One and Only

Part 37

One and Only - Chapter Thirty-seven
Lauren's POV
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It was around four in the afternoon when I got out of my last meeting for the day. Listening to people drone on and on about the company's plans for the future wasn't exactly the most interesting thing in the world, so when I got on the elevator to return back to the floor my office was on, I was more than excited to be able to sit at my desk.
I had barely set foot in the office when Adriana approached me, yawning as she handed me a clipboard. "Sign this," she mumbled.
I briefly looked over it before I did what she asked me to, moving my attention to her, "Rough night?"
Richard's assistant scoffed, "All of my nights are rough. I only sleep for like five hours before I have to come back in at nine. I don't even want to know how much sleep you aren't getting. You come in at, like, what-seven?"
"Six," I corrected.
Adriana shook her head, taking the clipboard back. "Things were much simpler when the only late nights we had together at the office were spent in that empty conference room." I chuckled at the memories. "But I guess you have Camila for that now?" Her eyes drifted to focus behind me, so I turned around to follow them.
I saw her sitting at her desk, the girls surrounding her, and my heart swelled. She hadn't mentioned she was coming back to work today. I said a quick goodbye to Adriana before I marched in that direction, a huge smile plastered on my face.
Camila stood when she saw me approaching and I met her with a playful kiss, stepping back to look at her, "I don't remember you telling me you were coming back today."
"It was going to be a surprise, but I think I forgot how busy you are during the day." The brunette chuckled, her hands grasping mine. Her smile matched my own and I was sure we looked like two love-struck idiots.
"Welcome back then." My gaze moved to the girls and they awkwardly greeted me.
It was quiet for a second before Normani blurted out, "I'm sorry!" It wasn't long before Ally and Dinah followed, all of them pouting at me.
"It wasn't my place to say you were moving too fast. You were right, you've known each other for a long time and you're obviously working things out," Dinah said almost frantically.
"It's okay," I reassured them. "Just... don't ask me any more questions. Camz is better at talking about that stuff."
"Deal," they all said, looks of relief on each of their faces.
"Lauren?"
I looked to my side, seeing Richard standing outside of his office. He motioned for me to come inside and I figured this was only the beginning of my night. I'd probably be in there until one.
Camila kissed me on the cheek before I walked away from the group and into his office, Adriana trailing behind me.
"Actually, Adriana, you don't have to sit in this meeting. I'll fill you in later," Richard told her.
She didn't question him, grateful to be out of there, and I gave my boss a confused look.
He didn't waste any time before he jumped into what he wanted to say. "I've run out of options, Lauren. I'm sending you back to Portland." I shifted in my chair, trying not to look too disappointed. "We've spent weeks trying to fix this issue from here and it's just not working. We need someone there-to have better access to the resources, you know?" I nodded and he continued. "I don't know how long it'll take. I would say a week at the most. They are expecting you to be there by tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"I know. You'll be leaving early in the morning-you need to be at the airport by five A.M.-and you'll arrive in the late afternoon. They do expect you to meet with them the moment you get there." He paused, leaning forward. "This is not a 'get-to-know-you' type visit. This is a 'let-me-help-you-because-if-I-don't-I'll-get-fired' type visit."
"I understand."
Richard nodded, relaxing a bit at my response. "The good thing about this is that we no longer have to stay here until one in the morning. My wife is about ready to kill me," he chuckled. "And I'm sure Ms. Cabello will be more than pleased to have you home earlier."
I gave him a surprised look, not aware that he knew we were back together. "Who told you?"
His eyes crinkled in amusement. "I'm not totally oblivious to the office gossip, you know." When I didn't respond, he said, "Dinah."
"Of course." I got up out of my seat and shook his hand. "Thanks for trusting me to handle this on my own."
"Oh, you won't be on your own." Before he could explain further, his phone rang and he motioned for me to leave the room.
I walked out of his office, unable to really identify what I was feeling. I was happy for the opportunity, but what about Camila? We just got back together and things were good-really good. I didn't want to ruin that.
But I knew things between us were different now. We were on the same page this time around and we both knew we loved each other, so why was my heart beating this fast?
