camgarza

[camgarza]

[camgarza]

location: southern drawl country bar and line dancing

status: closed for @stevienelson

Say what you wanted about Cami Garza, but she wasn't a woman afraid of flying solo on a Saturday night. These days she much prefered a night in over a night out but special exceptions could be made.

Going to Southern Drawl on a whim was one of them.

She'd gotten up for all the usuals - Cotton Eyed Joe, Copperhead Road, even Texas Hold 'Em - but it was when the first notes of Austin came on that she really perked up.

Was she well into a man-hating phase? Not quite— But she'd be lying if she said the aftermath of the auction and the new release by Dasha didn't feel oddly well timed.

What better way to vent frustrations over an ex than learning every word to a song bashing one (even if the actual lyrics bore no similarities to her own life)?

Hair swaying, hips dipping, and boots stomping along she let it all go out there on the dance floor. Every last bit of guilt, stress, and heartache that'd been following her like a shadow for weeks now.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one.

When the song ended she wandered back to the bar, making a point to sidle up next to Stevie. "How the hell didn't I already know you like to dance, too?" She would've been inviting her out on a regular basis if she had. "You looked great out there."

[camgarza]

location: cami's house in riveroak farms

status: closed for @cariakaratan

“Okay, gang’s all here.”

Backing out of her front door, arms loaded down with the rest of their necessities for the night, Cami approached the swing. Margaritas and snacks were a standing Friday night tradition of hers by now to celebrate the end of a long week (even if running the stables didn’t truly include days off)— One she’d happily roped Caria into months ago. 

“One for you, one for me—” she handed over a drink— “and more than enough food to see us through midnight.” Careful not to kick off too hard with such full glasses, she settled onto the oversized swing beside her. Then, with a sigh and that blessed first sip, “How was your week?”

[camgarza]

"It's TV, so of course they're only out for the drama—" the sole purpose was to entertain— "but I think we could probably take a few notes from the overall idea." She paused then, weighing the thought on her mind, before murmuring, "We'd probably save ourselves a whole lot of heartbreak if some of those big conversations happened up front before anyone's invested."

If Jace had only admitted he didn't want the same future with children she did it could have saved her a whole lot of heartbreak.Not that she regretted their relationship or five years of marriage. For better or worse she was still (unadmittedly) in love with the man, even when she was the one to walk away.

Careful not to venture too far down that road, she switched focus to the box and helped herself with a quiet 'thank you' to both.

"Who are Ivy and RoRo? Friends of yours from school?" She looked to be about school aged, but what did Cami know? Despite her wish for kids she clearly never had them. "You know, I've never thought about my favorite number," she admitted to Harper next, "but if I had to pick it'd probably be four. That's how old I was when I got my first horse. Do you like horses?"

As someone who didn't believe in love for themselves, but for others? Callie would find herself watching and reading some of the most unrealistic material put out there. Love is Blind was definitely one of those things. Not that she actually believed that that was how it worked. "I believe most of them are only on there for their 15 minutes of fame, because ain't no way." She explained, "But, the girl that she said looked like Megan Fox? I will admit, that she has some features to her that definitely remind me of the actress." She stated, "Although, her and -- what's his name? Jimmy? Yeah, that's a hard no for me."

Harper gave Cami a goofy smile, and threw her hands up in the air as if she was doing a cheer, "Because they're the best! They're my favorite, too." Harper'd look up at her mom as Cami mentioned her permission, in which she just chuckle, "You mean, one less sugar bun for this girl to hype herself up on?" She asked, "Please--- take two. Maybe even three." Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were pleading.

"No! We gotta save some for Ivy and RoRo!" Harper reminded her mom, in which Callie just rolled her eyes, "Yes, baby, and they will have their own to pick from. But we do not need a box of nine."

Harper looked back up at Cami, "Nine's my favorite number! Because it's my birthday!" She cheered, "What's your favorite number?" The five year old asked, curious as always.

