The Courage To Love Him

A/N: This is another story based off a favorite movie of mines which one I won't say unless someone figures it out because I don't want to spoil the plot.

Happy Reading!

Chapter 1

Liv is startled awake by a beautiful dream turned nightmare. There she was standing at the alter about to marry a man whose face she could not see and just as she goes to touch his face a disturbing alarm sounds off causing a panic among the wedding guest as they all run for cover as if the world is on fire. Only it's not …but it is the sound of her alarm clock blasting loudly alerting of yet another work day.

Olivia Carolyn Pope at the age of 28 was the senior manager working towards becoming partner as a tax lawyer at Beene & Novak Tax Associates. She rose in the ranks as one of the best in the business due to her photographic memory and strong ability to master and calculate numbers. This also allowed her the ability to purchase her first home just a week prior.

As she's jolted from her slumber she sits up on her bed after silencing her blaring alarm clock she dresses for her morning run turning on the television while she dresses and rolls her eyes as she's reminded by the commercial currently playing that today is Valentine Day and she's yet without a man. She couldn't seem to escape it as she runs she see husbands and boyfriends with balloons and flowers as well as couples kissing as she passes them.

She makes it back home showers and changes and makes her way to work with her power suite on hair pulled back in a tight bun when her coworker calls her name. "Olivia…Olivia" If she wasn't already annoyed by all the valentine candy and roses throughout the office Karen's voice would not be a welcoming factor. "Yes Karen." She answers with a huff as she turns to her.

Karen is an associate at the firm who is getting married and couldn't choose what design wedding dress she wanted so she needed Liv's opinion. "Kevin sent these to me today and I don't know what to do…This one makes me look like a cow and this one I love but I'm going to have to hold my stomach in the whole time…"

Liv huffs before interrupting her "Wear the one you love Karen it's your wedding day." Karen smiles "Thanks Liv now we've got to get you married. As my mom used to say there's a man out there somewhere with your name stamped on his forehead."

"Sure there is." Liv says turning and walking away and Karen follows still talking about a man for Liv. "Who do we know for you I could set you up with?"

"Karen don't start I got a big day." Liv says continuing to walk grabbing files as she makes her way to her meeting.

"You always got a big day even on the weekends you have a big day. You can't let this job be your life. You have to live a little."

"It's not my life a got a meeting."

Suddenly as if a light bulb goes off in Karen's head she shouts out "Fitz…tall hot newly single architect really smart. This is going to be perfect."

"Karen thanks but no." Liv is so disinterested that she never really took note of the name

"Oh come on!" Karen stomps like a pouty child

"I don't do blind dates." Liv continues shaking her head no

"Okay I'll just add that to the official things Olivia don't do which includes amongst other things sushi skiing dogs creepy crawly things and…" They both stop as a courier walks pass with a vase filled with red roses when Karen continues "The color red."

Liv frowns "Red's definitely not my color." She finishes and walks into the board room to meet a possible new client.

As she walks in she sees a gentleman sitting waiting as she approaches "Hollis Doyle. Olivia Pope." Hollis half stands shaking Liv's hand. "Hello." "Hello." She repeats as he looks behind her before sitting back down. Liv opens her files and begins speaking. "So I look over the letter of intent from the bankers, and I have a few questions." Hollis is still looking behind her at the door not really comfortable talking to her. "Um shouldn't we wait?" He questions

"For…"

He stutters out "Well, isn't someone else coming in?" He tilts his head as if his question was obvious. Liv sit back against the back of her chair. "Nope, this is it." She confidently smiles "I'm the senior manager." Hollis looks dumbfounded so Liv explains further "When we get further into the deal I'll bring someone in to collect the documents." She says following Hollis eyes looking behind her which is where the door is located just behind her. She tries again to reassure Hollis "But right now it's just us, personal one-on-one service."

Hollis nods his head "Ah yeah…yeah okay sure. Looky here Ms. Pope is it?" Liv nods "I would like to talk with Cyrus before we go any further. I was under the impression that he would be here. So I'll give him a call and well …we'll go from there. Thank you for your time." He stretches out his hand and she shakes it and he leaves without another word. Liv sit with a raised brow and just hopes Cyrus heres her out before he makes any decisions concerning Hollis who clearly sees her as incompetent but she questions if it's because she's a woman or is it because she's black or could it be both. Only time will tell. She stands and returns to her office working throughout the day since Cyrus and James took off to spend Valentine's Day together knowing James was a hopeless romantic and Cyrus would do anything to keep him happy.

Later that day Liv met up with her bestes Abby, Angela, Kim and Lisa. Abby was the only one who stood out with her fire red hair which went with her flaming hot personality which made Liv love her a tad bit more than the others she never bites her tongue for nobody not even her sometime stuck up friends and very over the top mother. As the waiter brought out the ladies drinks they all toasted to the day for love even though none of them had a man. "Five Belvedere Valentinis for five beautiful ladies." The waiter announces

The ladies all take their drinks and Liv decides to give a toast. "We may not have everything we want at the moment…" She looks around at all her girlfriends and continues "But we have each other."

"Happy Valentine's Day." They all say in unison as they tap their flutes.

