While most people avert confrontations, Dinah Jane had no problem with them.
She is phenomenal at dealing with conflict and if she failed, her hands can take care of them.
There were so many things Dinah could gain from the whole ordeal, and the most important would be settling an issue. And right now, her problem revolved around a frightened, Luca Clausnitzer that she could not wait to tear down bit by bit.
She was willing to pick at each strand of his perfectly polished hair just to get to his core, and obtain honest answers that would quell her increasingly unbearable curiosity.
Dinah leisurely sauntered over to join the man, making sure that her sock clad feet caused a tremor on the earth he was perched on. And it wasn't that challenging. Luca had already been quite perturbed, anxious, petrified that if Dinah's ominous steps were to have a click instead of a thud, he would have been pathetically strewn over the kitchen island, unconscious.
Dinah may be a tad bit more intimidating that Camila and whatever he was doing was long forgotten.
"Dinah," Luca swallowed, unsure if his voice was audible after only hearing a stifled version of it, buried beneath the heavy beating of his hear. "Please just listen to me first."
He raised his quivering hands in surrender; successfully preventing himself from using his arms and hands to cover himself. Or he could cower away and bolt out of there, and avoid Dinah altogether.
Luca owned the house. He knew it well, and far better than Dinah. He'd find a hiding spot in no time.
But that wouldn't make her trust him.
Besides, he'd practically be throwing sawdust into the fire. It may momentarily strangle the flame into nothing but a dying ember but the smoke that would ascend from it is an advent of a blaze that will slowly and surely devour everything, and leave dark ashes in its wake.
And Dinah's fire was persistent and valiant.
With every skin, bone, blood and atoms in his body telling him to take cover, Luca stubbornly remained in his seat panting like a dog. He might as well just stick his tongue out. He did set his hands onto the edges of the counter, holding onto it to withstand the flurry coming his way.
"I need you to know that whatever it is you really want to know about are secrets that I cannot tell you." He choked out hurriedly, buying time before Dinah could set her large hands around his neck. "They're not mine and I respect Cammie. I'm not willing to lose her trust."
Dinah scoffed, finally coming to a halt just a foot away from Luca. There was an agonizingly blatant vicious leer all over her features that had complete control over the man's shrinking body; his head could have been devoured by his shoulders.
And how could he talk about respect and trust after cheating on Camila?
Dinah crossed her arms in the fear that if they were hanging loose, they could land on Luca's head and she did not have the energy to prevent herself from snapping his neck.
"You do not call her that in my face – especially, Lauren's." She warned with those golden eyes, glaring at her defenseless enemy. Her upper lip curled and trembled with disgust, as her insides whirled with the vile touch of wrath. "I hate the bitch who coined that nickname and my hands are still aching for me to hit her. Do not tempt me to award you with the pain that she should have felt a long time ago."
Dinah's voice had a certain grip to it, tightening the clamp that held Luca by the neck. It dribbled with such malice and conveyed every bit of Dinah's resentment perfectly that Luca could feel it slam against his skin and ripple through his body.
Fear inundated him, prompting Luca to duck his head momentarily in an attempt to level his breathing and maybe calm down a teeny-tiny bit.
It was plausible, wasn't it?
"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" He eventually and hastily pleaded, blurting the words out as if he was in the middle of a marathon. Reaching for the remaining brandy in his old-fashioned glass, he brought it to his lips and threw his head back; consuming the volume that was left. "But really, it's not my story to tell. It's hers and I promised her I wouldn't."
Luca was on a frenzy, frantically bouncing his knees up as his mind reeled, making him quite dizzy. He wasn't aware if his sudden nausea was because of the alcohol or Dinah.
But he was sure of one thing; he wanted to throw up. The sink was close - a couple of large steps away. He'll be fine.
Luca averted not just Dinah's eyes but the woman's entire figure. If he closed his eyes tight enough, Dinah might disappear and become Elf's imaginary dinosaur friend, which he was certain was just his version of Barney, the purple dinosaur.
Dinah's silence helped his case and because he couldn't see her, she nodded in understanding despite her skepticism.
The stillness lingered on until the spine-chilling scrape of the stool against the floor surface, eliciting a shudder to jolt Luca's frail body. He could have sworn they were nails being dragged down a chalkboard; all tingly and horrific.
"So, tell me." Dinah began sternly as she perched herself down onto the stool with no such difficulty due to her length. "How did you meet?"
As preparation for the apparent interrogation, Luca reached for the crystal decanter abruptly – agitating the deep auburn liquid within. It was a faux-courage serum that he would gladly take and fool himself with it because...well, he'd take it over nothing.
"College." He breathed, watching the stream of brandy smoothly glide onto his empty glass with Dinah's scrutinizing eyes. "We met in Purdue. We had the same classes and she was fooling with Milo back then for a while – since the summer, actually."
He contemplated on offering some to Dinah but figured they weren't conversing as friends or even acquaintances. Huffing for air and maybe a whiff of tranquility, he perched the decanter back down onto the counter gently and encircled the diameter of the glass with his hands – just in case he needed to be buzzed to keep a conversation with Dinah.
Changing his mind, he lifted the crystal container and ushered it to his lips, chugging most of its contents and releasing it with a refreshing sigh.
It still wasn't enough.
Meanwhile, the Polynesian was significantly surprised. She never thought that he would actually willingly speak without some "incentives" in the form of threats. She was completely unaware that Luca had been petrified of her since that dinner, and if she'd make him punch himself, Luca would do it.
"Who's Milo?"
"Mary Ingrid Louise Otto. Milo." Luca rolled his eyes, recalling how proud and sassy Milo always is when introducing herself.
