Then You Happened by Sandi Lynn
I hit the end button and shook my head. Was seeing Royce such a good idea? No. But I needed some normalcy back in my life if I was ever going to stop thinking about Cameron.
****
“What are you doing?” Kirsty said as she scared the shit out of me in my closet.
“Damn you! Stop creeping up on me like that.”
“Answer the question.”
“I’m going to dinner with Royce,” I explained as I pulled out my Chanel dress and looked it over.
“Really? Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“No, but I need some normalcy back in my life and Royce is that normalcy.”
“No, he’s not. He’s a suit. Your suits aren’t normal. They’re freaks!”
“Shush,” I said as I slipped on my dress and went into the bathroom to fix my hair and makeup.
“What you need is Cameron. Have you even bothered to get in contact with him?”
“No, and even if I did, he wouldn’t get the messages anyway, being up in the non-civilized world he’s in. And for your information, I don’t need him. He left me.”
“He left you because you wouldn’t tell him you loved him. He didn’t leave you for any other reason.”
“Leave me alone before I fire you.”
“Sorry if the truth hurts.”
“Don’t worry about me, Kirsty. I’ll be fine. I always am, aren’t I?”
I grabbed my clutch and my Jimmy Choos and walked downstairs. “Rosa, is James here yet?” She didn’t answer me.
I walked out to the back and noticed the door to the guest house was open. I walked inside and felt nothing but emptiness.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked.
“Dusting.”
“Oh. Well, have a good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
James pulled up to Le Chateau and the valet opened the door for me. Before I stepped out, James reached back and grabbed my hand.
“Call me if you need me. I’ll be wherever you are in a flash.”
“Thanks, James, but I’ll be okay. It’s time to get my life back.”
As I walked into the restaurant, Royce was in the lobby, talking on the phone. He saw me, smiled, hung up, and tried to kiss my lips. My quick reflexes stepped into action and I turned my head.
“It is so good to see you. You look gorgeous.” He smiled.
Goddamn, that cologne already was beginning to nauseate me. “Thank you.”
We were promptly seated at our table, where I downed two cosmopolitans before dinner was even served.
“We are going back to my place after dinner, correct?”
“Of course, Royce. Why ruin our routine?”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I miss my face in between those beautiful legs of yours.”
Ugh, his statement made me sick. It never used to. But tonight, it did.
After a wonderful and elegant meal that I barely touched, we climbed in the back of his limo and headed to his penthouse. As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I headed straight for his bar.
“Going for the tequila already?” He chuckled.
“Of course. Must keep up with tradition,” I replied as I poured myself a glass.
He walked over to me and softly brushed his lips against the back of neck. His hands wandered down my arms and then up to my breasts, where he cupped them firmly. I closed my eyes and tried to go to that place where George and I always hung out in these situations. It wasn’t working. He slowly unzipped my dress and slipped it off my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. The groan that erupted from his chest made me cringe. His hands caressed my torso as they moved down south and his fingers pushed the edge of my panties to the side. He plunged his finger inside me and I gasped. I was desperately trying to find George, but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, when all hope was lost, a man appeared out of the shadows. IT. WAS. CAMERON. I took in a sharp breath as I jumped and ducked under Royce’s arm.
“I’m sorry. I can’t do this, Royce,” I said as I scrambled for my dress.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t do this with you. I can’t. I just can’t. I’m sorry. I need to leave,” I said as I felt an anxiety attack coming on.
“Wait, Sierra. Stop right now!” he commanded.
I stopped and slowly turned around. He walked over to me and zipped up my dress.
“What’s his name?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“What’s his name?”
“Cameron,” I answered as I looked down in shame.
“Go sit down and I’ll pour you another drink. You can tell me all about it.”
He handed me a glass of tequila and then took his scotch and sat in the chair across from me. I told him everything about Cameron and the times we shared.
“Are you in love with him?” he asked.
“If I say yes, then that means I’m admitting it out loud and, if I do that, then it becomes real.”
“It’s okay to love him, kid. My advice to you is to go and get him back. You’ve proven tonight that you’re not over him. I personally think you’d be a fool to let him get away. He’s one lucky guy to have a woman like you love him.”
“You’re the same as me, Royce. This is why we do what we do. You don’t believe in relationships.”
“I do for you, Sierra, because I knew the minute you stepped into that restaurant, you seemed off. You need someone to love, doll. This way of life isn’t for you. You’re way smarter than that and I knew it was only a matter of time before someone stole your heart. Your dad would have wanted you to find someone to love.”
I smiled as I put on my Jimmy Choos. I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to James to come pick me up.
“Thanks, Royce. You’re a good friend,” I said as I kissed his cheek.
“So are you, Sierra. I’ll miss our fun times, but if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me.”
I walked to the door and, before I stepped out, Royce called my name. I turned around and looked at him.
“I heard about your board meeting. You’ve got the eye of the tiger, girl. Your dad would have been very proud of you.”
“Thanks. I learned from the best.” I smiled as I stepped outside.
