Hook'd (16 page)

He frowned. "That's not true. Why does everybody keep saying that?"

"Look Cam, I love you, but you don't. And I'm not talking about the whole rape thing. I mean, with women period."

"
We
dated," he defended.

"Yeah, but I can handle it better than most."

He shook his head. This all sounded like bullshit.

"You know what I think?"

"What?" He looked at her.

"I think, your mind is telling you that you just want sex from her. But in your heart...you really want something more."

He snickered. "Nah."

"Just a thought."

"Look, the sex is good. I don't want that to stop. I just...I don't know. I kinda feel like a sucker or somethin'."

"Why?"

"Don't laugh but..."

"But what?" She leaned forward, interested.

"I had to bribe her for a date."

"What?"

He nodded, sheepishly. She burst into laughter.

He hissed his teeth. "See, I knew shouldn't have said nothing."

"Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. But I just can't believe you did that.
You
out of all people. Why?"

"I don't even know."

She put her hand on her chest. "Aww. That's so desperate."

"Fuck outta here." He sat up, shaking his head as she laughed some more. He really regretted saying anything. Even just thinking back to what he did, shamed him.

"Okay, okay, all jokes aside. If you really do like her, maybe you should try to get to know her. Without the sex."

His eyes fleeted to her. "What?"

"Yep." She nodded.

"Hell no."

"I'm serious. Sex is like a fog. And it clouds a lot of shit. The only way you can truly map out how you feel about a person, is if you get to know their heart. With clarity. It wouldn't hurt to try."

Reese licked her lips, her fingers grazing her chest as the memory of his soft lips clouded her mind. Just thinking about their exhilarating sex made her moist and it took every ounce of restraint not to call him.

She shook her thoughts away. She needed to get it together. Maybe this 3 day break from each other was what they needed. Hooking up with Cameron behind closed doors began to get too much. His dick was...out of this world. It became her daily fix. Her drug. She knew she was behaving like a trashy whore, but she just couldn't get enough. It was almost as if he had awaken some type of carnal beast inside of her that had been begging to be freed these past 38 years. Nobody had ever made her feel so sexually liberated the way he did.

And he was only 27!

Too damn young. Her only justification was that their relationship was purely sexual. Nothing more. She didn't expect to ever settle down with Cameron. That would be ridiculous. The man hadn't even finished sowing his oats. Hell, he probably had so many groupies in every state. In this stage of her life, she needed a wholesome man with values and morals, someone she could see a future with.

Cameron definitely wasn’t that.

However, he gave her what she needed. Great sex. And it pained her to admit that she missed him these past few days. He had gone to L.A. supposedly for some business deal. But much to her luck, she would be seeing him tonight. And she couldn't wait.

Forcing herself to focus, Reese turned on the computer and continued her work. She had a lot on her plate. Meetings upon meetings to prepare for. As well as events, including the brunch she was throwing for her team for their contribution to the concert last weekend. The Free the Heart members had thrown a fundraising concert in Prospect Park, Brooklyn where over 200 guests had attended to see the wonderful Jill Scott perform. Raising approximately $50,000, the concert had been a success. And she couldn't be happier. So, to show her appreciation she would be celebrating with her executive team. They truly deserved it.

Her mind drifting off to Cameron again, she grabbed her phone and scrolled to his name. She then refrained, tossing it on the desk with a sigh. Of course, she couldn't call him. That would be foolish.

Out of habit, she checked TMZ. Ever so often, she would check for any ounce of news regarding Cameron.  It was pathetic. But she couldn't help it.

She froze at the home page.

An article displayed the picture of Cameron and the Victoria's Secret model, Farah walking out of the club together, titled with the bold letters:
BACK IN LOVE?

Her chest tightened. She clicked the link and read the article.

