Serendipity // Camren

Chapter 61

Considering it was a Monday morning, traffic on Santa Monica Boulevard was surprisingly light and Lauren chewed her lower lip thoughtfully as she rolled to a stop at a red light at the intersection of Santa Monica and La Cienega. As she waited for the light to change, she checked her rearview mirror to make sure that the security team she'd hired was right behind them. They were, and for as much as she hated the idea of having a personal security detail following her around, she couldn't help but admit that she felt better knowing that nobody would be able to get that close to her and Camila again.

"Almost there," she announced to the Cabelllos, all of whom were staring out their windows at their surroundings. She had seen Camila checking her side mirror more than once on the drive over, and she smiled as she reached out and set her hand on the brunette's thigh. "They're still back there, Camz."

"I know," Camila said quickly, flashing a too-bright smile at Lauren, whose bruises were covered by an artsy blue and white scarf. To sell the accessory as being part of the outfit and not a necessity, Lauren had paired it with a pair of dark-rinsed skinny jeans, a grey tee, and a white denim jacket that looked like it was straight out of the early nineties. The entire ensemble would best be described as hipster, and Camila actually thought that Lauren looked ridiculously sexy in it.

But, even Lauren's staggering beauty wasn't enough to distract her from the way her stomach was twisting with barely suppressed anxiety. She hadn't planned on feeling this apprehensive when they were out in public again, but her heart was racing and part of her wanted to just say 'fuck it' and go home. But she also wanted to get Lauren's ring, and she knew that she needed to work through the unease she was now experiencing. "I'm fine," she added, as she saw the skeptical look Lauren was giving her.

Not at all fooled by Camila's act, Lauren murmured, "You okay?"

Camila swallowed thickly and nodded. "Yeah. Just... promise me you'll wait for the security guys before you get out of the car?"

"Of course," Lauren whispered, squeezing the brunette's thigh gently. The light changed in front of them and she inched forward, waiting for a break in traffic to slip through, and once she did, she forced herself to ignore her mirrors as she made her way down La Cienega to Neil's shop.

There wasn't a delivery truck blocking the driveway this time and she licked her lips as she turned into the narrow driveway that led to the private parking lot behind the store. She rolled down her window as the security guard approached the car, and smiled as he leaned down to look inside. "Good morning."

The guard smiled and glanced at the clipboard in his hand. "Ms. Jauregui, I assume?"

Lauren nodded. "Yes."

"Excellent. Just pull on through and park anywhere you can find."

"Thank you. The car behind us is my security detail, so I'll need them to be admitted also."

"Not a problem, Ms. Jauregui," the guard assured her. "I'll wave them on through as well. Have a nice day," he said as he tapped the roof of her car and backed away.

"Wow," Leroy murmured, sounding appropriately awed.

Camila looked around at the tiny lot that was surrounded by buildings and frowned. "If you can park off-street like this, how did the paparazzi get your picture?"

"There was a truck blocking the driveway," Lauren explained as she pulled into a parking space near the back door to Neil's shop. "And I was already running late, so I just parked at one of the metered spots on the street and walked to the store."

As she'd promised Camila earlier, she waited in the car until she saw their security team to open her door for her. "Thank you, Ian," she murmured as she climbed out of the car.