It was too cocky and quite annoying to Luca.
Milo is obnoxious; more obnoxious than Luca, himself.
Freeing himself from his thoughts, Luca's slightly irritated features reverted back to the fearful expression he had been wearing upon seeing Dinah's perplexity. Truthfully, even if Dinah was smiling at him for some miraculous reason, he would still think that that had an underlying monster out to get him.
It was a legitimate fear and because of that, he now brought his glass up and took a large swig of brandy again, celebrating the smoothness of his drink as it glided down his throat upon enveloping his taste buds with its rich taste.
And why was it so hard to breathe?
"We also shared classes together – Milo and us. I'm not pointing fingers but it was with her that Camila started smoking and drinking. They were...uh...intimate. Their relationship – if you could call it that, was the start of Camila's love for brandy. I may have loved brandy because of them, too." Shrugging, he cleared his crowding throat; looking as guilty as ever as his cagy eyes dared to look at Dinah's. "I, somehow, felt like Camila was sad and thought that whatever she was trying to drown out with alcohol and puff out with smoke had to have hurt her so much. And as I got to know her, I realized that she was suppressing something."
"Lauren left her." Dinah mumbled, more to herself as she evaluated the information Luca had presented to her. Her bite had gone missing and all that remained was a soft-spoken person, caught in her thoughts.
Her gaze was fixated onto the other side of the room, mouth partially agape. She was definitely stunned to find that her calm and collected best friend had turned to the corruptions of life – excessive alcohol, nicotine and sex.
Heartbreak will remain to be one of the greatest devastations that displaces a person's soul.
Camila's coping mechanism didn't mean that her love for Lauren was unhealthy because it was. It was all the other emotions - fear and uncertainties that surrounded her feelings that brought their love to a tragic end.
"I asked her to stop whatever it was she and Milo had and then, I asked her to spend the holidays with my family. They loved her; the sober version of her. Since then, it was me and her, and Milo just eventually became our friend, and nothing more. I got to know her deeper but she'd still have secrets she'd rather hide. It was a struggle to ask for moderation in her drinking and smoking without really knowing the cause. Up until the time Elf came to live with us, Camila could finish a pack and more. It was really unhealthy. The alcohol was easier to deal with or her. She couldn't just go out and get drunk every night while pursuing degrees."
Luca let out a disquieted sigh, allowing his free hand to run over his tresses, ruining his typically perfect sweep as he thought back on the tangles of Camila's post-Lauren life. He took a moment to gather himself, feeling the burden in his chest that tugged at his heart and brought it down to a painful fall.
"And because my family liked her, they sort of decided she'd be a great addition to the family. You know how she's smart and kind, and just the best out there. They worry about reputation and money was never a factor in that. So, I asked her to marry me in February the next year and by March, we got married." He tucked his lower lip between his teeth, nodding as if to accept his words that were disturbing in his head but even more real and atrocious to say out loud.
"That's why we couldn't find her."
"She wanted to change her name and well, since then, she has been wearing mine." Luca explained remorsefully, bowing his head down in what seemed to be shame.
Dinah was pensive, sparing Luca's life for the mean time. It looked as if whatever she was thinking about was critical and played an integral part of piecing answers together from Luca's slightly evasive answers. There was a conflict in her soul, the kind that wanted to thank the man for taking her of his best friend when she couldn't while yearning to beat him up for kissing someone else.
Hearing of the withering storm that ruined Camila from Luca's point of view was overwhelming. And Dinah knew that there was so much more to it hidden in Camila's ginormous brain and heart. She'd love for Camila to just come and tell her but there were so many factors to consider; the first one being, Camila's painful re-experiencing of the tragedy of hers and Lauren's love.
Dinah didn't want to inflict any more anguish on her friend.
Going through it once is enough.
And even with those thoughts, Luca and Dinah couldn't have known Camila went back to hell once more upon seeing Lauren return.
Only this time, she seemed to be moving forward and not propelled to the back.
At least, she's with someone who loves her, right? Dinah pondered on the thought and the more it settled in her, the higher her doubts have gone.
"Do you love her?" She swiftly looked back up to Luca, scaring him into jumping back in his seat – barely keeping himself and the stool he sat on upright.
Dinah's gaze didn't have the piercing laser that bore holes through Luca's head just moments prior. If anything, her bright brown eyes were pleading, and it was up to Luca to stomp onto her fingers and let her fall over the cliff or pull her up.
He could see how deeply Dinah cared about his wife, and he decided, even if he was petrified of her, Dinah should stay in their lives – mostly Camila's, he hoped.
"I do." He admitted and his words were free of lies and malice.
It was genuine and heartfelt, which confused Dinah even more. She had just about given up on all the games and simply get right down to what really brought her anger towards the man.
Dinah leaned over the table and set on her elbows, the leverage that allowed her to move closer to Luca, who had been reacting to her movements by backing away.
"Why did you kiss Uncle Darnell, then?" She tipped her chin down, looking at the man with determination as the tension on her jaw flexed the muscles around the area.
"How did you-" With wide, petrified eyes, Luca abruptly stopped himself from completing the question. That wasn't important, and he knew what he should really be worried about. "She's going to kill me." He chanted repeatedly as the color on his face joined his heart's journey, plummeting down an abyss and never to return.
Somehow, there was a difference in his anxiety. Unlike most people who get caught cheating, he wasn't bargaining with Dinah; he wasn't begging her to keep it from Camila.
He only feared Camila and what Camila could do to him.
Well, after seeing him with Robert that morning, Dinah knew Luca should be scared. She thought only Lauren had that frightening side – that medusa glare that turned everyone into cold, cold stone.
