Alright, where were we?
...
10. Okay
Olivia's heart skips a beat when she sees that she has another text from Trevor at last.
Was thinking of taking a long walk along the river. Would you join me?
...
Trevor drinks his wine slowly and tries to picture Olivia reading his message. Will she be annoyed that he is trying to see her again? She did ask what his plans were so part of her must be curious about him. Will she think he's coming on too strong? And how does she feel about strolling along the river, with him or anyone else? he suddenly feels a little silly for suggesting it. She walks the streets of the city every day when she's on the job. Maybe she'd prefer to get away completely. He knows she's enjoyed disappearing for a while in the museum and he sighs. Maybe this was a wrong move. He needs to step up his game and find out more about Olivia.
He jolts when he feels his phone vibrate in his lap. An answer from Olivia? He sets down his glass and opens his phone, his hands suddenly a little clammy. He swears under his breath when he sees it's from his partner Henshall. Could he take over a case for him and report at their client's office Sunday around one? He has a mind to say no immediately. He was supposed to be off all weekend, but as partners, he and Henshall don't have the luxury that their employees have to stick to work days and office hours. Henshall has a family reunion on Sunday so he can't blame the man for asking, and after his disappointment has subsided a bit, he texts back that he'll be there at one and to send him the file. Olivia hasn't even responded yet anyway, he argues. Still, it sucks that he won't have the afternoon to himself after all.
Another ten minutes later, Olivia finally texts him. She's all business and she isn't. No comment on his suggestion to go for a walk at all, but she's not shooting him down either.
Not sure if I have to work. Will let you know tomorrow. What time did you have in mind?
Trevor counts it as a win. She's open to the idea and it's more than he had expected. He tries to assess how long he'll be at their client's office. No doubt, the client won't want to spend his entire Sunday afternoon working either so he estimates he'll be done in an hour, two at the most. Not wanting to run the risk of having to cancel or change any plans with Olivia, he decides to leave the time open for now. So he responds,
We can decide tomorrow. Can I call you?
Her answer comes back within a minute.
Okay.
Okay. That's all. But it puts a smile on his face. She is okay with him calling her. She is okay with the prospect of taking a walk with him. They are okay. He grins as he walks over to his home office to power up his laptop and download the case file he will need the next day. Okay.
...
Olivia wonders if she is making a mistake. Trevor will read more into it, she's certain of it. But more than what? Maybe there is more. She isn't quite ready to admit that to herself, but when she finally crawls into bed, she recognizes the feeling she has about the next day. She's looking forward to it. Not because it's her day off, since that can change at a moment's notice. Not because the weather is improving a bit. It's because she is looking forward to seeing Trevor again. She's always known he is a handsome man, that's impossible not to notice. But actually thinking about his bright blue eyes and his charming smile, that part is new. She sighs and shakes her head as she turns off the light on her nightstand. She knows what this is. She's felt it before. She wasn't ready for it this time but she can only blame herself. She could have shot him down the first time he called her, told him it was a mistake and gotten rid of him. But she hasn't and now she is hoping to meet him a third time. Hoping. That's it. That is that feeling. It is hope. Hope that maybe it's finally her turn now.
It takes her quite a while to fall asleep and she actually dreams about Trevor. It's not much of a dream but when she wakes up the next morning, she feels like she's only just seen him. The fact that this man fills her mind the instant she wakes up, and even before she woke up, is an unmistakable sign.
After breakfast and her first cup of coffee, Olivia checks her messages to see if she's expected to come in to work today. She's almost hoping that she's needed, just to have something to do for a few hours. But there are no new messages at all, so she decides to do her laundry and then visit Casey at the hospital.
Casey is already annoyed that the doctor hasn't signed her release papers yet. She is anxious to get home and get back to work.
"Relax. It's Sunday," Olivia tries after plopping in a chair next to Casey's hospital bed with a cup of coffee.
She has tried to relax herself, and has thrown on jeans, a white t-shirt, grey hoody and white sneakers.
"So? I still have to prepare Carrie's trial. It starts Wednesday," Casey fires back.
"Well, we have the facts. We know she killed her mother. You just need to convince the jury that she was perfectly sane when she did it. Upset, but sane."
"George says that PMDD is real Liv. It's been documented."
"I know."
Olivia sips her coffee slowly and thinks about the young girl she met a few weeks ago. She'd recognized something in her. A despair to get away from her controlling mother that she can relate to. It's why she got her a lawyer so the mother couldn't force her to take a rape kit. When the mother ended up dead and the girl and her boyfriend tried to cover their tracks, part of her sympathy for Carrie dissipated. The mom was overbearing but that didn't warrant murder.
"So," Casey said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. "Any plans with your mystery guy later?"
Olivia rolls her eyes and tries to laugh it off, but Casey isn't deterred.
"Come on Liv. I'm sure you texted him back after you left here last night. And you're obviously not working today."
"We may still be called in," Olivia defends herself but she can see Casey isn't buying it.
She sighs and decides it's not the end of the world to admit that she's seeing someone.
"Alright, alright. I went out with this guy and now he's suggesting a walk down the river this afternoon."
"Aww, that's cute," Casey says with a lopsided smile.
The left side of her jaw is still a bit swollen and is turning a dark shade of purple.
Maybe Casey's right. It is kinda cute. Olivia has to admit she was surprised when Trevor suggested it. Of all the things he could have thought of to impress her, he suggests a stroll down the river? But maybe it's intentional, to throw her off and impress her in a different way. She frowns and wonders what game the man is playing.
"So you're going, right? You're already dressed for a casual walk anyway."
Olivia looks down at her attire and grins. He's never seen her like this. Maybe she won't change before meeting him, just to see his reaction. And Casey's definitely right about the shoes. She can walk for miles in these sneakers.
"So you like him?"
She can't deny that she does, but she isn't ready to admit it to anyone. She's always made it a point not to date lawyers. ADAs maybe, because they are on the same side of the cases as she is. But not the lawyers. It would end badly. They'd argue about cases. There is just no point in even trying it. But still, Trevor Langan seems determined to try anyway and no matter how hard she tries to ignore it, she really does like the man. He's interesting and cute. Polite and even modest in a weird way, because he clearly has money to spend ...
Casey doesn't even wait for an answer. She must have seen it in her face.
"Do I know him?"
"No," Olivia says quickly, hoping she won't seem too nervous about the whole thing.
Casey raises an eyebrow and watches her face. Olivia looks away. She can't start blushing now!
"If you say so," the ADA says slowly and now Olivia knows she's blushing. "You're just lucky I've got a concussion, Benson."
Olivia huffs and stands up to walk to the window.
"So when are you being released anyway? I can drive you home if you want," she offers.
It's the least she can do after leaving Casey alone at her office. She wonders what Casey's attacker would have done if she'd still been there. In retrospect, he'd taken a huge risk going to her office while other people were still in the building. Maybe he'd expected to be caught and just doesn't care.
"That would be great," Casey sighs, accepting that the girl talk is over for now.
About an hour later, Olivia drops Casey off at her apartment, urging her to go and lie down and not underestimate her concussion. Casey promises to take it easy and work from home until her court date on Wednesday. Olivia jogs down the steps of Casey's building back to her car when her phone starts buzzing in the pocket of her hoody. It's Trevor.
...
More soon ;)