“No,” I say. “Hell no. Thirty minutes is too early.” My stomach churns at the idea of seeing him in less than an hour. I would already need fifteen minutes to shower, then another fifteen to get ready and that’s if I find the right outfit on the first try. Then I need to go wherever we will meet and…
“She’s thinking about it,” Anna muses. “Well done, my friend!” She high-fives Naomi.
“You don’t need to shower, or to put makeup on. He didn’t fall in love with your looks but with your soul and your heart. You could walk in with a potato bag as a dress and he would still be glad you’d be standing in front of him telling him you want to love and date him.”
“True,” Anna says. “Just give us the baby though. He might get in the way.”
“Or take the baby and show him how ready you are to be part of his life.”
“Yeaaaah, like a romantic comedy. All mushy lovey and butterflies everywhere.” Fed up with these two, I give Naomi her son back and walk away toward my bedroom to at least have a glance at what I look like.
“I think we’ve upset her,” Anna says following me.
“Or we’re so annoying she prefers to run toward him than stay with us.” Naomi adds, also right behind me.
“You two are annoying,” I finally snap while trying to find my hairbrush.
“We’re romantics at heart,” Naomi says with her voice dripping of sarcasm.
“Yeah what she said,” Anna laughs.
“How is the Adrenaline Junkie feeling now?” Naomi asks.
I flip them the bird and roll my eyes, not showing them how glad I am to have found friends in Oliver’s entourage. They’ve accepted me without hesitations and didn’t even blink when I told them I needed a little adrenaline in my veins to live life fully. They even helped me find tracks where I could train and just reminded me it was forbidden to jump off buildings in NYC.
“Is your heart jumping out of your chest?”
“Are your panties wet?” Naomi adds.
“Seriously, it’s still my brother we’re talking about!” Anna chastises her.
“One day I’ll tell her how we made your nephew at your bachelorette party…” Naomi jokes.
“I thought you were drunk and didn’t remember?”
Naomi shrugs and doesn’t answer. I don’t listen to their conversations while I try to find a T-shirt that makes me look somewhat sexy and presentable. I still haven’t texted him but I’ve made up my mind. I don’t know how, and I don’t know where, but it’s time to claim what’s mine.
“I love how determined you look. It’s very sexy.” Anna says.
“That’s what Ol loves in a woman. Well except for Julie!”
“Who’s Julie? I ask, frowning.
“A dumbass!” - “A friend!” Naomi and Anna both say at the same time.
They continue to bicker about the topic while I abandon my leggings for a pair of jeans. Looking at myself in the mirror, I pause when I realize my eyes are sparkling like champagne in the sun. I’m terrified but happy about taking that next step.
“Sorry to interrupt your friendship quarrel but I’m ready.” I tell the girls.
“Ok so how do you want to do this?” Anna asks.
“Aren’t your men at the bar?” I ask. They both nod. “Ok so here is what I want to do.”
While I lay my not so wonderful plan to my new friends, I glance at King’s picture on my dresser. And maybe it’s my imagination, but his smile looks brighter too. And as I close the door behind me, I hear him say “Go get the guy,” but again, I’m sure it’s a product of my imagination.
Chapter Thirty-Four
OLIVER
“Okay, brother-in-law dearest, let’s go!” Dan barges into my office, stripping me away from my thoughts about Tessa and our compromised future. I’ve been trying to find a solution, to find arguments to convince her, but I keep coming up blank. As unfair as it is, I’m not relocating my son, or asking his other set of parents to move to Virginia so I can be with the woman I love.
We’re not in a movie.
Reality kicks you in the balls when you’re in love.
If she’s not moving to New York, if she’s settling roots away from me, I think we’re done.
But the idea doesn’t sit well with me.
There must be a solution.
Maybe if I talk it out with Mark, he can find me a job and I could be in Virginia every other week when I don’t have Aito. It still means I would see my son less than now, but it could be a compromise. I wouldn’t have to sell the bar, just trust Peter and Joe a little more. He did a good job when I was away after all and maybe I don’t need to be breathing down his neck all the time.
But does Tessa even want me there with her?
“Oliver… We don’t have all day.” Dan is an impatient man and a major pain in our asses when he wants something. I’m not in the mood for one of Dan’s conversations—he’s a little hard to follow—nor for an intervention. There is a big chance, him, Lars, Naomi and Anna are going to sit me down and tell me I’m an absolute dumbass to have not fought a little more for Tessa to come with me, or for at least asking for her to come.
“Where are we going?” I sigh. I walk around my desk and check that the window is closed. I’ve been working hard to kick the ass of my bad habits and talked to my entourage about them, but under stress I tend to return to my old self. Difference is now, I asked my friends to tell me to stop so I can try to snap out of it.
“Stop it, Oliver. Don’t start your crazy behavior.” I