But still, Lauren is a puppy to her. The feisty thing could bite but her baby teeth wouldn't pierce through Dinah's skin. Dinah wouldn't have provoked her friend if she felt any sort of terror.
"Yeah, after I kill you if you don't tell me the truth." Dinah bit, nodding her head incessantly in a sarcastic manner. "But if you have to know, Lauren didn't mean to tell me but she blurted it out after I pressured her. Elf kinda told me, too."
Luca could only wish for a miracle at that point.
He was running out of options. He believed Dinah is perfectly capable of canceling his subscription to life and be resurrected somehow, only to be murdered by Camila after.
What did he have to give to actually celebrate in the momentary break Dinah provided him with? Was he even meant to enjoy it? He was allowed to inhale, only to be slapped in the back and forced to huff out instead.
That cruel Polynesian!
The man's petrified eyes bulged out, visibly shuddering as he moved farther and farther from Dinah with what little space his chair allowed him to. He was almost certain there were straps that held him in place, and it was getting thicker with every second that Dinah incinerated his body with her golden eyes.
Satisfied with her words and Luca's reaction, Dinah leaned back onto the ridiculously short backrest and smugly crossed her arms; eager to just watch the show unfold.
"Look, I can't tell you but I can show you something." Luca swallowed strenuously and exhaled as if he had squeezed his lungs out just to obtain the courage to keep staring back into Dinah's eyes; into the sun.
Her glare was physically painful, causing his eyes to prickle; blinding him and leaving him no choice but to look away.
"Lead the way, then."
Shooting up to his feet, Luca gulped the last of his brandy, contemplating on bringing a bottle with him but opted not to. It'd be too risky. He slammed the empty glass down onto the counter and unceremoniously wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, when a napkin was just in the drawer beneath.
He felt like such a rebel.
He'd never done that before. It was indecorous and his wealthty family didn't like that.
Luca wriggled his head from side to side in the hopes of cracking his neck as he jogged in place. He shook his hands, throwing his fingers haphazardly all over the place.
He suddenly became a boxer, preparing for a fight.
If huffing didn't release tension, he will do it some other way.
Dinah watched him curiously, fighting the compelling tug at the corner of her lips in her amusement. She allowed her irritated, furrowed brows to hike up her forehead in incredulity; huffing remnants of her laughter out in the hopes of quelling a little bit of the persistent tickling.
Blinking incessantly, Dinah reached to scratch at her forehead to divert her attention. She would be a giggling mess if she didn't distract herself, and that would lead Luca into assuming she was his friend.
Luca brought Dinah to the master's bedroom, which was towards the opposite wing of hers and Elf's room. It was the last door and apparently had more space.
And space it had.
Upon opening the door, the first thing Dinah found was the king-sized bed, covered in voluminous, white covers. It was one of the most alluring beds she's ever seen and it was tempting her, calling her name and daring her to just jump and swim in the clouds.
The color scheme was similar to their dining hall, showing Luca's touch in the designs of their ginormous house.
The curtains came in gold while the floor was covered in the lightest shade of brown. The luxurious furniture huddled before the corner fireplace to the left of the bed were made with warm earth-tones while the opposite side contained the double doors leading to the bathroom and closet; a complement to the ones for the balcony.
It was an impressive space but Luca wasn't trying to boast his riches; and he'd have every right to show the classy and expensive design, and the even more expensive contents if chose to. But instead, he extended his arm to direct Dinah's attention on to the bed.
In the mess of pillows and covers, only one side had a mold, a vestige of a person occupying it. The bedside table contained a glass of water, a book, a cellphone being plugged for charging. And as for the other half, it remained...unoccupied.
Where was Camila?
Silently, Luca brought Dinah to the next room. At the door, the man cradled the door knob between his hands, holding it firmly as he held his breath. Twisting the metal handle, Luca timed his actions to create the smallest of noises. His shoulders were raised and Dinah could see the tension that suddenly washed over him.
The man looked a little too jittery and his extremely audible breaths bounced poked at Dinah's ears, slightly irritating the Polynesian.
Wasn't it just ridiculous to be that frightful in his own home?
Luca tiptoed inside, begging Dinah to do the same but not before pressing a finger against his lips.
Without another word, Dinah complied, following Luca in. Passing the bathroom and closet door, the first they saw was the mountain of books and papers covering a large desk, Dinah could recognize most of them as the ones they collected from the two colleges. There were numbers were astounding, even spilling down onto the floor.
It was a mess, similar to that of a garbage hill and even Dinah's less than willing heart, needed to arrange it.
It wasn't like Camila.
Deeper into the room, a queen-sized bed was pushed against the wall – the opposite of the desk. Sure enough, Camila was on her stomach, occupying the right side of the bed and her personal trappings were on the bedside table next to her.
Dinah was even more confused, stilled in her place as her eyes wandered to every surface of the barren walls. She expected to see books, romance novels and a musical instrument or two. That was how Camila's room looked like back home.
Everything was just too much and suddenly, her sudden surge of energy had been depleted. What was left of her and her resolve were an exhausted, lethargic body and a throbbing headache.
While stood there, making sense of everything, Luca gently ambled over to his shivering wife. He carefully pulled the cover up to conceal the rest of her torso, up to her neck and leaned down to plant a kiss on the back of her head.
Luca joined Dinah not to long later, guiding her out of the room with a cagy hand on her back. He knew the Polynesian had questions and he just could not risk Camila waking up to find intruders in her seclusion.
"She sleeps there?" Dinah yelled through a whisper before Luca could close the door behind them, taking the man by surprise.
