westward grove

five

The next month went by with relative ease, relative being the keyword. Stripping is a much more physically demanding job than I expected, and I found myself exhausted most of the time. That said, I was making a ridiculous amount of money, and personally, was pretty happy with the job.

My happiness however, did not rub off on Normani. She wouldn't say it, but I could tell that she was unhappy with my job occupation. In all the time that we'd been together, I'd never had a regular job. Various magazines, newspapers, or blogs had picked up some of my work from time to time, but that was all I ever brought to the table.

On a more pleasant note, my writing had been all over the place in a positive way. I'd been uninspired for months, completely unable to write anything even mildly interesting. After I met Lauren, though, I broke through my seemingly eternal writer's block.

Even though I didn't know much about Lauren, I was determined to find out more. For whatever reason, I was drawn to her. We connected instantly, and formed a solid relationship. Whether or not it was appropriate to be friends with your boss, I aimed to be as close as possible with mine. Which was why I decided to hop on my bike and head over to Westward Grove.

I didn't work today, but Normani did, so I was alone, anyway. Outside of the club, I didn't have any friends that I actively spend time with. Zayn, Niall, Dinah, and two other bartenders; Louis and Liam, were the only people I'm interested in hanging out with. It's nice to get close to new people, especially ones that you vibe well with.

The ride across town was easy, as it wasn't particularly warm or windy. I spent the entire twenty minutes praying that Lauren was around, or at the very least, easy to track down. It seemed as though my prayers had been answered as I walked through the door and immediately spotted her at the bar, talking to Zayn and Niall.

"Ask Camila, she'll be honest with you." Niall said as I approached the bar.

I sat down on a bar stool next to Lauren, smiling at her before turning towards the boys. "Ask me what?"

Lauren rolled her eyes before releasing a deep sigh. "Is it ethically wrong that I only hire foreign guys to bartend?" I cocked an eyebrow, silently requesting further explanation. "Okay, see that guy over there?" She asked, pointing to a boy with curly brown hair and green eyes that I immediately noticed weren't nearly as enticing as hers. "He got the job. I'm not interviewing him because he's British, and therefore fits the theme of the bar that resides inside of the strip club that I own." Lauren explained, glaring at Niall.

"It goes deeper than that, though!" Niall exclaimed, obviously getting worked up. Zayn seemed amused, but didn't jump in to the conversation, "Not only does she only hire foreign guys, she only hires guys that she thinks are gay! I mean, come on, that guy is definitely gay." He continued, causing me to laugh almost uncontrollably.

The guy that sparked the conversation looked up from the paperwork he was filling out. "My name is Harry."

Niall brushed the reply off, ignoring the fact that he'd heard the entire conversation. "You're gay, right?" Niall asked without an ounce of shame. Harry nodded, as though the question wasn't completely out of line. "I told you guys! Lauren has a sixth sense about this shit or something." He theorized, shouting rather loudly

"Niall, would you go tend to those customers, please?" Lauren asked firmly, but with a small smirk gracing her lips. She pointed to a few men sitting at the other end of the bar. Niall sighed in defeat before walking away.

Zayn's eyes darted between Lauren and I before ours met. He was the only person I had talked to about my infatuation with Lauren. Zayn and I became very close friends quickly, and I knew what he was telepathically asking. I nodded once, attempting to be as incognito as possible. Zayn smiled at us politely before walking over to Niall to help him mix some drinks, leaving us alone.

Lauren turned to face me, and I couldn't help but notice the way she was sitting. Her legs were firmly crossed, and her posture was fantastic. "So, Camila," she started, pulling me out of my trance. "What brings you down here today? You're not scheduled to work."

"Honestly?" I asked, and she replied with a simple nod. "I didn't really have anything else to do today."

Lauren smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Where's your black girlfriend?" She asked playfully. I might have been micro examining , but I swore there was a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"Working," I replied with a shrug. Instead of asking further questions about Normani, Lauren hopped over the bar and began mixing a drink that I quickly recognized as an apple martini. She slid it over to me and I mumbled a thanks before taking a sip. I was impressed that she remembered it was my drink of choice. But more than anything, I was flattered.

Lauren whipped out another glass, most likely to prepare a drink for herself. Although, before she had a chance to pour anything, I had a strike of courage. "Let's go do something right now." I suggested, but it came out as more of a question.

Lauren seemed a bit taken aback. I was normally cordial around her, sometimes even shy. I rarely spoke more than a few sentences to her at any given time, so this was bold. Admittedly, one of the main reasons I didn't talk much was because my main focus was not doing something embarrassing, such as, staring into her eyes for too long.

"God damn, Cabello. I was pretty sure you hated me a minute ago, on account of the fact that we barely engage in conversation, and now you're asking me to blow off work to kick it with you. This is a lot to take in." Lauren said, the banter causing me to blush a little.

"Is that a yes?" I asked, disregarding her little speech.

"Well, it depends. Is that makeup or are you blushing right now?" She asked confidently and quickly, giving me no time to prepare. I was blushing a little bit before, but it was nothing compared to how red my face became.

"Fuck off," I shot back playfully, taking a gulp of my drink in a desperate attempt to compose myself, and to get my face under control.

"To answer your question, though," Lauren started before taking my drink and dumping it out. I shot her a look, which she ignored. "I'm definitely interested in doing something with you right now." She added before hopping back over the bar. Somehow, Lauren's arm ended up around my shoulder. I embraced the touch, leaning into it.

As much as I wanted to believe that I had strictly platonic feelings for Lauren, I couldn't deny that things felt right when we were together. Despite the fact that we didn't know each other too well, I felt as though we connected. All I really wanted was to get closer to her, and establish a more solid friendship.

Part of me wished that I felt indifferent towards Lauren. I completely acknowledged the fact that she was a threat to my relationship with Normani. It's not that I expected Lauren and I to end up together- she wasn't a threat in that sense. She did, however, make me aware of how much I no longer cared for Normani. She reminded me of how I used to feel.

Lauren was a new edition to my life, and perhaps that was the reason I was so drawn to her. She was intelligent, funny, and of course, attractive. None of her incredible features made it easier to appreciate my current relationship. It would be ridiculous to throw away years of my life so hastily because

I needed to bury the lingering hope that Lauren and I would become more than just friends. The thought was inappropriate, and I needed to push it as far back as possible. Day dreaming about marrying my boss was immature, and I planned on moving past it all.

I've found that some things are easier said than done, though.

a/n: plugs:

twitter: europeanormila
snapchat: lizsevier