"Cameron, like I said….what ARE you doing here? I thought that Gary hired you your own personal baby-sitter and you were rarely out of her sight. What gives?"

Cameron motioned to her to follow him out of the store. "I went to the doctor today and he said I'm doing pretty well! So, I convinced Gary to let me ride along in the cab. He's going out of town on business today and I couldn't stand being at home one more minute alone…..with the 'warden'!"

"You're looking good. Feel OK?"

Shirking his shoulders, Cameron told her he was fine except for some occasional pain in his legs. But, as the doctor told him, the bones were healing and it would take some time for him to be back to normal. But, the prospects were good. Just then Gary called over to him.

"Come on Cam………my flight leaves from gate D26. I think that's on the other side of the airport. Hello Carson!" He picked up his bags and began to leave.

"Hello yourself. Good luck on your trip!"

"Carson, what brings you here today? Visiting dignitaries?"

"Very funny. Actually, Amanda's due back from Italy within the hour. Sounded like she had a wonderful time!"

"You talked to her?"

"For a few minutes. Before her last meeting. Things went very well. Our photo shoot should be well worth the trip!"

"When are we headed there anyway? Need to brush up on my Italian, you know…"

A page over the airport intercom interrupted their chat.

"If there is a Cameron Sinclair in the airport, please report to gate D26. Your passenger is waiting there for you."

Carson and Cameron said their good-byes, with Carson promising to call him when she knew more of their trip itinerary. Cameron, in turn, promised to keep her updated on his medical condition. He then made his way over to Gary's location, where his smug older brother was reading the latest issue of USA Today while drinking a large coffee with cream.

"You just couldn't leave things alone….you just had to find a way to embarrass me, didn't you?"

"NO! That's not why I had you paged."

"Then why did you?"

"I figured Carson was here to pick up Amanda. And I didn't think you'd want to be there when she arrived. Am I right?"

Mumbling, Cameron answered yes.

"Am I right?" Gary asked again.

"God, what do you want me to say? Stand on the rooftop and shout my brother knows more about women than I do?"

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea. But I don't have time for it right now."

"Very funny."

"Come on Cameron, we've been through all this already. Amanda was not the woman neither of us thought she was. And we're both lucky to have survived the Cory experience."

"I guess, if you call this surviving!"

The stewardess took the microphone and announced that Gary's flight was boarding in a few minutes. Cameron shook his brother's hand and told him to have a safe trip. Gary asked his brother to at least try and listen to Mrs. Murphy. Cameron said he'd try, but that's as far as his promises would go.

Gary boarded his flight and Cameron was going to catch another cab ride into the city. Before he could walk even a few feet, he thought he heard Carson and Amanda laughing, and was tempted to turn around and look in their direction.

But he didn't. He kept on walking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Cameron had heard Amanda and Carson. Amanda was very happy to finally be home again. The flight back from Rome was a little too turbulent for her taste. She had kept her seat belt on for most of the ride, unless she had to get up. So stay seated she did.

"So tell me Amanda……what were the meetings with the Luna's like? Hell on earth?"

"Well, we were right. They did have an agenda planned and it wasn't just to have our help with this all important one issue!"

"I knew it! And Mr.Luna…I can't believe that he made it easy for you…"

"As a matter of fact…."

Carson was not a patient woman. "As a matter of fact, what? Come on Amanda. Share!"

"As a matter of fact…," Amanda paused. She knew she had to choose her words carefully;" Giovanni was a perfect gentleman!"

"Oh?? It's Giovanni now, is it?" Carson was rather surprised at the inferences Amanda was making.

"Carson, come on. We're business associates, nothing more. It would have been rather difficult going through an entire week of meetings calling him Mr. Luna."

"So," Carson thought; "it was bound to get personal at some moment there. And by the tone in your voice, I would say it did."

Amanda just kept walking and was actually a few feet in front of Carson before she realized what Carson had asked her. She decided to keep walking and keep what happened in Italy between her and Giovanni private for as long as she could. What happened was something she had not wanted nor expected. She left New York for two reasons: to get away from her feelings for Cameron and to satisfy the Luna's request for her help. She had no way of knowing the course things would take once she arrived in Rome.