Luca held onto the door knob securely, gratified that the jolt that shook his body was a forward motion and not the other way. Otherwise, it would have created a resounding thud that would wake the entire house. He shivered at the thought.
Camila was worse when she was sleep deprived.
"It's her office." He explained, trying his very best to conceal his oblique demeanor by facing Camila's door. "When my family's around, she sleeps back in the master's."
"For show?" Dinah deduced cynically, eying the man closely as she loomed over him – invading his personal space.
"Whatever we have together," Luca breathed, screwing his eyes shut as he pivoted to be before Dinah's gaze. "It works and no one is complaining. We love each other."
"You've never fought haven't you? And if you did, they never really changed anything." Dinah tried, insinuating thoughts concealed between the lines as her eyes narrowed at him.
Luca tentatively nodded, his wary gaze was set on the floor where his feet had been taking turns, kicking some microscopic dust.
"I guess you could say that." He took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets; suddenly, having them dangling freely seemed too unnatural. "But she feels safe with me and until she's brave enough to face the world again, she will continue to have me. And I hope you don't take that away from her."
"She's my best friend – we're sisters and I love her." Dinah explained, tension seeping out of her features as her spirits deflated at the thought of Camila's state. "Whatever this is that I am doing to you, it's my way of understanding her to protect her, and help her with everything."
"I know. I understand. You're just...you're-you're just really scary." Luca expressed, only locking eyes with Dinah for a spilt second.
"Good to know." Dinah raised her hand up to rub at her temples. Closing her eyes, she let out a deep sigh, which turned into a full-blown yawn. "I'm suddenly dizzy. This is a lot to take in."
"We should sleep." Luca suggested a little too keenly.
"You're not off the hook here." Dinah warned him with a point of a finger.
"I know." He acknowledged, nodding. "I'm a friend, Dinah. I respect her. And whatever fight you're fighting for her, for them, I'm on your team."
"We'll see. Good night, Mr. Claus."
Dinah walked away without allowing Luca to respond. She left him standing by Camila's door, dumbfounded and recovering from his anxiety. He wasn't sure if Dinah would trust him without a crucial information he had no right to explain but was somehow optimistic.
He only wished that Camila would divulge on her big secret with the Polynesian to loosen the leash that Dinah had wrapped around his neck.
That Friday, Dinah and Camila brought Elf to school and collected him after, much to Miss Annie's surprise. The little boy was undoubtedly thrilled and excitedly explained his day to the two women as they all boarded the car.
It was the same old stories about dinosaurs and his best friend, Jacob but a little inquisitive thought elicited a chuckle from Camila and a hearty laugh from Dinah.
Elf had asked if he could call his Aunt Dinah, Aunt Dinah-saur.
It was convenient, he argued but Dinah had already agreed without the need for the boy to justify his request. It was too adorable, and neither had the heart to say "no" to the small, endearing request.
Elf was even more ecstatic when Camila told him they would be eating out in his favorite restaurant. It was only his favorite because of the desserts and the staff that loved him tremendously.
Coincidentally, it was the same restaurant Camila brought Lauren to.
At 10:16 in the morning that Saturday, Lauren woke up to the racket emanating from her door. It gradually increase in volume, which began with three patient knocks that turned into rapid clattering of the knuckles against the wooden door, and up to the side of the fist being slammed against it with ardor and apparent irritation.
Begrudgingly, the psychologist pushed herself off the bed, murmuring profanities under her breath. The blows her door had endure echoed in her sore head, magnifying the headache that had plagued her the moment she was kissed by the sandman's counterpart.
"Be right there, damn it!!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, scratching her idle voice painfully against her throat.
Lauren's grouses never ended as she took trudged towards the door, stomping her way loudly as if she had hooves nailed at the soles of her feet. The whacks and thumps never ceased even with her response, aggravating her further. Under normal circumstances, her heart would proudly slam against her chest and let it be known through Lauren's ears. During that time, it had been drowned by those furious banging.
As she reached her door, Lauren drew a deep breath in, filling even her belly with oxygen, much like the Big Bad Wolf. She needed it to deliver her onslaught of curse words with the air that she will expel, and she'd be sure to blow the person's resolve like the flimsy house made of straw.
Angrily twisting the knob open and forcefully yanked the door, Lauren's furious green eyes never even inspected her intruder's face or form, she just opened her mouth to speak.
However, even the opportunity to yell – to unload her chest - wasn't given to her.
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!" Dinah's loud voice boomed, vehemently drilling into Lauren's ears and filling the crevice with the boisterous sound.
Without an invitation, the Polynesian burst through the opening, swooshing past a grumpy Lauren to locate the kitchen. Her hands were occupied by a take-out bag and a suspiciously large purse.
Dinah was determined to see Lauren that weekend as planned. She had allowed her friend another day to be all professional, and she was not taking "no" for an answer. And so, with Darnell's help, she was able to locate her friend's apartment with Camila's assistance to actually, physically bring her to Lauren's building.
"Dinah, it's almost March!" Lauren spoke to the empty hallway, stunned but managed to push the door close. She dragged her feet back to her room, deciding that it would be counterproductive to argue against her sprightly friend; especially, because she was at a disadvantage. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't help it. I stayed in the North Pole." Dinah explained from the other side of the kitchen sink and shelving, and refrigerator barrier that separated the rooms, coupled by a mild rustling of the paper bag and the thin, clear plastic boxes that held the food. "Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Elf, and Rudolph. I think Elf calls his nanny something festive, too, like snowflake, or bell or wreath or whatever."
