30 Days (Morgan Family Series Book 1) (12 page)

assed.”

“Thanks for the advice.” I mumble.

“I’m serious! Don’t do this just because you don’t want Anthony to have her. I

like Memphis. I don’t want her quitting just because you shit where you eat.”

“Nicely put. I’ll talk to you later.”

I sit in my car and debate on whether I should go to Ecstasy or go home. I know if I go there, it’ll be hours before she gets off work. If I go home…

I start in the direction of Ecstasy with no real plan of what I’ll do when I get there. I didn’t even realize she was still working there. It could be detrimental to Morgan, Quinley, and Sloan if anyone recognizes her at the club and at the firm.

I pull into the parking lot and when I get out of the car, I see her exiting the building. She’s carrying a trash bag that looks full and has it tossed over her shoulder.

“Memphis!” I call out to her and she looks in my direction. I walk over to her and motion to the bag on her shoulder. “What’s this?”

“My things. I’m officially no longer a stripper.” she sighs.

I can’t tell if she’s happy, sad, or relieved about this announcement. Maybe it’s a mix of all three. I reach for the bag and she lets me take it from her. She falls into step beside me as we walk towards my car.

“So Blake explained my reason for cancelling lunch?” I ask.

“Yep.”

“She said you weren’t surprised.”

“Nope.”

“Do you expect the worst from me?”

“I’m trying not to expect anything.” she confesses.

“So that I won’t let you down.”

“Exactly.”

“Can I take you to get something to eat now?” I ask. “Not at my apartment.” I add when I notice her hesitate.

“Okay.”

I open the door for her and let her settle in the passenger seat before tossing her bag in the backseat. I drive us to Joe’s Diner and hear her giggle when I stop.

“I never took you for a greasy diner type guy.” she teases.

“I love hash browns. Scattered and covered.” I grin.

We walk inside and the place smells of greasy burgers and hash browns. We sit in a booth in the back and place our orders.

“So no more stripping.” I state and she shakes her head. “Why were you still doing it anyway? I mean you have a good job now. I thought that’s why you put that stipulation in our agreement.”

She shifts in the seat. I know talking about herself makes her uncomfortable. I know every inch of her body, but hardly anything about her personal life.

“I needed the money.”

“You just got paid $150,000, Memphis.” I deadpan.

“And that money is pretty much gone. I have responsibilities.” she looks down at her fidgeting fingers as she says this.

“It’s gone? What kind of responsibilities cost you a hundred and fifty grand?” I ask and try not to sound rude.
Or annoyed.
$150,000 and it’s gone in the blink of an eye.

“I don’t expect you to understand, Cameron. You have everything given to you. You don’t have to work if you don’t want to.”

“Why don’t we keep in mind that we don’t really know anything about each other.” I snap. “You start telling me about yourself and I’ll start telling you about myself.”

The waitress delivers our food, but neither of us make a move to eat. I glare at her over the table and she glares right back.

“Fine. My younger sister is in college. Her scholarship was revoked. That’s why I agreed to your proposition. I needed the money. I still do. I have to pay for her tuition, books, dorm, food. Everything. Plus my own expenses. She’s my responsibility. Your turn.”

“I received an inheritance when my mother died of cancer. I don’t get a penny from my father. I get paid to work at the firm just like every other employee. I pay for my own car, apartment, and living expenses. On my own.”

“I’m sorry about your mother.”

“I…I’m sorry about yours.”

“How was the lunch date?” Anniston asks, excitement clear in her voice.

I hold my phone back and check the time again. It feels way earlier than what it is. I put the phone back to my ear.

“It didn’t happen. He had to cancel.”

“What a prick.”

“He did take me to dinner though.” I inform her. “A hole-in-the-wall diner that served greasy burgers and a massive order of hash browns that was covered in cheese.

“Hell yeah! Hole-in-the-wall diners are the best places! He sounds like a keeper.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” I warn her. “We haven’t been to lunch or dinner since then. He’s been busy with a case.”

“It’s the weekend now.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. This firm is huge. They don’t necessarily stop working just because it’s the weekend.”

“What are you doing now that you don’t have to work every weekend?”

“Not a clue. Last night I ate popcorn and binge-watched Sons of Anarchy.

When you called I thought it was super early, but it’s damn near lunch time.”

“Lazy bitch.”

“I know.” I giggle. “Shit. Cameron’s calling.”

“Make sure you sound better answering him than you did me. You sounded like you smoked ten packs a day.”

I ignore her and switch over to answer him. I clear my throat before I say hello.
Just in case.

“I’m picking you up in an hour.” he informs me.

“Wait…what?” I sit up in my bed and smooth my hair down. I know he can’t see me, but his voice makes him sound very close.

“Get ready. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“You don’t know where I live.”

“Yes, I do. I saw it on your resume.”

“Stalker.”

He hangs up without another word and I switch back over to Anniston. My heart is pounding in my chest as I slip out of bed and start rifling through my closet. I tell her what he said and she’s telling me to calm down as I try to figure out what to wear. I don’t even know where we’re
going.

“You should probably shower too. Shave your lady parts. When was the last time you had sex? Was it with Trevor?”

“I’m not having sex today.”

“Better yet…don’t shave. That way you know you won’t have sex. It’ll help you resist if you know you’re not shaved down there.”

“What kind of logic is that?” I ask.

“And wear granny panties. That helps too. If you don’t want to have sex with him too soon wear granny panties and don’t shave your lady parts or your legs.”

“I’m hanging up now.” I hear her laughing as I do.

