Taste of Love

chapter Eleven




Work seemed to consume Madison, and she was getting less and less sleep because of it. They had decided to change their hours, now closing an hour later to accommodate the increase in business. She was also losing weight from being on the go all the time.

Her nights out with Thomas had become less frequent, much to Sasha's dismay, and much to Bunny's joy. They still came to the restaurant often, and Madison would sit and talk to them for a few minutes each time.

On one of their normal nights, Madison was getting ready to tour the dining room, when Bunny peeked into the kitchen. She looked around and spotted Madison giving instructions to her chefs as she untied her apron. Seeing some of her staff looking to the door, Madison shifted her eyes in that direction. Bunny waved at her.

Madison's face lit up. "Bunny, I was just coming out to see if you and Sasha were here," she smiled, walking to the door.

Bunny stepped in, a look of uncertainty on her face. "I was wondering if I could talk to you in private for a moment?"

Madison frowned. This was odd. "Sure, let's go to my office." Madison put her hand on the older lady's back and led her down the hall. Once they were seated with the door shut, Madison tilted her head in concern. "Is there something wrong Bunny?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me that," she replied. Bunny reached out and put her hands over Madison's. "Are you doing well?"

Madison was taken back. Since her parents were no longer alive, she hadn't had a mother figure in her life for quite some time, and Bunny's concern made her feel like she had a motherly presence in her life again. Tears prickled her eyes as she looked at the care written on Bunny's face.

"Thank you so much for your concern Bunny, but I am fine. I've just been working a lot of hours, and haven't had much time to myself lately," she said, trying to reassure not only Bunny, but herself as well. It wasn't just the restaurant and chores that kept her up at night; it was her thoughts of Cameron, too. The pictures in the tabloids were disturbing to her, in each new one she saw, he looked worse and worse.

"Well, my dear, you need to promise me that you will start taking better care of yourself." The older woman smiled, though worry still showed in her eyes. "If there is anything I can ever do for you, please don't hesitate to ask. Maybe we can take a girl's day out and go shopping or something."

"That sounds wonderful, Bunny. As soon as things slow down here, I will definitely take you up on that offer." Madison stood. As much as she wanted to ask Bunny about Cameron, she just couldn't do it. "We better get you back out to Sasha. She might think I put you to work or something."

Bunny laughed. "As if..." She linked arms with Madison when she made her way out from behind her desk, and all Bunny could feel was bone. It seemed the girl had lost more weight than she realized. Her uniform did a good job hiding it.

Later that night, Bunny made a call to her son, hoping that there was something he could do. She knew there was something between the two of them; she just didn't know exactly what it was. She saw the looks Madison and Cameron exchanged each time they were near each other. She also noticed the challenging looks Thomas had thrown at Cameron during the charity events.

Cameron answered his phone on the second ring. "Mother? Is something wrong?" His mother never called when he was on tour. She didn't agree with the lifestyle he led on tour, so she chose to avoid it. If that meant not talking to her son for a couple of months, so be it.

"I'm not sure Cameron. It's about Madison," she started to tell him, before he interrupted.

"Madison! Is she okay? Did something happen to her?"

Bunny smiled, hearing the care and concern in his voice. So she was right after all, there were some feelings between them!

"I don't think it's anything major, but I believe she is just working herself too hard. Her sparkle has faded, and she has lost some weight. I'm worried she may end up in the hospital from exhaustion if she keeps up like this."

"She did sound tired the last time I talked to her, but she promised to start taking it easy," he told his mother, not thinking about how he was opening himself to a long list of questions.

Bunny raised an eyebrow. "When did you talk to her last?"

"It's been a while, probably too long. I think it was about three weeks ago, but I'm not exactly sure." He rubbed his forehead. "What can I do to help?"

"I'm not sure, dear. Maybe you should give her another call, try to talk her into slowing down a bit," she suggested, happy that she had made the call to her son.

"I was planning on calling her soon anyway, but things just get so hectic on the road." She heard him put his hand over the phone and talk to someone in the background. "I have to run Mother, but I will call to see if there's anything I can do."

"Thank you dear. I do hope you get through to her. And I hope that you are doing well," she told him. "I love you, son."

"You too, Mother. Bye." He hung up the phone, his thoughts on Madison and how he could help her out. But as his manager dragged him through the concert venue, his thoughts of Madison were lost, replaced by his mental preparation for the concert.

Madison fought to keep her eyes open as she sat in the Laundromat. She watched as her clothes spun in the dryer, around and around, almost mesmerizing her into slumber. Just as her head dropped forward, a loud shrilling noise jolted her. She looked all around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. She located her phone and flipped it open, not even looking at the call display.

"Hello, gorgeous," a familiar voice purred into her ear.

"Cameron?" She was surprised that he had called her again.

"Good guess. I'm glad there isn't another guy calling you on laundry night, calling you gorgeous." He laughed into the phone.

Madison's stomach flipped. She wondered if he really meant that or was just saying it to make conversation. "Nope, just you," she told him, realizing that she sounded a little sleepy. "How's everything going?"

"Not too bad, same old, same old. What about you?" he asked, not wanting to disclose that his mother had called, worried about her.

"The same, just working. We've been busier than I ever imagined. I think I owe much of that to your mother. I think she tells everyone she meets to come by and try the food," Madison laughed.

Cameron picked up on how hollow her laugh sounded. He could hear over the phone how tired she was, and he knew exactly what she needed. "Listen, I had a thought, and you really can't tell me no, because you owe me."

"I owe you?" Madison asked, suddenly annoyed with him. How could he think she owed him anything?

