In another apartment, in a different part of the city, much the same grumbling and anxiety had been taking place for the better part of the day. Olivia held the dress in front of her and looked in the mirror again, undecided. Was she reading too much into this? Was Abbie really going to be dressed up like this? What if she was overdressed? Underdressed? God, this was too complicated! But all the same, when was the last time she had been this excited over dinner and a show? Olivia had never really "felt" feminine. Oh, she was aware of how men looked at her, and women too for that matter, but she had never really felt that she deserved this attention. Several months ago she had picked up this beautiful, totally feminine, extremely sexy gown. At the time it had been a spur of the moment purchase, regretted the moment that she got the dress home, feeling foolish for ever imagining that she could pull that one off. She always felt like a young girl playing in her mother's closet when she put on a dress, but this time, in this dress, she knew she would get the reaction from Abbie that she was hoping for. Olivia held the creamy gown close to her and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Against her olive complexion, the gown looked sensational. Still, the butterflies didn't go away. In fact, she could feel them multiplying in her stomach at an exponential rate.
Olivia had never been one to cultivate close friendships with women. Abbie was the exception to the rule. The day they met there was an instant connection between the two. Most of the time, however, her job didn't allow her the time needed to maintain these relationships, so she instead formed a bond with her partner. Elliott was her best friend, the one that she bounced all of her nutty ideas off of. Dialing quickly, she held her breath until he answered.
"El? I need your help. Can you come over for a bit?" Olivia sounded petrified.
"Liv, are you okay? What's the matter?" Elliott heard the panic in his partner's voice and was immediately concerned.
"I don't know what to wear, and you're my best girlfriend!" Olivia calmed down slightly after hearing Elliott's voice. "I have a date on Saturday and I have this dress and I'm not sure if I should wear it or if it's too over-the-top and . . . "
"I'm on my way, but if you breathe a word of this to the squad I swear you'll pay." Elliott stopped her, laughing. "Just sit down and have a drink."
A short time and one beer later, a knock on the door signaled Elliott's arrival. Olivia opened the door wearing the gown. She'd been pacing around in it, trying to get a feel for the dress. When she opened the door, Elliott was temporarily speechless.
Once he recovered, he stated "I don't know what the problem is. Unless, of course, you don't want to look stunning and attractive for this 'mystery date.' Who's the lucky lady?" Elliott questioned. Only Elliott knew about Olivia's sexual preference, simply because it had never come up in conversation in the squad room. Olivia had always kept her love life a secret, no matter whom she dated. She didn't think that this type of information had anything to do with how well she could do her job, and so she just didn't discuss it on the job. But because she and Elliott had spent time together, holidays with his family, picnics, and birthdays, they were closer than most partners. She had introduced his family to her last girlfriend, several years ago, but hadn't had anyone special in her life for quite some time. Elliott knew that this one must be special if Olivia was going to all of this trouble for her.
"El . . . I'm not sure that I want to talk about her just yet. It's still forming and I don't want to jinx it. But you'll be the first to know when I'm ready to share, you know that." Olivia replied hesitantly.
"She on the job?" He asked, hoping for a clue into Olivia's secretiveness.
"Yeah. And that's all that you'll get out of me right now Detective." She stated, firmly closing the subject.
"Okay, I'll wait. Don't worry about the dress, or the date, you look fantastic and if she doesn't agree then she's not the girl for you!" Elliott's encouragement was just what Olivia needed. She smiled and visibly relaxed.
"Let me go slip into something more comfortable and I'll get you a beer." She teased, heading to her bedroom to change.
Elliott found the beer himself, and wandered back into the living room to wait for Olivia. He hoped that this woman was the right one for Liv. He loved her like a sister, and had seen how hurt she was in the last relationship. When Celia had left her, Elliott thought that Olivia might quit the SVU, maybe even quit the force altogether. They'd talked through it though, and in time she returned to normal, albeit a bit more wary of relationships. For her to step out and take a chance with this woman indicated to Elliott that Olivia's self-esteem had finally recovered.
"I know that you're curious about her, El. I also know that you're concerned for me, that you don't want to see me hurt. Don't worry, we were friends first, we understand each other's issues and job-related idiosyncracies. I waited a long time before saying anything to her, before making a move. Trust me. Trust my judgment on this." Olivia stated firmly.
"It's your move. You, in that dress, will get the message across no problem." Elliott took Olivia into his arms for a quick hug. "Now, if you don't need my services any longer, I'd better get home and make dinner for the kids. Kathy's playing Bunko or something with some friends."
As Olivia closed the door behind him, she leaned back against it and closed her eyes. Elliott's encouragement had bolstered her spirit, the butterflies were decreasing, but she knew that she had to get through the next two days calmly, focused on her job rather than the woman that would see her in that dress. Behind her closed eyes, however, she saw Abbie's smile and knew that it was all worth it.