The Charming Storm Chaser - Page 3

I lean down to pick up my shirt, quickly yanking it over my head, not caring if it’s inside out or backwards.

“You’re ignoring me now?” Miranda demands. “God, you’re ridiculous.”

As I step into my shorts, I mutter, “You’re nothing but a rich bitch.”

“You’re just trailer trash,” she shoots back at me.

As she gets dressed, her words echo in my mind. You don’t matter… don’t matter… don’t matter… trailer trash… trailer trash… trailer trash.

Later, when I yank down the sheet at the back of the bus, erasing all evidence of our time there, I make two solemn vows.

I’ll make Miranda eat her words. Someday, somehow. I’m going to make something of myself. I won’t stop until I have enough money to swim in it like Scrooge McDuck.

And I will never, ever be foolish enough to fall in love again.

Chapter 2

Cami

“Did you hear what I said? I’ll be filming tornadoes. Tornadoes!” I aggressively stir sugar into my coffee, creating a whirlpool in the mug.

For a moment, I’m distracted by the sight. The whirlpool looks a lot like a tornado. How similar are the two phenomena? One has wind and the other has water, of course, but beyond that? And I wonder if anyone has survived a close brush with both? That’d make a great subject for a documentary film…

Sitting across the booth, my best friend, Jae, douses her short stack with maple syrup. “I’ve been looking forward to brunch all week,” she murmurs.

Her words snap me out of my thoughts and back to the subject at hand—the subject my best friend has refused to acknowledge.

“Hey!” I say, tapping my spoon against my coffee mug to get her attention. “Are you even listening to me?”

She lifts her gaze from her pancakes to my face and arches an eyebrow. “I’m listening. Tornadoes. Kane Charming. Etcetera.”

“Kane Charming,” I repeat with a groan. “I’ll be trapped in a car with a millionaire, daredevil, playboy. The man craves danger and—”

“Pot, meet Kettle,” Jae interrupts, laughing.

My mouth falls open. “I don’t crave danger!”

“Please,” she scoffs. “You could film anything, but you always choose the riskiest assignments. You’ve made a name for yourself with documentaries about vampire bats, great white sharks, and hippopotamuses.”

I feel heat creep into my cheeks. “They’re all interesting animals!”

“When we were kids, you won your first film prize for a documentary short about an avalanche—which you filmed after crossing into a restricted section of the mountain.”

I wave a hand. “All journalists take calculated risks.”

“You were twelve!”

I try to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand. “The thing is I was ready for something a bit easier. When the studio said they wanted me to be the head cameraperson for a reality TV show, I thought it would be a baking competition or a reboot of America’s Next Top Model or something. I didn’t think I’d be chasing tornadoes with Kane-freaking-Charming.”

She spears a home fry with her fork. “Where is this coming from? You can’t tell me the prospect of filming a tornado up close doesn’t thrill you from your head to your toes. I know you too well.”

She’s not wrong. The truth is I love being where the action is and capturing amazing things on camera that most people will never get to see in person. And filming a tornado would be incredible.

For years, Kane has run a successful podcast and YouTube channel where he shares storm footage that he and others have recorded. Most of it is badly done on a cell phone and sent to him for compilation. The videos have very low production quality but get millions of views. So, the chance to get objectively good, professional footage of severe weather is exciting.

When I don’t answer, Jae puts down her fork and steeples her hands. “You have my undivided attention. Tell me why you are freaking out about this. You’ve never been this uptight about an assignment, not even when you were lowered into the ocean with nothing but a cage to separate you from hungry sharks. So, what’s the problem?”

“Kane,” I admit, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “He’s too attractive, too rich, too everything. You know I’m a sucker for men who are passionate about their careers. And not only is Kane passionate about storm chasing, but he also has a reputation for charming the pants off every woman he meets.” I cover my face with my hands. “What if I can’t resist, Jae? I can’t bear another Bobby situation.”