Dinah would have said something about Lauren's mini table but opted not to. There were takeout boxes littering the countertops and a lone wilted apple among the chaos. Her garbage bin was overflowing and cabinet doors were pried open, revealing empty bottles or a just the barren compartments.
The remainder of the coffee in her machine had evaporated and left the brown stain rounding the bottom. Unwashed dishes remained in the sink and empty water bottles were lined close by.
Pivoting, she was blessed with the sight of the small living room, which was mostly neat and unbelievably empty, save for the manila folders scattered over the rustic coffee table.
Dinah's friends were messes.
She'd expect Camila to be slightly messy but Lauren, Lauren was a little obsessive with cleanliness.
Dinah came just in time.
Then again, the ones who extend help first are the ones who need it the most, right? Her friends had always been selfless to the point that they forget about themselves.
When Lauren never returned the banter, Dinah decided to start it back up. There'd been three two words, a greeting that she needed to exclaim at the top of her lungs since knowing the nicknames of Camila's family. She was brimming with it, and she needed someone to share it with her – or save her from the frenzy.
"Merry Christmas, Lauren!"
"Damn it, Dinah! Are you just here to make my day worse?" Lauren screamed angrily, voice a little farther and stifled within her room. "What are you even doing here? You were supposed to be staying with Camila."
Deciding to rattle her friend's reprieve, Dinah raced to join Lauren, and what she found in there, she never expected.
By to the closet cabinet was a pile of dirty clothes that had accumulated in a span of two weeks. It was definitely uncharacteristic and her desk was no better than Camila's. It was filled with work and personal documents alike, and in the mess of it all was her phone, which was, well, dead.
It could have been because of both of their busy schedules, but Dinah thought it wouldn't hurt to tidy their desks. And if Camila didn't have maids, she'd have a heap of dirty clothes, much like Lauren's.
Lauren was making do with the twin-bed and its small space. Much like Camila, she was on her stomach but her face was buried among her pillows. Only part of her legs were buried in the covers while her hands were beneath the same pillows.
"Oh, I am. But I came here for you." Dinah leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms.
"Why me?" came Lauren's muffled voice, and even with it, her irritation was apparent.
"You're alone." Dinah reasoned as if it could stand on its own, and it did. "And it's Saturday! I wasn't going to let you off the hook. If that school makes you go, I will have a word with your principal."
"Chairman!" Lauren corrected a little too passionately, lifting her head to momentarily to address her friend.
Lauren lived to correct people. So, why not do it with an effort?
"Same shit!" Dinah argued, ambling over to Lauren's bed and deliberately crashing down onto it to provoke the psychologist; sitting at the edge. "I got you some breakfast and it's in that small table you have. We're going to eat it and then, you have to get ready. Wash your hair and maybe, shave your pits and your lady business, and...just everything but your beautiful brows and your hair."
"I need to sleep, Dinah!" Lauren bemoaned, languidly pushing her body up and onto her back. "And why do I have to shave?"
"Who knows? You might get laid tonight."
"Doubt it." Lauren brought a pillow over her head, intending on prolonging her sleep with the hopes of drowning Dinah's voice and the playful tone shuddering it.
The fire of fury was beginning to overcloud her chest, agitating her stomach and heating her blood. If Dinah doesn't back down, she would have to endure Lauren's wrath, and it was brewing ever-so-surely and no amount of deep breaths could alleviate the pressure that was smothering her.
"Lauren!" Dinah complained, yanking the pillow away from Lauren and set it over her lap. "I'm hungry! Feed me."
"You brought food! Go help yourself."
"Lauren!" She exclaimed louder, knowing that Lauren's patience was running out.
Dinah would rather wake the beast up than allow sleepy beauty the chance to return to the welcoming arms of slumber.
"Stop yelling!" Lauren's eyes snapped open, teeth visibly gritting. Her irritation was exasperated by her friend's mischievous smirk prompting her to groan with the knowledge that her defeat was imminent. "Neighbors might file a noise complaint!"
"We, the two of us, are going to eat. After that, grocery shopping." Dinah explained her version of their itinerary in a much more resolute voice, one that didn't sound annoyingly playful. It seemed effective as she found Lauren sigh heavily. "What have you been eating?"
"Dinah, I've been so busy these past few weeks." Lauren lifted her arms, only to slam them back down to the bed. Furrowing her brows, she frowned and whined her next words out, pleading Dinah to just give it a rest "I just want to sleep through my weekend. My share of the college applicants is finally done. I had to e-mail prospective students, put them all on record, sat in Camila's classes, had that meeting for the positions and shit, and several other meetings for all these counselor thing. And I am not done yet. Next week, I have to interview a boat load of professionals, who really want the job."
Lauren reached up to cup her face, slowly inching it up to brush her tangled tresses as she looked up to her friend.
"I'm really tired Dinah."
"All the more reason for you to have a break." Dinah agreed, failing at concealing an ulterior motive.
She laid down beside her friend and draped her arms and legs over her. Hugs do wonders, right?
"Let's go out tonight."
"Dinah, what part of sleep do you not understand?" Lauren raised her head, straining her neck just to look at the smiling woman beside her.
"You can sleep with Mila when you're drunk senseless."
Lauren groaned, turning her back on Dinah to silently tell her that she had concluded the conversation. She had learned early on that the Polynesian is relentless. With the kind of patience like hers, Lauren was bound to lose every single argument that Dinah decided to start.
It was a lost cause.
Dinah was quiet apart from the rustling noises of the sheets. She had sat back up again, setting her feet down onto the ground.
Lauren thought she was clear; that Dinah was going to head to the kitchen by herself and allow her at least half an hour of sleep. But, of course, that wasn't what happened.
