1/3 OF THE WEEKEND MARATHON
**SUGGESTED SONG: "Company- Justin Bieber"
"We must always be prepared for the surprises of time" -Paulo Coelho
"Can we sit down for a moment?" Camila suggested seeing
Lauren still exhausted. "You run almost seven blocks in a few minutes."
Lauren nodded and was surprised when Camila gently took her hand as they made their way to one of the benches around the park. Lauren caught Camila's profile as she helped her sit up. She had put on a little makeup and she looked really gorgeous. Lauren saw how she had fixed her hair and to her surprise she felt really embarrassed.
"I can bring you a bottle of water if you want." Lauren shook her head, looking into her eyes.
"My personal trainer is useless." Lauren took a deep breath.
"She always tells me I'm in good shape."
"I think he's done a good job with you," Camila said softly and Lauren's eyes connected with hers in surprise. Camila blushed when she understood what she had said. Lauren slid her eyes down Camila's figure slowly and her eyes connected with hers.
"You're not wearing your snapback, rags," Lauren said softly, looking deep into Camila's brown eyes.
Camila felt her heart beat desperately. She's with Lauren. She's having her one-on-one time with Lauren and she's being a complete idiot. She sat down next to her trying to breathe.
"I dressed for you," Camila said, lowering her gaze for a moment, embarrassed after her words. "I didn't want to embarrass you with my clothes. I know you dress well and..." Lauren interrupted her.
"I think this time is different." Both women looked into each other's eyes. "This time I think you look amazing and I completely clashed with you."
"That's not true," Camila said, shaking her head quickly.
"You look great in whatever."
"I don't think today is one of my best days." Lauren looked into her eyes and sighed. "I practically come with my pajamas" she said taking her shirt to show it to Camila who smiled. "Although Nirvana was a very good group."
"I agree with that," she smiled. "I'm glad you could make it,"
Camila whispered, still feeling the pang of pain at the thought that Lauren was going to stood her up.
"Did you wait a long time?" Camila nodded, remembering that she had waited almost two hours, and Lauren lowered her gaze. "I apologize again."
"Okay, I'm glad I waited," Camila said, looking into her eyes tenderly. "I guess we won't be able to enter the park anymore."
"I guess not" Lauren got up from the bench and fixed her hair, moving it to one side while Camila limited herself to observing her with eyes full of admiration at her beauty. Lauren Jauregui was beautiful. "What do we do then rags?
Although I can't really call you rags because you don't have your snapback."
"I feel strange without it," Camila accepted, blushing a little.
"I really like the way you look with it" Lauren stared at her making Camila's face blush even more. "I guess without it, I can't tell you rags."
"Actually, I'm starting to like how you sound when you say it in a polite and tender way," Camila whispered, standing up and looking at Lauren tenderly, who looked into her eyes fixedly, thinking that the adjective "tenderness" was not exactly something in it. "Are you hungry?" Camila asked looking into those beautiful green eyes. "We could buy a pizza."
"I guess it's up to me because I'm the one who's late and ruined our trip to the park," Lauren sighed. "It's actually a beautiful place and I'm sure you would have enjoyed it a lot."
"I bought the tickets for us and a rose for you." Camila lowered her gaze. "I threw them away before trying to get into the cab. I thought that you were not going to come anymore."
"Oh," was all Lauren said at Camila's confession. "I understand. Don't worry." Lauren sighed. "I wish you would let me make it up to you. The Tokyo Tower is a very beautiful place that is about twenty-three minutes from here if we go by taxi" Camila watched Lauren being so courteous and tender. She had never seen her like that and it was refreshing. "Then we can have that pizza you offered me for dinner. I love pizza."
"If you prefer another place I can..." Lauren interrupted her.
"You can choose the place you want. I invited you and I want you to have a good time."
"A pizza would be nice." Lauren met her eyes. "I like anything."
"It's just that last time you told me that you didn't like a place that didn't meet your standards." Camila lowered her gaze. "I don't want you to turn me down because you thinks I can't invite you to a worthwhile place."
"I didn't know that apart from combining your clothes you had mental powers," Lauren said sarcastically and Camila just looked at her. "It's amazing that you can know what a person thinks since you're so sure that I think I'm starving."