[camgarza]

“Well, far be it from me to ever be responsible for the demise of perfectly gorgeous—” she paused then, taking a closer look at the arrangement in her hands— “lisianthus?” The pale apricot blooms interspersed throughout the bouquet certainly looked like lisianthus. 

And Cami would know, considering they were her favorite. 

The smile on her face softened even more around the edges. Her eyes cut back to Birdie over her shoulder just as the crested the short set of stairs to her porch. “You really are far too good to me.”

She could only hope to be half as thoughtful and generous a friend in return. 

“One high and one low, huh?” Cami considered that while she led them through the old farmhouse and into the kitchen. “Alright. The vet came by to check on Juno yesterday and everything looks great. We should have a new foal on our hands sometime next month.”

That was the high. A pretty big one, too, considering she was her personal horse, and one she’d help raise since Juno was a foal herself. But the low— Cami grimaced. 

“The day before that I also found out the bank denied me my loan.” She kept up a brave face but it was clear how heavily that setback weighed on her shoulders. “It’s not the end of the road, but it does mean we probably won’t break ground on the rehab center this year.”

She’d been so excited to establish a horse rescue and rehabilitation facility on the stable grounds. Now she wasn’t sure if it’d ever be more than a distant, too ambitious dream.

Smiling as Cami dusted her hands, she held out the arrangement for her friend to take. "Nonsense, I had to, the flowers would have gone to waste if I didn't, and you know that's against everything I stand for." So maybe it was an exaggeration, but she wasn't about to let Cami think she wasn't committed to the cause. Cami was worth it, no matter what, and she wouldn't dream of letting her friend's polite manners negate just how worthy the woman was. Besides, flowers were Birdie's love language, her special gift, and her calling in life, all rolled into one. She couldn't help but show off and spoil Cami at the same time, right?

Moving aside so Cami could lead the way, Birdie glanced around as she followed her friend. "I'd be more than happy to give you my input," she said with a gentle laugh. If anything, Birdie would probably just come up with eighteen different places to put the flowers, only to come back tomorrow with another arrangement or two to fill one of the spaces they didn't choose. "Okay, I'm sure you have half a dozen things to update me on, but let's start with one high and one low. Then I can pull the rest out of you slowly."

[camgarza]

Refused. Rejected. Denied. Shot down.

It didn't really matter how you packaged it when the outcome was the same: Cami wasn't getting her loan. The very loan she'd been counting on to even start her goal of opening a sanctuary and rehabilitation facility on stable grounds.

She could blame it on her fathers bad investments years prior, could blame it on some combination of a few late payments, good but not great credit, and only breaking even most months with the way things currently stood... but did that really matter, either? Whatever the reason for the banks choice she was still out of luck.

Her vision, her dream— It was officially (and perhaps permanently) paused.

And since everyone back at Willowing Pines was waiting for news upon her return she'd taken the cowards path. Rather than heading straight home she fled for that little bench off the beaten path at Lake Shoal.

Technically, it wasn't and never had been her spot, if anyone could lay claim it was Jace, but over the years she'd borrowed it from time to time. Mostly, when she needed a hug and couldn't just go straight to the source. When she couldn't fall into the waiting arms of the one and only person who'd ever been capable of healing her hurts.

Being there was like being with him when she couldn't be with him.

Well. Him, figuratively, and a handful of ducks. Literally.

Crumbling off another section of the stale bread in her hand, Cami moved to fling it forth when a branch snapped underfoot. She froze, but didn't look.

She didn't need to look.

There was only him. Had only, and probably would only, ever be him.

So no, she didn't look but, leg still pulled to chest and cheek still pressed to knee, she finally scattered her offering just as the other side of the bench creaked.

For all she knew it could've been a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days before Jace broke the heavy silence but it was definitely less than half a second before it was her sharp inhale that fell in response.

What business of it was his whether or not she was?

Except that, too, she knew.

The ink on their divorce papers might've been two years dried but that invisible tether between them? It hadn't gone away. It was still there, latched into the bleeding mess of her heart. She felt its hooks sink deeper every day.

