Today We are Here

True to his word, Cam picked me up from the motel just before noon.

Before he arrived, I was a manic mess, wondering how I was going to make myself look nice for my friend when I only brought two outfits with me and they were not suitable for hanging out, even if we were going to the mall of all places. That didn’t stop me from wanting to make an effort for Cam because I had no idea when I’d be able to do this again.

I rushed to Allan Meijer, a nearby big box store as soon as it opened. It was quite an adventuring, putting together a nice outfit spending the least amount of money possible. Thank goodness for the clearance racks offering something other than what a more mature lady would wear for her Sunday’s best. It was nothing too flashy – a white-with-blue-stripes blouse, dark blue boyfriend jeans (rolled up, of course), navy blue ballet flats, and an oversized blue cardigan. It was unfortunate that I didn’t have time to pick up any makeup from the cosmetic section and even if I did, I doubt that I would find a foundation that matched my deep brown skin with a golden undertone. I did, however, squeeze out enough time to pick up a nice nude lip gloss that I knew I’d used long after this outing was over.

I was reluctant to style my hair into a messy bun with bangs because it was my usual go-to style for work. But a lack of time and a lack of hair gel left me with few options. I would just have to be content with knowing that since we didn’t work at the same place (hell, we weren’t in the same tax bracket if we’re honest), I could get away with cutting corners with my hair.

I sized myself up in the bathroom mirror, grimacing at my reflection. “It’s decent,” I replied, doing random model poses. A model, however, I was not. “I mean, I’m not decent, but my outfit is.”

I wanted to hit myself over the head with a hammer. I wasn't a fashionista or anything. I didn't follow trends and as long as an outfit didn't have me looking like a sweet old granny with strawberry candies in her purse, I was cool with it. So why was I making such a big deal out of this? This wasn't a date. This was just two friends hanging out at the mall - two best friends - spending the afternoon together. No big deal. If Cam knew I was pulling out all the stops to make myself look nice for him, he’d never let me hear the end of it. Everyone in a five-meter radius would hear it, too. Maybe there’s some truth to that idea that every introvert is good friends with an extrovert who brings them out of their shell. Or maybe that’s all it is – a myth. All I can tell you is that Cam had one of those bright and boisterous personalities that no one could ignore.

It was a good thing that he used his abilities for good instead of evil.

Being the grandson of a billionaire CEO of a global conglomerate, Cameron Hawthorne was destined to make friends and influence people. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about the charming, handsome business student who was sure to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Christian to work at Hawthorne Industries doing…whatever it is that they do there. Unfortunately for Cam, not only did his brother's reputational as a resourceful and driven businessman precede him, but but his status as a bachelor (unlike Christian, who'd long been married to his college sweetheart) didn't help matters.

Everyone wanted a piece of Hawthorne Industries's youngest heir.

Girls from so-called “proper families” did their best to “accidentally” bump into him in hopes of one day becoming the wife of the grandson of a billionaire.

The other students wanted to say with confidence that they were friends with a man worth unfathomable amounts of money.

But Cam was always lowkey about his wealthy background. He’d always say that it was his grandfather who was wealthy, not himself, and that he was determined to make his own way in the world, much to his grandfather's stern disapproval.

On paper, we had no business interacting with each other. The French class we were enrolled in was all that we had in common. I was a poor student, struggling to get through college despite a full scholarship, working two jobs and keeping my grands up while struggling to pay for books and other expenses. My mother offered no assistance - because of course she wouldn't. I wasn't anything like the legacy students from "good" families who surrounded themselves around Cam. They were rich, comfortable and carefree. I was poor, exhausted, yet hopeful.

I don’t know what Cam saw in me, but whatever it was, I’m glad he did. With him in my life, things changed for the better.

It all started very slowly. At first, we were assigned study buddies. I did well and the instructor, seeing that Cam needed a helping hand, asked if I could help him out. It was awkward at first - assigned partnerships usually are - but amid verb conjugation and rote memorization, we beat all the odds and became friends. The last two years of university were so much better with him around, hanging out together while getting into all sorts of mischief. It was a welcome distraction. Confiding in him about my crazy life with my mother came easy, and Cam was all too eager to give me a shoulder to cry on. He never judged me or used my words against me, proving time and time again that he was the wonderful friend we all dream about having in our lives. He'll say I'm being dramatic, but I really believe that because of him, I was able to finish my degree with honors. In return, I was his biggest supporting, cheering him on as completed his degree in business, while creating a mobile game that went on to take the world by storm.

There was no one more proud of me than him and there was no one more proud of him than me. Once we graduated, we did everything to keep in touch, but life always has a way of busting up plans. He had a company to build from the ground up and I had to do...survive. It was hard, having such a beautiful light in your life only to find yourself thrown back into the dark ages without so much as a warning. It made me cherish those few-and-far-between moments when I got to be in his orbit all over again.

But the past didn’t matter right now.

My heart began to flutter the moment I saw him. As I walked outside of the motel, Cam stepped out of his sleek black car, a smile as bright as the sun spread across his face. I couldn’t help but smile back, even if my smile was much smaller. He gestured for me and I walked right out, a pep in my step that threated to turn into a full-on sprint. As my body began to soar, it occured to me how much I needed to see him. It felt sublime to see someone who always had a smile for me, instead of the cold, dead, and judgmental stares on familiar faces that I was used to.

“There you are, Nonon.” I giggled as I walked over to the passenger side seat, giving a little wave. Cam, being my only real friend, is the only one who called me by my nickname, “Nonon”. I can’t tell you how I came up with it – probably made it up as a kid or heard it in an animated series from another country. It just stuck with me. The moment Cam got wind of it, his adopted it with much enthusiasm. “Hope you got a good night’s sleep because we’re going to have a hell of a day tonight. You need one!”

