sneered.
Imogen swallowed and the sound of it replayed over and over in Cameron's head. "Maybe it would make you like me." Her goofy, wide grin told Cameron that she was joking again.
"In case you haven't realized, sex works differently for men and women. It doesn't make men like women any better."
"You like me, I know you do."
"And where are you getting this absurd notion?"
"Ice cream."
Cameron stopped and placed both of his open palms flat down on the tops of his thighs. He squinted his left eye. "You're basing this entire demented whatever-it-is going on between us on ice cream?"
She nodded. "Two weeks ago you probably would have had exactly what you wanted. When I left your apartment that day, do you remember?"
"I remember."
"I wasn't going to come back anymore. But then you showed up at the park and offered to buy me some ice cream. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't at least feel bad about the way things ended when I left your apartment."
There was his damn conscience getting him into trouble again. And Todd. If it hadn't been for his little guilt trip Cameron wouldn't be sitting in that dinky little diner right then, at the top of a Saturday afternoon, with Imogen. He could have been rid of her permanently. None of this awkward conversation. None of it at all.
His fingertips dug into his jeans.
At least, he was sure he would have stood his ground if it hadn't been for Todd. There was no way he would have left to go search for Imogen on his own, without Todd badgering in his ear. He was almost sure. Right?
He wasn't really sure at all.
Sometimes he was a better person than he liked to be.
A movement to his left caught both of their eyes. They turned their heads simultaneously to look out the large window at the front of the restaurant, which overlooked Main Street. Sauntering down the sidewalk was Todd.
Cameron jumped up and banged on the window, catching his friend's attention. Todd's face brightened up and he held his arms out. "Hey!" his voice came to them muffled and slightly quieted. Cameron wasted no time, jumping out of the booth and running out the front door.
The bells jingled as he left.
"Cameron, there you are."
"I am going to kill you." Cameron stomped up to Todd and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, turning him and pushing him against the wall next to the restaurant door. Confused but not struggling for air, Todd swallowed and tried to pry Cameron's fingers from around his throat.
"What the hell, Cam?"
Cameron shook his head. "I'm going to kill you."
Todd couldn't help but laugh. "For what?"
Cameron released him, pushing Todd's back against the wall as he did so. "You know exactly what, you asshole. You know I had to spend all morning and part of my afternoon with her? Alone! Where were you this morning?"
Todd threw his head back and laughed. "That's seriously what this is all about? Man, I was on my way to the theater right now."
"Thinking we'd still be there two and a half hours after the movie started? You're an idiot."
Todd shrugged. "You never know."
Cameron mentally calculated his chances of besting Todd in a fight. He didn't think it would be too physically taxing. Cameron was just as tall, if not slightly taller, than him, and he definitely had more muscle than Todd. Todd was too lanky and awkward to do any real damage. He looked like he was drawn up by Tim Burton: tall and scraggly and lanky and just plain gawky. The bastard was fast on his feet, though. That might give him an advantage.
Cameron decided against a fight. He would rather not spend his days in jail under charges of disturbance of the peace and physical assault. He ran a hand through his hair and moved toward the curb of the sidewalk, where he let his legs buckle underneath him.
Imogen, still inside, paid the bill and, going back to the table to leave a tip, saw Cameron sitting on the sidewalk with his back toward her. Todd approached him from behind.
"Sorry, dude," Todd said, sitting down
Imogen swallowed and the sound of it replayed over and over in Cameron's head. "Maybe it would make you like me." Her goofy, wide grin told Cameron that she was joking again.
"In case you haven't realized, sex works differently for men and women. It doesn't make men like women any better."
"You like me, I know you do."
"And where are you getting this absurd notion?"
"Ice cream."
Cameron stopped and placed both of his open palms flat down on the tops of his thighs. He squinted his left eye. "You're basing this entire demented whatever-it-is going on between us on ice cream?"
She nodded. "Two weeks ago you probably would have had exactly what you wanted. When I left your apartment that day, do you remember?"
"I remember."
"I wasn't going to come back anymore. But then you showed up at the park and offered to buy me some ice cream. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't at least feel bad about the way things ended when I left your apartment."
There was his damn conscience getting him into trouble again. And Todd. If it hadn't been for his little guilt trip Cameron wouldn't be sitting in that dinky little diner right then, at the top of a Saturday afternoon, with Imogen. He could have been rid of her permanently. None of this awkward conversation. None of it at all.
His fingertips dug into his jeans.
At least, he was sure he would have stood his ground if it hadn't been for Todd. There was no way he would have left to go search for Imogen on his own, without Todd badgering in his ear. He was almost sure. Right?
He wasn't really sure at all.
Sometimes he was a better person than he liked to be.
A movement to his left caught both of their eyes. They turned their heads simultaneously to look out the large window at the front of the restaurant, which overlooked Main Street. Sauntering down the sidewalk was Todd.
Cameron jumped up and banged on the window, catching his friend's attention. Todd's face brightened up and he held his arms out. "Hey!" his voice came to them muffled and slightly quieted. Cameron wasted no time, jumping out of the booth and running out the front door.
The bells jingled as he left.
"Cameron, there you are."
"I am going to kill you." Cameron stomped up to Todd and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, turning him and pushing him against the wall next to the restaurant door. Confused but not struggling for air, Todd swallowed and tried to pry Cameron's fingers from around his throat.
"What the hell, Cam?"
Cameron shook his head. "I'm going to kill you."
Todd couldn't help but laugh. "For what?"
Cameron released him, pushing Todd's back against the wall as he did so. "You know exactly what, you asshole. You know I had to spend all morning and part of my afternoon with her? Alone! Where were you this morning?"
Todd threw his head back and laughed. "That's seriously what this is all about? Man, I was on my way to the theater right now."
"Thinking we'd still be there two and a half hours after the movie started? You're an idiot."
Todd shrugged. "You never know."
Cameron mentally calculated his chances of besting Todd in a fight. He didn't think it would be too physically taxing. Cameron was just as tall, if not slightly taller, than him, and he definitely had more muscle than Todd. Todd was too lanky and awkward to do any real damage. He looked like he was drawn up by Tim Burton: tall and scraggly and lanky and just plain gawky. The bastard was fast on his feet, though. That might give him an advantage.
Cameron decided against a fight. He would rather not spend his days in jail under charges of disturbance of the peace and physical assault. He ran a hand through his hair and moved toward the curb of the sidewalk, where he let his legs buckle underneath him.
Imogen, still inside, paid the bill and, going back to the table to leave a tip, saw Cameron sitting on the sidewalk with his back toward her. Todd approached him from behind.
"Sorry, dude," Todd said, sitting down
Similar Books
