The Duet(93)

I slid my gaze to Jason who was wearing a small smile, probably because of that new move I’d attempted in bed that morning… or maybe it was because Cammie was finally done threatening his life with poisoned fruit.

“We’re going to go pick up Lacy and take her to the children’s museum. She’s been begging to see one of the new exhibits,” he said with a proud smile.

“Sounds very exciting,” Cammie mocked.

I kicked her under the table. “It’ll be fun.”

“How does that arrangement work? You don’t have shared custody do you?” she asked.

Jason shook his head. “Nah, I don’t have set times with her, but since Kim and her fiancé live thirty minutes away, they’ve agreed to let Brook and I take her out twice a month.” He shifted to look at me with a soft smile. “I never wanted to take her away from Kim, I just wanted to make sure I could still be a part of her life as she grew up.”

“I see.” Cammie nodded. “If you guys want her to really like you, you should probably give her lots of candy. That’s more fun than a museum.”

I gave her a death stare over the rim of my coffee mug.

“Alright, fine, stick to the museum plan, but maybe supplement it with some ice cream after.”

Jason laughed. “I think we can manage that,” he said, squeezing my hand gently.

Cammie’s phone chimed on the table and she reached for it before I could grab it first.

“What about our no phone at the table rule?” I joked.

She didn’t answer me, instead, the relaxed smile she’d been wearing a moment before started to slip as she read through whatever email or text she’d just received.

“What’s up?” I asked, leaning forward to see what she was reading.

I managed to catch a glimpse of the Cole Designs logo at the top of the email before she pulled the phone away.

“Nothing,” she lied. “Just a confirmation email concerning my interview time with Grayson next week.”

Jason and I exchanged a glance.

“How are you feeling about it?” I asked gently, hoping she’d finally offer me the truth. I knew she was nervous about the impending interview. I knew it had the ability to shape her career, but she was adamant about keeping a brave face.

“I am feeling like I suddenly have no appetite,” she said, pushing the cup of orange juice away.

“You’ll be great, Cammie. Don’t psych yourself out this early.”

Jason nodded. “I can go over interview questions with you if you want.”

She smiled up at him. “If you do, you’re going to need to put on a tailored suit, style your hair, and become a full-on asshole. That way, you can really prepare me for Grayson Cole.”

“Cammie! He’s not that bad.”

She flashed me a pointed stare. “You’re right. He’s worse. He’s treated me terribly over the last few years.”

“How?” I asked, wanting her side of the story.

“Mostly like I don’t even exist. He came to one of my architecture classes a few years back and after his lecture was over, I went up to the front of the room to say hi to him. He completely ignored me. I know he saw me, but he didn’t nod or anything. He walked right past me, talking with another student from my class.” She shrugged. “That was the day I finally decided that he and I would never be friends.”

I frowned and held up my glass of orange juice for a toast, trying to lighten the mood. I’m sure there was a perfectly good explanation for why Grayson ignored her that day, but I couldn’t dispute the fact that the two of them had some serious tension to work out.

“Well, here’s to Cammie, who will have an amazing interview next week, and who will undoubtedly land the job of her dreams,” I said with a wide smile.

She clinked her glass against mine and added a second part to the toast with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“And who will put Grayson Cole in his place if it’s the last thing she does.”