Thanks again for reading this fun story and thanks for all the supportive and intuitive comments. I love how this story is getting some of you thinking. The theme song of this chapter for me is "Let's Never Stop Falling In Love" by Pink Martini. I think it goes really well with the 'fancy' part of this chapter—you'll see. Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Found You Again
It had been four weeks since Fitz left to return to Massachusetts. Four weeks since Olivia had spoken to or seen him but he never stopped haunting her dreams at night or infiltrating her thoughts during the day. Her heart would speed up every time someone uttered his name and she couldn't help but wonder whether or not he was thinking of her as much as she was of him.
She had spent the past three weekends cooped in her room, kept busy by seemingly endless schoolwork, but this third weekend would be different whether she liked it or not. Her father had phoned her only two days ago, telling her that the annual gathering, featuring the biggest businessmen, lawyers, and politicians in the country, that he's forced her to go to for the past four years was taking place this upcoming weekend. Her father told her that she might as well just spend the entire weekend with him, making this the first time she's seen him since she graduated from high school.
She packs a suitcase with some of her homework and enough clothes for two days and makes the hour and a half drive to Santa Cruz. Her father told her to be there no later than three in the afternoon. Olivia waits for the large iron gate separating her from a pebble stone driveway that encircles a magnificent water fountain in front of the house she used to call home that can't really be called a 'house' since it has an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a tennis court, and a basketball court, along with nine bedrooms, even though only five people currently live there, three of them being part of the cleaning and cooking staff.
Olivia has always been careful to leave out that she comes from a rich family whenever meeting new people. She hated the stigma that came with it since most people would automatically assume that she was some entitled, selfish rich kid that was only given opportunities by mommy and daddy, especially since she was attending Berkeley. Now that she thought about it, the only people who knew about where she came from were Abby and Harrison, who she'd known since middle school, and even then it took her a while to tell them, much less invite them over. But there was another part of her that kept the knowledge of her riches a secret because they never brought her happiness, but only intense memories of sadness and misery.
Olivia pulls up to the front portico, where a young man she's never seen before is dressed slickly in all black, waiting for her expectantly. She gets out and he immediately walks up to her, asking, "Ma'am, would you like help with your things?"
She stares back at him, thinking about how foreign this all feels to her now, and then shakes her head at him. "No, thanks. I just have one suitcase—I think I can manage that," Olivia answers firmly but kindly.
He looks at her as if he wants to ask again but decides to let it go, seeing as she's not going to budge. Olivia opens the trunk of her car and pulls out her small suitcase, dragging it along the pavement.
"Will this be it from your car or will you have to return for more items?" he asks politely.
Olivia turns around and faces him. "Nope that'll be it. Thanks…?"
"Isaac," the young man nervously answers, holding out his hand for her to give him her car keys, which she does. He carefully settles himself in the car and drives away, taking it to the parking garage.
Olivia walks through the already wide open door to the mansion and takes the house in like she's seeing it for the first time, although it looks exactly the way it did when she left. The foyer is cleaned to the tee and the double staircases leading to the second floor are scrubbed spotless. The hard wooden floors have been recently polished and the walls look newly painted, free of any blemish. She hears soft piano coming from the living room and heads in there, leaving her suitcase at the front door.
She walks in and sees her 14 year-old brother, Nathan, gracefully attempting to play a piece on the old grand piano that's been in the same spot for years. She smiles, walking up behind him, saying, "I didn't know you picked up piano again?"
She reaches him and tussles his hair playfully like she used to do when they were younger. He shakes his head and makes a face, pretending he doesn't love it and answers, "I picked it up over the summer while you were gone."
She stands still with a shocked expression on her face when he speaks because his voice is a full octave lower than it was when they last talked. She looks even closer at him and sees a hint of a mustache growing on his upper lip. He's actually turning out to be quite handsome and she can't help but felt a bit sad as she sees her baby brother almost all grown up before her eyes. She smiles at him again. "Looks like puberty visited someone while I was gone. How have you been, kiddo?" she asks, using the nickname that she gave to him a few years ago.
He shrugs coyly. "Alright, I guess." Not a moment later, Eli Pope strides into the room in all his pride and grandiosity, and gives his daughter the best smile he can conjure up, greeting, "Olivia!" He opens up his arms for her, making his way towards her.
