Dating Rule: No Such Thing as Love at 1st Sight
"You look beautiful sis...like a black Barbie doll," Alexis laughed as she admired her older sister through the full length mirror. She wasn't jealous of Olivia but she wished she had her looks. Olivia's features were petite and delicate just like their mother's. Alexis favored their father and while she was attractive too, she was simply not as beautiful as Olivia.
Olivia laughed too. "Thanks Lexi…are you sitting on my purse?" Olivia scrutinized herself in the mirror, making sure her makeup was perfect, no hair was out of place and her dress fit just right. She turned around in the mirror and viewed her backside, secretly admiring how the dress hugged her ass just right. She had to look phenomenal tonight. She wanted to walk into that party, head held high with all the confidence she could muster. She had a room full of people to impress.
"It's right here," Alexis said as she held out the black clutch purse for Olivia to take. "What time is your car coming?"
"It'll be here in 10 minutes. The driver is picking up Abby first," Olivia said as she went to her jewelry box to select the earrings and cocktail ring she wanted to wear.
"Will HE be there tonight?" Alexis ventured to ask. It was a sensitive topic that Olivia had been unwilling to talk openly about.
Olivia sighed. "Yes of course he will be there. I'll be meeting him for the first time. I'm trying not to be nervous." She had seen pictures of him and read his bio but meeting in person, face-to-face was something different.
"There's no need to be nervous. The party is being given in your honor. He should be nervous meeting you," Alexis said.
"It's not just in my honor; there is a whole team of people being acknowledged," Olivia explained.
"Yes but only one of them is my sister," Alexis said as she got up from the bed and gave her sister a brief hug of assurance. "I'll go downstairs and wait for the driver to show up."
Alexis knew Olivia needed some time alone to psyche herself up for the evening.
"Thanks Lexi."
When she was alone, Olivia again looked at herself in the mirror. She was excited for the party and eager to meet all the new people she would be working with but she couldn't seem to control the anxiety she felt about meeting Him. It mattered whether he liked her or not. She had admired his work for City Magazine but she had no idea whether he read her work. I wonder what he thinks of me?, she thought. She was the youngest writer on the team at Everyday Woman Magazine but in the past two years she worked hard to build up a great reputation in the industry. She had received awards and accolades from her peers and even the readers continued to praise her work. It was a shame, though that the magazine itself couldn't maintain its readership and sales. The closure of the EW magazine was done with dignity. It was being publicized as a merger with its sister-magazine, but in actuality, City Magazine had simply agreed to extend contracts to several EW top-level employees, including herself.
She didn't initially agree to come over to City Magazine because, although they told her repeatedly how valuable she would be to them, they had ideas for her that she wasn't entirely comfortable with. She would be working with one of their established writers on a monthly feature article highlighting the do's and don'ts of dating – from a male and female perspective. She was fine with the content, she had already been giving dating advice to young women, fresh out of college in her own article but the problem was that she would now be the co-author of the new article "Right And Wrong Way – Dating in the City" (or R.A.W.W. as it was nicknamed). Co-Author…which meant, she would only have partial control of the final product and only part of the decision making power. She didn't know if she could handle that especially with someone who had the upper hand since he already worked for the magazine. She would be the new kid on the block. What if he didn't like her style? What if they fought constantly? What if their working dynamics were tense and stressful? "Stop it Liv, you already agreed to the job, now just do it," she said to herself.
"Liv the car is here," Alexis called from downstairs.
"Okay coming," she called back. She took one final look at herself in the mirror, straightened her back and smiled, ready to take on the world.
"I see you brought out the Louboutin's….who are you trying to impress?" Abby teased admiring the 5 inch heels.
"No one Abby," Olivia responded briskly.
"I think you need a drink," Abby said in the car on the way to the venue. She could feel the tension coming from Olivia and it was starting to stress her out.
"I don't want to be drunk when I get there Abby," Olivia told her. She had known the red-haired, brazen woman for years. Abby was an incredibly loyal and trusted friend but she could get quite wild for Olivia's taste. Abby was like her guilty pleasure. She lived vicariously through her. Abby entertained her with her exploits, mostly sexually explicit.
"Suit yourself, I've been talking to this guy in the Marketing Department and I'm looking to bring him home with me tonight. So don't look for me afterward."
"Abby don't embarrass yourself tonight, we have to work with these people come Monday morning."
"I know but I've already been working over there for the past week and they know me. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not…they like me," Abby bragged. Abby worked in the Legal Department as an Executive Assistant to in-house counsel.
"I'm sure they do," Olivia said sarcastically, not entirely believing her.
"So you want me to tell you about your partner?"
