A/N: Alrighty. This is, for the most part, the day from Lauren's perspective. Next chapter will be more from Camila's. Hope you enjoy.
Lots of love to everyone who reads this and lots of love to everyone who reviews.
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Camila woke up feeling cold. She drew her sprawling limbs closer to her body for heat as she fought to open her eyes. Lauren was sitting on the side of her oversized bed getting dressed. "You should really bring some of your clothes to keep here. That way you can just go to the studio from here and not have to go all the way home first."
Lauren looked over her shoulder to the waking diva and smiled genuinely. "Maybe I should."
Camila patted the mattress next to her. "Come here."
The raven haired woman crawled back into bed as Camila rolled over on her back to accept her girlfriend's kiss. Camila traced lines up and down Lauren's arm with her fingers as they basked in the morning light, loving every short and gentle kiss they shared between loving glances into each others eyes. "I have to go." Lauren stated in remorse. "I have to go home and get dressed. Talk with Mom so she doesn't feel like she's been abandoned. And then get to work and deal with Kim and her newly revised schedule and messaging system."
"And Adrianne." Camila added without a tinge of attitude in her voice that made Lauren kiss her in gratitude.
"And Adrianne. Although, she did really well yesterday. Everything was very professional."
"It was." The diva agreed as the raven haired kissed her forehead and left the bed. "Hopefully the professionalism will continue with me not there today. I have some previously scheduled interviews that I have a feeling will become increasingly single topic inquires as the day progresses. Then I have rehearsals and the show starts at seven."
"Long day."
The diva nodded, mashing her teeth between her lips as the photographer stood in the doorway ready to leave her. She hated this part. In past relationships she enjoyed the time to herself once her boyfriend had left for the day, but things, as always, were very different with Lauren. Work and alone time seemed to get in the way of their relationship more than the other way around. "So...will I see you tonight?"
"What time will you get home?"
She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped herself in the linen sheet. "I was actually planning to go out with a few friends, cast mates, after the show since I have been gone for nearly a week. Would you like to come with me? I'm more than positive that you would enjoy yourself."
Lauren smiled broadly. "More than positive?"
She nodded with certainty. "More than positive. My personal life is something we haven't really discussed as of yet. I think there are a few things, and people, that would be more...interesting for you to be informed of in person." The photographer raised an eyebrow and Camila smiled broadly. "So?"
"Okay." Lauren nodded, hanging on to the door frame as she slowly began to leave the bedroom. "Give me a call and let me know where I need to be."
"Oh, and Lauren?" The raven haired woman pulled herself back into the room. "Plan on staying the night as well. I have a lot of repaying to do for last night. While we lost count for me after five, I know for a fact that you only got three." The photographer blushed and nodded her head as she left.
~/~/~/~
It was early. Lauren became increasingly aware of that fact as she entered her apartment building and the halls were empty and silent. She hoped that her mother was already awake so they could talk and do their bonding this morning since they weren't going to be seeing each other tonight, but she opened the door quietly just in case, tiptoeing to her room.
"Good morning."
"Good morning." Lauren blindly greeted, turning around to the kitchen to her mother, who was already cooking breakfast and sipping her coffee. Clara smiled lightly. Lauren was wide eyed, like she had been caught doing something she wasn't suppose to be doing.
"Did you have a good night?"
Her daughter nodded, sparing her any details. "You? I hope you didn't feel like I abandoned you or-"
"Oh nonsense." Clara waved her hand at her daughter as she flipped the sauage. "You are young and in a new relationship. I don't expect you to be home every night. And before you go getting all worried about me, Kim has offered to show me around town this evening. I think she's just hoping to get some more information about you and Camila, but I can handle that payment."
Lauren wanted to make a comment about her mother not really knowing much about either of them, but thought better of it. "That's good. Camila actually wanted me to go out with her tonight and meet a few of her friends, so..."
"So...I'll see you tomorrow? Or mind if I stop by the studio later today?"
"Feel free." Lauren called back as she disappeared into her room, leaving the door open so they could continue talking. "I'd enjoy the company."
Clara lifted her eyes to the empty doorway and hesitated. "You wont be too busy with Adrianne?"
There was a minute of silence until Lauren appeared, pulling a sweater over her head. "Excuse me?"
"I know you are teaching Adrianne and I didn't want to interrupt." Clara clarified, knowing her daughter knew that wasn't at all what she meant.
Lauren locked eyes with the other Jauregui. "Mom, I'm glad that you like Camila enough to want to protect her, but a little credit would be nice.