She slaps on an equally fake smile, and greets back with even less enthusiasm, "Dad," allowing him to embrace her stiff body as she awkwardly hugs him back with one arm. She takes a deep breath and literally shivers, as if she can shake the memory of making such close contact with him. They both knew that it's all for show for Nathan because even if they hadn't seen each other for five years, neither of them would've even thought about anything nearly as affectionate as a hug, a simple 'hello' would've been just fine. But Olivia didn't even understand why they were acting in front of Nathan, since she knew that he knew more than anyone that their loving father-daughter relationship was fake as hell.
He continues to give her his trademark strictly business smile and says, "Right on time. So, how are you? I would expect that you've been doing exceptionally in your studies." His face gets slightly more serious as he checks for the answer in her face.
"I'm good, and of course I've been doing great in school," she responds simply, while knowing in the back of her mind that she could've easily lied to him, something she's learned to do over the years as a means of survival in his household.
"Good. Good," he says nodding his head satisfactorily. "Nathan, would you step out so that I can talk to your sister briefly in private?"
Nathan nods, acting even more obsequious than Isaac. "Yes, dad." And with that, he's shuffling out of the room.
Eli faux smiles at Olivia again, gesturing towards the leather couches that look like they've never been sat on at all before. They both take a seat opposite from each other and Eli's expression is again slightly more serious. "So let's get right down to business and why you're here in the first place," he says, cutting the affectionate-father crap. "As you already know, the city's annual dinner gathering is tomorrow and you know why I want you there…"
"Because some of the country's best and most successful lawyers will be in attendance and it will be a good experience for me to be in that atmosphere," Olivia says, answering like it's a quiz question, one she's had to recite for the past four years.
"Right. And you already know how this works so there's no need to go over all the simple rules. However, what has changed is your date for this evening."
"What do you mean?" She asks, genuinely confused, because the first two years she went, her older brother, Isaiah, who's now married, accompanied her, and in the following two years, her father paired her up with Nathan as her date. He had always wanted to make sure that she had a suitable date because even though the evening was taking place in a professional setting, not every males' mindset at the gathering was strictly professional, especially when it came to young ladies.
"You are familiar with Harold Davis of Davis & Lee—the law firm?" He asks, hardly waiting for an answer, but Olivia nods truthfully, nevertheless. "He has a son around your age, currently attending Harvard as a law student—Edison Davis is his name, and he will be attending the gala with you tomorrow as your date." Before Olivia can say anything, Eli continues with more urgent news, "The Davis family will be arriving here at 4pm today, which gives you approximately…" he checks his watch for effect "fifty minutes to get dressed in something a little more respectable for the meeting."
Olivia looks down at what she's wearing, which is a Berkeley sweatshirt with jeans and some old sneakers. It doesn't look too bad but she expects the Davises to look a little more formal, which is probably why her father wants her to match up with them.
"I picked out suitable attire for you earlier. Miriam should have it laid out on your bed upstairs," he tells her, referring to the female maid, who also served as somewhat of a nanny to Olivia and her brothers when they were younger. "I don't know if you want to shower or freshen up, but just be ready and down here in a presentable fashion by 4pm." And with that, he leaves the room, as if he's just dismissed her from class.
She wastes no time getting ready, knowing that her father would get exceedingly upset if she were even a minute late. She carries her suitcase upstairs and goes to her room where she finds a gray and black button up sweater and a respectably knee-length white skirt and pantyhose, along with some white pumps and small silver earrings. Her room is cleaned spotless like everything else in the house, looking only slightly different from the way she left it. Instantly, good and bad memories of all the times spent in this room come flooding back to her and she starts to feel overwhelmed. She takes a deep breath, closing the bedroom door and strips off her clothes, heading to the bathroom to take a quick, warm shower and hopefully calm down.
Olivia knew it was only a matter of time before her father would start to set her up with an appropriate suitor, just like he had with her brother Isaiah, but the more she stayed as far away from the toxic environment that was the majority of her childhood, the more she forgot about her father's strategic and manipulative ways. She had known that there was no way to get out of this dinner without her father cutting her off money-wise for at least the next six months, so she made sure that she showed up for the fifth year in a row—but Olivia had no way of knowing that her father would also use her mandatory appearance to ambush her with the news of her first suitor. It was laughable, really, she hadn't even been back home for five minutes and one of the first things her father tells her is that he's basically pimping her out.
