Chapter one
"Well, hello"
Olivia Pope looked up from her book when she heard the voiced greeting. She looked up to find a young, very handsome man, scratch that boy, handsome boy standing in front of her grinning like a maniac.
She folder over the page in her book to mark her spot and turned to look behind her. There wasn't anyone there. She turned back and looked at the man…boy again. She stared at his eyes doing an informal trajectory of his eyeballs to where she sat. Trying to mathematically calculate if he was speaking to her.
Yep, he was talking to her.
"Hello"
"I am Ryan" he said after she responded.
"Okay, good to know...do I know you?"
Did she know him? she thought to herself; no there was no way I wouldn't remember this kind of pretty. He was smoking!
For a baby…
"No, but Abby described you to me so that I would know who you are" he said eagerly
Shit. Goddamn Abby!
"Look Ryan you look like a very nice boy…man, but Abby misinformed you"
"I really don't mind dating an older woman" he said completely ignoring her brush off. Don't do me any favors kid.
"Glad to hear it, but you are not going to be dating this older woman. Abby is crazy and doesn't know what she is talking about. I am really not interested in dating anyone right now"
"How do you know we wouldn't get along, shouldn't you at least give me a shot" he pushed
"How old are you Ryan, twelve?"
"Twenty-four"
Same difference she thought to herself. What in the hell was Abby thinking setting her up with a twenty-four-year-old! She was old enough to be his older… attractive… sister! Sensing that Ryan was going to be a problem to get rid of, she quickly formulated a plan.
"Maybe Abby is right, why shouldn't we try, right?" she said smiling at him
"Exactly"
"Did she tell you about my kids?" Olivia asked Solemnly
"Uh…what kids?" Ryan asked. The one-thousand-watt smile he had been sending her way slipped a little to about an eight-hundred.
"My Kids, I have four. They are really good kids, there all under ten years old so they are that really fun age; you like kids don't you Ryan?" she asked innocently.
The smile slipped to about a four-hundred.
"Um…maybe your right…we might not be well suited" he stuttered out
"Bummer, I think my kids would have really liked you"
"I gotta go" Olivia watched as Ryan impersonated the road runner out the door.
She put down her book on the counter and sighed. She couldn't even enjoy a cup of coffee at her favorite café without Abby ruining it. She reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone; angrily stabbing at her friends contact record to dial her number.
She picked up after two rings.
"Stop trying to get me laid Abby"
"He was cute! At least admit he was cute?"
"Abby he was a child! What the hell was I supposed to do with him?" Olivia asked and instantly regretted the question. That was a loaded question when posed to Abby Whelan
"Oh honey, what are you not supposed to do with him! Do you know how long they last when they are that young? I do! And it's a long…long time Olivia"
"Abby, I am not in the mood to listen to the filthy chronicles that make up your sex life; final warning next one you send my way I kill!"
She pushed the red hung up button and sat in the café fuming.
So, she hadn't been on a date in over three years, who cared? She had Netflix, Her books and Peekaboo her cat. What more could a girl want?
A really good orgasm that you don't have to give yourself. A voice similar to Abby's whispered in her head. Oh god! Abby's voice was starting to break into her inner dialogue. She was so screwed!
"Guess who's coming into the office today?" Abby asked Olivia walking into her office at Hearst Publishing on Monday
"Good morning to you as well Abby" Oliva responded
"Yeah, Yeah, good morning; guess whose coming in?" she asked again
"Okay I'll bite, whose coming in Abbs?" Liv asked wearily. She didn't really care, she had to much work to care. She had about twelve manuscripts she needed to review and approve.
"Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the III, heir apparent to all of this" Abby swung her arms wide
"I almost hate to ask this, because I know you will no doubt have an answer that will annoy me…but what the hell. So?"
Abby stared at Olivia confused
"I am serious Abby, so what? The father comes in here all the time and appends everything while people run around brown nosing and then what? Do you get a raise? A bump in your bonus? No, you get nothing. Quite frankly I am not interested in brown-nosing the undoubtedly spoiled offspring of Jerry Grant." she finished sourly.
"You obviously haven't seen a picture of the spoiled offspring. He is hot! The things I could do to that fine piece of ass" Abby said
Olivia sighed "Anyone ever tell you that you have a very disturbed mind?"
Abby sighed "Only Harrison; and he says he wouldn't have it any other way" she smirked and strutted out of the office.
That girl is too preoccupied with sex!
You would be to if you were getting any.
Goddammit! she really needed to get Abby out of her freaking head!
Liv was in the corporate cafeteria getting her lunch. It was only 11:30 am, but she liked to come down and grab a sandwich before the peak lunch hours.
