The Hook-up

Chapter 20

"Are you hungry?" Bruno asked Lauren after they got in the car.

"Umm...I could eat." She told him looking at her watch. "But it's late. I don't know where to go."

"I got this." He told her getting onto the highway.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"Italian." He answered with a smile.

"Oh. That's nice." She said not quite sure if she would like where they were going.

"Why oh?" he asked her confused.

"I'm just really picky about my Italian because we went to Rome in the summers." She admitted.

"Was that while you were training for the Olympics too, Elle?" he laughed.

"No. We never went to Turin." She answered.

"I think this should be a good choice. Cait said that you liked it." He said pulling up to the restaurant handing the keys to valet.

"You're right. I do like this place." She looked down in defeat.

He leaned over to her pushing her a little. "Seeeeee....I knew it!" he laughed leaning toward a waitress slightly flirting with her to get them a table.

"Do you always do that?" she asked him as he grabbed her hand leading her to the table.

"I only do it to make you jealous." He smiled at her.

"Oh. Well it worked." She winked at him.

"It did?" he questioned her.

"A little." She told him looking over the menu.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Lauren. I really didn't mean it." He told her sweetly.

"It doesn't matter. I'm just being stupid." She shook her head continuing to look at the menu. "I don't know what to order."

"If you get the Pasta Primavera you won't regret it." He told her putting the menu down to look at her face. "Lauren....are you really upset about that?"

She shrugged her shoulder playing with the straw wrapper sitting next to her. He reached over taking her hand to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. "It's just....no. Nevermind."

He squeezed her hand digging his ring into her palm making her cringe. "Please tell me, Lauren." He pleaded.

"I just....I..." she wiggled her hand away from his rubbing it a little. "I just thought I could handle you being flirty and with other girls but now that I see it, I don't know. I want to find that girl you hooked up with and punch the shit out of her."

Bruno gave her a sad face not sure how to respond. "You don't have to be tough just because you grew up around the industry, Elle."

"I guess you're right." She told him.

"How many times have I told you I'm different?" he responded.

"Like a lot." She laughed.

"See. So. Let's talk about something else. Like you packing for me when we get home." He told her.

"Me? Again?" she laughed.

"I'm too lazy. And you did a good job last time." He told her.

"Oh. Okay. But you owe me when you get home." She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Oh. Don't worry I'll make it up to you." He winked at her. They finished eating talking about his trip to Hawaii and what he planned on doing during the next year. His idea of being on tour for most of the year made her cringe but she had been through that before. She made it. She could do it. She just didn't prefer to do it. "Laur?" he asked seeing her eyes wander.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm listening. I'm sorry." She smiled at him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her.

"I'm just thinking about how hard next year is going to be if you're going to be gone that much." She told him. "But I know it's a good thing that you're going to be gone. It will be amazing."

"It will be. After I finish this in January.....it's either going to be really good or the worst idea I've ever had in my life." He admitted.

"It will be good, Bruno. You're good. Anyone who doesn't see that is crazy." she told him.

"Even after what happened earlier this year?" he asked her.

"Even after that. It was stupid. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes." She said reaching over taking a bite of his food.

"Oh, I was done with that." He said taking her fork.

"Hey! That's mine." He smirked taking the fork from him.

"Not anymore!" he took it from her licking it.

"I've had worse, you know." She responded taking a hold of the check the waitress put on the table.

"No way." He said taking it from her hand.

She shook her head standing up from the chair. "Wait for me outside. I gotta pee." She told him walking in the opposite direction.

Bruno stepped out onto the sidewalk seeing a sudden swarm on people coming toward him. Woah. What the fuck. He thought to himself suddenly handed a pen and unknowingly being pulled into pictures. He saw Lauren out of the corner of his eye as more people came up. He motioned for her to come with him to the car. She held out her hand watching some of the girls aww while others looked at her with jealous rage. Lauren burst out laughing the second they got in the car. "Oh god. Bruno." She looked over at him looking forward holding onto the steering wheel tightly. "Oh....Bruno. " she moved her hand to his to calm him down. "You'll be okay."