Page 36 of All the Drama from New York

“Do you live with your brother?”

“Yes. Well that’s when he’s at home which is a rare thing. Liam’s a photographer, and he’s away on assignment a lot. I miss him when he’s gone, but I’m also proud that he’s building a great career.”

A sad expression sat briefly on her face. “I have a twin sister. I last saw Sophie at Chloe and Jordan’s wedding in May, but before that it was Christmas. I miss her terribly.”

Ryan pulled up a chair and sat beside her. “Is she your only sibling?”

Camille shook her head. “No. I have four brothers. But only Sophie and I work in the fashion trade. The rest of my siblings are employed across various Royal family businesses. Pierre and Stefan both work alongside some of our Greek cousins in a luxury cruise company. Guy works with my German cousin in Berlin designing hotels. And my younger brother Éliott … let’s just say he doesn’t have much time to work in between partying and following the Formula One racing calendar.”

Lucky bastard.

“And what about you Ryan. Is it just you and Liam?”

“Yeah. Mom and dad decided that two out of control boys was enough for anyone. My folks are good people. My mom is a nurse, and my dad manages the family farm which he and his brother own between them. They grow mostly blueberries, and other soft fruits.”

Talking about his family got Ryan thinking. He couldn’t imagine someone like Camille ever stepping into his world. Or even wanting to take that step. From what he knew there weren’ttoo many billionaires living in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he’d grown up.

They were seated mere inches apart, yet the difference between their lives felt like a yawning chasm. One Ryan could never cross.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Camille hadn’t expected to find Ryan still at his desk at six o’clock. If she was honest about it, she’d completely forgotten he was in the office. Hope had never worked past five, and Camille was used to being on her own at this time of day. It had come as a bit of a shock to find him quietly working away in her design space. She’d almost dropped her bottle of wine.

She sat back from the computer and puffed out her cheeks. Today had been an early start, and she still had a ton of work to do before she called it a day. But before she finally pushed Ryan out the door and on his way home, Camille had to know if he planned to come back next week.

“So, how do you think your first day went? Did you get a taste for the world of fashion?” she asked.

He turned and smiled at her. “I actually enjoyed today. I’ll be going home knowing that I’ve created something. Granted it’s just some templates on an app, but it’s more than what I normally have to show for a full day’s work.”

It hadn’t crossed her mind that his usual job of grinding beans, making coffees, and then coming back the next day to doit all over again, could be so unfulfilling. Apart from a paycheck, Ryan didn’t have anything to show for his efforts.

“Is that what you meant when you told Bryce you wanted more?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. And I don’t just mean money. Though that’s always a nice thing to have. I would really love to work at something which makes me feel like I’m achieving a purpose in my life.” He held up a hand. “Not that there is anything wrong with being a barista. It’s just not enough for me anymore.”

She could understand his point of view. Her need for personal fulfilment had been the main driver behind her decision to leave Paris. If she’d stayed it would have meant a career cutting and sewing her father’s creations. Of allowing his dreams to be the only ones which mattered.

“And you think maybe moving into management at one of the Royal Resorts hotels would give you that sense of ‘doing’?” She held her fingers up and added some air quotes to the last word.

His cheeks turned red, but she sensed it wasn’t the wine which had made him blush. “It’s ok Ryan. I get the whole Bryce Royal is the man of the moment thing. You’re not the first male I have met in this city who hero worships my cousin.”

Bryce had kept a low profile while working in Europe, but since his appointment as American CEO of Royal Resorts he had stepped out of the shadows. He and his fiancée Vivian were now regularly seen on the social pages of the NYC press.

“To be honest, I don’t know what I want, I just know what I don’t want. And that’s to be making coffees for temperamental tourists for the rest of my days. Does that make sense?”

Camille nodded. “Few of us will ever really leave our mark. I mean my family donates millions of euros each year to cancer research, but it won’t be the Royals who discover the cure, it’ll be some amazing group of scientists who do. The rich along withthe rest of humanity will continue to look for meaning in their lives.”

She glanced at her near empty glass. “I’d better make that one glass and no more. The last thing you need on your first day is for me to give you one of my long speeches on the meaning of life. And I still have work to do tonight.”

Rising from her chair, Camille held out her hand. “Thank you for today, Ryan. I really do hope you come back on Monday.”

Getting to his feet, Ryan took her hand. “I plan to be around for some time. Today has been interesting. And fun. I can’t recall the last time I had a day at work when I actually had fun.” His brows furrowed. “What other work do you have to do this evening? What can I help you with?”

She waved him away. “I have a woolen fabric order arriving on a flight from Milan sometime around midnight. I have to call my button supplier in Zurich in a couple of hours, as they can’t seem to get the right shade of blue to match the new cloth. And I also need to get started on Hope’s inbox.”

Ryan promptly sat down once more; and pulled the laptop closer to him. He tapped away for a few seconds. “There are fifty unread emails in here, how many of them do you think will be junk ones? Give me an hour to go through them. For any that are real emails, I will either mark them for action in the new planning app, and/or forward them onto to you. How does that sound?”

Camille liked the sound of that. She liked it a lot. Before she knew what she was doing she was patting Ryan gently on the shoulder. “That sounds exactly what I need.”

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