I shower quickly and despite Anniston’s advice, I shave both my legs and my lady parts.
I can resist Cameron Morgan. If I want to.

I dress in jeans and a thin mid-sleeved shirt. I slide into a pair of flats and walk into the kitchen. I frown at the sight of two empty popcorn bags, three Snickers wrappers, and three empty soda cans. I frantically start cleaning up. I toss all the trash into the garbage and wipe the counter off.

My bag of Ecstasy costumes is sitting on the couch. I’d opened it up and started going through it, but I never put them away. I scoop it up into my arms and grab the stray bra and wig and rush into my room. Everything looks clean now.

Bathroom!

I walk in and close the bathroom curtain, put the toilet lid down and wipe the counter off. I take the box of tampons sitting on the counter and put them in the cabinet under the sink. Okay.
I feel better now.

I come back into the living room and as soon as I sit down, he knocks.

“Wow. You’re ready.” I say as I walk inside her apartment.

“You said an hour. I figured you’d be on time.” she replies. “Where are we going?”

I look around her apartment, not answering her question. Her apartment is small, but cozy. Pictures adorn her entertainment center along with scattered DVDs.

“Is this your sister?” I ask, looking at her standing with a blonde with the same green eyes as her.

“That’s Anniston.” she answers.

“You have the same eyes.”

“Yeah. She’s at NYU. I don’t get to see her much.”

“I have a cousin at NYU.” I tell her.

“Where are we going?” she asks again and I chuckle.

“Anxious?”

“A little.”

I pick up the Sons of Anarchy DVD, glance it over, and then put it back. I keep perusing her DVD collection.
Supernatural. True Blood. Superbad
. Anything to make her a little more anxious.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?”

“Did you come here to check out my DVD collection?”

“It’s very extensive.” I smile over at her.

“Are you teasing me?”

“No. I think it’s great that you have Rush Hour and Texas Chainsaw Massacre right beside each other.”

“I don’t have cable so I watch movies. Can we just go…wherever it is you’re taking me? You make me nervous being inside my apartment.”

“I plan on being here more often so you might as well get comfortable.” I tell her bluntly.

“Somehow I find that hard to believe.” she mutters and I frown.

Rather than comment, I motion toward the door and let her walk out in front of me. As we head down to my car, I know she has the same doubts that I do.
This will never work. We’ve already fucked it up. Why even try?

“I’m taking you to Staten Island. My friend, Weston, plays minor league baseball for a team there and they have a home game tonight. I figured we’d just spend the day there until the game starts.”

“Whatever you like.”

My mouth quirks at her response. My cock twitches in my jeans. I don’t think she even realizes what she’s said.

“Do you like baseball?”

“I played softball in junior high so I guess I like baseball.” she answers. “I’ve never been to a minor league game before.”

“So you played sports?”

“No, just softball a couple of years. Then I had to start working.”

“Summer jobs?” I ask.

She turns her head toward the window and gazes outside. “Not just summers. I worked after school, weekends. As much as I could. My mom really wasn’t around much then.”

“Just you and your sister.”

“Yep.”

“Sort of that way for me and Blake. My mom died when I was sixteen.”

“But your dad was still around.” she says.

“No, he wasn’t. He didn’t really stick around when my mom got sick. He did his own thing. It’s easier for him not to be around now too. I remind him too much of her. I remind of him of how much of a shitty husband he was to her.”

I look over at Cameron and try to hold in my laughter. I even cover my mouth with my hands, but my giggle bubbles out. He stands behind me and rests his chin on my shoulder, stifling his laughter too.

“Mommy, what are the leopards doing?” a kid behind us asks and Cameron’s body shakes with laughter.

Cameron rests his hands on my hips and whispers in my ear, “I think it’s awful that we’re all watching them, but it’s hilarious.”

“I can’t seem to look away.” I laugh.

The male leopard just keeps humping away behind the female leopard as if dozens of onlookers aren’t gaping and laughing. Some of the zoo-goers are even taking pics.

“It’s not what I expected to see when you brought me here. I’ll admit that.”

Cameron takes my hand and leads me away from the leopards. I notice as we keep walking that he doesn’t let go. His grip is warm and firm. His fingers intertwine with mine. I try to think of the last time I held someone’s hand. Maybe I was in junior high or high school. Back when those things meant something.
Gosh, it means something now.

“Oh, look! It’s apes!” I exclaim.

“Watch out. They’ll throw their shit on you.” he warns me.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

We only stay at their exhibit a few minutes before moving on.
I don’t want shit thrown on me.

“You seem like you’re having a good time.” he comments.

“I am. I like the animals.”

“Did you ever have pets growing up?” he asks and I feel my heart sink. It would be nice if we could spend time together without him asking me about…myself.

“We had one puppy when we were kids. That’s it.” I answer, vaguely.

“Hmm. We had a fish. Bryant Morgan would not allow animals in his house

or on his lawn. The fish died about a week after we got him.” he laughs. “Blake had a little funeral for him and buried him in his fishbowl. She put him in a Ziploc bag full of water. No more pets for us.”

“Zola died because mama’s boyfriend threw him down the stairs of our apartment complex. He was just a puppy and had been whining. Edward came out of my mama’s room, picked him up and just tossed him down the stairs.” I look down at my feet as I walk even though I can feel Cameron’s eyes on me. “No more pets for us.”

He grips my hand tighter, but doesn’t say anything. He points out the Birds of Prey exhibit and we look at them. We finish up walking through the zoo and Cameron pulls me towards the Gift Shop.

“Let’s look around.” he says.