“That’s just not what I’m focused on. Things are ramping up at the advertising agency and they’re giving me more opportunities to prove myself. If I play my cards right, I might be able to apply for their program manager position, which would be a massive boost up.”
“Then why don’t you tell Camilla that?”
“I have, but you know how she is, Logan. She gets something in her head and she doesn’t stop until she either hits a brick wall or accomplishes what she wants.”
“Well, personally? There’s nothing wrong with focusing on work for a while. If you’re happy and fulfilled, then there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing.”
“Speaking of work, how are things at the bat cave?”
“Are we really still calling it the bat cave?” I asked.
“The only thing not black on your entire building is the white sign depicting what the building is for. It’s a bat cave.”
“The inside isn’t black.”
“I don’t know that for certain.”
“Come by and you will.”
“We’d have to be careful, though. If Adam saw me, he’d assume I was there for him,” she said.
“I can sneak you in back. There’s a private service elevator that goes all the way to the top floor.”
“I take it Camilla’s used it a time or two?” she asked.
I grinned at her as I took a bite of my sandwich.
“The two of you are relentless. I know things about you I’d never want to know in a million years,” Ava said.
“And trust me, we’ve had conversation about that. I keep telling Camilla that there are things that do need to stay between us, but she won’t listen.”
“It’s like talking to a pet rock.”
“That doesn’t listen,” I said.
Ava threw her head back and laughed. I enjoyed the conversations we had. She was a very down-to-earth girl, and I was glad Camilla had someone like that in her world. Camilla wasn’t down-to-earth so much as she was go-with-the-flow. She was a firecracker waiting to shoot off in whatever direction someone aimed her. Having a soft soul like Ava to help keep her grounded did wonders for Camilla’s mindset. I knew from personal experience as well as from the stories Camilla told me late at night when we were lying next to one another in bed.
“I just have to get one thing out there. Okay?” I asked.
Ava settled down her laughter as I finished off the first half of my sandwich.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Don’t call Adam. Just don’t do it.”
“Trust me, I’m not. Ever.”
“Okay. I knew you wouldn’t, but for my sake, I felt the need to say it.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because he was an absolute moronic monster last night, and if I didn’t say anything about it now and for some reason you called him, I would’ve felt like shit for not warning you further.”
“Well, thankfully I have some self-respect.”
“Good. That’s a good thing to have.”
“Though you and Camilla might want a bit of it. You know, for your love life,” she said, grinning.
“What do you know?” I asked.
Her grinned turned into a giggle as her cheeks flushed.
“Ava?”
“Yes?”
“What do you know?”
“Just that you have a penchant for syrup in places it should never be.”
“Damn it, Camilla!”
She threw her head back and roared with laughter as I sank into my chair with embarrassment.
“Why does this woman do this to me?” I asked.
“You know you love her,” Ava said.
Her statement caught me off guard. Did I love Camilla? I enjoyed her. We had fun together. But did I love her? I wasn’t sure I could answer that question.
“At least she’s fun to be around,” I said.
Ava’s laughter settled down as her eyes came back to mine.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable with that statement. It was just a figure of speech,” she said.
“You didn’t. It’s just, we’ve only been seeing each other for a few months.”
“Of course. Yeah. I just meant generally.”
“Generally,” I said.
“Yeah.” Ava wrinkled her nose, and it made me chuckle.
“Generally speaking, yes, Camilla is an easy person to love—in a general sort of way.”
“Like a best friend.”
“Exactly.”
“Like the best of friends,” she said.
“The best of the best.”
We fell silent as we finished up eating, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. Even though we had stumbled over a topic I wasn’t quite sure wouldn’t bite me in the ass later, I felt like we left things on a good note. I didn’t feel like Ava would go bash me to Camilla for any of it.
We grabbed our coffees and stood before I escorted her out of the café. Then I gave her a short one-armed hug before I watched her walk down the sidewalk and back into her place of work. Mission—at least partially—accomplished.
Ava
“Oh my gosh.”
I was pressed against a brick wall, my cheek sliding over the rough surface. I pushed against the wall as a pair of rough hands slid up the backs of my bare thighs. I moaned at the touch. I should’ve been terrified. I should’ve been panicking. But the feel of his breath on the nape of my neck sent shivers down my spine. He pulled his hand back and cracked my ass cheek, sending it jiggling and stinging as I ground against his pelvis.