Chapter 5: The Interview

Cameron Hayes’ POV

I was on the plane to San Francisco after I got a little tip that Brandon Cornwall has discovered something new. I need to know what was going on and so I have decided to personally meet the person.

Not that many people knew but Brad and I were best friends. It has always been 4 of us and I have to visit my sister, Sabrina, as well. I sighed as I was looking out the window. The clouds were nice but I know the truth about San Francisco. It was called Foggy city for some reason.

After we have landed in SFO, I wasted no time getting into a rental car and went to the city. It was a nice scenery change and of course because there was no blonde-haired person that always gets my blood boiled.

Or was it? You like her attention after all.

I scoffed at the realization that I was giving to myself. Did I? I never ask deeper but I don’t have to. I just need to be able to forget that thought at the moment. I was looking at the road before I was entering the busy highways of San Francisco.

The Golden Gate was glistening in the sunlight and I can see the Berkeley bridge as well. There was an island that was known as Alcatraz Island, it was one of the haunted prisons in the state but there was more to the story after all.

“I always wanted to go there,” I mumbled to no one as I was moving toward the rental house that I have secured for the weekend. It was nothing surely but I will be meeting with Brad before I can go to the house.

I was parking the car in the parallel park, which can say much about my skills on these dangerous roads or San Francisco. I never knew how they do it, parked their car when their house on the top of the mountain, and the surface area was not flat.

I sighed as I saw the sign of Brad’s firm. I don’t know why I felt nervous, I was his friend for God sake! I can do this. He will be with me even though I don’t have an appointment with him. Not to mention that my sister worked for him.

Well, I do have an appointment with him when I saw the announcement. I secured my spot for an exclusive interview and I was glad that he accepted. I took out my briefcase before I was out of the car. I was looking at the building before I was smoothing my suit.

I walked inside the office as I make my way to the secretary. She had the same shade of red hair as I was but she was more of copper whereas I was more of auburn.

“What, no kiss?” I asked her as Sabrina turned to look at me. She was surprised before she was smiling at me. She stood up and I was spreading my hands to hug her.

“Cameron, you’re here,” she said as she was hugging me. I was kissing her head before I was looking at her. She was thinner the last time I saw her.

“Are you feeling okay? You look thinner,” I said as Sabrina was waving her hands dismissively. She smiled at me before she was clearing her throat.

“Mr. Cornwall will be ready for you,” she said in her seriousness. I laughed as she glared at me.

“Don’t mock me!”

“Sorry, it was just too much,” I said as I was looking at her. She rolled her eyes before she went inside the room and she announced my arrival to Brad.

“Your appointment is here, sir,” my sister said as I was moving inside the room. Brad smirked at me as he was ushering me to take a set.

“Mr. Hayes, what a surprise,” he said as I rolled my eyes at him before my sister was out of the room.

“Brad, come on. Your acting was unnecessary right now,” I said before Brad laughed and he went to pour some brandy for him. He asked me what I wanted.

“What are you having?”

“Whiskey please,” I replied before Brad poured some into the glass. I took his offering as I was looking around.

“Here,” Brad said before I thanked him for the drink.

“So, I heard you did something crazy,” I said as I was looking at the city. The view of San Francisco was very nice right now.

“Please, do tell,” Brad said as he was looking at me. I smirked at him.

“I heard that you were talking with someone just now. If I was not mistaken, her name is Barbara,” I said as I was arching my eyebrows at him. He scowled at me before he burst.

“Get your own damn woman,” he replied with the scowl still on his face. I chuckled as I sipped on the whiskey.

“Well, I did have a choice but unfortunately, she was seeing someone else,” I said as I was looking at the whiskey before I remembered the images of Fauna with her husband in my mind. My lips thinned before I was clearing my throat.

“So, what do you have come down to the Foggy City in this time of year? I heard Seattle is nice for hiking,” Brad said as he was looking at me while taking a sip of his drink.

“I have come here since you were just exposing some discovery that you ought to tell WWF,” I said as Brad smirked at me.

“I thought you only care about wildlife,” he replied.

“It never hurt to listen to hear about other scientific discovery, you know,” I said with a frown before I put my glass on the coffee table and I was looking at him with the seriousness that I can master right now. Brad smiled before he shook his head.

“Whatever you say, Cam,” he replied as I was putting out my recorder before we were settling on the sofa.

“So, shall we begin this interview?”

“Well, I can never say no to the director of WWF magazine. That would be rude,” Brad said before I sighed.

“You know I was not the director yet, right?” I asked him as he shrugged at me.

“But you will be once you continue your study, later this year I presume?” He asked me as I was looking at him. I nodded.

“Perhaps but I don’t have any university that is suitable for me yet,” I said as I was looking at the city. Maybe San Francisco will be a great city for me.

“How about NYU?” Brad asked before I turned to look at him. I arched my eyebrows.

“NYU?”

“Yeah, I heard they have great Volcanology program and the faculty of the Geology department was good,” he said as I was looking at him. I was rubbing my chin before I nodded.

“I’ll think about it,” I said before Brad smiled at me.

“Excellent, so shall we?” He asked before I pulled out a list of questions and I pressed ‘Start’ on the recorder tape before we began.

After an hour or so, we have concluded the interview and I was shaking his hand as Brad was smiling at me.

“Well, that was an insight that I cannot think of anything else right now,” I said as I was looking at the question with some notes that I pointed out so that it would be easier for me to write the article later.

“So, will I be seeing later in NYC?” Brad asked me as I was putting my stuff away before I let him do his work.

“I don’t know. But I think I will look into it and maybe ask for some recommendation letters,” I said as I was smiling at him. He nodded before he was snapping his finger at me.

“Almost forgot,” Brad said as he went into the bag that he would carry around the site. He took out something like a mineral core and gave it to me. I arched my eyebrow at him.

“It is a new mineral. I don’t have a name yet but I will think it later,” he said as he was smiling at me. I was looking at the mineral and there was something unique about it. And I don’t think it was the air trap inside it.

“Why don’t you name it Cornwall’s Core? That would be catchy and it will help you to remember in the scientific community,” I said as I was putting the mineral away. Brad blinked at me before Brad laughed at me.

“Yeah, after I got my research approved and my papers are published. Now, off you go. I got work to do,” Brad said as he was pushing me out of the office and I smirked at him.

“Send my regard to your beautiful, blushing bride then,” I said as I went out, kissed my sister on the cheek for goodbye, and went out of the building.