Page 25 of In Her Arms

Cameron took a moment to think about it. “Goldie loves the arts. She’s passionate about films and music. She mentioned wanting to start a community project for aspiring filmmakers. Maybe I could do something along those lines?”

“Oh. Goldie? Ah! I see! Oh wow! That makes sense now,” Esme said, her smile growing wider. “Okay then, I guess youcould organize a film screening. Ah, sorry. I’m feeling a little starstruck.”

“I’m loving this,” Sasha added, bouncing in her seat. “Goldie Richards. Fuck me. I can’t believe you, Cam.”

“This is all so perfect!” Esme said. “Right! Let’s call Deborah and get her in on this plan. She can help you pull this off.”

“Deborah?” Cameron’s heart raced. “What’s she going to do? She’s gonna kill me.”

Esme grinned, pulling out her phone. “She’s got connections, and she’ll definitely want to help you make this special. Plus, if she’s in town for interviews, it’ll be easier to coordinate. She won’t mind; she’s got bigger things on her mind, like Holly!”

Before Cameron could voice her hesitation, Esme had dialed Deborah’s number and put her on speaker.

“Deborah! You there?” Esme said, her voice cheerful.

“Hey, Esme! What’s up?” Deborah’s voice crackled through the speaker, warm and inviting.

“Cameron has something important to share, and we need your help,” Esme replied, glancing at Cameron with a reassuring smile.

“Important? What’s going on?” Deborah asked, her curiosity piqued.

Cameron felt her stomach flip. “Um, well, I’ve been talking about someone special in my life. I can’t really go into detail, but?—”

“Someone special?” Deborah echoed, her tone teasing. “What’s this all about?”

Cameron’s cheeks burned as she listened to Deborah’s question. “Maybe…”

“Just spill, already!” Deborah said, almost shouting, her voice playful.

Cameron took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I’m talking about Goldie Richards.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Cameron could hear the slight rustle of movement as Deborah processed the information. “Goldie? Wow. I’ve gotta say, Cam, she’s a handful, but she is gorgeous.”

“She sure is,” Cameron admitted, a smile coming to her lips. “But things are pretty complicated, and I think messed up. I want to make it up to her, but I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not used to all this lovey-dovey stuff.”

“First of all,” Deborah said, her voice steady, “you really do need to own up to your feelings. That’s the first step. Does Esme think I can help you? You know I will if I can.”

“That would be amazing. Maybe we could get together, and you could help me work things out. I’d like to surprise her,” Cameron said, relief flooding her.

“Great! Let’s meet up when I’m in town,” Deborah suggested, her tone encouraging.

“I’d really appreciate that,” Cameron replied, feeling more excited than she had in some time.

Esme and Sasha exchanged glances, their smiles widening as the conversation continued.

As they hung up, Cameron felt a sense of clarity wash over her. She still wasn’t quite sure where she was going, but she knew she was going somewhere.

“Alright,” Cameron said, her voice steady. “I’m ready to make this happen.”

Sasha clapped her hands together. “That’s the spirit! Now, let’s get back to fine-tuning the cocktails. No more interruptions. Anyone else madly in love with someone they haven’t told or can we do some work now?”

14

GOLDIE

Goldie perched on the edge of her seat backstage at the packed auditorium. The panel Q&A session was about to start, and the vibrant chatter of the audience was deafening. She glanced at her watch, wishing for just a moment of peace. She desperately needed some time on her own. But then the lights dimmed and the spotlight fell upon her.

Two of the people on the production team—Anya and Marco—were deep in conversation, sharing anecdotes from their time on set. Goldie forced a smile, trying to engage, but her mind was elsewhere. The laughter of her friends faded into a background noise as she felt a familiar pang of longing. She wished more than anything that Cameron was here.

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