Best of the Best

Chapter 11: Streaking

The pie plate nearly fell to the gleaming lobby floor for the fifth time in a minute, as the doorman showed Camila to the elevator. Lauren Jauregui's private elevator. He waved a key card and pressed a few buttons, holding the door as he ushered Camila inside with a wide smile.

The doors closed, and Camila felt herself overwhelmed, enveloped by Lauren. The small space filled with rich perfume, left behind in the air from when Lauren came home from work. Camila could picture her. Breezing in, chin up, sunglasses on, heels clicking as she strutted through the lobby, phone still in hand no doubt, sending emails or yelling at an editor until these doors opened and the Lauren Jauregui the world saw became the Lauren Jauregui Camila was privileged to know. The phone was put away, the sunglasses too, heels were obviously kicked off, if the pair in the corner were any indication. The elevator equivalent of Superman's phone booth.

Camila bent down to retrieve them, dangling both size sevens by her pinkie, standing up straight and giving her outfit one last look over as the doors opened. She was sure her crisp button up shirt and tight grey pants would garner some appreciation...but there was no one there to greet her.

"Hello?" She said, taking a tentative step into open space of the penthouse. She looked around, taking in the bright, stylish decor, reminiscent of Lauren's office. A screech from down a hallway behind her had Camila turning around. She nearly dropped her pie, as a very naked Thomas streaked by. Lauren appeared seconds later.

"Thomas Sebastian Jauregui!" Followed another screech, and Camila had just enough time to set down her dessert on a nearby table, and grab a squirming, squealing Thomas as Lauren emerged from a room down the hall, tank top and sweatpants obviously damp, and a towel thrown over her shoulder. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she was pushing loose strands out of her face when she noticed Camila, and came to a dead stop.

"So I've found a few of your things," Camila said, hoisting Thomas over her shoulder. She held out Lauren's heels with the other hand. "These were in the elevator."

Lauren let out a long sigh, her tense shoulders dropping slightly. "I'll take the shoes, you can keep the streaker."

Camila smiled trading Lauren's shoes for the towel, managing to wrap up a still giggling Thomas.

"I don't have any clothes on," he whispered, as Camila adjusted him in her arms.

She smiled and touched their foreheads together. "I saw that, but why, buddy? And why are you giving your mom a hard time?"

Thomas had the decency to look abashed. "I needed a bath."

"And then what? You were gonna go dry off in the sun? Work on your tan? Give the birds a show?"

"No!"

"So you were just running around naked for fun?"

"Yeah."

Camila used one end of the towel to dry a drop of water off his chubby face. "I don't think your mom is having fun, buddy. I think she needed you to take a bath so we could all be clean and smell nice while we have dinner."

Thomas nodded, and dropped his head on Camila's shoulder. "Sorry mama."

Lauren stepped forward and sighed, her expression and shoulders loosening as she breathed out. "Apology accepted, young man," she said, lifting him from Camila's arms. "Now can you go put on your pajamas please? They're on your bed."

Thomas nodded, and he scampered down the hall and out of sight, as soon as his feet hit the hardwood floor.

Lauren pushed the hair from her face, her whole body sagging. "Oh thank God."