Taste of Love

chapter Five




The next two weeks were tough on Cameron. Madison's pregnancy was always in the back of his mind, and he wondered if it truly was his. From everything that his mother said about her the night they had gone to The TigerLily, she appeared to be a very stand-up woman. Would she really lie about something like a pregnancy?

Cameron shook his head. Of course she would. He had learned through his career that people weren't always as honorable as they pretended to be.

But still, something about this woman kept him thinking. Sure, it was possible that he was the father. He didn't remember using a condom that night, but then again, he was so out of it that he could have screwed a hole in the wall and not known the difference. Besides, he'd had sex without a condom before, and the woman never got pregnant. Not that it happened very often, but there were a few times that he was too caught up in the moment to play safe.

He laughed as he thought about the possibility. Him, a father? That was a scary thought. He didn't have the best example of a father growing up. His own father was too career-driven to be around much, and when he was, it seemed like Cameron was more of an inconvenience than a son. In fact, he had come to think that his father saw him as a status symbol, as something that he was supposed to do - have an heir to take over the family name.

What if Cameron did have a kid? He wasn't anywhere near the stage of his life where he was ready to settle down. There was still so much to see, so much to do, and so much to conquer. He wouldn't be home very often, and it wasn't fair for a child to have a part-time father. He might not know much about parenting and kids, but he damn sure knew all there was to know about being raised by a part-time father.

So his child would be left to be raised only by its mother, and if Madison was anything like what his mother told him, she too was very career-driven. If she wasn't home very often, where would that leave the child? To be raised by a stranger, a nanny to teach him everything that his mother and father should be teaching him? Cameron knew that feeling, too. Been there, done that, and it led to a lot of disappointments growing up.

He sighed and turned his thoughts back to the music track that he was supposed to be listening to. It was pointless to be thinking of the child anyway, because if she was truly pregnant, what were the chances it was really his?

"Sounded great," Cameron said once the song ended. "How many more do we have left to record?"

"Two, maybe three. Depends on how well the record execs like what we have so far," Riley told him. "We'll probably be finished by late next week, then we'll get the mixing done, and have the album ready by the end of the month."

"Finally! It feels like it took this one forever to be finished." Cameron glanced at his watch. "Okay, I'm out. I've got to head home and get ready for my date tonight."

"Alright, see you tomorrow, bright and early," Riley told him. "And get some sleep, you look like shit!"

Cameron nodded as he left the studio. If only he could get some sleep, but all he seemed to do at night lately was toss and turn, his mind running wild.



Madison stood and brought a tissue to her lips. She took a deep breath. Her stomach was still shaky. Was it ever calm these days? It felt like her morning sickness was never going to cease. And why the hell was it called morning sickness anyway? It was morning, noon, and night sickness. And sometimes middle of the night sickness.

She couldn't wait for the end of her first trimester, since she had read that most of the sickness would fade by then, at least for most women.

She sincerely hoped she was like most women.

She had done a good job of hiding her pregnancy so far. The only people that knew about it were Austin and Chase, and of course Cameron. Not that he believed her, but at least she had given him the opportunity to be involved if he wanted to be. He had made his position abundantly clear, so at least that was one hurdle she no longer had to deal with. She needed all her energy to focus on her plans for how to handle life after the baby came anyway.

Chase's reaction was priceless when she told him. It was the first time that she had laughed about her situation. "Bitch, I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt!" Then there was a high-pitched squeal as he clapped his hands in glee. Caught completely by surprise and charmed by his enthusiasm, Madison laughed long and hard.

It was good that someone was excited about her pregnancy. Cameron sure wasn't, and the jury was still out on whether she was thrilled about it. She went back and forth on it most days.

But it was a reality, and she had to get used to that. The morning sickness was helping her get used to it pretty fast.

Sighing, she used some mouthwash and went back to work, vowing not to think of the situation for the rest of the night.



Cameron walked up to the olive green door he had seen only once before. This time when he knocked, he knew what he would be finding on the other side. Jenny, Alexandra Lee's roommate, answered the door wearing a sexy black dress.

"Hey, you look great! Are you ready?" Cameron asked her, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Yeah, let's go before Alexandra Lee gets home. I'll never hear the end of it if she sees you again." Jenny laughed and grabbed her handbag. She hooked her arm in Cameron's, and the two made their way outside to where his car was waiting.

"I thought we'd go to The TigerLily for dinner tonight. Have you ever been there?" he asked.