"I'm just letting myself be guided by what you told me last time," Camila said softly.
"Maybe that's what I thought," Lauren said softly. "I'm not going to deny what I said nor am I going to take it back or say that it was a mistake because I'm not one of those who apologizes to anyone when they don't deserve it" she looked into her eyes. "Maybe I thought you were starving and that I would have to pay for everything on the date."
Camila looked at her with pain. And Lauren took a deep breath taking Camila's hand and making her stand up.
"Many times I act like a bitch and I'm not going to deny it." Lauren lowered her gaze. "Surely you think I'm a smug, bitter, and arrogant woman" They both looked into each other's eyes. "I also remember what you said that night. And yet you still invited me to dinner. Why?"
"I think it's because it's so obvious," Camila said lowering her gaze. "For the same reason that I dared to invite you again."
"And what reason is that?" Lauren asked and she felt
Camila's eyes move slowly over her. Lauren felt her brown gaze burn where she passed and she held her breath for a moment. They were in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Japan staring at each other while having a strange discussion.
"Will I lose my job if I tell you why?" Lauren shook her head and Camila sighed.
"You're not going to lose your job," Lauren assured. "It is something that I am asking."
"Because I find you extremely interesting. Because I want to know a little more about you. Because that mask of coldness and anger that you shows to everyone isn't real" Camila took a deep breath, speaking from her heart and surprising Lauren. "Because you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."
"The Lauren you see with everyone is the real one." Lauren met her eyes. "l am who l am, and I do not hide anything. I highly value the honesty in people. I want a person to show herself as she is. That a person does not lie or pretend to be something that is not real. I hate falsehood and mediocrity.
I hate conformist people who don't fight for their dreams. I hate conformism with all my might."
"I don't like conformism either." Camila lowered her gaze.
"Everyone has dreams and everyone fights to achieve them the way they can. Unfortunately, not everyone has the possibility of achieving them one hundred percent."
"What dreams do you have?" Lauren asked taking Camila's hand and inviting her to sit down again as they watched the people walk past her. Lauren's touch was warm and caused an electric shock to go through Camila's arm and Lauren seemed to have felt it too because she looked into her eyes for a moment and then let go.
Camila took a deep breath thinking about her dreams.
There were so many things that she had set out to do in her life that she was looking forward to accomplishing.
"I'm studying medicine," Camila answered softly and Lauren's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "I am about to complete my year of internship."
"You study medicine?" Lauren asked surprised and Camila nodded.
"It's my last year before starting medical school. I want to specialize in pediatric surgery" Camila smiled a little when she saw Lauren's totally surprised face. "You didn't expect it right?"
"Honestly no," Lauren answered honestly. "I thought all you did was work as a waitress."
"But that's actually my job," Camila confirmed with her gaze fixed on the cars that were driving in front of them. "I study at New York University with a scholarship and then I hope to enter medical school to pursue a career in medicine."
"Are you a scholarship holder?" Camila agreed. "You must have an impressive GPA. Especially for a career as demanding as Medicine."
"Yes," Camila confirmed and Lauren began to respect her more as she spoke.
"In the internships, I understand that they do it in hospitals and stuff. I don't know much about it, obviously." Lauren met her eyes. "How did you get permission to come on the trip?"
"Because I need the money." Camila looked into her eyes. "I can't afford to turn down a job like this. I haven't had a chance to thank you yet for hiring me."
"Forget that," Lauren said, brushing it off and feeling genuinely interested in Camila. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-one." Lauren looked at her in surprise.
"You're only a year younger than me." Lauren saw Camila's hands play with each other in her lap showing her nervousness and sighed. "I'm honestly very surprised. Did you get permission from the university?"
"The head of the pediatrics department where I was going to do my internship is my teacher" Camila sighed. "She was very kind to me and she understood the situation I was in, and the university gave me a few months to work things out without losing my scholarship. My scholarship is the only thing I have but right now it is necessary for me to work."
"What's different this time?" Lauren asked. "Why do you need to work?"
