Girl-Code (16 page)

‘No,’ he mumbles, ‘fancy a three-way?’ he
nods to Cassandra who is gazing up towards Cameron as though he was the god of
air! ‘Cassandra is up for it, aren’t you treacle?’ he rubs his hand over her
buttocks.

‘God yes,’ her hand finds Cameron’s chest as
she brings herself up against his body, ‘are you kidding, he is divine.’

Cameron steps away grabbing her hand
detaching her from him, ‘no thank you, I have a girlfriend,’ his face is tight
with anger, ‘father, I would appreciate it if you would keep your women away
from me.’ I warn, my voice ice cold.

‘Hey, you never said that when we were
screwing Sasha,’ his lips tilt and Cameron feels the disgust rip through him. 
When he was eighteen his father brought a girl home and asked Cameron to join
them, being a horny teenager whose brain was in his groin, he had agreed.  They
had shared their first and last woman. Cameron had woken up nauseated at the
reality of the situation.  His father had teased him incessantly ever since,
aware of his disgust at even being reminded of the night.

Cameron’s eyes flicker over towards the bar
area where Lucy was smiling at Maddie’s husband.  God he wanted her, even from
across the room he craved her. As if she sensed his glance she turned and a
small sad smile appeared on her lips, what’s wrong with her? 

‘Bye, father,’ he throws over casually to
his father before striding towards her.

********

Lucy gazes over and watches as Cameron
talks to his father.  His father is a tall man, who Cameron obviously inherited
his looks from, he is an older version of Cameron without the air of presence
that runs alongside Cam.  As I watch, I notice the blonde woman cozy up to
Cameron her hand on his chest as she gazes up with admiration towards her man. 
Jealousy tears through her, in the form of pain searing through her chest, and
she can hardly breathe.

He turns and faces her an anxious look on
his face before moving towards her.

‘Hey,’ he stops in front of me.

‘Hi,’ my glance flickers to the other side
of the room, ‘everything ok?’ I test.

He runs a hand through his hair, ‘I will
explain about my father, just not now,’ he is attempting to relay a message
through his eyes and I nod.

‘Who’s the woman?’ I cannot wait for the
answer.

‘His latest bimbo,’ he murmurs unkindly,
‘drink?’

‘I have one thanks,’ I lift my glass as I
observe him carefully.

He regards me for a moment, ‘come with me,’
he insists grasping my elbow guiding me through the crowd.

‘What’s wrong Cameron?’ I test as we lean
against the bar, he appears tetchy.

‘I will tell you,’ he promises, ‘just,
please not here.’

‘Ok,’ I nod, dread filling me. 

He knocks back a whiskey before ordering
another. I have only ever seen him like this once, on my birthday drinks.  My
hand locates his by his side and squeezes it slightly, he grips it tightly for
a moment before dropping it.

‘Now he has finally arrived Cameron, where
are you?’ Simon calls through the audio system.  Cameron frowns for a moment
before turning to Simon, ‘Cameron,’ Simon smiles at him, ‘now most of you know
Cameron and I go way back to our university days.  He is the nearest thing I
have to a brother in this world.  So Cameron, I would like to request that you
please do me the honor of being my best man?’ Cameron nods and smiles towards
Simon and people clap. 

‘Also, I would like to take this
opportunity to inform you that we have named the day, already,’ everyone cheers
and Simon glances over to Susie, who is standing beside him slightly
intoxicated, and shakes his head in amusement.  ‘So, if you could all save
September 25th, please.’ there is a lot of mumbling about, is she pregnant? Before
Simon holds up his hand. ‘No she isn’t pregnant, I cannot wait to make her my
bride,’ he wraps his arms around her, dropping a kiss on her lips and everyone
oohs and ahhs.

I smile over towards them as the music
restarts and people return to their drinking. 

I notice a man stop in front of me and it
takes me a moment to realize it is Cameron’s father.

‘Well hello there. Cameron, aren’t you
going to introduce me to this lovely creature,’ I feel his eyes all over my
body.

