Taste of Love (9 page)

Taking one last look in the mirror, she smoothed back her hair and made sure she didn't have lipstick on her teeth. After one last, deep breath, she grabbed her purse and left the comfort of her apartment.

Cameron was waiting in the lobby for her, looking casually sexy in his faded jeans and layered t-shirts, short sleeve over long. She had to admit that in her sleepless nights, she thought about what her child would look like and she hoped it looked like him. He was undeniably attractive. It was just his personality that left something to be desired.

"Good morning. Are you ready for this?" he asked her, taking in her appearance. She wore a pair of jeans and a black Ralph Lauren sweater with a button up, collared white shirt underneath. If they had started out under different circumstances, he might have been interested in her.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She slid into the car as he held the door for her. Once they were both inside, she turned to him.

"So how're you doing with all this?" she asked.

Cameron could hear the genuine emotion in her voice. He took a moment before he answered. "Well, this isn't the first time someone has claimed that I was the father of their baby, but it's the first time I think it's possible. I just keep thinking how I'd make such a shit father, and how I barely know you," he answered honestly.

Madison sighed. "I'm really sorry that all this has happened. Trust me, if I could go back in time and change that night, I would," she said. "If you don't want to be a part of your child's life, I'm not going to make you. But, at the same time, if you want to be involved, you're more than welcome. It's your choice to make, and I'm not going to push you one way or the other."

Cameron nodded. "I don't know how to be a dad."

"You'll learn, if that's what you want, just as I'll adapt to motherhood," she said.

"I thought all women knew how to be mothers," he joked.

"Not really. I hadn't planned on having kids, or at least not for a while. My mother died when I was quite young, and I only had my dad around. He didn't know what he was doing, so I had to raise myself most of the time. At this point, with my restaurant keeping me busy, I figured that was my baby, and I've been satisfied with that. Now this has happened. I need to believe I can raise a child, and avoid my dad's mistakes," she told him, not wanting to go into detail, and hoping that he didn't ask.

"I had the opposite," he told her. "My dad was never around. I was raised by a nanny, and my mother, when she wasn't too busy with her charities. So I have no fatherly example to lead by."

Madison smiled. "I love your mother. She's one of my best customers."

"You may need to put her on your payroll soon, with all the marketing she does for you," Cameron told her.

The car came to a stop. "Well, this is it," she said.

He nodded and opened the door, turning back to help her out. He followed behind her as she led him into the office of her obstetrician. While she checked them in, he took a seat. She returned and sat next to him, watching as his knee bounced up and down, indicating just how nervous he really was.

After the DNA extractions, Madison and Cameron returned to the car. "Can I buy you breakfast?" he asked, not wanting to leave her yet. For some reason, it was comforting for him to be with her. "Maybe we can get to know each other a little better?"

Madison thought for a moment. They did get off to a rough start, so maybe this was the opportunity for the new beginning they needed. "I have a better idea. How about you let me make you breakfast? Plus it will give me a chance to open the restaurant."

"Are you sure you feel up to all that work?" he asked, surprising both Madison and himself with his thoughtfulness.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she smiled.

Cameron gave the driver the address to the restaurant, and they arrived there a few minutes later. Madison took out her keys and unlocked the door, hitting the lights as they went in.

He followed her to the kitchen, the place where they first met. Once in there, he looked around, something he didn't do the first time. He was impressed with what he saw. It was immaculately clean, and that was definitely important to him.

"So what are you in the mood for?" she asked him, heading to the large walk-in cooler.

"I'm pretty easy. Surprise me," he called out, loud enough for her to hear him.

Madison came out of the cooler with her hands full of ingredients. "We're not really the breakfast-type of restaurant, so I'll have to make do with what we have," she told him.

"I'm sure whatever you make will be great." He pulled up a stool and sat at the counter in silence for a few minutes as he watched her throw together ingredients. Her hands moved quickly over the food. She definitely knew how to handle a knife. He found himself mesmerized by her motion.

"Can we start over?" he asked quietly.

Madison looked up, surprised, yet pleased. He seemed like an entirely different person than the one she had first met. Maybe it was just a bad first impression, and second, and third.

"That might be a good idea," she told him, wiping her hands on her apron. He stood up from his stool and she came around the counter. They met each other half way, in the middle of the kitchen, where she held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Madison Drew and I own this little diner," she said with a smile.

Cameron took her hand in his. "Nice to meet you. I'm Cameron Rome, rock star extraordinaire." They laughed and the tension was broken.

"Well, that went much better than our previous tries," he said as he watched her go back to preparing breakfast.

"Much more enjoyable," she agreed.

"Well...the second time wasn't half bad."