"Hey Marie" she called out a greeting to the regular cafeteria lady Marie.
"Hey Liv, roast beef or turkey" she asked
"Turkey, thank you" Marie knowing her routine; quickly slipped a turkey sandwich into a bag along with a bottled water.
"You got a man yet?" Marie asked indelicately.
I swear I am going to invent a man so I can get these people off my freaking back!
"Nope" she said tersely
"You can have mine if you want" Marie said joking
Olivia laughed "No way! I wouldn't know what to do with that much man, Marie" she said. It was kind of true. Marie was married to a six foot five, three-hundred-pound anvil named Carl; who adored her.
"Girl, sometimes I just wanna be rid of him" Marie complained; but the affection in her eyes negated the harsh statement.
Olivia knew she was lying. Marie loved her some Carl! She'd probably rip her or anyone to shreds if they tried to make a move on him.
"See you tomorrow, girl" she said waiving at her
She made her way over to the register and paid for her lunch and started to head back to her office when she remembered that she hadn't gotten her frequent purchase lunch card punched by the cashier.
She could have let it go, but damn that! her next sandwich was free! She had earned that shit.
She was making her way back to the cafeteria when she spotted one of the fellow senior Editors Jake Ballard headed her way. Olivia was in charge of Non-fiction while Jake headed Fiction in an entriley different building.
Fuck, she hated that prick
"Hey Jake" she called out
"Hey…." He looked at her as if he couldn't remember her name.
You know my name motherfucker!
"Olivia" she said sweetly.
"Thats right, Olivia" he said in mock remembrance
"How are you doing this fine Monday afternoon?" Uggh! The fake charm made her want to throw up!
God, she hated him!
"Just hunky-dory, spectacular even" she said dripping with perkiness
His eyes narrowed and he the asshole that he kept hidden from everyone popped out for a second while he sneered at her; and then just like that Mr. Personality was back in play. Smiling and Charming.
Dick.
"Great, well it was great to see you, we should try and catch up one of these days. I'd love to hear what your division is doing. I hear your numbers are great"
"I would love that Jake" two can play this game, bro…
"Take care"
"You too"
He smiled down at her and walked off down the hall. Duplicitous snake.
This is what I get for being a cheap bitch, she thought. Sighing she headed back into the Café to get her card stamped.
A free sandwich was a free sandwich.
Fitzgerald Grant the III was excited.
He was set to tour the Hearst Publishing company that was part of his and his father's holdings. Fitz had always loved books. He had actually wanted to pursue an English Degree when he was younger in the hopes of being an editor but his father had quickly quashed that dream. The Grants were titans of Industry not…Editors!
His father had smiled contemptuously as he said the word. It was as if saying the word left a bitter taste in his mouth.
That was when he was in his early twenties. Fitz had grown up and learned to stand up to his domineering father. He didn't need his approval anymore.
It had been his idea to purchase the publishing company. His father had fought him. But Jerry Grant was getting up there in years and Fitz had been taking over more and more responsibility of running the Grant Holdings and he could now make decisions unilaterally without consulting his father.
He had started his day in the printing room getting drunk of the heady smell of books being produced. If only someone could bottle the wonderful smell of books…they would make a mint.
The CEO of the company, Cyrus Beene, had tried to pull him out of the warehouse to show him the rest of the operation but he couldn't make himself leave the printing room. He had spent hours in there watching…it enthralled him.
Finally, at around eleven o'clock Cyrus had managed to tear him away and lead him down a corridor to the adjoining ell's where the Editorial, Advertising and Media departments were housed.
To get to the adjacent buildings they needed to pass through the cafeteria and Fitz had decided to stop for a coffee and talk to the cafeteria staff.
It was then he saw her.
She had entered the cafeteria and walked over to the older black woman serving sandwiches. He watched as she laughed and conversed; watched entranced as she made her way to the checkout to pay for her food. He watched her walk out of the café and felt his breath catch when she disappeared from sight.
Wait! Who are you? He had wanted to shout across the room
He had stood there feeling bereft and punishing himself for not asking Cyrus who she was; when she had walked back in; a direct answer to his prayers.
He watched her walk to the counter and speak to the cashier. Whatever she said made them both laugh. The cashier reached out and took a card from her hand and punched it.
Fitz, not wanting to make the same mistake twice, turned to Cyrus and nodded toward the enchantress.
"Who is that?" he asked trying to keep his tone of voice blasé
"What… oh that's Olivia Pope. She is the senior editor in Non-fiction dept."
Fitz nodded and filed the name away.
Olivia Pope.
Fitz smiled. Now he had two things to look forward to. Indulging himself in his passion for books…and getting to know the delectable Ms. Pope.