“You’re right. Thank you,” Lauren replied as he parked the car.
“For what?”
“Everything, Nick. For loving me, for being there, for letting me stay with you, for making my first time so wonderful…” She tried to ignore the tears flowing down her face, but couldn’t. She choked up and stopped talking.
“I’m going to miss you, too, babe, but I’ll call,” Nick whispered. “You’ll have to let me know what your address is when you move.”
“Of course I will, baby,” Lauren said, stroking his hand.
They walked into the airport, quiet again. Eventually, they got to the gate and the other guys through the crowd of people that had gathered.
“Bye, babe,” Nick said softly, pulling her into a warm embrace. “Don’t think about me. I’m nothing to get all sad about.”
“Yes, you are,” Lauren replied, burying her face in his shoulder. She only let one tear fall before she pulled away. “I’ll see you soon.”
Quickly, she said goodbye to the other guys, who had gotten there before them. Nick kissed her tenderly on the lips before the bodyguards escorted her out.
The next day, Lauren began looking for ads for a roommate. She couldn’t afford to get an apartment by herself, and she was still wondering how she would pay for school. Her mother wouldn’t talk to her, and she didn’t have a job. For now, she’d have to rely on fate to work things out.
As she looked through the paper, a few ads struck her. She decided to visit Angela Humbling first. She fit the description in the paper perfectly: female, age nineteen to age twenty-one, non-smoker, serious about school, not a party animal. She dialed Angela’s number and set up a meeting later that day for lunch.