by Nicole Dykes
I start to style my hair and wait for him to continue the discussion. He doesn’t.
Instead he just gets up and walks out. My hand is shaking as I finish my hair and apply minimal makeup.
I hear the doorbell and run out of my room, flying by Cam who was on his way to get the door. That’s the last thing I need, Cam greeting my date.
He throws up his hands and stops a few feet away from the door. I smooth my hair down with my hands, take a deep breath, and pull the door open.
“Chris?” I ask when I see Alex’s ex standing at my door. I’m not gonna lie, the guy is gorgeous. He’s dressed in jeans, but is wearing a black button-down, rolled up to his elbows, revealing part of the sleeves of tattoos I know are there from meeting him before.
His dirty blonde hair is styled perfectly, and his piercing, bright blue eyes look at me in confusion, “Vanessa? You live here?”
I nod dumbly and look back at Cam, then to Chris. “Are you here for Cam?”
Cam joins me at the door, all three of us totally bewildered. Chris shakes his head, rubbing his fingers through his thick hair. “Actually, I think I’m here for you.” He drops his hand. “Fuck. What the hell was Brooke thinking?”
Cam’s dark blue eyes grow even darker when he points to Chris. “Wait. You’re the guy Brooke set Van up with?”
Holy hell. What was Brooke thinking? I shake my head in disbelief. “Surely not.”
“You two have nothing in common, and you’re over ten years older than her,” Cam practically growls.
Chris nods along. “Yeah, and Brooke assured me although my date was a little younger, she’s very mature for her age.”
I smile briefly at that compliment from the woman I admire most. “This is crazy.”
He’s Alex’s ex for crying out loud. Would Brooke really set me up with him? He is a good guy from what I’ve seen and heard. He owns his own business and is insanely hot, but really? This is too weird.
He smiles at me. Damn. He has a sexy smirk that even rivals Cam’s. “Yeah, I’m not sure what she was thinking. Although you’re beautiful, Vanessa, it would be weird to date you.”
I nod, smiling. “Right? We can’t go out, can we?”
Cam folds his arms next to me and Chris just shrugs, “Well, we are already dressed up and I’m starving. I guess we could at least go get a bite to eat, if you’re up for it.”
I feel Cam stiffen next to me. I have to believe there is a method to Brooke’s madness. She’s the most intuitive person I’ve ever met. “Sounds great.”
“Cool,” Chris says.
Cam abruptly says, “Are you serious?” He hooks my arm and pulls me rudely away from the door. He keeps his voice low when he says, “Are you really going out on a date with him, Van?”
I look back over to where Chris is standing at the door. He looks mildly concerned, but stays put. “You yourself said he’s a good guy.”
“To hang out with, not date. He dated Alex for Christ’s sake. Isn’t that weird?”
It is, but she’s with Shriller now. It’s not like she’s in love with him or dating him. If Brooke set this up, it has to be okay with Alex. I pull my arm out of his grasp. “We’re just going to dinner. Relax.”
With that I walk over to Chris. “Sorry about that. I’m ready when you are.”
He gestures for me to join him, and I walk outside, looking back over my shoulder only once at a furious Cam.
That only confirms for me that Brooke is right and we need to move on.
Now, with Chris? Probably not, but I don’t see the harm in one little date.
Chapter 22
Vanessa
We arrive at a nice steakhouse, and Chris exits the car and opens the door to the classic Mustang for me. I smile politely at him as I step out.
Our conversation was casual on the drive here. Mostly just small talk about the upcoming wedding and my internship with Brooke.
Once we’re seated at the table, the conversation turns serious. “So, was everything okay with Cam? He seemed a little intense,” Chris says, his pretty eyes examining me from the other side of the table.
He did. He was seething, which honestly isn’t fair. How many times have I had to watch him with other women? “He’s just protective,” I say, offering a lame explanation.
He nods his head slowly. “Yeah, well I had no idea it was you Brooke set me up with.”
“That had to be really awkward for you.”
