Her creamy skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, giving her an unearthly quality. She wore her dark hair short, in a pixie cut that highlighted those incredible cheekbones, and with her green eyes and long limbs, she reminded him of a young Audrey Hepburn. Growing up, his grandmother's favorite movie was Sabrina, and he still watched it over and over, only now he imagined himself in the role of Bogart, winning over the woman who--at first--barely even knew he existed.
She walked quickly, her eyes sparkling and a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She looked vibrant, happy, and Cam wondered what it was that had filled her morning with such joy. Selfishly, he wished that it were him. Even more selfishly, he hoped it wasn't another guy.
For a second, he was afraid she was going to glide right past The Fix, but then she tugged open the door and practically bounced over the threshold. She paused, glancing around, and his heart did a little flip when she met his eyes and broadened her smile. But her gaze soon traveled on, and she squealed out loud upon finding her brother.
"You're here! Why didn't you text me?" She sprinted across the bar and wrapped her brother in a hug, then yanked over an empty chair and squeezed in between Darryl and Cam.
"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise, doofus."
"Um, hello? Dad and I have known you're coming since, oh, the beginning of last semester. Not really much of a surprise."
Darryl pointed toward the doorway and then to her. "And yet may I present Exhibit A, which I like to call, A Girl: Surprised."
Mina shook her head, feigning exasperation. "Whoever decided he should go to law school has a lot to answer for."
"That would be me," Darryl said.
She smiled sweetly. "I know. Beware my unexpected wrath."
Before Darryl could continue the banter--that was, frankly, making Cam a little dizzy--she shifted in her chair to include Cam and Nolan in the conversation. "Okay, quickly, quickly, because I need to get over there and help Brooke and Spencer. But tell me what you guys are talking about. I mean, right now the testosterone is so thick I can practically inhale it."
"Nosy, much?" Darryl said. "You tell us what's got you floating on clouds first."
"It shows?"
"You look like you've won the lottery," Cam said.
"I have." She laughed, then hugged herself. "You know that production studio in South Austin? The one that produces Griffin's web series?" she asked, referring to another regular at The Fix, who'd written and produced a popular podcast that had gone on to become a successful web series.
"Sure," both Darryl and Cam said in unison.
"Well, they're diving into features--Beverly Martin starred in their first one, and it's winning all sorts of awards."
"We know," Cam said. "That's why Brooke went nuts when Beverly offered to emcee the calendar contest. That's a hell of a coup having an actual movie star on the stage."
"I know," Mina continued. "And they'll be doing more movies and television. And guess who their newest assistant to the vice-president in charge of development will be."
"Seriously?" Darryl pulled his sister into a hug. "That's fabulous."
"I know, right? And the company is small enough I'm going to have a ton of responsibility."
"Does that mean you're not thinking about moving to LA anymore?" Darryl asked.
"Are you kidding? Hollywood's the cherry on the sundae, and I'm going to make such a splash when I get there. Especially now that I'll be going with a real resume. Not just school projects and a few internships. I mean, this job is the perfect stepping stone. A couple of years under my belt, and I'll take Hollywood by storm!"
"Congratulations," Cam said, with enough genuine enthusiasm that he didn't think twice about also engulfing her in a hug. At least not until his arms were around her, and her small breasts were pressed against his chest. He felt the shock of connection ricochet through him, and pushed away a little too fast, terrified that all that energy was about to coalesce in his cock, and give him the kind of hard on that his Wranglers really couldn't hide.
Mina, thank goodness, was still too giddy to notice his awkwardness. "I know, it's amazing. I start in a couple of weeks."
"Why not right away," Darryl asked, and Mina sighed, as if he'd asked a totally foolish question.
"Because, hello? I want a break. And because I'm writing that article on lighting techniques with my advisor for one of the cinematography magazines, and we still have a few tweaks. But that's outside of my coursework." She leaned back, looking smug. "I'm officially all done with school and have my MFA in film and media production to prove it."
She sighed happily as the guys applauded her. "So, what's up with y'all? Sitting over here in the corner sharing secrets?"
"More like telling stories," Darryl said. "And praising Cameron's testicles."
"Dammit, Darryl--" Cam began as he felt his face start to burn. Shit.