"What are you doing?"
I snapped out of my trance to see Mark. "What?"
"Why are you just standing in here looking off into space?"
"I was thinking," I answered.
"Well, you look creepy... So maybe you shouldn't do that in public."
My eyes turned to slits as I glared at him. "I shouldn't think in public?"
"Not while dreamily staring at your girlfriend who's like ten feet away from you."
"What do you want?" I huffed, growing impatient with him interrupting my thought process.
The older man grinned, straightening up. "Guess who was made the new co-coordinator?"
I gasped, nudging his shoulder excitedly. "No way! When?"
"Mr. Clarke told me last night. Guess we work well together," Mark smirked, raising his eyebrows at me.
"I wonder why Richard didn't tell me."
"Well, he was planning on making it Camila, but then you guys had sex together while on your business trip and ruined that chance."
"What?" I nearly hissed. "No, we didn't. We weren't even together then-she was engaged."
Mark gave me a knowing look. "C'mon, Lo, I know you."
"I... don't know what you're talking about," I lied.
He laughed, despite my frown, and said, "Whatever. So, anyway, I was his second option... but I still got the job. I believe my first task is to accompany you and Adriana to Portland. We're gonna have fun," he winked.
I gaped, understanding what Richard meant when he told me I wouldn't be going on my own. "Please tell me you're joking."
Mark put his hand on his chest, feigning heartbreak. "Okay, ow. Thought you'd be a little more excited."
No, this wasn't happening. Camila was just learning how to trust me. And now I had to tell her I was going on a business trip with two people I'd slept with before? I looked at Mark, worried. "No, of course I'm excited you're going. It's just... that won't exactly be easy to tell Camila."
"Well, if she doesn't trust you now, she never will."
I swallowed hard, the heaviness of that statement weighing in on my chest. If she doesn't trust you now, she never will.
I took a deep breath before I returned to my desk, watching as Camila looked up at me with a smile on her face. "What did Mr. Clarke want?" I didn't answer before her face fell, noticing my expression.
"Nothing."
She frowned, "What's wrong?"
"Can we..." I cleared my throat, slowly taking a seat. "Um, can we talk about it later?"
The concerned girl eventually nodded, and I was left to stress over it.
-
When I got up to leave at five, Camila was so focused on what Mr. Clarke had said to me that she didn't even notice I wasn't staying late.
The drive home was almost silent, the girl next to me faced forward with a deep crease in her forehead. I tried to make conversation, but Camila didn't reply much.
I thought maybe this could be a good thing-Camila was probably thinking up the worst scenarios, so when I told her about Portland, she wouldn't be as mad... right?
But as much as I tried to reason with this situation, I was still working myself up. What if Camila freaked out about this? It wasn't like I could say no to going. Plus, she was going to have to learn how to trust me someday. But I didn't have time to worry anymore, because we had gotten back to the loft.
She wasted no time in getting out of the car, waiting for me with her arms crossed. I tried to take up as much time as I could by slowly reaching for my bag and checking to make sure everything in the car worked, but I could only make her wait for so long.
I managed to take an excruciatingly long time to get inside of our building, so it was no shocker that when I tried the whole 'oh-I-must-have-forgotten-my-phone-in-the-car' excuse, Camila spoke up. "Lauren, you're killing me."
So, I reluctantly opened the door to our loft, dreading what was to come.
My girlfriend stood in the middle of the room, her arms crossed again, and I set my stuff down, looking anywhere but her. "...So, how was your day-"
"Lauren!" Camila yelled, exasperated.
"Okay, okay," I said, defeated. A pause filled the air as I attempted to figure out the best way to tell her. "I don't really know how to say this."
"Just tell me."
"Okay, I-"
"Wait!" She interrupted, eyes frantic. "What if I don't want to know? Is it going to make me sad? Because if it is, just keep it to yourself."
"Sounds good to me!" I began to walk away, but froze when she spoke out again.
"Wait!" Camila huffed. "I can't not know."
"Um, okay. I-"
"Wait!"
I rolled my eyes, "Camz!"
