CHAPTER SEVEN – OLIVIA
Olivia wasn’t looking forward to her sister, Maddie, coming home for the summer. Last year her older sister had stayed at Ames University and taken summer courses. This year she was coming home to work at one of the local seasonal restaurants, the kind where the waiters doubled as models, or vice versa.
The sisters couldn’t be more different. Maddie was gregarious, outgoing, and didn’t have a musical bone in her body. In fact, Olivia was sure that Maddie was actually tone deaf. They were both smart girls though, and luckily for their dad, Maddie had gotten a full-ride scholarship based on academic merit. Although for being so smart, Maddie hid it well. She masked her intelligence with a mane of dyed blonde hair, dark cat-eye eyeliner, and her trademark fire engine red lipstick.
Olivia wasn’t looking forward to sharing her car with her social butterfly sister. She sighed as she headed to pick Maddie up from the bus station.
As she pulled up to the station, she saw the legs and sea of blonde hair that were her sister, from a mile away. The exhaust sputtered as she parked the old car next to the curb and popped the trunk.
“Liv!” Maddie smiled and ran around the car to embrace her sister.
The two girls hugged and then set to heaving Maddie’s bags into the trunk. When they loaded the last over-stuffed suitcase, they both pushed down on the hatchback together to get it to latch closed.
“It’s nice to see you Mads.” Olivia smiled at her sister.
“You too, kiddo. Thanks for picking me up.”
“Well, I didn’t really have a choice…”
“I’m driving!” Maddie interrupted and grabbed the keys from Olivia’s hand. She ran around to the driver’s side of the car. Olivia sighed and walked around to the passenger side.
“I’m starving, what have you got for food in here?” Maddie asked as she pawed around in the console.
Olivia dug into her giant canvas purse and pulled out a homemade granola bar wrapped in cellophane. Maddie squished up her face and tossed the granola bar into the back seat.
“We’re going out for lunch.”
“When that melts and makes a giant mess, you’re cleaning it up.”
“Roger that, kiddo,” Maddie responded.
Olivia knew that there was no way Maddie would ever clean the granola bar up. She knew that at the end of the summer the old car would be littered with clothes, spare shoes, and food wrappers.
“How about Casper’s?” Olivia suggested.
“No way, that’s where I’m working this summer. I’m in the mood for a giant burger. Is Fred Funkman’s still there?”
“Yep, in all its greasy divey glory.” Olivia leaned back into the passenger seat.
“Funkman’s it is!” Maddie gunned the little car and zoomed off toward the waterfront.
As soon as they sat down on the patio Olivia cranked up the red and white striped umbrella and positioned herself in its shade. Maddie leaned back in her chair, basking in the sun with her wire-rimmed sunglasses. She reminded Olivia of Penny from the movie Almost Famous.
“What have you been up to? I mean, besides playing the cello. And practicing the cello. And tuning the cello. And doing sheet music for your cello.”
“Ha. Ha. Actually, I’ve been jamming with Steve’s band.”
“Steve? Dad’s stoner buddy?”
“That’s the one. It’s actually a lot of fun – I’m getting pretty good at the guitar.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, can’t you play every instrument?” Maddie perused the giant laminated menu. “What are you going to get for lunch?”
As the two of them pored over the menus, Olivia heard the rumble of a bike pull up to the restaurant. Ever since she had seen the hot biker, her ears perked up at every growly sound reminiscent of a Harley.
It was him.
Her pulse started to race and she hoped that she was hidden in the shade so that he wouldn’t see her. Her heart sank a little when she saw a woman on the back of his motorcycle. A really slutty looking woman to boot. Olivia watched the girl slide off the bike and giggle at the man. She had on tight jeans and a brown leather vest that practically evicted her tits from the neckline. She clearly spent a lot of time in tanning beds - her skin was the same color as her vest. Olivia grew angry as she felt herself judging the girl. She’d never done that before, what was happening to her?