Kim is the first to get it started "Okay let get down to business. Where are the brothers?"

Angela adds "Yes honey bring them on."

Lisa adds "Where's the eye candy?

Abby and Liv laugh as they all begins to look around the club when a buff dark skinned brother walks past and all eyes are on him until they all notice he has a bit too much switch in his hip as he walked. They all quickly turned in the other direction and noticed and interracial couple kissing with the man being black when Lisa decided to add and opinion with much attitude "And that is why we are the 42%."

"The what?" Kim questions so Lisa explains "42% of black women have never been married."

Olivia pipes in "I read that article. It didn't say we'd never get married. It just said we have yet to."

Angela joins in "Okay, so when is it gonna happen, in the afterlife?"

Abby decides to speak. "Maybe if you ladies would open yourselves up to more variety you'd have a better chance."

They all turn and look at Abby but Liv jumps in before they could go on the attack. "Well, even if 42.4% of us never get married that still leaves 57.6% of us will and that's a substantially greater percentage."

"Thank you, Miss Numbers Queen. That's very impressive. However, those odds are completely against us." Lisa says in a nice but snippy way and continues to speak "It says the phenomenon is most acute among African-American women who are educated professionals. Judge accountant banker pediatrician..." She says pointing at everyone according to their profession leaving out Abby. "That be us. No offense Abby you are the acceptation in this group not being black you may not understand."

Abby laughs "None taken."

Liv blows out a breath "I'm just tired of being classified as a victim." The ladies throws theirs hand up in a here we go matter as Liv pushes forward "Single black professional women…destined to be unhappy and alone…I mean I just have to keep believing I'll find the one. I don't even need all that I just want a good brother." The ladies nod as Abby just listens "He doesn't have to make a lot of money so long as he got a job." The ladies continue to agree "He just has to be taller than me, college educated and not crazy…No kids, good teeth and no kinky sex. I like to switch it up a bit, but you all know…"

Liv notices everyone is staring at her with a certain look on their faces. "What?" She questions

Abby finally speaks "You're doing it again the list thing Liv."

Angela laughs "Yep there goes that dam list. You should have stayed with Russell." Everyone begins disagreeing at the same time.

"No he was a chauvinist." Abby disagrees

"And conceited." Lisa adds shaking her head

"And controlling." Kim says while sipping her drink

Angela refusing to lose "Whatever girl Russell was fine."

"This coming from a woman who sleeps with married men." Abby says rolling her eyes at Angela which shuts down the entire banter between the women.

All the women new how Liv felt about Abby and knew Liv would never allow them to team up on her seeing she and Abby went back long way before they became her friends and always spoke the truth even if they didn't want to hear it.

"I just think we as women no matter our race should let go of this preconceived notion of our IBM…" They all look at her with questioning expressions "Our Ideal Black Man." Lisa defines her meaning and they all nod "But we've got to let go in order to let love flow. That means you Liv no more lists."

Liv raised a brow and lifts her glass in the air "Let go and let flow."

"Well it's a whole lot better than keep hope alive.' Kim shares and they all laugh and toast to their new moto let go and let flow and continue their night.

Once Liv arrives home she drops her purse and slides out of her heels as she presses play on the answering machine to her home phone. The first and only message is from none other than Russell telling her how he missed her and that he's getting married and would love for her to come. She deletes the message just as her phone rings. "Hello."

"Happy Valentine's Day sweetpea."

"You never forget, do you daddy?"

"Forget my baby girl" Impossible."

"Thanks dad."

"You sound down, talk to me."

"No, I'm fine. Everything's great."

"Sweet pea, don't give up, baby girl. You know how to make your dreams come true. You can't fail."

"Thank you daddy. I love you."

"I love you too sweet pea. Get some sleep and I will talk with you soon."

Liv ends the conversation with her dad Dr. Elijah Pope as her mom Maya Pope likes to call him as a way to feel important amongst the others elite families. She prepares for bed excepting another lonely night with no one to share it with just maybe she will take Karen up on her offer for the blind date. She shoots Karen a text before closing her eyes and agreeing to the setup explaining it has to be in a place she's familiar with.

Two day later Liv is ready to go on her blind date. She hasn't told her girlfriends yet she would wait until she meets the guy and see how it goes. Her girls could be a bit judgmental at times. She finally reaches the Starbucks location and feels comfortable with the setting. It's pretty much a mixed crowd of people a lot of black couples and black on black meet and greets maybe even friend with friends. Now feeling a tad bit better she walks inside orders herself a latte and looks around. She sees one man sitting looking like he's waiting for someone but doesn't approach because he's so not her type and doesn't meet the description Karen gave her of her blind date. Then she hears him "Excuse me." She turns around to the voice "Are you Olivia?" Her immediate responds is priceless. "Where you looking or perhaps waiting for Fitz?" She still doesn't respond instead she becomes nervous and fidgety. Not because she was on a blind date but because this man was fine. He was breath taking and his steel blue eyes were mesmerizing and everything about him made her insides tingle throughout her body. There's only one problem…he's white.

A/N: Let me know what you guys think….Until next time. Keke