Birthday Girl

Everyone was crouched down out of sight somewhere where Olivia couldn't see them. The office was well lit, but it appeared that everyone who worked there had gone home earlier than normal. Olivia had returned from lunch and her face was in her phone as she began making her way to her cubicle to put her purse away when she finally noticed it. The silence.

She raised her eyes from her cellphone to look around. No one was to be found. She turned in a circle, looking for signs of life, but found none. Several people took their lunch breaks from noon to one, but there were always lots of other employees still working. Some people who took their lunch break earlier than noon or skipped lunch altogether some days, depending on their schedule.

Was there a meeting scheduled that she had missed? She didn't think so, but it would explain the quiet. She looked back down at her phone for alerts. There was nothing there about a meeting. Before she could raise her eyes back up and try to find someone, loud voices yelled, "SURPRISE!" Her co-workers popped out from their hiding spots and began singing happy birthday to her.

Olivia raised a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. "You guys scared the shit out of me."

When the song ended, Olivia was grinning down at a birthday cake decorated with white frosting and confetti sprinkles with red letters that simply said HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVIA. A lone candle was lit in the center of the cake. She was told to make a wish before blowing out the candle. A devious smile crossed her face before she took a breath and blew out the candle. Her co-workers cheered for her simple success. White frosted slices of chocolate cake were passed around and everyone ate happily.

When Olivia finished her piece of cake and told everyone thank you, she made her way to her work area. There were a couple of gifts on her desk. It was nice of her co-workers to have bought her something for her birthday. Unnecessary but nice.

The first gift was a new peach blouse. It was beautiful and in her size. The card inside told her it was from Mrs. Haughton and Olivia made a mental note to tell her thank you and compliment her great taste. She couldn't wait to show it to James and decide on what to pair it with so she could wear it to work on Monday.

The second gift was a small box that was wrapped in shiny silver paper. She pulled the lid off and looked inside. It was filled with little pieces of silver confetti. Olivia narrowed her eyes at it and dragged a finger through the confetti. There was something underneath it. A tiny piece of paper that said:
I know a secret. Pretty soon you will too

Olivia picked up her head and looked around to see if she would make eye contact with the person who had left it on her desk. No one was looking at her though. She flipped the box over, looking for the name of the giver. There was nothing on it. Weird. She set it aside, but not out of her mind.

She received a gift card for a massage at a local spa. It was from Ms. Wotawa. Olivia grinned and put it in her purse. She would be setting up an appointment and using that gift very soon. She got a gorgeous set of baby pink silk pajamas from Miss Barber. Mrs. Greene gave her a bottle of wine that was a favorite of Olivia's.

As nice as all the gifts were, her mind was drawn back to the little box sitting on her desk. Olivia picked it up and turned it over in her hand. She wondered what the secret was, and when she would be finding out what it was too? Was it work related? Something about a case? Or was it concerning something else?

"Have you opened all your gifts, Liv?"

Olivia looked up from her overactive imagination Scooby Doo moment and was met with Abby's sparkling green eyes. She smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, I have. Why do you ask?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you saved the best for last. My gift." Abby chuckled and thrust a gift bag towards her. "Here ya go."

She gave the redhead a skeptical look. "The bar is set pretty high with the gifts. It's gonna be tough for you to top what I've already gotten."

A superior look crossed Abby's face. "I don't even need to know what you got from the others. I know I've got this."

"Let's take a look then." Olivia pulled the white tissue paper out of the small green bag and set it on her desk. Olivia moved her head closer to the opening of the bag with narrowed eyes. "What is that?"

She reached her hand inside and pulled out two small rectangular pieces of paper. Looking back up at Abby, Olivia asked, "are these tickets?"

"Reading is fundamental, bitch. What do they...?" Abby joked.

"OHMYGOD!" Olivia yelled. She brought a hand to her mouth and covered it as she looked around to make sure no one had broken their neck to make sure she was alright. Her eyes were about to bulge out of her head. "You got us Beyoncé tickets?"

"Front row. In Washington D.C. How's that for a birthday gift?" Abby asked with a grin.

