Chapter 11 The One and Only
Rita and Shane were making plans for the weekend to shop for a bridesmaid's dress for Shane. They were looking forward to having a girl's day together Saturday. As they were finishing their conversation, Oliver got off the telephone sighing.
"Oliver is everything ok?" Shane asked.
"We'd planned to have dinner tonight but that was Bill. We need to meet the contractor out at the barn to sign off on the work. They expect to be done late afternoon. I already got everything to make dinner." Oliver said disappointed.
Shane ran her hand down his arm, "Oliver why don't you have Bill text me when you get done. I could start whatever you had planned while you're on the way back and we could still have a late dinner."
"You don't mind?"
"It's fine Oliver. I enjoy cooking."
He reached into his pocket pulled his housekey off his key chain and handed it to her. "I left the recipe on the counter by the toaster and everything is in the fridge ready to go."
Shane smiled at him patting a hand on his chest, "Of course it is." He looked at her inquiringly. "Oliver you're always impeccably organized."
"I do try." Oliver acknowledged before moving to join Norman to work on a package with him.
Shane turned back to continue working with Rita only to find Rita with a shocked excited look on her face. "What's going on?" Shane asked looking around the table for the source of the excitement.
Rita waited until Oliver was far enough away to not hear. "Shane, Oliver just gave you the key to his house."
"No. He loaned it to me so I could start dinner." Shane started sorting through mail again.
"Nope he just gave you a key. Since when does date night involve cozy dinners at his place? You guys usually always go out somewhere. Shane he's changing things and taking things to a different level."
"He's not taking things anywhere. It's Oliver he doesn't even know levels exist." Shane disagreed. "We do usually go out, but he had me over for dinner awhile back. It occasionally, very occasionally happens." She was thinking to herself if twice is occasionally.
"Shane does he have a key to your house?" Rita asked pointedly not letting it go.
Shane paused for a moment in sorting, "Yes but it doesn't mean anything. He used it to help take care of things when I was gone, and I never asked for it back."
"And he never gave it back," Rita pointed out. "Which means he wanted to keep it."
"He probably just forgot." Shane shrugged it off.
"Is it still on his key ring?" Rita asked.
"Well yes." Shane admitted.
Rita looked at Shane skeptical. "Oliver O'Toole doesn't just forget things. If it's still on his key chain, it's because he wants it there."
Shane changed the subject asking a question about one of the envelopes they were sorting through. Rita smiled knowingly and let her.
Later that evening Shane let herself into Oliver's house. After the conversation with Rita, she felt a little disconcerted starting to question if him handing over the key really did mean anything. She left her purse on the hat rack by the door and headed into the kitchen to find where Oliver had left everything. Finding a recipe for honey ginger chicken stir fry, she smiled to herself. Knowing it wasn't the type of thing Oliver ever ate, he must have found the recipe for her. All the ingredients were either in the fridge or laid out on the counter ready to go. Hearing her phone ding she went to check her messages. Bill had texted that Oliver was leaving. Shane found some music on her phone, hit play, and started pulling the ingredients out of the fridge to start dinner.
When Oliver arrived home, he could hear music the moment he opened the door. Not used to arriving to someone being there already he smiled faintly wondering what she was listening to while she cooked. He paused at the edge of the kitchen entertained by the scene in front of him. Shane was stirring the food with one hand and singing into a wooden spoon in the other belting it out with Adele's One and Only. He'd not heard her sing and was slightly surprised that while slightly off key she wasn't doing a bad job of keeping up with Adele while slowly swaying to the music. She still hadn't noticed he'd arrived. Thinking he enjoyed coming home to her being in his space, he started to listen to the lyrics she was singing.
You've been on my mind
I grow fonder every day, lose myself in time
Just thinking of your face
God only knows
Why it's taken me so long to let my doubts go
You're the only one that I want
I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all
You'll never know if you never try to forgive your past and simply be mine
Oliver could hear the longing in Shane's voice as she sang the last line. Hearing it made him realize he wasn't the only one questioning where things were going next and how the other one felt. As she sang the next line, he slid his arms around her waist slowly swaying with her bringing his body against hers.
I dare you to let me be your, your one and only
Startled she dropped the spoons and leaned over to pause the music. "Oliver, I didn't hear you come in. I thought it was going to take you longer to get home." A myriad of emotions flowing through her made her voice tremble slightly.
"You dropped your mic. It might not work as well covered in sauce," Oliver said gently teasing her. "Everything smells wonderful." He said as his arms tightened around her breathing in a combination of the smells from her cooking and the faint scent of her perfume. "Is it ready?
