The dragonfly tattoo artist

6

Camila called Lauren during her break exactly two days after that night.

She hadn't wanted to do so when Dinah, Ally or Normani were around, because she knew they would make her stupidly nervous, and that was why she preferred to talk to Lauren while eating her overheated lunch at the Dope Tattoos warehouse.

Lauren answered after two tones.

"Jauregui art studio, good afternoon. Can I help you?"

She was surprised to hear her. She had never been treated with such false courtesy.

"Am I really talking to the girl who undresses in front of strangers without any modesty?" She joked, and anyone who had looked her in the eye at the time would've realized that she was falling in love.

"Camila?"

At that very moment she discovered that she liked to talk on the phone with Lauren Jauregui, because in this way she could notice the surprised tone in her voice and not feel surprised by the always neutral expressions of her face.

"I thought you wouldn't call me" At another time she wouldn't have believed her, because it was clear that Lauren had a lot of confidence in the art of seduction. In that instant, however, she noticed her sincerity "so I'm twice as glad you did."

A nervous and inevitable smile gripped Camila's lips.

"Are you really happy with my call, Lauren?" She couldn't believe it.

Lauren was perfect, and she was a simple tattoo artist. Why would she be happy to hear her voice?

"The truth is that I was so desperate to know about you that I was the one who was about to call you."

And that was how Lauren Jauregui, without too much effort, made her heart beat painfully.

"Why didn't you do it?"

"You didn't give me your number, Camila."

"You could have called the studio and asked for it."

Lauren was silent, and then it was heard the sound of the palm of her hand striking her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I was so focused waiting in front of my studio phone that I forgot that you also work at one" She made fun of herself "... By the way, just in case you haven't noticed, I was waiting for you."

"Of course you were waiting for me. You were going to ask me something, right?"

Immediately it was quiet, and shortly afterwards a nervous giggle was heard.

"You're right. I was going to do it" She muttered, but it seemed that she hadn't remembered until this moment.

"And what is it?"

She didn't know what it could be. Lauren was impossible to predict.

"I need you to be my model, Camz."

Had she not been so surprised at her request, she would have noticed the affectionate nickname the young woman had used to refer to her.

"What...? What do you mean?" But she knew.

"In a few months I will have an exhibition that I decided to call "Hidden Strangers", and in it I will expose different characters of society with peculiarities that they try to hide, and is there something more peculiar than a tattoo artist without tattoos?... Of course, I'll keep you anonymous."

Camila gulped. Something told her that wasn't all. Something told her that those words she didn't want to hear were coming.

"Camila, I want to paint you naked."