Page 53 of Left of the Slash
That last one will be tricky, because I know who Olivia is. Standing in the Wonderland parking lot showed me where her head is at. I know she's still the woman she was when we first started our journey together—the woman who isn't interested in anything serious, the woman who is married to the company her late father left for her. She's still her father's daughter, and I get that. But I'm diving deeper. I'm twenty-seven years old and looking only to invest my time and energy intorealthings. I'm not here for the bullshit. I don't know what that will mean for us, but it doesn't stop me from being as real as I need to be, because the truth of the matter is that I'm not coming into my own for Olivia. I'm doing it for me, but I wouldn't mind if she was the beneficiary of it.
When I reach her door, I can smell the aroma of cooking food through it. Whatever she's making in there must be incredible, because nothing is able to contain it. I didn't expect her to cook anything, but my stomach is instantly glad she did. It rumbles as I knock on the door, and goes into a panic attack when Olivia opens it and the smell hits me full force. But it’s not the food thatmakes me stagger back. It’s Olivia’s beauty that tips my world over.
What she's wearing is simple—a white tank top with white and pink leggings—but her form changes the entire look. This is what a woman should look like, in my humble opinion. I have nothing against anybody’s body type, but a full-figured woman will always make my heart pound like a fucking drum. Everyone can have whatever they want, but give me the hips, the thick thighs, and the round ass that makes my mouth water. I want it all, and Olivia has it in abundance. Thank the heavens.
“Fuck,” I say aloud, although I meant it to be a whisper. I lick my lips and bite the bottom one as I scan her body from bottom to top, and find her smiling when my gaze reaches her flawless face. “You look good enough to eat.”
Her smile somehow grows. “Thank you. I tried to keep it simple because I'm cooking and didn't want to mess anything up. You hungry?”
I think,For you? Yes. But I only say, “Absolutely,” as I step over the threshold and she closes the door behind me.
I follow Olivia inside and take my seat at the bar looking into the kitchen. I watch her finish plating what looks like chicken teriyaki and perhaps some rice, then she grabs two wine glasses and fills them both with Chardonnay, setting everything down in front of me before making her way around the bar to sit down. I let her get settled, then grab my wine glass and hold it in front of her.
“A toast to the evening?”
Her eyebrows go up before she takes her glass. “Oh. Okay. What are we toasting to?”
Multiple thoughts run through my mind. I think about Dad, who played his role perfectly this morning with the exact advice that I needed to move forward in my life. I think about what happened between Nick and I in the office, and how I chose tobeat him with my mind instead of my fists—even though my fists ache to smash against his face and perhaps break his fucking nose so that he remembers to never disrespect my woman ever again. I also think about how I made the move to end up here in Olivia’s house tonight. I could've waited until she invited me back, but I let her know that I wanted to be here. I staked my claim, and it’s a perfect metaphor for what I intend to do for the rest of my life. I could toast to it all, because I don't feel like the same person I was the first time I sat on this stool—back when I was struggling to make sense of it all, hiding from the parts of myself that weren't perfect or didn't put me in the best light. Those days are over. Light is overrated.
“How about … to owning who you are. Both the light and the dark.” I eventually say.
Olivia smirks as she clinks her glass against mine. “To owning who you are. The light and the dark.”
We toast and sip our wine, maintaining eye contact the entire time. I wonder if she knows how much I'm thinking about skipping the meal she just spent time preparing. Does she want to leave it all here and get right down to the playhouse like I do? I've been thinking about it nonstop since the last time I was there, surrounded by all of the toys that I know she can't use on herself. She needs me to make the playhouse what it is, and it doesn't matter if anyone else has ever stood in that space. It’s mine now, just like Olivia. Another claim being staked.
Olivia is the first to set her wine glass down and start eating. I take multiple sips of the Chardonnay while she cuts her chicken and puts a forkful in her mouth, and she looks at me similarly to how Rob was gazing at me when I went in to work this morning. It’s a look of curiosity and something akin to distrust. When I start in on my food, she leans back while chewing and keeps her eyes on me, and I know questions are coming.
“So, today was different,” she begins. “That was quite the way to handle Stephen and Nick. How long did you have that one planned out?”
I swallow my food and reach for the wine. “Oh, I made that up on the spot. I wanted to fuck him up for talking to you like that, but I’d just come from visiting my dad and I'm not too fond of the idea of being in a cell next to him. So, I chose to put both of them in a cell of their own. All of that lashing out and acting like kids is over. The unprofessional shit is in the past now, and as I grow more into this position, I’m sure I’ll find different ways of torturing them if they can't get it together. At least, that’s the plan until you finally decide to fire them.”
“And you're doing that … for me?”
“It’s for everybody,” I answer. “The entire company deserves better than their mediocrity, and you're the CEO. Not to mention who you are to me. I won't allow them to disrespect you. I may have avoided jail after the Wonderland incident, but I might not be so lucky next time, so I chose this path instead. Do you not approve?”
“No, I definitely approve,” she says with a huge smile like she's being entertained by the memory of what happened last night and this morning. “I'm not ashamed to admit that I found the Wonderland incident incredibly hot, which is why we ended up in my backseat, and this morning was just as hot. It was just different from what I was expecting from you. I know you punched Jon in the face, but that was because he attacked you in the conference room. Last night was similar to that, but this morning was different.”
“It was smarter,” I interject. “It’s something my dad told me when I saw him. Our conversation was a good one. He said a lot that I really needed to hear, and now I'm just trying to take his advice. So, some things might change a little for me, but it will all be worth it.”
“Good. I'm glad you took my advice and went to see him.”
“Me too,” I reply with a nod. I look at her and smile, because shewasthe one who told me to go see Dad. I might not have gone if it wasn't for her, and she may have inadvertently changed my life. It’s something I won't forget. “This food is incredible, by the way. You really know how to get down in the kitchen.”
Olivia smirks as she takes in another bite. “Thank you. I do my best. I guess being thirty-five has its perks. Been a lot of places. Learned a handful of recipes over my long life.”
I let out a laugh. “Look at you, acting like you're fifty-five instead of thirty-five. You're still young, baby girl.”
Olivia stops mid-chew and gazes at me. I see longing in her eyes, but there is also the undeniable shine of hesitation.
“Baby girl,” she repeats. “Is that your pet name for me?”
“I don't think about it before I say it,” I tell her. “It’s spontaneous, but if it bothers you, just say the word and I’ll drop it. I may be learning, but I know better than to push anything on you.”
She shakes her head, and I'm relieved when she starts chewing again and grins. “No, I like it. I don't usually like people calling me pet names, but that one just sort of rolls off your tongue effortlessly. So, it’s cool.”
“Good,” I reply. “I'm learning all sorts of new things about you. I didn't know you were turned on by what happened at Wonderland. From the show you put on in the parking lot, I was convinced you were actually pissed about it.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “I wasn't pissed. It was just … a lot. Simon and I dated for a little while so I knew him pretty well, and Jed was an associate at my old job. So as much as I wasn't a big fan of either of them, I was just shocked to see them both get knocked around like that. Plus, it just produced strong feelings in me that I'm not used to, which is what we were sort of arguing about outside … until.”
