Chapter One
There are things in life we don't plan for. Things in life we can't prepare for. Those things we've sworn we'd never put ourselves in such inexcusable situations. Along the way, in different circumstances, people tend to lose their way. They say much more than they ought to, think more than they should, or… not enough. Before they know it, the slap on the wrist and the involuntary 'uh-oh' are nothing in comparison to the deep ache in their chests and the turning of their stomachs. There are things we can't easily fixed with 'sorry's or 'I love you's. It is in those things we realize the crime of our passions and the bitter after taste of forbidden fruits.
Olivia Diaz hated Los Angeles and, frankly, there wasn't anything more to it. She felt displaced in a society she was fooled into thinking would be anything like Miami. Aside from the weather and the sweat that did formed on her upper lip on hot summer days, Los Angeles had presented itself to Olivia as a new world. The smell of smog and organic produce was in itself a paradox and a prefect representation of what Los Angeles embodied. In her first few weeks she had crashed into several joggers when she stumbled across the city attempting to orientate herself. The night life seemed to be the beating heart of L.A and in that regard Olivia was dead. It seemed as if one didn't frequent the guest list of the likes of The Avalon or The Hide Out one didn't seem to exist at all. In a city of plastic, smog, and organic tomatoes Olivia was finding it difficult to find her place—especially coming from Little Havana, Miami.
Whatever genius idea possessed Olivia the night she had decided moving to Los Angeles would be good for her was also the same genius idea that proposed that pursuing a second Masters in Screenwriting would be ideal for her future. In reality, Olivia had been frightened after graduating from her Masters in Production Management. There wasn't a single photo of her smiling on graduation day and the black robes only added to the depressing setting. Olivia kicked herself every day the morning paper would arrive circling and crossing out possible paid positions in the Classifieds. With every scratch of the marker against the newspaper she'd hear her father's strict voice reminding her they'd only help pay second Masters if she attempted to find a job.
"You think Los Angeles is cheap, mi hija?" Her father's grunt was clear despite the walrus moustache barely grazing the end of the upper lip. She needed to get out of Little Havana, she needed out of Miami, Florida, and the South. The fear of being stuck in Miami forever had rattled her the entirety of her Masters. The scratching of the marker, the scent of the newspaper, and the warmth of the independent coffee house was the ritual she practiced without complaint in order to feel secure.
It was disappointing that the scouring hadn't amounted to much after applying to several broadcasting companies. The only call back Olivia received, which was enough to make her jump for her phone in the middle of class was Collective Digital, who posted an ad under an independent YouTube show. It wasn't exactly what she had been hoping for, but it paid and being paid meant she got to stay out East. As far as the idea of YouTube went it only caused dread within her when it'd come time to tell her parents where she found a job. Olivia could already hear the bemused questions and the lecturing of not wasting their money. She could hear the condescending tone in their voiced about her only call back, after a taxing Bachelor and equally exhausting Masters, the best she could manage was an internet based company. No matter what she had learned in her six plus years of Media, she knew the Internet was becoming the new platform for communication.
Regardless, Olivia turned up for the interview with clammy hands nervously fumbling with her blazer. She had been sitting at the YouTube Space and the nervous bobbing of her leg was her only source of entertainment in the waiting area.
"Olivia Diaz?" Olivia snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see a plump man no younger than thirty-five, jeans, and a green shirt with a strange logo on the front. He looked out to the waiting area. Olivia inwardly groaned and paled, she had clearly over dressed for this type of interview. Her clammy hands grazed once more over the front of her navy blue blazer and the clicking of her heels delayed due to the tightness of her grey pencil skirt.
Very. Overdressed.
"That's me." Olivia smiled and reached out to shake the man's hand.
"Fantastic," The man returned her firm handshake. His hazel eyes giving her a once over briefly and Olivia was sure she saw one of his brown eyebrows raise in surprise. "Follow me, right this way."
He led her down a long bright white corridor before pulling into a room that Olivia swore Merle Haggard designed himself. It was a set room decorated like a country ranch house. Guitars and records hung from the walls, a back drop of a bright forest, filing cabinets, and a brown couch. The plump man had walked around a table that took center in the set where two other just as casually dressed colleagues were already seated and waiting.