I’m sure he knows about Cam’s and my past. Hell, everyone does. He chuckles, and his face is even more gorgeous when it’s lit up with laughter. “It was. I mean, a little warning would have been nice, especially since I like Cam. I didn’t know I’d been taking his ex out.”
See, he knows. “Well, would you have gone if she would have told you?”
He grins, and cocks his head to the side. “Probably not.” I nod my head knowing the answer before he said it. “Although, she’s right. You do seem very mature for your age. I don’t usually date younger.”
I ponder that for a second. “I thought that’s what all men wanted—a younger woman.”
He laughs and shakes his head emphatically. “Fuck no. No offense, but I prefer women that know what they want. And God knows, I’ve had trouble with that with women my own age, so I’m assuming younger would be a disaster.”
I flinch a little at the clear reference to Alex, but respect his brazen form of honesty. No games with this guy. I like that. “I can respect that. But I’m not sure maturity has a lot to do with age. Some people just grow up faster than others.”
He examines the menu in front of him. “That’s a good point. Maybe I’ve been going about it all wrong.” I pick up my menu and he asks, “If Brooke would have told you it was me she was setting you up with, would you have agreed to it?”
Chris is certainly hot, but if she would have said it was him, I know I would have backed out. It’s not the age thing at all. He just got out of a relationship with Alex, and he’s part of this group. Awkward doesn’t even begin to explain it. I shake my head, “Probably not.”
He smiles at my answer still going through the menu. “Well it’s a good thing she didn’t tell us. Although, I’m not sure I would call this a date.”
I nod my head, deciding on a petite sirloin. “Yeah, maybe more like two acquaintances just getting know each other better.”
“I like that. “
The waiter takes our order and brings a nice bottle of wine over, pouring us each a glass. My cheeks flush as I think about the last time I had wine. I ended up under Cam’s solid body. I try to shake that thought and ask, “So, how is your shop doing?”
“Ah, more small talk, huh?” he asks, coyly as he takes another sip.
I laugh. He totally called me out, but I like it. “Just taking an interest. You did a great job on Cam’s tattoo.”
He raises an eyebrow and I sink down in my chair a little. It’s not that weird that I’ve seen him shirtless, but I’m positive my face looks guilty. “Thanks. It wasn’t too tough.”
“You have a true gift.”
He smiles modestly. “Thanks,” he says quickly and then switches to me. “So, you want to go into social work. That’s a tough job.”
“I think it will be rewarding at the end of the day. If I can make a slight difference in the world, I’ll be happy.”
He seems pleased with my answer and says, “Yeah, I’d say you’re going to be just fine.”
“Thanks.”
He takes another drink of wine, and I follow suit as he asks, “You and Cam still a thing?”
I nearly choke on my wine when he asks me that. As I recover I manage to say, “Done with the small talk, huh?”
He smirks at me from his side of the table. “Life’s too fucking short for small talk. I like to get to the point.”
“Clearly,” I say and clear my throat. Stalling before answering his question. “No. We’re just friends.”
Friends that apparently make out.
&
nbsp; His eyes search mine with curiosity, and I can tell he’s not buying it. “Can exes really be friends?”
“Brooke and Shriller do it.”
“That’s a good point. So, you’re not still hung up on Cam, then?”
I’m a terrible liar, but usually I’m good at avoiding things I don’t want to discuss. Chris has another gift besides tattoos though, and for some reason, I answer his question. “I’ll always care about Cam, but we don’t make a good couple, and in the back of my mind, I know that.”
He gives me a polite yet knowing grin. “So, that’s a yes.”
I sigh, “It doesn’t matter.”
“We’ve all been there. I just don’t live with mine. Not sure how you handle that.”
I take another sip of the expensive wine. “It’s not easy.”
“What happened with you and Cam?”
That I’m not going too deep into. “He cheated.”
Chris looks genuinely appalled by that and says. “And you’re still friends with him?”
