Hi everyone, I hope you are all still healthy, please take good care of yourself! Here's the next part. Hope you're still reading, because I promise you there will be lots of Camille-Richard moments in the coming chapters!

Chapter 20

La Kaz, evening

"Richard, you should really try this drink. It's some sort of lemonade." Kris said as she came over towards Richard's table and held up a jar with an orange drink in it. She really needed to have some fun and laugh after a long, long afternoon of studying the plans and talking them through with Dwayne, Fidel and Richard.

Richard raised an eyebrow at the fluorescent liquid. "No, thank you. I'm perfectly happy with my tea." He didn't like Catherine's unknown brews and experiments. He kept as far away as possible from them. If they were anything like her chicken soup, he'd rather stay healthy and happy.

Why was he even sitting here? Nick and Camille had gotten acquainted this afternoon with their 'physical activity' as Nick had called it and now they were here in the bar getting to know each other even better. He hated how smoothly Nick managed to do everything that he himself couldn't. He made her laugh with no effort, he could touch her without her looking at him like he was crazy. Everything looked so natural and normal between them. They did look like lovers. They could pull that off easily tomorrow. They were sitting at the bar and Richard's eyes were glued to them. Although he tried not to look at them constantly.

"O, come on! You can't drink tea all evening can you?" Kris prodded as she sat down opposite him. For some reason, Camille's friend had chosen to keep him company this evening. Whether he wanted to or not. It did help a bit with keeping his mind of his negative thoughts. Although they seeped through relentlessly, and even the woman's babbling and joking couldn't stop that.

O, yes, he could drink tea all evening! Richard studied Kris, it was strange but did she sound slurred all of a sudden? He looked from Kris to Catherine who was standing behind the bar.

Catherine's eyes were on a jar in her hands as she came towards them. "Kris? Did you take my drink?"

Kris beamed at the now half empty jar. "O yes! It's wonderful. Is it some sort of lemonade? It drinks away so easily."

"How much did you take?" Catherine sounds slightly worried as she grabs the glass filled with her experimental liquid out of Kris's hands before it could reach the younger woman's lips. "Not for you." She warned as she walked away.

"O come on Catherine! You keep all the good stuff hidden." Kris put her hand up towards Richard in a waiting sign as she breezed after Catherine.

Richard's eyes were on Camille again. She was leaning against the bar, her head resting on her right arm as she laughed at something Nick said. It made him feel sick. This was how it would be, wouldn't it? If she would meet the man of her life. She would sit there just like now, her gaze totally focused on him, smiling widely, eyes sparkling. Something she would never do for him.

Sadness washed over him as he took a sip of his tea. It had gotten cold. Even his tea disappointed him. He sighed.

"Non." Catherine's voice sounded resolutely from behind the bar as she placed the jar in the fridge. "You've had enough."

Richard looked up at Kris who was circling Catherine now behind the bar. Her focus solely on the drink. He smiled slightly. If that woman wanted something, she could really go for it. He hadn't seen many people that dared to go up against Catherine. Maybe Kris was just not experienced enough in the Catherine department. It was interesting to see how this would play out. Nick was smiling, they were totally oblivious to their surroundings it seemed. Camille didn't even notice that her mother might be close to explosion mode.

"Why won't you share your secret ingredients?" Kris asked. "It's such a good lemonade."

Catherine raised her brows at Kris and shook her head. "You'll be sorry in the morning Kris. There's a lot of alcohol in there."

"What?" Kris asked surprised as she stared at the glass in her hand.

Richard pressed his lips together to not smile when he heard Kris's high pitched surprised question. She really did sound surprised that the drink was heavily spiked.

"Noooo. I almost didn't taste that! The other ingredients fit so well. You're overreacting." Kris countered astonished in a loud voice.

Catherine sighed as she smirked. It was clear that Kris had gotten tipsy already. "Go sober up, get some coffee." She said sternly.

"What? Sober up? Don't be silly." Kris laughed. She then looked at Catherine's face. "You're serious? I can hold my liquor." She said the last sentence in a deep male, mocking voice.

"This is a nasty one Kris. There's a lot in one cup and you drank... ? Well, who would know?" She guessed as she shoved a glass of water in the younger womans hands.

Kris huffed as she turned around and focused on Richard again. "So, here we are." She sat opposite Richard again. "Me drinking water because the bar lady is such a prude and you... Well?" She turned around and looked at Camille and Nick. "Ogling the happy couple, are we?" Her knowing eyes swooped over his face and posture.

"What?" Richard feigned surprise. He stared at his tea. "No. I- I don't know what you mean." He poured some more tea for himself. Just to have something to do.

