Unspoken Words (Unspoken #1) (5 page)

Camryn had softball practice, so she wouldn’t be home for a while. I stood on the Townsend’s front step, repeatedly pressing the doorbell. Mrs. Townsend answered the door, while she dried her hands off on the towel.

“Come in, sweetie, I’m just getting dinner ready.” I followed her into the kitchen and she pulled the stool out next to me to sit down. “Mrs. Townsend, I need to ask you something.”

“What have I told you? There is no need to call me Mrs. Townsend. We have been over this before. You are like a son to me. I see that handsome face of yours every day. Call me Gwen, please.”

Looking away from her, I remember that she told me this all the time, but I felt funny. My parents had always told me to call my elders by Mr. or Mrs. Why should Mrs. Townsend be any different?

Shaking my head, I said, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call you Gwen, but I have to ask my mom if that’s okay.”

Clearly happy with my response she replied, “So, what’s on your mind?”

Nervously, I tried to find the words that I wanted to say. My fingers tapped frantically on the countertop of the island. “Um . . . would it be okay, um . . .”

Gwen continued to look at me, which only made me more nervous. Clearing my throat, “Um . . . would it be okay with you and Mr. Townsend if I ask Camryn to Homecoming?” I asked Christian earlier in school if he cared if I asked Camryn to go with me. He gave me the go ahead saying he wouldn’t want her to miss out on a good time.

A smile appeared on her face and she drew me into a hug. She squeezed me, before pulling me back to look at my face. “It’s Mark, sweetheart. You can call us both by our first names. And, of course, Jamie, you have our permission to ask Camryn to Homecoming. I’m sure she would be thrilled to have you as her date. You know, she wasn’t going to go with everything that happened with Todd. Morgan and Lindsey told her to go by herself. But you know Camryn, she refused. I’m not sure if she didn’t want to go because she may see Todd there with someone or she just felt uncomfortable going by herself.”

“I’m gonna ask her tomorrow at her game. It has to be something big though. I want it to be special for her. Do you think you can run me to the store to grab a few things that I need?”

“Okay. Let me finish getting dinner ready, then we’ll head out.”

When Gwen finished, she walked toward the garage door and grabbed her car keys. “Come on. We need to get going if we’re going to make it to the store and back before she gets home from practice.”

I jumped off of the stool and quickly followed after her. After we got what I needed at the store, Mrs. Townsend helped me with my project.

I didn’t sleep a wink that night after we had everything ready for the game. I played it over and over in my head, how I was going to pop the big question. It had to be perfect, Camryn deserved nothing less than perfection.

After the National Anthem, Camryn took her place on the pitcher’s mound, looking relaxed as she always did. Christian helped me out by having the announcers let me have the mic for a few seconds. Standing by the announcer’s booth, mic in hand, I said a silent prayer that I didn’t make an ass out of myself in front of all these people. “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. I have something special I would like to ask Camryn Townsend.”

Camryn’s eyes lit up as she looked around the ball field. She frantically searched the bleachers for me until her eyes met mine by the announcer’s booth. I was standing there holding my sign over my head. On the poster board it read, You STRIKE me as the girl I want to take to Homecoming. What do you say? Did I STRIKE out, or did I hit a HOMERUN?

Her eyes widened and a smile appeared instantly. The look on her face was priceless. She immediately nodded her head up and down. I saw her mouth moving, but everyone in the bleachers was cheering, so I couldn’t hear what she was saying.

That night, my Cami pitched her first no-hitter . . . I’d like to think that I had a little something to do with that.

After the game, Camryn came out of the locker room freshly showered and threw her arms around me. “I can’t believe you did that.” With her eyebrows cocked, “You know, if you wanted me to go to Homecoming with you, all you had to do was ask.”

“I did ask.” I smirked.

“I mean you didn’t have to go to all that trouble just for me.” She peeked up at me through her long lashes.

Laughing, I pulled her away so I could see her whole face, leave it to Camryn to feel unworthy of that attention. “Well, I wasn’t going to allow you to miss out on a Jamie Banks Special. I couldn’t think of any other girl to go to all that trouble for.”

Christian nudges me, bringing me out of my daydream. “You got plans tonight?”

“Nah, I figured once we finished up with dinner, maybe we could all head to Aces. I can text Lincoln to see if he’ll be around tonight. Cami can text the girls and have them meet us there if she’s coming back to the City with us.”

Christian nods his head in agreement. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see if Cami wants to pack a bag and stay with one of us in the City tonight. This way, we can just hang out tomorrow rather than coming back here to grab her.”

I pull the stool out that’s next to Camryn and sit down. Her mom finally hangs up with mine after laughing at God knows what. She announces that my parents are going to join us for dinner and that we’ll be eating at six o’clock when our fathers get home from the office.

Bringing my attention back to Camryn, I nudge her with my elbow, “Hey, I was thinking maybe you could give the girls a call and see if they want to meet up at Aces for a few drinks. Sort of like a welcome home party.”

She raises her eyebrows. “It’s Friday night! Mr. Banks doesn’t have a hot date?”

A laugh escapes my throat, holding my hands over my heart, I pretend I’m offended by her comment. “I do have a hot date tonight. I intend to spend the evening with a beautiful brunette, who has the most amazing hazel eyes. When she walks into the room, every man stops and stares at her. So I’ll have to keep her close to me tonight. You know, to keep the vultures away.” I wiggle my eyebrows up and down at her.

