ode to life | cameron dallas

Chapter 27

The Next Day

It was 8:55AM in Toronto, and the Yorkdale Mall was flooded with hundreds of fans awaiting in line for the Q&A/book signing for 'Ode to Life'.

Cameron and his crew hid in a VIP room that the mall held specifically for celebrity meet and greets. They all tried to kill time until 9AM hit and the actual event could start.

Cameron grew a close and special bond with his publishing crew. The relationship he had with this group was completely different with his acting management. He took everyone's criticism and feedback as a tool to improve as a writer and treated them all as friends, as opposed to employees.

One employee, however, may have took 'friendly' to another perspective. It was Cameron's editor, a 27-year-old single, awkward, overly-nice woman, who could easily be mistaken as fifteen years old. Her name was Nicole and she had never had a drink in her life. She was the epitome of a conservative introvert, but was a hopeless romantic no less. She crushed on Cameron deeply, since the day she was hired as his editor.

"Are you ready, Cam?" Nicole asked sweetly. She nervously hooked a piece of hair behind her ear with her fingers and struggled very hard to keep eye contact. She was so shy. "It's just--there's so many people out there."

Cameron smiled warmly. "Of course, Nicole. And you should be, too! We've been on tour for a week now."

"Yeah, I still get a tad nervous, though," she chuckled. "I just... can't get over the fact I'm in the publishing team for the most talented writer of the time."

"Please. You're talented, too. I couldn't ask for a better editor," Cameron grinned. With that, she completely flushed crimson and caught herself in a loss of words.

In all honesty, Cameron knew Nicole had a crush on him. It was blatantly obvious to him and the entire team, and it was all everyone ever talked about. Throughout editing, she would tell the rest of the crew that she imagined herself and Cameron in his story, falling in love in the span of ten years.

Cameron didn't really think much about it. He honestly thought Nicole was very pretty and the world's biggest sweetheart, but he kept the relationship professional considering he genuinely cherished the talent she offered to the team. Although, Cameron did have second thoughts, and if it weren't for the whole life change experience he went through for the past four years, he knew he would have slept with her a long time ago. But that was then, and this was now. And Cameron was a totally changed person.

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Ariel had arrived at the Q&A on time, yet was still relatively late compared to the fans who came hours earlier. She had terrible seats and couldn't even see anything over the multiple heads that stood in the way. So, she snuck her way closer up and finally, 9 o'clock struck, and Cameron and his crew came out unto the mini stage. The audience roared as Cameron waved happily to the audience and took a seat in his table panel along with his publishing office.

Ariel's whole world came to a halt once she witnessed him enter. It was the first time in four years and he was looking so much better from the last time they met. He wore a white, quarter-sleeve fleece that he paired with khaki pants and beige Sperry's. He wore a silver watch on his right wrist and his hair was freshly cut into his natural beautiful up-do. He let his facial hair grow, which enhanced his beautiful jaw line, creating a handsome, manly, rugged profile. Nothing about him changed physically, just the fact that his eyes smiled more and he seemed much, much happier. Twenty-nine and still very much capable in being every teenage girl's celebrity heartthrob.