"Ahh... Ahaa...!" Kris took a swig of her water. She stood up and took the chair next to Richard so she too could look at Nick and Camille now. "It's a good view, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't paying attention. I'm here to drink my tea in silence. And relax after a long day of work." Richard defended himself as he glared at her.

"She's pretty, isn't she?" Kris asked as she looked at Camille.

"Who?" Richard asked as he frowned at the woman next to him. What was she babbling about now?

"Really, Detective Inspector? Who?"The woman you have been looking at all evening. "You know who. If I were a man I wouldn't just sit here with some tea. I'd know exactly what to do!"

Richard frowned as he stared at her in surprise and irritation. What was she on about now? "What?"

"A man, Richard, a MAN. You know the sort. You are the sort. Men; that annoying lot." Kris leaned back and stretched lazily.

"What are you talking about, if you were a man? You're not a man. Such silliness. I'd almost think that you're French too." He muttered as he took a sip of his tea.

Kris leaned forward in annoyance. "And you're so British and stuck up that you'll swim in your own regret if you don't act for once."

"Excuse me?" Richard asked as he leaned back in shock, away from her.

Kris made an annoyed sound and shook her head at him. "Look at her." She pointed at Camille as she leaned towards Richard. Her shoulder was almost touching his now. "Really look. What do you see?" She leaned back and looked at him.

He looked at her flabbergasted, with open mouth. She really had had too much to drink.

Kris sighed tiredly. "I meant that if I were a man I'd know what to do. She has an amazing character, but you already know that. Look at her! She looks amazing. She's slender, fit, has an amazing backside, long legs, flat stomach, beautiful full breasts, her lips are so full and nice luscious." She read him shortly. He didn't give away much, he was practicing frozen statue-mode again, so it seemed. Kris sighed shortly. "If I were a man Richard, I'd walk up to her, ask to speak to her privately and then I'd kiss the hell out of her. And if I were a woman I'd..." She looked at the ceiling in thought. "O wait, I am a woman! Who knew." She began to giggle uncontrollably.

Richard moved away from her as he looked at her as if she were an annoying insect.

Her giggling suddenly stopped. She seemed to realize something. "Wait..." She said as she looked away from the couple, back at Richard. "I'm on the sideline too!" She looked at herself. "Just like you. My God. I'm just like you." She uttered shocked as her wide eyes stared at him.

He raised his brows. The woman was making no sense at all. "I can assure you, you must certainly are nothing like me."

"I'm sitting here on the sidelines too. I should take action too." She looked at Nick. Then she sighed sadly. "If only I were that kind of woman."

"What kind of woman?" Richard asked carefully. He didn't know if he wanted to know the answer.

She shrugged. "The woman that stands up and goes for it, kisses him." She looked away. "Camille would."

"Camille would what?"

She looked back at him. "Camille would go for it. If she likes a man, she goes for him." Kris shook her head. "If only I could do that."

Richard swallowed. Camille would do that? It was a good thing that he hadn't told her about his affections towards her. Because apparently they weren't mutual, otherwise she would have already taken steps.

"Would you like to kiss her senseless?"

"What?" Richard asked shocked as he dragged his eyes away from Camille. What sort of question was that? The woman was crazy. He wasn't going to share anything like that with her, or with anyone for that matter! "This is really inappropriate."

"Yes it is, isn't it?" She agreed softly. She gave him a puppy dog look as she bent a bit towards him. "And telling Nick that she is a lesbian isn't?" She questioned cheekily.

Richard froze to his chair. He swallowed hard. O no! She knew! Now it made sense, all the things she had just said. Because she knew. He swallowed. He felt his throat constrict. "H... The..A-..Fl-...W..."

"Is that what you tell all the men that are interested in her? That she's not interested because she falls for woman?" She smiled and shook her head. "Richard... Are you frightening away all possible suitors for my friend?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

Richard flushed a deep red and seemed to prepare himself to run away.

Kris leaned her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her hand. "Why? Do you want her to be lonely?" She smirked naughtily as she enjoyed herself immensely, trying to get under the skin of this man. Prying a bit in favor of Camille. "You wouldn't want her to stay alone forever, do you? Grow old just alone?" She asked dramatically.

"Of course not." Richard muttered chagrined.

Kris turned her face towards Camille and Nick on the bar. "Imagine how she'd be all sad, those big dark eyes of hers filled with unshed tears..." Kris began but stopped the moment she received a warning green glare. There he is, he does have feelings, somewhere beneath that cocky British exterior of his, she thought. "You told her you weren't attracted to her. Why would you say such a thing but want to scare off other men?" She asked bluntly. She knew this wasn't her business. It really wasn't. But if she'd do one thing for Camille, it was to push these two together. She wanted Camille to be happy. And she had a feeling that this complicated man was keeping himself apart and that prevented both of them from being happy.

