Chapter 36

His beautiful brown eyes peer into mine, twinkling.  I feel this rush go through my body, and the butterflies in my stomach multiply.  He smiles, showing his dimples and I melt.  I lean against the doorframe, crossing my arms.  "Do I know you?" I ask, with a smirk.  He looks around.  "I don't think so." He says, raising an eyebrow.  "Than why are you in my apartment?" I say.  He runs his fingers through his curls, like he always does.  "I got lost, I was hoping you would be able to help me." he says.  I smirk wider.  "And why would I want to help a complete stranger?"  "This stranger has been lost for awhile, it would be nice if he found his way." He says, standing up.  My heart beats faster.  "So where you trying to go?" I ask.  "Home." he says, walking towards me.  I roll my eyes.  "Obviously, but where is 'home'?" I ask, walking towards him.  We stop right in front of each other.  I close my eyes and breathe deep, smelling as much of his cologne smell as I can in one breath.  I almost get a high off of it.  He stares at me, looking from my eyes down to my lips.  I feel my face turn red, but I don't look away.  He rubs his thumb across my cheek, than with his index finger lifts my chin.  His lips connect with mine and I feel electricity through my whole body.  He pulls away and leans his forhead against mine.  His fingers weave through my hair.  "Without your touch or kiss, I don't know who I am and I'm lost." I hold his face gently.  "But as long as I'm with you, no matter where we are, I'm home." He says.

