English Love Affair

-Chapter Two-

I had to be at the office by 7 AM that Wednesday to help set up the video equipment and review everything for Lauren’s interview. It would be filmed and posted on the website later that week. We had wrapped up Meghan Trainor’s interview and photo shoot already on Monday and Tuesday.

She was a nice enough girl. She even let us have an exclusive first listen to her album titled, ironically enough, "Title". It was actually very good, and Dinah and I found ourselves running around the apartment singing it at the top of our lungs more than once after its official release.

Waking up that Wednesday (like I had slept) felt like the beginning of my own personal hell. I was about to come face to face with the person that had kept me up too many nights. I had failed in all of my attempts to avoid the thought of her. It all haunted me, and part of me wished I had never stumbled upon her show that night.

Honestly, who gets that worked up over a weekend affair? Why couldn’t I shake her? She didn’t care, so why did I? I had avoided watching award shows, reading the tabloids, or even reading on any celebrity life. I let other people handle that at Now! ever since. I focused on covering the more worldly events, all in an attempt to forget Lauren Jauregui.

"Ugh, I hate early mornings," Dinah complained, groaning as she took another sip of her coffee. We were in a cab on our way to my impending doomsday. (Maybe that was a little dramatic.)

"Me too," I said, looking out the window at the building and the hustle and bustle of the street goers. The city still never failed to amaze me.

She shifted her position, turning to face me. She reached out, grabbing my arm gently. “ Are you sure you want to do this, Camila?” I could sense the concern in her voice. “It’s not too late to back out.”

“Dinah,” I met her gaze, “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” She held out her smallest finger, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Her expression remained serious, however.

“Pinky promise,” I linked her digit with mine, smiling.

Lauren’s filmed interview was scheduled for 7:55, and she was supposed to be there at 7:45 to give time for her hair and make-up team to do their thing if necessary before her “close-up”. The studio was all prepped by 7:30. Dinah was handling last minute things in her office while I was making sure everything was in working order.

Shawn came in while I was sitting down in a chair in one corner of the room, trying my best to calm my nerves. He handed me a cup of tea and a note. “Dinah told me to give you these,” he explained as I took them from his hands.

“Thank you,” I nodded gratefully.

“No problem,” he shrugged. He stood hesitantly, rocking on his heels like he was nervous. “Mind if I sit down?” I shook my head and he took the seat next to me immediately

“I know it isn’t necessarily my place, and it’s none of my business, but you seem kind of nervous,” he observed.

“It’s that obvious, huh?” I laughed.

“Can I ask why?”

“You just did,” I joked. “Let’s just say our new feature, well, we’ve met before…” I trailed off, but the poor boy still looked clueless. “It wasn’t necessarily on business terms, either.”

“Ooooh,” Shawn got the hint, finally. “I gotcha. Have you seen her since?” I shook my head again. “Well, listen, it’s always pretty awkward running into someone you had a fling with, but, if I know anything about you, you’re a total professional at this job. Just keep it like that. Don’t treat her as anything more than another interview, you know?”