Center Stage Ch. 07

I thought at first that this was all purely physical and the attraction would pass. How wrong was I? The more time I spent with Cameron the more attracted I became. He was a phenomenal employee. After a few days he had memorized my routine. Cameron had my coffee ready for me in the mornings, had all the information I needed for the day laid out on my desk, and he was normally in the office before I was. Beneath all of that though, I found out that Cam was a sensitive and compassionate person. He was concerned about other people’s feelings. Underneath all of that sharp, sarcastic humor was a big ole puppy dog.

One of the first major mistakes I made, yes I can admit I make mistakes was when I forced Cameron into going to that party with me. At the time it seemed like a fucking brilliant idea. Of course though, I was thinking only in regards to myself. I had been pulling away from Cam at work more and more because my attraction for him wouldn’t stop. It never occurred to me that I might be pushing him to dislike me.

I found out that night at the party that I really wasn’t his favorite person. It certainly felt like he hated me. He wasn’t right about the fact that I didn’t know anything about him. I found out as much information as I could. I just didn’t let him know that. I purposely distanced myself from him, but he didn’t let that stop him. That night on his couch was a prime example of that. It was embarrassing to admit that I never really cuddled with someone before. When I felt his body press up against mine, and his arm snaked around my waist I thought I was going to go into orbit.

Of course I bolted. In those few quiet moments with him I could feel myself starting to slip. I could feel it in my heart. I knew I was falling in love with him, but I still wouldn’t let myself admit it. It wasn’t until he almost walked out of my life that following Monday that I let myself admit my feelings. I don’t know if any of that matters now though.

When I found Cameron on his living room floor covered in blood it scared the hell out of me. I never thought for a second that once I had Cam that I would ever lose him. When he almost died I thought I was going to go insane. It was then I realized just how important Cameron was in my life. That scared me more than anything. I’ve never felt connected to someone like that before. I guess almost losing him made me do some stupid things.

I started pulling back from him. I thought maybe if I weren’t so close to him then I wouldn’t be afraid of losing him. I know what you’re thinking. I never claimed to be the smartest person in the world when it came to love. I realized pretty quickly that pulling away from him, and myself, hurt even more. I was just so afraid of losing him I didn’t know what to do. I guess it doesn’t matter all that much now since he has left me.

I didn’t replace Cameron at CSP because I didn’t want him there. That was the furthest thing from the truth. Once again I should have talked to him about it before I did it. I wanted Cam to come back more than anything in the world but not as my PA. I wanted him to be my partner. I wanted Cameron to help me run the company. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and sighed. It was almost 2 o’clock in the morning. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

Somehow I was able to get up and arrive at work on time this morning. How I did it I have no idea. I was running on autopilot for sure. I filled Madison’s food and water bowl, but I didn’t try to call her. Since Cam left last night she was staying far away from me. I caught a taxi down to the office and rode the elevator up to my floor. As I exited the elevator I saw Cam’s replacement was already here. That’s a good thing at least. She was an attractive woman.

“Good morning, Mr. Grey.” She said with a smile. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a twist at the back of her head this morning. “I’ve placed your messages on your desk and the files for your 9 a.m. appointment as well.”

“Thank you, Miss Sands.” I said with a smile.

I headed back towards my office for the start of another long day. All of my days at work were long ones without Cameron there. I placed my jacket in the closet and tossed my briefcase down on my desk. I was just flipping through the messages on my desk when my assistant came back in. She was carrying two cups of coffee.

“Here you go, sir.” She said as she handed me one. She pulled some creamers and sugar packets out of her pocket. “I wasn’t sure how you took your coffee so I figured I’d bring a handful of both for you.”

“Thanks, but drop the sir stuff ok. We’ve been through this. You can call me Zack.” I said with a smile.

“Ok, Zack.” She said with a grin. “But then you have to drop the Miss Sands stuff. Just call me Gina.”

“Gina it is then.” I said with a chuckle. “I’m surprised that you’re such a morning person. I figured someone who used to work at a bar would be a night owl.”

“I’m totally faking the happy routine.” She said with a laugh. “It will take some time before I’m used to being up for work this early. Normally, I’m just getting to bed.”

