"Where are we going?" Olivia asked Fitz as she fidgeted in her seat. She continued to look out through her window, trying to find some familiarity in the city, but she had no idea where she was. She continued to look at her side view mirror just to see things she might have missed as Fitz sped through the city.
"Just relax." Fitz grabbed her left hand and stroked it for comfort.
She quickly moved her hand. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she folded her arms.
Silence quickly grew between them. Fitz pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant with the wet pavement glowing in red. The restaurant's neon sign read "Steak House" in big, red letters.
They sat in the car in silence. Imagine their silence being louder than the "silent engine" of his "state-of-the-art" vehicle. It almost became unbearable for both of them.
"I didn't mean-," Fitz tried to break the silence.
Olivia released her seatbelt.
"It's fine." Her stern voice sent chills up his spine.
She got out of the car, leaving Fitz alone for a few seconds. She headed towards the restaurant. It was quite small. It was completely unexpected. I guess she figured he would bring her to one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, being a "big man in a big city." Instead, he took her to a small and charming restaurant that could seat no more than 40 people. He headed for the door not too far behind her.
"Just you two?" The host asked.
Olivia nodded as Fitz smiled to the host.
Olivia was surprised to see there were only three people in the restaurant. She assumed it was normal for a restaurant to be so quiet for a Tuesday night.
The host seated them both to a quiet corner in the back of the restaurant.
Olivia's right eyebrow went up as Fitz unloosened his tie.
"I want you to relax. We're going to be working together nearly every day. Being friends makes everything easier." Fitz tried to let whatever came to his mind roll off his tongue. He tried to be smooth and settle, but Olivia wasn't buying it.
"So do you take everybody out at the office? Did it make work life easier?" Olivia snapped back.
"No, just the beautiful and intelligent women at the office and so far, I don't know if it's made 'work life' easier," Fitz replied smartly.
Olivia began gazing at the menu in front of her to avoid his flirtation.
"I'm hoping you'll be my first friend," Fitz continued.
"Excuse me," Olivia said as she removed herself from the table.
She headed towards the bathroom filled with anxiety. She paced around the bathroom.
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
She looked at herself in the mirror. Focus.
She exited the bathroom, leaving her nerves behind her. She came to a table dressed with two empty glasses and a bottle full of wine.
"I'm not drinking," Olivia sternly said.
Fitz pulled her empty glass towards him.
"Fine, I'll drink for the two of us."
He smiled his usually mischievous smile of his.
"I can't do this." Olivia grabbed her trench coat off the chair and stormed out of the restaurant.
Fitz hurried after her. "You can't do what?"
"The friends thing. The drinking wine and the flirtation-I can't!" Olivia began walking towards the main street in hopes to find a cab.
Fitz grabbed her arm and delicately pulled her towards his car.
"I'll drive you to the parking garage. There's no need for a cab."
She stood there looking in his mesmerizing eyes.
"Okay," she quietly said.
He opened the door for her as she slid into the passenger's side. He watched her as he walked around the hood of his car and opened the driver's side door. He smiled to himself. So far, the night didn't go as planned and he was well all right with that. To be in her presence was sufficient for him.
He took the longest way imaginable back to the office.
"I think you were supposed to turn right a couple of blocks back," Olivia said as she turned around, looking at the disappearing street signs behind her.
"I have to make a stop."
"No, you have to take me back to the garage."
Olivia looked at him sideways. Fitz snickered at her facial reaction.
"Did I miss the joke?"
"Don't worry, I'll take you back to the garage after this quick stop. It will take less than five minutes, promise," Fitz pushed out his pinky finger towards Olivia, "promise."
Olivia lightly laughed at his gesture.
"Are we friends now?" Fitz inquired.
"No." Olivia looked back out her window as she smiled to herself.
Fitz pulled up to a food truck that was idle on the side of the street, opposite to a park. He popped open his trunk to a box full of menus and laminated pictures of food.
Olivia let her window down and peaked out her head. "Need some help?"
"Yeah, that would be great," Fitz smiled at her, "grab that box full of menus for me, please."
They both headed towards the food truck.
"Hey Mark, how's everything?"
"Everything is good, Fitz. Thanks for coming by tonight."
"You can put the box on the counter," Mark said to Olivia.
Mark extended his arm towards Olivia. "Mark, good to meet you."
"Nice to meet you Mark, I'm Olivia."
Mark exchanged a look with Fitz. They both began smiling.
Olivia began to smile with them. "What?" She was clueless as to why they were smiling, but the energy amongst them was simply nice.
"It's nothing," Fitz hurriedly said. "I'll see you later this week, Mark."
As a few speeding taxis rushed through a red light, Fitz grabbed Olivia's hand as they walked across the street.
"You all right?" Fitz forgot to let go of her hand once they safely made it to the park.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Olivia tenderly squeezed Fitz's hand; a gesture to reassure him that she was fine.
Olivia felt Fitz's hand begin to release from hers, but she wasn't ready to let go.
"So, what was that about back there? The signs and the menus?"
Fitz smiles to himself. He was happy to know that she was even the tiniest bit curious to know something about him that wasn't "work-work" related.
"He's an old friend of mine. We went to college together and we've been friends ever since."
They walked over to a bench and sat down.
Fitz continued, "He always had a dream to open a restaurant and through trial and error of working multiple jobs in real estate and as an investor, he finally followed his dream. It's just my little way of supporting him."
Olivia was speechless. Out of all the rich and selfish clients she's worked with, Fitz was different. He was completely different from the rest. There was a real genuine nature about him. This is something she wanted to avoid. She meant it when she said she couldn't do the "friends thing." She's worked too hard to get to where she is. Maybe there's an insecurity factor or a fear factor of someone thinking that she's gotten to where she is by sleeping with the men she's worked with, though she's never slept with any of her clients. She worries about other's judgment upon her and even her own self-judgment. In just one night, she felt that she learned everything she could possibly need to know about Fitz. She decided to go with the flow and let her guard down.
"Wow, what a great friend you are."
"I can be a good friend to you, if you let me." Fitz reached for her hand, only to be the only soul left resting on the bench.
Olivia walking away was an instinct. It's her instinct to be guarded. Going with the flow is going against her nature and in that moment, she was disappointed in herself for not doing so-for not letting go.
Fitz followed her lead as she walked to the car. Before she could fully open the door, he shut it before she could even attempt to get in the door.
Olivia was now facing him as he pressed onto her, backing her body onto the car.
The gentle breeze blew her hair across her face. Fitz took her face into his hands and kissed her. She received the kiss with an open mouth. She wasn't sure whether the breeze or the kiss was giving her chills.
"Don't run away from this," Fitz said in between breaths.
She wrapped around her arms around his neck and whispered, "Okay."