She dries off after a ten-minute shower and gets dressed in the clothes laid out for her. She decides to go simple on the hair and just comb it out straight, letting it flow freely past her shoulders, topped off with a headband that matches nicely. She slips on the pumps, fastens the earrings, puts on some light make-up and then looks at the final product in her mirror. She smiles, satisfied enough and takes note of how she looks like a mixture between an English schoolgirl and something Kate Middleton-esque.
She makes her way downstairs five minutes before four, back to the living room where her brother and father are both waiting quietly. Eli is wearing the same attire from before, since he's for some reason always ready to do business, and Nathan has switched out a pair of baggy jeans for some beige slacks.
Eli stands up and smiles. "Much better. You look lovely."
Olivia keeps a somber expression as she says back, "Thank you."
They hear a little commotion from outside the room and see Miriam peep through the doorway, quietly saying, "Your guests have arrived."
Eli leads the way to the foyer where the Davises are patiently waiting, observing the house with admiration.
"What a lovely home you have, very 20th century," says a man, who Olivia can only assume is Harold Davis. His hair is dark shade of gray and he has a pair of reading glasses on. He's dressed in a brown pinstripe suit, looking like he just got back from the office. His wife, Shelby Davis, who seems to look a little older than him, looks a little churchy in a modest champagne-colored dress and blazer with an accompanying hat. She smiles at Eli, who beams at Mr. Davis's compliment, "Well, thank you, I do try."
Olivia struggles to refrain from rolling her eyes as she takes in the youngest Davis. Edison's dark chocolate skin has a slight glow that brings out his warm, inviting eyes. He towers over her, being no shorter than 6'2", and has a bright, white, charming smile but Olivia can't help but inwardly acknowledge that it doesn't hold a candle to Fitz's. Her mind starts to drift off towards him as she aches for him to be there and flash her one of his confident smirks. Oh, how I miss you, Fitz…
"Olivia," she hears her father's voice boom into her thoughts, sounding slightly annoyed that he has to remind her that they have company.
Olivia instantly bounces back into reality and smiles politely, going to shake each of the Davis' hands, greeting, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Davis. Edison." When she shakes Edison's hand, he doesn't allow her to pull away but instead brings her hand up to his mouth and kisses it tenderly, in front of everyone.
Olivia's breath hitches out of pure shock and she starts to feel her cheeks heat up as everyone looks to her for her reaction. "Actually, it's my pleasure," Edison says before slowly letting go of her hand.
Olivia awkwardly nods as the adults look away, apparently satisfied with the interaction. "Well, why don't we leave you two kids to get acquainted," Mr. Davis suggests, looking to Eli to back him up.
Eli turns to Olivia. "Of course. Olivia, you can show Edison around the grounds outside. Nathan, you may go do something useful with your time. The adults have some business to tend to."
Olivia nods obediently and gestures to Edison to follow her. "This way."
IiIiIiIiIiIiI
Olivia decides to take him for twenty minute walk in the backyard through Olivia's favorite place out of the entire mansion—the garden. As they slowly walk the dirt pack through the garden, Olivia stares dreamily, marveling at the unique spider lilies that are in bloom in October, knowing fully well that Edison's eyes are trained on her but still refusing to make eye contact with him or acknowledge him, even after his few attempts at conversation.
Edison sighs, no longer able to hold back his frustration. "I recall us being sent out here to 'get acquainted', but if you rather stare at the flowers all day instead, I could just head back inside and leave you to it."
