Took longer than I thought it would but it is here.
I'm slowly drifting away (drifting away)
Wave after wave
Wave after wave
I'm slowly drifting (drifting away)
And it feels like I'm drowning
Pulling against the stream
Pulling against the stream
Waves- Mr probz
X
Olivia looks at her image in the mirror, taking a deep breath as she tries to calm her nerves. At lunch she will see Abby for the first time since leaving Adam and starting a new life with Fitz. She grabs a rag drying her sweaty palms as she begins to put on her makeup for the morning.
"Liv, have you seen my phone?" Fitz groans as he wraps the towel around his waist.
"You still can't find it?"
"No, and it's been a couple of days. Its fine really since it's my personal phone; I just have to tell my assistant."
"Poor baby" she replies wrapping her arms around him. He smiles at her softly before kissing her lips and walking to get ready. The momentary daze she was in while staring at him was interrupted by her phone ringing. "Hello?" she asked looking at the unknown caller id but nothing is said as she waits to hear a reply, "please stop calling my phone."
She hears Fitz shouting from closet "Who is it?"
"I don't know baby, but I need a new phone number." She replies not realizing she was still on the phone. Hearing the dial tone, Olivia turns her phone off as she prepares to get ready.
"Fitz, I'm so nervous."
"Why?"
"Because I am meeting Abby and I told her I left Adam, and she is going to want to know the name of the man I am currently sleeping with."
Wearing just his work pants he places his hands firmly on her hips as shrugs understandingly "You have two choices Liv. One, tell Abby we are together and that this isn't some trivial experience, or two don't tell Abby it is me who you are sleeping with; either way I will support you."
"You won't be mad?"
"Of course not, Abby is one of your best friends and if you tell Abby there is a possibility she might not ever forgive us, so I do understand wanting to preserve your friendship with your friend, it is the same feeling I have for Adam."
Words fail her; she shakes her head in disbelief as how Fitz came to be so perfect "How do you do it?"
"Do what?" he ask
She tries to ignore the feeling burning inside at the feel of his hands still on her waist, softly circling her skin.
"That…" she whispers breathlessly
Fitz chuckles heartily "You want me to stop" he said as his voice dropped an octave, his lips drag across her skin, lightly tracing a pattern from her ear to her neck avoiding her mouth altogether
"No." she whispers in his ear before nipping his earlobe.
He crashes their lips together; her body clutched him as she wraps both legs around him, hoping to fuse them together. But the sound of her phone ringing broke them from their daze.
With Olivia still attached to him he carries them to vanity where he sets Olivia down as he reaches for her phone answering it.
"Hello?" he ask husky, as Olivia continues to kiss his Adam apple
"Hello stranger."
He freezes for a moment, his heart stops beating at the sound of the voice on the phone- a face similar to the one next to him but so vastly different in tone.
"Who is this?"
"Oh, you know exactly who I am."
"I don't know who you are." Hearing Fitz's tone, Olivia lifts her head up to gauge Fitz's reaction as she tries to listen to who Fitz is talking to.
"Carmen."
"I don't know a Carmen."
"Hmm, how about the stripper who looks like your current girlfriend or your best friend's wife- remember me now?"
"What do you want?"
"Well judging from your tone you are still off the market so to speak, so how about lunch."
"How did you get this number?"
"A pole isn't the only skill I have mastered; you want to find out the other one?"
"I'm not in the mood for games."
"I like a man who is strong and knows what they want."
"How, did you get this number, I will not ask again."
"From your phone; I am actually surprised you haven't noticed it missing."
"Give me my phone back, I am a very powerful man and my patience is running thin."
"I know you're powerful, which is why I want to meet you for lunch."
"No" he replies firmly ignoring the worried looks on Olivia's face.
"Well, I will be sure to give Adam your phone for you; you think he will notice his wife's naked body as your screen saver?"
His body tenses, his jaw muscles tighten. He does not like being threatened or worse powerless.
"Time."
She watches him move away from her as he begins to get ready, refusing to acknowledge the quizzical look on her face "Are we really not going to discuss what just happened there?" Olivia ask
"Olivia…"
"Fitz, talk to me, now."
