October 24, 2014

The alarm rattled through Olivia's brain, jolting her awake. Once Rami had rolled over to turn it off, and she emerged from being startled, a grin crept on to her face. Rami rolled against her, gently nudging her arm with his forehead, asking for an invitation. She giggled, and raised her arm, his head settling on her shoulder. "Good morning," she laughed, kissing him softly on his hair. "Good morning," he returned, linking his fingers through hers. "TGIF," he said, after a moment, and Olivia had to laugh. It wasn't just any Friday. It was a special Friday. It marked a full 365 days since that night, here, out on Rami's sofa – our sofa, now – that they'd had their first kiss, after he had told her that her blushing cheeks gave it all away. One year since they decided to give whatever the hell they were feeling a shot. And that was a fantastic decision, Olivia commended herself. "Happy anniversary," she smiled, leaning forward to kiss him, this time with more intent. Rami moaned against her. "Happy anniversary," he returned. "What a year." What a year indeed.

They went about their morning routine, a full day at the PC ahead of them, and a dinner reservation that evening. As Olivia emerged from the bathroom, she saw Rami sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't think I can wait," he said, reaching behind him. He brought a well wrapped, small gift into his lap. Olivia gulped. Small means expensive. She found Kevin's words from Rami's party echoing in her head. She tried to shake them out as she sat down next to him. "Oh, and there's this too," he said, pulling a card from the inside pocket of his jacket. Olivia could feel her cheeks warming as she slipped her finger into the envelope. Rami was watching her closely as she read his hand-written words:

Lovely Livvy,
Thank you. I sat for a very long time trying to think what to write, and that was the main thing in my mind. You, your love, your heart, your happiness and craziness has made this last year the best of my life. So thank you.
You're beautiful, inside and out, and I love you immensely.
Happy anniversary, darling. Here's to us.
Love Rami.

Holy shit. She could feel herself blushing. That's the sweetest thing I've ever read. And his track record means the standards are high. She looked up at him, feeling very emotional. "Meant every word," he said, leaning into her. "And seeing you like this, it's exactly what I intended." He pressed his lips to hers quickly. "Thank you," Olivia returned. "You've not even opened it yet…" he chuckled, motioning to the gift in her lap. He looks more excited than I am! She worked off the delicate purple ribbon, and pulled back the tape from the wrapping paper. As expected, a jewellery box was revealed. She took a quick glimpse at Rami, his face expectant, before opening the lid. Even before it was fully open, the light caught on crystals, and Olivia felt her jaw drop. The famous Swarovski label on the inside of the box caught her eye. Small means expensive… A silver spiral pendant sat elegantly in the box, its crystals competing for her attention. "Rami," she began, but was unable to finish. I don't think I've ever held something this beautiful, this expensive. Let alone owned one.

"You like it?" he asked, the smirk on his face an indication he already knew the answer. "It's stunning, I love it," she said, taking another look. "Job done then," he said, pushing her hair out of her face. "I wanted to try and capture you, how I feel about you. 'Stunning, and I love it' – I couldn't have said it better myself." Olivia's smile grew. "You're so cheesy," she laughed, "and I love it." She kissed him, before standing and digging around in the closet. "Well, if we're doing this now," she said, rummaging, before turning back to him with something in her hands. "Happy anniversary," she smiled, handing him the square gift. Rami held it in his hands, returning her smile, tore the card from the front. Olivia watched as he read her words – nowhere near as touching as his – and his smile grew wider. "No, you're awesome," he said to her, grinning, as his hands moved to open the present.

Olivia felt nerves flutter in her stomach. She had felt pressure to get him something meaningful, that he would enjoy, and always remember as their first anniversary gift from her. She wasn't sure what he would think. As he lifted up the lid of the box, pulling away the protective tissue paper, he let out a small chuckle. "No way," he said, looking at her quickly, before his hands rushed to pull the item from the box. "This, this is awesome!" he exclaimed. He held it up before him, and Olivia could tell by the look on his face that he liked it. "Are those real signatures?" he asked, bringing it closer to his face. She nodded. "Yeah, it's limited edition," she said, lifting up the papers to find the certification inside. That small piece of paper certified that what Rami was holding was a legitimate, first edition vinyl of Rancid's And Out Come The Wolves album, Rami's favorite, made into a wall clock and signed by the band. "Apparently if you remove the clock hands it still plays perfectly," she added, dropping the certification on his lap. "The guy said they make them that way in case you ever want to take your clock off the wall and play music instead." Rami slung and arm around her and pulled her to him. "You're amazing, you know, this is awesome. I know how hard it is to find one of these."

Olivia scoffed. "You don't want to know the bidding war I got into trying to get that!" She laughed, but Rami pulled back, looking at her sternly. "Livvy, I told you I didn't want you spending a lot of money on me. That's not what it's about," he told her. "You can talk," she laughed, motioning towards the necklace sitting beside her. She watched as Rami's face softened. Touche, she commended herself. "I feel bad," Olivia said, honestly. "You're always telling me you don't need any gifts. Christmas, your birthday, today…. For your 30th birthday all I got you was a cake." Rami butted in immediately. "A fantastic cake!" Olivia shrugged. "But nothing tangible for you to keep, you know? I kinda wish you had something that you could hold in your hands and say 'Olivia got me that for my birthday.' So I wanted to get you something good for our anniversary." Rami's eyes focused on her softly. "Remember how I stood there and told everyone you were the greatest thing to happen to me in the last year? You don't need to buy me a gift when you're the best gift ever," he said, chuckling at his cheesy line. "And this," he added, holding up the clock, "well this is definitely something I'll treasure. Don't you worry about that." Olivia lifted her chin up towards him, and he took the hint, swooping down to her lips. "I love you," he whispered against them. Olivia repeated his words, and kissed him. The taste of his lips washed away any lingering doubt she had about her gift-giving. What a man. What a year.