She turns to him, surprised at his sudden forwardness but isn't offended. She knows that whether she ignores him or not during their first encounter, they'll be seeing each other again even after the gala tomorrow, because their pairing was set into place as the first step of honoring a business deal between her father and the Davises. Olivia's not sure whether to be offended by the fact that her father didn't just tell her straight-up what he was up to or that he didn't care enough to because he knew that there was nothing she could do about it. Eli Pope was a heartless, selfish, power-hungry bastard in Olivia's opinion and a sorry excuse for a dad, so sorry that he was willing to sell his children into arranged marriages in order to fulfill some big master plan of his. Olivia knew her father had a dream to build a powerful African-American dynasty, something she had heard him discuss a countless number of times when her mother was still around. He had groomed all three of his children to be lawyers at a young age and shoot for successful careers, not that that was a necessarily bad want for your kids but they never even got to dream about what they wanted to be since the lawyer idea had been brainwashed into their minds as soon as they could make sense of it. And now that Eli's two eldest children were well on their way to becoming two of the best lawyers America has ever seen, his plans were working out quite nicely. Isaiah had been married for two years now, pushed into union with a girl from a rich family, black, of course. And now that Olivia was being paired up with Edison Davis, they would undoubtedly make a very attractive, smart, black power couple and take the country by storm—and there's not a thing Olivia can do about it.
Olivia shrugs and says simply, "You could do that but like you said, we were sent out here to 'get acquainted', so I'm not sure how pleased our parents would be if they saw that you left me out here all alone. But hey, if it makes you feel better, you could run in there and tattle on me because I don't want to play with you like we're back in kindergarten," she mocks.
He remains quiet for a moment and Olivia thinks that she's pissed him off which she's kind of satisfied about, but then he looks back down at her and smiles smugly. "Tattle on you? Now why would I want to do that and ruin my chances of taking you out on a proper date?"
Olivia tries to hide the feeling of disgust, festering inside of her. She knows that Edison is just doing what he's supposed to do, which is trying to fulfill their parents' wishes and make a relationship between them possible, but she hates the fact that he's set a claim on her and she has no say on whether or not she wants to be with him—which she doesn't.
She scoffs. "You know that's not necessary, right? We're going to end up being together one way or another."
"And how can you be so sure of that? What if I don't like you?" He teases, making her want to gag because his flirting attempts are so pathetic. She can tell he's not sincere, like he's tried the same lines on every single girl he hits on—he's just not Fitz, she admits, reluctantly thinking of how much she misses him.
"Because that doesn't matter! If our parents want us together, it's going to happen and there's nothing we can do about it. Please don't tell me that you hadn't figured it out until now."
"Well, of course, I had but I'm just trying to make the best of it. I like you, Olivia, and I think that somewhere deep inside you're starting to like me, too." She gives him a look of utter disbelief, showing him just how off he is with his assessment.
"Okay, well, maybe you could grow to like me," he tried. She nodded approvingly and they continued to walk, eventually striking up a conversation which turned into a series of heated debates about random topics. They laugh it all off and Olivia decides that Edison really isn't that bad, but she still doesn't see him as someone she could date, much less fall in love with since he's a little full of himself and was somewhat demeaning towards her at times—a trait that cost her a relationship with Jake.
IiIiIiIiIiIiI
Olivia wakes up early the next day, remembering that gala is taking place later that evening. She spends the majority of the day in her room, doing homework for the week, only taking food and potty breaks. If she were back at her dorm, she probably would've quit doing her work a while ago and gone out with friends, but whenever she was at home, she was always adamant about having something to focus on to pass the time by. While she was still living at home, she remembered locking herself up in room for full days just so she didn't have to be around her dad and working on homework. Her attempt to escape him had quickly turned into a habit, one that made her good student and had eventually gotten her into Berkeley on nearly a full scholarship.
Around 5pm, Olivia takes a permanent break from her work to go shower and get ready for the gala. She goes into her closet and finds the gown her father had told her she would be wearing for the event. She found it a little odd that Eli was constantly picking out her formal wear, maybe with a little help from Miriam, but they had pretty good taste and she knew that they weren't trying to sabotage her, so she didn't make a huge stink about it.
This year's dress topped all the previous ones, though. It was a strapless, almost glimmering, gown that flowed effortlessly to the ground and shaped her body perfectly. The beige color accented her mocha skin, making her glow. She pressed her hair, straightening it a little more than the day before, letting part of it cover the side of her face. She puts on the matching stilettos, which make her a few inches taller and pearl earrings. She puts on some make-up, not as much as she would've liked because her dad said the car driving them to the dinner would be arriving at 6:30, leaving her with only five minutes when she needed about ten more.
