The Secretary

Twenty One.

The same night, Shawn came back home right after talking with Camila at the bar. He found the nurse, thanked her and sent her away, then he went to check on Melanie.

"Hi." he said simply, leaning by the doorframe of the guest room.

"Hi... You're a little late." she replied from the bed.

Shawn shrugged. "I went to the bar after work." he added.

"With your girlfriend?"

He raised his eyebrows at that.

"Are you okay? You need something?" he asked in reply.

"Is she okay with all of this? I mean, I'm living with you..." she teased.

He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.

"I'd like to remind you that you're here just because I want to help you." he replied then, firmly.

"And she believes you? She understands your point of view?"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "I'm going to have dinner." he said, exiting the room.

He was really trying to have a civilized relationship with the woman, but it was clear that wasn't possible. She never missed a chance to tease him.

Next day, at work, Shawn saw Camila entering the studio, and he immediately went to his door to stop her before she walked to her office.

"Hey." he smiled.

Camila sighed and turned around, nodding at him.

"Hey." she replied.

"Uhm... Are we still okay about Charlie? After work I'm going to bring him to yours, right?"

"Right."

"Thanks again for doing this."

Camila nodded and was about to turn back around to make her way to the office but Shawn grabbed her wrist. She turned to him again as he left his light grasp from her.

"Sorry, I just wanted to know if you've thought about what we discussed last night." he continued, shrugging.

Camila sighed once again.

"Look, Shawn... Right now there's basically nothing I can do to help you. When there is, well, we'll see what I can do." she replied.

"Well... I guess that's better than a 'no'." he grinned.

She bit her lip and raised her eyebrows before saying something else.

"I'm talking about the Oliver thing, not about...us."

He pursed his lips.

"And... What about us?" he whispered.

Camila looked down. A coworker passed the pair and Shawn smiled awkwardly at her, even though he had a feeling everyone in the place knew that he and Camila had something going on by now.

"I better start working now." Camila concluded before turning on her heels and finally reaching her office.

Sighing, Shawn just watched her leave.

When work was over and Shawn walked to Camila's office, he didn't find her there. She had already gone home. He felt sad thinking back to when she used to wait for him there so that then they could go to his place together. Everything had changed so quickly, but he couldn't blame anyone but himself for that.

He went to his place just to get Charlie, asking Lucy to stay with Melanie for a little longer, then he drove with his dog to Camila's place. He wondered if her mom was home and what he would tell her in that case about the dog he was dropping off before knocking lightly on the door with Charlie on his leash. Camila opened the door.