Olivia studied the tickets again and then began jumping up and down, clutching the tickets. "We are going to see Beyoncé!"

"Best gift ever?" Abby asked.

"Best gift so far." Olivia corrected.

Abby scowled at her friend and co-worker. "You expecting more, greedy?"

Olivia grinned. "I haven't gotten Fitz's gift yet."

The redhead rolled her eyes dramatically and chuckled. "Ok, second best gift. Not even I can can't compete with sex."

"Thank you for admitting it. I hear that is the first step in getting better." Olivia replied chuckling too. "Thank you for the tickets. You and I are going to make a girl's night of it. Dinner, flying to D.C., concert, seeing the sights in D.C. the next day, and then flying back home."

"This is going to be awfully damn fun. My birthday is in October, by the way and I love extravagant gifts too."

"I would write it down, but I have a feeling you'll remind me a lot between now and then." Olivia hugged Abby and said, "thank you. Really. It's the coolest gift anyone has ever given to me."

"I know." Abby said confidently. "I've gotta get back to work now that I've made your day. In case I don't see you before you leave, have a great evening with your best gift ever."

Olivia chuckled and shook her head back and forth.

At two o'clock, Ms. Wotawa stopped by Olivia's desk and said, "are you at a stopping place with whatever you are working on?"

Not understanding why, she would be asking that question, but curious about it, Olivia said, "yes m'am. I can stop where I am with this. Is there something you need me to help with? Or something else I should be working on?"

"No. Nothing like that. I wanted to tell you to scoot on out of here." her boss replied with a smile.

"I...I don't understand." Olivia said with a frown.

"Go home early, Olivia. It's your birthday and I'm telling you to take the rest of the afternoon off. With pay, naturally." Olivia continued to frown up at her boss from her seat behind the desk. "Go!"

Olivia smiled at her. It would be nice to have a few hours alone at the apartment. Maybe she'd soak in a birthday bath? Or sit around in her pink bathrobe eating junk food? Or take a nap? They all sounded like nice ideas. She wasn't about to question the offer again. Olivia grabbed her purse, stood up, and said, "thank you. For the gift card at the spa and for letting me go early."

"You're welcome. Now go before someone sees you and asks you to do something."

She slid her key into the lock, turned the doorknob, and stepped inside. The cat met her at the door and wished her happy birthday. Technically he just meowed softly, but to Olivia he was letting her know he had remembered that it was her birthday. She set her purse down and picked him up, rubbing his black fur. "You're the sweetest boy in the world, aren't you?"

Shadow meowed and nudged his head under her chin for more cuddles.

"You're also spoiled rotten." Olivia chuckled. She sat down on the sofa with him and asked the cat a serious question. "What do you do around here all day long while we're gone? Hmmm?"

Shadow wasn't giving that information up. He was content to just let his owner hold and pet him as he closed his eyes and purred loudly. Olivia heard a key in the front door and looked up to see Fitz walk in. She frowned at him and asked, "what are you doing home this early?"

"Well, hello to you too." Fitz said on a chuckle. He set his keys and the two grocery store bags in his hands down and went to sit beside her on the couch. The two of them pecked lips and Fitz asked, "what are you doing home this early?"

Olivia shrugged. "Ms. Wotawa gave me the afternoon off."

Fitz began petting the cat too and he purred even louder. He brought his attention away from the furry brat to his favorite female. "Oh? What'd she do that for?"

Olivia stared at him for a moment. Did he really just forget it was her birthday? What the hell?! Boyfriends are supposed to know that information. It's Boyfriend 101! If he didn't know, she wasn't going to tell him. "I don't know. I guess it was a slow day." She changed the subject. "What about you? Was your day a slow one at the hospital?"

Shadow got up off of Olivia's lap and padded his way over to Fitz's chest where he dropped himself, tucking his head under Fitz's chin and closing his eyes while the large hands continued to pet him roughly.

Did he just steal her baby? On her birthday? The one he forgot about? Olivia eyed the man with contempt as he rattled on about his day at work. He seemed unfazed by it all, as if it were a common occurrence. Still, she listened because she actually did care about how his day had gone. "How's Maureen doing? I need to get over there and see her soon. It seems like it's been months since I've seen her last."

