The Hook-up

Chapter 192

Bruno completed several rounds of interviews asking the same questions and providing the same amount of praise and criticism. Bruno and Lauren had not officially decided what he was going to say about their family so he stumbled through the questions about the babies and his marriage. He gushed about how much he loved the babies and spending time with his wife but did not reveal anything about the wedding or anything that may be wrong with their marriage. He slept through the whole flight back to Los Angeles and arrived in the late afternoon with no plans in particular. He wasn't sure if Lauren was going to be at home or at her mother's house. He wasn't sure if she was going to be mean and confrontational or caring and affectionate. Some days that annoyed him to no end, but others it made the day exciting. It was something he liked, to read her and get into her head.

In the middle of the week Lauren sat her desk pouring over notes and press releases glancing at her phone to see a reminder pop up on her phone "Bruno home" in 15 minutes. "Oh." she said throwing it near her bag seeing a pacifier bounce next to it. I'll leave in a little bit. She thought to herself burying herself in her work Almost two hours later, at 5:15 she was stopped by one of her co-workers.

"Are you going to go get the kids?" she asked. "It's already 5:15 and you have to be there by six, right?"

"Oh shit." she responded throwing her things. "I threw my phone and lost track of time. I am going to be so late. They're going to charge us." Lauren waved at her co-worker that reminded her about the time quickly grabbing her things to run out the door. "I'll call him." she said reaching over to the front of the car. "Call Bruno." she told the car hearing the phone ring.

She heard him yawn into the phone. "Hey."

"I need you to go the babies. I'm not going to make it. Are you home yet?" she asked.

"Oh, hello. I'm good. My flight was fine. I made it home safe." he told her with a smile.

"Bruno!" she laughed half frantic and half amused by his answer. "I'm sorry. I just don't want them to charge us for being late. It's $100 a minute because they're so damn swanky."

"Are you serious? $100? Damn. Where did it say that?" he asked.

"Go look on the fridge. I think it's there." she instructed him as she continued to try to weave in and out of highway traffic to get to the day care.

"Oh damn. You're right. Slow down. I can get there. Take your time." he said to her.

"Your voice sounds horrible. Do I need to get you something?" she asked him.

"I'll get it later." he said reaching for his car keys. "I'm going to go get my children." he said to her.

"Okay. I love you." she said to him.

About twenty minutes later Bruno pulled the car up to Precious Minds, an exclusive daycare for exclusive members of the community. He went into the back of the car to make sure that the car seats were secure and the car seats wouldn't fly across the back of the car as he drove home. "Alright. I got this." he said coughing a little bit as he walked into the lobby.

"Oh! You're here for the twins. Oh my gosh. They are just precious." a girl with a shirt with her name, Desiree, embroidered on her shirt.

"How are they?" he asked following her to the back of the room where two other teachers were holding the twins playing with them. "Oh look at my babies!" he said watching one of the girls hand him Ezra. Ezra reached to get his hair from behind his ear. "Oww. You need to stop that." he laughed at his son seeing the other teacher looking at him with a confused face.

"Lauren usually brings in the car seats." Desiree said.

"Oh. Right. I have to get those..." he glanced out the window trying to figure out how he was going to get each of the car seats secured the same way they were before. "Can I just take the stuff with me?" he asked.

"If you think you can handle all of it..." Desiree pointed to the two overflowing diaper bags then glancing at both the babies.

"Let me see...." he thought trying to move his body to get both of the bags on one side reaching for Ezra. "I can get them." he said again.

"Desiree!" they heard Lauren's voice coming from behind them. "Oh my god.." she gasped bursting out laughing seeing him balancing Ezra and the two diaper bags. "Well thank God I made it." she said putting down the car seats. "Come here, mama..." she said holding her arms out for Everlee who was smiling at her. "Oh, you're so damn cute Everlee." she said squeezing her 3 month old daughter. "Do you want me to take them or you?" she asked Bruno setting Everlee in the car seat then taking Ezra.

"Let's decide outside." he said saying good bye to the girls at Precious Minds. "I kind of had my heart set on taking them...." he said to her.

"Okay. That's fine." she responded. "We're going to the same place, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I guess so." he smiled taking Ezra out of the car seat watching him look at him trying to figure out exactly who he was. "It's just me, Ez." he said leaning down to smile at him as he buckled his son into the car seat. Oh no.Lauren thought. They better not forget who he is...she thought to herself as he reached for Everlee soothing her more quickly than his son. "I'll see you in a few minutes." he said hearing Ezra star to cry.

"Yeah. I'll see you in a few minutes." she responded watching him walk away. She went over to Ezra to wipe away the tears knowing that there wasn't anything she could do for him until she got home. "Ezraaa...." she sang to him starting to hear Everlee's response to his crying, her crying. "Come on you two." she moaned reaching to turn on the radio to try to calm them down putting on classical music. It soothed them a bit until she pulled into the driveway and turned off the music. Ezra was crying so loudly that she knew Gigi and Geronimo were not going to be happy with the babies' arrival home.

Lauren watched Bruno come out of the house holding out his arms for one of the babies. "Take her..." she responded seeing Everlee start crying even more as he took her. He bounced her lightly in his arms starting to sing softly in her ear calming her somewhat. Lauren followed behind him holding Ezra in her arms feeling his crocodile tears falling on her shoulder. "Oh come on Ez. Now you're just overreacting..." she told him setting him down on the changing table to change him instantly calming him down. "Was that it, really? Because you're a little wet?" she smiled at him leaning down to keep him from kicking his way off the changing table. Bruno walked up next to her holding Everlee who was now only wearing a t-shirt and a diaper.

"Is it time for them to eat?" he asked. "Because I'm ready to put on a show." he said with a smirk coughing a little.

"Yes." she said to him finishing up with Ezra leading Bruno to the kitchen. "I think we're having carrots and sweet tomatoes for dinner...." she said after placing Ezra in the high chair.

They finished feeding the babies watching them spit out the tomatoes and the carrots making a mess. Bruno made small jokes about the babies, but she could tell his voice was going to go soon. "Bruno?" she asked after they put down the babies. Do I care about him for a second or do I just do him like there's nothing wrong?

"Yeah baby?" he asked turning around from the sink.

"Did you get anything to make your throat better?" she asked.

"You know what would really make my throat better?" he asked pulling her close to him.

"What?" she asked with a smile knowing exactly what he was going to do. This time, though, she knew exactly what she was going to do.