"Honey, hiring your ex girlfriend to work side by side with you, wasn't really one of the better judgment calls you have ever made."
Lauren dropped her brow and slowly approached. "Mom, you don't know the whole situation. Adrianne is a friend. My best friend until we broke up. I can't just turn my back on her, and Camila accepted it. She has no problems with it until Adrianne gives her a reason to. And until she does, I hope to regain my friendship with her."
The older woman returned her attention back to the stove. "So you miss her?"
"Yes. Not romantically though. Adrianne and I broke up because I always had feelings for Camila. But she was there when I didn't have anyone else. She...she was my family for the last three years, and really, almost a year before that as well." She saw her mother tense at the description of the brunette's meaning to her. "She's not a bad person."
"She committed fraud to get back with you. She wasn't going to use that forced signature just to get a job from you."
Lauren couldn't argue with that, not with her mother anyway. With Camila it would have been easier because the diva was known for doing similarly stupid things to get what she wanted. Lauren had always said the two were similar, just not in what ways. "But she didn't. She asked. And apologized."
"Why are you defending your ex girlfriend?" Clara was flustered now and she had no clue why this was all bothering her so much.
"Because she deserves to be defended. Everyone always hears the work 'ex' and assumes that she was the one to blame. She wasn't. She may have called it off and walked away, but I fucked up that relationship. I let it go on when it should have stopped. I used her to fill a gap in my life. She had genuine feelings for me and I let her allow them to grow, leaving herself incredibly vulnerable, and then I made it known that I had stronger feelings for someone else, that she wasn't what I wanted. I just don't understand why everyone all of a sudden hates her when she didn't do anything wrong." Lauren wasn't sure when she had started screaming but she dropped her shoulders as she heard her voice echo off the kitchen walls.
Clara remained silent for a few seconds before she responded in a quiet voice. "I was under the impression that Adrianne was to blame and was a real threat to your relationship. The way that Camila reacted to seeing her-"
"That's because it's Camila. Mom, the woman is an actress...very dramatic. It's adorable once you expect it, her little pouts and cute storm outs. But you'll learn that Camila can get herself worked up over absolutely anything. Once, in high school, she felt threatened by a foreign exchange student who she thought could sing better than her, so she gave the girl an address for the theater auditions...in an abandoned crack house."
Clara's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
"I'm happy to say that she is no longer that...vicious, but she still has her overly dramatic reactions. Yes, she was uncomfortable with Adrianne being there. Yes, she is jealous and understandably so. Adrianne and I have a history together. But Camila and I have a future though. Now, I'm not saying that there isn't room for concern, just not that much concern. Adrianne is going to try until she realizes that I'm not going to give in. Once she knows that, I believe she'll stop trying. I honestly do."
"I hope you're right. I also hope you know what you are risking."
Lauren couldn't help but laugh lightly. Her mother was lecturing her on the importance of her lesbian relationship. What happened in the world to twist it so badly? "I know. But I'm not risking anything. There is a line. If she crosses it, she's gone. Simple as that. I have no intentions of giving Camila anything to second guess me on."
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It wasn't even nine o'clock in the morning and Lauren's head already hurt. It was a tension headache that she was trying to control, tilting her head back against the car seat and closing her eyes. Her taxi drive had to tap on the glass to get her attention that they had arrived at the studio. She paid the man and struggled to get out of the car.
"Rough night or rough morning?" Adrianne asked as she walked up to the building as Lauren slammed the car door shut.
"Morning." She answered brushing the blowing strands of hair out of her eyes. "Rough morning."
"So you've seen them then?"
Lauren hesitated at the door the brunette was holding open for her. "Seen who?"
"Them." Lauren followed her ex's nod to a car parked across the street housing a camera man with a long lense protruding out of his lowered window towards the two women. Lauren sighed and walked inside the building, Adrianne close behind.
"No. I hadn't seen them. Just makes my head ache worse." Lauren rubbed her hands over her face as they stepped into the elevator and the brunette selected their floor, keeping her concerned gaze on Lauren. "And I am so not ready to hear Kim's voice right now."
The apprentice's mouth tweaked in a faint, forced smile and then quickly faded. She felt bad for Lauren and she didn't even know what was going on. "What all is on the schedule for today?"
She dropped her hands and looked up to the floor light as it dinged in their arrival. "Nothing much. Preparations mostly. Today will be a good day for us to start getting you accustom to actually being the photographer and not the assistant. I'll have you set up some test shots and lighting...I'm tempted to let you handle my phone calls and meetings as well."