Except on the nights she caught wind of his exploits it felt less a hook and more a blade.

For that reason alone - the one that was an inconsistent parade of blondes and brunettes and leggy redheads with the immaculately scultped sort of bodies she'd have to pay for - Cami almost didn't deign to answer. Almost.

"What makes you think I am?"

Okay, so she didn't actually answer so much as pose a question of her own, and one needing no reply because, again, she already knew. Or at the very least she could guess.

The auction. The bids never meant to be made. The night only meant to be support for a friend that turned into a massively unexpected, all around regret.

Still— When he hadn't exactly vied for the title of Mr. Celibate 2022, 2023, or 2024 she wasn't sure he was entitled to that truth.

Cami weighed the list of ways she could elaborate, if at all, before settling on a very much reisgned: "I'm not." At last she lifted her cheek from its resting place, but only to sigh in the general direction of the lake. "Not seriously, at least."

A dinner here, a movie there, and the occasional hookup that lasted only as long as it took to get off once or twice didn't really count as dating.

"But why does it matter if I was?"

Apparently she hadn't learned how not to press at each and every 'them' shaped bruise. She liked that tiny bite of pain it inflicted. Relied on it, even. It reminded her there ever was a them at all.

"Last I checked you signed your name on the dotted line the same time I did, Jace." In fact, technically, if memory served, their lawyers prompted him to sign first. "We both know your bed's not growing cold so why should mine?" | @jaceharlcw

LOCATION: Lake Shoal WITH: @camgarza

More than anything in the world, Jace wanted to move on. But more than anything in the world, he wished he could tell Cami how he really felt. The devil and angel upon his shoulders often found themselves arguing with one another. Sometimes, the devil would win, and he would find himself clinging on to every last feeling he had for Cami. And sometimes, the angel would win, and he would take another step back from her. A step back from the life Jace knew he could never have, for her sake.

Today, they were still fighting. And when his mind was fighting with itself, there was generally only one place to go that would help mitigate his emotions. There was a small path from the carpark at Lake Shoal, only a short walk to a park bench in front of the lake but surrounded by trees. This is where he would go to think, to feel. Even during his marriage, and once or twice he had shared it with Cami too, should she ever need it.

Jace approached the bench, his hands buried in the pockets of his black wool trench coat, wishing he had brought himself a coffee. But he halted suddenly as he looked upwards, at the brunette sat on the bench. He almost turned on his heel and left, but he waited there for a few seconds weighing up his options. No, they needed to talk. Or at least he needed to talk.

With a sharp inhale, he continued to the bench and sat down beside Cami, although choosing not to turn to her just yet. Jace allowed the silence to fall softly between them, his eyes firm upon the almost still lake.

"I didn't know you had started dating again." he stated bluntly, still refusing to turn his attention to Cami just yet. Sometimes it was better if he didn't look at her, because then he could avoid the pit in his stomach, and the encroaching doubt that would quickly follow.

[camgarza]

"Thanks." Considering she rarely managed to break even most months she wasn't so sure she shared his confidence and faith, but the sentiment was appreciated all the same.

"New York, though..." With a quietly released, all around impressed breath she shook her head. "That's a pretty huge change of pace compared to Covington." The closest she'd gotten to a city like that was Atlanta, and something told her it wasn't nearly the same.

"Did you like it? Being somewhere so much... more... than here?" More culture, more opportunities, more to see and do. "I mean this in the least offensive way possible, but I'm always a little shocked when anyone says they've lived someone like that and still chose to come back."

Sure, she'd never felt a desire to leave home permanently, but most others didn't have the same kind of tether to the town. They hadn't been born and raised on the idea of settling down on the same patch of dirt each generation before her had to continue what had long ago been started by family hands.