There was a long pause while she registered what he said. Then she surprised him by throwing her head back with laughter. It bounced from the ceiling and the walls, louder than he expected, and he found himself laughing with her.

"I can't believe we can laugh," he said when they had calmed down.

"It's better than crying," she pointed out.

"No kidding."

They made idle chat while she finished preparing the meal, and not long after, they sat down to eat their breakfast. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, but I have ham and cheese omelets, eggs benedict, and crepes. Like I said, I had to make do with what little breakfast foods we had."

"It all looks great!" Cameron told her, his mouth watering. He took a little of everything, realizing at that moment exactly how hungry he was.

Madison didn't take much; her stomach was a little queasy, and she wasn't really sure what would calm it and what might send it over the edge. Cameron didn't fail to notice how little she had to eat, and when he commented on it, she told him about her morning sickness. At his look of sympathy, she quickly changed the subject.

"So tell me about yourself. You know all about what I do with my life, what's it like to be a rock star?" she asked him.

"Better than I could've imagined, most days. But then there're times when I hate it; the paparazzi, the crazed fans, the complete lack of privacy. And yes, I know that I made a conscious effort to put my life out there like that, but I don't think anyone ever truly knows exactly what they are getting themselves into," he explained. "But I love making music, and I love performing. It's such a rush to be up there on stage, in front of thousands of people, with all of them hanging on your every word."

"Did you ever have stage fright?" she asked.

He paused for a moment. "Yeah. Actually I am nervous every time I walk on stage. But that all disappears the moment the first note plays."

Slowly the food started to disappear until Cameron was full. The conversation kept flowing as he talked about his new album and his struggles with the record company. He found her easy to talk to, and was relating things that he shouldn't be telling a stranger. He had a feeling she wasn't the type to run to the tabloids and spill everything he told her.

Before long, Austin and a few other employees filtered in the door. Madison jumped up, feeling as though she had been caught doing something wrong, even though she could do whatever she wanted. She gathered some of the plates and headed to the kitchen to start cleaning up.

Austin gave Cameron a dirty look as he passed him and went to find Madison.

"I don't want to hear it," Madison called over her shoulder when she heard the kitchen door swing open. "We had a good morning, and I don't want to ruin it, so please save whatever you have to say."

"Fine, I won't say a word," he told her, and started to help her with cleaning the dishes.

The kitchen door opened again, only this time it was Cameron, carrying the rest of the dishes from their table. Madison turned to see him trying to balance all the empty plates. She rushed over to take some from him.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that. I could've gotten them," she said.

"Hey, I have to earn my breakfast, right?" he joked, completely aware of the negative feelings that Madison's friend had for him. He pulled Madison to the side, where he could say good bye to her without her 'bodyguard' watching.

"Thanks for everything this morning. I really enjoyed my breakfast, and I'm glad we were able to start over." He looked into her eyes. "You'll let me know when you get the test results back?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I find out. But I don't need them to give you the answer," she said, averting her gaze.

Cameron nodded. "I know, and like I said, I'd like to trust my gut, but you understand why I can't, right?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Alright. Well, I have to get to the studio, and it looks like you need to get to work here too. Thanks again, I think that helped," he told her, not sure whether to give her a kiss, a hug, or a handshake. He settled for an awkward kiss on the cheek before turning to leave.

Once he was gone, Madison turned around. "Not a word!"

Over the next week, Cameron was busy at the studio, fussing with some final overdubs. When the last song was finished, they decided it was time to celebrate. "Riley, my man, you're taking me to dinner tonight."

Riley looked at his client. "And why am I taking you?"

"Because you need to appreciate your clients. Without me, you wouldn't be nearly as successful," Cameron pointed out.

If Cameron would have been serious or malicious in his statement, Riley would have told him to go get bent. But Riley knew the man too well, and knew he was just trying to get a rise out of him. "Fine, McDonald's it is."

"Not a chance. We're going to The TigerLily."

"You've been going there a lot lately. I thought you were tossed out, and completely embarrassed?" Riley questioned.

"I did, but we worked it all out. They really do have some of the best food," he admitted. He didn't mention that it would give him another chance to talk to Madison.

"Lead the way!" Riley told him as they left the studio.

Their meal was nearly over, and Cameron still hadn't seen Madison. He was just about to ask the waiter where she was when the paramedics rushed in.

The whole dining room was silent as they watched the emergency crew hustle the gurney into the kitchen. Cameron stood at his table, trying to catch a passing waiter to ask what was happening, but none of them would stop to talk to him. For once, their impeccable service fell to the wayside as they stared alongside the patrons at the commotion that was happening behind the swinging doors.