READY OR NOT (CAMREN)

THIRTEEN

Lauren started her Tuesday with a Grande Almond Latte that just two years ago would have been a difficult feat to successfully obtain. But she and Starbucks had put their differences aside, and the folks there loved her. They'd really experienced a turn-around in their relationship, and she, for one, valued the newfound coffee friendship. She followed that victory up with a call to Noah at Big Top, who seemed beyond thrilled to hear from her.

"Lauren, how are you?" he said as he picked up. "I've been meaning to call you. Thought we could all do drinks, talk about the film. Shoot the breeze."

If shooting the breeze was boy talk for business, she was in. "That would be fabu—awesome," she amended, in an attempt to speak Noah. "It would be fabu-awesome." Oh no. She'd really just said that.

"You know a place?" he asked. "You strike me as a woman who knows the good spots." That's when a fantastic idea struck, as apparently Ally wasn't the only one capable of creative genius.

"I do know a spot. They serve the most amazing craft cocktails. I'd love for you to experience the place too, as you may want to utilize their services in the future."

"I love the way you think," Noah said. "Let's do it." They squared away the details, and Lauren did a happy dance in her head for connecting the two clients. If Noah, an influential man about town with the millennials, fell in love with Havana, he could do a lot to put it on the map. If Havana, likewise, impressed Noah, Lauren would be an instant hero and receive cool points with Big Top, edging her that much closer to cinching the account.

It was a win-win.

She hung up the phone, sat back in her chair, and held her arms outstretched like the corporate rock star she was. She could hear the proverbial crowd cheering all around her.

"So I take it that call went well?" Normani said, glancing up from her laptop.

"We're having drinks with the Big Top guys at Havana later this week. All of us. Show up and be cool." Normani passed her a look. "Okay, fair enough. You just show up. The rest of us will work at it."

The door slid open and Ally arrived for work, prompting Lauren, Normani, and Dinah to pause their tasks at hand and break into their new tradition of humming "Here Comes the Bride" every time Ally arrived on the scene.

As always, she beamed back at them from the doorway, soaking it all in. "That never gets old."

"You know what else doesn't get old?" Lauren asked. "Wedding planning. I think I missed my calling."

"You totally did," Dinah said, nodding. "You'd be a kick-ass wedding planner, Lo, and if I ever get married, I plan to utilise your services." With that she and Normani exchanged a sweet smile that on any other day would have had Lauren feeling intrusive for witnessing. Not today. Today was a good day, and her friends could be as in love as they wanted. She'd already knocked off half the tasks on her to-do list and had been wildly successful in the process. She now got to spend a little of her morning pulling together the details of what would be a gorgeous wedding, if she had anything to do with it. And maybe, just maybe, she was happily looking forward to the after-hours business meeting she'd scheduled for herself.

Lauren's thoughts lingered on that last part, as the anticipation of more alone time with Camila washed over her. She was behaving recklessly. She knew that much, but maybe it was time for her to let her hair down a little. Take a walk on the fun side of the street for a change. She'd put in years of being the together, responsible one in any given circumstance, and for once, she was planning to do something just because she wanted to.

"So I was thinking I might go dress shopping later this week," Ally said. "And I thought I'd see if any of you wanted to come. I mean, you don't have to, by any means."