Chapter 7
Cami and Cicely decided to go out to an early dinner when they left the hospital. They loaded Emma into the backseat and in no time they were traversing the lofty hills of San Francisco.
Cami hadn't asked what her Mama thought of Roman. She had been waiting quietly, and almost impatiently, to find out, but Cicely was taking her time and hadn't said a word about him at that point.
They were near the restaurant when Cami finally broke down and asked.
"Well, Mama?" she asked as a nervous smile touched the corners of her mouth.
Cicely looked out the window. "Well, what?"
Cami laughed and scolded her. "Mama! What did you think of Roman?"
Her Mama smiled a little and looked over at her casually. "I need to spend more time with him to tell you what I really think, but he seems like a nice man. He seems like a good man, and I like what I know of him so far.
“That's all I can say to you about him for now. Janine is quite a character, though. That lady isn't afraid to say what she thinks! Not at all. I like women like that. Ladies that speak their mind with no filter or hesitation. It saves me the trouble of having to get past all their games and just know them."
Cami nodded. "I knew you'd like her. She's really been so good to us since we got here. She's looked out for us just as much as Roman has. She's the one who helped me find a home here. I think our move would have been so much harder without her helping us."
Cicely looked at Cami then and said, "I will say one thing about Roman. He really does care about you a great deal. I could see that as plain as day on his face when he looks at you.
“He watches you with love. I don't think he knows it yet, but it's obvious. If you two think you're going to be able to raise my little Emma as just friends and not have any sort of romantic feelings for each other, you've got a challenge ahead of you.
“He cares for you and he cares for Emma, and that is only going to grow stronger over time. If his wife thinks she can hold on to him, she better hold on tight. You're a grown woman and you can do what you want, but I'm going to tell you right now, Cami, you be careful around him, and you keep your wits and senses about you, because I don't think it would be too difficult at all for you to fall right into love with him and end up with a broken heart."
Cami was silent as she listened to her mother. She knew that what Cicely was saying was true. She had seen it and felt it at the hospital, and before then, at his office and in her hotel room when they kissed.
There was something very strong and hot between them; like a gravitational force that pulled at them, drawing them together like a yin and yang. Though their friendship was indeed growing stronger all the time, she could not deny that there was much more than friendship bubbling just beneath the surface.
"Well, Mama, he's married, and we are both making that a priority, as well as Emma's future and best interests, so even if we do have some feelings for each other, they are going to remain feelings of friendship, and that's all."
Cicely gave her daughter a sidelong look and nodded slightly. "Mhmm. Well, we'll see what happens."
They got out of the car and headed into the restaurant. Cami made it a point to pay extra attention to Emma as they were seated, hoping to change the subject before her Mama took it any further. Cami knew her Mama wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to talk any more about it.
They spent the next three days getting Cami settled into her new home. It was a sweet little condo with a private garden and it had a sweeping view of the city and the bay. Cicely was really impressed with it, and Cami was excited to be moving into her own place. Roman had purchased it for her and Emma, but the deed was in her name, and she owned it free and clear, and that felt incredible to Cami.
Janine helped them with furniture and extras, and Mama and Cami did all the shopping to get the place all settled. There were three bedrooms; one for Cami, a nursery for Emma, and a guest room where Cicely stayed. By the end of the week, it looked perfect, and Cami was excited to have Janine and Roman come over to visit and see it.
Janine picked him up and the two of them showed up for lunch. They loved the home right away and Roman hugged Cami tightly when he came in. He held her for a long moment before letting her go, saying softly to her, "I'm so glad that the two of you are in such a nice place.
“This is lovely, and it seems ideal for you both. It's a safe neighborhood, it's got good restaurants and shops around it, and a park nearby; this will be a good place for Emma and you to be." He looked relieved and happy, and Cami hugged him again.
"Thank you, Roman," she said. "I'm so grateful to you for giving this to us."
He nodded to her and they went out to the patio to enjoy lunch with Cicely and Janine.