"Almost." She said softly enjoying the feel of his arms around her but unsettled and embarrassed that he heard her singing, what he heard her singing. He leaned around her as he turned the stove down to keep things warm and hit play on the music never letting go of her waist with his other arm. As the music started back up, he turned her pulling her against him guiding her arms up around his neck while they swayed to the music. Although it wasn't how she was used to dancing with him, she leaned into him tucking her head against his chest her hands circling around the back of his neck.
Promise I'm worth it
To hold in your arms
So come on and give me the chance
To prove that I'm the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
If I've been on your mind
You hang on every word I say, lose yourself in time
At the mention of my name
Will I ever know
How it feels to hold you close
And have you tell me
Whichever road I choose you'll go?
I don't know why I'm scared
'Cause I've been here before
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all
You'll never know if you never try to forgive your past and simply be mine
I dare you to let me be your, your one and only
I promise I'm worth it
To hold in your arms
So come on and give me the chance
To prove that I'm the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
I know it ain't easy, giving up your heart
I know it ain't easy, giving up your heart
(Nobody's perfect) I know it ain't easy, (Trust me, I've learned it) giving up your heart
(Nobody's perfect) I know it ain't easy, (Trust me, I've learned it) giving up your heart
As Oliver heard the words "I promise I'm worth it" the second time his arms tightened around Shane almost involuntarily trying to let her know he felt she was worth it. Listening to the words, being held in his arms feeling every move he made as he slowly danced them around the kitchen, Shane was completely overwhelmed emotionally, physically, knowing that she couldn't express her love because he wasn't ready. As she heard "I know it ain't easy, giving up your heart" one hand slid involuntarily down resting over his heart.
So I dare you to let me be your, your one and only
I promise I'm worth it, to hold in your arms
So come on and give me the chance
To prove that I'm the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
Come on and give me the chance
To prove that I'm the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
For most of the song Oliver had his hands resting at the small of her back. As they made their way through the last refrain Oliver stopped dancing at the words 'give me the chance.' Cupping his hands around her face he gazed at her for a moment before he slowly passionately kissed her. Between the song, the dance, the kiss, the emotions swirling through them, they both felt the intimacy of the moment until Shane not able to take anymore finally broke off the kiss resting her forehead back against his chest as the song ended. Feeling raw with so many emotions and desires flowing through her with nowhere to go, she turned off the music. She cleared her throat leaning towards the stove to turn it off, "Do you want to get the plates down?" She said running a hand over her face trying to hold it together.
He paused for a minute feeling he needed to say something but not sure how to even begin explaining how he felt. "Certainly." Handing her the plates he went to fill glasses with water. "Thank you for getting everything ready." He commented watching her out of the corner of his eye as he filled the glasses.
She sighed smiling wistfully, "I enjoyed it. Your kitchen has so much space it's easier to cook in than mine."
"Big enough for a concert as well?" Oliver said with a faint smile.
Shane shook her head ruefully, "You heard me singing. Not something at which I excel."
"Adele isn't easy to keep up with you weren't doing half bad."
"Oliver O'Toole stretching the truth." Shane asked laughing with a little bit of an edge to it before asking quietly avoiding his gaze while she put the food on plates, "What's gotten into you tonight?" They both knew she was asking about more than his comment about her singing.
He avoided her question not sure how to explain he got caught up in the feeling that she belonged there with him for more than an evening here or there. "Perhaps you were a little off key."
She smiled back at him sardonically letting the awkward moment pass as he handed her a glass. They sat down to eat more at ease with each other. They had a pleasant evening discussing work, the next steps for the educational center and catching up on each other's families. Shane had been talking to her sister and mother a little more often. She mentioned Norman had contacted the director of the animal training facility she'd been researching to try to set up a meeting for next week.
When Shane went to leave, Oliver saw she had left his key on the kitchen counter as they were walking out. He couldn't rationalize why it bothered him she wasn't taking it with her. "Shane you forgot this," he said handing her the key.
"You want me to keep it?" She asked looking at him not at all sure what he was thinking and not willing to let him get away with at least partly explaining.
He answered her haltingly, "Shane…Coming home… You here tonight…It felt right…You're the one…and only one…That it's felt right."
She closed her eyes for a moment trying to hold back the tears. It wasn't a declaration of love, but she recognized it for what it was. Between echoing the song lyrics and knowing he'd shared the house with Holly before his divorce, she knew it was Oliver's way of letting her know what she meant to him and that he was trying to move the relationship forward. Thinking Oliver was trying to find every last way of saying 'I love you' without actually saying it she had faith he'd eventually get there.
"It did…Feel right." She said softly taking the key back. He wiped the tears gently away before kissing her good night.
Before going to bed that night Shane texted Rita. "You were right. See you tomorrow."
Getting into bed soon after Shane's phone dinged. Tilting it over to look she saw Rita's response 'need dets tomorrow' followed by a smiley face and heart emoji.