Who Could Have Known
Chapter Two: Dirty Laundry
A/N: Still don't own them…Offered Dick a couple of bucks for them…didn't go over so well. J/K
Olivia, obsessed with punctuality, claimed her position on the bench of the Southern Part of Central Park nearly twenty minutes early and opened the book she'd brought with her. In case Elliot stood her up she didn't want to ruin a good day at the park. Flipping to the page she had folded down the night before she mentally remembered what she had read and then proceeded onto the newer material of The Catcher in the Rye.
Elliot, obsessed with observation, leaned against a tree across from the path and observed her as she read. Her hair fell gently as she lowered her neck to the pages of the book. He deduced that she was a fast reader simply because she turned the pages rapidly but her focus was tremendous. She uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them as she shifted to the opposite hip on the bench. She appeared even more beautiful than their last encounter when she wore a waitress outfit. Today, she seemed perfectly comfortable in Levi's and a form fitting T-shirt. Her simplicity was stunning, perhaps even sexy.
Elliot decided to make his way to her. He walked slowly with his hands in his pockets and observed her movements. As he neared the center of the path he watched her as her eyes stopped the left to right action associated with reading. She remained poised in a reading position but he saw her look peripherally to her left and then to her right as if she felt his presence but wasn't exactly sure where he was standing.
Olivia felt the hair on her neck stand up and her body temperature rise. She withheld the smile that threatened to take over her lips when she sensed he was near her. She looked up making eye contact with Elliot as he walked to her. He seemed perfectly content with wearing the similar attire she'd seen him in at the diner. Seeing him in a tie and slacks made her rethink her decision to dress down.
"Hi." He spoke as levelheaded as he could standing so close to her. "I hoped you would come."
She stood to her feet and tucked the small paperback book in her back pocket. "I said I would." She smiled wondering how God knew to make his eyes bluer than the deepest ocean. "So, you a bird watcher?" She let out a small giggle as she motioned towards a scrawny man holding a book in one hand and observing a bird species through binoculars he held in the other.
Elliot smiled. "Me? Nah. My skills go about as far as distinguishing a pigeon from a squirrel."
Olivia smiled and furrowed her brow. She spoke softly with faint traces of a smile. "Yet you thought of this place to meet?" She let her smile finish it's magic.
"I just wanted to see you, didn't particularly matter where." He spoke honestly trying to hold her gaze. It was so intense, offered so much hidden emotion he found himself looking away periodically simply to regain his breath.
"I see." She shook her head slightly taking in his compliment. She didn't understand why he was entirely interested in her, why he stumbled with his words or why he seemed to be sweating in a breezy seventy-degree weather. "See that one over there?" She smiled pointing across the path at a bird hoping happily along looking for seed.
"Yeah?" he eyed it
"Blue Jay." She smiled "They're huge compared to some of the smaller birds." She turned her body watching the trees carefully for movement. "Red Robin." She pointed, leading Elliot's eyes, "Sparrow…" She looked down and laughed slightly at the bird that walked casually along the path near her and Elliot. "And that," She pointed, is your pigeon Elliot."
Elliot looked at her in shock. "Wow, wasn't expecting that." He smiled.
"I took a class." She laughed and started a leisurely walk with him at her side, "an elective." She chuckled.
"You took a bird class for an elective?" He asked with a smile. She certainly didn't seem like the type to be interested in bird watching, then again she didn't seem like a waitress either. He couldn't put his finger on what he thought she was. He simply hoped she wasn't as corrupt as some of the women he'd had the unfortunate pleasure of dating.
"I lead a hectic life, I need something that forces me to relax." She placed her hand in her pocket but left her right hand to swing freely at her side…perhaps in the hopes he would brush against it with his own.
"What do you do again?" He asked as if she had told him and he simply forgot.
"Ah, I'm not that easy Elliot." She laughed calling him on his bluff. She hadn't told him her profession and had no inclination of doing so until she found out exactly what his intentions were.
"Family?" He asked out of curiosity but was dismayed at the frown that crossed over her lips.
"I'm an only child." She whispered walking slightly faster as if she were attempting to run from his questions.
He trotted quickly to match her pace, "You know what they say about The Catcher in the Rye, don't you." He tapped the paperback in her pocket. The vibration shot through the book slamming into her body. Never had the simple touch of a man done that to her. What the heck was that? She thought to herself.
Elliot picked up on her reaction immediately, she was good at masking but he was better at detecting. It was the first indication he had that she may be just as drawn to him as he was to her. He smiled easing her embarrassment, "A majority of serial killers have read that book…is that your profession?" He laughed at the horrific shock that was displayed on her face, she laughed after several seconds and absentmindedly play slapped his chest.
"Not exactly." She smiled. "I'm studying abnormal psych, it's required reading, I can understand why they kill though." She continued her walk.
"Yeah? Why's that?" He was suddenly intrigued.
"It's the most boring thing I've ever read…you loose your mind reading it…it's a catalyst." She joked again.
"Your funny." He took her by the elbow causing her to stop in her tracks; he looked at her intently and stepped closer, "and stunning."