It was crazy for him to take her there, but he needed to talk to Madison. He didn't want it to seem he was there just to talk to her, and he hoped that if he was there with a date it would seem more coincidental. At least, that was what he'd originally thought at four in the morning when he couldn't sleep. It seemed like the perfect idea then.

"Oh, that's awesome! I've never been there, but I've wanted to go," Jenny told him.

They got in the car and she turned to him. "I know it's crazy to talk about other women you've been out with while we're on a date, but I have to know," she said with a wide smile. "I've heard Alexandra Lee's side of the date, now tell me yours."

"Oh god, that is one night I don't want to relive," he told her.

In more ways than one , he thought.

They talked all the way there, and when they pulled up in front of the restaurant, he turned to Jenny and joked, "Let's try to enjoy a quiet dinner."

"Yeehaw," she whispered, and they both burst into gales of laughter.

They were seated right away, at one of the best tables in the place. Jenny seemed impressed, but Cameron had a feeling that her interest had more to do with his name and his appearance than with who he was as a person. He was used to it, though it sometimes annoyed him. The upside to it, however, was that when he went on a date with a girl only interested in his fame, he could almost always take her to bed when the night was done.

Jenny maintained the flow of conversation throughout dinner, talking mostly about herself, while Cameron scanned the dining room for Madison. By the time their dessert came, he still hadn't seen her, and he was beginning to lose hope. Jenny was too busy talking about her fabulous life to notice that he wasn't paying any attention to her.

When the check came, Cameron was almost ready to give up and head home without finding the chance to talk to Madison. But as luck would have it, a very tired-looking woman made her way from the kitchen into the dining room to check on her patrons.

"So, it was no surprise when the entire senior class voted me homecoming queen," Jenny droned on and on.

"Excuse me for a minute," Cameron interrupted, and walked away, not even looking at his date. Instead, his eyes were focused on the woman that had been invading his thoughts for days. He crossed the room quickly before she had a chance to spot him and get away.

"Thank you for the compliment! I'm very happy that you enjoyed your dinners tonight. Hopefully we'll see you back soon." Madison was talking to customers at one of the tables, and didn't realize Cameron had walked up behind her until she felt a hand on her elbow. She jumped and turned around, only to look into the eyes of the one person who had been causing her so much grief lately.

"Excuse us, please," he said politely to the table she had been talking to. The four people at the table smiled, instantly recognizing him.

"Can I talk to you in your office for a minute?" he asked, his voice hushed.

Madison flashed him a big, fake smile, so as not to look rude in front of her customers. "Of course," she told him and led the way. Once they were behind closed doors, however, the smile instantly disappeared and was replaced by a murderous glare.

"Are you here to offer me money to buy off any parental ties?" she spat at him.

Cameron rubbed his forehead. "It was wrong of me to offer you money, but in my history that's all the women have wanted," he told her, and watched as she sat behind her desk. She looked much paler than the last time he saw her, and the dark circles under her eyes were unmistakable. He was sure he had a matching pair under his own.

"I need to know if this child is mine," he said. "I'd love to just take your word for it, but unfortunately, I need to hear it from a doctor."

"So we'll get a paternity test done. I asked my doctor about it, and she said there's a new procedure that can be done at any time with no risk. You will just need to provide your DNA," she told him without any emotion. She felt drained by the whole subject.

"I want to do it soon. I need to know," he told her, wanting all the questions in his mind put to rest.

"Fine, meet me at my doctor's office tomorrow morning. We'll have them do the test, and the results will be in next week," she told him.

"They can't get them any sooner than that?" he asked, frustrated.

She sighed and shook her head. She didn't have the energy to fight with him.

"Fine, I'll be by your apartment tomorrow morning at 9:30, and we'll go to the doctor together," he told her and turned to leave.

"That's not necessary," she started, but was cut off by the slamming of her office door.



Cameron took Jenny back to her apartment after they left the restaurant. She was all over him, but he just wasn't into it. When the car stopped, she opened the door and pulled on his hand, trying to get him out of the car.

"Aren't you coming up?" she asked when she couldn't get him to budge.

"Not tonight. I have an early morning tomorrow," he said. "Maybe another time."

"Are you sure?" she asked, running her finger down her chest, trying to look seductive.

"I'm sure. Maybe I'll give you a call sometime," he told her, then shut the door. A one night stand wasn't something that he needed at this point. Maybe once he got the mess with Madison straightened out he'd be willing, but for now, it just felt wrong.