"Okay, sorry." The brunette cautiously asked me to proceed and for a second I almost thought she was more nervous than I was.
"Mark was made co-coordinator today but it was supposed to be you but then we messed that up when we had sex on the business trip so Richard chose Mark and now they want me to go back to Portland but this time with Mark and Adriana." The words came tumbling out of my mouth so fast that I was convinced I would have to repeat them. When Camila didn't say anything, I grew anxious. "Camz?"
She moved to sit on the couch, her eyes fixed on the floor. "For how long?"
"I'm not entirely sure... Richard said a week at the most. I leave early tomorrow." Camila frowned, her leg bouncing up and down. "Say something?"
"Well, I'm going to miss you."
"So..." I studied her, "you aren't mad?"
"Why would I be mad?" She whispered, still upset I had to leave.
"Because I have to go with Mark and Adriana."
Camila kind of laughed, fidgeting with her hands. "That's supposed to make me mad?"
"Well, no, but..." I hesitated, "What, don't you think I'll cheat on you?"
Her head snapped back up to look at me, an expression of astonishment stained on her face. "What?" She exclaimed.
"I just..." I began, trying to explain myself. "I don't know if you're past that. I don't know if you still see me that way." Camila grimaced. "I'm just surprised, that's all. You didn't trust me for the longest time-I mean, you thought I was a cheater. Even though that turned out to be you, ironically, when you cheated on Adam with me. I just-I know that, for some reason, I cause a lot of trust issues. I know you don't have faith in me, so... if you're just telling me that you aren't mad about who I'm traveling with to get this conversation over with, don't. Because I can't go to Portland and try to do my job only to have to fly back here to deal with someone who doesn't trust me. I don't even remember the last time you trusted me anyway-"
Camila stood up and I closed my mouth, internally cursing myself for voicing my insecurities like that. "Wow," she said.
I took a step back, my throat dry, "Sorry."
"No, you're right." The younger girl paused, "I've put us through hell." She took a second to think before speaking again, "I didn't think that you loved me... and that was such a scary place to be. I thought I was alone in this, you know? I thought you would be able to just move on if we ended and I was so afraid because I knew that I wouldn't be able to do the same. Because of that, I projected a lot of my insecurities and anger onto you. That was wrong and I'm sorry." Camila walked closer to me, but didn't touch me, respecting the severity of this conversation. "I know that you telling me about this trip was a big step for us, and I can't imagine the anxiety you must have dealt with today, having to predict my reaction. And I know it's going to take some time for you to accept that I trust you, but I do. I trust you." I stared at her, trying not to doubt that last statement. "You love me, right?"
I nodded, "Yes."
"Then that's all I need to know."
"You trust me?" I asked.
"Absolutely."
A deep breath escaped my lips and I started to feel a lot better, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "Sorry I snapped at you."
Camila grinned, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Grumpy Lauren," she whispered into my ear.
-
"Finally," Mark groaned as Adriana arrived, dragging plenty of luggage behind her. "You do realize you were supposed to be here like forty-five minutes ago, don't you?"
"The plane hasn't seemed to leave without me, has it?" She replied sharply.
"I wish it had," he mumbled. "Why are you wearing sunglasses? We're inside and it isn't even light out."
"I had a long night. The fluorescents give me headaches."
"You're starting this business trip hung over? Real professional, Adriana."
"You used to sleep with your now business partner. Don't talk to me about professional." She scoffed, referring to me.
"You used to sleep with her, too!" Mark fired back.
"Okay, everyone used to sleep with me!" I basically shouted. "So, can you guys stop arguing? I'm not about to listen to this the whole way there."
Mark and Adriana raised their eyebrows at each other before they said in unison, "Someone's grumpy."
"She misses Camila," taunted Mark.
I massaged my temples, annoyed already, "Oh my God. This is going to be a long trip."
"You don't have to miss Camila. I can easily slip into your hotel room to make you less lonely." Adriana sat down next to me, resting her hand on my thigh.
"That was weak," Mark said. "No game whatsoever."
"Shut up," she scorned.
"Both of you shut up." I spoke, moving her hand off of my leg. I noticed Mark get a phone call and walk off, so I assumed it was his daughter.
