I didn’t trust myself to make something elaborate, but still, the food smells great. Jumbo shrimp sautéed in butter with angel-hair pasta tossed in olive oil and white wine. It’s simple, yet elegant. I’m hoping she likes it. I never thought to ask if she likes seafood. If she doesn’t, we can always order pizza.
Pleased, I head into my bathroom, wanting to wash my hands and change my shirt before she arrives. I toss the T-shirt I was wearing into the laundry basket and check my appearance in the mirror. I have no expectations for tonight, but there’s no denying I’ve put more effort into this non-date than I ever put into a regular date.
After washing my hands, I splash a little cologne onto my jaw, then pull on a light-blue cotton button-down.
Even though I’ve forbidden myself from falling for Camryn, I’m excited to see her tonight. Unhealthy as it may be, I’m becoming attached to seeing her smile, getting a rise out of her, and spending time with her.
Strange as it sounds, I’m coming to look forward to her presence in my life. I didn’t realize it until now, but I’ve been living a lonely existence until she happened into my life. Nights out with bright lights and fast women have been replaced by nights in with one very hard-to-get woman. An interesting fucking turn in events is what it is.
As I check on things in the kitchen one last time, I can’t help but recall Camryn’s phone call asking about my dating history. Rebecca and I dated for eight months last year, if you can even call it that. Our only connection was work. She’s an associate attorney in family law at the firm I work at, and a few nights a week, we got together at her place or mine.
But she wasn’t really a girlfriend. A couple of fuck sessions a week, ordering takeout while we sat on my couch with our laptops poring over depositions, wasn’t a relationship, wasn’t the companionship I crave deep down. She was just filling the empty space for a time, but that ran its course. She still calls every now and then, but the idea of spending time with her just doesn’t excite me anymore.
Ever since my mum got sick and my dad buggered off, I’ve felt more alone than I’d like to let on. Other than a few one-night stands here and there to take the edge off, I haven’t had anyone close to me in a long time. I’m not the world’s biggest manwhore like people say I am. Of course I enjoy female company, but that’s not all that my life’s about. I’ve convinced myself true love only exists in fairy tales, but that doesn’t mean I’m immune to female charm. Of course I want a woman in my life.
And what Camryn has to offer is exactly what I’ve been missing. Easy companionship without any of the weird guessing games, intelligent conversation with a woman, someone who keeps me on my toes.
Unsure what to make of that revelation, I’m pulled away from the kitchen by my ringing phone. The number shows that it’s my uncle Charles. I answer it immediately as the overwhelming feeling that something is wrong stirs in my gut.
“Yes?”
“Sterling? It’s Charles.”
“Has something happened?”
“Yes. I’ve been trying to reach you for the last hour and a half.”
I realize I’ve been cleaning and cooking, preparing for my date, and feel a sharp and immediate pang of guilt. “What’s going on?”
“It’s your mum. She suffered a bad episode tonight.”
My intention was to go and visit her earlier when I left work, but traffic had been brutal so I abandoned my trip, opting instead to come home and prepare for tonight.
“What happened? Why didn’t they call me?”
“They tried. I’m next on the list of contacts.”
I look at my phone and realize that I missed a half dozen calls because I was too busy getting ready for my date to be there for my mum.
“Everything is handled. For now.”
Fuck. I was distracted, and wasn’t there when my mum needed me.
“Is she okay?” I ask.
Charles lets out a heavy sigh. “She couldn’t remember where she was. Tried to harm herself.”
My vision blurs and I see red. “What?” I roar. “Is she okay?” Tearing one hand through my hair, I wait in agony for him to answer.
“For now. They had to sedate her, and she’s resting in her room.”
Mum hasn’t had an episode like that in over a year. The doctor’s warnings about her medicine losing its effectiveness over time ring in my head. All the more reason why I need to get her the best care money can buy. But the cost of her medicines alone each month is twice my mortgage. I’ve done the best I can, but it’s time to do better.
Charles releases a deep sigh. “I’m telling you, you’ve got to get her out of that place. You’ve got to get this inheritance. How’s the process coming? You need to be married. There’s no other way.”
“I know, okay? I’m working on it. Camryn’s helping me. She’s been great.”
Charles releases a sharp exhale. “Don’t go falling for the help. She’s a pretty face, but don’t lose focus. Your mum is counting on you, Sterling.”
“I know, all right?” Anger flares inside me, making me resentful that Charles called Camryn a pretty face. She’s so much more than that.
The sinking feeling in my chest balloons, and I force a breath into my lungs. “I can be there in forty minutes. Forty-five, tops.”
“There’s no need, Sterling. She’s sleeping now. She’ll sleep through the night with the dosage they gave her. Why don’t you just go over in the morning?”