I sense Cameron stiffen beside me before
his manners kick in, ‘of course, Lucy this is Richard Lee, my father.’

I hold out my hand to shake his hand before
he engulfs me into his embrace, ‘a pleasure,’ his lips graze my cheek and I
feel distinctly uncomfortable.  My eyes find Cameron’s, whose cold icy glare is
rested on his father.

‘Well, she is a beauty Cameron,’ Richard
Lee mutters to Cameron, ‘I can see why you wish to keep her entirely to
yourself.’

‘That’s right I do,’ Cameron snakes his arm
around my waist encouraging me against his side and I gratefully comply.

‘Come on Cameron, haven’t I always
encouraged you to share,’ the snarl at Richard Lee’s lips is taunting Cameron
and suddenly I wish to be anywhere else but here.  Cameron sends an icy glare
towards his father in warning.

‘This is,’ he turns as if locating someone,
‘oh no, she appears to have had a better offer,’ he grins over at the blonde
that is hanging onto one of Simon’s friends arms.

‘So Lucy looks like it is the three of us’
his insinuation revolts me and I glance towards Cameron.

‘Oh its ok, Cameron is up for a bit of
three way aren’t you son?’ he chuckles.

‘Well, I assure you I am not,’ I turn away
from them both repulsed by the idea of Cameron and his father sharing a woman. 
Is that what Cameron is looking for?  Our sex has become kinky over the past
week or so and I have enjoyed every moment, but that is between us two. I
couldn’t share Cameron with anyone.

I make my way to the restroom where I lock
myself in the cubicle and take a breath, poor Cameron, I fully comprehend why
he appeared so devastated at his father’s presence tonight.

I wash my hands and touch up my make up
before re-emerging back into the bar. I am stopped by a couple of people from
work and chat politely for a while before attempting to locate Cameron.  He is
nowhere to be seen.

********

‘Leave, immediately!’ Cameron’s voice holds
a hint of malice as Lucy departs.

‘Cameron, you are always so serious,’
Richard Lee scoffs, ‘relax, who knows she may be up for a bit of fun.’

‘I won’t tell you again,’ Cameron has spots
in front of his eyes with the anger that is bubbling up from his gut.

‘Ok,’ he holds up his hands in a defensive
gesture.

‘And take your whore with you,’ he
instructs.

Cameron watches as his father and the
blonde exit, without a goodbye or thank you.  He owns so much resentment inside
for his father and his childhood.  His eyes move to the restroom where Lucy had
retreated to and sighs, he is no good for her she deserves so much better. 
Maybe he is his father after all, how can he explain to Lucy that he joined his
father in a three-way?  He is mortified by his actions despite being a mere
teenager. She will accept his explanation, he knows she will, but then she will
know a part of him he wishes to remain buried.  Running a hand through his hair,
he exits the bar.

Lucy is devastated, she wanders around the
bar for twenty minutes attempting to track Cameron down. 

She finds Simon, ‘have you seen Cameron?’

‘No,’ he frowns, ‘I saw him walk out behind
his dad, I thought he was seeing them off,’ he shrugs, ‘I am sure he won’t be
far,’ he smiles empathetically towards me and I know inside he has left.  Maybe
he wanted to join in with his dad and the blonde woman, her heart takes a nose
dive at the prospect and suddenly there is not enough air in the room.  She
exits quietly and hails a cab stumbling into the back seat informing the driver
where to take her.

It isn’t until she is safely inside her
flat that she drops her belongings and sobs walking bewildered into her bedroom
and climbs into her bed.  He has done it again, she has allowed him to once
again break her heart. Is this not what she was attempting to avoid when she
refused to see him again and yet she was weak, and gave him the power to hurt
her once again with his sexpertise.  Her mind locates a quote her mum use to
recite to her,

Fool me once shame on you,

Fool me twice shame on ME!
 

Well, she is undoubtedly the idiot that is
for sure.