"She told you that?" Richard asked horrified as he bent forward to Camille's friend now. He had wanted to shut her down, stop her from talking. But this information was too important to stop now...

"Of course. And she was really hurt." She added daringly. "Don't tell her I told you so. She'll rip my head off. So spill it, Richard. Why tell Nick that she's a lesbian?"

Richard sighed. He felt ashamed. "It wasn't my meaning. Not at all. I have never done such a thing." He looked away. "It was just..." He swallowed. "She was gawking at him... And I... He asked about her. If she was single and I... I don't know what happened really. It sort of popped out of my mouth somehow." Camille would never see him in the way she saw Nick or other attractive men. Richard had totally ruined the undercover thing. She's so wild and free, she would probably never understand his inhibitions. She'd hate them.

Kris smiled softly. "Could you explain it to her?"

Richard made a choked sound. And then couldn't find words.

"If another man comes for Camille, what will you do?"

The tea almost went over the cup when Richard stared at Kris in shock. "This really... This is none of your business..."

"When a man comes to woo her. To love her. To take her to his bed. To marry her and have lots of children with her. What will you do?"

Richard looked at Camille. Pain shot through his chest. "That would be none of my business, either." He swallowed as he put down his tea cup.

"It wouldn't? Okay." Kris stared at her glass. "Then why do you make it your business, Richard Poole?" Kris asked as she looked up at him.

"I do not make it my business." He snapped. He made to stand up as she put her hand on his lower arm and pinned it to the table. He looked up at her.

"She's really sweet you know. She can be, you know that. She'll listen. She'll try to understand. I'm sure of that."

He swallowed. He sagged back against his chair. "I know... It's just... I couldn't bear..." I couldn't bear to lose her.

Kris smiled softly at that. "You will lose her if you don't take a chance. Some day there will be a man who will open up to her. And then it will be too late. You'd never forgive yourself."

He looked at her in awe. It was as if she'd read his mind. Strange. Really strange. "I'd never forgive myself if she doesn'twant me. And I made a fool of myself." He admitted with difficulty. It was as if his throat was constricting so bad that it felt as if his words felt like sandpaper in his mouth.

"I know that you might feel intimidated by Nick, even I feel intimidated by him sometimes. He's very handsome and he has a very warm personality and a nice character. But she doesn't care about that. Not that I mean that you're not handsome. I mean you don't have to feel less then him. She's told me so much about you, so many good things. She's really very fond of you."

"And I'm fond of her. And I don't want to lose that. And if she rather prefers the Nicks in the world over me... Well, then she should, really." He said as he eyed them again.

"You would do that to yourself? Give her the wrong impression on purpose and stay on the sideline. Pining for her?"

"I do not pine." Richard snapped, insulted.

Kris's hand left his arm. "If only you would tell her that you do find her attractive. How the hell did she get that idea in her head that you didn't?"

"Why would I tell her that?" He asked angrily. "That wouldn't be professional at all. She is my detective sergeant. We work together." He stood up and looked down at her.

Kris sighed.

"And I would ask of you to keep this to yourself. Anyway, I haven't agreed with you in anything you said. So it's all your fantasy."

Kris stood up now too, facing him. "You're right, Richard. I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries." She sighed and looked at Camille. Maybe she had pushed too hard. "I just want her to be happy."

"We are work partners. And friends. Nothing more."

"Whatever you say." She shrugged. She was kind of dizzy. Strange.

"And she doesn't need you to make her happy. She's a grown woman who's very assertive and knows her own ways."

"You're right." She agreed as she looked into his green eyes. She had trouble focusing. Two eyes? Or four?

"She's got her intuition, it's very strong. She feels what she wants."

One green eye on his nose. Strange indeed..."I agree." Words were flowing from his mouth, his mouth was moving but she didn't really hear them. Because she knew they weren't true, they weren't important.

Richard stared in surprise at her.

"I do." She said as she nodded.

"That's all?"

"What do you mean?" Kris asked as she tried to focus on his face.

"No arguments?" He asked surprised. He wasn't used to getting his way so easily.

"No, why should I? You are right Richard. I overstepped. I apologized and I agree. You are right. Not about everything, the lesbian thing is dodgy, and the not finding her attractive a lie but the rest, yes..."

"I would like it if you would mind your own business." He warned.

"I will." She nodded. Not. "I already told you I was sorry."

"Okay." He said as he nodded.

"Now we have that out of the way... Who's going to tell her that she's a lesbian?" Kris asked as she put her hands on her hips.

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This conversation isn't over yet... Hahahahaa

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