Narrator's POV
Camila was feeling insecure as Lauren had a gorgeous ex and many friends, and she was adored by many women and famous with the women. Lauren, on the other hand, was feeling insecure when came to her background. It was still in her back of her mind that Camila deserved someone better, with no homeless background and wealthier. She was still thinking about Mr. Bardem, and also Mrs. Cabello.
Neither Ally nor Lauren knew why Mrs. Cabello disliked Lauren. Ally only knew what she had told Camila that her mother did not want to adopt a kid with an unknown identity and background. While Lauren knew the same. Mr. Cabello told her that he could not bring her home or invite her to her home as her wife did not like it. Even though Camila's parents had passed away, Lauren still thought about whether Camila's parents would agree or disagree with their relationship. Camila was not her sister anyway and Lauren was certain Mr. Cabello would not be mind. It was different when came to Mrs. Cabello. Lauren met her once at Mr. Cooper's party, she was cold and expressionless when she met Lauren.
"Camz..." They were still enjoying their Sunday morning under the tree by the lakeside.
"Yes..."
"Your uncle will not like it if he knows we're together."
"I know, but I could not care less."
"..." Lauren did not say anything. She was lost in her thought. She knew that Javier would be against their relationship.
Camila did not hear Lauren's response. She lifted her head and looked at Lauren, "Lauren..."
"Yea..." Lauren touched Camila's cheek.
"Don't worry about him, he has no say in our relationship. It's none of his business."
"But he is your uncle, Camz..."
"Yes, he is, but I don't care whether someone is a family member or a stranger, if they are good I am good. If they are not, they can stay away." Camila was just like her father. She would care for those who deserved it even though they were strangers, and she would ignore those who did not even though they were family.
"I agree..."
"Yes, that's what I learned from my father. Now, I know why he's not mentioned in my father's will. I did not know that he is not a good person until I followed my father's will to take the CEO position. He was always smiling and happy when I met him whenever he visited us. Probably, I was too naive at that time, even Dinah never likes him from the beginning."
"Did he visit you often?"
"Regularly, he visited us... but my father never talked about him."
"Does he still visit you?"
"Not that often since my father passed away, and he has not contacted me since that day when you hit him."
"Oh, sorry, Camz... for this mess."
"No, Lauren, don't be... it's not your fault. It's his. He should know his place, not you..."
"Did it ever cross your mind, he's right trying to warn you about me. That he is right?" it was the same doubt that Lauren had when Mr. Cooper offered her to be the candidate for the mentor position.
"No, never." Camila hardly could trust someone just like her father.
"But I am a stranger here, Camz... what do make you trust me more than him?"
"It's my father..."
"Your father?" Lauren frowned.
"Yes, he's like a father to you, then you must be like a daughter to her?"
"..." Lauren knew he cared about her but she never expected more than that. Lauren always thought that Mr. Cabello was just being good to her as she had saved him once, and he was just being himself helping the helpless ones as he always did.
"Why do you look so surprised? Isn't it true?"
"Yea... he helped me and provided me everything... he's. Like a father to me, but I am not sure he saw me that way... like her daughter..." Camila looked at Lauren, "not that I complaint... I am grateful for everything he had given me, I could not ask for more."
"Why... it's because he did not bring you home or invite you to any of the company events that took place here?" Camila never saw or heard about Lauren until the will reading day and the day she joined the company. Camila was shy but her father always wanted her presence at the events taking place at their mansion. Her father would have a party or event at their mansion and invited his good friends and trusted people from the company, but she never saw Lauren. She was confused and wondered why Lauren was in his will as a trusted person but she was never invited.
"... yea, but I understand," Lauren said.
"My mother?"
"That's what I know... but how do you know?" Lauren tensed. "Did your father tell you or your mother?" Probably, Mrs. Cabello had her real reason to dislike her.
"No, they never mentioned you. It's Ally who told me that my mother did not agree that my father wanted to adopt you and bring you home, but she agreed that he supported you." Camila herself was still confused about this.
"Oh..." Lauren was sad but she did not question it. It was not that she wanted to claim a spot or being acknowledged. She just felt excluded. "He never mentioned about me... so you never heard about me before?"
"No... the first time I came to your name was the will reading day..."
"I'm mentioned in your father's will?" Lauren was surprised.
"Yes..." Camila smiled at her.
"Is it in a good way?" Lauren chuckled. She was less sad.
"Secret..." Camila teased her.
Lauren pouted, "did he ask you to stay away from me?" Lauren's smile faded.
"Hey... no... it's the other way around..."
Lauren joked, "he asked you to marry me?" giving Camila her biggest smile.
