A/N:A "toccata" is a type of classical piece of music that usually features the dexterity of a piano or harpsichord as it roughly translates to "touch." "Legato" is a tempo that translates to "tied together, smoothly." Also, like the pause between movements, an indeterminate amount of time passes between each somewhat independent section of this story.
First Movement: Legato
Despite the fact that she'd taken the time to search for a new home, when the sooner than expected time came to leave the farmhouse, Olivia moved her and Emma back into The Beacon. It was what they were used to and Olivia figured that with the dependable routines that came with living at her hotel, she would be able to better adjust to her old life. More than anything else, she needed to separate herself from all the simple joys that she'd grown to appreciate while living with Natalia. She used to love the convenience of room service, but now it was stale and impersonal compared to the home cooked meals they used to enjoy as a family together, and the Godiva truffle left on her pillow at night was far from an appropriate substitute for the handmade, midnight treats Natalia would share with her after they'd put Emma to bed. As much pride as she had for the special touches that made the Beacon a unique and luxurious stay, Olivia greatly missed her simpler life at the farmhouse with Natalia.
Olivia didn't want to live at the Beacon anymore than Emma did nowadays. It took her longer than it should have to realize that the Beacon wasn't a real home, and now whenever that word passed through her thoughts, Olivia had to suspend her breath to stop herself from turning into a big sobbing mess in front of her employees and clients. It was embarrassing to think that someone like Natalia had made such a huge impact on her life only for nothing to come of it, but she needed to move on. The wedding was off, but that didn't mean that Natalia was ready for that next step and Olivia felt certain that she never would be. She needed to stop torturing herself over all the "what ifs" and "could have beens." Those long, hushed conversations that she used to have with Natalia in a darkened hallway before bed or outside on the porch the next morning were a thing of the past.
Using the end of the nightstand as she stood from the bed, Olivia closed her eyes to erase her sorrows and dreams as she prepared for whatever this new day would behold for her at the Beacon. Once downstairs, Olivia ran her fingers through her hair in preparation when it became abundantly clear that even though it was a midweek day in a small city, the hotel was bustling with demanding guests and frazzled employees. Avoiding an argument she saw brewing at the front desk, Olivia retreated to her office to conduct a brief staff meeting, of which Natalia was not present. Not that she'd expected her to show up for work so soon after leaving Frank at the alter, but Olivia was still disappointed that she hadn't even called to say as much. That just wasn't like her. In an effort to get her mind off of Natalia, Olivia dedicated the rest of her morning to getting caught up on all the paperwork that had fallen behind since…well, since Natalia's botched wedding.
Damn it, she thought, pinching the bridge of her nose. Everything around her was making her think of her. The friendly sticky note reminders pinned to her desk, invoices, and calendar were all scribbled in Natalia's handwriting and when she opened the drawer for a new pen, the first thing she saw was a small bottle of Natalia's favorite perfume rolling towards her. Olivia slammed the drawer closed, rattling the contents within, which sent a few pieces of paper on her desk floating down to the floor. Reaching over to pick them up, the office phone rang and as she sat back up, Olivia answered the call in such a fluster that she didn't even consider that a client might be on the line.
"Yes?" She barked.
"Ms. Spencer?" A male voice inquired politely through the phone.
Sighing, "Yes," she paused, recognizing the voice and then spotting one of Natalia's notes in her calendar circling and pointing to a meeting that she'd scheduled with the Beacon's chef at 10 AM. "Oh God, I'm sorry, Alistair," she said, collecting herself. "I'm late, aren't I?" She asked, glancing at the clock and realizing that she'd neglected her employees as much as she'd neglected her work while she'd foolishly planned an ill-fated wedding.
"If you're too busy, we can go over it later," he replied.
"No, no. Now is fine. I'll be right there," she said hanging up the phone and heading over to the kitchen, cringing at the level of disarray her hotel was in without Natalia's assistance.
Her chef, who had apparently been waiting for her for well over twenty minutes before deciding to call her, had been planning on rolling out a new menu this week, but Olivia had requested that they go over the details and budgeting beforehand. Once she'd made her way into the kitchen, Olivia apologized profusely to her treasured chef and tasted a number of the featured dishes that he wished to prepare for her guests. None of the entrees or desserts were as flavorful or appetizing as Natalia's, but they were appropriate for the venue and they would certainly help put the Beacon on the map in terms of cuisine. Not requiring much convincing at all, Olivia signed off on the new menu and made a mental note to update the kitchen's budget for next quarter.
Leaving the kitchen, Olivia saw that the argument between her employees at the front desk had escalated since earlier that morning and so, she rushed over to address the situation before one of them quit over some petty grievance. And even though she was not prepared to be in the same room with Natalia again, as she paced her way to reception, she couldn't help but wish that Natalia was around to help her deal with these sort of things. Olivia would just assume fire one or both of the employees than deal with their argument, but Natalia would have somehow coaxed them into a mutual understanding. She was a magician, really. Or maybe she was just more tolerant. Little of both, Olivia concluded.
