The Hook-up

Chapter 8

"Well...I think that's something I can work on...." he said as she got up from the couch.

"Bruno...I really need to work on this...you can stay...but..." she told him in a sad tone. "Wait...help me..." she said pointing to pictures. "Help me decide which ones to use..." she pointed to the pictures asking him to sort through them with her. He flopped on the floor taking the pictures from her to help.

Before they knew it Caitlin came barging in the door with groceries wearing fancy work clothes. "Oh...hey guys." she told them.

"What time is it?" Lauren asked looking at her phone.

"It's 7:30...."she answered.

"Holy crap...." Lauren responded looking at Bruno.

"You need a break, Laur...." Bruno said taking her hand lifting her up from the floor.

"You're right. Did you eat yet, Cait?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah...y'all go out. Have fun." she said walking toward her bedroom.

Lauren let go of Bruno's hand walking over to Caitlin.

"What happened?" Lauren asked. "You never say no to food..."

"I'm just tired." she answered walking toward the rest room.

"Okay...do you want me to bring you anything?"

"Naw. I'm good. Thanks, Laur. Have fun. He's cute." Caitlin answered as Lauren ran out the door with Bruno.

"Where are we going?" she asked him as he walked down the street with him toward his house.

"I'm gonna cook for you." he smiled squeezing her hand.

"Please don't kill me." she said to him.

"Don't worry. I'm actually pretty good." he answered her opening the door to his apartment never letting go of her hand.

"Why are there so many boxes?" she asked him looking around the apartment.

"Oh.yeah...I'm moving." he told her.

"You're what?" she asked shocked.

"Calm down, now." he laughed at her. "Just a few blocks away into a house. A snazzy house."

"Are you serious?" she asked him sitting at the kitchen table glancing at his bills.

"Nosy huh?" he smirked as he pulled things out of the fridge for them.

"No...no...umm...no." she answered nervously.

"Lauren...come on. I was kidding. You can pay them too if you want." he said sitting down next to her.

"When did you decide to move?" she asked him.

"Like a month ago...I can afford it and my family is always here....so I need the space."

"Is that why you take up all the parking spaces?" she asked him.

"You keep track of that?" he wondered.

"Only when they're in my spot. I always thought it was friends." she told him.

"Well...maybe it is friends sometimes....but I have a lot of family and they're always here." he told her.

"Tell me about them." she replied.

"Well.....I have two little sisters and three older siblings. Two sisters and a brother. You met my brother Eric..."

"Oh, yeah. I did." she said.

"Eric and Jamie are in LA...the rest of them are in Hawaii. But they come a lot. I think two of my sisters want to move here...but one has kids and everything so that's why she hasn't come up here." he explained telling her about his family.

"Well...I have one older sister....and that's it." Lauren told him. "She's 30 and has three kids and is married. And my parents are divorced. My mom got remarried a while ago and my dad is a pimp." she told him.

"A pimp? What are you talking about?" Bruno asked shocked. Lauren laughed at his reaction.

"He's retired...he travels a lot. He's always on trips and meeting the laddieeesss." she answered him. "He even got hired as a dancer on a cruise. He dances with the single women on the boat."

"Oh shit. He is a pimp. I wanna meet him" he answered hearing the timer go off.

"Good luck trying to find him. The last time I talked to him was like 4 years ago. He doesn't keep in touch with us." Lauren said with a sad tone getting up from the table helping him with the dinner.

He pushed her a little in the small kitchen making her laugh. Before they knew it they were standing in the kitchen making out. He pushed her against the counter holding her head so she didn't hit the cabinet kissing her neck as she moved toward his ear blowing on it as she kissed him. He moved his arms around her sitting her on the counter as she moved her hands to the counter to keep herself stable putting her hand into a plate of microwaved couscous. "Ouch!" she exclaimed as she pulled her hand away from the plate.

"Oh..oh..sorry, Elle..." he laughed taking the plate from her so they could eat. "I'm starvingggggg."