Page 8 of Caught in the Middle

He knew it was her idea to create more training positions so that some of the workload was taken off the managers whenever a new hire class started, though she was humble enough not to boast about it.

Cam had met Lulu several times whenever she’d flown in to oversee the training at his center and they’d had to communicate over the years. She was one of the better ones, if not the best, to teach new employees the ropes. She was knowledgeable and stayed up to date on the constant changes so that she always taught them the correct way of doing things. It also helped that she could see when one person learned better in a different manner than she was accustomed to teaching and she would adapt to make sure everyone had the information they needed to succeed.

As far as colleagues went, she was one of the ones he respected and enjoyed working with.

“Do you have anything exciting planned for the night or are you ready to get back home?” she asked, likely changing the subject before he could congratulate her idea that was the backbone of the meeting that just concluded.

“Ready to get home,” he said, though a certain woman popped into his head. It was unlikely that he would run into her again before he left, but he had half the mind to knock on her door tonight. What would be the point though, he asked himself. It wouldn’t go anywhere. He went home tomorrow morning and she left for vacation, a very intense and possibly awkward vacation at that. “What about you?”

“Grabbing dinner tonight,” she said.

“Hey, Lulu–” Amanda, one of the higher-ups, had popped her head in the door. “Oh, sorry to interrupt. I was hoping to speak with you before my next meeting.”

Lulu stood up. “I can walk with you.” Amanda was always on the move. No one could get more done in a two-minute walk from one area of the building to the other than that woman. Lulu smiled at Cam who resumed grabbing his items. “If I don’t see you before the end of the day, safe travels.”

“You too,” he said, returning her smile. “Good to see you again.”

As she left with Amanda, Cam found himself counting down the hours until he could head back to the hotel. She may have already checked out, he warned himself, but he still couldn’t help but inwardly smile at the idea of knocking on Emma’s door again.

He’d had more fun than he expected last night at dinner and by the time they went back to their rooms, a small part of him wanted to invite her in. He didn’t want her to think the night had all been a ruse, so instead he thanked her for joining him and they went their separate ways.

He’d sent Nate a quick text saying that he’d taken his advice and then laughed when Katie texted him saying that Nate was bragging that he gave good advice and that he probably shouldn’t listen to whatever it was. He felt lucky to have his friends. Each of them. He just hoped one day he could find the love that they found as well.

???

Emma paced her hotel room only pausing to check the time every few minutes. For a Friday, this had been the slowest and most daunting day of her life. She’d woken up feeling like a heavy cloud was hanging over her all day, and that heavy cloud was about to surface.

Tonight, she was supposed to meet everyone to discuss the game plan for tomorrow morning. They’d go over the details for the trip, which didn’t seem necessary considering they were all boarding the same flight at the same time and headed to the same place.

She rolled her shoulders as she kept pacing, then marched over to check the temperature in the room. She wasn’t sure if it was the summer heat creeping in or her frantic anxiety over facing everyone, and by everyone, she meant Asher and Lauren, but she was beginning to break a sweat.

Great, that was the last thing she needed was to start sweating. She gently fanned herself before deciding to sit on the bed. She should be grateful that they all agreed to come here for dinner, not that she needed them to, but she knew it was a thoughtful gesture because they assumed she’d be worn out from how much she was on the go last week.

Emma had gone to college for a business degree because although she was a straight-A student, she didn’t know where she saw herself in ten years. The business degree felt like a safe choice at the time, but it was all of her filler classes that grasped her interest. She had taken a photography class her first semester and it had been like breathing new life as she learned about using a camera.

Her first one had been a used one she found online because she refused to let her aunt buy her a new one. To this day she felt like that was the first decision that would teach her a lifelong lesson. It wasn’t always about having the best and newest item, but rather being the most proficient at using it, which one could always learn to be if they were willing to put in the work.

After college, she attained a job as a consultant and found herself spending more and more of her free time behind her camera, slowly building a side hustle from her hobby. Next thing she knew she had people reaching out to request rights to the photos she posted on her photography website, which had started as a passion project and portfolio of her work. Then people she knew began getting engaged and asking if she could do a photoshoot, which led to her offering her services to the public at a fair price.

She had never dreamed of becoming a photographer, but Emma felt like it found her. Three years ago, she left her day job and pursued her talents behind the camera. Some weeks were more stressful than others, especially the business side of being self-employed. However, her career now took her on adventures she’d never have discovered otherwise. She often felt like she was finding pieces of herself through her work, whether it be from the time she was requested to join a YouTuber on their diving trip in Bali to capture photos for their Instagram grid, or whenever she was surrounded by the snow-covered mountains of Lake Tahoe to capture a couple’s wedding day who had met skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Photography had become a part of her, and even though she had a chaotic schedule sometimes, like this past week, it still made her feel alive.

Emma should’ve appreciated the gesture to dine here at the hotel, she thought again, but part of her was itching to get out. Try a new restaurant that hadn’t been here when she was growing up. Or maybe it was simply the waiting that had her antsy. She checked the time on her phone, groaning out loud when she realized they’d still be another hour.

Screw it, she thought. Emma stood up, grabbed her purse from the desk, and checked herself one last time in the mirror. It’d taken her a long time to decide on the right outfit, but she felt confident in her decision. She assured herself that it said she was fine, unbothered, and doing good since the breakup. Which was a silly reassurance, since technically she had been fine about the breakup.

She let loose a breath and then headed for the door. She couldn’t stay cooped up in this room any longer. She’d go see if her pal she met last night was still tending the bar and have him enlighten her with stories of his craziest guests. If not, then she’d convince someone else there to engage in conversation with her.

She opened the door and rolled her shoulders back before walking down the hall. She was Emma Cooper, she told herself. She didn’t wait for life to happen to her, she lived it.

Chapter 5

Cam entered the restaurant with less than half the enthusiasm he had yesterday. Last night, he’d been eager to sit down with Emma and learn what she was willing to reveal about herself to a stranger. Tonight, he prepared to dine alone, something he’d done most of this past week, but now it held a disappointment compared to before.

He’d knocked on the door across from his whenever he got back to the hotel after work, but no one had answered. He didn’t bother going to his room before knocking. He hadn’t realized how much anticipation and hope he’d built up until only silence answered at Emma’s door. Shoving all thoughts on the matter down, he crossed to his room, changed into something more casual then headed for the restaurant before he could give it much thought.

The feeling of disappointment was still gnawing at him, especially when the unwelcome thought popped into his mind that she’d probably already checked out and he wouldn’t see her again.

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