Olivia and Rami had spent a regular day at the Performance Center, each doing their own thing, with only the occasional loaded glance and smirk at each other. Only a handful of people knew it was their anniversary; while it was certainly not a secret, they didn't like to flaunt their relationship at work. It was business time, and each of them was 100% focused on what they needed to be doing. Now, relaxing in the shower, Olivia was looking forward to an evening out celebrating. Just the two of us, a nice meal, chance to talk and reflect on the last year together. She had chosen her dress for the meal two weeks ago, and was looking forward to Rami's face when he saw her efforts.

She had just finished towelling off her hair when she walked back into the bedroom. Sitting at the foot of her side of the bed was a small, dainty black bag, with a handwritten note in front of it. In Rami's messy scrawl, she read "Just one more thing...". Intrigued, and smiling, she pulled out a tissue-wrapped package, inside which was a bright red matching lingerie set. It was lacy and delicate, far too impractical for everyday use. As she held the very thin g-sting panties up to assess them, she noticed another piece of paper fall from the packet.

"Okay, excuse my selfishness. I guess this is really something for me rather than you... I look forward to seeing it on you (and taking it off you!) later on xoxo"

Olivia could feel her cheeks turn just as red as the lingerie, as a wave of heat ran through her. Maybe we don't have to go out for dinner... she chuckled to herself, as she started getting dressed. All those guys who think he's a prude, a gentleman, the pure and innocent 'heart and soul', just because he's not part of the locker room banter. Truth is, he's as hungry and horny as the rest of them. Just with a bit more respect.

Rami was watching TV aimlessly while Olivia was getting ready. He initially had been frustrated by how long it took her to get ready when they went out, but he found himself repealing that frustration when he saw the end product. And tonight, knowing what's underneath, I'm sure she'll look extra appealing. He had felt so out of place when he first stepped foot into the lingerie shop earlier in the week. He had feigned a media interview with an Arabic language radio station to have reason for Olivia to not come with him. He drove to a mall on the other side of town, to avoid detection. The two store attendants' eyes had fallen on him the moment he walked in, but they smiled a greeting and left him to his own devices. After ten minutes of wandering, and utter bemusement at the extensive range of options, he was flustered before one of the women offered to help him. He had told them he wanted something special for their anniversary; something classy and sexy (although the woman promoted that description from him). He showed her a picture of Olivia, and the picture he'd snuck of the size label of one of her sexier bras, and the woman had been incredibly helpful. Most of all, she didn't laugh or tease him. She made it seem like what he was doing was normal, which calmed him immensely. He almost felt comfortable. With their options narrowed down to two, he'd gone with red. He was certain Olivia would look good in either the black & white or the red, but the red won out. Matches my ring gear...

"Ready when you are," Olivia's voice interrupted his thoughts. He stood, turning towards the bedroom. Holy shit. Rami felt a twitch in his groin. Her body was wrapped in a tight silver lace dress, hugging her hips, and a plunging neckline that revealed more than she was usually comfortable with. Without realizing, he gulped. "Livvy, you look... incredible," he managed to say, moving towards her. Her hair, long and wavy, fell over her shoulders, and she was wearing the necklace he gave her in the morning. It acted as a guide, pointing down towards her chest, which he could hardly drag his eyes away from. "I can't let you go out like that," he joked, leaning down towards her lips. She pushed him away gently. "Nuh uh," she teased, smirking. "Can't ruin my lippy before we even leave the house." She winked at him, turning towards the door. Rami stood in place, his teeth dragging across his lower lip as he watched her. His eyes dropped to her backside, its shape accentuated by the tightness of the dress. I get the feeling this is going to be the longest dinner ever...

Later that night, as Rami unhooked the back of Olivia's dress, running his hands across her shoulders to help push it off her, he couldn't help but think how different she was now than when they first met. The woman he was undressing tonight was a million miles from the frustrated, doubting and reluctant wrestler he had been working with a year ago. She was now a confident, beautiful woman not afraid to stand up for her own convictions. She was regularly refereeing, and albeit not on television, she was doing it her own way and earning respect by doing so. She was happy, now, and it showed. As the dress fell to the floor, and Olivia turned to face him, her chest only barely covered by the bra he had given her, he took a moment to look her up and down. She looks just as good as I thought she would, he thought, lingering on the panties. She moved forward, pressing herself against him. What was that about confident? he laughed to himself, his hands reaching around to her ass. Olivia placed a trail of kisses down his neck, and a hand cupped his erection through his pants. Jesus, Rami swallowed, as goosebumps ran up his arms. This is so f—king powerful. I love her. Olivia's lips found his, and he responded vigorously, giving her buttcheeks a squeeze as he pulled her against him. I love her more than I love being in the ring. I think this is it. She's the one.