The break upper

13

: "best friends forever"

Chapter Text

Lauren has seen Anya before. It was at the hospital, when Camila was recovering from her concussion. Yet nothing could have prepared her for this.

Anya is... power, although not as much as Camila. Lauren's lover is as powerful as she is kind and gentle and tender. Camila is loving. Anya is just... scary. She clearly has little to no patience for people in general and seems prone to violence and spewing insults. But maybe that's just Lauren overreacting to this second first impression.

Camila clears her throat, cutting the shocked atmosphere of the office in half, and both Lauren and Anya turn to face her. Camila's expression is stoic, serious, almost business-like. The Camila that Lauren knows between the sheets may be tender and loving, but CEO Camila exudes power, ruthlessness and control. She has seen glimpses of this unreadable Camila before, she was almost overwhelming when they first met; but here, in her kingdom, Camila is all CEO and almost no Camila at all.

"Anya," Camila starts, her voice welcoming but slightly formal. She gestures for Anya to take the other chair across from her, the one next to Lauren. Anya scoffs and stays where she is. "This is Lauren Jauregui. Lauren, this is Anya Odon, my best friend."

For the first time since entering the room, Anya acknowledges Lauren's presence. Her gaze finally meets the blonde, travelling up and down in clear judgement, eyebrow raising sceptically as brown eyes settle on Lauren's face. Lauren stretches out her hand in greeting, but Anya simply looks at it, then levels Lauren with a stare that clearly says 'not happening'. Lauren awkwardly clears her throat and retracts her hand hesitantly, thoroughly overwhelmed and unsure of what to think of this person that is obviously so important to Camila but doesn't entirely fit Clake's idea of Camila herself.

"So?" she hears Camila say, prompting them to say something.

Anya's lips curl into a smirk and she eyes Lauren one last time, before turning to Camila and saying, "I hate her. She'll do."

What? Lauren's eyes widen at Camila, brows furled in demand of an answer. Camila's eyes close in annoyance and Lauren can see her take in a deep breath, nostrils flaring, clenched jaw.

"Anya," she says quietly, calmly, yet it fills the whole room. When Anya goes to protest, Camila raises both her hands in a curling motion, leaving no room for discussion. "Leave us."

Anya huffs but does as told, yet another demonstration of the power Camila holds over everyone in this building. Moments later, after the door has closed behind the woman, Lauren turns back to the CEO.

"What the hell, Camila?" she asks harshly. "I'll 'do'? What does that mean?"

Camila's first response is a sigh. "Anya is stubbornly convinced, even though I have denied it more than enough times, that I am just using you for... comfort before the wedding."

Lauren's brow furrows. "Why would you use me for that?"

This time, Camila rolls her eyes. "Like you've never used someone before." Just as Lauren is about to — indignantly, it should be added — complain, Camila quickly adds, "We all do it, Lauren. We all have done it at some point. Using people, for whatever purpose, is part of human nature."

"Not my nature," Lauren grumbles, crossing her arms.

"Look, doing this — being a leader," Camila explains, her open and stiff hands going up and down, just like when she was telling Lauren that sometimes one has to take slightly unethical paths. Lauren realises that this is the demeanour Camila adopts when explaining something that might not be so easily accepted. The tougher words, the harder choices. "It requires using people all the time. Being a boss is basically using people to do something for you, by paying them a laughable salary every month. If they believe in you, they will do anything. All you have to say is, 'go do this for me'."