Adrianne tried to control her smile of adoration, looking to her feet as they exited the elevator. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I'm not too sure I am ready for that. I also don't think you would enjoy the outcome it may have on your reputation."
Lauren shrugged and entered the loft, heading directly for the office to discarded her coat and see what all Kim had to say for this morning. "Good morning." She greeted as her assistant handed her a cup of coffee. She was good. "Thank you."
"Your welcome." The shorter brunette answered, not removing her eyes from the computer screen. "I'm running a little behind on you messages and emails due to the sheer volume of them all. I'll catch you up on them when I'm done."
"Not a problem." Lauren danced internally at the delayed listing of work and times and demands and pleas she was going to hear as she abandoned the office for her camera. Adrianne was already there and setting it up. She always did know what needed to be done without being told. "Okay, so that is your baby for today. All yours."
Adrianne smiled as she threw the neck strap around her, just in case she dropped it. She knew that despite Lauren referring to the camera as her baby, the photographer had a much deeper attachment to it. She knew about Lauren's passion for photography and deeper thinking. The camera wasn't just a piece of expensive equipment that she was worried about protecting, it was her expression. Lauren cared for all of her cameras like a musician or painter would their fingers. It was their lifeline.
"This is different than your old one." Adrianne noted as she looked it over. It was much more complicated. More buttons. More dials. She wasn't a complete newbie to the photography scene, mostly by her time as Lauren's assistant, but it had been spent in the background, watching people do things. It was one reason why she was thankful Lauren and Camila agreed to this set up. Lauren took a much more hands on approach. She believed you couldn't really learn to do something until you did it.
"It is. We can start with the old one if you'd be more comfortable with it. Start simple and work our way up." She took in a deep breath and debated before nodding her head and moved to repack the camera as Lauren pulled out another bag from under the table against the wall. She had cameras all over the place and knew exactly where each one was. She set the bulky black bag on the table and slid it over to Adrianne, allowing her to do the work like she said she would. If questions needed to be asked, they could be, until then, she was on her own.
The brunette had finished assembling the camera but paused, setting it down carefully on the table. "Lauren..." The photographer's heart began to race and she silently pleaded for this not to start now. Adrianne bounced her fingers lightly on the table as she pivoted towards Lauren who was propped against it. "...I want to say thank you. I understand that while you would have given me the job without hesitation if the situation was different, I can't ignore the fact that the situation is what it is. You could have told me no and been perfectly within your rights. I just wanted to say thank you."
Green eyes met hers and Lauren nodded her head. "Thank you for keeping this professional and respecting my feelings even though I know it's hurting you. And I wish I could make it stop."
Adrianne looked back down to the camera, fiddling with the buttons. "I know you do. You are definitely not the cold heart bitch you tried to make yourself out to be when we first met. I know you feel guilty for what happened, and while part of me says you should, the other part of me...the friend part of me...wishes you would stop beating yourself up about something you can't control anymore. The past is done, so let it be done."
"That was very mature of you." Lauren teased, lighting the mood.
"Oh, shut up. It comes with age. I mean, I'm almost thirty so the maturity thing was bound to happen at some point."
"Almost thirty...you just turned twenty-eight. Such a flare for the dramatics."
"It's in only two years!"
Lauren pushed herself off of the table in defiance. "Two years is a long time."
"Not all that long when you're talking about getting older."
"Oh, give me a break. You don't even look your age. Everyone always thought I was the older one of the two of us."
"That's because you were always so serious when we first got together." Adrianne reminded her in amusement of the playful fighting.
"I know I was but that was-"
"Lauren." The two bickering women stopped and turned as Kim approached, slowing her steps under their gaze. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"
"No." Lauren answered shaking her head. "Just bickering. You'll find it to be a common theme in the studio from now on. But what did you need?"
"Well, I finally filtered through the messages and emails. There were an absurd amount about you and Camila, all of which I deleted..." Kim informed her hesitantly until Lauren smiled and nodded. "Good, um, the meeting for Thursday has been confirmed. The photo shoot in the park after that has also been confirmed. Everything for Friday is set as well. However, there is..."
Lauren and Adrianne both raised their brows in anticipation of Kim's thought.
"Well, in most cases it would be considered a problem with tomorrow's shoot, but I'm leery to use that word."
They were both completely lost now and Lauren shook it from her still throbbing head. "What is the problem with it?"
"It's been canceled." Kim replied in a low voice.