Perhaps it was those thoughts, one of her own permeance in Covington, that prompted her to ask, "Now that you did do you think you'll stay?" | @arjunshekhawat

"Ah, I see." There was every possibility that Cami and Arjun had crossed paths at the hospital while not realizing it. He was busy with patients for the most part and when he wasn't on the clock, Arjun rarely ever stuck around unless he was coming in to pick something up or drop off lunch for his staff. They worked so hard alongside him. It was the least he could do.

"Oh right. I feel like I heard something about the Willowing Pines from my mom. She tries her absolute best to keep up with everything around here. I'm sure it's in capable hands with you at the helm." Arjun didn't comment on her latter statement. He felt like people should leave town at least once for an extended period of time. While there was no place like home, it was nice to live somewhere new and meet new people. "I was actually at Columbia. Yeah, studied there for my undergrad and then did med school. Basically, spent a substantial amount of time in New York because of that."

[camgarza]

"Yeah," Cami nodded somewhat sheepishly. "I've seen that show once or twice." Meaning: she'd binged every season since its introduction on Netflix. Trash TV, especially the hopelessly romantic, highly scripted and unrealistic kind, was her guiltiest pleasure.

One would've thought after her divorce that'd change but, if anything, finding herself alone and brokenhearted in a too quiet house only fueled her need to distract via someone else finding their producer prompted 'soulmate'.

"It sounds crazy to think anyone could find their true love in a bubble or a pod or whatever they call it, sight unseen, but..." She shrugged. Crazier things had happened. Somewhere. Probably.

Lips parted to ask if she'd heard the latest drama involving contestants on the show Cami paused, her attention instead dropping to the little girl behind Callie's legs.

And the box of cinnamon buns in her hands.

"Now, how did you know they're my favorite?" Along with half of everything else Harlow kept in the pastry cases, of course. "I would love one. If you and your momma don't mind sharing."

To Callie, she grinned, "I was an only child, so I get it." | @calliemontgomery

Callie had decided to stop by Bread and Butter. She knew their deserts were to die for, and also they had coffee. It was a win win for herself, and her daughter who had her eyes glued to the display case. Callie was about to tell her child that she was not allowed no more, as she already had a box in hand full of cinnamon rolls; when a familiar voice interrupted her. Turning, she smiled at the woman she met at the gala. It hadn't been a very long conversation, but there was definitely something about her that stuck with Callie. A good something. "Well, hi there, good to see you, again." She softly chuckled as Cami recalled the Rose, "It went really good, actually. I paired it with some trash TV. You ever seen the show 'Love Is Blind'?" Callie asked, "That's a wild concept."

Harper peeked over her mother's leg, glancing up at the woman, and smiled, "Do you want a cinnamon bun?!" Harper'd ask, "They're the best in town!"

Callie shook her head, as she held the box up, "By the way, this is my child -- and she likes to share. And no, I do not know where she got that from, because I'm a twin, and I still didn't like to share at her age."

[camgarza]

Cami glanced at the open door to the tack room (or more like at who stood within it) and grinned. "There are many, many people I'd love to avoid, Birdie—" bank officials, difficult clients, anybody and everybody waiting to be paid— "but never you."

Quickly, she finished putting away the reins in her hands and then brushed dirt dusted palms against equally dusty jeans, at least to pretend they were clean before reaching for the exquisite bouquet. As usual, she'd outdone herself with its arrangement.

"You really didn't have to bring these over, but I'm glad you did."

Not just because her company came along with the flowers, but because it was exactly the bit of brightness her day - no, her entire week - needed.

Because yeah, she had been busy, and not necessarily in a fun way. In the 'begging and pleading for the bank to reconsider granting her a loan and being refused, again' way. In the 'up to her eyeballs in manure and hay because her newest stable boy quit, again' way.

Not that she disclosed as much to Birdie. Her problems weren't the kind meant to be borrowed by friends. "Why don't you come on into the house and help me pick where to put these? I'll make us some while we're at it." | @birdie-white

↦ closed starter // @camgarza ↦ location: willowing pines stables

There was something about regulars that really made Birdie's heart happy, especially the ones like Cami who had slowly morphed into regulars from friends. Now that she owned her own shop, she finally had the ability to offer steep discounts and even free flowers from time to time. Cami was worth it, as far as Birdie was concerned. When she realized she hadn't seen her on their usual day this week, Birdie instantly put together a little something special and made her way over to the stables to drop it off. Poking her head around a corner, Birdie gave a little laugh. "Ahh, there you are," she said playfully, "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me on purpose, but I can see you're just a very busy woman."

