Page 32 of Always Been You

I push off the door and make my way into my closet, grab a pair of jean shorts and a new baby-blue V-neck t-shirt, throwing those on, I make my way into my washroom and run a brush through my hair quickly before putting it up in a tasteful ponytail. There is no need for make-up. Giving myself a brief look in the mirror, I smile and grab a pair of flats from my closet and my purse before I make my way into the living room, where I find Josh relaxing on the couch.

Josh looks up at me when I enter. He smiles up at me and lifts himself off the couch. I feel my body warm as he walks closer to me, he stops in front of me. “You look beautiful, Olivia.” Heplaces a kiss on my cheek and then his hand on my lower back as he leads me out of the apartment.

We make our way down the hallway and into the elevator. He presses the first floor for the lobby. “I thought I’d show you one of my favourite places just down the block,” he says, smiling down at me. I nod in acknowledgement and clasp my hands in front of my body.

I’m not sure how to approach any of this. Josh and I have been friends for years, so realistically, this shouldn’t change anything. We can just touch each other more freely and kiss. I smile at that thought, being able to reach out to him when I want.

“What’s got you smiling like that?” Josh asks, watching my face intently.

“Nothing, just thinking about life.” I’m not sure what to say. Do I say ‘Oh, I’m smiling because I can touch you whenever I want now?’ I don’t want to come across as clingy when we literally just decided to try this out.

He leans down and whispers in my ear. “I like your smile. I want you to keep doing that.” The elevator doors ding, and he pulls back, putting his hand back on my lower back, leading me out of the lobby and turning right down the block. We walk in silence to the restaurant, which is only a five-minute walk away.

He opens the door for me, and a hostess greets us and gets us seated right away. Josh pulls my chair out for me and takes a seat across from me. I smile at him. I look around the restaurant, it’s a casual place, and the walls are painted white with large scenery pictures all over them. One wall has a large image of the Golden Gate Bridge and another of the CN Tower in Toronto. There are also ones of the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls.

The place has a very open and welcoming feeling. I look across the table and see Josh watching me take in everything with a slight smile on his face. I grab my menu and look at it to avoid his stare because I can feel myself warming under it and try not to squirm in my seat. I don’t want our relationship to become awkward now. We have been friends for too long and no matter what; I don’t want to lose that. I also have to take in the fact that he is my brother’s best friend.

Quickly skimming the menu, I decide on the chicken caesar wrap with some fries, wanting to keep it simple, something I know I’ll like.

Our server comes by, and we place our drink and food order all at once and she leaves to go put it in.

“So, you left work early for an answer?” I ask Josh.

He leans forward and places his clasped hands on the table in front of him. Josh has rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and I watch the muscles of his forearms strain as he puts weight on them. I’ve read many romance novels in my day, they are kind of my go-to for reading, and I have read about female main characters being into watching their partner’s forearms. I’ve never understood it until watching Josh.

Drew was always kind of scrawny and kind of unsure of himself. He didn’t have this energy that just pulls you in the way Josh does.

“Yes, I spent my morning distracted by it being unanswered. So, as soon as I finished my last meeting, I decided to come home. I have to say I’m very happy I did,” he grins at me.

“Me too.” I grin back at him; I have a few worries, though, and I want to address them now before we get too far into this. “Josh,” I start and his grin slips a little. I reach out and grab one of his hands. “I want this, I want us, but can we keep this quiet from Matt for a little bit? You guys are bestfriends and the last thing I want to do is get between you guys. I want to enjoy this and see where we go and then tell him when we are ready.”

Josh studies me from across the table. He gives my hand a small squeeze and a nod. “If that’s what you want to do, then of course; but Olivia, I want to give this a real shot. I want to see how great we can be together. We will tell him when you’re ready.”

I smile and squeeze his hand back before sitting back in my chair again.

“So, tell me how your season is going so far. This is your summer league, right?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s a lot of the same guys, but it’s a different league. I like playing year-round. It’s a great workout and when I’ve had a shit day at work, it’s nice to push my body. I also like seeing the guys, too.”

I nod. “I remember you slamming a few guys into the boards when we were in high school.” I send him a huge smile with a small chuckle.

“Yeah, I think there may have been a year when I spent a good amount of time in the box for roughing,” he chuckles.

“You seem oh so proud of that.” I nudge his leg under the table with my foot.

“I protect my guys,” he says matter-of-factly.

Our food is delivered, and we continue to talk about hockey from when we were kids, and he tells me about his new leagues.

“Olivia, I was serious about wanting to help you with your list. I don’t have any games this weekend. Why don’t we go up to Whistler? We can hike, do some shopping in the village, and there are a few museums we can do, too.”

I nearly choke on my drink at the mention of my list. I have no idea what he thinks about some items on that list,but a trip to Whistler does sound nice. It will also give us some time to explore what we could be without the pressure of my brother being around.

“That sounds great, Josh. I’d love to go with you.” I smile.

Our server drops off the bill. Josh pays our server before we head out onto the street and head home. When we get home, Josh uses his key to unlock the front door and then holds it open, gesturing for me to go in first.

“Thank you for lunch, Olivia,” he says, giving me a peck on the cheek. “I have a few things to deal with before I head out for my game. I’ll see you later. I had fun.”

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