I Hate You, I Love You

Chapter 4: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Lauren's POV

The radio was turned up and my bare feet hung out the window as Normani zipped down the highway. My phone screen came to life. It was a message from Dinah.

Hey, she had texted with a smile.

Hiya, gimp.

I was thinking about the other night.

I had a feeling she was going to bring up the incident on the couch and I wasn't comfortable talking about that. For starters, I really don't know her and it just seems like everything is happening so fast. I decided to try throwing her off. Me too. That pizza was killer, right? Is there any left?

Haha, no. Ally got to it.

I laughed. Of course there was none left. Damn.

Normani turned the radio down. "What are you laughing about?"

"Something on Tumblr," I lied. "Hey, thanks for coming with me."

"It's Santa Barbara! I couldn't pass that up."

A couple of days ago I had been invited by someone I'd met at the gallery opening to an art convention in Santa Barbara for new and inspiring artists. It wasn't really something I wanted to go to because who likes conventions, but all expenses had been paid for and I wasn't busy working on a piece. I invited Normani along because like myself, she makes her own schedule and loves beautiful places.

Normani and I arrived at the hotel just before one o'clock and checked in. The convention had started at eleven, but we couldn't make it any earlier. We went up to the room to change and freshen up. The convention was being held in the main ballroom and was scheduled to conclude around midnight. Only about three-hundred people, which included artists and art connoisseurs, would be in attendance. The piece I had shown at the gallery opening would be on display and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Before we headed downstairs I checked my phone. Still no response from Dinah. A good thing, I suppose.

"You look great," Normani said as we walked into the elevator.

I shrugged. I didn't feel great. "Thanks, Mani."

"Hey," she pulled me into a side hug. "Don't worry. You're an amazing artist. They're going to love your work."

I leaned my head against her shoulder. "I hate this side of it. I just want to make art that I love and inspires me and not have it picked apart."

Normani rested her head on mine, nodding. She squeezed me and rubbed my arm before releasing me. "Let's make the most of tonight."

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the elevator. Tonight wasn't about me, it wasn't even about the art. Tonight was about the journey, the experience. That's what I told myself anyway. The night dragged. Most of the people in attendance were older, senior citizen old, but there was an open bar. Mani and I ended up leaving before it ended and headed back up to the room to eat and watch TV before we passed out.

I woke up to Normani singing a Justin Bieber song in the shower, even going as far as mimicking the sound of the beat. "Mani," I groaned, pulling a pillow over my head to try blocking her out. Peering at the clock and seeing the time made me jump out of bed. It was already eleven forty-five and we needed to check out by noon. I changed, threw my stuff into my suitcase and zipped it up. "Mani," I called, "hurry up."

"I'm done, girl, chill." She walked out of the bathroom in a towel.

"We have to check out in," I looked at the clock again, "ten minutes."