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[ISRAEL YADIRA MONROE]

There was nothing like jamming out to Beyoncé that put Israel in a good mood. The singer was her fashion and lifestyle icon. To call Israel a fan would be the understatement of the century. To Rae, Beyoncé was unquestionably flawless. Every man wanted to be with her and every woman wanted to be her. Despite living in Los Angeles and doing the hair and makeup for a variety of a-list celebrities on a regular basis, Israel would be shamelessly star struck if her were to ever meet the Queen Bee. Anyone who knew Israel knew how much of fan she was. So it would be no surprise that she was blasting her music louder than the legal limit as she drove to the Los Angeles Airport. Though she kept the soft top of her convertible up, Israel rolled the windows down and sang along to the music as if she were joy riding to nowhere in particular.

But it wasn’t just the music that put her in a happy place. Israel was on her way to pick up her friend Camden from the airport and he always managed to put a smile on her face. The man had been away working in Brazil for several months and even though they kept in touch he was still missed. Israel and Camden were good friends who enjoyed each others’ company and then some. It wasn’t anything serious but it would be nice to have him back. Israel went on a handful of dates with a variety of men while Camden was away. She’d made some new friends and collected some numbers and she was sure that Cam made several new friends of his own. The voluptuous Brazilian women had a reputation for clinging to American men so Israel was sure that Camden was living in paradise both literally and figuratively during his time there.

Israel arrived at the airport and decided to park her car so that she could meet him inside and offer to help with his bags. She didn’t bother to get dressed up. After all, she was just going to pick up an old friend. Denim short shorts, sandals, and tank top would suffice, but still, she put on two coats of mascara and some lip gloss. The two beauty items were always in her purse and were a necessity, even on her laziest days. The simple application made her feel fresh and feminine. Israel looked around at all the other people waiting for their loved ones to arrive near the baggage claim area. Her hair was currently at its natural dark brown color so she blended into the crown much more than usual. When passengers started to descend via escalator she scanned the faces for a familiar one, waving him down with a big smile when he appeared.


WORDS 471
TAGS Camden Jeremiah Carter
NOTES will make this pretty later

[Camden Jeremiah Carter]

While he loved the time he spent in Brazil, getting there, and back, was a pain in the ass. On his flight to South America, he had a layover in Atlanta, though it was only an hour so it wasn't enough time to see his mom or to get much work done. The almost ten hour over night flight was what did him in, not being able to sleep much due to the person next to him fidgeting and snoring. The flight landed early the next morning in Rio De Janeiro, and any hope of sleep for Camden stayed on the plane as his production team needed to be on site that day.

Filming in such a beautiful country though was a blessing, and such a great experience. And the company wasn't that bad, either. When they were not filming, the crew spent much of their time together, checking out Carnival, the bars and clubs the cities had to offer, someone even managed to talk them all into going on a day trip, hiking the surrounding area, or spending the days lounging on the beaches.

Camden almost always had a beautiful woman on his arm, some local girl that he had picked up that day. There had been some hesitation on his part when he first arrived, knowing he had left some loose ends back in L.A. There was a sense of uncertainty surrounding Israel and himself, and instead of speaking up about it, or stating his feelings, he fled to South America.

As the plane landed, he sighed in relief, gathering his things before exiting the plane. LAX had never been his favorite place, but as much time as he had spent there, it had become easy for him to navigate. He knew Rae would be waiting for him, having asked her to give him a ride from the airport. He was excited to see her, it had been several months, and only to himself would he admit that he had missed her more than expected.

He scanned the small crowd that had formed near the baggage terminals, looking for the familiar face. Finally she caught his eye as she waved him down, offering one of his world class smiles back to her. Adjusting his bag on his shoulder, he kindly pressed through the crowd, finally reaching her. "Brown? That's awfully normal of you," Camden teased as he hugged her, picking her up off the ground. Pressing his lips to her cheek, he smiled as he set her down. "Miss me, boo?"

i'll make this pretty eventually.
and sorry i took so long!

