Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SCANDAL OR ITS CHARACTERS

Fitz had been coming to the club for the past two weeks to see her and although they never talked, he would request a private dance from her everyday. Some days he would stop her from dancing and he would just sit with her in his lap in silence, he would just look in her eyes and she would look in his. Other days she would just dance and he would just watch her. Usually, she would come in after he was already seated, seductively make her way over to him before giving him the best lap dance of his life but today was different. When he entered the room there was no music playing and she was wearing a black floor length silk robe as she leaned against the wall that was lined with mirrors staring off in the distance, she only turned to look at him when he closed the door. He swallowed hard and took slow steps towards her.

"Stop." She said holding up a hand.

He stood still.

"What is this game that you are playing?" She whispered quietly.

"Game?" He asked confused.

"This game..you coming here everyday at the same time..leaving these huge tips..what do you want from me?"

"Honestly Liv, I don't know." He watched as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply when he used her first name. She had told it to him once as he walked out of the door but today was the first time that he had allowed it to come out of his mouth and he hoped he hadn't offended her.

"Please don't say my name."

He took a few steps forward stopping only when he was right in front of her. "I want to be able to say your name.."

"You don't know me."

He gently grabbed her face turning her head to look at him. "I want to know you..do you think that I have been coming to this club paying five hundred dollars a day for a private dance for two weeks because you were a great dancer? I love your dancing but no that is not it."

"You think you can buy me? Is that what this is about?" She moved away from him trying to get a little space to breathe.

"No I don't, that's not what I was trying to say." He ran his hands through his hair and tried to calm himself. "I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you out but…"

"But what?"

"I don't know, I didn't thnk someone as beautiful as you would want to go out on a date with someone as old as me." He put his hands in his pocket and kicked at some imaginary dirt on the immaculate floor.

"And exactly how old are you?" She questioned from across the room.

His head shot up at the sound of her voice, there was something there, could she possibly actually be considering it? "I- I uhh just turned 29." He said nervously.

She nodded and curiously asked, "How old do you think I am?"

"20, maybe 21..am I close?" He prayed she was at least 21 because he couldn't see himself with anyone younger and maintain his conscience.

"Well thanks for the compliment but I am 24." She said with a small laugh. "However, I don't date men that I have danced for so if you don't mind could you stop this?"

"I can't just stop..give me one chance to impress you and show you a good time. If it isn't what you expected I will back off. I promise."

She looks at him for a second before moving towards the door. "I will tell the manager to reimburse you for today and to no longer accept your requests for a private dance from me. Have a good evening."

He grabs her elbow and stops her before she could leave. "Liv."

She pulls back from him and grips the door handle, "Trust me, it would never work..people from two different worlds like us, we just don't work." She said sadly before leaving.

He watches in disbelief as she walked out after he had put himself out there. He wouldn't pretend like it didn't hurt that when he had finally gotten her to talk to him she completely shut him down. He pulled out his wallet and left two one hundred dollar bills on the table and walked out.

"Hey Stephen, how was he?" Olivia asked when she walked into the house.

"He was great as usual Liv and he wasn't as sad tonight as he has been when you usually have to miss his bed time." He said taking her jacket and hanging it in the closet by the door. "Did he show up again?"

"Of course, like clockwork." She sighed and plopped down on her couch.

"Did you say anything to him?" He asked as he poured them both a glass of wine.

Stephen had been Olivia's best friend growing up and their parents had been even closer than they were. Olivia and Stephen had dated on and off in high school and he was her first everything. At one point they thought they were meant to be together forever and their parents had planned their wedding plenty of times throughout their childhood. That all changed their senior year when they grew apart romantically and agreed to break it off mutually. They had remained best friends through it all, even through college.

Olivia was in her second year of Law school when she got the call that he parents had been in a terrible accident and neither had survived. She was devastated and Stephen was the one that helped her through everything as she tried to pick up the pieces of her life. After she moved back home to take care of her little brother Cameron he had moved into her parents house with her to help her get everything back in order and give her any support that she needed.

She had started dancing part time to help with school and bills. During the day she worked as a receptionist at Stephen's father's firm part time on the arrangement that when she had earned her law degree he would bring her in as an associate. She had one semester left of school and everyday it seemed to get harder and harder to make through the day with a positive attitude but she tried. Her parents weren't the worst with money but they also weren't the best. The money they had left behind had not been enough for school, a house, a car and the essentials needed for a two and half year old and although she felt dirty afterwards, she danced because it was what she had to do. Stephen had tried to pay the whole mortgage for her so that she wouldn't have to dance but she refused his help, she didn't like handouts.

