Jane In New York Pt 02

"I still can't figure her out," Jane thought to herself, lying down in Camilla's guest room. "There's no way she actually likes me, but she's been nothing but courteous."

Coincidentally, while Jane was thinking about the mysterious woman, she heard a knock on her door.

"Yes, Camilla?" she asked, as she opened the door.

There she was, standing in a small black T-shirt and little gray shorts. She looked almost as intimidating in her comfortable home clothes as she did in her work attire.

"Just giving you a head's up, Miranda is taking us out to lunch tomorrow, so don't pack a lunch."

"Oh, she is?"

"Yeah, she usually does that before we go on a business trip. It's just to go over things and make sure we are ready."

"Oh, okay. Sounds great," the Asian woman responded. However, just as she was about to come up with something else to say to continue the conversation, Camilla interrupted her.

"Good night, Jane," her roommate said with a smile.

"Oh... Good night... Camilla."

As she closed the door, Jane threw her hands down and frustration. "Why can't I figure this woman out?!" she whispered quietly to herself. "And how the hell are we going to spend an entire weekend together?"...

The next day, Jane was actually happy to be at work. It always gave her an opportunity to take her mind off her worries and focus on the important things in her life. However, just as she discussed with Camilla, Miranda invited them both to lunch so they could talk about the trip.

As they sat down to eat, Jane immediately thanked her boss for the invitation.

"No problem, Jane," Miranda responded. "By the way, I did let you know how great you've been doing lately, right?"

"Yes, you have," Jane responded with a light laugh.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you felt appreciated for all your hard work."

"I do. And Camilla has been a big help to me. It's been such a smooth transition thanks to her."

The mysterious Camilla smiled at her before looking back at Miranda.

"I knew Camilla would take good care of you," Miranda responded pridefully. "But I hope you are both ready for a very busy weekend."

"I think we are," Camilla assured.

"I know you two are staying together now, but try not to stay up too late tonight," Miranda insisted. "You have such an early flight and a long day, full of activities."

Jane almost chuckled to herself at the thought of her and Camilla staying up late, hanging out.

"You need to go straight to the hotel. I have it set up so that you can get your room as soon as you get there. Then you must go to the expo to get registered and pick up your credentials. You have the tickets and the company credit card, right Camilla?"

"Yes, I do," she answered. "I'll take care of everything."

"Then after that, Jane, you have your meeting with the two social media models."

"Yes," Jane answered with confidence. "I have a photoshoot set up for them. Everything should be ready to go."

"Great! Then that night, you have the expo. Take a lot of pictures, hand out cards and samples, and make sure you answer as many questions as you can."

Both women nodded, excited to get to work.

"And then Sunday, you have a full day before your flight back," Miranda continued.

"We'll text you updates the entire time," Camilla assured, always willing to handle responsibilities.

"I trust you guys," Miranda responded after taking a deep breath. "You're going to do amazing things!"

---

The next morning, the girls woke up extremely early to get ready for their 6:00 a.m. flight. Camilla knocked on Jane's bedroom door at 3:30 a.m. to make sure she was awake, but her coworker was wide awake, excited for the trip started.

They got on the plane and sat right next to each other, as Jane continued to feel awkward. By this point, she had almost given up on making conversation with her coworker, but still felt guilty about it. Camilla just spent the entire flight with headphones on while Jane focused on her agenda.

After a relatively short flight, the girls were on their way to the hotel to drop off their things. As Jane laid her eyes on the luxurious hotel, she tried breaking the ice by asking a question that popped into her mind.

"Hey, Camilla."

"Yes?"

"Are we getting separate rooms?"

"No," Camilla answered. "Did you want your own room?"

"Oh, I was just curious," Jane responded, afraid she had offended her coworker.

"What's wrong?" Camilla asked, in a teasing voice. "Afraid to sleep in the same room as me?"

"No!" Jane answered, trying not to sound nervous. However, she couldn't help but cringe inside as she kept thinking about how nervous she was around Camilla.

After checking in and taking the elevator to their floor, the two women entered the room and immediately noticed how nice the suite was. Unfortunately, there was one big problem.

