"Actually, I would like that, but it seems you’ve forgotten what I ntioned last night. I don’t want to push you into sothing that big. You can trust to wait until you’re ready. What I ant was that I’d like to help you fix up this apartnt.
Even though the interior painting is done, there’s still a lot left to do. I noticed another can of paint in a different color, so I assu you’ll be painting the exterior too. The bathroom and kitchen also need so work," Ric explained.
"Oh, is that it? Well, I plan to head back to the resort today since I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Dylan yesterday properly," Cammy said.
’Damn it! She can’t go back to the resort yet. That womanizer is still there,’ Ric thought.
"But maybe you should paint the exterior now since that’s waterproofing paint, right? It’ll probably have a strong sll, unlike the water-based paint you used inside," Ric suggested.
"You’re right, but we could do that this morning and head back to the resort in the afternoon. I should call Felicity and Ellie—now where did I leave my phone?"
"It’s in your room. I charged it there when I woke up so you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I also turned it on, just in case Ellie or Felicity is trying to reach you" Ric replied.
"Aww, that’s so sweet of you. I’ll just leave it there for now." Cammy walked to the kitchen to put away the plastic bags that Eve had dropped off. What she didn’t notice was Ric’s reaction to her words.
’She called sweet! I should do more things like that,’ Ric thought, trying hard to suppress a smile.
"By the way, where did you buy the coffee? It slls amazing," Cammy asked, pulling Ric’s attention back to the present.
"It’s nothing special; I just picked it up from the convenience store earlier," Ric said as he walked over to Cammy, leaving the door open for when Eve returned.
Cammy paused, wide-eyed, and asked, "You bought these coffee shirtless?"
Ric chuckled, "Why? Worried that people might harass if they see my body?"
Cammy laughed, picturing the kind of attention Ric would attract if he really did walk down the street half-naked. "No, that’s not it! I was just concerned that pictures of you shirtless in the morning might spread online and harm your reputation."
"So you’re worried about ? That makes happy." Ric leaned against the kitchen counter, resting his chin on his knuckles and grinning at Cammy.
She rolled her eyes at his playful behavior. ’He is kinda cute when he smiles like that,’ she thought.
"I’m just concerned that your kindness toward might cause you trouble. You’re not just anyone, Ric. You’re a celebrity chef and soon to be an acclaid actor once your movies and TV shows air. I don’t want to be the reason for your downfall."
"I wore my jacket even though it was hot when I got the coffee. Thanks for worrying about —it ans you already consider a friend. You used to be so distant and aloof around ," Ric said, pouting a little.
"Was I? I’m sorry. I was just being careful because I was married."
"And don’t worry about what people might say about because of you—I don’t mind. Being a celebrity isn’t my top priority. The money and fa are nice, but I won’t trade my happiness for that." Ric took Cammy’s hand and gently rubbed the back of it with his thumb.
Their attention shifted when Eve cleared her throat. Cammy quickly pulled her hand back, thinking, ’What was I doing? Why didn’t I pull away when he took my hand? Maybe I’ve just been captivated by his gentleness lately.’
"Am I interrupting sothing here?" Eve asked with an awkward chuckle after catching what looked like an intimate mont between the two.
Cammy took the coffee and walked over to Eve. "No, it’s fine. You’re not interrupting anything; we were just talking about the coffee." She gestured for Eve to sit on the floor. "Sorry there’s no furniture yet—I hope you don’t mind eating on the floor."
"That’s perfectly fine. I went through the sa thing when I first moved in with my daughter."
Ric joined them, carrying the noodles. "Please forgive , I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable. My shirt is still drying out in the sun."
Eve waved her hands and laughed awkwardly. "No, no, I’m actually enjoying the view of your perfectly toned body. Are you a model? You look familiar."
Ric smiled and glanced at Cammy before replying, "I’m a chef."
Cammy tilted her head, noticing Ric’s modesty, and quickly added, "A celebrity chef. You’ve probably seen him in TV comrcials or in one of the cooking shows, which is why he looked familiar."
Ric lowered his head to hide his smile, feeling overjoyed that, for the first ti, Cammy seed proud of him. He felt like a teenager trying to contain his excitent.
"Oh my gosh! Now I rember—Ricardo Rossi! Our landlord was obsessed with your shows, especially the one that just ended. I have to get your autograph before you leave!" Eve exclaid excitedly.
"It’s okay, I can et them later if you’d like. I don’t mind—I’ll be visiting here often anyway," Ric replied.
"Wait a second, are you two dating or sothing?" Eve finally asked, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer.
"No!"
Both Cammy and Ric answered at the sa ti, leaving Eve unsure of who to focus on.
"We’re just friends. We t at work, and now he’s helping fix up my apartnt," Cammy explained.
"Oh, I see..." Eve said with a teasing nod and smile. "Let’s eat before the noodles get soggy," Eve added, and everyone began to dig in.
"I was thrilled when Mr. and Mrs. Moore told the rooftop apartnt would finally be occupied. Their daughter was the last one to live here, but she moved across the country five years ago and recently got married, so the landlords decided to rent it out," Eve shared.
"Ah, that’s why it looked that way... How long have you been working at the ran shop?" Cammy asked.
"I only work there part-ti, helping out during rush hours. My main job is as a freelance web designer, so I have flexible hours," Eve explained.
"Really? I used to be a freelance web designer too! That’s how Ric and I t. But now, I need more money, so I decided to take on a project at Cross Tech," Cammy said.
"That makes sense now why you took this place even though it needed so work."
"Yeah, it’s close to my office and Dylan’s school. We don’t need a big place anyway. I—" Cammy paused as her phone rang. "Sorry, just give a minute, I need to take that. It could be my son."
Cammy quickly answered when she saw Ellie’s na on the screen. "Hi, how’s Dylan?"
[He’s fine. He’s having breakfast with the girls at Felicity’s villa. But that’s not why I called. What happened the other night? A rich man nad Greg was looking for you!]
Cammy hurried out of the apartnt and to the rooftop while panicking, thinking of what to say to Ellie.
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