James pulled up and opened the door for me.
“You okay?”
“I’m okay.” I smiled as I nodded my head. “Royce is a good guy who offered some good advice.”
“I give you good advice,” James said.
“Of course you do. That’s why I pay you. Now stop being jealous.” I winked.
****
Cameron
I was sitting at the bar, drinking a beer while Mark was bartending. I had spent my days fixing up some things around the house and helping my parents at their fruit stand. I tried to keep as busy as possible to keep my mind off of Sierra, but no matter how busy I was, I still thought about her. These last two weeks seemed to be the longest two weeks of my life. My family knew something was up because I couldn’t fake happiness twenty-four/seven. The only person I could talk to about Sierra was Mark, since he already knew she wasn’t a lesbian. I told him what she really did for a living and how she wasn’t a barista at Starbucks. He laughed and shook his head because he never would have pegged her for a corporate CEO. I felt a hand on my shoulder and, when I turned around, Jaden, Magnolia, Dallas, and another girl were standing behind me.
“Hey, buddy. Hi, Magnolia,” I said.
“Hi, Cam, it’s great to see you again.” Magnolia smiled. “You remember my sister, Dallas, right? You’ll be standing up with her at our wedding.”
“I do remember. Nice to see you again, Dallas.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to see you too.”
The last time I saw Dallas was about a year ago and she had braces and short brown hair. Now, her braces were off and her hair was long and curly. She was a cute girl, but nothing compared to Sierra. I told Mark to get me another beer and I went and sat at a table with all of them
Chapter 36
Sierra
I was sitting in my office, staring out the window, when Kirsty walked in.
“I need you to sign these forms.”
I was in deep thought about Cameron and how much I missed him. My God, I didn’t even miss Ryan this much after he left. I missed his smart comments to me and I missed him making me do things that he knew I didn’t want to do. FUCK! I missed him so much that it still hurt as bad as the day he left.
“I love him. I’m in love with him,” I blurted out. “I’m Sierra Adams, CEO of Adams Advertising and Design and I always go after and get what I want. And I want Cameron Cole and the account for Aruelia.”
I pressed the intercom button on my desk phone.
“Sasha, get in here!”
She ran into my office. “What’s wrong?”
“I need you to book me on the next flight out to North Carolina. I’m going after my future.”
“I’m right on it, Sierra. I’m so excited.” She smiled.
“Kirsty, come with me,” I said as I grabbed her hand.
We left the building and I hailed a cab.
“What the hell are you doing and where are we going?” she asked.
“To Aruelia’s hotel. I have a few things to say to her.”
The cab dropped us off at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and I had the desk alert Aruelia that we were there to see her. After we were given her room number, Kirsty and I took the elevator up to her room and knocked on the door.
“What’s this about?” she asked as she let us in.
“Sit down, Aruelia. I have a few things to say to you.”
“How dare you come in here and bark orders at me,” she said as she stood there with her arms folded.
“Sit, now!” I exclaimed as I pointed to the wingback chair.
“Well, I never,” she said as she sat down.
“I’m not really sure why you didn’t choose my agency to represent your company. But I have a good idea. In our meeting, you asked me if I knew anything about ballroom dancing. I told you that I took a few lessons and you gave me a look of disgrace because I didn’t love it or know a lot about it. Would you rather have had me lie to you and misrepresent you from the beginning? No. I was truthful and you turned away. Just like I did with Cameron.”
“Who?”
“Cameron. The man who told me he loved me that day and I turned away from him. He was telling me the truth and I was hiding. Anyway, life is made up of what you want and sometimes you need to take a risk, even if it scares the shit out of you because it could be the best and most rewarding risk you ever take. I’m asking you to take a risk with Adams Advertising. We aren’t one of the top ten advertising agencies for nothing.”
“Are you finished?” she asked.
“Yes, and now I have to leave. I have a plane to catch and a man to tell how much I love him.”
I began walking towards the door as Kirsty stood there with her mouth hanging open.
“Sierra,” Aruelia called. “Good luck.” She smiled.
“You too. Kirsty, let’s go!” I snapped.
She jumped and followed me out the door. “What the hell was that?” she asked.
“That was me going after what I want,” I said as we slid into the back of the cab and I pulled out my ringing phone.
“Tell me you got me on a flight?”
“The only flight available leaves at midnight and arrives in North Carolina at ten a.m. with one stop in Atlanta. They only had two first-class seats left, so I booked it.”
“Okay. I wanted earlier, but that will give me a chance to pack and get things in order. Thanks, Sasha.”
Kirsty took hold of my hand. “I’m so fucking proud of you and I can’t believe you’re going to get him. That is so romantic.”
Suddenly, a horrific thought came to my mind. “What if he tells me to go to hell or says that he doesn’t love me anymore?”
“Stop it. Cameron would never do that. He’s so in love with you.”
The cab dropped us off at my house and, when we walked through the door, James was in the kitchen, talking to Rosa.
