Chapter 21

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"So what possessed you to email this girl, anyway?" Adrian asked, flipping over so he was now laying on his stomach.

Lauren glanced at him from her spot on the blanket. Why couldn't he just let her sunbathe in peace? And why did he insist on sunbathing in a thong? Thank God he turned over.

"Because I really liked the drawing, and I wanted to know if she had more of her work on display." Short. Sweet. And more amazingly, true.

"If she had a gallery of some sort, she wouldn't be sitting at the park trying to make a quick buck," Adrian replied logically.

Lauren shrugged. "You never know."

"Do you know what she looks like?" he asked.

"Don't know, don't care," Lauren informed him, wishing he'd dropped the subject. I should've never told him about Camila .

Ugh.

She stared at the ocean and tried to relax. It was her one day off and she planned to enjoy it.

Adrian shrugged. "She could be really ugly."

"Don't care."

"Sure you don't. I bet you've got her all pictured in your head. What did she tell you she looked like?"

"She didn't." Please drop this, Adrian, before I kill you. "And I honestly couldn't care less. She's just a person I email occasionally."

Adrian shook his head and sat up.

Lauren looked away. "Will you please put on a pair of shorts or something?"

"Just trying to avoid tan lines," Adrian replied with a grin, but slipped on a pair of tan cargos. "Besides, I like to add a bit of testosterone to your life."

"Right, because my life is just overflowing with estrogen."

Adrian held up his finger. "Which brings me to my next point." Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Don't start."

"You can't keep hiding away, Lauren . As much as I'm going to enjoy being your on-screen romance, you're eventually going to have to face up to the truth. You can't spend the rest of your life in isolation."

"I like it this way, Adrian," she argued. "It's simple. Do you know how complicated my life would be if I got involved with someone right now? Secrecy and avoidance and lying and ..." She shrugged. "You can't have a relationship under those circumstances."

"You're just scared of getting hurt."

Lauren shrugged. "Aren't we all?"

"And if you fall in love?"

"I won't."

Adrian shook his head. "You never know..."

Lauren stared at her best friend defiantly. "I do know, my darling Adrian. Because I won't let myself fall in love."

Adrian grinned. "But you admit you're sexually frustrated?"

"Nope."

"No you don't admit it?"

"Sex is overrated."

"Says she who's never tried it."

Lauren smiled. "It works best that way. I won't miss what I never knew."

"You're gonna end up one of those old, bitter women," Adrian predicted. "You'll talk to your plants and give them cute names, like Fluffy."

She laughed. "You're a dumbass."

Adrian took it as a compliment. He stared out at the water for a long moment, then turned back to Lauren . "Does she know?"

"I told her."

"Does she know who you are?"

Lauren shook her head, feeling depressed all of a sudden. "Is this a good idea, Lauren ?" Adrian asked seriously. Probably not ... She shrugged.

"It's just email."

"I hope so," Adrian responded, but somehow didn't think so.

————-

Dear Camila ,

Well, while you were dress, make-up, shoe and underwear shopping, I was out by the beach working on my tan. I love California. ;o)

Adrian, unfortunately, has this thing about prancing around in a thong. I think he's subconsciously attempting to turn me straight, but little does he know that his performance has the opposite effect.

Hehe. Actually, he's one of those muscular guys that girls always go for, so it's not like it's a completely horrifying sight.

But ... you know ... gross.

As for my type. Um, well, truthfully I haven't really dated much so I can't say I have much basis for comparison. But I guess, I want what everyone else seems to want and can never find. I just want someone who will love me for who I am. I can't even set any standards for what she would be like, because by doing so I would be trivializing anyone's individuality. No one can be everything. But I long to find the one girl who is everything to me.

You must think I'm incredibly corny.

So you're half Cuban? Adrian is part Cuban. Or maybe it's Argentinian ? Italian ? I should know these things, but sadly I forget. He's a mixture of a few things but he doesn't speak any Spanish.

Maybe you can teach me. I tried French in High School, but I didn't get much out of it, I'm afraid. :o)

Your friend,

Laura.

Having finished the email, Lauren went in search of a chat room. It had been a while since she'd messed with anyone's head and was kind of in the mood.

The lesbian chat room looked promising, except that it had fallen under the invasion of bored guys pretending to be lesbians.

Lauren could sympathize, for she was bored herself. Too bad I can't chat with Camila. She froze, suddenly getting an idea. She typed Camila's email address into the member search engine.

She wouldn't have a screen name ... But two second's later. There it was.

CCabell03

Lauren's breath caught. I wonder if she's online.

She wasn't.

Oddly disappointed, Lauren decided to sign off.

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