[camgarza]

location: willowing pines stables

status: closed for @jaymendoza

"Here." Cami placed a still steaming bowl of chili and a plate of jalepeno laced cornbread on the picnic table in front of him. Her grandmother fed those working on their land at least two meals a day for several decades. She'd be damned if that tradition went to waste now that Willowing Pines fell to her hands.

So, she nodded at the food in a way that brokered no arguments, then circled the table to take a seat right on top of the old, weather beaten wood.

"You think I'm crazy to think we could actually start up a sanctuary and rehab center here, Jay?" By now most of her employees knew the bank denied her the necessary loan to get the idea up off the ground. And, to most of her employees, she smiled anyway and kept up a brave face.

Why she voiced her real fears to him, now, she wasn't sure.

"I mean, I've only been at this by myself for less than two years, right?" That was rhetorical; she knew when she'd taken over at Willowing Pines down to the minute and the day. Without pause, Cami swiped one of the thick slabs of cornbread meant for Jay, inhaled half, then continued, "Wanting to go that route was probably biting off more than I could chew anyway."

[camgarza]

JACE'S PHONE:

HOMESCREEN & MESSAGES →

Jace doesn't have anything personal as his phone background as he uses his phone for both business and personal so he kept it strictly generic. Also he definitely doesn't have the time to look for phone backgrounds. Anyone who has seen his record collection will know Jimi Hendrix is one of his faaaaaves. Also I hope you're not hoping to get a reply from Jace any time soon as he generally has many unread text messages to look at. You're better off calling him tbh.

TINDER →

Jace's Tinder account is for use in Atlanta, not Covington. He wouldn't do his ex-wife dirty like that. In all fairness, his Tinder barely gets used. It's mostly there for distraction and/or boredom, very rarely has he actually followed through with anything.

INSTAGRAM →

Jace would post his wifey aaaall the time when they were married, he wanted to show her off and shove his happiness in everyone's faces. But his use of Instagram has drastically reduced since the divorce, an only posts on the odd occasion. He is pretty active on his stories though. And no, he still hasn't and won't delete any of his posts pre-divorce. 1. A beach selfie. He would never posts selfies whilst married, so this is like his transition to *single life*, in a way. 2. A photo of Jace during a hike because heartbroken men love the wilderness. 3. A photo with friends to prove he has a social life after the divorce??? 4. Jace and his fave horse at Cami's stables. It was a love-hate relationship, and he worked on it tons while he and Cami were together. 5. The ex-wifey while they were on vacation. 6. The ex-wifey on date night. 7. Faceless image of Jace and Cami. 8. The ex-wifey again because his Instagram became a fan account for her tbh 9. Cami with her fave horse from the stables

HONOURABLE MENTIONS →

@jamesonxcarter / @georgie-abhrams / @ozanxbulut / @blairmoreno / @camgarza

[camgarza]

"Oh." Well, damn.

It's not that Cami was dense or oblivious. She had two eyes, a pair of fully functional ears, and a far too meddlesome hometown to tip her off on Jace's actions and whereabouts post divorce. Yet somehow, for some reason, hearing him confirm she probably (definitely) didn't want to know still managed to poke at a perpetual him shaped bruise.

"I wouldn't think you cared whether or not I approve of anything anymore." Fact. Although, she wanted to ask if he did. Wanted to know why he did, if that answer was yes.

Most of all, she wanted to remind him that she'd had his back every step of the way throughout the span of their former relationship and no signature on a few slips of paper changed that. She was nothing if not his most relentless supporter, even when being so came at her own detriment.

