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LEVI
I’d been watching my email like a hawk all afternoon.
I was waiting to hear back from potential clients, even as I continued to reach out to new ones. Rescuing Teddy and Cameron gave me an idea for a new angle to pitch people on, reminding them of how choppy cell service can get in more rural areas, how quickly roads could disappear in flash floods and rainstorms. It didn’t hurt that I’d responded in record time to Teddy’s distress call, a fact that I knew he’d be willing to attest to when asked by future clientele.
I could do this.
I could make this work.
I was so focused on Big Sky that I didn’t even notice a rapping on my office door. Not at first, anyway. A few more knocks, and I finally looked up from my computer. “Come in! It’s unlocked.”
Cameron stepped through the door, wearing a straw hat and jean overalls, with seemingly nothing underneath.
Fuck.
Had Cameron always looked like that? His skin practically glowing, his athletic build shining through in his shirtless ensemble. He looked effortlessly handsome, like he never had to try that hard, ever. It didn’t help that he had a huge grin on his face, his eyes locked right on mine?—
No.
I didn’t need a distraction right now. Besides, Cameron needed to focus, too. If he was going to gain some real-world experience, he didn’t need anything throwing him off course.
I broke off our eye contact as I forced myself to cough a few times, trying to dislodge thoughts about Cameron from my brain. “Did you need something, Cam?”
“First question. Does this look okay? Or is this offensive? As in, no one has ever actually worn an outfit like this?” he asked. “I was going for down to earth but also sexy farm guy?—”
“Yes.”
“Yes? Yes what?”
“Yes, of course, people have worn that outfit before.” I desperately tried to recover, even as heat rushed to my face. “Was there something else you needed?”
“Second question.” He smirked as he held up a hand. “Will you come somewhere with me?”
“Somewhere?”
“I… want to go line dancing at a bar in town,” he admitted. “But I didn’t want to tell you straight out because I had a feeling you’d say no.”
“Are you asking for a ride there? Because I have no problem dropping you off, Cam.”
“What about staying with me? Just for the first dance.” Cameron moved closer to my desk. “Please? I won’t know anyone there and I’ve never done anything like it before?—”
“Why me?” I casually cut him off. “If you want to have a night out on the town, Teddy’s probably going to be way more fun?—”
“Yeah, but Teddy’s not you—” Cameron started and stopped. “I just thought—you know what? It’s fine. I can catch a ride with someone else.”
“Cam, wait?—”
“I get it. You’re busy.” Cameron smiled. “I guess I’ll just have to be extra social and find a dance partner the old-fashioned way.”
“Cam—”
“We can catch up later, yeah?” It was the last thing Cameron said to me before he disappeared into the hallway.
* * *
“Can I get a beer please? Whatever you’ve got.”
I took a deep breath as I looked around the bar. It wasn’t hard to find out which place was having line dancing night, especially since Swanky Jack’s had been plastering ads for it all over. The room was filled with twangy country music, the sound of guitars so loud I could barely hear myself think. I gratefully took my beer from the bartender, the cold of it pressed against my hand, centering me in the moment.
As I sipped my beer, I peered through the crowd. I was looking for Cameron and his overalls, a part of me imagining him already on his third dance partner, well on his way to becoming a line dancing pro. I couldn’t imagine that it would’ve taken very long for Cameron to find people to dance with, everything about him seeming so fun and inviting?—
“Levi!” Cameron suddenly called out for me. He walked up to me, a huge grin on his face. “You came!”
“You asked me to, remember?” I smirked. “Sorry about being late. I had some things to finish up at the office?—”
“I’m just happy you could make it.” He beamed. He then reached for my drink, casually taking it into his grip. “But consider this a tax on being late.”
I watched, as Cameron downed the rest of my beer. When he was finished, he handed me the empty bottle.
Shocked, I stared over at him. “What am I supposed to do with an empty bottle, Cam?”
“Be on time next time, and you won’t have to find out.”
Cameron whooped before he headed back towards the dance floor. I followed closely behind him, the lights overhead illuminating the floor below. Cameron got in the middle of the dance floor, falling into place in a perfect line…
But that was the only perfect thing about his dancing. His movements were confident but completely out of time with the music, his steps unfocused and fully confused. Still, the way he moved was captivating, even if it was wrong from head to toe. When one of his boots landed on mine, I caught him by the waist, gently guiding him back into the right formation.
“I love this song! Don’t you?” Cameron excitedly clapped, still in motion, even as I held him tight. “I almost saw her in concert last year, but things got too hectic.”
“I thought you’d been here for a little bit before I got here.”
“I have!”
“But your line dancing—” I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Have you been following along with the people up front, at all? They’re the ones you need to watch if you’re going to learn.”
“I’m just line dancing to the beat of my own guitar.”
“Yes, you certainly are.” I pulled Cameron closer to my side. “Here. Just follow me, okay?”
A new song came on, thankfully one that I was familiar with. I moved in time to the song, kicking up my heels at the beat, playfully dipping my hat along with the chorus. Cameron was next to me, copying my every move, even as he added his own flair. Soon enough, he was nailing the dance, his movements fluid, his steps right where they needed to be.
“So, you are pretty good at line dancing, then?”
“I’m pretty good at a lot of things when I have the right teacher,” Cameron replied, still grooving along to the song. “Plus, you’re way more fun to keep an eye on than anyone else in this bar.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?—”
“Freestyle!” a voice called out near the front of the dance floor. “Grab your partner, round and round! It’s time to dance to the classics!”
“Woohoo!” Cameron’s eyes twinkled with something behind them, as he reached for my hands. “Dance with me?”
“How many beers have you had tonight, Cam?” I grinned down at him. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“Only one.” He scoffed before letting out a chuckle. “One beer, that is. I maybe had a few shots at the bar before getting out here to dance. I told you, I’ve never done this before. I kept imagining everyone pointing and laughing at me.”
“Nobody would ever point and laugh at you, Cam.” I eyed his outfit again, before I could stop myself. “Nothing about you says laughingstock, that’s for sure.”
“Why are you so good at dancing, by the way?” Cameron pressed. “Or is that just something cowboys are supposed to be good at?”
“I’ve done my fair share of line dancing. It’s a good way to connect with people.”
“Connect with people…” Cameron swayed his hips from side to side. “That’s a euphemism, right? For hooking up with people?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Don’t give me that, Levi. You know what you look like.”
“Tell me. What do I look like?”
Cameron brought his hands up to either side of my face, green eyes meeting mine. “I see you, Levi Stratton. That’s all I’m going to say.”
I smiled down at him, my hands resting on his waist. We were way too close to each other, but I didn’t care, something about our current stance feeling like second nature to me. Cameron didn’t seem to mind, either, his hands going from my face to my shoulders, the gap between us getting smaller and smaller.
When the song changed again, it was like coming out of a daze. Cameron and I separated, getting back into place for another round of line dancing. Later that night, as I drove us back to the ranch, I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. Cameron was passed out in the passenger seat, tired from the day on the ranch and the night at the bar, none of it being helped by the alcohol in his veins.
I see you, Levi Stratton.
Something about it warmed me in such an unexpected way. I didn’t want to overthink it, especially since I knew that Cameron would be gone soon enough. Still, it was nice to have a connection like this, even if it was just a temporary friendship. Cameron didn’t want anything from me, not money, not access, not a meeting with my dad.
He just wanted to hang out with me, to go line dancing with me.
I looked over at him, his eyes closed as we drove down the street.
“Who are you, Cameron Miller?” I asked, underneath my breath, curiosity filling my mind.
And can you really see me like you say you do?