"You two know each other?" Cameron inquired, giving a suspicious eye between Maxwell and myself. Maxwell was smirking, his eyes not leaving mine while my mother was giving me an attempt at a smile. But all the botox my mother has gotten over the years has made it hard to tell what she is feeling most of the time.
I reached forward and grasped the full champagne glass, wanting nothing more than to throw it across the table into Maxwell's face. But instead I opted to chug the sweet liquid that was inside it. It slid down my throat easily, and made me relax for half a second before I looked up to see Cameron along with my mother and Maxwell staring at me. Jessica was on Cameron's other side, but was too busy texting on her phone to know anything that was going on.
"Of course she knows us. Have you not told your boss about your parents?" My mother asked smiling softly over to Cameron who was still giving me a skeptical look. I glared fiercely over to my mother. How dare she even say they were my parents, my mother was my blood but treated her help better than she treated her only daughter. I clenched the glass in my hand tightly, feeling the anger coursing through my veins. "Your father is Maxwell Preston?" Cameron asked, still looking between the three of us with confusion.
"HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" I found myself roaring loudly. Cameron went unfazed at my reaction, and rested his arm around the back of my chair. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room boring into the back of my head, but all I did was continue to glare at my stepfather. "He's my stepfather" I said quieter, looking over to Cameron, giving him an explanation I know he deserved from my rude outburst.
"I'm surprised you haven't fired my Avery here, quite a temper she has on her" My mother said with a shake of her head. Her claws reached out and grasped the wine glass in front of her and took a sip of the expensive red. "You should be grateful for Mr.James here, He did hire you after you quit so abruptly at Preston towers".
My glare moved over to my mother and I shook my head. When I applied to James Enterprises I stated I had no previous work. So as far as Cameron was concerned, he was my first boss and this was my first real employment. I didn't want Cameron calling Maxwell for a reference, and I most certainly didn't want the Preston name giving me a leg up for a job. I would sooner die than let Maxwell get me anything in life, he has already stolen so much from me. I finally quit one day after not being able to handle the humiliation of being taken advantage of day after day.
My mother's eyes moved from me to my very confused boss. "Ah, I see my daughter hasn't been completely honest with you" She said winking to Cameron before taking another sip of her wine. I wanted to die. I was half tempted to take the steak knife on my place mat and shove it right though my heart, that would be less painful. My mother probably single handily just ruined my job, ruined five years of hard work working at a company I grew to love. I learned working under Cameron that he didn't tolerate liars, he hated being lied to with a passion. And I blatantly lied on my resume.
I could feel my eyes watering at the thought of Cameron firing me, of him hiring some other young girl to work for him and see him as I used to. I couldn't handle that, I couldn't handle not seeing him everyday. The thought alone made one of the threatening tears roll down my cheek. "Oh my daughter and her dramatics!" My mother said waving her hands in the air over dramatically.
My mother once said the same thing to me when i came crying to her about the rapes. I went begging her to help me, to make Maxwell stop what he was doing, but she laughed and told me to quit the dramatics. Sure I was an adult when it happened, but that didn't make it any less traumatizing for me. I had always wanted to save myself for the first man I loved. It never happened when I was younger, and instead I lost my virginity against a hard desk with a hand choking me around my throat.
I could feel my body shaking with both anger and sorrow. Cameron continued to look between me and my mother before his eyes finally found mine. My tear stricken face couldn't handle his beautiful face looking at me the way he was, like he was disappointed that a trusted employee wasn't what he thought. But as much as he looked at me with confusion for the conversation at hand, the majority of him looked worried. He could tell something was off between me and the shitty parental figures across from us, but he didn't know what to do.
"Excuse me" I said softly wiping my eyes and walking away from the table. I would diffuse this situation the best way i knew how, by walking away. I walked quickly through the loud and overcrowded ballroom before walking through the long hallway out into the lobby. I slumped down onto one of the white linen couches and ran my hands through my wavy hair.
I was half tempted to just run outside and hail a cab to go home, but hearing Cameron calling my name made me think twice. He ran out into the lobby looking flustered, while running his hand through his dark curly hair. His eyes ran over the lobby numerous times before they finally found me, and relief was evident across his face.
He ran over to me with so much confidence, before bending down on his knees in front of me and placing his hands on either side of me on the soft couch. "You'll ruin your suit Cameron" I mumbled looking to see his black suit already getting dirt on the pants.
"Fuck the suit" he said, his eyes not leaving mine. "What just happened in there?" He asked.
I sighed before closing my eyes feeling myself growing emotional once more. "I'm so sorry I lied" I cried out, chocking back a sob by covering my mouth with one of my newly manicured hands that Talia made me get for this event. I couldn't control it anymore and broke down right here, inches away from my boss. Everything just hit me at once. Seeing my mother so many times in a couple days, seeing Maxwell for the first time since the day I quit, the fear of losing my job along with the man I loved.
Everything was just too much to handle for me in this moment, and i found myself on the brink of a panic attack. I always thought I was a strong woman to have been through what I have in life, and still be standing where I am today. But seeing Maxwell's pompous and crass face look at me with want, made a sickening feeling run through my body making me realize I will never truly be ok with what he did to me. And having Cameron witness all of that just made it harder.
My hands were suddenly removed from my face and I looked down to see Cameron holding them firmly in his. His face full of worry and confusion as to why his assistant was breaking down the way she was right in front of him. I tried to remove my hands to wipe the tears that were rolling down my face, but Cameron wouldn't let me and instead held both my hands in one hand while the other reached up to my cheek. His one hand delicately wiped the salty tears that ran down my cheeks, before his fingers continued to gently brush the skin beside my lips.
"He's a terrible man, Cameron" I whispered, closing my eyes and enjoying the comforting touch his fingers were giving me. "I'm sorry I lied on my resume, but I couldn't have you call him for a reference."
Cameron nodded to me, his eyes suddenly full of understanding. "I'm normally more professional than this. But not around them, they just bring out this hateful side of me I don't want you to see" my shaking voice said. I probably looked a mess right now, with my hair in disarray and my makeup rolling down my cheeks, but Cameron let on nothing of the sort.
"Please stop crying" Cameron whispered as his fingers reached back up to wipe away tears I didn't even know were falling. I felt my face grow hot as Cameron was so close to me, rubbing his fingers so softly across my skin it gave me goosebumps. Even this simple gesture like wiping my tears was enough to send me over the edge. "And stop apologizing. Your mother is a royal bitch and if Maxwell Preston is as terrible man as you say, then I will not do business with him" Cameron said squeezing my hands that were firmly held in his.
It was as simple as that. He didn't need an explanation as to why I hated them so much, and he declared he wouldn't do business with him. Needless to say i was surprised, but couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face when Cameron referred to my mother as a bitch. Cameron was such an amazing man, so understanding and caring for the people in his life. So no matter how much I deemed it inappropriate, I couldn't help it. And I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
I heard Cameron grunt and what felt like a sigh into my hair, before his arms were quickly wrapped around my waist. My body was heated to an extreme, this was the closest we have ever been to one another. I could feel his breath against my neck, tickling the sensitive skin under my ear. My hair was brushed to one side, so I felt every inhale, every exhale coming from his delicious mouth. His lips so close to my skin I always felt myself quivering under his touch.
"I want to take care of you Avery" He suddenly whispered into my ear, and when we pulled out of our embrace I could tell it surprised not only me, but him as well. Almost as if his jumbled thoughts in his head, escaped his mouth without his permission.
I could feel that something suddenly was different between the two of us. That something shifted in our once strictly professional relationship, and there was definitely no going back....