CHAPTER 2 - PART 1

RING RING RING

"Why hello there gorgeous."

Lauren rolled her eyes as she walked down the street clutching her phone to her ear for dear life. "Tamsin. Not now. I need help."

Tamsin laughed and sat up a little shooing her assistants out of her office. She shut the door and the resumed her place at her large desk and looked out the floor to ceiling windows of her office. It was rare for Lauren to call her in the middle of the day and especially rare for her to be in this kind of frenzy so she knew whatever she was going to say was going to be good. Leaning back she kicked her feet up on her desk and smirked. "Ok Dr. Tamsin in the house. What's up sweets?"

Lauren sighed and entered the lobby area of her building. The doorman nodded and smiled at her as she made her way through the lobby and up to the elevator en route to her penthouse. "I have a date."

Tamsin choked on the coffee she had sipped and sat up slightly. To most normal people this was no big deal but considering this was Lauren Lewis aka the most eligible woman in the country who really didn't care about dating this was news of monstrous proportion. "What?"

Lauren chuckled a little as she unlocked her door. She knew she was blind siding her best friend but she needed help. ASAP. "I have a date."

Tamsin smiled even though Lauren couldn't see her. She heard a twinge of excitement mixed with the slight panic in Lauren's voice so she was immediately interested. Shaking her head slightly she narrowed her eyes even though once again she knew her friend couldn't see her. "With Evony? I thought we hated her?"

Lauren laughed loudly as she set her things down on the table in the foyer of her apartment. It was the end of a long, long day and she was happy to be home. "No, not with her. Never ever with her."

Tamsin sat up a little and drummed her fingers on her desk in annoyance. She had little patience with most things in life and in this case her patience was almost nonexistent. "With who then?"

Lauren flopped down on her plush oversized couch and rubbed her forehead in exhaustion. "Remember the server at the restaurant…"

Tamsin laughed loudly and leaned back in her chair. "Shut up. Okay, I will give you style points Ms. Lewis that lady was smokin hot. But wait, how exactly did this happen?"

Lauren put her feet up on her ottoman and smiled as she cradled the phone on her shoulder. "Well you left your coat at the restaurant and she caught me on the way out to give it to me."

Tamsin smirked. "That's where it went. I thought I left it at Jonathans."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Can we focus on my panic attack here?"

Tamsin laughed and sat up straighter and took her glasses off in dramatic fashion. She didn't really need them and Lauren always told her that by wearing them when she didn't need the prescription was bad for her eyes but she didn't care. They made her look more 'professional' so she kept them around for big meetings. Anyway, she set them down and put her ear piece in before setting her phone down on her desk. Standing up she began pacing in front of the window, something she did when she was in deep thought.

"Okay Lauren, you have my full attention."

Lauren smiled knowing the other blonde was probably pacing in front of the large windows of her office. She picked at some invisible lint on the pillow next to her and smiled. "Okay good. Well after she gave me the coat she invited me for a drink and I went and we went to this cute little tavern, I met one of her friends who I can't decide if hates me or just really wants to sleep with her and finally I drank about a pitcher of beer and now I feel bloated."

Tamsin had been nodding along as Lauren was talking and when she was done Tamsin took a breath and nodded one final time. "Okay, I have questions counselor. One, is my coat okay? Two, did you really say tavern? And three, why are you freaking out because it sounds totally normal."

Lauren sighed. "Yes, yes and I'm not sure."

Tamsin smiled and thought about how unusual it was for Lauren to be in this state of near panic. "Okay, well I still don't understand the problem here Laur. Sounds like hot girl had her eye on you and took a chance. Luckily for her you didn't let your ginormous brain get in the way and just went with the flow so why not keep flowing?"

Lauren sighed again. "Because Tamsin I don't know how to do this."

Tamsin let a confused look wash over her face. "Do what?"

Lauren continued picking at the lint as she frowned. "Date."

Tamsin put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Okay well since I know you have had at least two serious relationships before I must object."

Lauren laughed and shook her head. "Tamsin, we can't count those...shall we say experiences...and you know it."

Tamsin snorted. "Uh yes we can. You met those lovely ladies, there was a courtship and some kind of romantical interaction. Boom. Counted."

