Finally, she asked, "Why didn't you tell me about Brian when you told me you wanted to come visit?"
I shrugged and stared out the window. I didn't want to see the look on her face when I answered her because I decided to be brutally honest. I was already hiding mythingwith Ben from her. I didn't want to hide more. "There wasn't anything to tell. He thought we were serious, I didn't. I hurt him. And I wanted to avoid the postmortem because it makes me feel like a complete asshole," I admitted. I paused, but I faced her again and attempted to lighten the mood in the car. "Besides, I was bored and it's been two years since we've seen each other. It seemed like a good idea until today. If I'd known you were going to make me work for my room and board, I would've gotten a hotel room."
"No other reason?" she asked, ignoring my deliberate guilt trip.
"No." I drank from the cup she'd brought me and decided that I couldn't talk about this anymore.
I could tell by the expression on her face she was going to ask me another question, I wracked my brain for something to say and pounced on the perfect subject to distract her.
"Yesterday's lunch was interesting," I said.
The look she shot me was slightly suspicious and a little confused. "What do you mean?"
"Just that you'd have to be completely and utterly oblivious not to feel the tension between you and Brody Murphy." I suppressed a grin when she muffled a sigh. Ha, two could play the uncomfortable question game. I loved Cam, but she could pry information out of someone better than a government-trained spy. I think it came from growing up in a small town.
"Brody and I have a history. He's my brother's best friend and my teenage crush-slash-nemesis. That's all."
The words were typical Cam but I detected more than a hint of defensiveness in her tone. I looked at her and raised a single eyebrow, knowing it would irritate her.
"History? Oh, no, Cam. That wasn't history I saw yesterday. That was definitely something very current."
"Brody came by the shop last night to apologize," she blurted out.
I stared at her in surprise. "What? Why didn't you tell me when I woke you up?"
"I wanted to avoid the post-mortem. It was too gruesome for early morning conversation." She grimaced when she spoke.
"What happened? Did y'all have another argument? Did you have angry sex in the kitchen?"
Cam pulled into her parking spot behind Crave and gaped at me. "Where did that come from?"
"Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously."
I had to shake my head. Either Cam was playing dumb or she was in denial. "Don't act like you're ignorant to the fact that the sexual tension between you and Brody Murphy is off-the-charts. I think everyone at that lunch table yesterday knew it except for maybe his little girl and only because she's too young and innocent to understand such things."
"You are off your rocker if you think there's sexual tension between Brody and...and..." Cam sputtered before she finally trailed off.
"You?" I said.
"Yes!"
"I don't think I'm the one who's crazy if you're claiming that it's not true." I pointed out.
"It's not!" There was a definite snap in her voice.
There was only one way to get her to face the truth. I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. "Okay then. What happened?"
She mimicked me, the smirk on her face telling me it was an intentional gesture. "He came by, I ignored him. He snuck up on me in the back and I tried to punch him in the face. Then we talked a little and he apologized. I accepted. It was all very civil and mature and I think we're going to get along much better now."
"Oh, really?" I asked.
"Yes. Neither of us is a teenager any longer. We can be friends."
"If you say so," I said, knowing it would drive her even crazier. I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out of the car.
"We can," Cam insisted as she followed me.
