Page 64 of Crew Girl

He didn’t take the compliment. “Not really. No one sees me in stroke.” He chewed his lip, lost in thought, shook it off. “You managed to get the team onside. Won their respect, got them to listen to you.” He laughed. “You even got a ‘yes, ma’am’!”

“Is that what you want?” she teased. “A ‘yes, ma’am’?”

“Who doesn’t want a ‘yes, ma’am’?”

She pulled a face at him. Like she’d said. Goofball. “They don’t follow your lead because they don’t really know who you are. You always have your guard up. You’re a mystery to them, so they slap the ‘FAID’ label on you because that’s all they know. And to make themselves feel better about themselves.”

“Right.” He wasn’t so sure.

“You need to let them in. Hang out with them. And pranking people with Quaid doesn’t count. Show them the real Cam.” She thought a minute. “You could go to the Fall Formal?”

His eyes sparked bright. “Is that a proposal?”

“What? You couldn’t tell by the romantic taco takeout with a side of blisters?”

He laughed, the gentle one that gave her butterflies. “It’s perfect.”

So was this. Sitting here with him in his truck, talking openly and honestly. Until it turned awkward.

“I’d need a suit. Where am I going to get a suit?”

Now, this she could handle. “Well… I do know a guy…”

CAM

Perry made Teagan and Cam sit on the sofa in his dorm room, then rolled out a massive rack of clothes, presenting it to them like he was their personal shopper at a high-end department store rather than two teammates begging a favor. Nice touch. He was proud of himself for asking Perry for help. Their most fashionable teammate had pretended not to be excited they’d be joining them at the Fall Formal crew table, but Cam knew he’d scored some points.

“Sooo…” Perry pored through the rack, exploring the options. “What are we feeling? Pedro Pascal at the Met Gala? Paul Mescal on the red carpet? Bad Bunny big swing?” He framed Cam between his hands and examined him. “What’s the vibe? What’s resonating?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Plunging back into the clothes rail, he held up two incredibly loud suits.

Teagan laughed as she saw the look of horror on Cam’s face.

“Nope!” He headed for the door. “Not me. I’m out.”

“Wait.” Teagan dragged him back to the rack. “Perry? This isn’t you we’re dressing. Dial it back a bit?”

“Sorry, it was just too exciting to finally get rid of the chinos.” He gave himself a “do-over” shake. “Right, Cam. A suit makes a man. Why don’t you tell me what style you’re imagining? What are we feeling?”

“Umm. That it pretty much fits and is clean?”

Perry tucked his hand under his chin, considering the brief. “Hmmm. Comfortable. Not showy, but proud. With a hint of a rebellious streak…” He turned back to the rack and presented a beautiful deep blue, classically cut velvet suit. “Here we are.”

Cam didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Perry had nailed it. He went up for a closer look. “How did you do that?”

Perry held out the suit to him. “Call it a gift. Suit up, Cam. The crew may row like no one’s watching, but we dress like Anna Wintour is.”

After hanging up the garment bag Perry had lovingly zipped his suit into, Cam grabbed a set of coveralls from the stash he kept in the garage office.

“Hey, Dad.”

His dad held up his finger, pointed at the phone.

Cam pulled off his school shoes and started changing, mulling over the Formal and the handful of things he needed to do before Friday. He had the threads. Transportation, though? His Cinderella needed a carriage. His beat-up truck was a far cry from the limos and sports cars everyone else would be arriving in.

“I know,” his dad said to whoever he was talking to. “We’re a few months late and I’m sorry about that. As you know, it’s the slow season. I just need a few extra weeks.”

Shit. The shop had done pretty well this summer, but no matter how many late nights his dad and the other mechanics worked, sometimes it didn’t matter. It sounded like this was one of those times.

“Right. Thanks,” his dad said. “As soon as I can. I promise.” He hung up the phone.