"Hmmm...." Camilla reacted as she started scratching her head.

Jane was silent as she noticed a lone King-sized bed.

"That's weird," the Latina said, as she grabbed the phone. "We are supposed to have two Queen-sized beds." After getting off the phone with the hotel staff, she stood back up and said, "I guess they are out of rooms."

"That's strange," Jane said. "But this seems like a pretty busy hotel."

"Maybe we can get it changed later, when more people check out," Camilla suggested.

Jane quickly agreed. She was already nervous about sleeping in the same room as Camilla, but sharing a bed with her was terrifying.

"We'll try to get it fixed later," Camilla assured. "But we have a lot of work to do right now."

The two ladies spent the rest of the morning being incredibly productive. They attended the meeting and got registered for the big exposition. Then they spoke with some important people that needed more information about Sunshine Industries.

"Are you ready to meet up with the social media models?" Camilla asked as they started wrapping things up.

"Yes!" the new coworker answered with excitement.

"I have to say, I'm very impressed with the work you've put into this."

"I think this is going to be great," Jane said, looking exhausted but satisfied.

She had a photo shoot set up with two popular social media stars. The photographer, venue, and outfits were all ready. Everything was coming together in Jane's comprehensive plan to move towards social media advertising. Unfortunately, when they got there, bad news struck.

"This isn't happening..."

"What's wrong?" Camilla asked, as they began setting up.

"One of the girls cancelled on me," Jane answered with a panicked face.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. She texted me she can't make it, and now she's not even responding."

Camilla could hear the panic in her voice and worried about Jane for the first time since meeting her. "It's going to be okay. We just need to adjust."

"You're right," Jane responded, taking a deep breath.

"We still have one girl, right?"

"Yes."

"Maybe she can model all the outfits by herself," Camilla suggested, trying her best to be helpful and calm Jane down.

"That's an idea, but I really wanted two unique looks," Jane said, as she pondered ideas.

She continued racking her brain until it was almost time for the shoot. Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into her head and she just couldn't ignore it.

"Camilla!" she called out as she ran up to her coworker.

"Jane! Oh, my God! What is it?"

"You!" she shouted. "You can do it!"

"Do what?"

"You can model the outfits that she was going to wear!"

"What? Me?" Camilla asked, confused.

"Yes! You have the perfect look for the photo shoot."

For the first time, Jane noticed Camilla stumbling over her own words. "I... I... can't. I'm not a model."

"It's just a social media thing," Jane explained, trying her best to convince Camilla.

"But I don't have the audience that she has. It would be a waste taking these pictures of me, wouldn't it?"

"No!" Jane rebutted, convincingly. "You're perfect for the shot! You have the perfect look!"

"No... I can't..."

"Come on, Camilla! You're beautiful and you have that fierce presence that I need!"

"You... You really think so?" Camilla asked, nervously.

"Yes!" her coworker answered, grabbing both of her hands. "They are just photos. If you don't like them, I promise we can get rid of them. Let's just try it, please!"

"Okay..." the blonde-haired Latina responded as her voice trembled. Though Camilla didn't have the confidence to do it, there was something about the look in Jane's eyes that made everything feel like it was going to be okay. "I'll try," she finally answered.

The first photo shoot with the social media influencer went very well. She was a natural, and the clothes fit her style well. It was everything that Jane could have wanted, and she was sure it would be a hit on the internet.

Though things started out perfectly, when the social media star was finished, the actual work began for Camilla. It was so obvious that she was uncomfortable, much to Jane's surprise.

Camilla was unsure of herself, not knowing where to stand, how to pose, or when to even look at the camera. However, Jane had a perfect plan and did an outstanding job of coaching her every step of the way.

Jane gave the pretty Latina a lot of praise for all her efforts. She made sure to give plenty of compliments on how stunning Camilla looked. She could tell the more she complimented Camilla, the more confident she started to look.

Although they weren't outfits the woman would normally wear, it was nice to try a more hip style of clothing, rather than her business casual attire she had become so accustomed to.

