Page 122 of Out on a Limb

“That was just something I jotted down during a work lull,” Cameron said. He was on the stand, fighting for his life. He glanced behind him at Brad, whom he knew wasn’t going to help him.

“It’s against policy,” Arthur said, stifling a smile. “When I offered you the job, I asked if you still wanted to write, and you said no.”

Cameron thought back to that night when Arthur called, when Walker was just one room away. That was forever ago, a different person ago. Cameron had a moment of mental clarity, one of those rare opportunities that you had to pursue no matter the inconvenient timing. “I did say no. And I lied. To you and to me. Because I was scared.” He was hearing himself for the first time. “So I ran.”

“What are you talking about?”

And he was back in Arthur’s office, three sets of eyes staring at him like he was speaking a foreign language.

“Unfortunately, this writing does constitute a breach of your employment agreement,” the woman said. “We’re going to have to terminate your employment with Mobius effective immediately.”

“Terminate? For this?” Cameron asked.

Arthur pushed the pad back to Cameron. “It looks like a good script. I wouldn’t want to savage it.”

Cameron was escorted back to his desk flanked by security guards. He picked up his bag. This time, nobody pretended they were busy. All eyes were on him. He kept his head down until he got in the elevator.And that’s a wrap on my Hollywood dreams.

Φ

Cameron dug his toes into the warm sand. He dangled his loafers off his fingers. Santa Monica beach was empty for a weekday afternoon. He had the sand, the ocean, the horizon all to himself. He let the breeze flow through his hair.

Grains of sand meshed themselves into his slacks as he plopped down on the beach. He watched the waves crash against the shore. It was the sound people listened to for meditation, live and just for him. And it helped. Cameron relaxed. He would worry about his job prospects and the future sometime tomorrow.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?”A voice behind him asked.

Every hair on his neck stood up. It had to be a dream.

“What are you doing here?” Cameron asked. He didn’t want to blink.

Walker squatted beside him. “What areyoudoing here?”

“I asked you first.”

“I went to your apartment, and your roommate Grayson said you were at work. He suggested I come here to wait since I’ve never been to the Pacific Ocean. I was walking along the beach, contemplating just what I would say to you tonight, and then…” He gestured to Cameron.

“Here I am.”

“There you are.” Walker had a twinkle in his brown eyes. It was a beacon of light for Cameron. “Did work let off early?”

“Something like that.” The details weren’t worth sharing, not now. Everything revolving around the film industry seemed so trivial compared against this moment. “What were you going to tell me?”

“I was still in the middle of contemplating.” Walker stopped joking. His face flushed with emotion, and he grabbed hold of Cameron’s hand. “Letting you leave was the easy way out. I let you go because I was scared, scared of what would happen if you stayed and we tried to make this work. I’ve passed up many different roads in my life because of fear. But I want to go on this new path with you. I know I’m asking you to give up a lot, but…”

“But what?”

Walker pushed Cameron’s dangling hair out of his face. “I love you. I miss you. And I want to give us a real chance.”

Cameron caressed Walker’s hand and stared out at the ocean. He thought of everything that led him to this point. All the passion and hard work and script reading and wild chances and Lego storylines and wine and meeting scheduling. Even when he tried to follow his dream, life kept interfering.

“I don’t want to stop you from living the life you want, but now you have all the information.” Walker gazed into Cameron’s eyes, completely unguarded. “And thank you.”

“For what?”

“For asking me to help you with trivia that night. For making me come alive.”

“You made me come alive, too. You and Hobie. I’d been closed off for…well, my entire life.”

Their fingers locked together. Cameron had never considered believing in fate before, but now he’d have to reconsider.