Page 75 of Hard Rock Sin
That was going to be my excuse, but now that I got a good look at Cameron, I thought better of it.
"Are you okay?" I asked instead.
"Why wouldn't I be?" he replied. He sounded as if speaking was a monumental effort.
"How long have you been playing?" I asked.
"I dunno. What time is it?"
"Past dinner time."
"Oh." He looked down at the bass guitar in his hands. His fingers clenched around the fret board. "All day, I guess."
"You look tired. Why don't we go get something to eat?" I offered.
"Not hungry."
"Not even for pineapple pizza?"
He moved to put the bass guitar back on its stand.
"Did you need something?" he asked, ignoring my pizza comment.
I paused, contemplating. I didn't want to pry, but Cameron was upset. I decided to take the roundabout way.
"Your mom asked if I wanted to do a spa day with her."
Cameron visibly flinched. There it was. I knew his mood had something to do with his parents.
"I told her I would have to check my schedule. I didn't want to agree without asking you first."
"Why? It's not like you need my permission."
My fingers twisted in the hem of my shirt. "I just met your mom. Isn't it weird for her to want to hang out with a perfect stranger?"
"You're not a stranger. You're my—" Cameron lifted his fingers in air quotes, "—lady friend."
I stilled. "She knows we're...?"
I supposed that explained why she wanted to get to know me.
"She's overjoyed, no doubt." Cameron lifted his eyes to the ceiling and exhaled a deep breath. "After all, you're perfect."
I frowned, confused. "Perfect?"
"Respectable," he clarified.
I nearly laughed. "I'm an orphan who grew up in foster care. I don't have a job because I'm mooching off my brother. I'm taking a college degree that will leave me almost no real employable skills."
"You're a polite, educated, driven young woman. Not to mention beautiful and classy as hell."
Classy? I'd never thought of myself that way. I always considered myself the artsy dreamer type.
"I suppose growing up in a fancy boarding school with snobby mean girls will do that to a person."
"I'm surprised she hasn't dragged us to the altar already."
I flushed. My heart jumped in my chest at those words. "Is that really what she's thinking?"