But as a hundred other things she could say or wanted to say remained buried in her throat he shut down an opportunity to spring them loose. "Right. Blair." His best friend.

Or had his newfound freedom changed the status of their relationship, too? Had feelings grown that had otherwise been surpressed by her presence? Did he want her? Need her? See himself raising a family with her, the woman who'd always been in the background of his life?

Yet another piece of the puzzle post her that Cami didn't truly want to know.

"Thanks." A smile formed across lightly painted lips, but it failed to reach her eyes. Fuck if she could even remember the last time she genuinely smiled around Jace, or anyone for that matter.

"Enjoy the rest of your—" But he'd already turned to step around her and, like all those thoughts she hadn't been able to voice, whatever else she meant to leave him with died in silence.

— THE END.

"Perhaps not, I'm not too sure you'd approve." he snuck a whisper of a smile upon his lips, although he held a knowing gaze. It was true enough that his pattern of behaviours had changed since they had separated, and Jace wasn't blind to the masks he now wore. During Cami, he would smile and laugh, and make jokes. Post Cami, he could be heartless at times, and cared very little for consequences. The hole she had left in his heart was like a gaping wound, only worsening over time, causing him to become bitter and hostile. Only he knew of the antidote, and refused himself of it.

Did he shy away from the man he had become without Cami? Not whilst he was in the shadows, no, he embraced that version of himself. But when he was drawn in by her light? He was embarrassed, ashamed almost, at how he fallen apart so abruptly without her holding him up.

"Quite a different auction than what we're used to." Jace observed, a ghost of a laugh waiting patiently. The rift between them was glaringly obvious, if not to themselves, then any outsider. Their body language remained stoic, yet their lingering gazes showed they were dancing close to a fire. The warmth from the flames should be a deterrent, but they had long grown accustomed to the way they would burn for one another.

"I should uh, go find Blair. Wish her luck for later." he gently cleared his throat, a quiet frown upon his forehead. He turned to face Cami, every fibre in his body screeching at him to stay. "You look beautiful as always, Cam." Jace offered her a smile, although he wasn't too sure how much it masked the pain that singed from his words. His gaze lingered for perhaps a moment too long, before he stepped around her to leave.

[camgarza]

Cami's gaze subtly wandered to the other side of the coffee shop. Sure enough, the girl in question was still eyeing up his empty chair like her next breath depended on stealing it.

She wished she could blame the haste in which she promptly sat in it on some kind of savior complex, ensuring that apparently dreaded outcome didn't come to pass, but it was nothing so altruistic as that. Cam just wanted to get off her feet, and if that meant squashing a strangers dreams so be it.

"It really has, hasn't it?" Her smile took a rueful turn at the corners while she made herself comfortable, though she'd lost the ability to meet Jameson's gaze. "I've been alright." Mostly going through the motions, but who was she to complain? "I took over at the stables about a year and half ago now so that keeps me pretty busy."

Meaning: she let work take over her life, because having something entirely unrelated to Jace and the demise of their marriage was the only way to stay sane.

"I'm hoping to start up a horse sanctuary and rehabilitation center on the property. You know. Eventually." When she had the finances in place (however unlikely that seemed to be). "How about you? How have you been?"

She couldn't help but wonder if he hated her now out of solidarity with Jace. Did he blame her for the divorce? Did he and Jace sit around running her name through the mud over pizza and beers? It was tempting to ask, if only to address the elephant at the table, but she refrained.

It was a wonder that he had snagged a table at all. Yes, he suspected that the coffee shop would get busy seeing as it was a popular place for people to come and do work, but he had not anticipated it getting so crowded that he was constantly brushing up against other patrons while they surveyed the shop for an empty seat.

And while Jameson otherwise would have felt guilty and given up his seat for someone who was just coming in, he could not afford to do so that day. He was supposed to be meeting a potential guest for his podcast, and he was grateful to have secured a table at all. The risk was the seat in front of him. He could already sense the eyes of others around him as they tried to muster up the courage to come and ask him if they could take the seat to another table.