[ISRAEL YADIRA MONROE]

. .. .

let me cater to you

Israel had no expectations as far as Camden was concerned. For a variety of reasons, Israel just chose to let the chips fall where they may. For one, she was a true free spirit. Whatever happens, happens and that was cool with her. But at the same time, she didn’t want to get hung up only to be let down. Camden was a great guy. He was talented, funny, smart, and incredibly sweet. And from what Israel could tell he didn’t like to be tied down. Neither did she. She didn’t really know what she wanted in a relationship and so she wasn’t pursuing one. Instead, she chose to just enjoy her life with the amazing in it. Camden just happened to be a little more amazing than the rest.

She couldn’t help but get excited when she saw him approach. His pearly whites made her giddy but she was sure he had that affect on everyone since his smile was practically perfect. “Well, you know,” she said flipping some of her hair behind her. He towered over her and she had to look up at him when she spoke. “I can’t keep it crazy all the time. Gotta leave room for surprises. It’s all about the shock factor.” Israel let out a short squeal when Camden picked her up. As he kissed her cheek her smile widened and she flung her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek of her own. Did she miss him? Absolutely, but she’d never admit how much. After all, they were just friends and she didn’t want to seem like a stage five clinger. But she was so looking forward to his company again. “Of course,” was all she said as he put her back down.

“I won’t even ask if you missed me because, well, who wouldn’t?” she asked feigning arrogance. Israel turned toward the baggage claim. “So I figure we could grab your bags and I’ll take you home, cook you a little something and hang out.” She put one arm around his waist and pinched his side playfully. “Did those Brazilian women cook for you?” She wasn’t a chef by any means, but if you could read you could cook, right? “I grabbed some groceries for dinner on the way home but if you’re too tired we can always rain check.” Israel imagined that he wanted to relax but she wanted to try and do something nice for him since she hadn’t seen him in so long. “Whatever you want!”

[Camden Jeremiah Carter]

A home cooked meal sounded amazing, Camden smiled as she offered to cook for him, pulling her back in for another hug. "We tried to be 'cultured' and eat at local places." He answered her question, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as the pair made their way to the baggage claim belt. His shocked expression was all she needed as a response to her inquiry of what he wanted. "Am I ever too tired for food?" An eyebrow arched as he shook his head.

"Have I really been gone that long?" He mused as he turned back to the baggage belt, watching for his two pieces of luggage. He wouldn't deny that he was tired, but, he had missed the girl and looked forward to spending some time with her. Cam was actually a bit shocked at her attitude. He had some what expected her to mention how the two had left everything before Brazil, but, surprisingly she acted as if nothing was different. She also acted as if they were just friends; which was true. But, maybe he had missed his shot, perhaps she had found someone else. He had been so out of the gossip loop, and, hadn't tried hard to keep up with it, either. He enjoyed the peaceful, detached nature of Brazil, and although he was glad to be home, was not looking forward to the busy mouths of the business.

He knew of one piece of gossip floating around; that he and actress Bianca Tanner had disappeared from the spotlight due to an unexpected pregnancy. His first reaction was to laugh it off, but, as always, there was that little voice in the back of his mind that questioned it. Every piece of gossip had some sort of truth to it, didn't it? Though, he was quite sure if he had gotten the girl pregnant she would have said something to him, plus he had heard that Richard Nolan was also suspected to be the father as well. Camden wasn't worried about it, and he had no reason to be. Bianca had all but disappeared, out of sight, out of mind.

Finally his luggage turned up, and he awkwardly stacked the smaller one on top of the larger one so he could carry them both with one hand without having to let go of Rae. "So, my place, then?" He asked, a little wary about her cooking in his kitchen. "I think I have a couple of bottles of wine I can put on ice when we get there." He thought aloud, shifting the weight in his hand as they fought their way out of the airport.

gah! sorry this took so long.
but it's here now! <3
it was a bit difficult to write about them
not being together
since they now are together.
fun times!