"I hope you aren't this tense all week." Adriana murmured to me.
I looked at her, our faces close, and her eyes focused on my lips. "I'm not tense," I told her. She met my gaze. "I'm tired-of working, of not getting sleep, of never getting to spend time with my girlfriend... who, by the way, I don't ever plan on cheating on. I hope you aren't this desperate all week."
The assistant moved back, a smile on her face despite the offensive things I'd said. "I can be very patient. It's not like you're going to marry her."
"Attention, please," the PA system boomed over us. "Flight 1205 to Portland, Oregon is now boarding at Gate 23 in Terminal 5."
Adriana and I stood up just as Mark reappeared, looking more flustered than anything. She walked in front of us, her luggage struggling to wheel behind her, and I moved closer to him. "Everything okay?" I quietly asked.
The older man clenched his jaw and I saw his knuckles turn white as he held onto his suitcase. "I don't want to talk about it."
I didn't push it further, knowing that he would only get more angry if I tried, and we finally entered the plane, finding our seats easily. I was sat in the middle with Adriana in the aisle seat and Mark in the window seat, praying the six hour flight would somehow feel like only ten minutes.
The flight attendant came around, offering us snacks and drinks, and Adriana asked for a water.
"Lauren?" I looked up from my makeshift desk and met eyes with her. You've got to be kidding me.
"Isabel, hi," I managed to say, trying not to sound too shocked.
Adriana's eyes moved back and forth from me to Isabel until she said, "How do you two know each other?"
I laughed nervously at the flicker of animosity in Isabel's eyes, "It's a long story."
"It's not that long." Isabel snapped back. "I met Lauren on a flight. We joined the mile high club and she said she would call me." Her eyes focused on mine, "But you didn't call me, did you? You called Kat instead."
"Who's Kat?" Adriana asked.
"The pilot," replied the flight attendant, studying her. "Are you supposed to be the current girlfriend?"
"Been there, done that," she replied.
Isabel turned to Mark. "And you? The current boyfriend?"
Mark hesitated before he said, "...Been there, done that."
I huffed, "Been everywhere, done everyone. I get it."
"Here's your water," Isabel shoved it at Adriana and glared at me. "Have a nice flight," she gritted through her teeth before stomping off.
"Wow," the girl next to me smirked, "running off with the pilot after sleeping with the flight attendant? Not your smartest move, Lauren."
"Just drink your water." I said angrily. This was going to feel like a lot more than six hours.
-
We spent only three days in Portland before Mark and I fixed the problem.
All three of us were sleep deprived and unreasonably hung over the whole time, but it had been a good trip.
I was pretty sure Adriana and Mark were hooking up, but I didn't have the stomach to ask them. It was always weird to me when I found out two people I'd slept with were now sleeping together.
We hadn't done anything extraordinary during the time we spent in Portland. All we did was stay at work late and get drunk off of the mini bars in our hotel rooms, but that wasn't very different from our lives in New York.
"I... I f-fucking love... you guys," was a reoccurring statement every night after work as we slurred out conversations. I wasn't sure how, but we somehow understood the words we were speaking.
But we had a good time and, although I was dying to see Camila, I was a little sad to be leaving Portland.
And a little nervous.
My suit case was a bit heavier this time around. It happened to be carrying an engagement ring.
On my second day here, what Adriana said to me in the airport was replaying in my head. "It's not like you're going to marry her."
I'd never thought about making any huge plans for my future-especially not marriage. But... it was different with Camila. It had always been different with her.
It wasn't like I was going to propose to her-not yet, anyway. It just felt good to have it. It felt good knowing what I wanted for my future. It felt good knowing she could very easily be a part of it.
I hadn't intended to go out and buy an engagement ring. I just happened to be walking in some shopping center when I saw a jewelry store. I thought, There's no harm in looking around. There's no harm in thinking about your future. So, I told Mark and Adriana I'd meet them back at the hotel.
When I walked in, I was immediately overwhelmed by the amount of jewelry on display. How was I supposed to pick just one? There were so many choices.