The more photographs they took, the more Jane and Camilla became comfortable working together. Before long, the two coworkers felt like they were just having fun instead of working. They were too busy laughing and joking to remember how stressful things were.

The chemistry impressed the photographer, as the coworkers were having so much fun. "You two must have worked with each other for a long time. I've never seen such chemistry."

They just smiled and took the compliment, seeing no reason to correct her. However, it was definitely something they were going to laugh about later.

When the photo shoot was over, Jane thanked Camilla once again for saving her, in her time of need.

"I don't know how the photos are going to come out, but I had a lot of fun," Camilla said.

When the mysterious woman said that, Jane noticed a smile on her face like she had never seen before. It was the first time she felt her coworker was really happy. Jane just wanted to cherish the moment forever, but she knew their busy day was still not over.

"You're beautiful," Jane said, with a sincere voice. "So, I know the photos will be beautiful too."

That smile that Jane recognized grew even bigger as Camilla felt her heart warming.

---

The entire ride back, Jane could feel a complete difference in Camilla's energy. That awkward feeling had disappeared. They were actually talking, it actually felt comfortable, and Camilla actually seemed happy.

It carried over to the event where they continued having a blast working together. Their energy radiated and people were more willing to talk to them and exchange information, wanting to know more about Sunshine Industries.

As they handed items out and took photos with important people, Jane noticed something that Camilla had never done before. They usually posed together, but this time, for every picture, Camilla put her arms around Jane. The slight touches and semi hugs gave her a warm and welcoming feeling from her mysterious coworker. It felt just as natural to wrap her arm around Camilla, embracing the contact and closeness for the photos.

When they finally got back to their hotel, after such a long and busy day, Camilla was ready to head straight up to the room to get some rest. However, as they entered through the lobby, Jane noticed a full bar downstairs and asked Camilla if she would like to have a drink with her later.

"I don't know about that, Jane..."

"Do you not drink?"

"I don't drink much anymore, but I'll have a drink with you if you really want to."

"That would be so nice," Jane insisted, with a friendly smile. "Especially after such a long and crazy day. I think we both deserve a drink. My treat!"

"Okay," Camilla responded, now fully convinced.

As they went up to the room to drop their stuff off, Jane was reminded that there was only one bed. "We forgot to switch our room!"

"It's probably too late now..." Camilla said. "I'm sure we can make it work."

Jane tried to come up with a plan. She knew how accommodating Camilla liked to be, but she wanted to return the favor by giving her the entire bed while she slept on the couch. She got herself prepared to argue with her coworker if she had to.

When they got to the hotel bar, there was never any discussion about the sleeping situation. It was never even brought up again, as the two just enjoyed a relaxing time, having a drink and getting to know each other.

"Do you drink a lot?" Camilla asked, as she took a sip of her whiskey.

"I haven't since I moved to New York," Jane answered. "But I actually started developing a drinking problem before I came here."

"You were? Was everything okay?"

"I was just so stressed out before I moved out here," the new employee explained. "I started going down to this bar by my apartment. It wasn't the healthiest habit, but it was my way of dealing with everything while also trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life."

"I understand," Camilla assured. "It can be a very unhealthy crutch, but sometimes we need something to put a separation between us and the stresses of the world."

"Did you ever have a drinking problem?" Jane asked. "Is that's why you don't drink much anymore?"

"I used to make a lot of poor decisions. Drinking was just my excuse to be okay with those decisions. I'd like to think I make much smarter choices now, so I don't really crave that need for relief as often."

"You're so smart and mature. I could never imagine you making poor decisions."

That smile that Jane noticed earlier from Camilla was suddenly back. There was something about Jane's compliments that made her mysterious coworker feel good about herself. It gave her something she had been needing for a long time.

"Can I tell you something, Jane?"

"Of course," the petite woman responded as she felt her heart jumping. It thrilled her to know Camilla was comfortable opening up to her.

"You called me beautiful earlier today. I don't know if you remember, or even thought about it when you said it, but nobody has called me beautiful in a really long time. It was very... nice."

