Invasion of Privacy? For The Win? (Invite)

[danedynamite]

Continued from: "I Told You So"

Lauren as with most of her clothes had a lot to choose from, pink? Yellow? Blue? Black? One piece? Two piece? Lauren looked as on the bed in front of her were several different swim wear attires on the bed. Decisions decisions... Along with every outfit choice each swimsuit brought something that the others did not. Two piece? More fun to wear and show off Lauren's hard work in the gym in recent months, after all she had sculpted her abs why not show them off? Granted all of the swimsuits showed off Lauren's more noticeable assets.

"The black, a classic color. Hmmm? One piece or Two piece... TWO PIECE!!!"

Now Lauren had decided that she slipped out of the robe and her underwear and into the black bikini, taking a few moments to admire herself in the mirror. With Lauren's body? IT JUST HAD TO BE DONE. Was Lauren pleased with what she saw in the mirror? Oh yes very much so. Vain much? Very.

"Damn Lauren you should be fighting the guys off."

Then the obvious question entered her head "Why aren't I? Killer looks, and a damn hawt body." Lauren seemed to forget that she had a lot of admirers in the bar, Daniel Justice being one of them a rather large guy that seemed so familiar but Lauren couldn't remember his name. Lauren did have a lot of guys interest but given her own self importance and the lack of a stable relationship she somehow didn't see it that way.

Then...

"Sarah almost said that Cross loved me then she pretty much admitted it."

The penny dropped and in her head it didn't matter what other guys attention she could grasp, she had the attention of the man that made her feel great again. The man that opened her eyes to her failing marriage. The one that Lauren considered as "the one that got away" but maybe fate had brought them back... Together?

Lauren then headed toward the door ready to head to the pool, then Lauren hears something coming from the bathroom...

"Not my ringtone... Oh Sarah you are so lame."

Lauren headed toward the bathroom the sound of "It's raining men" getting louder with each step, the phone was on the side and Lauren grabbed it taking a quick glance at the caller's id. Cross... Lauren saw the name but it didn't register right away and she was ready to run to Sarah.

"Cross... wait a minute... CROSS!!!"

In her excitement Lauren almost dropped the phone, then about a million and one thoughts came at once. Do I answer it? What do I say? Will he talk to me? Lauren stared at the phone psyching herself up to answer it. She knew that the right thing was to give it to Sarah but Lauren rarely did the right thing now did she. Lauren pressed the button to answer.

"Sarah's phone, Lauren speaking... Cross..."

Lauren awaited for him to speak...

[King Vegas]

An immediate moment of surprise had ceased his efforts to respond to the voice on the other end of the phone call...Not the voice of his younger sister, nor the one he had anticipated he would encounter this evening...Yet, it was one he knew he needed to hear for quite some time, as well as her hearing his very own...

His location would still have to remain discreet, if in fact this was the moment when they would be, reunited, even if only in verbal form...A moment of recollection ensued, thinking back to the time period in which they had seemingly sought refuge within one another in the beautiful city of Venice...Only seconds later, a response had finally become apparent...

"...Lauren..."

Only the single word at first, still clearly not prepared for the inevitable conversation that would follow only seconds from now...Though facing a myriad of emotions, he pressed on after a quick surveillance of his immediate vicinity, as if ensuring discretion being maintained at all times...

"...I must admit this is a surprise...A pleasant one but...Definitely a surprise. I...I hope all is well with Michaela...And yourself...?"

Not the words he truly wanted to speak, but good enough to begin this unexpected exchange of dialogue he thought...One could only wonder where this would lead to by it's conclusion...

[danedynamite]

Lauren heard his voice, the voice she had wanted to hear again for a long time. Her heart racing and seemingly wanting to escape from the confines of her chest she wanted to give him an answer that he would want to hear but would that do her any good.

"Cross... I've missed you... God you don't know just how much."

Lauren leaned against the counter and slow slid with her back against it to the floor, and a tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of her life since she had left him in Venice.

"I made a mistake leaving you behind, I never should have gone back with Logan. It was doomed to fail, he could never love me like you did. No-one can."

Lauren stayed silent as she waited for Cross to speak... her lifeline...

[King Vegas]

Instantly the smile had begun to form at the outermost corners of his lips as he could hear the words from her own...It was indeed a surreal moment in time, as he himself had to admit the undeniable connection they had manifested during their stay back in Venice.

He now found himself turning his person away from the scenery that had captured his sights only seconds before, now fully tentative towards the voice on the opposite end...A voice he had longed to hear, once more...

"I've missed you...Just the same Lauren..."

He almost couldn't believe it himself, that the words had exited his own mouth...Not something many could process the "King" ever doing effectively yet...Life altering situations and threats sometime do what they were intended to...Alter...

"I wanted to call much sooner but...I just thought it in best interest to wait until the right moment. None of this has been easy Lauren. I'll admit, you've remained in my thoughts since we walked away from one another all those months ago...I only wish...Things would or could have worked out differently than they had. Perhaps we both should put more into our future decision making from now on hm?...Who knows what could have been...Or what could still be...?"

[danedynamite]

Lauren listened she didn't know what could have been but she'd like to think of what could be

"I know sometimes we make mistakes to learn from them, and I made a few bad decisions in my life. Even recently I made bad decisions. I guess I'll still make them in the future but I want to avoid the bigger decisions being so bad. I want to be able to hold my... our daughter in my arms and at the same time be in your arms, like a complete circle."

Lauren could feel herself becoming carried away in the fairy tale that her mind so wanted to believe one day could come true. Then Lauren thought of Michaela and her beautiful brown eyes.