Which was precisely why Cami’s timely entrance was welcome and he gestured for her to take a seat. “Please do. Otherwise, I’m worried the girl over there with the pink hair is about to swoop in.” The hesitation in her voice was not lost on the professor, who had spent ample time with her to know that she was feeling uncomfortable approaching him. Nervous perhaps. Maybe given her relationship status with the man that was his best friend, it was understandable. But Jameson knew better than to fault Cami for the way their marriage ended. He knew the details of their separation well enough to know where they stood.

He cleared away the papers he had scattered on the other side of the table, pulling them into a haphazard pile to the corner to make room for her to sit. “How’ve you been? It’s been a while.” Again, because the reason that they would have interacted was no longer in place. An unfortunate reality of relationships. When a marriage ended, so did all the peripheral relationships. | @camgarza

[camgarza]

"Word has a way of spreading faster than a wildfire here in Covington." And while she was sure she'd heard that little bit of information somewhere, from someone, it wasn't the only reason. "Besides, my grandfather has regular appointments at Cov Gen, and I usually drive him even though he insists he can do it himself."

That made for hours of her time spent wandering the hospital until he was done, noticing who came and went for their own reasons. Or, in this case, hearing names of the doctors routinely paged.

"Me?" A faint blush stole over Cami's cheeks at the change of direction. "My family owns Willowing Pines Stables. Or I guess I do now that I've taken over the ownership." Most days she felt like an impostor, acting as if she'd earned her job rather than simply inheriting it. "It's why I've never left town."

It was curiosity that brightened her gaze next. "Where did you go for all those years you were gone? What brought you back?"

"That's true I guess, but a bunch of people seemed to forget that I've been back for a while. I can't blame them though. I left Covington for a really long time. The timing gets murky after a while." He could tell she was a bit uncomfortable. It was that sixth sense he had as a doctor when his patients felt uneasy in a room with him. His intuition was usually right about these sort of things.

"I get it, but hey, you gave me a shot to donate to charity and if you'll allow me to, we'll have a nice evening ahead." His mother had raised a gentleman and he was going to be just that when it came to their date. He perked up when she mentioned the hospital. "Yeah, I do actually. I can't believe you knew that." Then again, his parents did go around raving to random people that their son was a doctor. It was the ultimate rite of passage for Desi parents. "What about you? What do you do for work?"

[camgarza]

location: bread and butter

status: closed for @calliemontgomery

It'd been such a brief exchange - no more than ten or so minutes spent between two women with similar goals - and yet, when Cami's gaze landed on Callie across the room, recognition hit instantly.

Sauntering over, hands loosely slipped into the pockets of her thin jacket, she paused near enough to muse, "I never did bump into you again at the auction. How went your date with that bottle of rose?"

She'd meant to find her again, had meant to suggest maybe one day they meet up to share a bottle wine... and then SImone happened. Faced with a contestant who never showed and a spot to fill her so-called 'friend' thrust Cami out onto stage on a whim.

After that, nothing about the rest of her night went to plan.

[camgarza]

location: the sipping cup

status: closed for @jamesonxcarter

A few minutes.

All Cami wanted was a few minutes away from the mountain of work and pile of invoices and bills waiting for her back home. A few minutes preferably spent in relative peace and silence while she gulped down a $5 latte she'd no doubt berate herself for splurging on later when it came time to balance her checkbook and tackle those very bills she was avoiding.

Instead, she found herself faced with a packed coffee shop with no tables to spare and a latte growing colder by the minute as she scanned the room for an empty spot that didn't exist.

She was about to give up and call it quits, resigned to drinking her caffeine fix on the drive back to the stables, when her gaze landed on none other than Jameson Carter. Jace's best friend. The best man in their wedding. Potentially the last person she should try to buddy up with, considering the demise of said marriage, but—

With a tentative smile on her face and shaky determination in her stride she approached where he sat.

