Jessica's Fate

Chapter 111

"Hey..." Cam called out as the front door closed. "What's for dinner? Do you want to go out?" He asked as he rounded the corner into the kitchen before stopping and staring at me.

"Hey." I finished putting my earring in. "I actually have managed to have plans, so you and Eiffel are on your own for dinner." I motioned to the fridge. "By on your own, I mean I prepped everything you need for tacos. You just have to heat the taco meat up."

"Oh, that's... great. Really great." He glanced away. "I was feeling like it was a taco night." He ran his hand over the back of his head. "You look really nice."

I glanced down at the little black dress I was wearing, smoothing hand over my hip to remove a slight wrinkle in the fabric. "Thank you."

"Girls night with Tasha?" He asked, after I'd turned away, reaching for my other earring.

"Ah... no, actually." I glanced back at him. "I have a date."

His eyes widened. "Oh." He managed before blinking. "Great, Jess. That's really... just... great." He smiled.

"It came about rather last minute." I said. "Hope you didn't have plans for us that I'm breaking." I wrinkled my nose at him.

"No, just a typical Wednesday here at our house." He reassured me. "How'd you meet him?"

I smiled. "He's been coming into the shop." I explained. "At first it was just once or twice a week, but he's been coming in almost daily for the last month. Turns out, he was trying to get the nerve to ask me out."

"And he's from here?" Cam frowned slightly.

"No, he's here much like you and I are. Temporary work assignment. He's from London." I explained.

"Ah." He nodded.

"Ah what?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"That explains why it's taken him so long to ask you out." He said, opening the fridge and pulling dinner out.

"Why's that?"

He pinned a gaze on me. "French guys don't need to build their confidence like that. They see something they want, and they just go for it. There's no need to wheedle their way into your good graces by buying pastries and hoping for a glimpse of a beauty like you once a day just to figure out they should get to know you better."

"Oh." I hadn't thought of it like that. "I see."

"Is he picking you up?" he asked, busying himself with popping a dish into the microwave.

"No, dinner's not that far from here. I'm going to meet him at the restaurant." I said, glancing at the clock. "I should be going. I don't want to be late." I reached for my purse. "You're sure I look okay?"

His brow furrowed as he gave me a final once over. "Why wouldn't you look okay? You're gorgeous."

"I just... usually don't do casual dating. I've lucked into my relationships it seems, for the most part. Talked or texted for a while before the first date, mostly." I smiled. "There were a few that felt like an instant connection." I mused. "But dating simply for the sake of dating? Maybe I did that with my first boyfriend, but I was 17 and now I'm 20 and in Paris and it seems different."

"Because you've only seen him for less than 10 minutes a day for the past few months?" He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "And how am I supposed to do my due diligence as your roommate if you don't bring him here?"

I laughed. "Due diligence?"

"Yeah, you know... the good old, you hurt her, I'm coming for you speech." He said, calmly. "I can't have all those brothers you tell me about coming after me for not doing what they would do."