Madison paced her apartment the next morning. She looked at the clock; he would be here in fifteen minutes. She didn't know why she was nervous, because she knew for certain that Cameron was the father, but for some reason she couldn't calm down. When the buzzer echoed through her apartment, she jumped. Over the intercom, she told Cameron that she would be right out.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she smoothed back her hair and made sure she didn't have lipstick on her teeth. After one last, deep breath, she grabbed her purse and left the comfort of her apartment.

Cameron was waiting in the lobby for her, looking casually sexy in his faded jeans and layered t-shirts, short sleeve over long. She had to admit that in her sleepless nights, she thought about what her child would look like and she hoped it looked like him. He was undeniably attractive. It was just his personality that left something to be desired.

"Good morning. Are you ready for this?" he asked her, taking in her appearance. She wore a pair of jeans and a black Ralph Lauren sweater with a button up, collared white shirt underneath. If they had started out under different circumstances, he might have been interested in her.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She slid into the car as he held the door for her. Once they were both inside, she turned to him.

"So how're you doing with all this?" she asked.

Cameron could hear the genuine emotion in her voice. He took a moment before he answered. "Well, this isn't the first time someone has claimed that I was the father of their baby, but it's the first time I think it's possible. I just keep thinking how I'd make such a shit father, and how I barely know you," he answered honestly.

Madison sighed. "I'm really sorry that all this has happened. Trust me, if I could go back in time and change that night, I would," she said. "If you don't want to be a part of your child's life, I'm not going to make you. But, at the same time, if you want to be involved, you're more than welcome. It's your choice to make, and I'm not going to push you one way or the other."

Cameron nodded. "I don't know how to be a dad."

"You'll learn, if that's what you want, just as I'll adapt to motherhood," she said.

"I thought all women knew how to be mothers," he joked.

"Not really. I hadn't planned on having kids, or at least not for a while. My mother died when I was quite young, and I only had my dad around. He didn't know what he was doing, so I had to raise myself most of the time. At this point, with my restaurant keeping me busy, I figured that was my baby, and I've been satisfied with that. Now this has happened. I need to believe I can raise a child, and avoid my dad's mistakes," she told him, not wanting to go into detail, and hoping that he didn't ask.

"I had the opposite," he told her. "My dad was never around. I was raised by a nanny, and my mother, when she wasn't too busy with her charities. So I have no fatherly example to lead by."

Madison smiled. "I love your mother. She's one of my best customers."

"You may need to put her on your payroll soon, with all the marketing she does for you," Cameron told her.

The car came to a stop. "Well, this is it," she said.

He nodded and opened the door, turning back to help her out. He followed behind her as she led him into the office of her obstetrician. While she checked them in, he took a seat. She returned and sat next to him, watching as his knee bounced up and down, indicating just how nervous he really was.



After the DNA extractions, Madison and Cameron returned to the car. "Can I buy you breakfast?" he asked, not wanting to leave her yet. For some reason, it was comforting for him to be with her. "Maybe we can get to know each other a little better?"

Madison thought for a moment. They did get off to a rough start, so maybe this was the opportunity for the new beginning they needed. "I have a better idea. How about you let me make you breakfast? Plus it will give me a chance to open the restaurant."

"Are you sure you feel up to all that work?" he asked, surprising both Madison and himself with his thoughtfulness.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she smiled.

Cameron gave the driver the address to the restaurant, and they arrived there a few minutes later. Madison took out her keys and unlocked the door, hitting the lights as they went in.

He followed her to the kitchen, the place where they first met. Once in there, he looked around, something he didn't do the first time. He was impressed with what he saw. It was immaculately clean, and that was definitely important to him.

"So what are you in the mood for?" she asked him, heading to the large walk-in cooler.

"I'm pretty easy. Surprise me," he called out, loud enough for her to hear him.

Madison came out of the cooler with her hands full of ingredients. "We're not really the breakfast-type of restaurant, so I'll have to make do with what we have," she told him.

"I'm sure whatever you make will be great." He pulled up a stool and sat at the counter in silence for a few minutes as he watched her throw together ingredients. Her hands moved quickly over the food. She definitely knew how to handle a knife. He found himself mesmerized by her motion.

"Can we start over?" he asked quietly.

Madison looked up, surprised, yet pleased. He seemed like an entirely different person than the one she had first met. Maybe it was just a bad first impression, and second, and third.

"That might be a good idea," she told him, wiping her hands on her apron. He stood up from his stool and she came around the counter. They met each other half way, in the middle of the kitchen, where she held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Madison Drew and I own this little diner," she said with a smile.

