A month had passed since Camila had surprised me with our second date. We were on great terms and for the first time I felt like we were having a steady relationship that wasn't a constant rollercoaster. Even with our busy schedules, we made sure to make time for one another and relish every moment shared.
It wasn't easy but we made it work. At first it was hard for me to switch gears because Camila had other obligations that were more important. In my previous relationship, I had gotten used to seeing my girlfriend every day. Obviously we had moved in together fairly quickly, so the new approach of only seeing Camila every few days took some adjustment. I had never been opposed to it since I was adamant about not repeating our old patterns. Letting the other one have space seemed to work and eased my apprehension concerning her family life.
That way I was able to sustain an independence that I wasn't familiar with in relationships. I had a habit of fully immersing myself in someone once I was in a relationship. The past with Camila showed that perfectly. Whenever we had separated, I had been left with nothing. I didn't regret those choices because they had ultimately led me here but I was happy to know our bond wasn't as unhealthily dependent this time around.
Looking at the engraved pen in my hand, I couldn't help but smile. Keana appeared in front of my cubicle to pick me up for lunch. She wasn't paying me any attention and looked at her phone. I didn't need her to say anything though and got up from my chair. We made our way downstairs and just as we walked outside of the revolving door, we bumped into Camila.
"Hey," she greeted with a big smile.
"Hi," I responded with apparent surprise and kissed her lips softly.
"Hi Keana, how are you?" Camila focused on my friend afterwards and they exchanged a hug.
"I'm good. How are you?" the light brunette reciprocated genuinely.
"I'm great. I have the day off and I thought I would surprise Lauren for lunch," my girlfriend explained her visit.
"Sure, she's all yours," Keana replied while I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Oh, were you already planning to have lunch together?" Camila realized.
"That's alright. I'm getting a little sick of Lauren anyways," my friend winked but Camila was quick to interject.
"No, why don't we all go together?" her suggestion sounded good to me. "I mean, if that's ok?"
"I'm in," I said casually.
"I'd love to but I totally understand if you want some alone time," the PR intern somewhat consented to the plan.
Although Keana seemed hesitant at first, she decided to join in after all and the three of us headed to a nearby restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised how well Camila and Keana got along. They talked more to each other than to me but I didn't mind. If anything I wanted them to be comfortable with each other. Plus, Keana wasn't shy to begin with and complimented my girlfriend's outfit right away. I playfully told her to stop hitting on my girlfriend and enjoyed the laughter from them.
Everything went well until I saw my friend's eyes widening, looking at the door.
"Fuck," she hissed and tried hiding her face behind a menu.
"What's going on?" I asked puzzled.
"The guy that I hooked up with a few weeks ago just walked in," her answer was just above a whisper.
Focusing on the door instantly, I looked the young man over quickly. Even if I wasn't attracted to men, I had to admit he was good-looking. He was probably 6'1, brown hair, three-day stubble and looked like the artsy type. I knew Keana liked didn't like the clean-cut guys and the man approaching our table definitely had an alternative vibe to him. Wait...why was he approaching us? Had he seen Keana after all?
