Cameron grinned. "Look, I didn't even say anything to her about you. Except for the fact that you were unbeatable in the office and in court."
"So, why does she treat me this way? She means, as she just said a few minutes ago, treat me."
Perhaps the type of woman I like is that type of woman," he says.
Elena shook her head. "And, outside of the context of intelligence, I am not your type of woman. Because I am convinced that I am more sexy and charming than Em—"
"Emilly?" Mrs Jones turned back to Elena and Cameron.
"Uh, yeah." Elena rolled her eyes.
"She'll be married soon. Little Brielle is overjoyed as well; the girl stated that she will have two fathers. Cameron is her biological father, and you are aware of her stepfather."
"Yes." Elena responded quickly and succinctly once more.
She had no idea what to say about what she had just heard. Why her arrival in Chicago complicated matters even more.
"It's time for lunch," Mrs. Jones said as she walked alongside Elena.
Elena cast a glance at Cameron, and the man in front of her simply said, "I didn't say anything."
Plates of eggs, bacon, and warm buttered pastries were on the table in about fifteen minutes.
Cameron took the cake for himself, saying, "This looks so delicious, Momma." But he managed to give Elena the cake he had taken. "Try."
Elena glared at Cameron in the absence of Mrs. Jones. Her mouth hissed as she tried to form a sentence. "What are you up to?"
"You'll love it. I've recently been learning how to make these cookies "Mrs. Jones stated quietly. Elena took the cake Cameron handed her and shoved it into her mouth.
"Oh my God!" Brielle, Cameron's daughter, dashed into the kitchen from the front door. That girl was unquestionably a member of the Jones family, and she also... What was the name of Emily's clan?
Brielle leaned in for a kiss on Cameron's cheek. "Hi, Dad!"
Cameron stroked the little princess's head. "Did you miss me?"
"Of course," she says. Brielle expressed her pleasure. Then she turned to Mrs. Jones and did the same, smiling as she kissed her grandmother's cheek. Then she was taken aback when her gaze met Elena's. Elena could sense the same vibe between Brielle and Cameron. The same goes for critics.
"Elena Smith," she says. Elena extended her hand to Brielle.
"Aw, are you that woman?" Brielle asked after shaking Elena's hand.
Which woman?
Elena desperately wanted to ask that, but she quickly covered it up with a suitable answer. "I'll make sure I'm not the woman you're referring to."
"But you remind me of the woman my father used to tell me about. A slim body, flawless white skin, and a lovely face—"
"Ahem!" Cameron cleared his throat loudly, preventing Brielle from finishing the last word of her previous sentence. "Should we begin with lunch?"
"Sure! This cake appeals to me greatly." Brielle selected a sandwich-like cake filled with tuna and mayonnaise.
Brielle spoke passionately about her school, and she immediately demonstrated her affection for nail polish and the clothes Elena was wearing. Hot Nails pink nail polish that should not be interpreted as hot, as well as a sleeveless top with a barbie head on the front
Elena addressed Cameron as "Dad." "Is this pretty woman going to be my mother?"
"UHUK!" Elena coughed loudly and reached for the glass of mineral water in front of her. Elena gave Cameron a fierce look for the umpteenth time.
Mrs. Jones tensed up a bit. She then sipped the tea from her cup as Brielle regarded Cameron with anticipation.
Mrs. Jones announced, "Your father just got here."
"I understand, but I haven't seen him in a long time." Brielle turned to face her grandmother before returning to Cameron. "Momma said Dad would do the same thing like her," she said.
"What does doing the same thing mean?" Cameron tries hard to keep his anger in check in front of his only daughter.
"It would have been ideal if I had been informed of this marital situation sooner. I should have contacted you before the invitation arrived at your office." Mrs. Jones took the floor.
Mrs. Jones looked his son in the eyes. "But this is between you and Emily, and I have no right to intervene. Except if it has anything to do with Brielle. Emily's problem is your problem."
Cameron doesn't seem to want to say anything about it. He was more focused on Brielle's question. Elena was slightly pleased with Cameron's response.
"Elena is a coworker of mine. Elena and I both work at the same law firm, and she came to work with me."
Elena could see disappointment in Brielle's eyes at that moment. Then no one brought up the sensitive subject again.
***
Brielle assists Mrs. Jones in washing the dirty dishes. Meanwhile, Cameron was carrying Elena's belongings up to his room.
The rooms are located outside their home. The structure is three times the size of the Jones family home. Cameron's father built the structure known as his room after Cameron turned sixteen.
The trophies and the hardwood floors in the first room dominate the space. Elena, then went deeper and discovered a room with a large bed and a bathroom.
"My father built this place for me over the summer," Cameron explained to Elena. "My father suggested that maybe I'm old enough to have a more private place."
Elena noticed Cameron pictures on the nightstand at the time—a stunning young Cameron in a football uniform, arms around a woman Elena assumed was Emily, a petite person in a cheerleading uniform, and a photo of a young girl. Elena's already knew it was Brielle. She is dressed in a bright blue sweater over a white collared blouse.
"Do you know what my mother was thinking at the time?" Cameron inquired abruptly.
"About what?" Elena asked back.
"Brielle," Cameron pointed to the photo of his daughter.
Elena shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows."
"Momma believes I've gotten Emily pregnant right here. She didn't want to have grandchildren so soon, but she adores Brielle."
While chuckling, Elena asked, "Are you doing it here?"
"Nope."