She finds a clip purse that matches her well enough and stuffs her phone and some of her make-up inside. She sprays a little pefrume on her wrists and neck and observes herself in the mirror. Before Olivia can start critiquing, Nathan comes in the doorway, dressed in a classy, black tux, and says, with awe in his voice, "Wow, you look like a princess, and I don't mean that in a dorky sense. Edison is lucky to have you on his arm tonight."
She smiles back at him nervously. "You think so? Well, I wish I was going as your date tonight. We make a pretty attractive duo together," she teases, winking at him.
He laughs, something she hasn't him seen him do since she arrived. "Yeah, we do…" He sighs, looking serious again. "We should probably get down there, though, before Dad flips out."
She nods and takes his arm, hooking it around hers and telling him, "Lead the way."
They make the trip down the stairs, which is slightly more arduous because Olivia can't remember the last time she walked down a flight of stairs in five-inched high heels. She sees their father waiting, dressed in a similar fashion to Nathan, but looking flustered as he redundantly checks his watch over and over again.
"Ah! There you two are. The car still hasn't arrived yet, but we shouldn't be getting there too late." He looks Olivia over and an impressed expression crosses his face. "Olivia, you look splendid in that gown. I thought you might like it. I picked it out with some help from Miriam, but I thought it would look perfect on you."
She nods subtly and truthfully admits. "Thank you, and yes, I really do love it." He might suck at being a dad, but Eli Pope had the fashion factor down—that's got to count for something.
The car arrives five minutes later, they all pile in, and are cruising through town on their way to the gala in no time. Outside the party, which is taking place in a public building often used for similar events, couples, families, and other important-looking people are patiently filing inside. She tells her father and Nathan to go in without her, saying that she'll wait for Edison outside and Eli asks if she's sure but before she can respond, they see Edison and the rest of the Davises coming towards them.
"Olivia, you look…exquisite," Edison exclaims, trying to find the right words. She smiles back at him and nods appreciatively, but feels disgusted when she catches him staring down at her chest, even though most of her cleavage is covered up.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis catch up and Edison and Olivia link arms as they all head inside. The building is almost the size of a football field inside and has been broken off into two separate spaces for the night—one for dancing and mingling, which is where almost everyone is at the moment, and one for dining, which is where the speeches being given will probably take place since there is a huge stage in front of the dining area.
Olivia isn't even alone with Edison for two minutes before her father comes to get them to drag them around and show them off, mostly her, though. She's forced to introduce herself to seemingly important men and women, and hear about how they've apparently impacted the country in so many ways or about how many yachts and private jets they own. Olivia tries her best to stay engaged in the conversations around her, while also dodging disturbing looks from men both young and old, salivating over her, even with their wives standing right next to them.
She keeps looking for an escape when she sees her brother, Isaiah, and his wife, Sarah, standing alone, not too far away. She politely excuses herself and Edison and they diligently make their way over to the married couple.
"Hey, Isaiah, Sarah. Um, this is Edison Davis, my date for the evening." They both shake his hand and say 'nice to meet you' and then Sarah asks, "Would you happen to be part of the Davis family that co-owns Davis & Lee, the law firm?"
"Yes," Edison responds with a proud smile. "That would be me."
"And I would assume that you're following in your father's footsteps? You are Harold's son, right?"
"Yes and yes. I'm currently in my last year of law school," Edison says, charmingly.
"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking," Isaiah questions cautiously.
"I just turned twenty last month. You could say that I'm a little ahead of time," Edison jokes. They all laugh but Olivia can't even find it within herself to fake a laugh.
"Well, we hope to see you out in the real world soon, you too, Olivia. We'll leave you two to spend some time together—honey, let's go speak with Senator…" And with that, they're off and Olivia is alone with Edison.
They walk around, saying 'hello' to a few more people. Olivia is starting to feel tired and annoyed, mostly because her feet are hurting from the stilettos, but mostly because she's just bored and sick of having to act interested while people have conversations around her that have nothing to do with her. She asks Edison, half-jokingly, if he thinks anyone would notice if she sneaked a glass of wine but he chastises her for even thinking that.