Camila laughed. She bit her lip, "your wish..."
"You don't want to marry me!?" Lauren said it without thinking of it. She was surprised by herself.
Camila's smiling face turned into a serious face, "Do you want to?"
"Yea... Camz, I am serious with you. It means at some point I want to...if everything is going well. Don't you want us to get married?"
Camila laughed. She was taken aback and nervous a well, "you should take me out for more dates and properly propose to me first..."
Lauren smiled, "yes, babe..." and she held Camila's face and kissed her.
.
"So, what did he mention me in the will?" Lauren was seriously asking.
"He mentioned, I should go to you and uncle Coop if I need any help to run the company," Camila said.
"He mentioned that?" Lauren was surprised but she was happy and honored to hear that, "that's an honor..."
"Yes, it means he trusted you, Lauren. He's not easy when came to trusting people."
"Yea..." Lauren smiled. She knew and she knew Camila was like her father. , "Is that why you trust me and chose me to be your mentor instead of Mr. Bardem's suggestion?"
"Yes... I did not know anything at the beginning and I had to learn. I had to decide and I followed his direction to go with you and uncle Coop. Honestly, I was not sure at the beginning, as there are many things unclear. I know and saw uncle Coop and Ally at every event taken place here, but I never saw you. Uncle Coop and Ally are also on your side. I had to choose, and I chose you even though the team that he suggested is not bad..."
"Yes, they're good as well," Lauren said.
"Yes... but I can't risk trust. We can teach people skills but not honesty and integrity. Skills can be learned, trust can be earned. Honesty and integrity are something in you... not everyone has it."
"Yes..." Lauren smiled, "so you trust me?"
Camila smiled, "...I don't know..." she was laughing.
"Camz..." Lauren pouted and Camila kissed her.
.
"Did my father ever talk to you about me?" Camila asked.
"No..." Lauren did not know why.
"Not at all?"
"I saw the only picture in his office, the picture of your father, your mother, you and Sofi. He caught me looking at it and he told me it's his wife and his daughters." Lauren recalled that day. The only time Mr.Cabello mentioned his daughters to Lauren but he did not talk further about his family with Lauren.
"That picture which is still in the office?"
"Yes... Sofia was still a baby..." Lauren smiled.
Camila laughed, "yes... my father did not like our pictures to be exposed. I don't even have any social media."
"But it's unavoidable these days..."
"Yes... but not too many..."
"Yea... I have no clue how you look like when Mr. Cooper told me that you will join the company. Normani asked me, too. I told her I only knew Mr. Cabello got two daughters but I don't know how they look like..."
"Did you ... attend the funeral?" Camila said softly.
"Yea... I saw you and your sister, but you're covered and wearing sunglasses."
"...and... did you come to the gathering after?" Camila did not pay any attention to her guests that day. She had an intense outburst that day when she destroyed her dancing room.
"No... I did not. Just the funeral."
"Why?"
"I... just want to respect your parents," Lauren said.
"Shouldn't you come, if you respect them?"
"Yes... in general understanding, but they..." Lauren tried to find the right way to say it, "I mean they never invited me or want me to come when they're alive. So, I guess... It's better that I did not go as well during that day. Don't get me wrong, Camz. It's not that I thought of them badly. I just respect what they wanted."
"Now, you're here..." Camila tried to search Lauren's emotion in her eyes.
"Yes, you invited me... otherwise, I wouldn't come," Lauren saw Camila's serious face, "I hesitated when you asked me to come, but I recalled you're the boss now..." Lauren smiled and Camila smiled. They kissed again.
.
"Camz..."
"Yea..."
"Do you think your parents will be okay with us?"
"Lauren..." Camila did not want Lauren to think too much about that.
"I am just asking what do you think..."
"Well... I think my father will be okay. He always supported me, sometimes he spoiled me too much...."
"Yea?'
"Yea... I always got what I wanted... except something related to my safety. I would not be able to talk him into it..."
"...and your mother?" This was Lauren's concern. Mrs. Cabello had passed away but it somehow was still disturbing Lauren.
"Lauren..." Camila caressed her face, "Did you ever meet my mother?"
"Yes, once at Mr. Cooper's party. The rest was just seeing her from far."
"How was it?" Camila asked.
"It's... it's okay..." Lauren trailed off. It was not okay.
"Lern..." Camila looked into Lauren's eyes, "you can tell me the truth..."
Lauren sighed subtly, "It's... she gave me a cold shoulder."
Camila sighed heavily, "I did not get it. If someone saved you, I would thank them..." Camila was annoyed, "I really don't understand..." Camila sighed.