“It’s complicated, but he swears he didn’t. I didn’t believe him, but he’s one of my best friends. I couldn’t let him go completely.”
Chris holds up one hand in the air. “Hold on, he denied it?”
I nod and thank the waiter as he places our plates of steaming food in front of us. When he leaves I answer, “Yes, he swore he never slept with her, but she told me they did. Why would she do that if they didn’t?”
He scratches the scruff on his chin in thought. “I’m not sure, but Cam seems like a straight shooter. Don’t you think he would admit it if he did it?”
That was my first instinct and Hannah’s. And Hunter and Luke's, but the damage was already done. There was a seed of doubt planted in my heart and there was just no going back. “Not if it was a drunken mistake that he just wanted to go away. He knew I wouldn’t forgive him for cheating.”
“Does he still deny it?” Chris asks.
“Yes.”
“Hmm . . .”
I know what he’s thinking. It’s what everyone else thinks. He didn’t cheat. “No matter what, there isn’t trust there. The relationship is doomed.”
He nods. “I get that. Believe me.” He seems distant now and says, “Maybe we should go back to small talk.”
For some reason, that makes giggle, and he laughs with me, the tension broken.
After dinner, he drives me home and walks me to the front door. I search for my keys in my purse and say, “Well, this was nice.”
He grins as I pull my keys out. “Yeah, I’m glad you agreed to go.”
I bite my bottom lip, and peer into his intense eyes. Wondering if he’s going to kiss me. Do I want that? “Me too,” I say in a near whisper.
The last person I kissed was Cam. I don’t have much experience in that area. If he kisses me, would it even come close to Cam's kiss? Would it be better?
“Maybe we can do it again, sometime,” Chris says.
I smile and nod my head. “Yeah. That’d be great.”
He leans in closer. This is it. He’s going to kiss me. His lips are near mine and I mentally prepare and close my eyes, but then hear his voice. “When you’re certain you’re over Cam.”
My eyes open as he pulls back. “What?”
His smile is kind when he says, “I made the mistake of dating someone who was hung up on someone else. I don’t want to do that again.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded.
“Good night, Vanessa,” he says coolly as he walks off the front porch.
I wave, in a fog. “Night.”
He climbs in his car and drives away and I stand there frozen for a moment. What the hell just happened?
I finally pull myself out of the daze I’m in long enough to unlock the door and walk inside. I jump when I bump into Cam, who is standing there with his arms folded over his chest. “How’d it go?”
I cover my thundering heart with my hand and nearly yell at him, “Cam! Jesus, were you waiting by the door all night?”
“No. I heard the car door. Thought I’d see how your date went.”
I hang my purse on the hook by the door and make my way into the kitchen with Cam on my heels. “It wasn’t a date. Not really.”
He stands on the other side of the kitchen island as I fill a glass with water. “I can’t believe you went.”
“Why not, Cam? We’re both single and he’s a good guy.”
“Who has fucked Alex,” he fires at me, clearly still agitated.
“Well, this whole group has swapped partners quite a bit. Nothing new,” I say growing tired of his questions.
“So, you fucked him?” Cam says angrily.
I stare at him in awe. He can’t possibly be jealous when only a couple of weeks ago there was a chick he slept with bouncing around in this kitchen. “You can’t ask me things like that, Cam.”
“Why the fuck not, Van? We’re friends. Friends talk about sex. I’m sure as soon as you see Hannah, you’ll dish out all of the details from cock size to technique.”
I roll my eyes. “Yep, Cam, you got me. I haven’t slept with anyone for a year, but, I hooked up with the first guy I went out with since you, on the first fucking date.” I walk around to his side of the island and poke his solid chest with my finger. “You’re so intuitive,” I say, laying on the sarcasm thick.
His fingers wrap around my wrist, effortlessly and holds it there. He looks down, his eyes searching mine intensely. “Are you going to go out with him again?”
I shrug, breaking the spell he has over me momentarily and pull my hand away. “I don’t know.”
