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Chapter 10

11 Days until NYC

Camila didn't waste any time making it back to her apartment complex. She jogged through the lobby of her building and had nearly made the elevator when she heard Cole, the kid at the desk, call to her.

"Hey Mila, lovely day."

"Awesome day," she said as they elevator doors closed.

She rifled through her pockets for her gum and when the car opened on the sixth floor, she tossed the whole pack to little Wes Brody.

"Whoa, thanks Camila!" the little boy said as he ran down the corridor.

"Butternut Squash!" Taylor Swift greeted her.

Camila deftly avoided the oncoming ass slap, grabbed the styrofoam cut in the drunk's hand, and chugged the whole damn thing.

"Hey, that was my passion fruit mango Afternoon Delight," Taylor complained.

"It was delicious, now go make another one," Camila told her as she led Taylor into her apartment.

She had the key in the lock of her own apartment door when Troy and Ally opened theirs.

"Hey," Ally said. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah," Camila smiled and pushed her door open. "Busy."

"Not too busy, I hope," Troy replied. He reached out his hand to do the usual hallway spin.

Camila gave him a low five, "Love ya. See ya," and she shut herself in her apartment.

She threw down her keys and rushed over to the cabinet where she kept Lord Pumpkin's afternoon meal. She had already served the Salmon Surprise when Pumpy waddled in with a meow. He was pleased that Camila had finally been trained to feed first, do anything else later.

"From Russia with Love," Normani said  from the couch. He pointed to the television.

Camila stopped moving and checked out the screen. "We get channels from Russia? I never knew that."

"It's the movie," Normani told her.

"Oh," she was still a little confused, but she really didn't care. She had other things to do as she made a move toward her room. "That's great, Mani. I hope it's as good as BBC."

"You don't want to watch?"

"Not now. FaceTiming Lauren. Going to New York," she called over her shoulder right before the door shut.

"Going where?" was Normani's muffled reply.

Camila swiped her computer off her desk and carelessly fell onto her bed. Just a few clicks and there was Lauren. No waiting.

"You're real," Camila said as soon as she saw her.

Lauren laughed and the brunette thought that her heart had stopped. She had heard that laugh so many times, but she had no idea that it was so beautiful to watch.

"So many times in the last couple months, I wondered if you were real," Camila told her.

When the other woman had settled in a smile, she said, "I'm very real, Camz. And you're even more beautiful than in your pictures."

Camila couldn't hide the deep blush that floated across her cheeks, "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me all giggly and stuff."

"It's true."

Camila bit her lip, which made her grin a bit lopsided.

"You can't tell me not to compliment you and then look so fucking cute, Camila."