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He folded his arms. “You’ve also got a girlfriend, remember?” he muttered, not that it felt like much of a relationship nowadays. Ash seemed more interested in partying without him than in spending any time with him. She just liked to reference him to whomever she was with. He rubbed his eyes. If he faced facts, then the situation wasn’t recent but for the duration of their time together. From that first night until today, that was how it’d been.

He doubted that Ash knew anything about the real him, only his persona. But as usual, he’d been dazzled by the fact that someone beautiful and renowned like her was showing him attention. He still hadn’t gotten over that geeky oh-my-God-a-female-is-interested-in-me inner person who he’d carried inside him since high school—the guy who’d rather be at home making mixes than out dancing to them with his friends.

Not that he could even dance… He might have the talent for making music that got everybody going, but nobody seemed to notice that he lacked the physical coordination to move to it in a dexterous manner himself. On stage it was fine because he just raised his arms or pumped his fist and everyone lapped it up.

Cam finished his drink and decided to go down to the gym before he entered the studio for the morning. Maybe a workout would clear his head and pave the way for productivity.

* * * *

When Cameron emerged from the studio, it was eleven a.m. Time always ran away with him once he got in there. He lifted his phone as he climbed the stairs and realised there were a few messages from Noah. He skimmed them as he entered the kitchen.

Ash was leaning against the counter. “Hey.”

He glanced up. “Morning.” Cam paused to take in the messages.

Ash frowned. “What’s wrong?”

He hesitated. “It’s Noah. He’s sick. He thinks he’s got food poisoning.”

Ash grimaced. “Ew.”

Cam waited for her to ask how Noah was, but she didn’t. He placed the phone away. “I guess it’ll just be us at the beach today.”

Ash poured herself a coffee. “Just you and me?” Maybe he was imagining it, but she didn’t sound enthralled at the idea.

He shook his head. “Isla and Nina are coming.”

Ash’s eyes lit up. “Cool. Nina is so cute. And she’s really smart. Didja know that?”

Cam took the coffee pot and poured his own mugful. “Yeah,” he smiled, “I do know.”

“She does science stuff and taught me a couple things last night,” Ash said.

Cam raised his eyebrows. “Okay.”

Ash sipped her coffee. “What time are we meeting them?”

He glanced at his watch. “In an hour and a half.”

“I’ll take this upstairs then. I need to get ready and find my new bikini.” She made to leave, then paused as she passed him. “Oh, are we taking a picnic?”

He smiled. “I’ll sort it. You go get ready.”

She smiled back and gave him a peck on the cheek, then left for the stairs.

Cameron pulled out various items from the fridge and cupboards, remembering what Isla had told him both she and Nina liked. He packed everything into a cool box then went to the garage and loaded it into the back of his four-by-four.

He returned inside and checked his watch. The beach was a twenty-minute drive away. “Ash,” he called up the stairs. There was no answer, so he waited a few more minutes and she eventually came down looking more like she was dressed for a photo shoot than the beach—but that was her style.

“Ready?” she asked him as she placed on her Audrey Hepburn-esque sunglasses.

He smiled. “Yep. I’ve loaded the Jeep.”

He locked the door behind them before following her to the car and climbing into the driver’s side.

They made their way along the windy hill road toward the beach. “Did you have fun last night?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was so cool,” she said. “I was hanging out with Jack and Simone and Aubrey. You remember those guys from the other night?”