Page 93 of Craving Paradise
My eyes narrow on her. “Really?”
“Yeah, I’ve made prosecco and margarita cupcakes, lavender, honey, and dark chocolate chili macarons, double choc fudge brownies, bread and butter pudding with whiskey, and a few other things I can’t remember,” Elle states, changing the subject.
“You know I never say no to your sweets. But tell me … what’s bothering you?” I ask as I take a bite of a macaron that tastes delicious.
“Mr. King hasn’t been into the club since that night at Minx.” Elle huffs, clearly irritated. We went out for a friend’s birthday to Minx, we had a run-in with a group of assholes, and Mr. King came to the rescue and kicked them out. Elle thanked him for doing that, and she is here baking up a storm.
“Why the hell has this man gotten under my skin so easily?” she asks.
Girl, you have no idea.“I feel ya, babe. That’s what it’s like with me and Mr. Fox.”
“He demanded things from me that night that I wanted to give him, but …”
“You’ve come so far, Elle. You’re so close to making your dreams come true, girl. One more year, and you will have everything you have ever dreamed of. And maybe if Mr. King is still single when you get back from the island, you’ll run into each other in the rain … becausehello, London… and he realizes in that moment how much he’s missed you and demands you to never leave him ever again. Then he whisks you off your feet, and you live happily ever after.”
Elle stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What? Don’t tell me that isn’t what you’ve thought about?”
“Is that whatyouthink about?”
I still. No. Maybe. A little. “You can have a crush on someone and not wish for a happily ever after with that person, Elle,” I tell her. “Mr. Fox is a bit of fun. There are some guests you just gel with, and that’s him for me.”
“I wasn’t implying anything, Lauren.”
“I know, babe. Look, my infatuation with Mr. Fox is something to pass the time with. I don’t have dreams like you do, Elle.”
“What do you mean you don’t have dreams?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I could work with my parents at the modeling agency if I wanted to, but how can I compete with Reed and Juliette … the oh-so-perfect ones?”
“Do you want to work at the agency?”
“No! I don’t know what I want to do. Everyone else is doing well for themselves. Reed’s running the agency’s New York branch, and Juliette’s running Paris. Lennox is everywhere on the social pages. He’s transitioning from modeling to acting, and then there’s Ines, who’s killing it as a DJ. Then there’s me. What do I do great? Besides blow jobs …”
“Oh, babe, don’t put yourself down like that. I love you, Loz. I think you’re the bestest friend I could ever have asked for. You have been nothing but supportive of me in helping me reach my dreams. You saved me after school when my family turned their backs on me. Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you.”
I hug her back tightly. “That’s the thing … I don’t know what I want. At twenty-five, you’d think I’d have my shit sorted, right?”
“You don’t have to figure it all out just yet. There’s time.”
“I’m lucky I have a trust fund to fall back on.” I sigh.
“You’re more than the sum of that fund. Not sure if you remember a conversation we had one night, where you confessed to me your dream would be to buy a house in the country and live a simple life.”
Did I say that? I was probably drunk. “Oh my god, I remember that. Can’t believe I said that out loud.”
“Is that something you want to do?” Elle asks me.
“I know everyone sees me as this crazy party girl, and I am, but it feels like a character I play. People gravitate toward that persona because if I showed them thereal Lauren,maybe they wouldn’t like it so much,” I confess.
“Why have you never told me?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was worried you’d think it crazy.”
“Babe, I stayed up all night baking hundreds of sweets because I can’t stop thinking about a man I can’t have. Who’s the crazy one in this house?” Elle jokes with me. “You know I’m here for you?”
“I know you are. And I love you.” I squeeze her hand. “For the moment, I’m happy helping you achieve your dreams while I try to figure out mine.”
“You are my official taste-tester, and thatisaseriousjob!”