She sighs hopelessly as they stand around, and starts looking around aimlessly in an effort to entertain herself with some people-watching—that's when she spots Fitz thirty feet away, who just so happens to be staring at her. She's unable to keep her knees from going weak at the sight of him and briefly stumbles, making Edison catch her. "Are you okay?" He asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she breathes, not taking her eyes off of Fitz, who's now trying to hide a grin. He looks like a million bucks, with his hair combed and gelled to perfection, except for his little Superman curl, and looking charming and sexy as ever in a black tuxedo, and what appears to be a cute little bow tie at his neck. Olivia can't help but laugh at this adorable accessory, which brings a teeth-filled smile to Fitz's face.
"Why are you laughing?" Edison asks, sounding irritated.
"It's nothing," Olivia responds, as Fitz cocks his head towards the restrooms' hallway, gesturing for her to meet him there. Olivia sees that Mellie is close to him, seemingly engaged in a heated conversation with some people nearby.
"I need to, um, go to the ladies' room. Excuse me," Olivia tells Edison absentmindedly, barely waiting for him to acknowledge before she takes off towards the hallway. She finds it empty at first but looks into a nearby waiting room and finds him standing there, smiling at her.
"Hi. What're you doing here?" they both ask at the same time. They chuckle at each other and Fitz says, staring lovingly at her, "You look absolutely beautiful, but I'm sure you've heard that enough already tonight."
She blushes. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," she says, in a tiny voice, even though she's inwardly salivating over him.
"Thanks. So, what are you doing here? Especially with that dorky, Bill Cosby look-alike, Eddie-something," he asks, recognizing Edison from Harvard.
She raises her eyebrows, trying to keep a straight face. "It's Edison. And Bill Cosby, huh? Actually now that I think of it, I knew something looked familiar about him, I just couldn't place my finger on it." She laughs, making Fitz whole face light up in pure rapture. "My father dragged me along like he has for the past four years, so that I can get a peek at the life I'll have if I become a successful lawyer."
"You mean when," he corrects. "Gee, if I had known that you've been coming to this gala for the past four years, I would've showed up a long time ago. My dad's been trying to get me to come for years."
"Yeah? Why'd you decide to come this year?" She asks coolly.
"Mellie's parents forced her to come and I have to continue to look like the perfect boyfriend, so my dad and Mellie both kind of made me come," he answers.
Olivia nods understandingly. "Well, I'd love to say that it's not that bad but as you've probably already experienced, it's boring as hell." Fitz chuckles at her choice of words and says, "Yeah, it really is, but at least I won't be alone in that feeling." He looks at her longingly, refusing to be the first one to break eye contact. "You really do look amazing tonight."
Olivia turns her gaze to the ground, now that her heart is beating out of her chest and her cheeks are ten shades redder. "We should probably get back out there before our dates or anyone else for that matter come looking for us."
Fitz nods disappointedly but follows her out of the room. Before Olivia can leave the hallway, Fitz gently catches her arm and whispers, "Save a dance for me." Olivia nods and exits the hallway first and then after about thirty seconds, Fitz comes out, too.
Shortly after their interaction, the dining and speech-giving portion of the evening begins and everyone makes their way over to the banqueting area. Olivia sits at table in the front, along with Edison, her father, her two brothers, and Sarah. They spend thirty minutes eating and the next forty-five minutes is dedicated to speeches. She discreetly slips off her heels under the table, finally giving her feet room to breathe. Fifteen minutes into the speeches, she finds herself dozing off, repeatedly snapping herself back to consciousness. Fitz, who isn't too far away, raises his eyebrows at her and mockingly shakes his head at her in disapproval. She smiles back at him, stifling a yawn, and gets so desperate to stay awake that she contemplates sneaking her phone out and playing a game or checking her email for the heck of it. She's finally able to stay awake when a more interesting speech-giver, some renowned businessman, comes on the stage and cracks a few jokes throughout his discourse.
After the speeches, everyone migrates back to the mingling area that has been turned into a ballroom. The band starts to play some soft jazz and couples start dancing. Edison holds out his hand for Olivia and says charmingly, "May I have this dance?"
Olivia fake smiles, placing her hand in his and they hit the dance floor. The last thing she really wants to do is dance with Edison, but she can see her father watching her from the sidelines, seemingly uninterested, but she knows that he's checking to make sure that she behaves.
