The Hook-up

Chapter 47

Lauren stepped out of the car holding onto the jacket in the brisk wind of late summer in Los Angeles. She followed behind Bruno holding onto her heels watching him walk in front of her without saying anything. Ryan walked behind her hoping he could diffuse whatever situation was going to come. She stayed back a little to talk to Ryan. "I think we're okay." She leaned over telling him.

"We're fine." Bruno said turning around shooting his assistant a dirty look as he went to the refrigerator grabbing a beer showing it to the two of them.

"Okay. You call me if you need anything." Ryan said to them leaning over to Lauren grabbing her hand before Bruno could see. "Text me when you get home." He whispered to her as he left for the door. She nodded her head watching him leave.

"Bye." She said under her breath. She watched Bruno sit down on the couch looking at her like she had ruined the entire evening. She rolled her eyes at him walking toward the bedroom. "I think I'm going to go home." She said holding her shoes.

"No...don't do that. We didn't finish..." he said handing her the beer.

She turned to face him seeing a few scratched on his face. "I need some time to think about this." She responded shaking her head no to the drink. She reached over to take it from him. "You don't need this."

"Think about what? I said I was sorry. It's not going to happen again.. because you're not going to see him again." He told her snatching back the drink.

"Oh, I'm not? Should I tell my boss that I'm not going to work on Monday because my boyfriend doesn't like him?" she asked sarcastically. He moved a little closer to her breathing the beer on her neck.

"Yes." He answered moving his hands above her shoulders making her shake a little feeling the coldness of the drink against her ear.

"It's not that easy...." She said to him moving out of his grasp into the bedroom.

"What do you mean it's not that easy? Just say no and find another job." He shrugged finishing the drink setting the empty bottle on a table.

"Oh. Okay. Because that's professional. Bruno! Everything that we are doing is professional. He is not a threat to you in any fucking way!"

"You kissed him. Maybe you should go do that again." He snapped walking into the kitchen getting another drink muttering after he left the room. "You liked it, didn't you?"

"Shut up!" Lauren cried sitting down on the bed knowing he would come back with another drink. "No! It wasn't like that at all. And I wouldn't..." she started to think about blaming him for even being there pausing to rethink her statement. "I wouldn't have this job if I hadn't gone...." She looked down knowing that he wouldn't like what she said playing with the key to his house.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked watching her hands as he finished taking another drink.

"What do you want me to do with it?" she answered in a shaky tone.

"Do whatever the hell you want to with it. I don't even care anymore." He told her walking out of the room. She looked down at her things on the floor trying to decide what to do next. She sat there for a few minutes knowing this wasn't the first or the last time this would happen. At least he didn't touch her this time. She picked up the few things she needed to take back to her apartment holding them in her hand walking toward the kitchen.

"So you're just going to leave?" he asked her setting the beer on another table. She looked at the bottle seeing it more than halfway finished. He's too small to drink that much. She thought to herself. Maybe I should stay so he doesn't hurt himself...

"Yeah. I'm just going to go home. I'll talk to you whenever...." She said leaning toward the door. She watched him walk toward her making her cringe internally. Wrong decision....she thought to herself.

"Don't leave...." He said moving his hands down her waist. "Please."

"But you don't care anymore..." she replied moving her body away from him.

"I don't." he said to her. "Do whatever you want. Just go. Whatever." He said throwing the empty bottle toward the kitchen watching it fly passed the glass chandelier.

"Good night, Bruno." She responded pushing his hands down opening the door with her things toward her car.

"Fuck!" he yelled after he heard her music start in her car.

Lauren pulled up to her apartment about 10 minutes later looking at her flashing phone. She looked down at the phone with tears in her eyes seeing random text messages asking her if she was feeling okay, if she was hurt, what exactly happened and finally one from Ryan.

I'm sorry my best friend is an ass.

"I made it home." She typed pressing the green button.