The Hook-up

Chapter 65

Bruno got in the car turning it on not talking to Lauren. She sat in the car watching him drive. She could tell her was upset. But she couldn't yet tell if he was angry or scared, because she was scared to death. They were old enough and had enough money to support two children. It wasn't that they weren't sure how they were going to take care of their children, it was much more shellfish. How were their lives going to change? What were they going to do when they wanted to go out? What about those nights when Bruno went out and got completely drunk and flirted with every girl within his reach? What about her? All these thoughts ran through their heads as he turned onto the street. "Let's go eat." He said to her. "It's almost 5:30." He said to her.

"I thought you had to go to the studio." She responded flatly.

"But I'm hungry. So I'm going to get something to eat." He said to her.

"Bruno...what's wrong?" she asked him reaching over for his hand.

"Nothing is wrong." He snapped back at her.

"No, Bru. You don't act like this when there isn't anything wrong." She told him.

"Lauren. I don't know. I don't know." He answered her.

"I don't know either." She answered him. "But this is where we are and what we have to deal with."

"What we have to deal with?" he asked her.

"I can't even think straight with going to South America and now you're pregnant. Lauren. It just wasn't supposed to happen." He told her stopping at the red light looking over at her.

"You'll be back in three weeks. It will be okay." She told him.

"That's not it, Lauren! It's not fucking it!" he yelled at her. "I can't do it! I just can't be a father! I can't do it!" She was slightly caught off guard by his yelling not answering his question. She turned around to look out the window not answering. "What do you even have to say about it Lauren?" he asked her as they continued to drive.

"I don't know what to say to you, Bruno. You're hot and you're cold. You're yes and you're no. You love me, you hate me. You want to be there, you can't even stand the thought of being there. You have to help me understand what you want. I can't do this. If you don't want to do this I can go home I can go to my mom's. I get it." She told him hearing his breath shorten as he got even angrier. He still didn't say anything to her trying to figure out what to say. He looked over at her seeing her move as far away from him as possible. He knew he was going to do something he would regret if he didn't take a break. He turned a few times down the street where the studio was. He pulled into the spot he always took getting out of the car not going inside. He sat on a step laying his head in his hands. Lauren looked over to the side of building seeing Phil and one of the other producers they were working with and their cars.

"Bruno!" he heard Phil yell. "Come over here! We got you some tequila!"

"Not now." He said looking up at Phil.

"What the heck?" Phil asked walking over to him turning to see Lauren getting out of the car with her make-up running down her cheek. "I'll let y'all figure this out..." he said grabbing the unnamed producer going into the studio. As soon as Phil was gone Lauren walked over to the sidewalk where a small patch of grass was. She laid down in the grass looking up in the air smelling light smoke coming from Bruno's direction. She opened her eyes seeing him sitting at the same place smoking with his sunglasses on tapping his feet frantically. She let him calm down closing her eyes feeling herself starting to drift to sleep as the sun started to set and his smoky smell drifted off in the other direction.

"Lauren!" she heard Bruno yell at her a few minutes later. She glanced up at him seeing that it was pitch black outside. "Let's go get you something to eat and then go home." He said sweetly taking her hand helping her get up. He pulled her into his arms kissing her head.