"Yeah I asked what his end game was, what did he expect from coming there everyday and he said he just wanted to take me out on a date."

Stephen looked up at her in surprise. "Wow, what did you say?"

"I told him that I didn't date people that I have danced for."

"Liv.."

"What? I don't. Do you know how many guys have asked me out before?" She held her hand up to stop him from talking. "Yes, I know you know so then don't act surprised."

"I know..maybe you should think about it though."

"Alright, I think you have had enough wine to even allow that to come out of your mouth." She said as she grabbed his glass from him.

"You're probably right. I had two glasses before you came." Stephen laughed and leaned back against the couch. "I just thought you seemed happy the last couple weeks when you came home and maybe it was because of him."

"I don't know about that but," She swallowed the rest of her wine and kissed him on the cheek. "I am heading to sleep. Are we still on for brunch tomorrow?"

"I have to raincheck, dad needs to see me." He sees the sadness in her eyes and quickly offers his apologies. "I'm sorry."

She gives him a half smile. "It's ok. I'll catch up with you tomorrow afternoon after I take Cammy school shopping."

"Liv the kid still has two months until school don't you think he will grow out of whatever you buy him by then?"

"That's why you buy big silly. Good night."

"Good night."

Olivia laid in her bed awake thinking about her interactions with the mysterious guy at her club over the last two weeks. She thought about the handful of times that she had straddled his lap rolling her hips to the beat of a song as his strong hands held onto to her hips and how he would stop her movements and just share a look with her. His deliciously blue eyes would bore into her darker brown ones for the longest time but it was never in a weird way and she had never felt the uneasiness that she did with the other guys that she would give private dances to.

Her hands would explore his upper body as she held on to him for leverage and she hadn't felt the type of electricity that she had when they touched in a very long time. Not only was he very attractive, something about him gave her the vibe that he would protect her with everything that he had in him..no matter what. He was out of her league though, the amount of money he had blown on those dances like it was nothing was more than she would make in a month, yeah way out of her league. He probably just wanted to see if he could get her to sleep with him because at the end of that day that is all they ever wanted. She grabbed her pillow and placed it over her face yelling, "Why me?" Before forcing herself to fall asleep.

It was Saturday morning and Fitz had barely gotten any sleep the whole night. His mind wouldn't stop drifting to her. He couldn't bring himself to say her name for fear of everything boiling to the surface all over again. He felt like a complete idiot putting himself out there like that last night to a complete stranger but there was something about her that made him want to hold her in his arms forever. He had only heard her laugh once but it was the best sound that he had ever heard and he wished that he could make her laugh. He could only imagine the thoughts that were running in her mind about him, did she think he was crazy or some kind of stalker? He knew he had gone overboard with buying a private dance from her every night, but he couldn't risk her dancing the way she had with him with someone else.

He sighed and sat up in his bed running his hands through his hair before walking over to the window of his penthouse apartment. As he watched the drizzle fall from the sky he wonders why his father sent him to run his company in Seattle, of all places, instead of the one in DC or Los Angeles. He had always loved cloudy days but not having anyone to snuggle up and share them with made them almost intolerable. He hadn't realized how much he had missed a woman's touch until she reminded him. He shook his head and decided to go out, he had no idea what he would do but anything would work right now to clear his mind.

Fitz had been walking around the mall aimlessly for an hour; he had no idea why he was there. He pulled out his phone to call his brother to see when he would be making a trip to come see him again and before he could press the call button someone bumped into him and sent his brand-new iPhone 6 Plus that he had gotten the day before crashing into the floor. Great, there goes six hundred dollars.

"I'm so sorry, Cam pick that up and give it back right now."

It couldn't be, was that really her voice or was he still dreaming.

"If there is any damage done let me know and I will pay for it. I am truly sorry." Olivia said genuinely.

He turned around slowly and his breath caught in his chest when he saw her wearing a deep v-neck purple maxi dress with her hair pulled up in a high ponytail instead of down like she wore it when she was at work. "It's ok."

"It's not ok- Umm its..its you.." Olivia couldn't believe that it was him, the guy that had been all through her dreams was standing in front of her in the flesh wearing a perfectly fitted polo shirt tucked into khaki shorts with brown loafers. He stepped off to the side of the Malls main walkway near a bench and she followed.

