Beautiful When You Don't Try (Camren)

Chapter 43

A/N: Okay...this is a very long chapter, mostly just the Camren interview. However the beginning scene deals with Adrianne/Kim and the effects Camila is having on Lauren's career.

As for the...no longer triangle. I am warning you now, that it isn't going to progress as quickly as most of you would like. Sorry.

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"Good morning." Adrianne greeted as she approached the front door to the studio building.

Kim handed her a coffee and opened the door for her. "Good morning."

"So, is our fearless leader actually coming to be at work today or are we going to have to reschedule all of her appointments again? Because she is in serious jeopardy of losing her professional reputation taking all this time off."

"That is something that has been worrying me." Kim agree as the pair entered the elevator. "But she is suppose to be here."

When the two stepped out of the elevator, Kim headed straight for the office. Adrianne hesitated but made up her mind to follow. "I need to talk to you." Kim furrowed her brow as she sat down behind the desk and booted the computer up. Adrianne set her purse down on the ground and took a seat in front of her. "It's about what you said yesterday. I think you were right. What I had with Normani wasn't really what I was needing. However, I am not going to take you up on your offer...completely. I was hoping to get that shoulder to lean on that you were talking about while I found a distraction in the process of helping you."

"Helping me?"

Adrianne nodded and sipped her coffee. "Yes. I would like take you up on your offer completely, but you're a baby lesbian." Kim's posture straightened slightly. "See, you even flinch at the word. I can't do that again. So, instead, I want to take you out to a gay bar tonight, get you integrated into your new home. I'm inviting Normani to come along to help out. You need to embrace your sexuality before you can do anyone any good in a relationship."

Kim's jaw bobbed a few times before the words started stumbling out. "I-I'm not the promiscuous type. I have no intentions of having a slue of one night stands."

Adrianne stopped herself from asking why she had offered to help her get over Lauren then. But she remembered what the photographer had told her. Kim had a crush on her. That was another reason to get the assistant out there to see her other options. "You don't have to sleep with anyone. It's not, like, a rule in the book of homosexuality that you have to be promiscuous. But you still need to see what is out there. Right now, you have myself, Lauren, Normani, and Camila to go on. And that is just filled with all sorts of drama. You need a clean start. Something just for fun. So, what do you say? Come out with me and Normani tonight."

"Um...yeah. Sure."

"Good." Adrianne beamed in accomplishment as she stood. "You'll have fun."

"Fun with what?" Lauren asked as she walked into the office and set down an equipment bag by her desk.

"Oh my God. Not only is she here at work," Adrianne teased. " and not only is she on time even, but she's early. Call the presses. This needs to run in the morning addition."

"What are you going on about?"

"You're disappearing act at work lately. You've been MIA and canceling things so often anymore that it's hard to tell when you are actually going to be here. You use to be a workaholic, now...I don't know. I'm afraid it is starting to take it's toll."

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked as she pulled her jacket off and hung it up.

"Your client found it a little unprofessional that you kept yawning through your meetings the other day." Adrianne explained. "And the meeting you canceled yesterday, Kim had to kiss ass for you to keep the account. It was apparently the second time you canceled on them."