Cameron took her hand in his. "Nice to meet you. I'm Cameron Rome, rock star extraordinaire." They laughed and the tension was broken.

"Well, that went much better than our previous tries," he said as he watched her go back to preparing breakfast.

"Much more enjoyable," she agreed.

"Well...the second time wasn't half bad."

There was a long pause while she registered what he said. Then she surprised him by throwing her head back with laughter. It bounced from the ceiling and the walls, louder than he expected, and he found himself laughing with her.

"I can't believe we can laugh," he said when they had calmed down.

"It's better than crying," she pointed out.

"No kidding."

They made idle chat while she finished preparing the meal, and not long after, they sat down to eat their breakfast. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, but I have ham and cheese omelets, eggs benedict, and crepes. Like I said, I had to make do with what little breakfast foods we had."

"It all looks great!" Cameron told her, his mouth watering. He took a little of everything, realizing at that moment exactly how hungry he was.

Madison didn't take much; her stomach was a little queasy, and she wasn't really sure what would calm it and what might send it over the edge. Cameron didn't fail to notice how little she had to eat, and when he commented on it, she told him about her morning sickness. At his look of sympathy, she quickly changed the subject.

"So tell me about yourself. You know all about what I do with my life, what's it like to be a rock star?" she asked him.

"Better than I could've imagined, most days. But then there're times when I hate it; the paparazzi, the crazed fans, the complete lack of privacy. And yes, I know that I made a conscious effort to put my life out there like that, but I don't think anyone ever truly knows exactly what they are getting themselves into," he explained. "But I love making music, and I love performing. It's such a rush to be up there on stage, in front of thousands of people, with all of them hanging on your every word."

"Did you ever have stage fright?" she asked.

He paused for a moment. "Yeah. Actually I am nervous every time I walk on stage. But that all disappears the moment the first note plays."

Slowly the food started to disappear until Cameron was full. The conversation kept flowing as he talked about his new album and his struggles with the record company. He found her easy to talk to, and was relating things that he shouldn't be telling a stranger. He had a feeling she wasn't the type to run to the tabloids and spill everything he told her.

Before long, Austin and a few other employees filtered in the door. Madison jumped up, feeling as though she had been caught doing something wrong, even though she could do whatever she wanted. She gathered some of the plates and headed to the kitchen to start cleaning up.

Austin gave Cameron a dirty look as he passed him and went to find Madison.

"I don't want to hear it," Madison called over her shoulder when she heard the kitchen door swing open. "We had a good morning, and I don't want to ruin it, so please save whatever you have to say."

"Fine, I won't say a word," he told her, and started to help her with cleaning the dishes.

The kitchen door opened again, only this time it was Cameron, carrying the rest of the dishes from their table. Madison turned to see him trying to balance all the empty plates. She rushed over to take some from him.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that. I could've gotten them," she said.

"Hey, I have to earn my breakfast, right?" he joked, completely aware of the negative feelings that Madison's friend had for him. He pulled Madison to the side, where he could say good bye to her without her 'bodyguard' watching.

"Thanks for everything this morning. I really enjoyed my breakfast, and I'm glad we were able to start over." He looked into her eyes. "You'll let me know when you get the test results back?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I find out. But I don't need them to give you the answer," she said, averting her gaze.

Cameron nodded. "I know, and like I said, I'd like to trust my gut, but you understand why I can't, right?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Alright. Well, I have to get to the studio, and it looks like you need to get to work here too. Thanks again, I think that helped," he told her, not sure whether to give her a kiss, a hug, or a handshake. He settled for an awkward kiss on the cheek before turning to leave.

Once he was gone, Madison turned around. "Not a word!"



Over the next week, Cameron was busy at the studio, fussing with some final overdubs. When the last song was finished, they decided it was time to celebrate. "Riley, my man, you're taking me to dinner tonight."

Riley looked at his client. "And why am I taking you?"

"Because you need to appreciate your clients. Without me, you wouldn't be nearly as successful," Cameron pointed out.

If Cameron would have been serious or malicious in his statement, Riley would have told him to go get bent. But Riley knew the man too well, and knew he was just trying to get a rise out of him. "Fine, McDonald's it is."

"Not a chance. We're going to The TigerLily."

"You've been going there a lot lately. I thought you were tossed out, and completely embarrassed?" Riley questioned.

"I did, but we worked it all out. They really do have some of the best food," he admitted. He didn't mention that it would give him another chance to talk to Madison.

