Page 49 of Merry & Bright

Cam didn’t meet his gaze. “Um—just a white coffee. I already ate.”

“What do you mean?” Eilidh said, frowning, “You knew we were meeting for lunch. I called you ages ago!”

Cam flushed. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I couldn’t wait—I was hungry.”

“No problem,” Rob said, tucking his order pad back in his pocket, though he couldn’t help wondering if Cam just didn’t want to spend his money in here.

“Well,” Eilidh said, as Rob gathered their menus up, “it was nice to meet one of Cam’s friends at last.”

For a moment, Rob faltered, then he somehow managed a smile, a forced, insincere one, but a smile just the same.

“It was nice to meet you too,” he said.

Then he turned away and headed for the kitchen to put the check on with Val.

Chapter Three

“Why’d you have to dothat?” Cam hissed as soon as Rob was out of earshot.

“Do what?” Eilidh asked, eyes all wide and innocent.

“Be so bloody friendly! And that parting shot—Jesus, Eilidh, I’m not friends with Rob!”

“Aren’t you? Why not? He seems really nice.” She gave Cam a strange look, eyes narrowing. “Did something happen between you?”

Cam scowled and looked away. How did she do that? She always seemed to catch on easily to stuff like that—maybe it was because she was a “people person” like their mum.

Cam was more like his dad—reserved, capable. A “doer”. Cam’s dad was the guy who fixed the bikes and read the maps and drove the car. He got stuff done, but he wasn’t good at reading people. Wasn’t a “people person”.

And neither was Cam.

“Somethingdidhappen, didn’t it?” Eilidh leaned forward on her elbows, her gaze very intent. “Tell me.”

Cam sighed heavily, then after a pause, he said, “We sort of—well, we had a run-in.”

In the background, a swing version ofWhite Christmasstarted up, the smooth male vocals conjuring up a world of affluence and comfort that felt very alien to Cam right now.