"Well, last time I saw you, I told you it was rude to walk out on me and not use the backstage passes that I gave you. Not only that, but you did attend those charity events with Thomas, and barely gave me a chance. So the way I look at it, you owe me," he explained.

"First of all, you'll remember that I did go backstage, and you were preoccupied," she reminded him.

"True enough, but you still can't tell me no." He took a deep breath, ready for the oncoming verbal assault. "I have a ticket for you at JFK airport, leaving tomorrow afternoon for you to come out and meet me on tour. It's only for a couple of days. You'll meet me in Indianapolis, see the show there, then travel with me to Chicago, then St. Louis, and fly back to New York from St. Louis."

She laughed out loud. "That's not funny."

"I'm not laughing, gorgeous."

He wasn't. There was a long pause while the request sank in.

"Cameron, have you forgotten that I have a restaurant to run?" she finally snapped. How dare he make these decisions for her?

"I know you have a great staff. Austin seems to handle things very well."

"Besides, I already told you that our lives are too different. I'm not into partying and watching girls crawl all over you."

"No girls will crawl all over me," he said. "You can keep them away."

As much as it made her mad that he assumed she'd leave her responsibilities behind to go 'play', she was also tempted to take him up on his offer. Not only did she need a break, but she missed him terribly.

"Listen, I'm sorry that it sounds like I am dictating your life, but the truth is, I need you. I need a sense of normalcy right now. I feel like I am going crazy touring, and we still have three weeks left to go," he told her honestly. "I need someone to ground me, and you seem to have a knack for that."

Madison paused, not sure what to say. Her mind was battling, both hesitant and excited at the same time. "Can I call you back with an answer?"

"You have until your laundry is done to call me back," he teased, knowing her better than she thought he did.

Madison agreed, and hung up her phone. Her heart pounded as she dialed another phone number.

"Hello?" A tired male voice answered the phone.

"Austin? I need a favor," she said in a small voice. "And if you say yes, I will give you an extra week of vacation that you can use in two weeks."

Austin groaned. He knew what was coming, and as frustrating as it was, the extra week of vacation would be much appreciated.

"Which night do you need off?" He asked.

"Well, see, that's the thing. I sort of need the next six days off," she told him coyly.

There was a long moment of silence. "Huh?"

"I need the next six days off," she said.

Austin sighed. A moment of fear went through her, and then she was struck with some common sense. She was the boss, she owned the restaurant, and he worked for her. It was time for her to pull rank.

"Austin, I really need this time off, and I need you to step in and watch the restaurant while I'm gone," she told him, more confident now.

"Fine," he relented almost immediately. After all, she was the boss. "Are you going to tell me where you're going?"

"Just on a trip to get some much needed relaxation," she told him. "I have to run, finish my laundry, and start packing. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon and will be back in just under a week. I'll have my cell if you need me."

"Sure, have fun." Austin replied, obviously not meaning the sentiment behind his words. She could tell he was annoyed, but in her excitement, she didn't care. She knew that he would take care of the restaurant like it was his own, and that was all she wanted to know about his feelings at this point.

She opened her phone again and went to the received call list. She hit the call button and the phone dialed the number that was last received.

"I better hear a 'yes' come out of your mouth," Cameron said before even saying hello.

"Just tell me what time I have to be at the airport," Madison said quickly, before she changed her mind.

"The flight is at one o'clock, but make sure you're there early. I don't want a call telling me you missed your flight. I will try to be at the airport in Indy to meet you, but if my manager thinks it isn't safe, I will send him to get you." Cameron was happy, but nervous at the same time.

"Ok, see you tomorrow then."

There was a long moment of silence. Then Cameron whispered, "I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you either," she admitted. "Until tomorrow..."

She hung up the phone, her stomach already a bundle of nerves. What did this mean for them? What was expected of her? Would she be able to handle his 'other life'? What if things were even worse than they appeared at the backstage party?

But...what if things weren't? What if they could really enjoy their time together?

She knew she wouldn't be sleeping that night, because there was no way her mind would stop asking these questions.

The plane touched down in Indianapolis and Madison listened as the pilot urged them to enjoy their stay. She was impressed. Cameron had flown her out First Class, but then again, she didn't expect less of him. It was just typical Cameron, always thoughtful, or at least typical of the Cameron she knew.

Madison wheeled her carry-on through the gates of the terminal, searching for anyone familiar, or someone holding a sign with her name on it. She walked through the crowd, and suddenly felt a hand on her arm as she moved between two people. Looking up, she saw a complete stranger with shoulder-length blond hair, a backwards trucker hat, and aviator sunglasses. Just as she was about to tell the man to get his grubby hands off her, he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Glad you didn't miss the flight, gorgeous."

"Oh my goodness," she blurted, staring at him.

He kissed her cheek and led her downstairs, to the baggage claim area.

He turned back to her on the escalator and put his finger up to his lips, effectively keeping her quiet, to ensure nothing would draw attention to them. They completed the ride in silence, but Madison couldn't help but stare at him. Once they had her other suitcase, they exited the airport to a waiting car.

Safely inside the vehicle with dark tinted windows, he pulled off the sunglasses, hat and wig. He fluffed up his spiked hair, and looked over at Madison.

"You can talk now." He laughed at the awe in her eyes, and the smile on her face.

"I missed you so much, Cameron," she blurted out before her brain could stop her.

"Not as much as I missed you, Madison." He leaned over and hugged her tight, noticing the clear difference in her body. His mother was right, she had lost a lot of weight. Too much, in fact. He slowly backed away from her, and for the first time, he saw how tired she looked.

At that moment, he vowed to make this the best vacation she ever had.