The One I Need
Anson shrugged. “I guess.”
“You’re not interested?”
“No.” Anson inclined his head. “You?”
“Do you remember me telling you about that woman I met in Paris?” Cameron lifted his glass of iced tea to his lips.
Anson’s eyes took on a speculative gleam. “Juin? How could I not remember her? It seemed like every time we spoke then, her name came up.”
This time, it was Cameron’s turn to shrug. He didn’t correct Anson on Juin’s American name. It was too much to explain right now.
“What’s going on?” Anson set down his glass, his gaze turning sharp and assessing. “Is she causing trouble?”
The question didn’t surprise Cameron. Both he and Anson had been forced in the past to deal with people they barely knew trying to benefit from proximity to their families.
They’d learned to be careful in their relationships, friendly and romantic. Which was why Cameron believed Anson would be one of the few who would understand his dilemma with June.
“Not yet, but the potential is there.”
Anson’s expression turned serious. “What happened in Paris?”
“Nothing really.” Cameron thought back to the handful of dates they’d gone on. Lunches, dinners and a black-tie event.
“Did you sleep with her?”
“We didn’t get that far.”
“Tell me what’s on your mind, Cameron. You know I don’t like guessing games.”
Cameron was trying to figure out what he wanted to say, how much he wanted to divulge. He should have realized the hesitation would drive his fast-paced friend crazy. “She ended up coming back to Denver shortly after I did, and we reconnected here.”
Anson’s brows pulled together. “Do you think her return was intentional? Did she come back for you?”
“At first, I didn’t think so, but now I’m not certain.” Cameron picked up his iced tea and took a drink. “Last night, she admitted she would have deliberately made my acquaintance if I hadn’t approached her first.”
Anson’s frown deepened. “If that didn’t set off alarm bells, it should have.”
“Do you remember Aubrey Parker?”
A look that Cameron couldn’t quite decipher crossed his friend’s face.
“That’s the girl who was killed after that party we attended.”
Cameron didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “I’m amazed you remember.”
“I don’t recall much about that night at all. It’s pretty much a blank.”
“Yet you recognize her name?” Cameron studied his friend. “Juin had to remind me of it.”
“You know me.” Anson gave a careless shrug. “I’ve always been good with names. I remember hearing it on the news reports.”
“That name recall is a huge asset in politics.” Cameron sat back and nodded. “When you recall someone’s name, it makes them feel like they’re important to you.”
Anson just shrugged again. “How do Aubrey Parker and Juin from Paris connect?”
“Aubrey was Juin’s older sister.”
“The plot thickens.” Anson’s gaze scanned the area as if he was making sure they couldn’t be overheard. “Enough with tossing me scraps. Get to the meat.”