"Hey, Mila!" Dinah exclaimed, phone pressed against her ear with a gigantic grin on her face.
"Shut up, Dinah!" Lauren moaned, not in the mood for games. "You didn't have to-"
"Yeah, sorry, I'm at Lauren's...like you left me a couple of minutes ago. Do you want to go out and grab a couple of beers tonight? I heard there's this really good place called Lafayette Brewing Company." There was a pause as Dinah waited for Camila's answer, and the more she listened, the wider her grin spread. "Okay, great. We'll meet you there at 10. Bye, Mila!"
"I'm calling bullshit." Lauren muttered, eyes closed as she worked on slowing her breathing down.
Dinah was definitely just playing with her, right?
She was taking out her biggest guns to practically murder Lauren into submission, right?
"Feel free to check the time and duration of the call." Dinah smugly expressed, giggling like the little brat she is.
What Lauren didn't expect was the phone in front of her eyes, lit up and displaying Dinah's call logs. Her vision adjusted to the proximity and sure enough, it was there. Her gaze darted between the time displayed at the top right corner and the latest phone call up the top of the list.
Dinah did talk to Camila.
Lauren's heart sank, caught in between gears in her stomach, churning and ready to squish the frantically beating, apprehensive cardiovascular organ. Chills hiked up from her chest and up to her face, paling her already fair skin.
Dinah had just pushed her into a fresh pile of snow in the middle of a snow storm; leaving her to fend for herself.
"What did you do?" Hastily, Lauren sat up to confront her friend.
She would be a lot more intimidating if Dinah wasn't looking down on her. It made her seem submissive.
"I organized a girls' night out." Dinah cheered, features overwhelmed by sweet, sweet victory. "You're welcome."
A thousand and perhaps, two more thoughts were wandering in Lauren's mind; leisurely circling every bit of her cognizance until they've created gorges in their tracks, ultimately hurting her head.
Spending time with Camila at work is one thing, and spending it with her alone – without spectators anticipating every move is easier. And that night was all kinds of different. She and Camila would be away from a place where the professor wasn't in her element, and anything would barely be in her control. There's just so much that could happen. And her desire to maneuver situations and failing in the process might aggravate her, or push her back to the starting line.
And yet, that was not the more pressing issue.
Dinah Jane will be there and that girl is amazing – amazingly relentless and pigheaded.
Don't forget determined.
With her wild, uncontrollable thoughts, Lauren's heart was trying to kill her. No big deal. It was overwhelmed by the plethora of sentiments and it began with excitement to see Camila to the crippling anxiety as she anticipated the time she could see Camila.
And between the duration separating her from being with her ex-girlfriend, Laure could faint or have a panic attack – not like she's ever experienced one.
Again, no big deal.
Overwhelmed, Lauren attempted to crash back to bed with the knowledge that she had time to sleep until 10 that night. She virtually had 12 hours. Alas, Dinah's arms had caught her before her back could reunite with the soft surface of the mattress.
"No, girl." Dinah scolded, pushing Lauren upright and keeping her in place. "I'm hungry. We're eating."
Begrudgingly, Lauren got up and joined Dinah for brunch; aware that her friend might just scoop her up and bring her to the kitchen against her will. Without coffee, both were forced to have their food with plain old water, and the younger woman made sure to express her grievances every chance she could get.
For some miraculous reason, Dinah convinced her friend to go out and get groceries. It was more like nagging but it got the job done. She even managed to persuade Lauren into allowing her to pick her friend's ensemble for the night.
Dinah was proud of herself.
Dinah would have questioned how she even became the more responsible one between herself and Lauren, when the psychologist took every opportunity to nag her. It surprised her that she'd allowed Lauren to shower and get ready for their night out while she took care of putting the groceries away after they ordered Japanese food.
Dinah was becoming such a woman.
That thought made her grin proudly, creating the gorge of her dimple that was over her cheek bone.
Apart from that, Dinah could not suppress her excitement and if Lauren were to see the playful glimmer in her golden eyes, she would be sure to roll her green ones at Dinah. It was rather obvious that the Polynesian had plans that Lauren might not appreciate.
Dinah wasn't really good at hiding her intentions but she'd managed to hide what they were.
"Let's go, Dinah." Lauren yelled at Dinah, who was still in the bathroom putting her bold, red lipstick on. "We don't want to be late. Professor C might go all hell breaks loose."
It was still 9:25 in the evening, and if they left 10 minutes later, they still would have enough time to make it to the pub without being late. There was still enough time and Lauren's punctuality was impressive but not quite appreciated.
Lauren's nerves were showing.
The psychologist had been pacing back and forth, and even managed to journey around the small apartment. She was quite unaware as to what it would have done to remedy her severe anxiety but knew that if she was exhausted, she might not care as much.
Then again, it was Camila and as tiring her past weeks were, when she saw the younger woman that Wednesday, she felt as if there was renewed energy and her body had forgotten all about her exhaustion. Camila's presence seemed to give her life, the kind that invigorated her soul and put her heart back together.
"We can't. She's not here." Dinah stepped out of the bathroom those skin-tight leather pants of hers, topped with a sleeveless blouse that streamed over her shoulders fluidly. Her hair was impeccably styled, draping down in defined waves.
Those clothes and her high-heeled boots were in the damn purse she brought.
"What?"
"Surprise!" Dinah threw her hands up in the air, gleefully revealing one of her many secrets of the night. "She's picking us up!"
Lauren sighed heavily, dropping her head low in utmost defeat. Dinah had played her, using her weaknesses to seemingly screw her over. It was then that she saw her ensemble, finally realizing that she was overdressed for a night out to a pub.