Her eyes widen and she tilts her head to hold my gaze. Without giving her time to respond, I swing my arm around her shoulder and pull her in to me, whispering in her ear, “You’re my HOT DATE tonight, Camryn Townsend. I plan on spending my Friday night right where I want to be . . . by your side.”

My lips touch her ear lightly. We are so close I can feel the heat from her body.

Her body trembles and she bites her lip, “Jamieson Banks, if I didn’t know better, I would say you’re flirting with me?” She laughs and pushes away from me.

Holding my hands up to surrender, “Hey, I can’t help but flirt with a beautiful woman when I have the chance.”

“Wow! That’s the second time I’ve heard that line today.”

“Who else told you that you were beautiful today?” I ask. She was on a freaking plane for the past six hours. Was someone trying to put the moves on her while she was in the air? Did the guy think he was going to become a member of the mile high club by flirting it up with my girl?

“It’s not important who told me I was pretty.” Camryn waves her hand in front of her, dismissing my question.

Christian clears his throat from across the kitchen island. “Are the two of you done with this little back and forth bullshit? The way the two of you act, it’s no wonder everyone who sees you thinks you’re a couple.”

Before I have a chance to respond, Camryn turns her attention to her brother, “I don’t care what anyone thinks about our relationship, you ought to know that by now. People have been talking for years, I don’t pay any attention to it.”

Christian knows I’m in love with Camryn. I think he has known for years. I got drunk a while back and professed my love for her to him. Of course, the next day I didn’t recall a damn thing about that night, but he felt the need to enlighten me. He’s given me his approval to go after her. He said that he would rather her be with me than some other douche. Christian knows that I can make her happy. I’m sure he isn’t thrilled about the idea of me sleeping with his sister, but he knows I would never hurt her.

Christian told me to tell Camryn how I felt. But I don’t think he understands, if I tell her how I feel, and she doesn’t feel the same way, it could potentially ruin our friendship. Christian has never told Camryn about our conversation. He said it wasn’t his story to share and that it was up to me to come clean to her.

“I know you don’t pay any attention to it. Trust me, I know,” he says with a glance in my direction. “Anyway, let’s talk about our plans for tonight. Do you want to head to Aces when we’re done here and stay in the City with one of us, or do you plan on spending the night catching up with Mom and Dad?”

“Let me see if Mom has anything planned. I feel bad just getting home, then heading to the City.”

“You know Mom. She won’t care,” Christian says.

“Mom, do you mind if I head to the City with the boys tonight? They want to head to Aces to hang out with everyone.” She bats her eyes in her mom’s direction.

“Don’t be silly, sweetheart. Go spend time with the girls. You haven’t seen them in months. How about I pick you up on Monday morning? We can go to the spa and get a mani and pedi before you have to start work next week.”

Camryn nods her head. “Okay, that sounds good. After dinner, I’ll grab some things and throw them in an overnight bag. What is on the agenda for tomorrow? I need to know what kind of clothes to pack.”

Jamie replies, “Whenever we get up, we can head to the gym, or for a run in Central Park. Whatever you want to do. I figured, we’d spend the day together, grab a show and dinner or something,”

“I’d like that. I’ve been dying to see
Lion King,
and who better to take me than you.”

“Anything for you, Tink. After all, I’ve never been able to deny you anything before so no sense starting now.” I grin as I say this, hoping she reads into my unspoken innuendo.

“Awe, Jamie, you’re such a sweet talker,” Camryn says as she pats my cheeks with her warm hands.

I’m looking forward to spending as much time as possible with Camryn while she’s home. I may never get this opportunity again to tell her how I feel and I’m really hoping that we stop
denying
ourselves of what we both know is happening between us.

JAMIE

ONCE WE FINISH
dinner, we say our goodbyes and Cami’s father, Mark, drops us off in the City. We had plenty of time to get ready before the girls were meeting us at Aces at ten o’clock. I texted Lincoln to see what club he would be at tonight. Aces is located in Chelsea, not too far from where Lincoln’s apartment is. It’s a laid-back bar with old rock and roll nostalgia on the walls, a stage, and a few pool tables. Aces isn’t anything elaborate, just a great place to hang out, see some bands play, and eat some surprisingly tasty bar food. Christian and I spend almost every weekend here. He is always scoping for possible new clients, and my band, Side Effects, plays there every other Friday night.

Having Lincoln own Aces benefited Side Effects tremendously when we first started out. It gave us a steady venue to play. Now we bring in a large following, but Linc keeps us on the schedule. He gave us a chance when no one else would. Aces is and will always be like home to us.

Lincoln’s other club, Redemption, has a totally different feel from Aces. Whereas Aces is more laid back and is a great place to hang out, Redemption is a full-blown club. Lincoln’s girlfriend, and Camryn’s best friend, Morgan, is in charge of this club. She handles everything from entertainment, private parties for high profile clients, hiring and firing of staff along with promotional work for both Aces and Redemption. Morgan is great with pulling in crowds, she spotlights up-and-coming bands and also scores some big names to play at both clubs. Morgan was also able to bring on DJ Magnum, one of the hottest DJs in the New York City scene. His name, alone, on the sign out front packs the house.

When I get a text from Christian, I grab my jacket and head down a few floors to his apartment.