"I need a favour." Lauren snuggled her face into the puppy's side, unknowingly melting every bit of ice Camila ever had in her heart.
"You make it almost impossible to say no to you when you're doing that, so go ahead." The brunette rolled her eyes, trying with all her might not blurt out the words that were playing at the tip of her tongue.
"I need a babysitter." The way those green eyes looked to Camila told the brunette that Lauren was asking this with a lot of reluctance. As if she felt it would be the biggest burden to thrust upon any one person.
"Uh...sure," Because Camila had been getting along just fine with Natalia since the day they officially met, though the little girl would much rather occupy herself with Bolt than the celebrity. "Where are you going?"
"I-um-I have a date." Lauren tried to hide her face against the puppy again but Camila could see the shy smile playing on the older woman's lips.
"A date." Camila tested the words on her lips and found them distasteful, but nevertheless, she'd sworn to be the friend that Lauren deserved and henceforth, she could not even attempt to stand between the older woman and her happiness.
"It's this guy, Dinah gave me his number a couple of months before you got back."
"You never mentioned him."
"Well, this would kind of be our...first date," Lauren dared a peek at her best friend and saw Camila's arched brow. "I'm a nervous wreck! I haven't been on a date in so long, I've been avoiding it but he's in town and he's put in a lot of effort to keep in touch so...it's no big deal. It's whatever."
"It's not whatever," Camila scoffed, reaching out to steal her puppy back from the red-faced mother. "You like him."
"Please, Camila," Lauren ran a hand through her hair. "That's a bit juvenile, don't you think?"
"You do!" The brunette forced a chuckle as she watched her friend blush ever brighter. "God, it's been a while since you've been interested in a guy. Wasn't the last one, like, Brad?"
"First of all, it's been a long time since I've been interested in anyone, and second...yes." The older woman noticed the questions swirling in her friend's eyes. "Aaron is...nice. He keeps conversation interesting and we don't run out of things to talk about, I don't know, I just figured it wouldn't hurt to go out with him, you know?"
"I guess I can babysit then," Camila placed Bolt down on the floor and watched as the puppy eagerly made his way over to his bed. "But just so you know, Lia and I are gonna be having a way better time than you and some boy."
"Please don't teach my kid anything crazy, like trying to shoved ten chicken nuggets into her mouth."
"Do not pretend you weren't impressed that I could do that!" Camila jabbed her friend playfully and revelled in the soft smile that touched Lauren's face. "But fine, I won't teach your child the essentials in life."
And that was how Camila and Natalia found themselves settled on Lauren's couch with a bowl of popcorn resting between them and Bolt snuggled into the little girl's side. Ice Age was playing on the TV in front of them but Camila was sure she was enjoying the movie so much more than who it was actually intended for. Natalia was too occupied asking her countless questions or trying to get Bolt to do a trick, but the puppy was wiped out.
Camila couldn't believe how much energy the little girl managed to exert and still have more. But lucky for Natalia, Camila had always been a bit of a bouncing ball herself, her parents always complained she had too much energy and not much had changed over the years.