It was a good visit, and the conversation flowed lightly between Cami's new place and her art, and Roman's recovery. They talked about Cicely in Seattle and Janine's adept handling of the business, but no one brought up Denise until Cicely and Janine insisted on clearing away the lunch dishes and Roman and Cami were left alone
.
She looked at him and saw that he seemed more relaxed than he was when he and Janine first came to the door.
"How are things going for you at home?" she asked, reaching out and holding his hand in hers for a moment.
The feel of her fingers on his skin was like a balm to him; soothing and comforting, warm and tender. He drew in his breath deeply and sighed, looking at her.
"It's alright. Denise is trying like crazy to fix our marriage. She is getting to a point where she has accepted that we have a daughter and she has begun to refer to herself as Emma's step-mother. She has some misgivings about you, and that's really my fault. I'm sorry about it. I hope this isn't difficult for you, but she wants you to bring Emma to us for visits, and leave her with us. Then, when the visit is over, you could pick her up from us again," he said miserably.
Cami bit her lip thoughtfully. "That's clever of her. It takes me out of the picture entirely when it comes to you. Every interaction we have is supervised by her, and she has some semblance of control." She frowned a little. "How do you think she'll be with Emma?"
Roman looked right at her. "She's not going to be alone with Emma, ever. Emma is my daughter, not hers, and if she happens to be around, then that's fine, but anytime Emma comes to see me, it will be to spend time with just me, and Denise wouldn't be much more than an observer on the sidelines. She'll be good to Emma, or she will have hell to pay."
Cami's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Well, that takes care of that!" She gave a little laugh. Then she tilted her head a bit and reached for his hand again, this time holding it and not letting it go.
"That doesn't give us much time to spend together as parents for Emma, and it doesn't give us any time to be around each other as friends." Disappointment colored her expression and she felt bad. "I'll miss you," she said quietly.
He rubbed his fingers softly over hers. "I'll miss you, too. Maybe I can talk to her and have you over with Emma sometimes, so that we seem more like co-parents to our girl, rather than single units."
Cami shrugged. "That doesn't seem like much."
He nodded. "I know. I'll see what I can do. I'm trying to maintain a delicate balance at the house right now. Things are... not what they should be."
Cami looked at him with concern. "Are you alright? Is she being decent to you?"
Roman shrugged. "I guess so. I can see that she's trying, but something in me doesn't trust it, and I don't know why, but it feels like she is being nice to me because of something she wants, not because she genuinely cares about me, but I can't quite tell."
Cami's fingers closed snugly around Roman's. "Just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."
He smiled and nodded at her. "I will. I promise."
Janine came out on the patio then and Cami and Roman let go of each other's hands while Janine pretended not to notice. "It's time to go, Roman. Cicely just put Emma down for a nap and I have some things I need to get to this afternoon."
Roman stood and reached for his crutches. "Well, it was a lovely visit, and I enjoyed myself. I'm so glad to see you two in this place, it's perfect for you." He smiled warmly at Cami and she rose up and hugged him, slipping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest.
"Thank you so much for gifting it to us." She held him tightly and he closed his eyes and held her back, wishing that he could stay there in her arms just a little longer.
She let him go and looked up at him, and he smiled at her. Then Janine said good-bye to Cicely, and they left.
Cicely handed her daughter a cup of tea. "Young lady, you better be real careful."
Cami felt distracted by the feel of him, by his scent and his warmth. "Careful about what?" she asked, sipping her tea and looking up at her Mama.
"You just mind the way you are with him. You both have some pretty strong feelings for each other and neither one of you is in a position to do anything about it, so you better just watch out. Don't take any chances. I don't want my babies getting hurt. If he was single, I would be glad to have you two looking at each other the way you do, but he's not, so you have to keep it simple, baby." Cicely drank her tea and held her tea cup, looking at Cami earnestly.
Cami shook her head. "Mama, I don't think he likes me the way you think he does. I think it was just a little confusing at first because of the way we left things when we saw each other last year, but now it's different. Now we're just friends. We're both working hard to make it that way between us for ourselves and for Emma."