"She has your eyes you know?"

With the genetics in place Michaela was destined to be beautiful, if she took after her mother she would, if she took on the the traits of her father's side she could look like Sarah which would make her a gorgeous girl too. Lauren hadn't planned for Michaela but would she take not having her? No way, she was a part of Lauren and a good part of her.

[King Vegas]

"I can see th..."

Catching himself, he paused, only a second passing before he attempted to cover his near mistake...

"I...Sarah has told me as much. Yet, I hear she's taken on more of your physical attributes than that of my own. Which I believe is clearly best for our angel...Hopefully I can see for myself just how beautiful she is...In person that is..."

A warm smile, something of the rarest for Mr. Genovese, came over his facial features almost instantly, just as his opposite hand found it's way to an eye level position, as he himself gazed over the lone image of his young daughter, he had..."Secretly" acquired some time ago...By means, that won't be discussed as of this moment in time of course...

The smile remained as he too had imagined and wondered what the future days could mean for the two of them, as well as the beautiful angle like child they had collectively brought into existence. But most of all he wished and hoped for their safety, even if it meant being absent from their lives for awhile longer.

Though, he surely felt he needed to at least let it be known just where they were with one another, as well as why he had not been physically available since the birth of their child...

"Lauren...I'm sure you know that...If I could have been there, or...If I had known or suspected from the beginning...There's nothing that could have kept me from witnessing her first moments here in this world...But...There's been much to take care of and...Avoid as well. I know you won't fully comprehend the reasoning behind my absence, but just know it wasn't by choice...By any means. "

[Sarah Andrews]

Continued From "I Told You So"

An enormous rush of air entered her lungs as she found her head above water once again...The initial descent into the cool liquid had calmed Sarah's own nerves almost instantly just as she had hoped it would. A slow and methodical pace began her path to the nearby edge of the pool, where only seconds later she would pull herself up onto it, gazing out over the peaceful water scape before her...



It was a welcome break from the crazy lifestyle she had found herself living since the beginning of her wrestling career back in Toronto, Canada...A lot had changed...A lot had vanished within the blink of an eye it seemed...And a lot had remained unsolved and unexplained...

Her legs dangled within the water, swaying back and forth as she released a deep sigh, almost as if the stress was slowly dissipating from her person as each second would pass. There was a quick glance back towards the patio door that led back into the mansion where Lauren was surely taking her sweet time in joining Sarah for their impromptu swim time.

Only a second later she would look back to the water again, her eyes slightly narrowed as she began to ponder what had been on her own personal agenda for the better part of the past 6 months. There was someone she longed to reconnect with, yet every effort seemed to be a hopeless and fruitless one...She could only shake her head, wondering what would be her next step...

"Where...Are you...?"

"..."

"Where on god's green earth...Are you...?"

[danedynamite]

Lauren did not like the secrets but sometimes blood from a stone was impossible. In Venice Cross had revealed a lot of himself but nothing of his business aside from wrestling. Lauren was sure his voice was true and that he would have been there, at the time she couldn't have told him because she honestly thought Michaela was Logan's.

"I don't really understand what you have gotten yourself into, something that endangers those around you? Only wrestler I heard of having a past like that is... I'd rather not say. Daniel Justice I don't believe is a killer, I'd ask but I doubt you'd tell me."

Lauren let out a sigh she bumped her head against the wall in a little frustration. Then Lauren remembers that she has left Sarah waiting.

"Will you call me again later tonight, I have left Sarah in the pool she is probably wondering where I am. For answering her phone is she forgiving or would she beat me down and actually injure me?"

Lauren was hoping that he would call her again, and hopefully it was a lot sooner.

"Or could we meet?"

Lauren knew the answer she wanted to hear but would the answer be yes or would it be the one she feared more likely.

[King Vegas]

A chuckle escaped his lips as he turned to see the not so pleased reaction plastered on the face of his long time friend...Clearly not in agreement with what was clearly on the verge of happening, he began a slow retreat away from the spot where Cross had stood for the better part of this conversation. The smile remained in his facial features as he watched this mystery friend depart the vicinity, and he quickly turned his attention back to Lauren, quickly responding...

"Meet...?"

He pondered that request for a split second, going over the possible dangers that could arise from such a thing. But he knew what his answer would be as soon as he heard the words from her lips...

"I do believe that can be arranged Lauren. Soon...Definitely soon...And, don't worry about Sarah. She's got other things on her mind. You'll be fine. Just watch for that tigerbomb of hers of course..."

A brief pause as the smile once again found it's way to his face...Something he hadn't experienced a lot of over the course of the preceding months. His vision was then turned towards the landscape of the estate which had become a surrogate home to him during the past month or so, realizing that perhaps the delightfully unexpected conversation should be cut short for the time being...Or at least until later in the week when he'd arrive for this visit of theirs so to speak...

"Expect me within the next few days...Week's end at the latest. I'll be there..."

"..."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world..."

"...Beautiful...Take care Lauren..."

His end of the call had come to it's end, not waiting for a response as the phone was lowered to his side. Of course there was something else he could, would have liked to say to her before ending the conversation...We all know what those words were...Perhaps he preferred to speak such things in person? Who knows. Only time would tell as his slow and methodical walk back towards the steps of the lavish estate before him ensued, a deep breath escaping his lips as the cool approaching breeze seemed to become all the more welcome on this lovely afternoon...Here in the Dominican Republic...Of all places...

Back to "work" for Mr. Genovese...It seemed...



Yes...Back to work indeed...The "search" would continue...For the time being...

:TBC: