Page 35 of Reckless Intentions
Chapter Eighteen
Nerves and excitement fizzed through Olivia’s stomach as she tidied up her apartment in preparation for Brody’s arrival. It had been a long few days of messages, sexting, and video calls. She hadn’t thought she would miss him as much as she did, and it wasn’t just the sexual longing that kept her awake at night. She felt she needed to have an honest conversation with him while he was there. Despite her previous intentions of trying to stay spontaneous, she wanted to know if there was a future for them.
Caro had arranged a hotel for him and Olivia felt guilty that he probably wouldn’t be using it for much of his stay. She still hadn’t been honest with her best friend about what was going on between them, and for that she felt somewhat guilty. Truth was, she didn’t want Nic knowing that she’d moved on so quickly. His attitude towards her upon her return had been unacceptable, and he didn’t deserve to know.
Her phone pinged with a message. Brody had landed and Nic was bringing him back to North Ridge.
Olivia stopped stock still in the centre of the living room. What if Nic told Brody about their history? Or worse, if Brody told Nic what had gone on between them? Her breathing quickened as panic hit. She told herself not to be silly. If the two men hadn’t met before, it was unlikely that they would have a deep and meaningful in the car on the drive back. They’d talk about business, football, video games. Nothing that was personal to either of them.
Or at least that was what she hoped.
She quickly calculated the time it would take them to get back. Around an hour and a half, if traffic was kind. If she was already waiting at The Indigo Lounge, she’d be able to judge what they’d talked about on the journey back.
What the hell was she going to do for an hour and a half?
Her laptop was open on the table. She could try to concentrate on some work or aimlessly scroll through social media? Olivia chose the latter, whiling away at least ten minutes before she got bored. Her fingers drummed on the table. Now what? The work emails were, for once, under control. There was nothing she needed to worry about.
With a sigh, she switched off the device and tucked it into its case, before putting it in her bag. She may as well take a slow walk to The Indigo Lounge, maybe browse around the shops on her way.
At least she wouldn’t be sitting in the flat, fretting about what was going on in that car.
An hour later, she knocked on the door of the club. A brief foray into one of the department stores had resulted in far too much spent on fancy lingerie, and a knockout dress that would be perfect for date night. She couldn’t wait for Brody to see her purchases.
“Ooo, someone’s been shopping!” Caro tried to peek into one of the bags, but Olivia swept it out of her reach.
“I had a little bit of time before coming over. And I thought it was time for a few new things.”
Caro grinned. “You don’t have to justify it to me, hon.”
They went up to the office and Olivia dumped her bags next to the sofa. “Any idea on their ETA?” She tried to keep her tone casual.
“No idea. Nic called before they left, and I haven’t heard from him since. He’s driving, of course. So unless they get stuck in traffic, they should be here as planned.”
“Right.” The edgy feeling was back, tempered somewhat by the shopping trip.
Caro cleared some space on the table. As usual, the office was in chaos: invoices, rosters, flyers and all sorts. It was reminiscent of The Roca Bar before Olivia had brought it into some semblance of order.
A shout from downstairs caught her attention. Nic. She hadn’t seen him since their argument, and his words came back to her. God, she needed to know what happened in that car.
A moment later, he burst into the office, Brody close behind.
Both men clocked Olivia immediately.
Nic’s expression clouded over while Brody’s lit up.
Each of them instantly rearranged their features into something neutral.
“Olivia, hi. I’d forgotten you were going to be here.” Nic nodded in her direction.
Brody strode across the room and extended his hand. “Good to see you again, Olivia. Mallorca was quite a rush.”
As she reached for his hand, he pulled her towards him, his lips grazing her ear. She inhaled his cologne, the scent giving her a rush of euphoria, and she pulled back unsteadily.
“Hey, Brody,” she breathed, softly. Almost reflexively, she glanced around to see if Nic or Caro had witnessed the exchange. It appeared neither of them had.
Caro pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “Right, now we’re all here, shall we get started?”
The four of them sat around for the next hour, agreeing the schedule for The Indigo Lounge remodel. It came down to when Brody could be in North Ridge, who was going to be involved in the build and how quickly it could be done. It could take no longer than a week, given the potential loss of business in that time.
