Page 32 of Out on a Limb

His eyes fluttered open. He sat up, which meant that he had been laying across the booth.

“Was I sleeping?”

Cameron passed him a bottle of water. “You were snoring.”

CHAPTER eleven

Cameron

Cameron was grateful he didn’t have work or class on Fridays. He was a master scheduler. He shuffled out of his bedroom sometime after ten. In the kitchen, Henry was making himself an English muffin. He stood by the fridge, arms crossed, watching Cameron suspiciously as he made a pot of coffee.

“You were at Cherry Stem last night.” Henry raised both eyebrows. “With a guy.”

“Why the NSA hasn’t snatched you up by now is beyond me.” The coffee dripped into the pot agonizingly slow. “How’d you know?”

“Jordan was there.”

“What’s Nolan’s roommate doing at a gay bar?”

“He says it’s a great place to pick up girls.” His English muffin popped up, and Henry moved it with a knife onto his plate. Cameron’s coffee was still dripping along. “So who was the guy?”

“Remember that guy at the bar who helped us with the sports section in trivia?” Cameron couldn’t believe this was the only way Henry knew him. Walker had gone from random guy in a bar to someone he considered a friend so fast that he hadn’t briefed Henry yet.

“The yuppie?”

“I believe they prefer the term young urban professional.”

“He’s like a full-on adult,” Henry said. “Wasn’t he wearing a tie?”

Cameron thought about Walker’s dad wardrobe full of khakis and button down shirts. “He’s a nice guy.”

“You’re blushing.”

Cameron poured himself a cup of coffee and ignored Henry on his way into the living room. He turned on the TV. Henry scrunched into the corner of the sofa beside him.

“Did you guys hook up?”

“No. He fell asleep.”

“In the club?”

Cameron nodded. He laughed to himself at the memory of finding Walker sprawled across the VIP booth, sleeping like a baby. He found it cute. Walker was the one person at Cherry Stem who had zero fucks to give last night. He danced how he wanted to. He took a nap where he wanted to. When Cameron got home, he watched the music video for “Gangsta’s Paradise” on YouTube before falling asleep himself.

“It was a fun night. It made me realize just how monotonous and cliché college guys are.”

“You’re a college guy.”

“Not for much longer. Oh, I didn’t tell you! I got an apartment in Los Angeles. Mere blocks from the beach.”

“Already?”

“Better to be prepared, especially since I definitely know when I’ll be out there.”

“You can’t break the lease.”

“I’m not.” Cameron rolled his eyes. “I got a place in LA! My plan is clicking into place. A little congratulations, perhaps?”

“Congrats,” Henry said without much fanfare. Cameron thought his friend would be happier for him. Henry was well aware of Cameron’s Hollywood dreams.