The Dancing Girl in The Painting ** (Camren)

Chapter 10: Not Staying Late

Narrator's POV

Lauren walked closer to Camila, "Ms. Cabello." Camila was still in her own world. Lauren went in front of her and waved at her. "Hi!"

Camila was a little shocked. She took off her EarPods, "Ms. J? You're still here?"

"Yes, I had to finish my analysis report. and you?" Lauren asked Camila.

"Yes, checking some documents." She looked away.

"What time you are planning to leave?" Lauren asked her. Her eyes did not leave Camila. She took a seat in front of Camila's desk.

Camila took her phone, "probably in an hour or so."

Lauren pouted slightly and Camila saw it. "What are you looking at?" Lauren asked Camila referring to her document and computer screen.

"I'm just looking at some stuff." 

"You need help?" Lauren offered.

"No," Camila was not sure. She knew Lauren could help, but she did not want to keep Lauren here. It was no longer office hour. "it's okay, thank you." Camila returned her eyes to the documents.

Lauren was sitting there busy with her phone. Her stomach growled. Camila heard it and Lauren was touching her stomach, "Ms. Cabello."

"Yes?" She looked at Lauren.

"Do you want to order something for dinner? I am hungry."

"I..." before she managed to answer, Lauren's stomach growled again. They laughed.

Lauren pouted subtly, "Please, I don't want to eat alone."

Camila found it hard to reject Lauren these days. "Okay."

"Yay, I will order something." Lauren was typing something on her phone. She had been thinking of what to order for dinner before she asked Camila.

.

The food arrived fifteen minutes later. Lauren, Camila, and Jason had their dinner together at the meeting desk in Camila's office. They turned on the television as usual. Lauren and Jason would exchange some words while Camila just sat and enjoyed her dinner. After dinner, Jason left Camila's office to smoke outside the office. Camila got back to work and she did not want Lauren to wait for her.

"Thank you for the dinner, Ms. J. You can leave now. It's late." Camila said sitting down on her chair.

"No worries, and yes, it's late. You have to go home and have some rest, too, Ms. Cabello." Lauren said.

"Yes, I will," Camila said and she returned to the documents on her desk.

"What time are you going to finish?" Lauren asked.

"Probably in an hour or two," Camila said without looking at Lauren.

Lauren sighed internally. Camila said an hour when she came in, and now Camila said one or two hours later. Lauren thought Camila was not going to leave any time soon. She was thinking about how to make Camila leave the office soon and not staying late all the time. Camila might feel nothing, but she looked exhausted.

"Okay." Lauren sat down on the chair in front of Camila's desk. She just sat there with her eyes glued to her phone.

Lauren did not leave after half an hour passed. Camila said again, "You can leave, Ms. J." She did not want to sound rude.