"I don't know, your opinion is bound to be tainted being that he's a man."
"He's not what you think Liv, he's a good guy. When people see him they think he's a player but he's not. He's nice, I like him and I think you will too. The only thing is, he's engaged; well sort-of."
"Why do you think I would care that he's engaged? And what does that mean 'sort-of engaged' either you are or you're not?"
"Well that's what I heard. He doesn't talk about being engaged but some of the girls know his quote, un-quote 'fiancée' and they are confident that he is. Anyway, I'm just letting you know, he's a stable guy. You tend to be a man-hater and I don't think you should go in thinking that he's like every other guy out there."
Olivia turned to Abby with a shocked expression. "I'm not a man-hater…I just don't think they are all worthy of my time. Any way that doesn't even matter because I'm not dating him, I'm working with him."
"It wouldn't hurt to have a little fun while you're working…..Anyway, you ready for your speech?" Abby asked.
"Yeah, it's just a 5 minute introduction, it should go by pretty fast, it'll be fine," Olivia said nonchalantly but inside she was hoping He would like her speech too.
Olivia was in her element. She worked the room, introducing herself to everyone, chatting briefly to get to know them and let them know her. For some reason, more than a few people asked about her private life but she skillfully dodged each question. She didn't care to discuss her private life with people. It had no relevance to whether she could do her job successfully.
"Welcome, Liv," Olivia turned to see her friend and mentor, Cyrus Beene.
"Hi Cyrus," she hugged him. Cyrus already worked for City Magazine and was one of the factors that influenced her decision to come and work there.
"Have you met our guy yet?"
"No, I haven't. I'll meet him soon enough," Olivia said although she tried not to sound irritated. She had been asked that same question about 15 times already.
Cyrus looked at her. "What's going on Liv?"
"Nothing I'm fine….I'm fine, Cyrus really," she made a motion with her hand which emphasized her irritation because everyone kept on insisting that she needed to meet him. What happened to him meeting her? Why did she need to run around trying to find him? She was Olivia Pope dammit, she never chased after men, no matter who they were.
"I think I'll go freshen up before I'm called on stage," she said before escaping to the ladies room. All of a sudden she felt claustrophobic. Did they all consider her as the step child? Like he was doing her a favor taking her on as a co-author. Was she being pitied? She wanted to scream. She never made it to the restroom. She found a secluded hallway and started pacing, almost stomping, back and forth.
"Do you always do that when you're angry?" he said from behind her.
She turned around to see him leaning against the wall watching her intently. She had no idea how long he had been there. "No, I don't….well yes, I guess I do…angry or just thinking…either way it helps." She was surprised; he was the last person she expected to be there – watching and waiting for her. And he looked phenomenal in his tux; like old Hollywood glamour. He had the complete look including the smile and the hands in the pockets which screamed sexual confidence. She was stammering over her words, taken aback by how much his pictures had not done him justice.
"Which one are you?"
"Which one what?"
"Are you angry or just thinking?"
She sighed heavily. "In truth, both."
"And how much of that anger is being directed to me?"
"Only a little," she offered, "I'm angrier at the situation."
"Well that's good, I would hate to know that you were more angry with me….So, can I say hello to you like a normal person then?"
She smiled at his charm. "Yes of course you can."
He walked up and hugged her. "It's good to meet you Olivia."
"It's good to meet you too Fitz." He stared at down at her with no inclination to move away. He had been watching her from the corner all evening and he was enamored with the way she moved, the way she talked – her entire style. She was amazingly beautiful. He had been around beautiful women before but she enchanted him. And this was the woman he would be working with day in and day out. He could already feel a strong connection with her that was anything but professional. He needed to get control of himself and his thoughts.
"So how did you find me in here?" Olivia asked.
"I've been watching you all evening," he said as if it was the most natural thing to do.
"Watching like crazy stalker or watching like 'I can't wait to meet her'?" she partially joked.
"I'm not a stalker. Have you had many stalkers?" he asked as he looked her up and down for the 3rd time since they started talking.
Olivia shrugged and smiled at him. She was strangely excited by the way he was admiring her. She liked knowing that he obviously found her attractive.
"So tell me why you're angry with me?"
"It's a stupid ego thing. Just trying not to feel sorry for myself and I don't want to feel like you did me a favor by allowing me to tag along as a co-writer."
He smirked at her. And Olivia closed her eyes and chided herself for being too open and honest with him when they barely knew each other. Damn his eyes. He really was outrageously handsome. He was maybe 5 years older than her and she could tell that he was one of those men who would get more attractive as they aged.