Lauren was in a black seamless sheer mesh with a sweetheart neckline and sleeves up to her elbow; accentuating the swell of her generous breasts and every curve of her torso. The fabric of her top barely reached the last of her ribs and Dinah was merciful enough to allow her to wear a high-waist white skirt, which crawled down to the middle of her legs.
And the only way that her clothes would work is if she wore hells, and not those grungy boots she loved. It's not like she had a choice.
"Dinah, don't you think you overdid me?" She raised her brows, scrutinizing her friend, who, as always, was undeterred by her most intimidating scowl.
"You will love me at the end of the night." Dinah proclaimed, brimming with confidence.
Just in time, her phone chimed; eliciting the widest grin to riddle her lips that threatened to split her face in half. Lauren knew what was coming to her.
Typing her quick response, Dinah told Lauren that Camila was waiting for them downstairs. She led the way to the door, taking the peacoat she picked from Lauren's wardrobe up from where she hung it on the hook behind the door.
Dinah fanned the item, wiggling it slightly; an invitation for Lauren to come, which she did albeit begrudgingly. She wrapped herself in a bomber jacket and brought her stupidly ginormous purse with her, allowing Lauren's wallet and phone to fit in it, too.
All bundled up, Lauren and Dinah took their time to descend the stairs of the apartment. Lauren was too deep in thought to hold a conversation while her companion rambled on and on about how the night was going to be, in her words, "amazeballs".
Dinah's words were true enough. The night would be, again, "amazeballs" for her considering Lauren's discomfort was her favorite.
It was going as planned and Lauren was wallowing in height of her embarrassment.
Outside, Lauren easily found Camila's black GMC, parked right in front in all its shining glory. Lauren loved her car and would take it to shops for frequent maintenance, washing and the works. It'd come out ruggedly beautiful and Lauren would watch it with such pride.
Camila's car; it was worse. It looked pampered, much like a multi-millionaire heiress' lap dog; pampered and polished.
Politely, Camila lowered her window and smiled at them. She even threw in a little wave, something she did to divert the attention from her reddening features. While Lauren couldn't get a better look at her, Camila had the best view of Lauren in her gray peacoat and the way it traced her waist.
The clothes underneath intrigued her and roused something in her that she'd been deprived of for a really long time. Without warning, her thoughts wandered to Lauren's bare form as she hovered about the girl coming undone, slack jawed as her brows scrunched up in pleasure.
Camila's mouth easily dried up. What once was a thriving ecosystem had been dried up by the heat coursing through her body. Shallow breaths and rapid pulse, Camila fought to maintain her composure; thanking the leverage provided to her by the dark night.
"Lauren," Dinah called a little louder than the acceptable volume, deliberately attracting Camila's attention, too. "I'll take the back, I need to stretch my legs."
"I know what you're doing, you little fuck." Lauren murmured through gritted teeth as she leaned closer to Dinah.
"High school all over again." Dinah cheerfully whispered, walking ahead of Lauren to avoid the impending glare.
Huffing, rounded the car and climbed onto the passenger seat.
Yes, it was just like high school, where the seat next to Camila was Lauren's and Lauren's alone.
Thanks to Dinah, the ride was not as tensed as it should be. Dinah had constantly been yammering about Normani and Ally, and their lives after high school. Lauren had heard those stories but pretended to having only heard it the first time just to keep Camila from being uncomfortable.
At least, to Camila, it meant that she wasn't the only one who distanced herself from her old friends.
However, no matter Dinah's best efforts, she could not get rid of the biggest concern that had been hovering over Lauren and Camila's heads. The last time there was alcohol involved, inhibitions were demolished. The same force instituted their mutual desire for each other, which would have been left hidden among the burdens of regret, heartache and rancor without the variable in the mix.
Camila parked right at the entrance of a brick building, situated with the core of downtown Lafayette. The economist was well acquainted with the place given that it was mere minutes from Purdue. She'd been there a couple of times and in all of those times, Milo was with her.
With that knowing, Camila began to pray that the olive-eyed blonde would steer clear of the pub for the night.
A green awning provided shelter for the patrons that lined up outside with the beer barrel logo printed right in the middle. Seeing as it was a Saturday, the crowd was thick and Dinah couldn't have felt more idiotic at the fact that she forgot to make reservations.
Camila asked her friends to wait at the line as she parked her car somewhere down the road. More people meant more cars and the street parking was easily filled. What she didn't tell them was the reserved parking that was set for her just a couple of doors down, where a car dealership was situated; one of Luca's family's five across the state.
Camila took a deep breath as she slammed her car door shut. The cold air instantly kissed her cheeks, offering her a comfortable breathing space to unload the tension in her chest.
But it wasn't enough.
Her hands were unconsciously searching her body for the pack of cigarettes she knew she shoved in earlier. And sure enough, she found it inside her stylish black blazer because the professor would pick that over any other jackets. She lit the white stick, sucking on it to ignite the ember that would release the nicotine her body craved.
Leisurely, she watched as her high heeled-boots took turns to propel her forward, leaving a trail of white smoke. She took notice of the drenched sidewalk she was following.
Soon enough, she'd arrived the end of the line, taking notice of Dinah and Lauren, who were in the middle of a conversation; allowing her to throw what was left of her cigarette to the floor and stomped on it to put it out. There was no denying she smoked, she smelt of it.
Camila invited the pair to walk over to the entrance, giving the host assigned for nights like those, a good look at her face.
Without checking the clipboard, the man flashed them an awkward grin and hurriedly took three menu cards.
He hailed another person over, asking them to take over and went back to addressing Camila and her guests.
"Right this way, ladies."