Victoria's Secret's model, Farah Hedges and boxing superstar, Cameron Lewis were spotted walking out of Lux's night club in L.A. last night. Sources noted they had been quite close in VIP, hugging and making ou
t
—

She stopped reading. She scrolled down and played the video posted on the page. She watched as Cameron and Farah stepped out of the club, surrounded by swarming paparazzi. Dressed in the ugliest and sluttiest mini dress Reese had ever seen, Farah walked with her head down, shielding herself from the flashing lights, while escorted by Cameron who walked in his usual edge of confidence with his hand on her lower back.

She gritted her teeth.

So, that's what his ass had been doing this whole time. Partying and fucking around with his little anorexic bitch. The nerve of him.

She snapped to her senses.

Wait.

Why was she even getting so worked up? It wasn't like she and Cameron were together. There was nothing between them. He could fuck whomever he pleased. She quickly checked herself. She had to get it together.

Reese shut off the page, and focused on her work.

She had more important stuff to worry about. And Cameron sure wasn't one of them.

*

Reese entered his foyer, her mood as tense as ever. The excitement she would usually feel being in his presence, had long dissipated. Her tongue itched to say it. To mention that model bitch he was creeping with over the weekend. But she kept it to herself. She didn't want to make it seem like she was bothered. Then it would've appeared as if she actually had feelings for his ass. Which obviously wasn't the truth.

She was going to play it cool. Which was exactly why she agreed to see him the moment he touched down in New York. She was going to go right along with their regular schedule. Fucking every night.

She had even worn her sexy laced lingerie for him, in hopes of sexing him so good. Just to show him what he had been missing while he was screwing his model whore.

"Aye, listen..."

Her head spun to him.

"I know we had plans on us hooking up tonight. But I was thinking we should switch things up instead."

She lifted a brow, confused.

"Yeah…‘cause honestly, I had a long flight, and I'm tired as fuck. I’d rather just lay on the couch and just chill for the night.”

She stood there in disbelief. He had to be joking.

He walked toward the kitchen and opened the fridge.

She followed after him. "So, you mean to tell me you brought me over here, giving me the impression that we were gonna have sex, only to tell me that you wanna...chill?"

He shrugged, opening his can of beer.

"So, you just wasted my time."

"Nah, you could kick back and relax. We could watch a movie or talk. Whatever you want." He took a sip.

She scoffed. "Talk?"

"Yeah."

"About what?"

"Anything."

"We have nothing to talk about, Cameron."

"Yeah, we do. Let's start with you first. What'd you do today?"

The sudden thought of that TMZ article rushed to her mind and she tensed, aggravated.

"You know what? How about I ask you that? What did you do today? No, actually what did you do this weekend? We should start with that," her harsh response even surprised herself.

Taken aback, Cam said nothing.

Noticing her rapid breaths, she exhaled, forcing herself to calm down.

He scratched his temple. "Uh, well I finalized my endorsement deal. Hit up some clubs, hung out with some friends, then came back home."

She laughed, turning around. "Right. I'm sure that's
all
you did."

"What?"

"Nothing." She plopped on the couch. "Nothing at all."

"Yo, is something wrong?" He entered the living room with a frown. "’Cause it sure seems like it."

"You wanna know what's wrong? Not telling me you went back to your little model girlfriend. That's what's wrong."

"What?" His head jerked.

She promised she wouldn't bring it up. But damnit, he pushed her to it.

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about? How about we pull up TMZ then." She pulled out her phone and went to the website. She read the title of the article, "’Heavyweight boxer, Cameron Lewis and high fashion model, Farah Hedges rekindle their love.’"

"Wow." He looked up at the ceiling. "So, that's what this is about."

She folded her arms, waiting for a response.

"First of all, if you would've just asked me, I would've told you that that's a lie. Me and Farah have nothing going on. She's just a friend. Second, even if we did hook up, that ain't none of ya business. It ain't like we together. Shit, we ain't even dating. So, you have no reason to be jealous."

She laughed. "Jealous? Please. I'm far from jealous, honey."

"So, why ya ass 'been acting salty all night, then?"

"Because, I don't have time for the games. If we're going to be sexually involved, I need you to be honest with me. That means if you wanna go screw your little anorexic model bitch, then at least give me a heads up, so I know to keep my distance."

