Fall into you

Chapter Eight Part One: Cami

A tiny bistro styled coffee shop which had always been a favorite haunt, lured Cami in--the smell of freshly baked croissants and Mocco Java, was too much to resist. 

She choose a table near the window, with a view of the street beyond, to munch on their pastry and sip their delicious brew. She was just settling into her comfort zone, pulling out her phone to access their free wifi and check her emails, when she spotted Joan. Regretfully, Joan saw her at almost at the same moment and came over to chat. Although they had never really been friends, Cami had known the woman since their first day at school. They had been in the same class until college when Joan had dropped out to get married in her freshman year. She had been pregnant, but in Joan's case Cami had doubted that it had been without design. However, she didn't think the same could be said for Gary, Joan's long suffering boyfriend and now husband.

"Hey, Cami!" Joan slipped into the chair opposite without invitation, eager for news on Cami's shattered family, no doubt.

"Joan, how are you doing?" Cami returned, resignation in her voice, there was no way to get out of talking to her without being blatantly rude.

"Heard you were looking for a permanent job? It can't be easy managing on a part-time waitresses' wage..." Joan trailed, batting her eyelashes in fake sympathy for Cami's famously dire financial predicament.

"I got a job this morning, actually," Cami returned smugly, turning Joan's expression sour. She quickly recovered herself.

"Goodness, with all the money your family raised for your poor sister's operations I didn't think any of you would ever have to work again, did you spend it all?" Jeez, now I know why I can't stand her, b***h!

"The money was in trust, Joan, it was a charity fund. Everything was used on Michelle's treatment. You must know that?"

"Sorry," she said narrowing her eyes at me, " that was a dumb thing to suggest." God, perhaps she was human after all.

"So, you getting married yet, how's Greg?" No she's not human, she's an absolute moronic zombie.

"I thought everyone knew that my problem with Greg was that he was already married." Cami refused to give the woman the satisfaction of thinking she would avoid mentioning a well known, but embarrassing fact.

"No way! I didn't know, that's really horrible, he seemed like such a great guy" she lied. Feigning innocence. Cami wondered just what it was that made Joan get off on being so totally mean, but lately Cami guessed it had more to do with her own miserable circumstances than any prospect of gloating--it was rumored that despite the money she'd married into, Joan was kept on a short leash by her husband, who hated appearing as 'caught' as she'd made him look. Cami looked her over attempting to drum up a suitably sarcastic retort. Although it wasn't really in her nature to waste her time thinking nasty, Joan could raise the exception, time and again.

"Well, anyway, looks like congratulations are in order!" Cami grinned wickedly, taking Joan by surprise.

"wha--"

"I hope it's a boy this time." Cami insulted Joan's obvious weight gain delightedly.

"No, oh no... I'm not pregnant, we've been trying but no luck yet," She blurted  making Cami realize that Joan was simply too stupid to be put down effectively. She had totally missed Cami's pointed jibe.

"Oh, well you'll just need to keep trying then, won't you?" Cami sighed, giving up, "Sorry, Joan, I must do some work if you don't mind, I need to be alone to get it done?" Straight talk would be the only thing to get Joan on her way, Cami's patience had worn through enough for her brush off to feel justified.

"Suit yourself, you were always stuck in some or other book. You need to have some fun girl!" Joan remarked scathingly, sliding her ample frame off the seat, and offering Cami a coy wave as she left.

The ambience ruined, Cami sunk back into her chair, thoughts of Greg heavy on her mind. There was no way Joan hadn't known about Greg, everyone knew, and after all, it had been more than a year since she'd attacked him with his son's baseball bat when she'd discovered him by accident at his kid's school game. She had been babysitting her friends ten-year-old for a week while the woman was out of town on business, and would probably never have discovered the truth if her charge's team had not been playing Greg's kid's side that day. She had put him in hospital with a cracked rib, but apart from Mario, almost no one had forgiven her for doing him in despite the circumstance of his despicable deception because she had launched into him in front of his appalled son, who had been even more traumatized than her at his daddy's infidelity. Cami sighed. Hating Joan all the more for reminding her about the sad state of her love life. She wasn't even certain she had been in love with Greg, but his cheating heart had made her sick for months. Mostly, it had been the idea of being taken for a ride, she had never figured herself the victim in 'that' type of scenario. She had arrogantly assumed she would never be taken in by a cad. Now, she was ridiculously wary, oversensitive and suspicious, not characteristics men found overwhelmingly attractive. Anyway, she had to concentrate on pushing her career, which left little time for men.

Cami tried to bury her depressing thoughts, she clicked up her email application on her phone and found Global Tour's mail. It read like an invitation to a festive event rather than an appointment offer for a job. Relaxing, Cami felt her mood lighten, she forked up some of the delectable looking pastry that had been lying neglected on her plate. The glide of smooth silky cream and crumble of sweet flaky crust over her tongue made her feel a whole lot better, this was her special treat, she loved the place. Resolutely, she allowed Joan's toxicity to recede. Cami tried to imagine the exclusive hotel the conference would be held at, Moore Lake, was an upmarket place overlooking a green glade and a crystal lake, she had seen pictures of well heeled tourists enjoying its plentiful bounties, but it was not the type of location Cami would choose. She preferred back-to-nature venues, but then, this was a tourist company she had been fighting to work for, wasn't it? Perhaps it would be the change she needed, her excitement rose, it was going to be nice, really nice--despite the mild apprehension of possibly being there near Kenzie, she was determined to make it nice.