"The stripper has my phone, and she is threatening to give it to Adam if I do not see her for lunch today."
"How does she know Adam?"
"Like I told you, we went to the strip club and Adam requested her to dance for him…she looks like you Liv."
"Fitz…" she whispers
"She knows that I am sleeping with you and she knows you are Adam's wife."
"How can she possibly know?" her face becomes perplexed as she tries to fathom what has just transpired.
"She saw my face and she knew that you were the reason why I noticed her and why I refused her giving me a lap dance."
"She wanted to give you a lap dance?"
"All you heard was lap dance."
"Because you never told me this."
"I am telling you now." He retorts "but that is not the point, the point is that she has my phone, the phone that has numerous pictures of you on them, text messages, videos, she has it all and what is worst of all is that she knows Adam and if she gives my phone to Adam…"
"Were screwed." Olivia replies cutting Fitz off.
"Exactly, but I am going to handle this."
"How?"
He lightly gripped her chin, tilting it up. Caressing her lips with his thumb he whispers on her lips "I'm Fitzgerald Grant."
And just like that he removes her worries with the soft promise on her lips. "I want to see her." Olivia says as she watches Fitz go inside the closet to get ready
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"You are meeting Abby."
"That's right, I forgot… Fitz, is she beautiful?" she ask with uncertainty as she stops putting on her makeup and looks at the mirror.
"She doesn't hold a candle to you baby." Fitz replies kissing Olivia soundly on the lips removing uncertain thoughts she may have had. Olivia savors the kiss, ignoring the butterflies filling her stomach.
/
She rushes into the restaurant and spots Abby waving at her, smiling at the hostess she walks to Abby and greets her friend warmly with a hug. She tries to pretend that she hasn't been MIA in over five weeks; she tries to pretend that she is just having her weekly lunch with Abby, but she's nervous.
Afraid, that somehow Abby can and will notice a difference to her or that something would show her that she has been sleeping with Fitz.
They sit on the restaurant's back patio, and while the diners around them ate their deserts and paid their checks, they chat warmly about this and that.
"Wow, you look different." Abby exclaims as she hugs Olivia taken note of her different hairstyle, but the aura she is presenting is different, she appears brighter, lighter, and happier truthfully.
"Bad?"
"No, you look relaxed. You look like a woman who has been thoroughly fucked."
Olivia chuckles at Abby's remark, she would be lying if she said she didn't miss this-miss her. "Well…"
"How many times a day?"
"I…I…it depends, some days we go all day and night to the point I feel like I am going to die from the many orgasms- being with him, it feels like a holiday."
"What holiday?"
She thinks for a moment as she tries to find the correct holiday that correlates her relationship with Fitz. "Fourth of July" she replies shyly. Fitz is her Fourth of July; he is fireworks, blasting lights, her declaration of independence.
"Good choose." Abby replies
"Yeah…"
An awkward silence erupts as they find themselves looking at one another from across the table, so familiar yet oddly different. There moment of silence is disrupted by Abby being the first to break the ice "What's his name?"
"Abby…"
"Come on Liv, I haven't heard from you in a month and you still can't talk to me?" Abby says cutting Olivia off.
"I can't tell you."
"Why? Do I know him, what is so wrong with telling me who he is?"
Olivia plays with her fork as she refuses to make eye contact with Abby. She replays Abby's words in her head, everything would be wrong with telling Abby and she should tell her, it's the right thing to do but to see her friend and to talk to her; it feels nice. For selfish reasons, she can't bring herself to utter Fitz's name, the minute his name leaves her mouth he would no longer be hers but everybody's, their love story would no longer belong to them but to anyone who wishes to seek answers.
"Abby, I can't tell you his name for several reasons."
"Why?"
"I just can't…I want to keep him close to me and if I tell anyone or anybody than he is vulnerable- we are vulnerable."
"I won't hurt him, Liv."
"I highly doubt that." Olivia replies taking a sip of her water; normally she would order a glass of wine but because she will be returning to work after their lunch she decided she would have water and share a glass with Fitz later when they come home, knowing they will both need it by the days end.