"Probably, I am not like people in general... a weird kiddo."
"Lauren..." Camila did not like her saying that.
"Camila, regardless I was a homeless kid, I'm different and it's a fact..." Lauren said. "I am okay with myself, just some people are not..."
Camila caressed Lauren's face, "yea... beautiful kind of difference."
"Yea?"
"Yea..." Camila smiled when Lauren got closer and kissed her again.
.
Camila felt strange about her mother's dislike of Lauren. Camila did not find anything wrong with Lauren. She was different but as she told Lauren, it was a beautiful kind of difference. She knew her mother as well. Her mother was not that person who disliked or was disgusted with homeless people. There must be something beyond that. Camila intended to find it out. For now, she did not want Lauren to be stressed by that.
"Don't think about my mother or my uncle..." Camila kissed Lauren, "just think about me."
"Yea..." Lauren smiled. "think about me, too?"
"Yea..."
They kissed and it was longer and deeper this time. They were kissing under the tree, with the sun peeking through the green leaves, the breeze passing them gently, giving them a peaceful warming kiss. The softness of their clothes, the gentle touch of their hands, and the need for each other made them unable to stop kissing.
Lauren was giving Camila a light massage on her head while she was kissing her. Camila unlocked her hand from Lauren's other hand, and slowly traveled to Lauren's neck. Camila caressed Lauren's neck and Lauren's chest. Camila needed more touch. She was slowly touching Lauren's nipple which was visible as Lauren wore no sports bra. Camila was caressing Lauren's right nipple, circling and pinching it lightly. She felt how Lauren's nipple was slowly erected turning hard.
Lauren did not stop Camila's hand like earlier. She let Camila did what she wanted and Lauren enjoyed it. Lauren did not stop her and Camila continued further. She would circle and pinch Lauren's nipple and gave her breast a light squeeze in turn while they were kissing. Lauren would moan and Camila enjoyed it. Their kiss got more intense and Camila moved her body closer to Lauren. She pressed herself on Lauren and their legs were tangled. One of Camila's legs was in between Lauren's and it touched Lauren's bulge. When Lauren grabbed Camila's jaw and deepened their kiss, Camila would pinch her nipple or squeeze Lauren's breast harder. She would not forget to press her thigh on Lauren's slowly growing bulge.
"Camz..." They stopped kissing. Lauren could see Camila's eyes were with lust, "we should stop..."
Camila didn't say anything but looking at Lauren while her hand was still caressing Lauren's hardened nipple and hardening bulge. "I want it..."
"Camz..."
Camila did not stop, she was touching Lauren with her hand, her leg, and her body, "I need it..." She was turning on.
"Camz...it's yesterday, you said you're not ready..."
"Yes... it's today..." Camila said looking at Lauren. She was lost in her building-up desire.
Lauren stopped Camila's hand. She took it and kissed it. She sat up that Camila would stop her leg movement on her bulge. "Camila..." Camila snuggled up against Lauren's neck and hugging her. She was a little bit disappointed.
"How about next week?" Lauren knew Camila was lost and controlled by her desire. Camila did not think straight. Lauren did not want it that way. She wanted Camila to be ready not under the control of her desire.
"You don't want me..." Camila was still seducing Lauren under her desire's control
"Camz..." Lauren made Camila looked at her, "I want you so bad... but not like this. How about next week? I will plan something."
"Okay..." Camila crossed her legs. Lauren saw it. She knew Camila was turning on. She was trying hard not to think how wet Camila was at this moment.
"But I probably will have my period by next week," Camila said still burying her face in Lauren's neck.
"Then... we can wait until the next two weeks. We will make it special..."
"Okay...why are you so patient?" Camila's voice was low. Her full of desire self was disappointed but another self was glad that Lauren stopped her.
Lauren smiled, "because of you, I want to make it as special as possible for you..." Lauren loved Camila. She wanted it special. If it was not her but the women she met casually in the clubs, she could not care less. It was Camila. Lauren loved Camila. She would think about Camila first.
Camila and Lauren enjoyed their Sunday together. Camila gave Lauren a tour of her Cabello land. After the tour, they got back to the house for lunch with Sofia. They spent the afternoon with Sofia watching movies and playing games. Their afternoon was well spent and Lauren left after dinner, after sharing a few kisses with Camila in front of her car.
Lauren and Camila got closer instantly. They opened up to each other easily. They learned and showed each other their insecurities. Camila wanted Lauren to stop thinking and worrying about her uncle and her mother. She cared and thought about Lauren's happiness as Lauren also would put Camila's happiness and safety first. They cared about each other, they thought about each other and wanted the best for each other as they never did before with others.