"Because Sofía is counting on me" Camila took a deep breath. "I'm the only thing she has in life. And my salary as a waitress is not enough, it is not enough now"
"Do you have very big financial problems?" Camila looked into her eyes, they were so beautiful and Camila looked at them with such concern and sincere interest that she felt her heart vibrate with emotion. She was having a serious conversation with Lauren on the bench in front of a closed park and with thousands of people walking past her on their way to her home after a workday in Tokyo, Japan. This must definitely be a dream.
"I have to pay a lot of expenses." Camila sighed. "Sofi's school and her things."
"Don't you have help from anyone?" Lauren asked softly.
"Don't you have anyone else?"
"My mother died two years ago," Camila said softly. "And my father...well he was never much help. He never loved us and at the first chance he had he ran away like a coward leaving me alone with my sister," Lauren looked surprised. "Right now I'm doing everything I can to get it going. Dinah's parents gave me a home because I couldn't afford the apartment where we used to live. I am living with them while I manage to save enough to buy a space for Sofi and me."
"What a shitty father," Lauren said without thinking, then looked at Camila with concern. "I'm sorry if..."
"Don't worry," she took a deep breath. "You are absolutely right. I'm only sorry for Sofi because despite all the shit he had about me, he wasn't a bad person with her."
"And with you?"Camila smiled sadly.
"Let's just say that the idea that I'm gay wasn't entirely to his liking and he was constantly letting me know." Lauren's face hardened. "I guess I wasn't his favorite person."
"Like I said then..." Lauren said, her voice hard. "A shitty human being" Camila sighed, nodding slightly. "I know it's your father and I apologize, but people looking down on us makes me really irritated. I don't understand why it's a big fucking problem who you sleep with."
"Many times there are people who are very closed-minded about this religious issue and everything that happens around them" she sighed-- "People are programmed to be afraid or not accept what seems "different" from what society dictates as true. It's hard to understand that two people can love each other regardless of their gender or any other differences they may have."
Lauren winced at the word 'love'. She didn't believe in feelings. But if she thought that a person was free to choose whoever she wanted by her side.
"Then I suppose you're better off without having a closed-minded person by your side who looks down on you just because you prefer women" Lauren looked into her eyes and then slowly slid her gaze down Camila's body. She was so extremely beautiful. Her eyes went back to her face, which she noticed was slightly blushing and she didn't feel any embarrassment at being discovered watching her. "Yes, women are much sexier and prettier than men in many ways. Don't you think?" she said flirtatiously and Camila blushed slightly.
"Yes," she said sheepishly, smiling a little. "I think we agree very much on that" They both looked into each other's eyes intensely and Camila found herself biting her lower lip while Lauren's eyes locked on them.
"I told you I rarely apologize for things," Lauren sighed, looking away from those sensual lips. "But I definitely owe you an apology in many aspect. Ally always tells me that I have to learn to restrain myself and control my temper. I have a very explosive character and I know that I am difficult to handle sometimes. But I know I'm never wrong" Lauren winked and Camila blushed. "But with you, l have made mistake after mistake. I greatly respect people who seek to have a better future and who fight to achieve it. And it must not be easy for you, being barely twenty-one years old and taking care of a girl as little as Sofi. Camila, you are amazing."
"I'm just doing what any person would do for their family," Camila said softly. "Family is the most important thing in anyone's life. Sofi is my whole life and all I want is to give her everything she dreams of and more."
Lauren didn't say anything while Camila's sentence went around in her mind after hearing it "Family is the most important thing in life" She supposed that's what people thought when her parents didn't decide to leave her at the door of an orphanage as if in were an old suitcase that was useless. Although Camila had been abandoned, she had never experienced it firsthand like Lauren. The girl that her parents had abandoned without looking back.
"Do you visit your family a lot?" Camila asked and Lauren snapped out of her thoughts.
"No," Lauren said in response with a such coldness that
Camila decided not to ask more. They were both silent for a moment.
Camila glanced at Lauren and sighed excited to have her so close and so different from what she had imagined. Lauren was a cultured and intelligent woman and she was easy talking and so beautiful that Camila couldn't stop her racing heart.
"We could." they both said at the same time breaking the silence, and Camila was surprised to hear Lauren laugh next to her.
"Your first rags," Lauren said, looking deeply at her.