********

Lucy half expects a barrage of calls and
texts from Cameron on the Sunday, instead she is met with silence.  No explanation,
nothing!  He had wiped her out as quickly as he instilled himself into her life
and she had no knowledge as to why.

I remain in my flat allowing my brain to
analyze the recent events.  I lose count of the times I have run through the conversation
with his dad, questioning what an earth could have happened in the period of
ten minutes that could have changed Cameron’s opinion of them and their
relationship.  She came up with zero!

Monday morning arrives and Lucy robotically
runs through her morning routine arriving at work early losing herself in her
tasks and before she is aware it is two o clock.  She had missed lunch with the
girls and yet Susie hadn’t text or emailed her to question why.  Does Susie
know something I don’t?

By Wednesday, I am angry, I ensure I am at
the canteen to meet Susie and Maddie when they sit at their usual table.  Susie’s
eyes cannot meet my gaze.

‘So…’ I enquire, ‘what happened Susie?’ my
eyes are hard and cold, directed towards Susie.

‘Lucy,’ Susie appears embarrassed, ‘not
here.’

‘Yes here, what happened? One minute
everything was fine, and the next,’ I click my fingers ‘like a puff of smoke
everything fell apart.’

‘This has nothing to do with me Lucy.  I am
sorry that he has hurt you, but you need to speak to Cameron,’ she cuts me off,
picking up her lunch.

‘Typical.’ I explode loudly unaware of the
nearby tables occupants turning to investigate the noise.  ‘Well, screw you
Susie,’ I sob, as I turn and walk purposely to the ladies where I sit in the
cubicle allowing the tears to fall silently down my face.  When the silent sobs
subside, I wash my face and return to my desk where I receive several peculiar
glances, but I am oblivious.  I am in my own bubble of fury and humiliation.

I glance up to notice Michelle standing
beside me, ‘go home Lucy,’ she instructs quietly, ‘take a few days.’  I turn to
argue but the angry light dies in my eyes at the concerned glance she throws
me, ‘we have all been there, I assure you,’ she whispers and I suddenly
remember that she has recently separated from her husband. 

I nod silently, before shutting off my
computer and gathering my belongings, with my head held high I strut out of the
building and make my way home.

********

I lay in my bed for almost twenty four
hours allowing myself to grieve for what I believed was my one true chance of love
before pride steps in and shakes me vigorously.  Are you going to permit him to
once again affect your life?  Get out of that bed!

I rise and clean the flat, have a bath and
call work.

‘Hi Lucy, how are you feeling?’ Michelle
enquires, warmly.

‘I am better thank you, Michelle.  I am
sorry about yesterday, but I wondered whether you could spare me for a week’s
holiday?’

‘Of course, you have three weeks remaining
to use up before the end of the year.  We are well ahead here, take as long as
you need,’ she reassures me.  ‘Going anywhere nice?’

‘Yes, I am going to see some friends in
Thailand, I think.  Could I take two weeks then?’

‘Absolutely, enjoy yourself,’ she
encourages, ‘it’s probably just what you need.’

********

Kate and I meet for coffee the next day, ‘No
bloody way!’ Kate screeches, ‘that fucker!’ she fumes, ‘he was so into you Lucy
what happened?’

‘I have no idea,’ I am becoming numb to
emotion now.

‘I am so sorry hun, do you want me to come
and stay with you for a bit?’ Kate offers.

‘No, I am going away.’ I inform her,
watching her eyes.

‘Where?’ she shocks, sipping her coffee.

‘Back to Thailand, I thought I would visit
Ricki and Sarah on Koh Samui.’

‘No way!’ she screeches again. Ricki and
Sarah are a couple we met, whilst travelling, the previous year.  They remained
in Thailand and are now employed to manage a resort of cabins on the beach.

‘Yep, I am taking two weeks out.  I won’t
need much money, I will stay on the resort with the guys the rest I will put on
the credit card,’ I inform her, ‘I contacted Sarah yesterday and am flying out
tonight.’

‘What, you are going today?’ her eyes are
like saucers.

‘Yes.’

‘No way, I want to come!’ she sulks.