The raven haired woman pulled her head back and dropped her brow. "That has been set for months. I've already had four separate preliminary meetings and met with-"
"I know." Kim cut her off, being well aware of her history with the pending shoot, despite most of the dealing happening before she was hired.
"Did they say why they are canceling?"
She nodded and walked back to the office, Lauren and Adrianne in tow. "They sent it in an email that I thought you would want to read for yourself."
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"Read it again." Clara urged her daughter as she stood in front of her and her apprentice who were seated on the floor against the wall. She had arrived about ten minutes ago.
"No." Lauren shook her head, her eyes lost in some other world. "I really don't want to read it."
Adrianne reached over and snatched the paper from her ex girlfriend's hand and cleared her throat. "Ms. Jauregui, while it is appreciated of your time, efforts, and interest in dealing with our spring campaign, we regret to inform you of our termination of the project at this moment. Due to recent publications, the executive branch has concluded that a reevaluation of the project and all of its components must take place before they are able to precede. Blah, blah, blah...Thank you for your understanding...yada, yada, yada..."
Clara stood more confused as the brunette lazily handed the paper back to her daughter, only to have the younger Jauregui crumple it up in disgust. "I don't understand."
"They fired me more or less."
"Why?" Her mother pressed.
"They are a religiously backed organization." Lauren explained, unblinking as she bore a hole into the ground a few feet in front of her.
Clara shifted her eyes around the room quickly. "And...?"
Lauren looked up to her mother and squinted her eyes. Was she really that clueless? "I'm gay." She wasn't sure if it was the tone of her voice or the blunt reality of her statement, but her mother pulled her head back in surprise and let the room fall silent and unmoving again.
"What does you being gay have to do with your ability to take pictures?"
Adrianne laughed for Lauren this time. She wasn't all that impressed with Clara, solely from the stories Lauren had told her about. Having the woman leave her husband to have a relationship with her gay daughter made her second guess things, but now she was certain the woman was ignorant not only to how the world worked, but how she had lived her own life. "It has absolutely nothing to do with her ability to take pictures."
Clara just shook her head as her eyes bounced between the seated women. "They fired you for being gay? Did they not know before? You said you've been working with them for months..."
"I kept my personal life personal. They didn't know. Then the 'publications' came out about me and Camila. So, now they do."
"Can they even do that?" Clara was getting upset now. When she had first walked into the studio and saw all three women emotionally distraught, she was concerned. When she found out it was over a canceled photo shoot, is was confused. Now, she was just angry.
Lauren shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. They aren't coming right out and saying they are firing me for being gay, but that's what they are doing."
"It's implied." Adrianne explained. "They say the whole thing is being reorganized because of these 'publications'. However, they never specified which publications. A company isn't going to just start all over on a project as big as this one. I helped set it up before I left. Everything is in place. All they are 'reevaluating' is getting another photographer."
"But...I...I don't understand how they can simply deny you because of how...because of who you love."
Lauren huffed, looking back to the ground. "Call up Dad and ask him. He should be able to give you some insight into that." Clara felt like she had just been hit in the chest with a brick. The look on her face apparently made it obvious.
"Ah, she sees the light." Adrianne joked. "Welcome to how narrow minded people keep everyone else down, regardless of how well or how little they know about them. Your daughter has an amazing reputation and talent as a photographer, one that people are saying is going to become a leader in the industry. Her pictures speak so many different emotions that fill people's spirits and move them in way they never thought possible, but here she is, denied the opportunity to display those praised talents because she is in love with a woman. You asked the question yourself, what does one have to do with the other?"
Clara let the realization soak in. She had spent the majority of her life being no better than the men and women who ran that company. She still wasn't much better. Not agreeing with it was one thing, holding it against someone in every facet of their life was just wrong to her. She moved to the wall next to Lauren and slid down it until she joined the two on the floor, pulling her daughter's hand into her lap and holding it. It wasn't fair and there wasn't anything she could do about it. But Camila would. "Have you told Camila yet?"
The younger Jauregui huffed a laugh and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "No. And I'm not going to. Not yet at least."
"Why not?" Adrianne pushed, slightly interested. She was fighting with herself. She was looking for an in but didn't want to find one at the same time. She needed to keep this professional.
"She has a show tonight and is going to catch up with her friends. I don't want to damper the mood. And knowing her, she will go all out and try and hold a press conference or orchestrate a march with the ACLU." The brunette smiled at the reflexive action they had in common. She would be doing the same thing, but it wasn't her place. "I'll tell her later tonight though."