The Hook-up

Chapter 7

A few days later Lauren sat in the middle of the living room reading papers and brainstorming while Caitlin was at work. She heard a knock at the door not sure who it was. Who the hell is that? She thought to herself not bothering to ask who it was seeing Bruno standing at the door with two coffees in his hand. "I saw you got up early..I figured you would need something to keep you going...." he smiled handing her the coffee. She took a sip not sure how he was going to know what type of coffee she liked.

"Hmm..." she handed the cup back to him taking the other one sipping it too. "I like this one better...but it's still not perfect."

"I tried." he said in a sad voice following her to the couch.

"You did a good job, Bruno." she told him sitting down on the couch.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I was trying to figure out how to write about the impact blood diamonds have had on child labor in Africa..." she said pointing to her blank computer screen.

"I don't know if I can help you with that." he told her.

"I don't know a lot of people who can..." she answered. "But I do have a guy to interview...so...I'm gonna do that tomorrow."

"You'll get it, Laur. I know it." he reassured her.

"And what are you doing? Why are you home?" she asked him.

"Oh..yeah. We're leaving for the promo tour tomorrow and I haven't even opened my suite case yet..so...I needed to pack." he responded.

"How long are you going to be gone?" she questioned.

"Umm..this time...." he pulled out his phone looking at a text message. "Three weeks."

"Oh." she said disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Lauren. All of this is happening so fast...." he said taking her hand playing with a ring she was wearing.

"It's okay. I just didn't know that you were that big of a deal." she told him.

He pulled away from her shocked at what she said with a smile on his face. "Baby..you have no idea how big I am. I mean...with the last name Mars? I'm outta this world a big deal." She laughed shaking her head at his humor. "What? You think I'm lyin'?" he joked.

"No! That's not what I was thinking!" she responded trying not to laugh.

"Then what?" he asked her truly concerned about what she was thinking.

"Well....honestly...." she paused trying to figure out what she was going to say. "I just thought you were some guy that just liked to sing and was obnoxiously playing instruments....but now I see that you're for real and I don't know if I can be part of that world...."

"What world?" he asked giving her a confused look.

"The one where I saw well, I have a boyfriend who is a musician...I never get to see him, though."

"Lauren...." he paused also trying to figure out what to say. "You're the only girl I've thought of since that first night I was with you."

"Don't lie." she said.

"I'm not! It won't be easy...."

"No relationship is easy." she answered him.

"Well, you're right." he admitted putting his hand on her cheek bringing her face towards his kissing her.

"But I think I'm willing to work on it if you kiss me like that everytime." she said after he pulled away from her.