They dance away, switching partners occasionally whenever people ask. Olivia only felt uncomfortable once when she had to dance with an old lawyer, who had been drooling over her earlier, but luckily the song had been short and she was only with him for one awful minute. "That wasn't nearly as long as I hoped it would be. Will you save me a second dance?" He asks, showing her a toothy grin. Olivia struggles not to gag right in front of him and responds politely with a simple, "We'll see…"
She dances with Edison a few more songs, stealing glances at Fitz, who's doing the same and currently dancing with the CEO of some big company. He constantly looks back at her and Edison and she sees a grave look cross his face. She shakes off the notion of his jealousy and looks away. On the second to last song, Fitz is back in Mellie's arms and Olivia can see that they're dancing a little awkwardly as they start coming closer to her and Edison. By the end of the song, Fitz and Mellie are right by them as they break apart and clap for the band. Fitz turns to Olivia and Edison and asks if they can switch partners. Mellie recognizes Olivia and tells her she looks pretty, Olivia doing the same. Edison agrees to the switch and Fitz rushes over to Olivia, taking her hand in one of his own and placing the other respectably on her lower back. Olivia feels tingles throughout her body from the sensation, something she hadn't felt with Edison all night and immediately relaxes in Fitz's embrace.
She sees the old lawyer who asked her for a second dance behind Fitz, frowning at her as his wife ushers him towards the floor to dance. Sorry, but not sorry, Olivia thinks.
The band announces that the following piece will be their last and longest song. "Just in time," Fitz whispers in her ear, sending goosebumps down her arms.
They begin to dance, Fitz holding Olivia firmly and confidently in his arms, leading her around. She glances up at his face and sees him smiling proudly, his face lighting up more than it has the entire night. He twirls her around a few times and catches her in his arms, making her laugh out loud and gain some impressed looks from bystanders.
"You better not dip me or you'll regret it," she threatens, feigning malice.
"Now that would be a little too melodramatic but I might just do it to see your reaction, hopefully I don't regret that."
She rolls her eyes, and continues dancing while flashing courteous smiles at people watching them. "So, what happened to the girl that was dancing all dirty at that party a few weeks ago? She's so proper now."
She blushes. "She is not at this party tonight so don't expect anything," she whispers back.
"Well, if she does come out and things get wild, I'd love to take her home with me. That is, if she would allow me to," he says the last part right up against her ear, tickling a squeal out of her and making her flinch.
"Fitz, people are watching…Stop."
"They should be watching. I'm dancing with the prettiest girl at the party and I want every guy in here to know it, especially your boyfriend Bill Cosby over there."
She tries to stifle a laugh but can't. Her demeanor turns serious again as she says, "You're girlfriend is dancing literally five feet away from us. You can't keep telling me things like that. You need to stop."
"No, Liv, I can't stop and I won't stop. I need you in my life as much as you need me in yours, I can see it in your face." She tries to pull away from him but he only holds her tighter and closer until she stops struggling. She nearly stops breathing at suddenly being so close to him. His lips are only inches away and it takes everything in her not to attack them right then and there. She can see that he's struggling with the same problem, and she pulls away slightly once he allows her to, making it easier on both of them. "See?" he says, his point having just been made.
They dance the rest of the song in silence, both of them savoring each moment they have wrapped in each other's arms. Once the song ends, they're the last of the couples to separate, reluctantly stepping apart and turning to clap for the band, who says 'goodnight' to the crowd.
They're still standing next to each other so Fitz is able to discreetly lean over a bit and whisper into Olivia's ear, "I don't want to go another month without hearing from you again, so make sure you call me."
She shakes her head in confusion, continuing to look straight ahead. "I can't call you, I don't have your number."
He smirks. "Look in the left, I believe, pocket of the second jacket I gave you. That should answer a few questions." And with that he's gone, disappearing into the crowd.
IiIiIiIiIiIiI
After she finds Edison, she says goodnight to him and goes to find her father, who's speaking with a few of his colleagues. Most people have left and by 9:45, after saying 'goodbye' to Isaiah and Sarah, Olivia, her father, and Nathan are on their way back home in the car that took them to the party.
