of half-naked women and a lot of questionable -looking men. It was a completely different crowd than Madison was used to, and she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She had known there would be a lot of groupies, but she hadn't expected a scene like this.
Making their way further into the room, Madison finally found the one she was looking for. He was the center of attention. He was laughing at something that a woman had said, looking truly happy. He had a beer in one hand, and what looked like a cigarette or joint in the other.
She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should approach him. Just when she was close enough to get his attention, a woman pushed her out of the way and went up to Cameron. The tall blonde, with legs to die for, stepped right into Cameron's face and shoved her tongue down his throat. Madison's mouth dropped open. Surely that wasn't welcome! You didn't just walk up to someone and kiss them like that!
But then, Madison watched as Cameron pulled the blonde onto his lap.
She'd seen enough. She didn't belong here. She didn't belong in this lifestyle of Cameron's at all. That was very clear to her now. With that realization came disappointment and sadness. They could be friends - really great friends, at that - but anything more would be out of the question.
"Let's go home," she said to Chase, who looked at her with wide eyes.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." Her voice was so quiet that Chase realized she wasn't suggesting they leave, she was insisting on it. He didn't say another word, but just took her hand.
"Lead the way," he said.
An hour later she was in her bathroom, scrubbing the hell out of the toilet, and cursing herself for being so naive.
Chapter Ten
M adison was rinsing suds out of the large garden tub in her bathroom when she thought she heard a knocking sound. She turned the water off and listened closer. This time, she heard it. Now it was more of a pounding.
She ran to the door, hoping that whoever it was didn't wake her neighbors. Was something wrong with Chase? Was something wrong at the restaurant? She threw the door open, not bothering to look through the peep hole, too intent on quieting the person down.
"Cameron!" she exclaimed, pulling him into her apartment and shutting the door. His eyes were a little glazed over, and he was stumbling. She was amazed to see him - he should still be at the backstage soiree, kissing blondes.
"What in the world are you doing here?"
"Why didn't you come backstage tonight?" he asked, dropping onto her couch. "I gave you those passes, and you didn't even show up on my last night in town for a while," he told her with a mixture of disappointment and amusement.
Madison could tell that he was inebriated, but not enough that he didn't know what he was saying or doing. She stared at him for a minute, not sure whether to tell the truth or not.
"I was there," she finally admitted, not really caring if he knew the truth. "You looked like you were busy, so we left."
"I was waiting for you," he told her in a petulant tone.
She couldn't help it. She let the short, indignant chuckle out of her mouth. "No, I really don't think you were waiting for me. It looked to me like you were fairly pre-occupied."
"Would you stop skirting the issue and tell me what's wrong?" Cameron was starting to sound annoyed.
Madison shook her head. "This is so stupid!" she muttered, running her hands through her hair in frustration.
"What's stupid?" he asked.
"You want to know what's wrong? I was there tonight. I don't know what I was thinking, but I was excited to be there, naive person that I am. And the first thing I saw when I found you was some girl sitting on your lap, with your tongue shoved down her throat, fondling her for the whole room to see. Did it bother me? Yes! Do I know why? No! All I know is that it felt wrong for me to be there, so I left. And now, I'd like you to leave." Though she had started out calm, she had ended up yelling at him.
Cameron looked up
Making their way further into the room, Madison finally found the one she was looking for. He was the center of attention. He was laughing at something that a woman had said, looking truly happy. He had a beer in one hand, and what looked like a cigarette or joint in the other.
She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should approach him. Just when she was close enough to get his attention, a woman pushed her out of the way and went up to Cameron. The tall blonde, with legs to die for, stepped right into Cameron's face and shoved her tongue down his throat. Madison's mouth dropped open. Surely that wasn't welcome! You didn't just walk up to someone and kiss them like that!
But then, Madison watched as Cameron pulled the blonde onto his lap.
She'd seen enough. She didn't belong here. She didn't belong in this lifestyle of Cameron's at all. That was very clear to her now. With that realization came disappointment and sadness. They could be friends - really great friends, at that - but anything more would be out of the question.
"Let's go home," she said to Chase, who looked at her with wide eyes.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." Her voice was so quiet that Chase realized she wasn't suggesting they leave, she was insisting on it. He didn't say another word, but just took her hand.
"Lead the way," he said.
An hour later she was in her bathroom, scrubbing the hell out of the toilet, and cursing herself for being so naive.
Chapter Ten
M adison was rinsing suds out of the large garden tub in her bathroom when she thought she heard a knocking sound. She turned the water off and listened closer. This time, she heard it. Now it was more of a pounding.
She ran to the door, hoping that whoever it was didn't wake her neighbors. Was something wrong with Chase? Was something wrong at the restaurant? She threw the door open, not bothering to look through the peep hole, too intent on quieting the person down.
"Cameron!" she exclaimed, pulling him into her apartment and shutting the door. His eyes were a little glazed over, and he was stumbling. She was amazed to see him - he should still be at the backstage soiree, kissing blondes.
"What in the world are you doing here?"
"Why didn't you come backstage tonight?" he asked, dropping onto her couch. "I gave you those passes, and you didn't even show up on my last night in town for a while," he told her with a mixture of disappointment and amusement.
Madison could tell that he was inebriated, but not enough that he didn't know what he was saying or doing. She stared at him for a minute, not sure whether to tell the truth or not.
"I was there," she finally admitted, not really caring if he knew the truth. "You looked like you were busy, so we left."
"I was waiting for you," he told her in a petulant tone.
She couldn't help it. She let the short, indignant chuckle out of her mouth. "No, I really don't think you were waiting for me. It looked to me like you were fairly pre-occupied."
"Would you stop skirting the issue and tell me what's wrong?" Cameron was starting to sound annoyed.
Madison shook her head. "This is so stupid!" she muttered, running her hands through her hair in frustration.
"What's stupid?" he asked.
"You want to know what's wrong? I was there tonight. I don't know what I was thinking, but I was excited to be there, naive person that I am. And the first thing I saw when I found you was some girl sitting on your lap, with your tongue shoved down her throat, fondling her for the whole room to see. Did it bother me? Yes! Do I know why? No! All I know is that it felt wrong for me to be there, so I left. And now, I'd like you to leave." Though she had started out calm, she had ended up yelling at him.
Cameron looked up
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