Serendipity // Camren

Chapter 70

"You have got to be kidding me." Lauren shook her head as she slowed down to try and squeeze her way through traffic to the valet station that sat in front of the hotel.

In the past, all of the wrap parties for films she'd worked on had been on set – mostly because they were filmed on location and it was just easier that way. And, as her keen green eyes swept over the throng of paparazzi lining the sidewalks outside the hotel where the Serendipity wrap party was being held, she couldn't help but wish that the production company hadn't gone all out for the event. It was her last night with Camila before the brunette flew back to New York to begin working on her new play, and all she wanted was a laid back celebration of the work they'd done before they went home, finished whatever packing Camila hadn't completed yet, and just climbed into bed and spent their last few hours together wrapped in each other's arms.

But that, apparently, was not to be, and she sighed as she pulled to a stop in front of the valet. Not that she had been expecting to completely avoid the cameras tonight because the hotel was a popular stakeout point for a lot of paparazzi hoping to make a buck by snapping a picture of a celebrity just trying to have a normal night out. But, by the sheer volume of cameras waiting on the sidewalk, just off the hotel's actual property so that they couldn't be kicked out, it was obvious that somebody – most likely from production looking to get some free publicity, though she couldn't rule out the idea that it was somebody at the hotel who had a deal with the press – leaked the information that they would be there.

"Here we go," she muttered under her breath as she reached for her door handle. The minute the door opened, a cascade of flashes greeted her. She arched a playful brow and smirked at the cameras pointed at her as she climbed out of the car and quickly made her way around the back of the vehicle to get to Camila. Her heart slowed as she felt the fabric of Camila's coat against her fingertips, the tactile presence enough to assure her that she would be able to protect her should the need arise. Not that she was expecting anything to happen, there were more than a few burly security guards watching them and the photographers very carefully to make sure that nothing did happen, but she still felt better about Camila facing the cameras with her at the brunette's side. The air around them exploded with camera flashes as she gallantly escorted Camila to the sidewalk, and she rolled her eyes as she looked at her fiancée. "This sucks."

Camila smiled and, playing to the cameras, leaned in and pressed a soft, calming kiss to Lauren's lips. "It does."

It didn't escape either of their attention that every camera around them was snapping away as quickly as possible in an attempt to get a perfect shot that might be able to be sold to a mass publication like Us Weekly or People Magazine or something similar.

"CAMILA! CAMILA! ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE GOING BACK TO BROADWAY?"

"Very much so," Camila replied smoothly, smiling as she looked in the general direction the question came from. "I'm very excited to get back to the stage."

"COULD YOU GUYS LOOK THIS WAY?"

Lauren caught Camila's eyes and, seeing that the brunette was okay with being surrounded by cameras, nodded and wrapped her arm around Camila's waist as they turned and gave the photographers on the other side of them a chance to snap their picture as well. After a few minutes of obligingly posing and smiling at the cameras, Lauren held up a hand and said, "Sorry guys, but that's it. We gotta get inside now," before she wrapped a protective arm around Camila's waist and chivalrously led the brunette inside the hotel.

Once the front doors of the iconic hotel closed behind them, cutting off the noise from the street, Camila leaned into Lauren's side and laid her head on the raven-haired woman's shoulder. "Well, that was fun," she drawled.