"Really?" the curious Asian asked, shocked.

"I know it was just a small comment, but it meant a lot to me. I feel like people don't appreciate me sometimes. So, it was really nice to hear those words."

"You haven't been called beautiful in a long time? How is that even possible?"

"I have been called sexy or hot, but that's different than being called beautiful, at least it's different to me. I know that might sound like a small thing, but to me it meant a lot. I'm sorry if I sound petty, craving specific compliments."

"I will never judge someone for the things they desire in their life," Jane responded with complete sincerity. "Everyone has specific needs, and I am nobody to judge what is important to you."

It surprised Camilla, hearing the words that Jane expressed. There was no way she could express how badly she needed to hear that. All she could do was place her hand on top of Jane's, as she looked her in the eye and gave her the sincerest, "Thank you." Fortunately, Jane could read just how meaningful it was to her.

"I used to get in a lot of bad relationships that I had no business getting into. I didn't even care if they were already dating someone else. It was like... I was addicted to putting myself into awful situations."

Jane looked on, completely stunned. She could have never guessed that the woman she respected so much came from such a tough past.

"I did some horrible things. I even started to enjoy being the other woman. I'm sure I messed up a lot of good relationships. I knew nothing about the other girls, but it was unfair of me to insert myself into a relationship with their significant other."

"Do you know what attracted you to those situations?" Jane asked.

"I couldn't tell you, for sure, but something about it made me feel so powerful and important. It meant a lot to me that guys found me so attractive that they were willing to risk their relationship to be with me."

"Eventually, I realized it didn't make me feel as important as I thought it would. Being hot made me feel good, but when that's all you are to somebody... everybody... it's meaningless. People... they'll always go back to the ones they truly care about, and just leave awful people like me in the dust. I learned that the hard way."

"I'm so sorry," Jane said, feeling incredibly sympathetic as her mysterious coworker finally opened up "You're so wise, and so successful now. You seem nothing like the way you described yourself in the past."

"Thank you," Camilla responded. "But it was a tough journey to get where I am today. It didn't happen overnight, and I'm still working on it to this day. I realized the only thing I could work on was myself. I also started believing that others wouldn't treat me with respect until I treated myself with respect. That's why I started focusing on my career. It's the one thing I feel I have total control of, and it has rewarded me way more than any of these terrible relationships I had."

"What about the ex that used to live with you?" Jane asked. "Is that one of the bad situations you put yourself in?"

"He... Well, I don't know if I should tell you," Camilla said, doubting herself.

"It's okay," Jane assured. "You can trust me."

"It was just a very toxic relationship. I started out as the other woman. Eventually, his girlfriend broke up with him and he settled for me. I wanted to believe it meant more than that, like I would have been his first choice, but I realized I was nothing more than a woman he was sleeping with. Living with me meant nothing, and he left me as soon as he found someone else."

"Is that why he moved out?"

"Not really," Camilla answered. "This is so hard to explain."

"You don't have to tell me if you're too uncomfortable," Jane assured. "But if you want to, I'm here for you."

"When I found out he was cheating on me, I never confronted him about it," Camilla explained.

"Why not?!"

"In a sick way, I felt like I deserved it. Maybe if I just allowed it to happen, it would absolve me of my own wrongdoings. I tried to ignore it, but it was killing me inside."

"We were on and off for a while. He would leave me for someone better. When it didn't work out, he would just come back to me. I accepted it because that's all I felt I was worth."

"You're worth so much more than that," Jane argued with compassion. "No matter what you've been through, you're not worthless."

"Thank you, Jane. Once I realized my worth, I stopped giving him opportunities to come back, and eventually, he stopped coming back."

Jane placed her hand on Camilla's. "I can't even begin to describe how much respect I have for you."

"You don't think I'm a terrible person?"

"I don't see you for your past. I can only see who you are today; a smart, beautiful, and successful woman. Knowing your past only makes me respect you more for persevering through such adversity."

"Thank you," Camilla responded, squeezing Jane's hand, as she felt a strong connection. "I've spoken enough about myself, for one night. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"