"Okay, well what made you decide to cheat on Adam?"
"I didn't just wake up one morning deciding to cheat on my husband." Olivia replies curtly defending her actions.
"It's just you and Adam seemed happy; even when I last saw you guys together."
"Looks can be deceiving."
"How did you meet talk, dark, and mysterious?"
"I met him at a bistro…I tried ignoring him, I tried leaving him more times than I can count but every time I pushed away from him I got pulled in more to the point I just said I was going down with the devils thunder."
"Wow…I am just speechless; you valued monogamy and marriage and to see you…"
"Do you have a problem?" Olivia asked aloud becoming increasingly agitated with Abby's observations, she knows she has changed for better or worse remains to be seen but to herself, she likes to believe she has changed for the better and Abby's constant talk about the past makes her question her own judgment.
"Hey, I just talking Liv, it has been over a month and you have moved on with your life without a phone call or a text message."
Olivia's attitude changes quickly; softens as her friend talks about missing out of her life. "Your right, I'm sorry."
"It's fine, I am not judging you Liv. We all have a life we are meant to live and a life we want to live in; you are living the life you want to live."
Small tears run down her cheek as she grabs her friend's hand; somehow thankful for acceptance though she knows it will be short-lived once she tells her the truth.
Somehow she relaxes and truly begins to enjoy their lunch. "So, tell me what has happened in my absence?"
"Well not as much as you, that's for sure." Abby replies after taking a bite out of her salad.
"Well…Fitz and I broke up- I'm sure you found out or maybe not, considering our breakup was around the time you and Adam split.
"Ab…Abby, I am sorry…what happened?" Olivia's heart flutters at the sound of Fitz's name- his name alone sends a chill down her body, she stops the smiles from spreading across her face at the thought of him laughing at a horrible joke he thought was funny.
"Well, he was cheating on me…like every guy I dated." Abby says quickly downing the rest of her martini "gosh Liv, I really thought he was special, that he was different. Maybe I came across to strong but…I liked him." Abby says sadly
She looks at her friend sadly, and softly reaches to grab her hand. "Abby, I am so sorry that you were hurt, and I am sorry that I wasn't there for you. I am so sorry, Abby you have no idea."
"It's fine Liv" Abby says strongly quickly removing her hand from Olivia's "It wasn't serious at all because we never really dated…we were dating but I guess I just thought we were exclusive; you know? The phone calls, the dates, I guess I just wanted him to be the guy for me."
"Abby…" Olivia says softly
"There was a part of me that knew he belonged to another; I think." Abby says as she looks across the room
Stopping what she was eating Olivia looks at Abby, shocked. "Ho…Why do you think that?"
Abby shrugs simply "I felt the other women, even when we were together I felt her presence standing in between me and him. At first I thought I was being paranoid but when I went to his house…"
"You went to his house?"
"Yeah, he called me over to break up with me, but I wanted a tour and I found her stuff in his bathroom."
"Ab…"
"I know its crazy right? I think a part of him wanted me to find out because he never invited me to his home before, but the day he wants to break up- he wants me to see him."
"Maybe he did…" Olivia says more to herself than to Abby
"I think he did it, maybe not on purpose but subconsciously."
"Why would he do that?" Olivia asked not realizing she asked that questions aloud.
"I don't know Liv, maybe he likes drama, maybe he likes to see people in pain…I don't know." Abby says simply
"But, we are done talking about him; we need to talk about you and why you have this glow to you." Abby says excitedly
Olivia giggles and softly takes a bite of her salad wondering if she does in fact have a glow to her. "I'm happy." Olivia says simply
"I can tell; you wouldn't by any chance be pregnant right?"
"No, not pregnant."
Abby notices the Olivia's sudden demeanor "I'm sorry"
She lifts her head up and stares at her friend gauging her reaction "I know how bad you and Adam wanted a baby."
"It's fine" Olivia replies as she begins looking at her phone hoping to find a text message from Fitz. To be honest she never desired a child, not the way Adam does or did. Many woman fantasies about having babies but she never has, often times she questions whether she is normal for not desiring a baby, when it is simply embedded and probed into women's DNA.