A young blonde with wispy messy hair smiled through her large glasses and another man, who also could not be older than thirty, with sandy blonde hair and large gauges nodded at her. Olivia was almost certain at this point they were not smiling so wide for her presence once they gave her a similar once over as the plump man. Great way to make a first impression.
"Welcome, Ms. Diaz to our production set of Good Mythical Morning. One of the many productions you applied to assist in Collective Digital, the branch we work under is Rhett&Link Co." Said the first guy as he gestured for Olivia to take the seat in front of them. He was shuffling through a folder before settling it before him.
Olivia troed to hide her shaking as much as she possibly could before extending her hand to the remaining two interviewers and then taking her place in front of them, "Pleasure." She could hear her heart rattling in her ear. She tried to focus her attention on the backdrop for a moment before collecting herself.
'Just breathe. Breathe. It'll be fine.'
"I'm Alex." Said the first guy smiling up at her from the file he had been carrying, "This is Stevie, she's our producer, and Eddie, he's our camera producer." He gestured to the girl and guy respectively.
"Now, I see you've graduated summa cum laude in your Masters at University of Miami, that's fantastic, but I've got to ask—why Los Angeles?"
Olivia looked towards Alex slightly perplexed at the strange transition, as if her top graduate status meant nothing.
'Well, let's be honest, Olivia, it doesn't actually prove anything.' She thought to herself.
"To be honest, I was looking for a change in scenery, I grew up in Miami my whole life—not to mention in a Cuban community, and I told myself I had to see more before I settled in Miami deciding that was it for me."
Stevie smiled and looked down to her own file. "Now, I hope you understand what we do is not Network, I see you've interned before with ABC Miami at their news station. Why the interest in new media internet?"
Olivia smiled, "I have to say I'm not a YouTube expert, but I have come to understand and value the impact that it does have. Having such a broad platform open to everyone with a great ability to interact with viewers, audiences, is amazing and I'd love to learn a thing or two about it." She then grinned, "I know it may look like I'm not ready to let go of, Network, but old habits die hard, right?" She gestured to her blazer and it earned her a round of chuckles.
Olivia replayed the interview again and again in her head. On the bus ride home, walking toward her apartment, and making her way up the elevator. She analyzed every moment she could dissect from this afternoon, from her gestures to theirs, from her tone to theirs, and started over again when a new doubt found its way through an opening in her mind.
"Olivia!"
Olivia turned around in a daze. When had she walked out of the elevator? She furrowed her brow looking for the source of the voice that called to her. Her eyes landed on a slim figure in bright neon greens and greys.
"Oh, Amanda, hi."
It was her neighbor and possibly the closest, or saddest, excuse to a friendship Olivia had managed to make since her move to Los Angeles. Amanda was the typical stereotype of an L.A girl, the bleach blonde hair, the slender physique of a model, and the obsession with natural organic foods and fitness. She would hear her working out at two in the morning and blending and juicing at any hour of the day. Olivia gave Amanda a one over again and noticed the bright attire once more; she was obviously headed to one of her new age work out classes, jiu jitsu-yoga-pilates-something she was sure of.
"You almost walked past me." Amanda smiled and her bright green eyes had a glimmer of mischief, "How'd the interview go?"
Olivia shrugged but smiled politely nonetheless, "It was alright, I guess." She sighed and tried to dismiss the itching need to replay the interview again, "I think I messed up, though."
Amanda knitted her perfectly filled in eyebrows together, "What? Why?"
"Well, first of all they were ridiculously casually and I went—Well, I walked in like this." She gestured to her attire, "I'm sure they're laughing about it still."
"This is Los Angeles, Liv." Amanda added with a friendly giggle, "Nothing here is formal, everything's casual… just like the sex."
Olivia blushed slightly and shifted her weight uncomfortably from one leg to the next.
Amanda offered her a small smile, she tilted her head to the side. "I think you did just fine, you're smart and you seem really dedicated. I'm sure you pulled through, if not that offer still stands at the bar my dad owns." She winked and checked her phone before sighing, "I gotta get to my Barreworks class, Liv, let me know if anything turns up!"
Olivia furrowed her brow, 'Barreworks?' she shook her head. "Sure, I'll see you around."
Before she knew it, Amanda fiddled with her watch until it beeped and started in a run for the stairs – of course she would be running to her class.
