Memoir | Klay Thompson

26 // Humans Have Layers

"Good morning Ms. Garrett."
"Hey Cam, good morning!"
"I finished that file you needed, it's on Delia's desk."

Cameron walked through Harden with her head held high. For the first two weeks in position, she wasn't sure if she could handle it at all. She knew she had the ethic to get it done, but her fear was powerful. After a spa date, dinner and a few rounds in the bedroom, Klay convinced her to relax.

"You're looking bright this morning Cameron." Delia smiled. "I could say the same about you Ms. Carter."

Delia had a peaceful weekend, she did nothing but planning and laying out her future. It seemed like everyone was moving in a direction to have their own shine. She was tired of not being able to chase a dream.

"I had a good one but I'm ready to work. I've been working on the Harden Gala." Delia was working in secretarial and in event planning for Harden, that was her true calling.

"You're pretty good at planning so it all makes sense. I'm leaving it up to you." Cameron didn't have an inkling to decide on any of it. She knew her focus needed to be on the books and authors on the line up.

She loved all the books she planned to push forward, but there seemed to be one missing. Of all the stories she read, none of them could fill that spacing.

"Hey, are we doing a meeting at three still?" Nathan asked poking his head into her office. "Actually, we are but only for updates assignments."

Cameron planned to relieve herself of the work she was desperately putting herself through alone. She had something for everyone to do, even the interns who did not intern.

••••

"Thompson, Doc wants to see you." Klay places the medicine ball back on its rack. He just started his workout and didn't want to be off schedule.

"What's up?"

"I think you should start taking it easy. Working out is good but I think we need to go back to rehabbing that knee."

This is not something Klay wanted to hear. He had a plan for his get back and if he didn't play now, he could drift further and further away. He desperately wanted to play.

"For how long doc? I was getting into a rhythm of things. You don't think it would be counter productive?"

Klay's mood changed as he headed back to the weight room. Steph could tell something was wrong. "Aye man, you wanna get some shots in?" Klay didn't object, right now he needed a distraction and he wouldn't get a full one here.

"Sure man, let's do it." Klay followed Steph back into the gym. They traded a couple of shots before a break was needed.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?"

"Doc doesn't want me to play." Klay shrugged. "Well is that such a bad thing? I mean you wanna preserve yourself right? You over extend and then boom, back into an injury instead of just soreness"

"When am I supposed to know when enough is enough? Like I can full count on my own body not to fail me?"

Steph couldn't answer that. He's been injured before and knew it took time to get back to a place of good work and patience. They've spent time with one another, working, pacing, working some more. This would be no different.

"Listen, I'm here for you and I want you to be at your best. No BS, you gotta listen to doc man."

••••

Klay scrolled through his phone as all of the photos from Hazel's premiere surfaced. There were some good ones of him and Cameron. A few tweets and an article pondering if they were more than just friend's of the actress. Klay didn't mind nor cared. What did stick out to him was a gossip blog mentioning they couldn't find anything on her family anywhere.

Cameron didn't have social media and she loved living in the ignorance. After living under a microscope all of her life, she felt this was a choice of peace.

"Ronnie, how come we don't talk about your family?" Cameron stood in her kitchen getting her items out for their dinner. "Because there's nothing to talk about"

"You don't think they're apart of your story?"
"Not the one I'm currently writing." She dismissed.

"You can't pretend things in life didn't happen. That's not healthy." Klay joined her in the kitchen, to close the distance. "I don't wanna talk about this right now."

"I think we should."
"No, we shouldn't."

There was a knock on the door. Neither of them were expecting anyone so they just stared at it before someone knocked again. "You gonna get that?" He asked.

Cameron rolled her eyes, tossing her drying towel on the counter. She looked through the peep hole and couldn't make out the person's face due to their wet brown hoodie.

"Who is it?"

"Open the door Cameron Elise."

Swinging open the door she looked at Maurice in disbelief. She had been avoiding him for awhile now and didn't know why he was even at her address. She was annoyed but not surprised that Michelle gave him her address.

"What are you doing here?"
"Can't stop by and see and old friend?" He stood against the door frame with a smirk on his face.

"I have company and you're interrupting that." She sassed.

Klay was wondering what was taking so long so he left the kitchen to see Cameron standing with the door wide open.

"Everything okay Ronnie?" He asked standing firmly not too far behind her.
"I'm fine, he's gonna be leaving now."

"Ah, Klay Thompson, basketball star. Nice to meet you. I'm Maurice, Cam's first love."

"Haven't heard too much about you, but I guess that's for a reason. Thanks for stopping by, but I think it's time for you to leave."

Cameron shook her head as the men towering over her had a staring contest. She never wanted them to cross paths and now it would be another series of conversations to have that she did not want to.