“You never did mention why you left your job at Diversity.” I said as I sat down behind my desk. “I’ve been there a few times. I thought that was the hottest club in town.”

“Was is the key word.” Gina said as she sat on the edge of my desk. “The owner ran into some financial problems and borrowed some money from the wrong people.” She giggled and pushed at her nose with one of her fingers. “When he couldn’t repay the loan he was forced to close the club and sell it.”

“I guess everyone will be looking for a new hangout spot then.” I said.

“Well the club is actually going to re-open.” Gina said with a smile. “Austin’s best friend ended up buying the club. There will be a new name and everything, but it will take a few months for them to be ready. They are going to completely remake the entire building. It should be pretty cool.”

“Who is Austin?” I asked.

“I’m sorry.” She replied. “Austin’s my boyfriend. I’m so used to hanging around with the same group of people I forget that not everyone knows who I am talking about.”

“Are you planning on going back to the club once it reopens?” I asked her curiously. Gina was turning out to be a good PA, and I wasn’t looking forward to her leaving. “Besides, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How does a girl with a masters degree in business admin end up working at a bar?”

“Oh no. I wouldn’t do that to you.” Gina said with a big grin. “Austin is actually going to be managing the club, and I don’t think it’s the greatest idea for the two of us to work together. Don’t get me wrong now. I love the man, but we would end up killing each other. To answer your other question, this is actually the first job opportunity I had that actually pays something. I tried looking for jobs when I got out of school, but no one was offering any good salaries. I started at one place and had to bartend at night for more money. I started making more money bartending and ended up quitting my day job, so to speak.”

“Sounds like you have a good thing going with Austin.” I said with a smile. “And it sounds like I got lucky to get you hired here.”

“Yeah I do, and yes you did.” She replied with a laugh. Gina looked at me curiously. “This isn’t any of my business, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that I got your boyfriend’s old job. Do I have to worry about him coming back and bumping me out of the way?”

I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my lips at the mention of Cam. I still have no idea what I was going to do about that. I knew that I needed to get him back. The only problem I was having was trying to figure out how I was going to do that. I knew he was staying at Aiden’s place, but I didn’t think calling there would be the best solution.

“No you don’t have to worry about that, Gina.” I said with a sad smile. “We’re kind of not talking right now. I was a big asshole, and now I have to try to fix things.”

“Gay guys are always dealing with drama.” Gina said with an overly dramatic sigh. “You remind me of my future brother-in-law a lot.”

“You’re boyfriend’s brother is gay?” I asked.

“No.” Gina deadpanned. “But his boyfriend is.” She laughed and rolled her eyes at me. “Of course he’s gay. Why would I say that otherwise? So tell me all about what happened and we can figure out a plan to get things fixed. I’m really, really good with plans.”

The next thing I know I am spilling my guts to her. I’m not quite sure how it happened to be honest, but once I started talking I couldn’t stop. Gina quietly listened and only talked to prompt me to continue. As I finished up telling her everything that happened I couldn’t help the tears that formed in my eyes. She walked over to me and handed me a tissue. Then she hit me in the back of my head.

“OUCH!” I yelled as I rubbed the back of my head. “What the fuck was that for?”

“You know what that was for.” Gina said. “You were a big asshole. You made the poor guy jump through hoops before you gave in to him. Then your crazy sister almost kills him, and to top it all off you pushed him away and replaced him. How the hell are you going to fix this?”

“Are you always this fucking blunt with people?” I asked her.

“No. This is sweet.” She said with a grin. “You don’t want to see me blunt. Luckily for you though I have a plan. And my plans always work.”

I don’t know why, but I felt a bit uneasy as she grinned at me. I was willing to try anything at this point though. I have to get Cam back.

* * *

Cameron’s Point Of View

Daytime television sucks. I have never been so fucking bored out of my mind. I remember the good old days when there were like a thousand game shows on in the mornings. Now the only choices I had were between talk shows and infomercials. I glanced over at the clock on Aiden’s wall. He left to get breakfast over a half hour ago. I was starving. Thank god I didn’t have a hangover. I hadn’t drunk that much in a long time.

I finally heard Aiden’s keys unlocking the door. I jumped up and went to see if he needed any help. We unloaded the bags in the kitchen and went back into the living room to eat. As we were finishing up our leisurely breakfast his phone started ringing.