Neither Dinah nor Lauren were aware of the Clausnitzer's connections or the nature of their businesses. Quietly, they figured the rich family and their friends were patrons, or maybe just Camila and Luca. The look of recognition in the man's eyes was enough sign for them to realize that Camila had been to that place before.
The fear that riddled his features meant he had been awarded with Camila's wrath in the past; or have heard of it. Either way, he was petrified.
Dinah and Lauren shared a look and both shrugged it off, grateful that they didn't have to wait as long to grab tables.
The rustic ambience of the interior would be justified by the exterior. The cracks on the wall boast the stacked red bricks while high ceilings allowed industrial lights, vents to be visible. Bar counters and tables were in polished wood just as the rest of its crafted designs. Up the second floor were exposed wooden beams and posts, complementing the natural-colored timber floor.
Lauren was definitely overdressed.
There was a band playing at the make shift stage out front, while the same man brought them to their table. Camila had taken the time to talk to him while Lauren and Dinah marveled at the place, ordering her favorite beer.
With the host patiently waiting for them to settle down, the group barely got their jackets and coats off when a distinct voice roared through the ruckus of conversations and live entertainment.
"Cammie!"
Camila closed her eyes momentarily, wishing it was all a dream – a nightmare. She blindly draped her jacket over the seat, which was right next to Dinah and in front of Lauren as hurried footsteps darted closer and closer, shoving her heart deeper into her stomach and maybe down to her feet.
"Who do I have to kill to stop everyone from calling you that?" Dinah snapped, throwing her jacket onto her seat in annoyance as she whirled around to find the sandy-haired girl skipping to their table.
"Milo." Camila mumbled under her breath, intriguing Dinah even more. "You're drunk."
Camila remarked, having diminished enough space to take a closer look at the glossed green eyes and just overly flamboyant demeanor.
A drunk Milo was worse.
"Barely." Milo argued, throwing herself at Camila, who barely caught her.
"Barely?! You reek!" Camila countered, attempting to pry Milo's arms away from her but to no avail. "Get off. Go away."
With Dinah's help, Milo's leech-grip was finally unfastened. Roughly, the Polynesian dragged her to the seat Lauren was supposed to occupy and forcefully placed her there with minimal fussing and protests from the girl she'd come to hate from Luca's tales.
Milo was not coming between her friends if she has a say in it.
Lauren had no choice but to take the last seat right next to Camila and gave her a small smile, offering her sympathy for the sudden intrusion. Camila returned the gesture, quietly settling down but found herself directing her gaze at Milo, who sat with a dumb, mindless smile on her lips, exacerbating her struggle to keep her eyes open.
It was relatively quiet around the table, as the three lucid companions sized the situation up.
Lauren was indifferent about Milo's arrival up until she thought of how the girl had shamelessly flirted with her in front of Camila; Dinah would love to see that just so she'd have a reason to manhandle the poor girl.
Milo's gaze shifted to the person to her left, Dinah. The blonde slowly inched her way close to Dinah, seemingly scrutinizing her olive features as she cocked her head from side to side. Dinah slowly backed away not quite comfortable with Milo's unfocused gaze.
Suddenly, Milo's hands flew up to Dinah's cheeks, yanking the Polynesian for a quick kiss. Dinah had no escape. However, it ended as soon as it came.
Apparently, it was only Lauren, who found the lip lock quite entertaining as Camila practically frowned in her embarrassment. And as for Dinah, she held onto Milo's shoulders; keeping her away as if she had a contagious disease that would kill Dinah in an instant.
"Okay!" Dinah breathed, pushing Milo enough to dab at the outlines of her lips; attempting to rid them of smears. "Girl, I've done enough experimenting. Don't."
"Experimenting?" Lauren and Camila exclaimed in unison, lunging towards the table in an attempt to get closer to Dinah. "When?"
It wasn't because the idea was farfetched, it was just a little more than a little unexpected. Dinah had joked about so many things but experimenting was not one of them. She'd been very vocal about "hot guys in jerseys" that none of her friends would ever assume she'd be a tad bit curious.
Dinah's annoying smirk made its way up to her features when she found her friends' slack jaws and bulging eyes. She should have been embarrassed, but their expressions were just utterly hilarious, and one of her purposes in life is to make fun of them.
"I'm not telling."
"This is not happening." Camila groaned, dropping her head onto the white table cloth; completely out of it. She just wanted the night to end and go home, yell at Luca – blame him for Milo.
"It's okay." Lauren muttered, drawing her head closer to Camila. "Whatever they will do or think of doing, I'll help you out of it."
Something in Camila trusted Lauren's words instantaneously even when forever was promised a long time ago, and she knew how that turned out. Forever turned into momentary, and yet, she found herself counting on Lauren with confidence that she would lull the stress and anxiety brought about by Dinah and Milo.
For the first time in almost a decade, Camila's teammate for the night was Lauren.
It was surreal but undeniably gratifying.
"This is going to be a fun night!" Oblivious, Milo excitedly expressed; grinning as she made sure to connect her gaze with the three pairs of eyes uncomfortably staring back. She looked up, raising her hand up to improve her visibility. "Waiter!"
***Bottom half was baaaaaad but I really had to update just to get this out of the way. Again, DIDN'T go over this at all. I'm quite excited about the next chapter but that'll take a week or two, maybe more. haha! Thanks, friends! Take it easy!
***I've been rewriting Not Quite The Opposites and I am not going over it quickly, just taking my time so discrepancies will be plenty.
***Too lazy to put links but Birdgirl is almost done and I have relatively new stuff: To You, Graceless and The Words I Cannot Speak. So, yeah. Later, gators!