"Hey." Preparing herself for the risk of rejection she took a breath. Sure, she never knew him to be cold, but this was probably blurring a very hard line. "I seem to be without a seat. Do you mind if I..." Trailing off, she gestured toward the empty chair across from him. "If that's okay?"

[camgarza]

Jace's comment, innocent as it might've been on the surface, earned itself a long, slow blink.

Where the hell had all that relenetless persistance to claim her and keep her for himself gone once they were married? When, precisely, had he decided being together wasn't worth such blatant transparency? Wasn't worth putting up a fight?

For the past two years Cami grappled with such questions, tossing and turning at night when they kept her from sleep, but she was no closer to an answer. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she wanted them.

Sure, there was a chance knowing might help, but she'd come to accept that everything revolving around her ex-husband usually just hurt.

Kind of like this continuous reminder she'd walked herself right into when it came to his stubborn streak. "You're not wrong," she mused quietly, eyes darting away from his gaze.

What else could she blame for how they crashed and burned if not his determined crusade to keep her in the dark? His commitment to hiding how he truly felt about the future she so desperately wanted?

Maybe she never would've escaped the pressure to keep her family's legacy going, never bypassed her own desire to hold a child half her and half him, but if he'd just said something sooner— No. No. She couldn't - wouldn't - go down that mental road tonight.

"Do I even want to know what you've bulldozed your way out of recently?" A brow lifted at the end of what was mostly a rhetorical question. Cami was more concerned with decoding his other statements than she was prying into his latest escapades.

Because he didn't intend to win tonight.

She swallowed once against the roughness in her throat and then again on a sip of wine. There were so many directions she could take that little tidbit of information, especially when coupled with the gentled expression on his face.

Rather than chase any one of them down she merely nodded. Considering how she might've factored into that decision was a recipe for more heartache and disaster. Jace may not plan to take one of the contestants home at the end of the night, but he wouldn't be leaving with her, either.

"I'm mostly just here to offer figurative support for the cause." In other words, she was too broke to bid on any of the dates even if she wanted to, which she didn't. "I almost didn't bother coming, but Simone is one of the organizers this year so I figured I'd at least make an appearance." | @jaceharlcw

The quick-witted response didn't fall on deaf ears, the only indication Jace showed of his agitation was the brief tension in his jaw muscle. It had been two years in the making of holding his tongue or carefully crafting his choice of words around his ex-wife, but she was to still wise to which jibs would cut quickly and precisely.

"Well I couldn't let you walk away without going on a date with me first." Jace quipped with a hush of a side smirk. It had been that one date that had solidified their relationship, the first step they had taken in becoming Mr and Mrs Harlow. There had been often times when he had wondered if they would have even gone on that date, knowing how they were going to fall apart in a matter of years at Jace's inability at honesty.

He allowed that smirk to curl into a smile, a chuckle rumbling from his chest at Cami's question. They both knew that it was his crazy stubborn streak that had made her fall for him in the first place. It had been his persistence, his determination to win her heart, and mind. "That stubborn streak has got me into all sorts of situations," Jace confessed, his fingers idly spinning his whiskey glass between his fingers. "And out of them." he added, knowing Cami had been victim to both.

You look good, Jace. Did he? Did he look good as he stood beside his ex-wife, appearing stoic and strong, as he crumbled from within. He stood bolt upright, yet at any second he felt as if his knees could fold. He relaxed his grip upon his glass of whiskey, yet all his fingers wanted to do was curl his fist until it shattered. He looked good, but if she looked closely enough, intently enough, she would see it was all a façade.

And there it was, the question he had been dying to ask her all evening. The question that had slowly been turning him just shy of insane, but couldn't bear to hear her answer. "I'm here to donate to a good cause." Jace replied simply, although his gaze remained forwards, blurring at the labels on the glass bottles on the shelf. Although he knew that wasn't what Cami meant, she was searching for honesty in a man who had given her not a single ounce of it during their marriage.

"I don't place bets unless I intend to win. And I don't intend on winning tonight." he turned to Cami, his gaze softer yet still holding onto hers.