The rest of the week was similar to every other before the interview. She focused on her classes and researching for her thesis. She spent unnecessary amount of time thinking about the interview and reluctantly flipping through the newspaper. She'd sigh every time the Classifieds would fall open and hesitantly begin her circling again. By the end of the week, Olivia had given up on the interview all together and was given serious consideration to Amanda's offer to work at her father's bar.
Then, in a vibration and an unbearable tune (one Olivia wished she knew how to change), the call came. Once the familiar number she had once scrambled to answer in class appeared on her screen she felt her stomach drop and an uneasy heat overcoming her. With shaking fingers Olivia swiped to answer.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is this Olivia Diaz?" Olivia's stomach dropped as she recognized the voice as Eddie.
"Yes, this is she." She held her breath for one…two… three –
"Hi, Olivia, it's Eddie from Collective Digital, you came in for an interview a week ago and I'm calling to let you know that we're very interested in working with you. We were wondering if you could come down to our office tomorrow to talk contracts because we'd like it if you could begin next Monday."
Olivia exhaled and held back her scream, "Of course, of course, thank you!" she fought to contain herself and clasped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from saying more. Her eyes were wide and she was staring ahead blankly hanging on to every word Eddie said.
"Fantastic. Is tomorrow at noon good for you?"
"Yes! Yes, that's perfect."
She swore she could hear Eddie repressing a chuckle, "Alright, thanks, Olivia. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow."
Once Olivia ended the call as she made to get up she hadn't noticed she had moved and was now teetering to the edge of the bed. She threw herself back on the bed and let out an excitable cry. Olivia would be staying in Los Angeles if just for a little bit longer.
When Monday came around it, Olivia's first day of work became the challenge to the question "Could anything go more wrong?"
Olivia was stuck waiting in line for her order of coffee, the same place she had been ordering her coffee for the past two months because finding good coffee in Los Angeles was surprisingly difficult, especially if you didn't care about the organic beans. And yet, the barista was taking his precious time making the simplest cup of coffee. She understood completely, no one wanted to be up at seven in the morning, particularly if you're stuck serving coffee all day—Olivia understood, just not today when she had less than ten minutes to catch the bus pulling up outside.
"Come on, come on." She hissed in a whispered to herself watching the barista's slow movement to push through her coffee beans and then another minute looking for a coffee lid.
"Here's your black coffee, have a nice day." The barista drawled tiredly but Olivia didn't wait to even reply. Her mind was at the bus stop and nowhere near her manners to the young barista. She snatched the coffee out of his hands and dashed for the door, clumsily.
It might not have been the first stupid and careless thing Olivia did that day, but upon yanking the door open and rushing outside Olivia smacked square into someone's chest.
"Fuck!"
"Shit!"
Scalding hot black coffee poured out, burning down her hand, over her front, and the front of the person she carelessly rushed into.
Olivia looked up to see large blue eyes widened in disbelief and a bearded jaw slacked.
"I'm so sorry!" Olivia sputtered stepping away as much as she could from the tall man whose red flannel shirt was now drenched in the dark hot liquid that was once her coffee. The man remained speechless and the loud honking of a horn brought Olivia back. The color drained from her face immediately, the man and her concern for him diminishing by the second.
"Oh shit, the bus!" She hissed trying to peer over the man's shoulder avoiding everyone's prying eyes. Olivia looked back at the man who was now busying himself pulling his shirt away from his torso.
"I know this is a really asshole move, but I really need to go," Olivia fished inside her purse and took the first five dollar bill she could find and thrust it to the man, "Coffee's on me or a new shirt, well if you buy it at Goodwill, I guess—not saying that shirt looks like it's from Goodwill, I just mean—oh shit I'm late!" and with that she took off in a run to the bus that was pulling up to its stop.
It had not been the first or last time things would go wrong for Olivia that first day of work, she got to work late, entered the studio even later after stupidly demagnetizing her pass and being unable to find the studio room she needed to be in.
"Olivia!" Stevie called voice from behind one of the prompters. Olivia had been busying herself shadowing set designers and helping out organizing props needed for the show.
"Can you help me out here, please?" They were in the same room with the set she had been interviewed in instead now it was bustling with several different crew members arranging the set with her. The crews scrambled and were grateful for the extra time earned while they waited for the hosts to show up. Although she was nervous Olivia was growing increasingly curious about who would take the two seats behind the table.