“Oh really? Well, I don’t bring me home blissfully exhausted, I’ll never forgive you!” I deadpanned.

“‘Blissfully exhausted’, huh? If that’s what you want, we can skip the mall and go back to my place…”

“Cam!” I hissed, holding back the laughter. I walked right into that one. “Behave yourself or I’m matching right back into my hotel room.”

“All right, all right, I’ll knock it off. But if you change your mind…”

“Cam, in the years we’ve known each other, when have I ever changed my mind?”

“Never! And that’s why I keep offering!”

“You poor, poor man. I don’t know whether to feel sorry for you or throw my head back and laugh.”

“If you do both, you’ll be like my ex-girlfriend, and I don’t want that.”

We were still in the parking lot and already my lungs were in danger of failing because he made me laugh so hard. Laughter really is the best medicine. “Just drive!”

Mayfair was a five-minute ride from the hotel, but it took all of five seconds for me to become engrossed with the sights. On paper, it looked mundane as hell. On one side of the street was a regional big-box store called Allan Meijer, which had groceries, clothing, electronics – all sorts of things. On the other side was Russells, which was just like Allan Meijer, but much bigger since it was one of those global corporations. Not that it mattered to the folks out and about running errands. Both parking lots were already filled to the brim with cars. It would probably be much the same once we got to Mayfair. I was already looking forward to watching Cam drive around for five or ten minutes, hoping to get lucky and find a parking spot not too far away from one of the entrances.

Restaurants, speciality stores, mechanics, banks, and even a self-storage area – the area had it all. The city had those things too, but they didn’t have the vast sky or the green trees that lined the streets. It didn’t feel as crowded or as stifling.

It felt…free.

“One of these days, we should take a joyride around the area,” Cam piped up, keeping his eyes on the road. “Just drive around town and see everything this place has to offer. You normally just hang around places near the motel, right? There’s so much to this place beyond Peacetree.”

“That sounds amazing.” I sounded like an airhead, but I was completely enraptured by the scenery. “I really want to move out here, you know? I’m saving up, but it's a slow process. I don’t know how I’m going to get out here, but I will.”

“You know I’m here to help if you want to get out of there faster."

"I know, but..."

"No, I'm serious. Just say the word and I'll move you out here. I just purchased a townhouse that’s northwest of Mayfair and there's room for the both of us. You can have the upstairs and I'll have the downstairs.”

"Ah...as tempting as that sounds, I couldn't intrude on you like that."

"You wouldn't. And you know you wouldn't. I promise you, I'm not a bad roommate. I know how to cook AND do my own laundry. I might even wash a window or two."

“I’ll…keep that in mind.” I offered him a small smile, but I knew that wouldn’t take him up on his offer. It wasn't that I didn't believe his sincerity. If I asked him him, he'd turn his car around and drive me to my apartment, standing guard while I grabbed my stuff. But I wanted to free myself from my mom on my terms. If I asked him for help, it would feel like I’d be taking advantage of him and his status, something I promised myself that I would never do. “At least I was smart enough to start an account at another bank, so she won’t have access. So far, she hasn’t noticed anything.”

“It sucks that you even had to do all of that in the first place. I don’t get why your mom treats you like that.”

“I don't get it either, but I've stopped asking questions about it. Right now, all I want is to get out of there. It may take me a while to do it, but I will. You mark my words."

“I know you will, Nonon. I’m so sorry you have to put up with that. It’s not fair, the way she treats you. You deserve so much better than that.”

“It’s nice to know that there’s one person on my side." The smile I offered was warm and genuine. "I just wish I could see you more often.”

“Same here. You know I’m always down to hang out. Which you'd know if you called me more.”

“I know, I know. It's just that you’re doing the mobile gaming thing and things are going great for you. I feel like if I called you and asked to hang out, I'd be bugging you and I don’t want to keep bringing you down because my mother’s a monster in fuzzy slippers.”

“Trust me, you’re not bugging me. It really bugs me that you have to live like that. If spending time with me helps you get through it all, then you can 'bug' me all you want. That's what friends are for, right?”

“I...guess so." If I said 'yes', it wouldn't be an honest answer. It was a struggle, feeling worthy of Cam's amazing friendship. "Anyway, we're together now, and that's the important thing, right? Whatever happens today will be enough to keep me going until the next time we meet, whenever that is."

“Just promise me you'll remember that you don't deal with things alone, Nicola.” My heart skipped a beat. Cam only used my real name when he was being serious - and that didn't happen very often. I threw me off. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot, you know. I know you don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but I really want to help you.”

“But you are helping me.” I knew he meant something more serious, but I didn't want to get into it. I really didn’t want to share my burdens with him. He was so bright, so shiny, so…free. I wanted all of that. I just wanted to experience that kind of freedom, if only for a little while. I wanted to leave my mother in my motel room, blowing up my phone, unable to reach my happy place. “You called me when I needed you and now you’re driving me to my favorite mall where I can buy my favorite dessert from my favorite crepe shop – a peach cobbler crepe with blueberries.”

Cam chuckled. “Peach cobbler crepe, huh? Is it that good?”

“Ummhmm.”

“Not gonna lie, a peace cobbler crepe with blueberries sounds good right now." That wide, bright smile one again spread across his face. "All right, you've convinced me. Let's hurry up and get to the mall and get you that peach crepe!"

"With blueberries!" I was relieved, happy that he didn’t push for a more uncomfortable conversation. "Don't forget those blueberries!"