Lauren felt the weight lift off her shoulders a little at the fact that Tamsin was taking her freak out seriously but not taking her too seriously and thereby making her feel stupid. She raised an eyebrow. "Romantical?"

Tamsin nodded. "Technical term. Look it up. Anyway, don't deter from the issue at hand. Point is you know how to do the dating thing just fine."

Lauren shrugged. "I know how to do the dating thing with superficial snobs who just want to be in the 'right relationship' to further themselves."

Tamsin snorted. "So changing your mind about Evony then are we?"

Lauren shuddered yet again. "No. My point is Bo isn't like those women. She's down to earth and smart and funny and…"

Tamsin smirked. "And she makes you all googly."

Lauren sighed and stood up and moved over to the wet bar in her living room. She poured herself a glass of wine and leaned on the counter in frustration. "She's...she's real Tamsin. And I don't want to screw this up."

Tamsin fiddled with her glasses a little as she sighed quietly. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on yourself Lauren? I mean you just met this girl and it sounds like you guys hit it off so take things slow and see what happens."

Lauren bit her lip and frowned. "And what if she isn't interested?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Then she is certifiably crazy. Look. Let's examine the evidence shall we? Two consenting, single, attractive, smart, funny and I'm going to guess quasi dorky women met and there was a moment of...something. Logic tells us the next step is to have another rendezvous and see if that something turns into...well something. It is at this point that the something will turn into an actual thing. Should this happen then this conversation albeit interesting becomes a moot point. Thoughts?"

Lauren laughed and sipped her wine. "Aside from the fact that that was the worst logical argument ever I do see your point. I'm freaking out. Okay. I get that."

Tamsin nodded. "Good. Now, tell me more about her."

Lauren felt a warm glow spread through her body and she played with the rim of her glass absentmindedly. "Here's the thing Tamsin. She's...different…"

Tamsin put her hands on her hips again and frowned as she stared out the window. "Lauren Elizabeth Lewis if you tell me this is a problem because she's a waitress so help me I will come over there and kick your scrawny little ass right now."

Lauren looked at her phone before putting it back to her ear slowly. "Tamsin. First of all you know none of that matters to me and second of all if you ever talk to me like that again...you...you don't even want to know what will happen."

Tamsin smiled and nodded her approval at Lauren's tone of voice. "Okay. Now that we got that straightened out. What do you mean by different?"

Lauren took a sip of her wine and though quietly. "I can't explain it. But she's got something Tamsin. Something different."

Tamsin smiled. "So when do I get to meet her?"

Lauren laughed. "Why don't you let me have the actual date with her then you can cross examine."

Tamsin crossed her arms and smiled. "Never did that one before."

Lauren burst out in loud laughter and dumped the rest of her wine into the sink. "Somehow I'm glad to hear that. Okay Tamsin, thank you for listening and please get out of your office and go home."

Tamsin raised an eyebrow as she sat back down at her computer. "Jonathan has a dinner appointment then I'm meeting him for drinks after. I'll get out of here soon enough."

Lauren nodded and shut off the lights as she walked through her pristine apartment. "Well go have fun. And Tamsin…"

The taller blonde made a noise as she clicked a few keys on her keyboard to pull up her email. Lauren could hear the background noise so she knew Tamsin had already reverted back to work mode. Say what you want about the animated and slightly crazy blonde but she was the hardest worker Lauren had ever met. "Thanks Tamsin. For listening. And letting me freak out."

Tamsin nodded and skimmed her email. "That's what I'm here for. Okay, go on sugar plum I need to kick my assistant's ass."

Lauren laughed and shook her head. "Good luck to your assistant. Go easy on her."

Tamsin let out a frustrated sigh. "I would if she had any substance between her ears. Okay I really need to go. Let's do drinks this weekend."

Lauren smiled. "Deal. Goodnight Tamsin."

They hung up and Lauren smiled as she threw her phone on her bedside table and flopped down on her bed. She still felt nervous about her upcoming date with Bo but her talk with Tamsin had managed to calm her nerves a little bit. At the end of the day her best friend was right and she had to just chill out and go with the flow. Until then, she would rest and focus on work and hope that Friday night got there sooner rather than later.