Olivia made her way over to Stevie who was busy working out the kinks of the prompter.
"Okay, people!" Eddie yelled coming in the studio. There was a tall, equally casual dressed man in graphic tee and skinny jeans. His was as dark as ebony and flopped over his bright blue eyes, and large horn rimmed glasses framed them. The newcomer smiled and greeted everyone.
"Morning everyone!" The dark haired man called out and a chorus of "good morning"s were returned before quickly returning to their tasks.
"Rhett's going to be late." Eddie continued before making his way to Olivia and Stevie, "which is great news for you, Olivia." He teased causing a heat to creep up her neck. She couldn't think of a situation in which being ten minutes late to your first day of work was socially acceptable. If anything, Olivia was thankful they were being playful about it to her face rather than be uncomfortably annoyed with her.
"We've got the newbie, Link!" Eddie called out pointing exaggeratedly at Olivia. Eddie turned to look at Olivia, grinned widely and with a mischievous wink in his hazel eyes, he winked at her. Oh no, what was he doing?
Link, the dark haired man, looked from Eddie to Olivia. His friendly face brightened when he smiled wider. Link made his way over to Olivia and stuck his hand out to shake hers warmly.
"Fantastic, you're part of the family now! I'm Link Neal."
There was something very inviting and kind about his smile and the warmth of his gaze that Olivia couldn't help but smile back. The unease she felt before when Eddie called her out slowly faded and she immediately felt at ease.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Neal, I'm Olivia Diaz."
"Please, don't call me Mr. Neal again," he chuckled and his southern drawl slipped, "I know I'm kind of your boss, but we're all very open here—I look forward to having you on our team."
Olivia refrained from raising her brow in surprise. This was her boss? Oh, yes, mom and dad would certainly be excited about this. She smiled regardless and suddenly felt very conscious about the coffee stain down her front which her blazer was thankfully covering.
"She's the one with the very impressionable attire at the interview." Eddie chuckled next her, flipping through notes on his clipboard.
Link chuckled loudly and his blue eyes widened as if in realization. The familiar heat from before continued its way up her neck, "Oh right! We heard about that!"
"What can I say? Some habits are harder to kick after working in network broadcasting." Olivia shrugged it off and fiddled with her jacket once more.
But before Link could inquire further about her attire or her previous working experience they were interrupted by the opening of the side door and a deep exhausted voice.
"Morning everyone! Sorry I'm late, but the funniest thing happened. I was walking into my usual coffee shop this morning and this girl in a suit crashes into me as I'm going in. Spills her hot ass coffee all down my favorite flannel. Freaks out and starts ranting about being late. Then, hands me a five dollar bill so I could get the same shirt at Goodwill again—"
Olivia froze in place, her back facing the source of the voice, and the overwhelming heat on her neck began to trace up to her cheeks.
No. It can't be.
The voice had also stopped in midsentence as a chorus of chuckles caught up.
"What?" Link chuckled in disbelief among the others, "Well, Angelinos don't take well to flannel, I learned my lesson. Anyway," he motioned with his hand to the voice behind Olivia and she tensed, "come over here and get to know our new crew member—she graduated summa cum laude from University of Miami!"
"Oh yeah?"
Her heart quickened and the heat in her cheeks and neck hadn't subsided. Olivia chanted silent prayers mentally that it couldn't be, for it to just be a coincidence. But with every footstep her heart quickened. The footsteps came to a halt and Olivia cleared her throat before the dread she had been fearing appeared before her in the tall stature of a sandy brown bearded man with the same blue eyes.
"Oh."
"This is Olivia Diaz, Rhett, she's our new production assistant." Link smiled looking between Olivia and Rhett which both wore very different expressions. Olivia tried to contain her composure, red faced, and pursed lips. But Rhett was a little less prominent about hiding his shock. He stared at her bemused and wide eyed. Her heart was in her throat, her stomach had plummet, and she could begin to feel her hands clamming up. She took a deep breath trying her best to be normal and meet his eyes. Olivia was about to lose her nerve.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr.—?" Olivia took the plunge and extended one of her hands trying with all her might to focus on not shaking.