* * * *

"Bruno!" I turn around.  "Bruno!"  I turn the other direction.  Bruno grips my hand tighter as we walk to his car.  "Bruno!"  He smiles and waves at the girls running down the street towards us.  Before we have a chance to get in the car, they stop him, asking for a picture.  "Of course!"  He stands next to them, putting his arms around their shoulders.  After the camera flashes, the girl on his right side leans forward and gives him a kiss on the cheek.  Heat rises from my body, and I clench my fists as I just stand there and all I can do is watch.  He gives them all hugs, than quickly walks back by me.  "Calm down babe." he says, taking my hand and opening the car door.  I'm not used to this.  I don't know how to handle it.  He gets in, and leans over to kiss me.  "All this, and you're only local.  What happens when you go global?" I say.  "If." He says.  I look at him.  "When." I say.  He laughs a little.  "I missed you." He says, and that kind of puts out my flame.  "Lena.. I don't want to go back to how we used to be.  I think I've made it pretty clear where you stand in my life.  Nobody's going to take that away from me, especially some random females that I don't even know.  Believe me when I say, you don't ever have to worry." he says.  I take his hand and he squeezes.  "Okay, I know all of this, It's just hard when you have so much attention, I feel like I have to compete or something." I say.  He shakes his head and kisses me again.  "When it comes to you, there is no competition." he says.  He lifts my chin, and his twinkling eyes can't hold back my smile.  He turns the car on.  "Where are we even going?  You didn't tell me." I say.  He winks.  "Exactly." he says.  Dammit.  I hate surprises.  After about 15 minutes of driving, I see the beach.  This is the surprise?  It's not exactly exciting, since we come here all the time.  He sees my face and smirks.  "Just wait Lena." He says, parking the car.  We get out and he holds my hand, leading the way.  We walk awhile on the sand, til he stops in front of the "No Trespassing" sign.  He pulls me, but I pull back.  "It says No Trespassing." I tell him.  He rolls his eyes and picks me up.  There's no fighting it.  I know I won't get down.  He carries me until we reach a spot on the sand with a couple blankets laid down.  He carefully sets me down.  I look at him, waiting for an explanation.  "I've been working, you've been working.  I miss the days when we would just lay around, doing nothing but just being with each other." He says.  I smile a little, thinking back to the old days.  He kisses me, leaning forward til I'm laying down and he's on top of me.  He plays with my hair.  The sun turned him from naturally tan, to being bronzed.  He glows, and his dark hair is a little lighter, with a reddish hint to it.  His almond brown eyes stare at me with so much love, I feel my face turn red.  "So this is my surprise? A blanket in the middle of nowhere?" I finally ask.  He smiles.  "Yeah, and in a little bit I'm gonna drag you behind that bush and kill you.." he says.  I pretend to get up and run.  He busts out laughing and pulls me back down.  "No, this is not the surprise.  Lena, you've never been patient." he says, smiling.  Right when his lips almost touch mine, we hear a noise.  Bruno looks up, and I tilt my head back.  I'm staring at an upside down teenage girl.  "Uhm, Hi." Bruno says, waving a little.  "Hi Bruno!" She says in a squeaky voice, than covers her mouth as her face turns red.  I look at Bruno, raising an eyebrow.  "Uhm.." He furrows his eyebrows and scratches the back of his head.  "I'm really not trying to be rude when I say this, but.. Do I know you?" he asks.  I tilt my head back again, waiting for her answer.  "I've seen you 3 times, I think you're an amazing singer and I love watching you perform, You're so hot!" she rambles on.  I look at Bruno again, not bothering to hide my smirk.  "Like oh my god." I say quietly to him.  He pushes me a little and I stifle my laugh.  "Awe that's really sweet of you!" he says.  She just stands there, staring at him.  He sighs softly, than stands up.  He smiles really big and gives her a hug.  I can see her turn to jelly and she gets flustered.  She holds on to him, way longer than necessary.  Don't mind me, I'm just his girlfriend.  Nobody important.  I play with the sand for awhile.  After what seems like an eternity, she's gone.  Bruno picks me up, and kisses me.  "Oh My God! Bruno is touching me! Oh Em Gee!!" I scream.  He busts out laughing and bites me.  "Shut up Lena." he says, his face turning red.  Hold on.  Rewind. Pause.  Peter Hernandez's face. Is red?!  He's embarrassed?!  I grab his ears.  "Babe, I'm just kidding." I reassure him.  "I know, I mean I'm used to attention, I mean come on.. I'm Bruno!" He says, making a face.  I roll my eyes.  "I guess I'm not used to so many random people knowing my name now." He says.  "Imagine when you have your own album out.  You'll forget who I am with a quickness." I tell him, half joking, half serious.  "I want my music to be heard, it's not about how famous I get.  Lena, you'll be my side til the end." he says.  I touch his face.  "Promise?" I ask.  He kisses me lightly.  "Promise." he says.  He puts me down.  "Well, my attempt at something romantic failed.." he says.  I hold in my laugh.  "Time for attempt 2!" he says, taking my hand.  I follow close behind him, because as we walk our way across the beach, were getting more and more stares.  He pushes me in the car and drives off.  His phone rings.  When he looks at it, he furrows his eyebrows.  "Hello Mr. Gordy" he says.  I look over at him.  I can't read his face.  He makes no expression as Mr. Gordy talks.  "Yes sir." he says, in a low voice and hangs up.  He sighs and makes a U turn.  "What?" I ask him.  "He wants me at the studio." he says, driving.  "For how long?" I ask, my heart beating faster.  He shakes his head.  "I don't know..."  He drops me off at the apartment.  When he opens my door, he grabs my hand and kisses it.  "Whatever it is, I'll make it fast, and come back and get you, okay?" he says, his eyebrows raised and his voice high.  "Don't worry about it, Do what you gotta do babe." I tell him, but inside I'm disappointed.  He kisses my cheek, than jumps in the car and zooms away.  I walk upstairs, feeling emptier than I have in awhile.  