"Amanda, are you ignoring me?" Carson finally caught up to her.

"Don't be silly. Now let's get my bags and get me home. This tired body is in need of a nice, long, hot bath!"

Cameron had the cab stop outside of Central Park. He had been cooped up in the hospital and at Gary's for too long. He wanted to walk some. Being outside, back among the 'living' would do him some good.

He walked rather slowly through the park and realized he wasn't in as good a shape as he had thought. The walking made him a little tired and he decided to take up temporary residence on a park bench.

The activities in the park kept Cameron's mind occupied. Just watching the bikers and the inland skaters gave him the push he needed. He was going to head back to Gary's, determined to give Mrs. Murphy's methods of therapy another try. He was not about to sit back and let his life become just a memory.

Cameron passed a young couple holding hands while he waited for a cab. He knew he wouldn't make it back to Gary's walking on his own.

"Hold on to that…….love is too precious to lose."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early the next morning, Amanda found herself awake well before the alarm went off. She showered, dressed and found some extra time to have a healthy breakfast for a change. Usually breakfast for her meant a donut or if she was lucky, a bagel with cream cheese. Not today!

She made it into the office ahead of everyone. Getting a head start of all the paperwork that piled up was a top priority. Writing a report of the dealings that went on in Rome was another. An hour passed before she heard any commotion outside her office. Paige knocked on her door.

"Welcome back Miss Cory!"

"Hello Paige. It's great to be back."

"Is there anything I can do for you this morning? I have some errands to do but I'll be back within the hour."

"Go ahead. As you can see, I have enough to keep me occupied for at least that long."

"I'll let you know once I get back."

"Thank you. Anything major happen while I was gone?"

"No. Although…..I was out to lunch on Tuesday and I ran into Cameron…I mean Mr. Sinclair."

Trying to cover up her eagerness at hearing his name, Amanda turned around to pick up some papers on her desk. "And how is Mr. Sinclair doing?"

"He looks great. A little tired maybe, but he said he was feeling better."

"I'm glad…..well, as much as I enjoy talking to you, I must get back to work and you do have those errands to run. I will have some letters for you to type when you get back."

"Oh, Miss Cory, I shouldn't be gone long."

"Let's hope not. Now scoot!"

Paige closed the door and Amanda tried to get back to work. She hadn't though of Cameron in awhile. She was about to pull the issue of GQ out of her briefcase when Paige knocked on the door again.

"Yes Paige?"

"These just arrived for you Miss Cory. They're gorgeous!" Paige brought in a beautiful bouquet of autumn flowers. She was curious who might have sent them, but Amanda wasn't about to let on anything.

"Thank you Paige. You DID say you have errands to run, don't you?"

"Yes Miss Cory!" Paige felt embarrassed and left quickly.

Amanda put the vase down on her desk and looked for a card. She quickly found it and read the note.

She thought, 'Well he didn't waste any time." Laughing, Amanda put the note back where she found it and went on with the rest of her day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fast and furious had to describe the pace both Amanda and the Sinclair brothers followed the next 2 months. Gary returned from his trip and found that the situation between Mrs. Murphy and Cameron had improved. Cameron began to retain strength in his legs thanks to his enthusiasm for work on the treadmill. He walked anywhere he wanted to go within reason, and found him even humming while he walked.

Gary took him to the athletic club where Cameron found himself interested in lifting weights. The trainer set up a strict program for him, which was approved by the doctor in charge of Cameron's recovery. Things seemed to be working out rather nicely.

"Your arms look like you could bench press 200 lb.!" Gary remarked when they were riding the exercise bikes at the club one Saturday afternoon.

"More like 250! And I've done it too. I have half a mind to bench press you if you don't keep your mouth shut and let me work here." Cameron answered.

"Oooh…touchy…touchy. Did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"No. I have a lot to do to get back into shape. The shoot in Italy is less than a month away, and Carson wants to see me in her office this week….to update her on my 'medical' condition and all that!"

"I see."

"Do you? Do you really?" Cameron wanted to know.

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?"