"I was just thinking that we could go to the Tower and then
I'd love to invite you to dinner whatever you want." For a moment Lauren didn't know what to say when she looked at
Camila's eyes, they were such pretty eyes. She had never seen her eyelashes so pretty and her eyes so light brown.
They were precious.
"I was thinking the same thing," Lauren said softly taking Camila's hand for a moment to help her to her feet. If you don't mind being seen with me in these clothes, I don't think we'll have a problem." Camila quickly shook her head, making Lauren laugh briefly. "But actually pizza sounds good to me."
Camila smiled divinely at her and tried to start walking but she felt Lauren hold her hand without letting go and she stopped to turn around.
"Please, Lauren." Camila looked at her with bright eyes. "Although the fact that you treat me like this seems very sexy to me" She winked at her and Camila blushed. "But I would prefer that you call me by my first name."
"Whatever you want." Lauren raised a questioning eyebrow and Camila blushed again. She apparently would do it during their entire date. It's alright Lauren.
"I think it's very okay Camila" Camila felt wonderful pain in her body when she heard Lauren's hoarse voice pronouncing her name and saw her with her eyes without that coldness.
Camila smiled at her and slowly they began to walk towards the taxi without letting go of her hand. Lauren stood next to Camila and both women smiled at each other for a moment.
"Do you have any idea how to tell the taxi driver where we are going?" Camila asked and Lauren looked at her for a moment. "I had to write the name of the park and take a
card from the hotel to try to communicate at first."
"Well..." Lauren looked down looking a little embarrassed.
I'm a disaster in Japanese but I think it's Tökyö Tawä" Camila laughed and Lauren looked at her with narrowed eyes, very serious.
"Are you making fun of my clothes?" Lauren said very seriously causing Camila's laughter to die out. "Just because for the first time in your life you're better dressed than me doesn't mean you stop being that rags from Brooklyn" Lauren gave her a playful wink and her smile returned to Camila's lips.
"Not that stop you from being "Your Royal Highness" Lauren Jauregui" Lauren look at Camila surprised and then against all odds Lauren Jauregui smiled divinely at her. Camila completely melted at that moment seeing her beautiful smile and bright eyes as Lauren started laughing.
"Your Royal Highness?" Lauren said thoughtfully, her eyes still with a playful gleam that made her look younger and more beautiful. "Her Royal Highness Lauren Jauregui" Lauren smiled again. "I find it totally appropriate rags. I think from now on everyone should call me that. I am an incredible woman I am the height of fashion."
Camila rolled her eyes knowing that Lauren had taken her words literally but she couldn't help but laugh. Camila called for a taxi while they were still holding hands and seeing how it was parked in front of them. She stopped Lauren from opening the door and she did the honors she slowly leaned in a little and with one hand pointed to the interior of the car.
"Your carriage is ready your highness," Camila said teasingly as Lauren let go of her hand and started to get into the car.
"Thank you, rags, " she said, smiling. "But remember that it's Her royal highness don't can't forget it."
"Never. Her royal highness," Camila said, looking at her tenderly and Lauren responded to her gaze, giving her a smile. For the first time, she felt free of responsibilities.
For the first time, she was simply enjoying herself and she found herself smiling when, between signs and mispronounced words, they made him understand where they wanted to go, and when she felt Camila take her hand inside the taxi as they headed for the tower, she did not let go. On the contrary, she intertwined her fingers with hers, losing herself in her smile. She was an admirable and beautiful woman and in her eyes, she had become a fighter and valuable woman.
There were few people that Lauren considered admirable.
And she had to admit that Camila Cabello was one of them now. She was going to enjoy her date with her. She was going to do it because she wanted to and because she enjoyed her company. Lauren saw Camila's profile as she looked out the window and it only confirmed how beautiful she was. She was a beautiful and brave woman and Lauren inwardly promised to give her an amazing night. A beautiful first date.
What neither of them knew is that fate often has its own plans. And what neither of them knew is that while they shared jokes and laughs inside the taxi at the hotel, something was happening that neither of them imagined.
Especially Lauren Jauregui.
WHILE AT THE HOTEL:
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whoops 🤐
I hope y'all are enjoying this story so far ❤️