“You can’t trust me, but you think you can trust him? You know how many skanky bitches sit in his chair, soaked panties, just begging for him to take them upstairs to his place? I’m betting half get their wish.”
I laugh, bitterly and it’s ugly, but I don’t care. “You are going to judge someone for sleeping around?”
“Not at all,” he says, before adding. “I just can’t believe you think you can trust him.”
I don’t. At this point I don’t think I will ever trust anyone. I don’t say that, instead I huff angrily, “I’m not doing this. Sleep with who you want Cam and don’t worry about what I’m doing.”
I don’t let him get another jab in and take off to my room, my head whirling from tonight.
Brooke must have had a reason for setting me up with Chris. She’s one of the smartest people I know. And there’s no reason I shouldn’t be into him.
But Cam’s right. I don’t think I could trust him, especially in his line of work.
I’m seriously damaged.
Chapter 23
Cam
Almost a week after Van’s date with Chris, I creep sheepishly to her bedroom door. We haven’t talked since she got home that night, at least not in full sentences.
There have been nods and some “heys” as we passed each other in the hall or kitchen, but that’s it. I’m starting to miss the shit out of her.
I knock on the door and wait a second before I hear, “Come in.”
I open the door. Van is sitting on her bed going over what I’m assuming is a casefile for work. Her long hair is down and curled, fresh makeup, and she’s wearing a purple sundress with a pair of brown sandals. She must have changed after work today because last time I saw her, she was in a silk blouse and black pencil skirt.
I can’t decide which look I like best.
She looks at me nervously and asks, “What’s up, Cam?”
“You going tonight?” Hunt and Cass are in town and, in true Monroe fashion, Brooke is making dinner and invited the whole gang.
She nods happily, but stays distant. I know I fucked up. I tried to play it cool when she left, for like a second. I just kept imagining his hands all over her. Wondering if her hands were on him. Would she kiss him? Would they do more?
I drove myself fucking crazy.
Then I heard the car door and like an asshole, I interrogated her the second she wal
ked in the door. No matter how much I told myself to calm down and listen, I just couldn’t. I had to know.
I did significant damage though and I want to fix it, so I walk further into her room and sit next to her on the bed. “I was an ass.”
That got her attention, and she turns to look at me. “Yeah, you were.”
I grin. She never lets me off the hook easily. “I’m sorry.”
She folds her bare arms over her chest. “I get it, but it’s a little hypocritical to be mad at me for going out on a date.”
“I know. I wasn’t mad at you, just confused. You were right about us fucking up a lot as we try to figure this out. This was one of mine.”
“Okay, I forgive you.”
I laugh, relieved. “Good. You want a ride to Brooke and Dylan’s?”
She hops off the bed. “Suppose that makes sense. Thanks.”
I stand up also, and we walk out to my car together. When are both situated in our seats, I back out of the drive and then turn to her briefly. “So, how was your week?”
That coaxes a big smile from her and she proceeds to tell me every detail of her week on the short drive.
I park the car on the street in front of Brooke and Dylan’s, and we walk up to the front door together. After I ring the doorbell it’s Luke that answers. “Hey, fucking finally man!” He says, addressing me and then turning to Van, “Hannah’s in the kitchen and she’s been waiting all day to see you.”
“Thanks, Luke,” Van says as we walk inside.
“Just saying, I think my girlfriend misses living with you,” Luke says as he closes the door.
Van just shrugs casually. “Maybe that’s because she’s your girlfriend and not your fiancé.” Then bounces off happily toward the kitchen.
I laugh. “She’s got ya there shithead,” I joke as I follow him to the living room where Jax, Dylan, Shriller, Hunt, and Michael are all hanging out.
“Whatever asshole, at least Hannah’s mine and not going out with tattoo artists.”
I take a seat next to Hunter, who I’m pretty fucking ecstatic to see, but play it cool with a fist bump.
“Shut the fuck up, Monroe,” I say only a little serious, and Luke laughs happily. I turn to Hunt. “How was your trip?”