He gave her a bewildered look. "What?"

Reese glared at him without a word. 

"So, let me get this straight. This whole time you made it clear that all you want from this is sex. But the moment you assume that I'm messing with somebody else, now you wanna act like you give a fuck? That's some flawed ass logic, sweetheart."

"Please, I could care less about where you wanna stick your penis in. It's the lack of respect I have a problem with."

"The lack of respect? The fuck are you talking about?"

"You know what? Forget it. I'm done." She threw her phone into her bag, ready to leave. She didn't even want to be near him right now.

"Nah, you brought it up. So let's talk about it." He sat on the couch.

"I said I'm done."

"Oh, now you don't wanna talk. See, that's ya problem. You always got something to say about everybody else. But the moment the spotlight's on you, you don't say shit."

She sat there, taken aback.

He shook his head. "You wanna know why I brought you here in the first place? To get to know you. To see what's hiding behind that cold ass shell of yours."

"Oh, please. You wanna get to know me? Let's not fool ourselves, Cameron. We both know what you really want."

"What, sex? Let me tell you something, sweetheart." He folded his hands, staring at her. "Pussy, comes a dime a dozen for me. I could fuck any bitch I want, whenever I want. It's nothing for me. So, if you really think I'm pressed for that, you're wrong. Maybe if your head wasn't stuck so far up your ass, you'd see that."

Shocked, she fell silent.

He scoffed and walked into the kitchen. On impulse, she followed after him.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why? What?"

"Why, me?"

He spun around. "Because, in some fucked up twisted way, I actually like you. That's why."

Her heart bolted to her throat.

"You barely even know me," she said lowly.

"And I wonder why.”

She didn't even know what to say. He actually wanted to get to know her? Why? There was nothing special about her. Didn't he know she was damaged goods? He would be a fool to get involved with someone like her.

"Look, Cameron," she sighed. "If you really want to get to know me, you're only going to be wasting your time. Believe me when I tell you, it's just best that we don't take that next step. So unless our relationship is purely sexual, then there's no reason for us to keep in contact with each other. Period." She turned away and left.

"Years ago, I was just like ya'll. I was right here at this center, a young kid from the projects. I didn't have a lot of money, or any family. But I had a dream. And my dream was to be a professional boxer," he announced on the mic, as he stood before the crowd of young children and teens seated on the bleachers.

"I used to look up to the greats. Tyson, Frasier, Sugar Ray, Ali. I wanted to be just like them. And you know what I did? I practiced every day. For hours. I'd be right here at the boxing gym, working on my craft. Sometimes Coach G would even have to run me out. Remember that?" he joked, head nodding his past boxing coach across the room, as the basketball gym filled with laughter.

"But, I loved the sport so much. And I believed in my heart that I would make it. So, if you got a dream, hold unto it. No matter what. And I promise you, you could achieve anything you want. Anything. As long as you believe in yourself."

When he finished his speech, cheers echoed the gym.

"Everyone show some love to Cameron Lewis!" Vance, the president of Brookfield community center, approached him. With a smile, Cam gave him daps. "It's an honor to have him here and show love to the community. That's what it's all about. Giving back. So, we wanna thank him for being generous enough to donate one million dollars to the center."

Everyone cheered louder, as the board members entered the gym holding a large check scribbled with his signature.

To donate to the center was truly an honor. And especially after hearing the center would be closing down soon, he did what he could to show his appreciation. Kids from all ages, as well as adults had attended the event to support. He signed autographs and took pictures. During the event, Yasmine stood by the sidelines, recording the whole thing on her tablet. For his PR team, this was another great ploy to clean up his image. But for him, he didn't care about any of that.  He never did this for the shine. Or his reputation. He did it because he wanted to give back to the same community that helped shaped him into the man he was today.