While caught up in her own thoughts, no sooner than did Olivia round the corner did she find herself face to face with Natalia, dressed and ready for work. More than a few hours late, mind you, but here she was, smiling brightly and looking as beautiful as ever. Had Olivia not yelped in surprise from nearly running her over, Natalia would have taken her breath away. Again.
"Natalia," she sighed, anxiously taking a step back to allow for more space than necessary between them. "What are you doing here?"
Furrowing her brows in disbelief, "I know I'm late, but I'd like to think that I still work here, Olivia."
"Oh," Olivia said, swallowing the lump in her throat and following Natalia's delicate hands as she opened up her planner to outline the rest of Olivia's appointments for the day.
"You're not going to fire me because of what happened, are you? Because now that you and Emma aren't living at the farmhouse, I really need this job," she explained with a chuckle.
"No, of…of course you're not fired," Olivia replied, shaking her head and trying desperately to collect her thoughts or at the very least, just hold still and focus on something other than the length of Natalia's eyelashes or the curl in her lips when she smiled. "I just…I figured you'd want more time off, is all."
"Why? I'm fine," Natalia chirped, picking up her pen to begin going down her check list. "Now, I'm assuming you just approved the new menu, right?" When Olivia nodded obediently, Natalia dropped her eyes back down to her notebook, jotted down a note, and then continued to rattle off the rest of Olivia's schedule. "Good because now you've got one angry employee at the front desk, which I could handle for you–"
"Oh, please," Olivia begged under her breath, closing her eyes, and grasping Natalia's arm briefly with both hands, but then letting go and backing up when she realized what she was doing.
"You're welcome," Natalia said without missing a beat. "But while I do that, I need you to get this month's payroll figured out because it is…I don't even want to think about it," she said waving her hand with the pen about her head as if erasing the thought. "It's a disaster," she smoothed over with a smile that could have melted a prehistoric glacier in three seconds flat. "Later on, you have three conference proposals to look over before you meet with the Springfield Board of Education at 5. Do you think you'll still have time to meet with them today?"
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Olivia remarked sarcastically. "Anything else?" She asked, biting back a smile. It felt so good to have Natalia around again, even if they were just talking about work and once again, avoiding the gigantic pink elephant in the room.
"Yes," Natalia replied, closing her notebook and offering Olivia her undivided attention. "We need to talk."
"Oh…kay," Olivia said taken aback and rubbing her cheek as she glanced around the room. So much for avoiding the issue, she thought as the veins around her heart tightened.
"Not now," Natalia chuckled, noting Olivia's response. "But would you come over for dinner tonight?" She asked, her tone soft and inviting. "Please?"
Try as she might, any excuses Olivia might have had for not having dinner with her quickly fell by the wayside once Natalia flashed her that unforgettable and hopeful smile. Thinking for a moment, Olivia nodded in agreement at Natalia's simple request.
"I'll be there by 7," she whispered, her cheeks warming to a pale shade of pink once Natalia turned around and strode up to the front desk to settle the dispute at hand.
__________
"I miss having you here," Natalia admitted quietly as she walked Olivia back to her car.
"Yeah," she smiled back as she pulled out the keys to her car from her coat pocket. "I miss being here," she added, looking back at the house that she'd once called her own before all of this chaos happened, forcing them back to before.
"Olivia," Natalia pleaded, taking Olivia's hand when she attempted to unlock her car door and make a quick exit. Fear mixed with dizzying hope, Natalia smiled sweetly as she took a step closer to Olivia, who was fiercely clinging to her car door.
Reaching up, Natalia hesitantly fingered the satin collar of Olivia's black coat but lowered her eyes when she felt Olivia's piercing gaze fall upon her. Unable to bring her eyes back up, Natalia lifted her hand to Olivia's cheek and drew her closer, her touch as gentle as it was bashful. The intensity Natalia felt being this near to her was just as overwhelming as she felt it would be to actually kiss her. Natalia had known love and passion before, but it had been nothing like this. She was both drawn to and afraid of what she wanted from Olivia, but not knowing what it would be like was turning her into a sleep-deprived maniac lately. Sucking in a breath and closing her eyes in the hopes that it would somehow save her from fainting, Natalia tilted her head back until she felt Olivia's soft and intriguing lips pressing against her own. She slid her hand up further under Olivia's collar and squeezed her at the shoulder while she returned the sweet and simple kiss as genuinely as she could muster, given her state of lightheadedness.
When they parted, Natalia stepped back to try and remember how to breathe again and while Olivia did the same, she covered her subtle grin with the tips of her fingers and looked down to hide her shimmering eyes behind her long bangs. Slowly, Natalia brought her eyes back up to Olivia, who hadn't once looked away from her since they'd kissed, and smiled.
"Goodnight," Olivia whispered before getting into her car and driving back to the Beacon.