The Hook-up

Chapter 10

Bruno sat in front of the microphone answering questions about his album and himself. It made him uncomfortable to talk to people about himself. But to make himself feel a little at ease he turned to one of the female deejays who had the same hair cut as Lauren imagining she was the one asking the questions. When they finished everything the deejay stopped him.

"Bruno....you're doing a good job. I know you're nervous. It'll come to you eventually." she squeezed his waist walking in the opposite direction. What the hell was that? He thought to himself seeing Phil and some others of his small group waiting for him.

"That chick dude..." Brody told him.

"What about her?" Bruno wondered.

"She'd get all up in you." he answered.

"Oh...yeah. But I have Laur." he said.

"You say that today...but think of where you were before you met her, bro." Phil said.

"What the fuck does that mean?" he responded as they walked out the door.

"I give you three days before you start something with another girl. You and Elle have only been together for like a month. You couldn't do it with Becca what makes you think you could do it with Lauren?"

"Woah. You're being really blunt, bro." Bruno answered.

"I just don't want you to get all bent out of shape when you fuck up. You get so emotional." Phil answered.

"I'm done being like that." Bruno said ending the conversation looking at his phone textig his sisters.

**

"Bruno!" he heard a shrill female voice come up behind him smiling later that night.

"Oh....Rachel...hey..." he said caught off guard by the same girl that had interviewed him earlier that day. It wasn't out of the ordinary for radio personalities to be at the same parties they were at, but they usually kept their distance letting the talent and the employees do their own thing. She handed him a drink smiling.

"Oh...I don't think I'm going to drink too much tonight." he told her half of him saying no because he knew they were flying the next day and flying hungover was horrible and the other half stopping because in the dark she really looked like Lauren and he knew he could get in a lot of trouble.

"Oh come onnnn..." she nudged him. "It's their specialty. You're missing out." she smiled a bright and welcoming smile.

"Okay...but you are responsible for my actions tonight. If I do anything stupid it's because of you and only you..." he smiled.

"I will take responsibility for that." she answered playing with the bottom of her ponytail. "Let's dance..." she responded after he took a sip of his drink.

I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't do this. Bruno repeated in his head as he started walking to the dance floor with her. He maintained a close but friendly distance asking her questions about herself. He learned she had just started working at the radio station in Arizona and was very excited about meeting new people. She was so cute. But...he wasn't sure what he was doing. It always ends this way. I can't do this...he continued to think as he drank more. He turned to look at Phil who just gave him a knowing look. Bruno stepped away from Rachel knowing that he wasn't drunk enough to do anything stupid. "Rachel...I need to go and talk to Phil..I saw your friends over there..." he said pointing to the group from the radio station.

"Yeah..umm..okay.." she said to him walking away.

Bruno sat down next to Phil sighing. "Fuck. I need Lauren." he moaned.

"Three weeks is just the start, dude." Phil responded.

"I just....oh man..." he said picking up the phone to call Lauren. "I need to go outside. I'll be back." he said standing up holding his phone almost shaking. Not tonight. No. Not yet. He felt a hand reach for him...Fucking Rachel. He thought to himself feeling her lips against his. Before he could even respond his hands were in her hair thinking of Lauren. He took her hand leading her outside off to the side of the building where no one could see them kissing here even more, with his phone still in his hand. He moved his hand to his phone letting go of her. "I'm sorry, Rachel..." he walked in the opposite direction with his hand almost shaking as he scrolled through his phone looking for Lauren's name. He hit it still shaking grabbing his cigarettes with the other hand.

"Hey, baby. How are you?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"Laur...I messed up."