"She's doing much better now that she isn't dragging her ass about making changes in her life. I think she is starting to feel better and it's pushing her to try even harder. You should come by the hospital with me sometime before her shift starts. You can walk on the treadmills with us." Fitz offered.

"That actually sounds like fun. One day this week?" she offered. It seemed like they weren't going to be doing anything for her birthday. It would be good to see Maureen again.

"She would love that." Fitz picked up the sleeping cat, gently removing Shadow's clinging claws from his shirt, and put him back in Olivia's arms. He pressed a kiss to her temple, stood up, and said, "I thought we could cook dinner together tonight?"

Happy to have her baby back to herself Olivia asked, "That depends. What are we making?"

"California grilled chicken and corn on the cob."

"That sounds really good. I'll be in charge of doing the corn. The chicken sounds like a challenge."

"Oh, it is. It's chicken breast with mozzarella, tomato, avocado stacked on top of it and balsamic glaze drizzled over it all. It's a recipe I found online. It sounds like a lot, but I think I can make it fairly decently."

"After hearing that description, I'm definitely sticking with the corn." Olivia replied.

Fitz smiled at her. "That works. Listen, since you're home early and we have plenty of time before we start on dinner, why don't you go ahead and take a bath. I've got a few emails to send, people to annoy really, and I'm sure the thought of you enjoying some quiet time probably ran through your mind before I came home and ruined it?"

Olivia smiled at him. "You didn't ruin anything. I'm glad you're here. But you're absolutely right. I think I'll take a bath. You're welcome to join me."

He leaned towards her, putting his hands on the back of the couch and caging her in. A predatory gleam was in his eye as he leaned even closer to her face. "Inviting me into your bath would defeat the purpose of you enjoying some quiet time, now wouldn't it?"

"Would it?" she asked innocently.

He nipped her bottom lip and then pulled it into his mouth, sucking on it.

The cat scampered away, probably pissed off that his quiet time had just been ruined.

Fitz felt her arms come up around his neck, and greedily pull him closer while she deepened the kiss. As much as he would have loved to scoop her up and carry her to their bed, he knew she had plans of enjoying a bath for one. He wasn't going to thwart her plans. Besides, he had his own shit to do. He hated himself as it did it, but Fitz reached up to his neck and pulled her hands off of him. "Go take your bath. I'll take one with you next time."

She tried to pout at him, in an effort to get Fitz to change his mind, but he turned and walked into the kitchen and began putting the food away. She stuck her tongue out at his back and went to grab something to wear after she got out of the tub.

Thirty minutes later, Olivia felt like a brand new woman. Not only was she clean she was completely relaxed too. So much so, that she felt like she could sleep for days. She trudged into the bedroom, yawned loudly, and crawled into the bed. She could hear Fitz's muffled voice in the guest bedroom, but she had no idea who he was talking to or what about. Neither did she care at the moment. She closed her eyes and was asleep within minutes.

Sometime later, Olivia was dreaming about food. She was the only person in a restaurant sitting at a table in the middle of the room. The wait staff brought her dish after dish to sample. Dishes the chef had specifically cooked for her to try because he was making a menu in Olivia's honor and personally wanted her signature of approval on each dish before adding them.

Every dish was beautifully presented, and each dish tasted better than the one before it. Olivia loved them all. When the last dish had been tested and approved, the smiling chef came out to the dining room and made his way to his only guest. He stood tall and proud as the petite woman raved about the food. She had not one bad word to say about anything she had tasted. It had all been divine.

The chef thanked her profusely for taking the time to come to his restaurant and sampling every dish he made to honor her with. He just knew that people would love eating the same foods that she had eaten. That information alone would bring them out in droves to eat dinner there.

Olivia smiled shyly and thanked the chef once again for delighting her with his amazing food creations.

The chef gently took her hand and brought his lips down to her knuckles and planted a kiss there. "You honor me so, Olivia."

"It is you who honors me." she told him.

"Olivia? Liv? Liv?"

She squinted up at him. Why was his face changing? And what had happened to his beautiful French accent? His voice was deeper somehow. And familiar. She squinted at him.