Later on that evening, Cam relaxed on Vance's porch, drinking and sharing a few laughs. He lived with his girlfriend, Zara, in a moderate 2 bedroom home in a quiet neighborhood of Queens. Cam had only been here a few times due to his busy schedule, but tonight, he made it his duty to stop by and hang out with his longtime friend.

"I'm just saying, if that was my wife, she wouldn't be on stage dressing like that. Straight up," Vance voiced.

"So, how else is she supposed to dress? She's an entertainer, Vance," Zara argued, who was seated on his lap.

"And? That don't mean nothing. She's a wife and a mother."

"So, what should she do? Dress like Mother Teresa on stage?"

"Yup! And keep all that lingerie in the bedroom for me."

Zara rolled her eyes. "You don’t make no damn sense.”

Cam couldn't help but laugh. For a good 15 minutes, they had been bickering back and forth about Beyoncé and her performance on the MTV awards show. Her scanty attire and seductive performance had caused a stir within the media, with critics arguing about whether or not it was an appropriate move on her part.  How the topic of Beyoncé even came up, he had no clue.

"Cam, what do you think? If you were Jay Z, what would you do?" Zara asked.

"I wouldn't give a fuck, personally." He shrugged.

"Thank you!" She slapped her lap.

"You deadass, bruh?" Vance shook his head.

"Nigga, she's Beyoncé. She could get butt ass naked on stage, it wouldn't matter."

"Nah, man. Ain't happening."

"So, me as a dancer, you'd have a problem with me dressing like that on stage?" Zara questioned him.

"We're not even gonna get into that right now." Vance took a pull of his cigarette.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Vance head nodded him. "You see what I gotta deal with bruh?"

Cam laughed, amused. They couldn't be more of a right fit. Zara’s feistiness was just perfect for Vance's usually controlled nature. He really locked himself a bad one. With those long dreads, smooth honey toned skin, bold exotic features, and curvaceous body adorned in tattoos, Zara was a dime for sure.

"Yeah, and you love it." She kissed his lips. When they began to make out, Cam grimaced.

"Uh, I could leave if ya'll want..."

They pulled away, chuckling.

"No, I'll leave. I'll let ya'll two have ya’ll little moment." Zara stood up and walked toward Cam. "It was good seeing you again, Cam."

"You too. Take care," he said as they shared a hug. 

When she left, Cam slouched in his chair, taking a sip of his beer.

"So, what sup? You ready for that fight?" Vance asked.

"Shit, couldn't be more ready."

He had already been training vigorously. Although the fight was 7 months away, it was never too early to prepare.

"Well, I already started making bets. And I ain't tryna lose no money, nigga."

Cam laughed. "Aye, if you betting on me, you already know what time it is. I'm gonna come with it."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Cam took a sip of his beer, staring at the quieted neighborhood, amidst the warm breeze that brushed along his skin.

"You and Zara happy?"

"If we're happy?" Vance swung his gaze to him and Cam nodded. "Yeah, we are."

"That's whatsup." He stared at his bottle.

"Why?"

"Nothing, just wondering." He took another gulp of his beer. "You don't hear that too often."

"What?"

"People being happy in relationships."

"Yeah..." Vance took a pull of his cigarette, staring ahead. "The shit we 'been through, man, It's crazy we was able to even reach this far. I made some fucked up mistakes in the past. Some I’ll always regret. But after everything, I realized you can't take things for granted. Especially love. When you got somebody who truly loves you, by your side...ain't no feeling like it man."

His words resonating with him, Cam grew quiet.

"So, what about you? You happy?"

"Huh?" He blinked away, meeting Vance's gaze. He forced out a chuckle. "Is that even a question? Of course, I'm happy. You see how many hoes I got, nigga?"

Vance cracked a smile. "Yeah, I feel you."

Cam finished the last of his beer then stood up. "Anyway, I'm a head out. Gotta early work out tomorrow."

"Alright, bruh. It was good seeing you again," Vance gave him a brotherly hug. "And thanks for everything, man. 'Preciate what you did for the center. You know it means a lot."

"Any time, man."

After their goodbyes, they parted ways and Cameron headed home.