“Hello…” Aiden said as he picked up his cordless. “Yes he is. One moment please.” Aiden put his hand over the mouthpiece. He looked confused. “It’s for you. She says her name is Miss Sands and that she’s from CSP.”

I raised an eyebrow at him and reached out to take the phone. Who the hell was this person, and why the fuck was she calling me here?

“Hello.” I said into the phone.

“Good Morning. Is this Cameron Prince?” A light, female voice came over the line.

“Yes it is.” I replied.

“Hi Mr. Prince, my name is Gina Sands. I’m part of the legal team here at CSP. We were just recently informed that you would not be returning to work and have encountered some problems.”

“What type of problems?” I asked with a sigh.

“When someone normally leaves the company we have them sign non-disclosure contracts regarding the company information. I’ve looked over your personal file and no one ever got you to sign those forms. I hate to bother you, but I really need you to come down here as soon as possible. Today would be perfect if you could.”

“Is this really necessary, Miss Sands?” I asked. I really did not want to go anywhere near CSP, if only for the fact that I didn’t want to run into Zack.

“Please don’t take this the way it sounds, Mr. Prince, but without having signed these forms it puts our company and its clients at risk. The contract also protects you from any type of insider trading investigations, client confidentially lawsuits, and a list that just goes on and on.”

“What?” I practically yelled into the phone. This conversation was getting weirder by the second. I had no clue what this woman was referring to. Obviously company polices had changed since I was there. We never had to have any employees sign any type of contracts.

“This is really difficult to explain over the phone. This would be so much easier in person. I’m free at about 2 p.m. today. Could you possibly stop down?” She asked very politely.

“Sure. I may as well get this out of the way. I’ll be down at 2 p.m. Should I meet you on the fourth floor?” I asked.

“I need you to go to Mr. Grey’s office if you don’t mind. I have a 2:15 meeting with him today, and it will only take a second for you to fill out the necessary paperwork. Thank you so much, Mr. Prince, I’ll be seeing you at 2 p.m.”

Before I had a chance to respond the phone line went dead. I sighed and dropped the phone on the couch. Aiden looked at me questioningly.

“Problems, buddy?” He asked.

“You have no fucking clue, Aid, this couldn’t possibly get any worse.” I replied. I quickly explained everything to Aiden.

“If you went down there that would take care of everything wouldn’t it?” He asked. “You wouldn’t have a reason to go back. Unless of course you wanted to talk to Zack.” I started to give Aiden a death glare. I opened my mouth to talk, but he quickly continued. “Look, you told me what happened and I understand you being pissed off. You have every right to be, but we both know that you still love him. You’re going to have to talk to him again eventually. Do you really want things to be over between the two of you?”

I sat back for a minute and didn’t say anything. That thought had been running through my mind for hours. Shit I woke up this morning with that question echoing through my head. Did I really want things to be over between us? I almost thought yes, but then one moment entered my thoughts, that night on the couch. The complete innocence of that moment still tugged on my heartstrings.

“No.” I answered him with a sigh. “I don’t want things to be over, but things can’t stay the same damn it. I’m tired of being held at arm’s length. I’m not some porcelain doll that will break if you touch me.”

“I know that, Cam.” Aiden said with a grin. “Shouldn’t you be telling all of this to Zack?”

“Not in those exact words.” I replied with a grin. “He’ll hear a much dirtier version.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” Aiden said with a mock frown. “You’ll talk dirty to him, but not to me.”

“I would, Aid, but I don’t want to have to explain it all to you later.” I replied sticking my tongue out.

“That’s if you were still able to even talk after I got done with you.” Aiden replied as he flashed his hot, muscular chest at me.

I got up and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. I pulled down the back of my shorts, exposing my ass.

“Hey Aid.” I called out. He turned and looked at me. His face immediately turned a bit red. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep buddy.” I laughed and continued back into the bathroom. I wasn’t looking forward to this afternoon. I wasn’t afraid of seeing Zack. I was afraid at what the outcome might be.

