Dance On Our Graves

Chapter 21

"May I ask who is calling?"

"Lauren," she stated, standing in the middle of her bare living room. Her bare feet are cold on the wooden floor, but she's not concerned with that right this second.

"Lauren who?" the man asks on the other end of the line.

Lauren huff in frustration, "Lauren. Just say Lauren. How many Laurens can she know?"

Lauren can hear him talking to someone with the phone away from her ear. It's a loud enough whisper for Lauren to hear the person she's trying to reach and ask who it is. The man tells her Lauren's name and soon she's eagerly greeted. "Lauren! Long time no see."

"You better not be sleeping with that guy who answered your phone," Lauren almost feel bad threatening her right off of the bat. But not really. This is her personal number. Random guys should not be answering it.

"Carter?" she asks like she's caught off balance, "Of course not. I didn't recognize this number and I have acquired a rather avid stalker." She seems elated about it and continues rambling, "Although it seems to be just Perez Hilton, however, the acquisition of a stalker makes me feel like I've made it-"

Lauren rubs the bridge of her nose and interrupts her, "I didn't call to talk about creepers with you Hansen. I called to talk about Normani."

"Is she okay?" the screech nearly deafens Lauren in one ear. "Did she slip by the pool? I told her I didn't like her swimming while I was gon- while she was alone."

Lauren sighed, "She told me okay? And she's fine. Physically anyway."

"Oh," Dinah's voice becomes quiet, "What would you like to discuss? Are you going to blackmail me?"

"How much do you talk to Normani?" Lauren asks her. It's more of a demand. She has been hanging out with Normani for a while now and if Dinah doesn't know how close she and Normani are now, they don't communicate enough.

Dinah sighs and quietly answers, "Now isn't a great time."

"When is?" Lauren asks, "Because we're having this talk if I have to call Perez and ask him where you are and then track your ass down."

"I'll call you on my lunch break," she sounds defeated. Lauren could care less. She's more pissed than she was before she got to talk to her.

"When is your lunch break and where are you?"

"I'm in Bridgeport for a photo shoot," she sighs, "I get off for lunch in a couple hours."

Lauren looks at the watch on her wrist and tell her that she'll meet her there.

Lauren arrives a little early at the café that Dinah told Lauren she'd meet her at. Lauren did speed a little bit (or a lot) but she seethed all the way there and didn't notice how fast she was going.

It's a tiny café. Probably the most inconspicuous place in town. Lauren feels like Dinah thinks she's going to make a scene. She damn sure is.

When the bell rings on the front door of the café, Lauren nearly cracks up laughing when she seess Dinah. She has a scarf over her head and oversized sunglasses. A tan trench coat was tied tightly around her waist. She looks like a movie star from decades back, getting ready for a drive in the country.

"Are you sure you don't need a ski mask too?" Lauren asks her as she walks right past her to the counter.

Dinah jumps a few inches off of the ground, her boots making a soft noise as they meet the creaky wooden floor again. She slowly turns on her heel toward Lauren. Even though her eye is hidden, Lauren knows she's disappointed. "You're early."