Cameron began, "I don't think you really know how important this job is to me. When we were kids. Pop couldn't have cared less if he did a good job or not. He just felt like he deserved a paycheck for putting in 8 hours at a crummy job that would get him nowhere. But mom…..she cared about what she did, and you could tell. I'm like that too. I want people to respect me…what I do and what I stand for. That should be good enough….for you and for anyone else!"

"Whoa, little brother. Time to get off that soapbox. I do respect you. I know modeling isn't all pretty faces and enormous paychecks. It's hard work….long hours…for a few minutes of recognition."

"Thanks…I think…" Cameron stopped his work on the bike and walked toward the showers. Gary stopped him.

"I'm sorry man…about a lot of things….I know you're not an invalid, and that's how I've been treating you. I think we can let Mrs. Murphy go by the end of the week!"

"Let me do that…PLEASE??"

"The job is all yours, little brother. And Cameron??"

"Yeah?"

"About Amanda…"

"Forget it Gar. That subject is dead and buried."He walked into the locker room and was going to take a nice, long shower.

"Dead and buried?I don't think so, Cameron….not by a long shot."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Amanda found herself inundated with meetings for 2 weeks straight. Budgets, future covers……and yes, there were those calls from Giovanni. And the flowers. A bouquet every week; each one more beautiful than the next.

"Giovanni….you shouldn't…….this has got to stop!" Amanda pleaded with him but he didn't seem to be listening.

"Amanda……a woman can never have too many beautiful flowers!""

"What can I do for you today? I don't have that much time. Meetings all afternoon."

"Another crisis I suspect."

"No….just projections for the next 5 years…where Brava is heading. You know what those are like."

"If you ever find yourself without a job, I'm sure we can find something for you to do for the Luna Company."

"I have no doubts about that. Now, I must go. I will call you with the finalized plans for the models' arrival…. things like that…by the end of next week. Carson and I have a meeting scheduled to discuss things. Is that all right?"

"That's fine. I look forward to seeing you again. Venice is stunning this time of year."

"I'm sure it is….good-bye Giovanni."

"Until we meet again. Amanda…."

She hung up the phone and thanked her lucky stars that she would not be alone in Venice….Carson would be there…….the photographers too…….and the models…including Cameron.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The St. Jeune agency was immersed in activity when Amanda arrived for her meeting with Carson. This shoot was the first one overseas and Carson wanted to make sure of all the particulars first: that the models had their passports, the photographers would have all their equipment and that the shoot would be finished in the allotted time. Carson had thought this shoot might take 2 weeks, give or take a day, but after speaking to Amanda on her dealings with the Luna Company, she wasn't so sure.

"Amanda, you are punctual, I give you that!"

"Well, I try. I have a lot of things to do with Brava before we take off to parts unknown."

"Parts unknown?" Carson questioned."I don't think so. You know, my dear, you never did mention what all happened between you and the eligible Mr. Luna did you? He IS eligible, isn't he?"

"Yes, very much so. But nothing happened. We were too involved in meetings to save their magazine that I didn't give him a second thought."

"But what about Giovanni? I mean Mr. Luna. Paige told me he's been sending you flowers quite regularly. And you're telling me that's from a man whose sole interest in you is business? Don't make me laugh!"

"Ok..Ok……enough of the frivolity here. Let's discuss the plans and what you've accomplished on your own. We'll deal with Mr. Luna once we get to Venice. Agreed?" Amanda reached out her hand to shake Carson's.

"If you say so." Carson shook Amanda hand tentatively. She knew she was hiding something, but this was business and right now, it took precedence.

Their meeting went well and although Carson invited her to lunch, Amanda had already made plans. She took along some additional work that she and Carson agreed had to be done prior to leaving for Venice. When Amanda attempted to say good-bye to Carson, she was already on the phone, trying to contact the Luna Company and see what kind of 'living' arrangements had been made for herself, the models, the photographers and even Amanda. She waved to Amanda right before the Italian operator put her through to Giovanni's secretary. When Amanda closed the door, she had to laugh some at Carson's attempt to speak Italian to a native.

Amanda waited by the elevators and was getting impatient. She was just about to head towards the stairs when the doors opened. Normally, she let everyone out first but she was in a rush. In her hurry to get going, she almost knocked over one of the passengers trying to get off.

"Hello Amanda."

"Cameron! It's good to see you."