A few hours later I found myself outside the CSP building. It was weird standing here. I haven’t been in there in months, but it felt like I never left. I strode through the lobby and onto an elevator. I pushed the floor button out of reflex. As I felt the elevator rise I could feel my heart beat rise with it. Suddenly I wasn’t very sure if this was a good idea, but I really didn’t have a choice in the matter. With a melodic bing the elevator doors slid open.

I strode down the hallway and into my old office. Zack’s office. As I entered I immediately noticed the woman that was sitting at my desk. I took a long, deep calming breath. I had to remember that it wasn’t my desk anymore. As I approached the desk her face lit up in a brilliant smile.

“Based on your rugged good looks I would have to guess that you’re Cameron.” She said as she stood and reached out her hand.

“And based on the sound of your voice I would have to guess that you are Gina.” I shook her hand briefly, but I could feel anger already bubbling up inside of me. Why would someone from legal be manning the PA’s desk? I smelled a rat. A really big, evil one. “CSP must be short staffed to have someone from legal up here covering. Didn’t Zack’s new PA work out?” I kept my voice as genuine as possible.

Our eyes locked for a second and then her grin actually got bigger.

“Ok. You’ve got me.” She giggled as she sat back down. “I’m not really from legal. I’m the new PA. I should have known you would catch on. I heard you were a smart one. They weren’t kidding about your looks either. You’re hot enough that I could probably fry an egg on your ass.”

“Look Princess Pelvis…” I said as I looked at her short cut dress. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on here? You can start with that dress. Couldn’t you buy a whole one? Or was Baby Gap running a sale?”

“Lookie here queer bait.” Gina said as she stood up. “You better calm down before I take the brick out of my desk and beat you upside your head with it.”

“You expect me to believe you got a brick in the desk?” I laughed at her insane comment. My laughter quickly died though as she reached into the desk and did indeed pull out a brick. She dropped it on the desk with a resounding thud. “I wish I had that when I worked here. It would have made dealing with Zack so much easier. Do I even want to ask why you have that?”

“No you don’t.” She said with a giggle. “But don’t tell anyone I have it either. It will be our little secret.”

“Speaking of secrets,” I said to her with my head tilted to the side. “You want to fill me in on what’s going on here? I’m sorry by the way about the whole princess pelvis comment before too.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Gina said with a wave of her hand. “When I tell my boyfriend and roommates about it later I am sure they will be howling. They’ll just be pissed that they didn’t get to say it. I’m pretty sure you know why you’re here, Cameron, someone wants to see you.”

I nodded my head. My gaze drifted down the hallway to the closed double doors. Things would change once I went through those doors, but would it be for the better or for the worst?

“Give him a chance.” Gina said interrupting my thoughts. I gave her a questioning look. “I’m not saying he’s right. I’ve hit him once today for being such an ass. Just hear him out. The answers you’re looking for are there. I just hope things can work out for you two.”

“Did he tell you what’s been happening?” I asked her quietly.

“Yes.” She said with a nod of her head. “To be honest I kind of dragged it out him. Once he got started though he wouldn’t stop. I should have been an FBI interrogator. I knew I missed my true calling.”

It was an impulsive move, but I reached out and hugged her. Gina wrapped her arms around me in return. I don’t know why I did it, but it felt like the right thing to do.

“What was that for?” Gina asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any problems with an attractive guy hugging me.”

“It was to thank you.” I replied with a laugh. “This whole scheme couldn’t have been Zack’s idea. He’s more of a sit back and wait for things to happen type of guy. So I’m assuming this was all your doing.”

“Yes, it was my idea.” She said with a huge grin. “I can’t wait to tell the boys at home. They are not going to believe that one finally worked!”

“We are going to have to do dinner or something soon. I owe you one.” I said with a grin. She nodded her head in agreement. “I better get my ass back there.”

I gave Gina one last parting smile and I headed back towards the office doors. It’s now or never I guess. I quietly opened one of the doors and peaked my head inside. Zack was standing and gazing out the windows. His back was to the door. I eased myself into the office and gently closed the door behind me.

The afternoon sun shone through the window and lit up his face. For a moment I couldn’t breath. Zack truly was beautiful. I could make out the perpetual shadow that was spread over his chin. His normally bright blue eyes looked dull and tired. I heard a deep, drawn out sigh slide from his lips.