"Liv? Earth to Olivia?"

Finally, her eyes opened, and she realized it had all been a dream. She was looking up into the sparkling beautiful blue eyes that belonged to her favorite person in the world. "Are you awake now?" he asked.

She blinked her eyes slowly one time and stretched lazily before nodding mutely.

He dipped his head, so his lips hovered just above hers. His nose rubbed against the side of hers and he smiled at her before saying, "hi."

"Hi." Olivia replied. She returned his smile and touched his cheek.

"What were you just dreaming about?" he asked.

"Nothing." she answered.

His smile turned into a full on grin. "You're a terrible liar. I'm gonna need for you to work on that if I'm going to retire in the lap of luxury while you continue to work."

She couldn't help it. She was grinning too. "If you must know, I was dreaming about food."

"Are you hungry?" he asked with a smirk on his handsome face.

"For you? Always."

Fitz watched with laser like intensity as Olivia slowly licked her lips. She was trying to steal his concentration and it was working. He had to get them out of this room. "That's not quite what I meant. But maybe later?"

"But I want you right now." she whined. "And I should get what I want bec..." Olivia clamped her lips together tightly. She wasn't going to tell him it was her birthday. He would feel bad and she didn't want that.

"You can't have what you want all the time. Didn't your mother tell you that when you were a kid? My mother told me that at least a hundred times a week. Besides, I think you were dreaming about food because while you were sleeping, I cooked dinner."

A smile slowly crossed her face. "You did? Did you do the corn too? Please say that you cooked everything."

"I did." he said chuckling down at her.

"You are my hero."

"Heroes always get the girl, you know." Fitz said, rubbing his thumb across her lips.

"I've been trying to give myself to you for the last few minutes." she said sarcastically.

"Maybe you could try again after dinner? And the dishes are done? And the kitchen is clean?"

"So domesticated and worried about the kitchen." she replied with a grin. "Fine. But before we go out there I think you should give me a motivation kiss."

"What?" he asked on a laugh.

"You heard me. I want a..."

He took the breath from her lungs as his mouth connected with hers and his tongue slid into her mouth. He knew it was a bad idea and not part of the plan he had concocted, but Olivia wanted a kiss and who was he to tell her no when he wanted one just as much as she did? Her fingers threaded through his curls and pulled him impossibly closer as the heat between them began to turn into an all consuming inferno.

She was so soft and warm. And dammit she smelled good too. Like that body wash she used on her gorgeous, smooth, brown skin that left it smelling like something sweet and delicious. He wanted to sample other parts of her now too, and as his mind roamed the thought of it, his hands roamed her skin. She was breathless but refused to separate their mouths to drag air into her lungs. She felt amazing underneath him. So willing and ready.

STOP! His brain screamed. This is not the plan. Stick. With. The. Plan!

Fuck the plan! his crotch quite plainly told his brain. This is now and it's gonna be great!

As both sides presented their case, Fitz's concentration began to waver. He came to his senses and begrudgingly pulled his mouth away from her very eager one.

No sex? His crotch demanded?

He thought about it for a second and his brain threw a middle finger up at his crotch. No sex.

What the hell was happening to him? Olivia was looking up at him expectantly through clouded eyes as she breathed heavily. It would all make sense soon enough. He rested his forehead on top of hers until her breathing calmed. Fitz got up on his knees and extended a hand to her. "Come on. Let's go eat dinner while it's still hot."

Olivia stared at his hand in confusion. When she realized he wasn't playing with her, that he was serious, and that sex wasn't happening, she reached for his offered hand and he pulled her up. "I'm just gonna put on some clothes first. I'll be right out."

Fitz nodded and left the room.

Olivia wondered what was going on. Fitz never turned down sex. Ever! She wanted to know more than anything what he had been thinking. Apparently, he had been as hungry as she was. She sighed heavily and yanked open drawers and pulled out a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. On the way to the door she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was sticking out of the pile she had pinned it up in before she got into the tub earlier. Sleeping on it hadn't helped. Oh well. It was just dinner at home with Fitz. No need to be fancy.

To be continued...