Rhett faltered for a moment while still staring at her with a bemused expression. He then looke down confused to her hand as if expecting to see something in it. Nevertheless, he took it and shook it firmly and quickly, "McLaughlin… Rhett is fine…"
Olivia nodded firmly. Almost too firmly that Link furrowed his eyebrow looking between Rhett and Olivia.
"Link, Rhett, the prompter is fixed and ready. We're behind schedule." Stevie called from behind her desk sifting through the props.
Link snapped his attention towards the set and nodded, "Ready, Rhett? I see you got a new shirt, so let's get to it."
That was her cue to wiggle out of the intensely awkward situation. Olivia could feel her face flush as she turned on her heel and made her way to Stevie. What were the chances that in a desperate case like Olivia's she would end up spilling coffee on her boss on her first day of work? She tried hard to focus the rest of the production, going and doing whatever command came out of Stevie's mouth. Anything was good enough for her as long as it kept her moving and distracted from Rhett's every so often gaze when he'd look off camera. Anything to keep her from thinking of the embarrassment she'd experienced earlier and was still to overcome. She had basically told her boss to screw off with a five dollar bill.
The show consisted of various degrading activities she was sure mom and dad would be proud of her for being a part of. Link and Rhett were a comedic duo who came together on their talk show to discuss several topics and perform ridiculous experiments. There were suppressed laughs, occasional giggles from others and an outright snort from Olivia's behalf which caused Link to call her out on camera.
By the time the production was done, all that was left to do was clean up the set. Which, of course, being at the bottom of the food chain for now as the newbie earned her a primary chore. She avoided as much eye contact with Rhett as she could. Olivia groaned inwardly hoping she'd overcome it in the next year to come. She debated between hoping Rhett would just pretend it didn't happen and approaching him and apologizing.
"Who knew melted marshmallows would be so hard to clean up?" Olivia jumped at the sound and turned around to see exactly what she had been dreading. The embarrassing anecdote that was her boss. Rhett was leaning on the table he and Link previously sat behind to film and was focusing on the microwave she was busy scrapping the exploded melted marshmallows out of.
She smiled politely and contemplated turning around to the microwave, "Yeah…" was all she could muster. The unease in her stomach was rising and the embarrassment was setting in all over again. Olivia shifted her eyes to the sponge she had been using. If she didn't apologize now and get it out of the way she would be spending the rest of her employment fearing and dodging Rhett.
Olivia frowned at the thought and cleared her throat.
"Look, about earlier this morning, I'm really sorry—"
Rhett interrupted her with a bark like laughter, "Don't look so scared when you apologize, I mean, I know I'm pretty big but I'm not going to hurt you." He gestured to his tall stature.
Olivia wrinkled her nose, trying to ease the discomfort tumbling around in her stomach, and avoided eye contact, "I just mean it was very embarrassing. I'm sorry I left the way I did, I don't normally do that, but I got my shirt stuck in the dryer this morning and I was running late. And you're my boss, so I'm really really sorry."
"So, you're only really really sorry cause I'm your boss?" He teased and she frowned. Olivia could hear the southern drawl creep in.
Olivia looked up at Rhett with more confidence this time, her brow furrowed. There was a playful smile tugging at the side of his lip and blue eyes had a gleam of mischief. It dawned on Olivia the "openness" Link was talking about that everyone had with one another at the company.
"You think this is funny." She stated and couldn't help but knit her brow. She crossed her arms to match his own stance. Rhett let the playful smile widen.
"A little, yes."
Olivia frowned deeper and turned back to her scrubbing, "Well, then I see no reason to apologize."
"Would you like your five dollars back?"
"No," Olivia retorted fluidly, "Maybe those five dollars will help you get something at Goodwill."
"Ouch."
"Apology still not in order?"
"A little, yes."
Olivia smiled to the microwave before placing the sponge back in the bucket, "I'm sorry, Mr. McLaughlin." She shook her head slightly out of shame for joking so openly with her boss, "I mean it."
Rhett didn't say anything, instead he just looked at her repressing the smile that yearned to spread across his bearded face. He reached up with a rough hand and rubbed under his sandy brown beard. Rhett stood up at full height and smiled.
"See you tomorrow, Olivia."
"Have a good day, Sir." Which earned her a loud chuckle from Rhett as he exited through the side door.