"Fitz."

"What?"

"My name, it's Fitz." He said with a smile.

She felt butterflies in her stomach from his smile alone and she was so lost in his eyes that she didn't notice the little hand tugging onto the side of her dress. "Huh?" She asked, finally looking down at her little brother.

"Mommy, I'm sorry." He said sadly.

She kneeled beside him and wiped the little tear from his eye, "It's ok sweetie and remember what do you call me?"

"Sissy, I'm sorry sissy." He flung his arms around her sucked his thumb.

"It's ok baby. You are not in any trouble and the nice mans phone was ok. Right Sir?" She looked up at Fitz with pleading eyes.

"Uhh, right." He kneeled next to them and rubbed the toddlers back. "Hey little man everything is fine and you know what, how about some ice cream to prove it?"

"Ice cream!?" Cameron said as his eyes lit up.

"I don't know about that…we don't want to impose on your day."

"Liv, please? Just ice cream."

She knew she should say no, that she should run in the other direction but it wouldn't come out of her mouth. Instead she said, "Fine, just ice cream."

"Yaay, mommy ice cream!"

Olivia thought to correct him again but she just let it go. She looked up at Fitz who had a look on his face that she couldn't read but before she could say anything he had Cameron in his arms carrying him towards the food court. She stood and watched them for a moment before walking quickly to catch up with them.

"Isn't this the best ice cream you have ever had?" Fitz asked as he watched Cameron dig into his banana split.

"Yes, the bestest!"

"Sweetie, that is not even a word." Olivia said as she wiped his little mouth between bites and she could feel Fitz looking at her as she did. "What?"

He loved the way she worried over the toddler as he ate his ice cream, she was a great mother and he couldn't wait to find out more about her. "Nothing." He said with a shrug.

"Speak."

He chuckled at her bossiness and nodded ok, "Well I was just thinking that he is going to get more ice cream on his face so why don't you just allow him to eat."

"I want to minimize the mess that I will have to clean at the end of this."

"Ohh," He laughed. "Ok."

She couldn't help but laugh with him because she knew he had a point. "Whatever, what are you doing in the mall anyway?"

"What, am I not allowed in the mall?"

"No, I mean I just thought..I don't know I was just trying to make conversation, sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, I was giving you a hard time. I actually don't know why I came to the mall but this is just where my heart led me and I am glad it did." He smiled and he could have sworn that he saw her blush. "What about you? What brought you and your son here today? Shopping for a gift for his father?"

"Smooth."

"What?" He asked innocently.

"The way you asked about my little brother and subtly hinted towards whether I was in a relationship or not with the father comment. It was smooth."

"Can't blame me for trying. You said he was your little brother but back there he called you mom." He said a little confused by everything.

"Fitz was it?" She asked and he nodded."Thanks for the ice cream but I think it is time for us to get going."

Fitz was starting to panic, he didn't know what he had said wrong but he wanted to make it right, to do anything to allow him to stay in her presence a little longer. "I didn't mean to come off as nosey or to offend. Please don't leave."

"You didn't do anything I just realized that I should get going plus it is Cammy's nap time." She said standing.

"Hey, well can I at least give you a call or text?" He knew he probably sounded desperate but he had to know her. "I'm asking for one chance, if you hate me or whatever after that I will back off."

He sat down defeated when she didn't say anything but continued to pack up her bags. He didn't move, he looked ahead as he watched the various people walk throughout the mall and tried his hardest to avoid looking over at her.

"Fitz." She said quietly, causing him to look over at her with cold eyes and she wondered if she should reconsider what she was about to do. "Where is your phone?"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he just stared at her.

"Your phone, give it to me." When he didn't move she rolled her eyes and said, "Please."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to her and she smirked as she entered her name and number inside of it. She walked so close to him that she could smell his very intoxicating cologne and whispered,"The ball is in your court, but please don't use my number if you aren't serious." She kissed his cheek allowing her lips to linger on them for a second before pulling back. "Thanks for the ice cream."

Before he could react she was gone just as quickly as she had arrived, this time taking a little bit of his heart with her.

A/N: Hey just a little something I had been thinking about. I want to make it more (not sure how much more) but I wanted to put it out there and see if anyone was interested although I don't see it being more than 10 chapters at most. Anywho, let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading...