through. Bye.”

  I hit end and looked at Cameron. “If I have to go, then so do you!”

  “But it’s a country club,” he whined. “I don’t do country clubs.”

  “And I don’t do fishing or hiking.”

  “But you complained the whole time,” he said.

  “Just to be fair, you can complain about it because, lord knows, I’ll be doing it too. And since we’re going to the country club, you’ll need a tuxedo. I’ll have Kirsty hook you up.”

  “Tuxedo? I don’t wear tuxedos.”

  “And I don’t wear hiking clothes or those dreaded boots, but I did.”

  “You sure looked sexy in those clothes.” He smiled.

  “And you’ll look sexy in a tux. I have no doubt. Now I have to get to the office and try to catch up on all the madness.”

  I had difficulty getting up from my chair, but somehow managed while Cameron sat there and laughed.

  “This is all your fault,” I said.

  “Please. Maybe your body’s telling you that you’re out of shape.”

  My jaw dropped. “You’ll pay for that remark, Mr. Cole,” I said as I walked away and pointed at him.

  “I’m looking forward to it, Miss Adams.”

  Chapter 27

  Cameron

  I took my and Sierra’s plates into the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher for Rosa.

  “No need to do that, Builder Boy. I can clean up.”

  “It’s no problem, Rosa. My mom always taught us kids to clean up after yourself because it’s nobody’s mess but your own.”

  “She’s a smart woman. So tell me how bad the senorita complained on your hiking trip.”

  I smiled and threw in a light chuckle. “She complained the entire time about everything. Do you want to know what the best part was? I told my parents that she was a barista at Starbucks.”

  “No! I would have given anything to see the look on her face,” Rosa said with a wide grin.

  “Do you know what her comeback was?”

  “What?” she asked with anticipation.

  “She told my parents that she’s a lesbian.”

  Rosa’s mouth dropped as she put her hand over it. “She did no such thing.”

  “Yes, she did, and my parents still think she’s a lesbian barista.” I laughed.

  Rosa was in hysterics. She was a great woman and I’d become very fond of her.

  “Okay, I’m going to go do some work on the bathroom. I told Sierra I would start up again tomorrow, but since I’m here, I should work on it.”

  As soon as I stepped into the bathroom, my phone rang and it was Sierra.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “It’s me. You need to meet Kirsty at Elite Tuxedo on Westwood Blvd. She’s waiting for you. Have James drive you. He’s on his way back to the house.”

  “I can drive myself, Sierra. I know where it’s at.”

  “Okay. Have fun. I’ll see you later.”

  I hung up and sighed. Tuxedos weren’t my thing. In fact, I’d never worn a tuxedo. Not even for Kelly’s wedding. I hopped into my truck and drove to Elite Tuxedo. As soon as I stepped through the door, Kirsty ran over to me and grabbed my hand.

  “This is Cameron. Cameron, this is Raul. He’s going to handle your tuxedo while we wait.”

  I smiled and nodded at Raul and then turned to Kirsty. “What do you mean ‘while we wait’?”

  “Sierra gave strict instructions that he is to alter your tuxedo here in the store and we are to take it with us. She wasn’t taking any chances that it won’t be ready tomorrow.”

  “How long is this going to take?”

  “Are you in some kind of hurry?” She frowned.

  “Well, I was going to do some work on the bathroom.”

  “Forget the bathroom. You can do that tomorrow. You have to look like the escort the Madame hired you to be.” She winked.

  Raul took out his tape measure and took my measurements. A few moments later, he emerged with a black tuxedo hanging nicely on a hanger. He walked over to a shelf and grabbed a white dress shirt.

  “Go try this on and we’ll work from there.”

  I stepped into the dressing room and pulled the curtain close. I stripped down to my boxers and then slid into the pants. Suddenly, Kirsty’s head appeared in the mirror.

  “What the hell?”

  “Oh, please. It’s not like you have something I’ve never seen before. But you do have one hell of a six pack. Or is that an eight pack? Turn around.”

  “Will you get out of here and let me finish getting dressed?”

  “Whatever. Hurry it up,” she said as she rolled her eyes and closed the curtain.

  I put on the dress shirt and then the jacket. When I walked out of the dressing room, Raul was standing there with the black bow tie. I stood there while he pinned a couple areas.

  “This is almost a perfect fit. You can tell Miss Adams that she’s lucky and it won’t cost her as much as I thought it would.”

  Kirsty pulled out her phone and dialed Sierra, then proceeded to put her on speaker.

  “What’s up?” she answered.

  “Raul says the tux is almost a perfect fit, so it won’t cost you as much, and I have you on speaker.”

  “Hi, Raul. Thank you,” Sierra yelled through the phone.

  “You’re welcome, Miss Adams. Her father bought all his tuxedos from me,” he said as I stood there with my arms spread. “Such a shame what that Ryan boy did to her. She’s such a nice person. He was in here the other day. I accidentally poked him with a pin. Okay, maybe not by accident. But he deserved it.”

  “Wait a minute? Ryan’s here in Los Angeles?” I asked.

  “Yes, sir. He moved back just a few days ago.”

  I couldn’t believe it. I wondered if Sierra knew. But if she did, she would have told me. I looked at Kirsty. If anyone would know, it would be her.

  “Kirsty,” I called.

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you know that Sierra’s ex moved back to L.A.?”

  “How did you know that?”

  “Raul just said he did.”

  “Raul, you idiot.”

  “I didn’t know it was a secret,” he said.

  “So you did k
now and, if you knew, then that means Sierra knows and she didn’t tell me.”

  “Relax, Cam. She hates him and wants nothing to do with him. She just found out.”

  “But still, she knew and didn’t tell me.”

  I was a little pissed off at her for not mentioning it to me.

  “You can’t be mad at her. I’m sure she was going to tell you.”

  “Well, she didn’t. Please don’t tell her that I know.”

  Raul told me to go change back into my clothes. When I finished, I met Kirsty at the cash register.

  “Here you go, Mr. Cole. I hope you get many years of wear out of it.”

  “Excuse me? This is only a rental. Don’t I have to return it tomorrow?”

  “No. No. Miss Adams bought you the tuxedo. She didn’t rent it.”

  “Well, I can’t.”

  Kirsty grabbed it from my hand and began to walk away. “Don’t question it; accept it and let’s go.”

  “No. I won’t accept that.”

  “You have no choice, Cam,” she said as she set the tuxedo bag around the hook in the back of the truck.

  She patted me on the chest. “Please don’t piss her off. I have to deal with her for a full day tomorrow and she’s already going to be in a foul mood because of dinner.”

  She walked away, got in her car, and left. I was mad at Sierra for buying me the tuxedo. That was a lot of money to waste on something that I’d never wear again. When I got home. I went straight to the guest house. Screw the bathroom. I’d start on it tomorrow. I just needed to be by myself tonight and think.

  About three hours later, my phone beeped with a text message from Sierra.

  “Hey, I’m lying in bed, sore as hell, if you want to come up and sleep with me tonight.”

  “Nah, I’m already in bed. I’m really tired.”

  “Did you like the tuxedo?”

  “Sure. It’s nice. Thank you.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come up? I kind of don’t want to sleep alone.”

  “Sorry, Sierra, but I just don’t feel like getting out of bed.”

  “Okay then. Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  ****

  Sierra

  What the hell is his problem? I thought as I read his last message. I couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t come and lie with me. After spending the last four days with him, practically glued to his side, I kind of found myself missing him when he wasn’t around. Damn him. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t do this again. Especially now that Douchebag was back in town. What would I do if I saw him? I’d probably claw out his eyes. No, wait. I’d grab his small balls and squeeze them so he couldn’t breathe. Hell, I’d probably just look at him and become a fumbled mess. I cringed as I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. I prayed that the pain would lessen up by morning. I still couldn’t believe Cameron wouldn’t come up here. Men. They were as hormonal as women at times.