The Hook-up

Chapter 49

Later in the evening Lauren laid down in her bed looking at her fan thinking about nothing in particular. As she thought about the food she needed to buy, the gas she needed to put in her car and even charging her ipod before the morning her mind eventually wandered to Bruno and the things that she worried about. I forgot to tell him I'm going to New York. He's going to be so pissed. She picked up her phone, that was laying on her bed, and texted him:

I'm going to NYC later in the week for work. Don't be mad at me.

After clicking send she counted on her fingers to see that it would be 10 in the morning.

Why would I be upset?

Because it's New York and what happened before. He's not going to be there.

You should meet my dad's side of the family when you're there.

That's not weird without you there.

It will be fine. Go to bed. I'll talk to you later. <3

She looked at the last text message turning her head around stretching out to fall asleep. It's still weird. She thought to herself.

***

Lauren walked down the narrow New York street looking at the numbers of the homes counting until she found the home she was told to meet Bruno's grandmother and his cousins. She had met one of his cousins, Miguel, once very briefly but was still beyond nervous. She could feel her palms getting sweaty and her feet slipping her heels. She wished that he was there with her to make it easier, but there wasn't much to make the introduction to his family, without him, more awkward. She grabbed her phone to call him. It was 11 o'clock wherever he was so he was probably still performing. She let the phone ring hearing it go to his voicemail. In a shaky voice she left him a message. "Hi...umm...it's me. I'm in front of your grandma's house...ummm....I'm scared. That's it. I know it will be okay, but...yeah...okay. I'll talk to you later. I hope you had a good show." She ended the call looking at her text messages to make sure she was at the right house again. It's right. She thought to herself stepping toward the house to knock on the door. As she reached for the door she heard the door open to see a short Hispanic woman with her hair in a braided bun wearing a house dress with a smile on her face.

"You must be Lauren!" she exclaimed reaching over to hug her. Oh shit. What the hell. She thought to herself.

"Abuela! Calma!" she heard Miguel come up behind her. "Hi Lauren." He smiled the same smile as Bruno reaching to pull her in the house.

"Hi. I'm glad I'm at the right house." She laughed nervously.

"Oh you are, mija. Come on..." his grandmother gestured. "I still need to finish cooking. Help?"

Lauren nodded her head following his grandmother to the room. She smelled the smells and took in the unfamiliar home seeing a large group of people sitting at a small round table watching her. "Hi." She said quietly.

"Lauren! Que bonita! He was right! Eres tan bella." She heard a younger girl say to her reaching out to hug her. Geez. Both sides of the family are touchy. She thought to herself embracing the girl who later introduced herself as Maria Elena. Lauren followed instruction hoping not to mess up the tortillas and watched all the members of the family make the beans and mix peppers together perfectly.

"You'll make this for Brunito when he gets home. We always make it for him when he's here. And Damaris. She loves it too." His grandmother said placing some of the meal of a plate.