We headed down to the tent. The Pierces would stand in a reception line as guests arrived and I was left to my own devices, to a certain extent at least. Alan was hovering around to make sure that none of the journalists tried to corner me and I recognized the fact that the private security team members were watching me along with the Pierce’s. That was nice of them. I guess they figured Braden’s dad would be rather annoyed if the only woman his son had shown an interest in actually dating in two years got knocked off at his own party.
I stood off to the side and watched the guests arrive and mingle. They were mostly who I thought of as “the beautiful people” although clearly not all of them were actually beautiful. I needn’t have worried about wearing my good jewelry or felt self-conscious about the fact that my dress cost as much as some of my clients made in a month. In this crowd I blended. The reception line was just starting to wind down when I heard a familiar voice from the past say my name. I froze. It couldn’t be. There was no way. I had to be mistaken. I steeled myself, fixed a smile on my face and turned to face him.
* * *
“Cam? Wow, how are you?” I tried to sound cool and collected but my voice came out cracking and unnaturally high. I sounded like a boy going through puberty.
“Gabrielle. It is you. I thought it was, but you look sort of different.”
“Well, it’s been a long time. We were in college then. A lot’s happened. I graduated and went on to law school. I passed the bar and now I’ve been practicing law for two years. I’m sure I look a bit different. I am different. Really different — in lots of ways. I mean how could I possibly be the same? Who’s the same after eight years? Wow. Can you believe that it’s been eight years?” The words came tumbling out in a continuous stream. I was speaking so quickly I could barely understand myself. He seemed kind of confused but he had obviously latched onto the word “law.”
“I’m an attorney too. At Findlay Clay,” he said naming one of the most prestigious firms in town. No wonder we had never run into each other. That legal world was as far away from mine as one could get. Suddenly, the name of the firm clicked.
“Is the Clay…?”
“My father… and my grandfather… and my great-grandfather. Where do you work?”
“I’m a public defender,” I said almost defiantly. Inner-Gabrielle was jumping up and down and screaming “Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!” like some foul-mouthed rhesus monkey.
“That’s so interesting!” Huh? He actually sounded like he meant it. Yeah, it’s interesting. He should meet freaking Tiny.
Just then Braden walked up behind me and put his arm around me possessively. “I see you’ve met my cousin Cameron.” Oh f**k! You just had to know that was coming. (By the way, I sometimes swear a lot when I’m stressed.) No wonder he reminded me of him! How could I have not seen the similarities? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I was filled with tension and I noticed that Cam had tensed up too. Great, and I really didn’t mean that.
“I knew Gabrielle back in college.” Now I felt Braden tense up. This was getting better by the moment. Everybody was tense in the tents. (I also make stupid jokes when I’m stressed. Okay – I do that normally too.) “We were friends.” That was all he said, although he looked at me intently. He wasn’t going to humiliate me. Thank God for small miracles. “So the two of are you dating?” he asked.
“Yes,” Braden answered. “Exclusively.”
“I see. Well, you’re a lucky guy. Gabrielle is incredibly nice, and thoughtful, and sweet, and pure …” He flinched as soon he realized his mistake. “Hearted. Pure hearted. And although she didn’t realize it, I wasn’t good enough to be her… friend.”
“No doubt,” Braden said cynically. I needed a drink. Or several. Why couldn’t somebody win a f**king trial now?
“Well, so anyway, as I was pointing out to Cam… eron. It’s been eight years.” I said significantly to Braden. “That’s a very long time and much has changed.”
“Yeah — you’re even more beautiful than you were then,” Cam said with a smile. Mr. Charming. I wanted to beat him senseless.
“Well, that’s because I’m happy. Very happy. I’m finally dating the guy who I’ve wanted for the past six months.” I looked up at Braden with an adoring smile.
“Six months? Really?” Braden asked. That seemed to mollify him a little.
“I take it that you haven’t been interested in me for as long?”
“Oh, I’ve been picturing you naked since about three seconds after I met you, but I’m a guy and you’re hot.”
“Well, I’m libidinous and you’re hot too.” He was looking significantly more cheerful now.
“I’m glad you’re happy now, Gabrielle. I want you to be happy. That’s all I ever wanted.” He sure had a funny way of showing it.
“Well, thank you. I want me to be happy too.” I smiled.
“Maybe we could be friends again,” he suggested.
“Didn’t he suggest being friends once before?” Braden asked. “Well at least he can only take your virginity and then blow you off once.” Well. If there had been any doubt that Braden had figured it out, that pretty much dispelled it.
“Gabrielle!” Cameron sounded like he was in actual physical pain.
“Braden!” I just sounded pissed.
“What?” Suddenly the resemblance between Braden and Drew was uncanny.
“Gabrielle, I never meant for that to happen. I didn’t even know.” He looked ill.
“I figured that out, Cam. Look, it was a long time ago and we’re all grown up people now.” I gave Braden a warning glance. “Let’s just forget it and move on.” I realized at that moment that I did really want to move on. I had been thinking about something that had happened when I was eighteen for long enough.
“Can we be friends again?” he asked, sounding very earnest.
“You want to be friends? Sure. We can be friends and I’m hoping that the two of you will also try to get along.”
“Why not? It’s not the first time he’s slept with my girlfriend.”
“Braden!” I glared at him and then what he had said sunk in. “Wait, am I your girlfriend?”
“Do you want to be my girlfriend?”
“Well, yeah.”