"Four days?" I repeated, sipping on my glass of tea and twirling a long strand of my copper red hair around my finger absentmindedly. It wasn't like Gray Cameron to decide to come to one of these things at the last minute.
"Yes. I'm very excited- after all my oldest step-son doesn't usually attend these gatherings, and it could only mean that he's reached that age were he's beginning to think less about business and more about family. Doug said that he had a surprise for the whole family but he's been very hush hush about it," Manna continued, and it was hard to watch her and figure out when exactly she took a breath. But having grown up around the woman for the most part I had just learned to smile and nod less she want to repeat herself. "…he says he can't tell me exactly what the big deal is because I can't keep a secret. Can you believe that? My own husband finds me untrustworthy," the older woman finally stopped, sipping in her tea and glaring at the table. "That really hurts my feelings you know," she added quietly, pushing some of her short graying hair behind her ear.
"Perhaps he's afraid you'll spill the beans and ruin the surprise Aunt Manna, I mean it has been known to happen," I explained cautiously, not sure if the observation and well known fact would upset the woman. She frowned at me and then let out a sigh.
"I suppose a slip up or two in that aspect has happened in my life time. But I still am very curious to find out exactly why Gray has decided to come to this family gathering," she trailed off, tapping her chin with her index finger as she thought over what she knew of the elder Cameron brother.
I sighed and shook my head, closing my eyes as I thought it over myself. How long has it been since I last saw that man? Four or Five months? I sighed and shook my head, feeling my chest ache painfully. It was difficult to be in love with a man who didn't know you existed. And every time I tried to prove to that man that I wasn't the scrawny knob kneed little girl he'd grown up around I was unsuccessful. It was a rather tiring dance I'd done with the man throughout my life.
Spending time at Grandpa Cameron's place every summer and coming for family gatherings- even if were weren't family- was something that had become tradition. And it had become tradition for me to try to approach the object of my affection once or twice a year at said family gatherings. He was always polite, cold, and sometimes awkward. But he never noticed my advances, or he chose to blatantly ignore them.
I believe it was Gray's first summer back from college that this tradition, this pursuit began. I was probably just over sixteen, boy crazy and finally able to appreciate the male species. He'd grown into a fine young man in the last year, something about college life making him seem more mature and less the silent brooding teenager he had often been. And it seemed that I came to realize that the feelings of friendship I had for the man were growing into more. Though I dare not tell him that. Him being three years my senior, my grandfather had insisted that at this time he was too old for me.
Of course in his later college years my grandfather had attempted to arrange a marriage with Grandpa Saibara. But Gray's mother had beaten them to it, trying to arrange one with the young French woman that had accompanied Gray two several family gatherings before disappearing all together. But even after that relationship ended Saibara Cameron had refused to consider me as an eligible wife for his oldest grandson.
They arenae a good pair.
That is what my grandfather had came back to me with. That was Saibara's answer. He had patted my head and said he agreed with his old friend and that I would move past this puppy love. But I never had.
"You know Chelsea this could be your chance. If Gray is thinking more of family than business…then he is more incline to pursue a relationship," Manna stated happily, placing her older hand over mine and squeezing it reassuringly. "You should bare your feelings to the man, so he knows for sure how you feel." I blinked at her, cutting my gaze away and slumping in my chair.
"I would think that it is blatantly obvious how I feel for him," I muttered, and heard Manna laugh at me.
"This is a Cameron we are speaking of. They aren't known for being able to realize the obvious," she chuckled, giving me an encouraging smile. "It couldn't hurt to try, right?" I looked at her for a moment, before a small grin came across my face.
"I don't suppose it could hurt…to try. I guess I can extend my stay till the end of next weekend," I mused, licking my lips as I tried to figure out what exactly would be the most blunt way to tell the man what I wanted from him?