"Don't do that….You're thinking that you shouldn't have told me that. It's not a mistake to be open and honest with each other. I won't use it against you," he took a deep breath and filled his nostrils with her scent, she was intoxicating. "I happen to think we would work very well together and I'm looking forward to being with you…..at work."
Is he flirting with me? Olivia thought. He couldn't be, he's engaged, well sort-of.
"That's good to know."
They silently stared at each other in the secluded hallway. She broke the silence, "Well Fitz, I need to get ready for my speech so I will see you out there." She almost walked past him but he caught her arm and said, "By the way, you look beautiful tonight."
"Thank you," she said as she walked away. No one had ever made her blush like that.
Olivia glowed as she gave her speech before the audience. She was a natural speaker, completely at ease behind a podium with a microphone addressing a crowd. She was eloquent, articulate and educated. Fitz hung on her every word. She was breathtaking. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had affected him like this. All of his senses were attuned to every movement of her lips. And when she smiled, it was, it was…..
"You see our girl. I knew you would like her. You two are going to be great together, I know it," Cyrus whispered as he patted Fitz on the back.
Fitz merely raised an eyebrow.
When she finished everyone applauded. The Chief Editor, Sally Langston, walked up and gave Olivia a hug. She came to the microphone and said, "We welcome Olivia Pope and all of our friends from EM to the City Magazine family." The crowd applauded again.
Sally gave a few closing remarks and left the stage as the music started and people began dancing. Fitz found Olivia getting a drink at the bar.
"I would offer to buy you a drink but everything is being paid for so it would sound kind of stupid," Fitz said as he took the seat next to her.
"Yes, I guess it would," she said as she laughed. When her drink arrived, she turned to him and said, "So tell me about yourself….I hear you have never had a 'work-wife'." Olivia was joking but the look in his eyes made her second guess the comment. Maybe it was too soon to joke like that. He was staring at her lips; unconsciously she licked them.
"No I've never had a wife, work or otherwise. You will be my first," he said.
"Ok you've got to stop that. You are an incredible flirt. I was told you were not that type of guy. I mean you're gorgeous and I would automatically assume that you were 'that guy' but I was assured that you weren't. And plus the fact you are engaged to be married, or sort-of."
"Would it shock you to know that I don't usually act like this? I guess I must be more comfortable with you than I thought 'work-wife'." He was getting to comfortable with the term 'work-wife'.
"Yes that would shock me. Today is the first time we have met in person or talked."
"Well I did tell you how incredible you look in that dress, didn't I?"
"Where is your fiancée?" she said as she looked around the crowd as if she was trying to locate her although she had never seen her before.
He exhaled sharply; he really hated the rumor mill at the office. "I don't have a fiancée but that's a story for another time...Look Liv, I'm not a jerk or a cheat and I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable I just think we could be good friends and that would be good since we are going to be working very closely together."
"I'm good with being friends."
"Good. So can friends dance together? Am I allowed to dance with you?"
"Yes, let's dance," she said quickly, figuring less conversation would be better.
What she didn't count on was how it would feel being in his arms. The feel of his hand on her bare back, with his thumb rubbing her, absentmindedly making patterns. She kept looking away, while she could feel his eyes focused on her. She should have felt uncomfortable or weird but she didn't. All she wanted was to rest there in his arms the entire night. She wanted to take him home with her. What the hell! She never had thoughts like that. She was not a casual lover. Her last relationship went on for 3 months before sex was ever attempted. Why was she so attracted to this man?
The song ended and Fitz released her. He cleared his throat. "I think I better call it an evening. It's getting late. I'll see you Monday Liv." He kissed her cheek and left the floor.
Fitz knew he had to get out of there. He had to get away from her. His body was reacting to her like he was a teenage boy. The feel of her in his arms was too right, like she was made to be with him; like it should always be that way. But a personal relationship with Olivia Pope was off limits. They would be working together, spending hours and hours with each other; it had to remain professional, strictly platonic. Nothing could jeopardize that.
She was dazed and confused by his abrupt departure. Still, she liked him a lot; but not enough to cross the boundaries of their professional relationship. She was an adult, she could control her emotions. And her personal morals would never allow her to try to come between the relationship he had with his fiancée, or not his fiancée – whatever, it was none of her business anyway. She wasn't that type of person. They could have a perfectly platonic working relationship.
She looked around trying to find Abby; but couldn't locate her. Oh well, Abby knew how to take care of herself. She was probably on the arm of that guy from the Marketing Department. She had to give Abby credit – whomever she wanted, she usually got. She imagined for a moment how it would feel to leave a party on Fitz' arm but shook her head of the crazy fascination and decided to blame it on the alcohol. She needed to get home. She was tired, exhausted really, but she as excited. And all of a sudden, she couldn't wait until Monday morning.