Olivia laughed, "Should have worn by boots today I guess, it's getting deep." She reluctantly removed herself from his grasp and continued walking. "And you Elliot, do you have family in New York City?" She asked knowing you could judge a man fairly accurately based on how he spoke about his family and especially how he interacted with them.
"My parents moved to Florida when they retired and I have two sisters. One is a Lawyer in California, the other is a shrink in Chicago." He smiled at her hoping his family met with her approval even though she offered no information on her own.
"And you?" She smiled looking at his attire. It was obvious he didn't flip burgers but he wasn't a doctor either. She couldn't read him as well as she normally could other people but there was something that urged her to not shut him down, at least not immediately.
Olivia had been known as a woman who sabotaged relationship after relationship the minute she felt her heart was in jeopardy but, here, in the presence of a stranger whom she felt she'd known her entire life, she felt her heart struggle for freedom from the chains that bound it. Mentally, she checked the locks on her heart to ensure they would hold under the pressure of the man in front of her. In the current situation, she felt they had the propensity to either withstand the assault of emotion or they would simply break. She couldn't say which was more likely to happen but she knew both outcomes terrified her.
"Me what?" He smiled at her fully aware she was using his own ammunition against him.
"What do you do to pay the rent?"
"I'm employed by the city." He offered only a bit of truth but didn't want to scare her with its entirety. "It's repetitive and dirty, not really good for first date conversation-" Elliot stopped speaking immediately when he realized he verbalized their friendly outing as a date. He braced himself for her reaction.
She stopped to face him, "Is that what this is Elliot? A date?" she smiled as she squinted her eyes against the sunlight.
"Would it be so bad if it were?" He asked her in a near whisper.
No. She thought to herself but offered him no verbal response; she simply bowed her head and continued walking.
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Olivia sipped from her coffee mug slowly as her roommate, Kira, shifted in her seat. Kira was a bright young woman that Olivia had befriended as soon as she came to New York City. She answered the ad for a roommate and has enjoyed the company Kira offers in her very stressful life. Olivia's job has been known to take a toll on her emotions and her time, combine that with school and she needed a friend.
"Who is he Olivia?" Kira asked confidently.
"I'm sorry?" Olivia shook her head in an attempt to come back to reality. "What did you ask?"
"I said who is he?" She smiled at Olivia knowing it was hard for her to verbalize her emotions but her body language and lack of concentration was always a sure indicator something was up.
Olivia looked back at her friend who was waiting patiently for her to divulge the information she had requested. "Can I ask you something Kira?"
"Yeah. Sure. What?" Kira furrowed her brows at Olivia's seriousness.
"Am I… kissable?" Olivia rubbed her neck as she thought about how stupid her question sounded.
"What?" Kira laughed, "Are you trying to tell me something Olivia?"
Shocked at the implied accusation of her sexuality Olivia scolded her. "What? No! Come on Kira!"
"Alright, alright." Kira raised her hand in surrender. "Just making sure, it's not everyday I hear a question like that from you. What's up with the kissing situation anyway?" She took a sip of her coffee.
Olivia bit her bottom lip; "I've been seeing this guy for almost five months and he-"
"Wow…back the truck up Olivia!" Kira put her coffee cup on the table and folded her arms. "You've been holding onto this for five months? What gives?" She asked slightly insulted.
"Come on Kira, you know that when it comes to relationships, if it wasn't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all." Olivia shifted on the sofa placing a pillow in her lap and resting her coffee mug on it. "I didn't say anything because I don't know what's happening myself." Olivia reassured her that it was nothing personal.
"Um…hello?" Kira raised her brows "It sounds to me like you've been dating for five months." She laughed. "So what's the deal? He a good kisser?" She asked getting back to the original topic.
"That's just it!" Olivia blurted, "He hasn't even attempted to kiss me…I mean…do I have bad breath or body odor that I'm not aware of?"
"What?" Kira was shocked with Olivia's lack of confidence. She let out a laugh. "Olivia, maybe he senses that you need to take things slow…it's not like you're a big proponent of trust."
"Kira" Olivia smiled out of frustration, "I've got dirty laundry that can move faster than he is."
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"Five months! What are you waiting for Stabler?" Detective John Munch scolded Elliot over a beer.
"I don't know John…she's amazing, I mean she's incredibly intelligent not to mention sexy." Elliot took a drink of his beer and returned it to the table. "Her voice is this fantastic mix of lioness and kitten and-"
"Wow – stop, the vomit is rising in my throat Elliot." Munch laughed taking a long drink of his beer. "What happened to 'wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am"
"I can't get her out of my mind John, she's in my dreams, in my thoughts. I want to kiss her but there's something about her that tells me she's never been loved before. There's a hurt there…a deep one."
Detective Munch quickly put his head over his mouth and shut his eyes grimacing.
"John, you okay?" Elliot asked concerned.
John lowered his head and patted his own chest with a first. "Yeah – I just vomited in my mouth a little." He said letting out a small chuckle.
"Oh shut your pie hole John." Elliot couldn't help but laugh at the older man's humor.
"No seriously." Munch leaned forward to talk, "If you really feel that way about her…go for it."