“Do I still have a job?” James asked as he looked at me. “I only ask because it seems that you’ve been spotted in a yellow cab around L.A.”
“Oh, please. I was in a hurry. Don’t take offense. You’re still way hotter than the cabbie. I have a flight at midnight, so I need you to drive me to the airport.”
“Midnight? Where the hell are you going at midnight?” Rosa asked.
“I’m going to North Carolina to tell Cameron that I love him.”
Rosa smiled and placed her hands on each side of my face. “You better bring Builder Boy home,” she said before she hugged me.
“That’s the plan, Rosa.”
****
I stepped onto the plane and could barely wait to land in North Carolina. It’d been almost three weeks since I’d seen Cameron and, every day, it was killing me. I couldn’t wait to throw my arms around him and tell him how much I loved him. I knew I was in love with him from the beginning, but I kept denying it out of fear. I now realized how stupid I was and if I’d only admitted to myself and him from the beginning, we wouldn’t be apart. I drank two glasses of wine to calm my nerves and then fell asleep.
Finally, the plane landed and I couldn’t wait to get off and stretch. Shit. I forgot to arrange for a car to pick me up and take me to Cameron’s house. Shit. Shit. I didn’t have Cameron’s address. I exited the plane and threw my head back in disbelief. As I walked to baggage claim, I scoped out where the car rental counter was. Perfect. There was one right across from baggage claim. I grabbed my suitcase and headed to the counter.
“Hello, ma’am. How can I help you?” the brunette asked.
“I need a limo to drive me to Lake Santeetlah.”
“Your name, please.”
“Sierra Adams.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Adams, but there’s nothing showing me that you arranged for a limo.”
“I didn’t. I forgot. But now I’m here and I would like one.” I smiled.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call and it can take anywhere from two to three hours for one to arrive here. These things must be pre-arranged ahead of time.”
I gritted my teeth and now I was aggravated. I hadn’t had coffee yet and I was tired.
“I know, but I forgot. So if you’re saying it will take that long, then I’ll just rent a car.”
“Do you have a preference?” she asked.
“A Porsche, please.”
She looked at me with narrowing eyes. “We don’t have any of those available for rental.”
“Then what do you have?” I scowled.
“If you’re interested in luxury, I do have one Cadillac Escalade available.”
“I’ll take it. Do you think we can move this along? I’m in a hurry,”
She glared at me and then asked for my driver’s license and a credit card. When I handed her my license, she looked at it and then back at me.
“That explains it,” she said.
I rolled my eyes because I knew exactly what she meant. She made a call on her phone and then handed me my license, credit card, and receipt.
“Your rental will be waiting for you outside those double doors. Thank you and enjoy your stay in North Carolina,” she said with a fake smile.
I flashed my fake smile back to her as I grabbed my Louis Vuitton suitcase and walked towards the double doors. Sitting at the curb was a black Escalade. I threw my suitcase in the back and got in. Shit. Where was I even going? I pulled away from the curb and into a parking lot once I drove away from the airport. I needed to think where I was going before I lost any kind of service. That’s it! Jolene gave me her number before I left the last time I was here and told me to keep in touch. I immediately called
“Hello,” she said.
“Jolene, it’s Sierra.”
“Sierra! How are you?”
“I’m okay. Listen, I need you to do me a favor and don’t tell anyone in your family that I called you.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m in town and I want it to be a big surprise!”
“Oh my God. Yay! Cam doesn’t know you’re coming?” she asked.
“No. He doesn’t know and I want to keep it that way. So please, don’t mention this to anyone. The reason I’m calling is I need your address.”
She rattled it off as I punched it into the GPS with great difficulty.
“Okay. I got it. Thanks, Jolene, and remember, not a word to anyone about this.”
“Don’t worry, Sierra. Your secret is safe with me.”
I hung up and headed on the road to Lake Santeetlah. As I was cruising down the highway, my phone rang and it was Kirsty.
“Hey, girl,” I answered.
“I just wanted to make sure your plane arrived safely.”
“It did. I did and now I’m driving to Cameron’s house.”
“You’re driving?” she asked.
“Yes. I had no choice. I forgot to tell Sasha to arrange for a driver, so I had to rent a car.”
She burst into laughter and then she handed the phone to James.
“Now don’t forget, Sierra, the brake is on the left and the gas pedal is on the right,” he said.
“Very funny! Can you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“The sound of me flipping you off. I have to hang up and concentrate. By the way, you’re both fired when I get back.”
James chuckled. “Bye, Sierra.”
It was a tedious drive, but I finally arrived in Lake Santeetlah. I was about ten minutes from Cameron’s house and my stomach was a ball of knots. I didn’t know how he was going to react when he saw me, and I didn’t know how I was going to react when I saw him. Was I going to break down and cry? Was I going to bust out into uncontrollable hysterics? I didn’t know. With me, anything could go. I pulled up to the house, put the SUV in park, and grasped onto the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turned white. I took in a deep breath, walked up to the door, and knocked. This was it. My future was going to be determined right this second.