* * * *

Still waiting for Bruno's 'romantic attempt', 2 weeks later.  I love Bruno.  I hate what Mr. Gordy makes him do.  He's not helping him grow at anything.  He uses him, makes him fake promises and doesn't care about him at all.  I've never hated anyone in my life, but that man's first on my list.  When Bruno left this morning, he said, "I feel funny."  As the day passes, so do I.  I can't shake it.  Ahmity comes from the kitchen.  "You alright sis?" she asks, sitting next to me on her very white, very expensive couch.  I sigh.  "I'm fine." I say.  She stares at me.  Just like Mami, she knows me, better than I know myself.  "He can find something better." I tell her, not even bothering to argue, cause there will be no point.  "Mama's, it's very hard to get signed as fast as he did.  I know things are not the best, but he just has to stick with it." she says.  I make a face.  I've disagreed with that for awhile.   I just know there's something better for him.  I hang out with my sister all day.  Eric's been playing with this band for awhile.  They book a lot of gigs, and he's making extra money.  Hence the expensive couch, along with a lot of other expensive things, like her king size bed and king size purple and zebra bed set. So she's like me, home by herself all the time.   As we walk down the street, Ahmity suddenly yells "Yeah bitch! She's his girlfriend, Keep moving!" I whip around to see who she's talking to, and of course, it's a group of teenage girls.  I sigh.  "Dude, he's not even famous yet, and you already got haters.  I know that's right! My sister is sexy!!" She slaps my butt and I jump, my face getting red.  She laughs and we keep walking.  "We need to do some shopping." she says.  I play with my hair.  "I'll window shop!" I say with a smile.  She looks at me with a serious face.  "What? I don't have any money.  It all went for the rent." I tell her.  She continues to stare.  "Ahmity, stop looking at me like that." I tell her, feeling a tad scared.  "Did I ask you for money?" she says.  I don't say anything.  She grabs me by the arm, and drags me into one of the shops.  We've been here many times.  I never buy anything.  The clothes are beautiful, but too expensive for my taste.  I'd rather have a roof over my head, than to have a pair of jeans that makes my ass look good.  She automatically starts grabbing hangers off the racks and within minutes has a pile that she can't see over, on her arm.  She peeks over the clothes and yells, "Can I have a dressing room!?"  I hide my laugh.  They open one for her and she goes in.  I lazily sit on the couch they have in front of the dressing rooms, waiting for her to come out and model, cause I know that's what she's gonna do.  Sure enough, she comes out in a sexy red dress that only she could pull off.  She grins, and I grin back.  "Sold!" she says, and dips back in.  I hold my hands up with my mouth open.  "I didn't say anything!" I yell.  "You didn't have to! Your face said it all." she says back to me.  15 outfits later, she comes out.  "Your turn." she says.  "Uhhmm.." I say, looking around.  She rolls her eyes and shoves me in the dressing room.  "I don't have anything to try on!" I tell her.  Not 2 seconds later, a pile of clothes lands on me.  I hold them up.  None of them are anything that I would pick to wear for myself. Short tiny dresses, shirts that might as well be a scarf, and to put a cherry on top of everything, lingerie.  Ahmity knows that's what I'm thinking and I hear her say "Just put something on and surprise yourself."  I fidget.  "Lena, your about to be 19, you need to step out of this little bubble you put yourself in and try something new."  I don't know why, but I agree with her.  I look through the clothes one more time, and pick something that is totally opposite of me.  I timidly step out.  She looks me up and down, than a slow smile creeps across her face.  

* * * *

Why did I let Ahmity talk me into this?  I wrap the blanket tighter around me.  I take a shaky breath in, and keep looking at the soft glow of the candle lights around me.  I stopped her from getting the rose petals.  That was too much for me.  She put them back with a frown but says, "The outfit is enough anyways"  I keep looking at the clock.  Normally I'm asleep by now.  It's almost 2 A.M. I hear footsteps stop in front of the door, than the knob turns.  I'm shaking and I want to run, but Ahmity's voice keeps echoing in my head "Surprise yourself by surprising him"  He walks in, his head down, looking exhausted.  He stops immediately when he sees the candles.  He looks around, than at me.  A smirk cracks his serious expression.  "What is this?" he asks, coming towards me.  I don't move.  I'm too scared.  He leans down and kisses me, grabbing the back of my hair gently.  I swallow, than stand up, taking the blanket off me, revealing what I'm wearing, or more appropriately what I'm not wearing.  A turquoise top, see through that flows down and stops right before my turquoise lace panties.  The look on his face makes me want to bust out laughing.  I try as hard as I can, but I can't hold it in and it comes out in a snort.  Yup.  Only Lena Osvala would snort when she's trying to be sexy.  He covers his face and his shoulders shake up and down as he laughs too.  After a minute of both of us giggling like little kids, he stands up.  He touches my face.  "Just when I thought you couldn't get any more beautiful." he says.  I get butterflies in my stomach.  "Lena, you're amazing just the way you are, You didn't have to do this for me." he says.  "I wanted to." I say.  It's like the cue he was waiting for, because he kisses me, and picks me up.  I pull away from him, and make him put me down.  He looks at me crazy.  "What are you...?"  He looks confused.  I kiss him lightly, than push him roughly down on the couch.  He smirks, biting his bottom lip.  "Tonights my turn." I say, sitting on top of him...............................................................