Cicely laughed softly. "Well then, you two keep working at it, because you have a long way to go if you only want to be friends."
***
Roman's first follow-up appointment was a good one. He was able to get rid of his crutches and get a brace for his ankle. He was back at his office and had picked up matters at work where he’d left off with them, except for the things that Allen had taken care of.
It felt to him like his life was settling into some sort of strange new normalcy, although he couldn't quite get comfortable in it. Denise was being extremely sweet with him; not really taking great care of him, but at least paying more attention to him than she had in years, and she had even started talking about moving back into his bedroom,
although they hadn't been intimate since his first night home when he had called out Cami's name. He felt that she was secretly holding that against him and was biding her time getting back into his bed, though she liked to talk to him about it, almost in a teasing way.
Allen came into Roman's office two days after he returned, and he looked extremely frustrated.
"What can I do for you?" Roman asked him.
Allen sat in the chair opposite Roman and leaned back in it, lifting his hand to his head. "I hate to ask you to do anything; you just got back and you're still healing, but I don't really have a choice anymore."
Roman's brow furrowed. "What is it?"
Allen sighed dramatically. "It's Denise. She has been hounding Carmen and Edward again, and the Senator said to me just now that he loves the boat and he wants to get it, but they feel that they will have to pass on the deal. And that’s because they don't want to have to be around Denise at all. She seems like she is a package deal with the boat.
“They really like you. They want to spend time with you socially, they want to invite you onto their boat if they buy it. But they just can't stand Denise and he just told me, in no uncertain terms, that they are probably going to look elsewhere for a boat just because of her."
Roman felt his stomach tighten. "That's not good. I don't want to try to find someone else to try to spend that kind of money on that boat. I want the Senator to get it."
Allen lifted his hands up in the air and brought them back down again with a slap against his knees. "I know. I know... that's what I told him. They just can't stand her. To be honest, I think it's more Carmen than Edward, but he's going with what his wife wants, of course, and that's where we are. The only reasons he isn't already gone are because he really likes us; meaning you and me, and he is best friends with Captain Heatherwick now, and he just loves the boat. But I'm telling you, Denise is going to cost us this entire deal."
Roman sighed heavily and shook his head. "Alright. I'll talk to her when I go home tonight."
Allen nodded and stood up. "I'm sorry, Roman, I know things are way off for you right now. I wish this was easier."
Roman shook his head. "It'll all work out. We'll make it work out. I'll talk to her tonight."
Allen smiled a little and left Roman's office.
When Roman got home that night, he sat with Agnes and Denise at the table and ate dinner silently while the two of them talked. When Agnes went to her room, he looked at Denise and said quietly, "We need to discuss something."
She wheeled on him and stared at him with wide eyes. "What? What's going on?"
Roman walked to his library and sat down on one of the sofas. Denise followed him and sat beside him, looking worried.
“I know you feel like you want to be friends with Senator Johnson and his wife, but I need to ask you to stop contacting them. They aren't interested in a personal relationship with you. They would rather keep our association strictly business."
Denise's jaw fell open. "What? What are you talking about? Carmen is one of my best friends!"
Roman shook his head. "No, Denise, she's not. I know you've been trying to get her to become your friend, but she just doesn't like you and she doesn't want to be friends with you." He was sorry to have to be blunt with her, but he knew that was the only way to get her to really understand.
She jumped up off the sofa and glared at him. "She is too my best friend, and I love her!"
Roman looked up at her sympathetically. "Does she ever call you?"
Denise was quiet a moment and then shook her head. "Not very often, but she's a busy lady! She's the Senator's wife!"
He continued. "Does she spend time with you, ever? Lunch, shopping... anything?"
She stood there, staring down at him. “No,” she said, in a low voice.
"Does she ever accept or answer your calls?" he asked, already knowing what the answer would be.
"No," Denise said, as a pinkish red began to color her face.
