Cameron hadn’t walked out on him.There was no reason to think that he had.Anyway, Charles had left the table just a minute after Cameron, and he was still outside smoking.He wouldn’t have lingered any longer in the cold evening air than his cigarette required, so Cameron couldn’t have been gone that long either.
Franklin was obviously overreacting.He stayed in his seat, kept a polite smile pinned to his lips as he nodded to whatever Bill was saying, on general principle.Franklin wanted to buy his business, after all.No doubt he should be agreeing with him.
And, in spite of all the very logical things he told himself, Franklin was still barely two seconds away from getting out of his seat and heading for the gents in search of Cameron when he finally saw him making his way back to the table.
Leaning toward Cameron as the lion slid gracefully back into his seat, Franklin felt a strand of hair that had escaped from Cameron’s ponytail caress his cheek.He tried not to like that.
“Is it too much to ask for a little bit of small talk?”he hissed in Cameron’s ear, before he could give into the temptation to lean in further and kiss his neck the way he really wanted to.
Cameron glared at him as he pulled jerkily away, as if offended by having Franklin within several miles of him.
Franklin took a deep breath and let it out very slowly.He was not going to make a scene.He was going to be sensible and logical.He was going to think like a businessman who had his eye fixed firmly on the bottom line, not one who’s attention was all on his boyfriend’s arse.
“I’m not having dinner with them for the fun of it,” Franklin bit out, struggling to keep the words under his breath.“This is an important deal.I’m working here.”
Cameron muttered something unintelligible, and he pulled even further away from him.Before Franklin had a chance to challenge him and demand he repeat what he’d said in an audible tone, he realised they were attracting undue attention from the other side of the table.
This was an important deal.He’d put a lot of time and effort into it.He cared about it.He shouldn’t have to remind himself that he was capable of caring about things other than Cameron.
“So…” Bill cleared his throat.“What line of business are you in, Cameron?”
Just then, Charles came back to his seat.His cigarette seemed to have improved his mood as dramatically as Cameron’s visit to the gents had ruined the lion’s.“Yes, I was wondering that, too,” he said.“I don’t think you mentioned it earlier.”
“Cameron is—” Franklin began, smoothly.
“A dancer,” Cameron.
“Oh…”
Franklin was vaguely aware of Bill smiling politely as his own expression congealed.
“Ballet, or modern or—?”Bill began.
“I’m the kind of dancer that earns far more in the alley behind the club than he does on the stage,” Cameron said.
Each word was enunciated perfectly clearly.Franklin didn’t need to demand the lion repeat himself this time.
“You…” Apparently, that was all Bill could think of to say.
Still, Franklin had to give credit where it was due.It was one word more than he’d been able to come up with himself.
“I’m a stripper?”Cameron filled in for him.“A lap dancer?”Leaning back in his seat, he looked as comfortable there as he had in the changing room at the back of the club a few days before.“A rent boy?”he went on.“A whore?Yeah, all of the above.”
No one said anything.
“Let’s not be coy, gentlemen,” he said, rolling his shoulders and slouching just a little more elegantly in his seat.“We all know exactly what I am.”
He looked at each of the men sitting opposite him in turn.
Bill shifted uncomfortably in his chair.Charles looked as if he was going to have a fit any second.Franklin had never seen the guy look so furious, but Charles wasn’t the one who had every right to be furious with Cameron’s behaviour.
Finally, Cameron turned his attention to Franklin.The anger in his expression damn near took Franklin’s breath away.Confusion rushed through him, wondering what he ever could have done to make Cameron hate him that much.
Hot on its heels came a red-hot fury of his own.As their eyes remained locked, Franklin pulled himself to his feet and took hold of Cameron’s arm.The lion stayed in his chair for an agonisingly long moment.
It almost seemed as if Franklin might actually have to try to physically drag him out of the restaurant.But, finally, Cameron gave in.Striding out of the building, Franklin snatched the keys off the valet and slammed the car door behind him as he got behind the wheel.It did nothing to alleviate his anger.
Cameron slid into the passenger side without needing to be prompted.He actually seemed about to quit with the silent treatment bull and speak, but Franklin couldn’t listen to it, not right then.