She looks at her phone and sighs in discontent at not seeing a message from Fitz. The lightening feeling she has been feeling is reaching the forefront as her mind wonders about Fitz and the women who is threatening him. What would she have him do? Does she want money; will she give Adam Fitz's phone, what would happen to them if Adam found out?"
/
"You're not gonna eat?" she replies as she sits across from a very annoyed and angry Fitzgerald Grant
"I am not here for company, this is business."
"It could be both." She replies flirtatiously as she winks at him
"I came to you as a privilege, I am a powerful man and my patience's is fleeting every second."
"Well I better make use of it huh?"
"Now." He commands
"I know, you are powerful that is why I came to you."
"Give me my phone."
"I will once you do something for me?"
"I have already deleted the content from the phone, the phone you currently have in your purse is deactivated, but if you continue to threaten me I will call my friends from the FBI."
"Do you think I am stupid enough to call you and not have printed evidence?"
His jaw tightens his muscles clenches as he grips the arm rest.
"I slept with Adam."
"That is not my problem."
"Actually it is because you slept with his wife, turning him to the strip club, where you two meet me."
"Again, that is you're doing not mine. Do not make me responsible for your foolish actions. I did not ask you or force you to sleep with Adam"
"I am not the fool who slept with my best friend's wife." She retorts
"Watch it. This will be your only warning."
"Sorry, but I need your help. I slept with him because he was sad and lonely so I pity fucked him but now…"
"Now what?" he ask
For the first time he notices Carmen's guard let down a little as her eyes move around the restaurant, her gaze is unsteady, unnerving "He comes to the club every day, and he buys the same room and request that I dance for him."
"Just tell your boss."
"I did, but because Adam orders out a room every day and pays extra for my dances, the boss loves him; he is easy cash, he won't ban him."
"I will give you ten thousand dollars, quit stripping and move."
"I am not your fucking charity case."
"Than what do you want from me?"
"I need you to come to the club tonight and buy out the room and request that I dance for you."
"Just hire a guy, your beautiful that shouldn't be hard."
"Adam stays at the club until closing time and even then he waits for me to leave the club- he's scary, Fitz. I haven't slept with him again but he is always there."
"That doesn't sound like Adam."
"Yeah well mix pills and alcohol and you have your stereotypical stalker." Carmen remarks snidely
"He's on drugs?"
"Yeah your typical analgesics and antidepressants."
"How do you know?"
"He fucked me in his house."
He rubs his fingers through his hair as he lets out a breath; how in the hell did his life come to this; there was a time when he had a normal life, but normal is overrated.
"You know he still has all of her belongings out."
"What?" he asked after zoning out
"Adam still has her belonging out on the dresser; basically it felt like she never left."
"Olivia never went back for her stuff."
"Yeah and he decided to never put up her stuff." She responds
"I need you to come to the club and have Adam see me with you."
"Why?"
"If he sees you with me, Adam would get the hint; he would move on because he feels he can't compete with you, any other guy he would still come back for more but you…no."
"I don't want to be involved in this."
"Fitz, I don't want your money, I don't want to bring any drama to your life but you sort of brought drama to mine, and you don't have to help me but I need you too, please." He stares at her keenly, seeing true emotions he shakes his head agreeing "I can't do it today, but tomorrow.'
"Tomorrow is perfect, thank you Fitz."
"You will bring me all evidence you have; I trust you Carmen that you won't do anything to jeopardize Olivia's safety and my own."
"I promise, I will give you everything and I would never do something like that, but desperate times calls for desperate measures. But I also came to tell you something else to."
"What?"
She waits a moment as she tries to find the right words, to explain. "He hasn't forgotten about Olivia."
"Olivia is in danger, Fitz."
/
She feels herself slowly emerging in water, her feet can't touch the ground, she feels the current slam her body, wave after wave. She's slowly drifting away or so she wants to believe.
Her face remains impassive, the rise in heartbeat causes her breathes to increase. Two pink lines are starring at her. Several sticks line the sink each one different from the other but all having the same results; she's pregnant.