They all sit silently, each of them too physically and emotionally exhausted to engage in small talk with one another, but half way through the ride, Eli decides to break the silence.
"So, Olivia, I saw you getting rather close with Fitzgerald Grant III. Do you know him?" He asks coolly, but Olivia knows that his question is anything but innocent. He's digging.
She takes a deep breath, trying not to panic and responds calmly, "Mmm, not really. I met him a few weeks ago when he came to visit his girlfriend, who I'm friends with, at Berkeley." Eli slowly nods. "He just asked for a dance so he and I switched partners." She shrugs, trying to show him how harmless Fitz is.
Her father smiles back at her. "Oh, I was just curious…"
She nods and goes back to staring out the window, but knows Eli well enough to know that he's still questioning it. And he is. He saw the way Fitz made his daughter laugh, with a genuine smile, and blush and how much at peace and alive she looked in his arms. He could see that Fitz's effects still hadn't worn off completely as he saw Olivia struggling to keep her smile hidden as she presumably thought about Fitz. Eli had to admit that they actually looked pretty good together, but there was no way in hell he would let a Grant have a shot at his daughter's hand, even if there was something there. Children and young adults often feel as if they're in love with someone but once you show them the right path and knock some sense into them, they forget about all of that foolish in-love crap that only exists for people who want to be last place in life. Those who are successful marry out of purpose and reason, not out of love. He would watch her carefully and if he suspected more, he'd make sure that something was done.
IiIiIiIiIiIiI
As soon as the Popes arrive home, Olivia goes straight to her room, quickly changing out of her dress. She washes the make-up off her face, brushes her teeth, changes into some nightwear, and turns out the lights, so that her father hopefully thinks she's going to sleep.
She hasn't stopped thinking about Fitz since their dance and those thoughts were only intensified by her father asking about them. What if he suspects something between them? Of course he suspects something or else he wouldn't have asked if she knew him. She knows she has to lay low and try to be the obedient, charming daughter Eli wants her to be. She also can't seem too happy, she has to hold onto that sad look in her eyes that she's harbored for so many years or else Eli will know something's up. But will she be able to hide her feelings? Every time she even thinks about Fitz, she feels the coat of sadness that she's encrusted herself in throughout the years being chipped off layer by layer. No one has brought her so much happiness and hope in such a long time.
Olivia then remembers what Fitz said about having something for her in his jacket pocket—the second jacket, she remembers him saying. She finds her suitcase in the darkness, using her phone as a mini flashlight, and starts fishing through her stuff, looking for the jacket. She took both of them with her because she didn't want to take the chance of anyone discovering that they were Fitz's, especially Mellie, and even though Abby had been mad at her for a long time over the whole situation, she agreed that it was smart to keep them hidden.
She finds the gray hoodie that still has remnants of Fitz's scent and smiles as the smell fills her nose. She digs in one pocket and doesn't find anything, so she tries the other and feels a small piece of paper against her fingers. She takes it out and sees that it's folded. She opens it up and shines her phone's light against it, and sure enough, there's a ten digit number and a message that reads: 'call me…maybe'.
Olivia feels her heart flutter with excitement at the fact that she'll be able to contact him whenever she wants, and before she knows what she's doing, she punches the number into her contacts, almost labeling it as Fitz, but remembers that if anyone sees his name on her phone, she'll have major explaining to do. She thinks of their previous conversations and instead puts him under the alias 'Kind Stranger' and decides to text him, "Hi."
She immediately thinks that she's made a mistake and decides to go to bed, just now feeling guilty that she's texting her friend's boyfriend. But 5 minutes later, her phone flashes and she sees, "hi".
Dang! These chapters just keep getting longer and longer-7,000 words! Chapter 5 should be up very soon. I know a lot of you probably hate me for bringing Edison into this but I DID make it up to you by balancing out the absurdness that is Edison with more lovey-dovey Olitz. BTW if you wanted to visually imagine what Olivia was wearing for the gala, I tried to describe the gown she wore in 208, the episode where Fitz gets shot—I'm in love with that dress. So, what do you think about Olivia's family? How about Eli? *evil laugh* How do you feel about Fitz giving Olivia his number? Please please tell me in the comments. Thanks!