My mini freak-out was cut short when a well-dressed and petite woman approached me, a gleaming smile on her face as she welcomed me into the store. "My name is Vanessa. How may I help you?"
"I was wondering... Um," I felt it get harder to breathe, "I was wondering if I could look at some of your engagement rings."
She nodded, "What style?" I didn't reply, giving her a confused look. "Solitaire? Three stone? Side stone? Halo?"
I gulped, "I... don't know."
"Okay, what about shape? Emerald, pear, cushion, square, oval, heart, princess, round, marquise?" When she saw my puzzled expression, she laughed. "Let's just take a look at a few basic ones."
Vanessa brought out a couple of styles that were more commonly purchased. We discussed my large budget and I spent half an hour learning about all of the different kinds of options I had before buying a ring. Apparently, different diamond cuts were more sparkly than others, or more clear, or more colorful.
I tried to describe Camila to the sales rep, but ended up just showing a picture to her from my phone.
"She's beautiful," Vanessa complimented, her index finger resting on her lips in thought. She excused herself for a second before she came back, her eyes lit up in excitement. She placed a ring on the counter that made my heart stop. "This is a solitaire ring-oval shaped." A lot of specifics were explained to me, but I couldn't seem to focus on anything else but the image of putting that ring on Camila's finger. The words "4.25 carats" made their way to my ears and I had to hold back a smirk. The ring Adam gave her was two carats. Score.
"I love it," I breathed out, holding it in my hand. "Oh my God. I love it." I repeated.
Vanessa grinned, "She'll love it."
I sure hoped so.
Looking at it now in my suitcase, the box looked so tiny. It amazed me that such a huge life changing event could be so small.
I heard the hotel door open so I quickly slammed the suitcase shut, trying to act nonchalant. I didn't want anybody knowing about this. I was going to do this on my own time, when it felt right-not on somebody else's order.
"I can't believe you're going home tonight." Mark tossed his spare key card on the dresser, leaning down to open a mini bottle of alcohol while Adriana appeared behind him. "Why can't you just stay an extra day like Adriana and I are? Richard did give us the whole rest of the week off, you know."
"I know," I smiled, "but I do have a girlfriend that I miss."
Mark jokingly gagged, "You two are so gross now that you're together."
"Now that we're together? Oh, whatever," I laughed. "You know that even if I'd gone on this trip before we started dating, I'd still be rushing home to see her."
"Yeah, yeah. Does she know you're coming home?" He asked.
I shook my head no, trying not to giggle like an overly ecstatic schoolgirl. "I'm surprising her."
Adriana hummed. "I hope you don't walk home to her screwing someone else. That would ruin the mood."
"Thanks, Adriana." I rolled my eyes, zipped up my two suitcases, and faced them. "I'll see you two when you get home." Mark kissed me on the cheek and, to my surprise, Adriana gave me a hug. "Bye," I called out before leaving the room.
-
I got home around four in the morning, exhausted from the flight, and tried to sneak into my loft. Setting my stuff down as quietly as I could, I made my way to the bedroom, the anticipation killing me, and tip-toed over to her, bending down and brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Camz," I whispered, lightly shaking her.
The brunette shifted, her eyes opening to look at me. "Lauren?" This seemed to awaken her because she sat up, wiping her eyes briefly as if to check if this was real.
"Hi," I said, still whispering for some reason.
"Is this a dream?" She asked.
I softly chuckled and shook my head no. "I'm sorry I woke you. I just couldn't wait until morning. I took the first flight home."
Camila just smiled and I could have sworn I saw her eyes welling up with tears before she embraced me in a hug. I moved to sit down on the edge of the bed so I could actually hold her. "Don't ever leave again," she said. "I hate being here without you."
I decided not to tease her about the way she missed me so much when I was only gone for three days. I wasn't sure why, but she really did hate being alone. While it made me feel special, I was more worried than anything that it had become a deeper issue than when we were seventeen. "I'm here," I spoke softly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Camila pulled back to kiss me and her hands cupped my face. She broke the contact, our foreheads touching, and smiled as she looked at me. "Thank you for coming home."
"Thank you for being the person I come home to."
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