"Lead the way!" Riley told him as they left the studio.



Their meal was nearly over, and Cameron still hadn't seen Madison. He was just about to ask the waiter where she was when the paramedics rushed in.

The whole dining room was silent as they watched the emergency crew hustle the gurney into the kitchen. Cameron stood at his table, trying to catch a passing waiter to ask what was happening, but none of them would stop to talk to him. For once, their impeccable service fell to the wayside as they stared alongside the patrons at the commotion that was happening behind the swinging doors.

Cameron tossed his napkin on the table and headed to the kitchen. The bartender and another waiter barred his way as he tried to see what was happening. He had an ominous feeling, and he had to make sure that Madison was okay.

As he tried to reason with them, the paramedics burst through the door.

And, just as he'd feared, there lay Madison on the gurney.

"Madison?" He shouted as she passed, but she didn't respond to him. He saw Austin trailing behind the EMTs, and reached out to snag his arm. "Listen, I know you don't like me, but I need to know what happened to her."

"You're right, I don't like you," the man spat, then thought of what Madison would have wanted and sighed. He calmed himself down with great effort. "We don't know what's wrong. She collapsed a few minutes ago, and has been out since. You can follow the ambulance to the hospital if you want."

Cameron nodded and followed after them, forgetting that Riley was still at the table. Cameron's world had narrowed down to the flashing lights of the ambulance and the gurney they were loading into it as he came out the door. All that mattered was finding out what happened to Madison.



They waited for what felt like hours. The tension in the waiting room was palpable as Cameron and Austin sat on opposite sides of the room. Neither one spoke to the other, and the quiet was deafening. When the doctor finally appeared, neither was prepared for what she had to say.

"Are you friends of Ms. Drew?"

Yes," they both said immediately.

"Does she have family here?"

"No," Austin said. The doctor nodded and looked from one man to the other.

"Ms. Drew is conscious again, but unfortunately, she lost the baby. We really aren't sure what happened. Sometimes women just end up having spontaneous miscarriages during their first trimester."

The news hit Cameron hard in the stomach, like a physical blow that left him breathless. He sank down into the nearest chair. He hadn't been kind to her about the baby, and now she had lost it - and something about the words 'she lost the baby' finally made him realize what he could have had.

"Can we see her?" Austin asked.

"Only immediate family at this time."

"I'm the father of the baby," Cameron told her, hoping that would give him access. He wasn't thinking about anything else. All he knew was that the baby that he wasn't ready for had died, and it was the worst feeling in the world.

The doctor nodded. She looked at her chart. "Mr. Rome?"

"Yes," he managed to say, and then looked up at the doctor. She recognized him now - he could see it in the way she looked at him. "I'd appreciate it if you could keep this quiet. I don't want the press to know about any of it. I don't need paparazzi in here, and I'm sure Madison needs it even less."

"Of course." The doctor nodded. "If you'll come right this way, you can see Ms. Drew."

Cameron followed behind the doctor, not sure what he would be walking into when he saw Madison. He walked through the door to her room to find her laying on her side, with her back to him. There was an IV standing beside the bed with a few bags of fluid on it. There was a monitor beside her that seemed to be measuring her heart rate. He watched the blips on the screen, steady and sure.

He slowly walked around to the other side of the bed where she could see him. Her face was tear-stained and her eyes were closed. She looked so tired and so pale, just a shell of the fiery woman he first met.

He placed his hand on hers, and she opened her eyes.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she said, rolling over on her back and running her hands over her face. "I must be a sight, huh?" she said with a humorless laugh.

"You've been through hell." He knew that had to be the truth. Hearing the news in the waiting room was hellish for him, so what she had gone through had to be much, much worse.

She reached over to the stand beside the bed, picked up a folder and handed it to him. "Here are your results."

Cameron instantly wanted to cry. He hadn't wanted to cry in years, but seeing her acting so stoic and calm almost did him in. He held the folder in his hand for a moment, but didn't open it. Instead, he tossed the folder into the garbage can next to her bed.

"I don't need them. I already know I'm the father." His throat tightened. "That I was the father."

Madison began crying. "I'm so sorry, Cameron. I'm sorry that I lost our baby."

Cameron sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her body to his. She shook against him with the force of her grief. "Shh, it's not your fault. The doctor said it just happens sometimes."

Cameron gave up trying to be strong. His tears fell onto her hair. He hadn't been ready for the baby...but now he realized that he wanted it, all the same.