Page 28 of I Heard It All Before

“If I had an appetite, I would take you up on your offer,” Demi said as she smiled politely.

She was sure that she looked a hot ass mess, with no makeup on and her hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and she saw that before she got out of her car. IHOP didn’t have a drive-thru, so she had to get out to get her coffee. Once she got in there, Demi decided to sit down for a little while. She didn’t have any reason to rush.

“You good?” Cam asked as he took in the sad expression on her face. He could tell that she had been crying, but he didn’t want to get in her business.

Demi wanted to break down and cry again, but she held her tears in as best she could. She felt her eyes water, but she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Demi said as she looked up and made eye contact with him. “You look so familiar. Where do I know you from?”

“I just told you. You paid for my food a few weeks ago,” Cam replied as he took a seat at her table. Although Demi never invited him to sit down, she didn’t mind the handsome stranger’s company.

“No, that’s not it. I didn’t even pay attention to who I paid for that day. You seem so familiar to me for some reason,” she noted.

“I don’t know, but the name is Cam,” he said while extending his hand for her to shake. He knew why she kept saying that he looked familiar, but he was trying to move away from that subject. He didn’t want to be associated with his father in any way if he could help it.

“Demi,” she replied while shaking his hand.

“Pretty name,” Cam noted as he spied the wedding ring that graced her finger.

“Thanks.” She smiled as she continued to stare at him. She was trying hard to see where she knew him from, but she was coming up empty.

“You sure you don’t want anything to eat Demi? It’s my treat,” Cam offered.

“Maybe I’ll have some strawberry crepes,” Demi said when her stomach started to growl. She hadn’t eaten anything since the night before, and she was starving.

“Coming right up,” Cam said as she waved a waitress over.

He ordered his omelet and Demi’s crepes, along with a fresh new iced coffee for her to enjoy. They made small talk until the food came and they both dug in as soon as it did. Demi tried not to stare so much, but she couldn’t help herself.

“What? I got food around my mouth or something?” Cam asked as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

“No, you’re fine. I’m sorry for staring, but you just look so familiar. I know it’s weird, so I’ll stop,” Demi replied.

“No, it’s cool,” Cam said, deciding to come clean with her. “You were at my father’s funeral, but I don’t think you saw me.”

“Your father?” Demi questioned.

“Camden Blaire,” Cam spoke up, as Demi’s eyes damn near bulged from their sockets.

“Yes! That’s it! You were on a picture with him in the program. That’s the picture that he had put up in the lobby,” Demi said excitedly.

“What lobby?” Cam questioned.

“I work at the Blaire Law Firm. Not too long before he passed, Mr. Blaire had a picture blown up and framed to put in our lobby. That’s where I recognized you from. That’s the first thing people see when they walk in,” Demi informed him, happy that she could stop wracking her brain.

“That’s a shock,” Cam said.

“What’s a shock?” Demi asked.

“That he put a picture of me anywhere. I wasn’t the favorite subject in his household. I’m just the product of his affair with a black woman.” Cam shrugged.

“Wow. I’m sorry to hear that. Are you a Blaire too?” Demi questioned.

“Davis, my mother’s last name,” Cam replied.

“Oh, so, Carrington Blaire is your grandfather?” Demi questioned.

“Yeah,” Cam replied.

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