Room 47 // Laurmani

Chapter 4

You feel renewed after getting a shower and into clean clothes. Your heart has stopped pounding the blood throughout your body at an unusually fast rate and your mind is clear of Lauren, well, about as clear of Lauren as you can get. You can't stay in here forever though. You've put on a simple t-shirt and jean shorts; you guess you'll be safe if you sunbathe out on the porch. Nothing will happen then right?

You walk back out and the sun is further up in the sky, it's kind of at a perfect angle bearing down onto the chair just outside the kitchen window. You take a chance and peek around the edge of the house toward the chopping block. It's empty, only the axe is left wedged on the stump. You sigh in relief and sit down on the chair. Lauren was probably away checking the rest of the land, and this place is huge so you think you're safe. For now.

You've been sunbathing for about 30 minutes when Keith drives up in his truck. You sit up and watch as his grey-haired, small father come out along with Connor. "You both look like shit" you smirk at them as they all walk up onto the porch.

"Stop yellin'!" Mr. Powers grumbles at you. You just laugh because he's usually a grumpy old man anyway but he seems even more so now.

"They have hangovers" Keith says and gives you a faux sympathetic look. "Would have never have guessed" you say rolling your eyes. You don't know how Mrs. Powers copes with a family full of immature boys, and that's including the elderly Mr. Powers. Were you looking into your future here? Were you and Keith maybe going to have kids one day and you'll be stuck in the kitchen doing all the work as they goof off? You shift in your seat uncomfortably.

Mr. Powers hobbles inside.

"Woah...who is that?" Connor asks as he nods out toward the distance. You stand up and see Lauren walking over the fields toward the house. She's wearing what she was before and your stomach clenches for several reasons. Here's the thing about the Powers family boys, they don't hide their attractions, at all.

"Lauren, Normani's counselor, she's also the buyer of this place" Keith says. Connor frowns and gives you a weird look. He's a good for nothing southern farm boy and you're a successful woman in the city, yet, you're the one who's feeling embarrassed right now.

"Damn, she is so fucking hot, I think it's about time she said hello to the Connor" he smirks and is running off before you can stop him.

Fuck.

You feel kind of sick. You don't want him meeting her or talking to her or touching her. If you noticed Lauren's lack of bra and her sweaty body and...

He certainly will.

"Tell him to back off, Keith," you say warningly. Keith just chuckles, "That's Connor for ya," he shrugs. "No I mean it," you snap at him, "she's my counselor OK? And it's just freakin' weird, I don't want her mixed up in family matters OK?"

Keith looks at you and can tell you're serious. "OK Normani, relax, I'll make sure nothing happens between them, I'll tell him when he comes back to keep it in his pants"

You feel even sicker at that thought. "OK," you say as your breathing settles down a little in relief. "Thank you" you say and lean up and kiss his cheek lightly. You don't know why but you were hoping Lauren had seen.

The spinning feeling of nausea quickly comes back though as Connor and Lauren are nearer and you hear her giggle. Your stomach plummets to new depths and you feel stupid and kind of feeling like crying. Then you feel stupid for feeling like crying. You thought that giggle was only for you, it's the one that normally causes your stomach to flutter but now you think it's just killed it. You hate feeling like this. What is wrong with you?