Roman leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "She doesn't like you. She doesn't want to be friends with you, and she and Edward and not going to buy that boat from me if you keep harassing them. They have said that themselves. They want you to leave them alone."
Denise's mouth dropped open again in shock, as her face flushed full red, and he knew then that she finally understood it.
"That bitch! How could she use me like she has?" Denise turned on her heel and began to pace the floor. Then she stopped short and glared at Roman.
"This is your fault! I was trying to make a good name for us, and get us a few more rungs up the social ladder of success and you went and screwed it up! It had to be you! They loved me until you got involved!" She gritted her teeth and snapped angrily at him.
Roman stood up and looked down at her. "Don't you blame me for it, Denise, they don't like you because they think you are a just a social climber who is trying to become more popular by being friends with them. They are right. You don't even like Carmen. I've never heard you say anything good about her except concerning her social status!"
Denise shrieked. "Well why the hell would I like someone like her, anyway? She was nothing but a social climbing whore herself, not too long ago when she was the Senator's nanny, taking care of that kid of his. Then she went and screwed around with him and got him to marry her! At least I'm just trying to better our position by being friends and not sleeping with the Senator! She's nothing but a dirty low down immigrant, anyway!"
Roman raised his voice to her. "If you want to get technical, Denise, we are all immigrants, and the Native Americans are the only ones who aren't! As far as Carmen, you just said she was your best friend! Now you're calling her a whore? Is that how you treat your friends? Or is that just your true color coming through now that you think you can't get anywhere by associating with them?"
"She's a phony! She doesn't even belong in society at all!" Denise shouted at him.
"You're just throwing her under the bus because you can't use her anymore, now! That makes you the fake friend, Denise, and I'm going to say this, I'm glad that they saw through you right from the start, and didn't want anything to do with you because you were just using them the entire time!" He flung his arm through the air and shot an angry look at her.
Denise took two steps toward him and yelled again. "I can't believe you're taking their side after everything I've done for you! I've done everything I could to make us shine in the public eye, to give us a good solid spot in society and you just blow it all away like it's nothing!"
"I don't care about society! I don't care about any of that nonsense, and you know it!" he shouted back. "As far as I can see, you're the one who always wanted it, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that you were only married to me because of my wealth and status, since that seems to be what's most important to you!"
She picked up a sofa pillow and launched it at him. "Well, why the hell else would I be married to you? You're no great catch! How else was I going to become the star of socialite San Francisco? You're such an idiot!" she screamed at him and then turned and stomped out of the room, leaving him standing there in shock.
He had only been surmising. He had been guessing and not even really on purpose; it was just something he had thrown out in his argument, wondering if she had only ever been with him because of his wealth and inherent social status. He didn't attend all the parties and go to all the social functions; he would make an appearance now and then, not really caring about it at all, and not paying attention to what anyone else ever thought of him, and he realized that that was probably why he had gotten so far; he wasn't trying to get anywhere.
Her admittance, however, put his marriage into a whole new light. He hadn't really given it any thought before, but now he could see how everything in their marriage that hadn't made much sense before, suddenly clicked into comprehension. Why she had gone after him the way she had; why she’d been so hot in bed with him at first until they were married; and why she married him so quickly.
Why, after they had settled into their marriage and their home, her affections had worn off and she had moved to her own room and left him cold and lonely. Why she had gone outside of their marriage and had an affair... it was because she was using him for his wealth and his social standing. He was flabbergasted. He sat down on the sofa and raked his hand through his hair, stunned by the realization.
He had promised his life to a woman who cared next to nothing for him. Then he realized another truth. The reason she was still married to him, the reason she had wanted to fix their marriage was because she was afraid that Cami was going to sneak in and take her social standing and her place. She was devastated that Cami had given him a child and solidified a position in his life for the rest of his life.
Roman could not believe what he was realizing. His head began to pound and he decided he would deal with all of it the next day. He was tired and in pain, and his fight with Denise had only made it worse.
After a couple of pills and a glass of water, he was resting deeply in his pillow, wrestling with dragons and ladders in his dreams.