AN: This is just a one shot that I put together because I loved the idea of Trevor and Olivia taking their date a little less casually than what occurred in the "Video Killed The Radio Star" ep. This begins just as Trevor finishes delivering his speech at the gala he and Olivia attended together.
:)
Olivia couldn't help but to smile right back at Trevor as all ears in the room listened attentively to his keynote speech. She felt as though he was gazing at her, his pale-green stare zooming in on her, holding her gaze. She wasn't sure what to make of it but the swelling in her stomach and the tingle of her hands told her that there was something to it — at least from her side of things.
It was strange, it was only in recent times that Trevor had even made it on to her radar — their professional relationship had evolved over all the years that they had known each other and now it was a casual friendship and if she had read the signs correctly, a little shy flirting from his behalf. She didn't mind it, it was both flattering and a little sweet. It was unlike the brazen come-on lines that had been thrown at her in the past from other colleagues; it was demure and respectful - just like the man himself.
He was always quietly looking out for her and she appreciated that about him — it was Trevor Langan who gave her the heads up about her old friend, Burton Lowe, he hadn't been pushy or over-protective, but allowed her to understand with few words that she needed to keep her eyes open and take care of herself. Perhaps the timing was a little late, but never-the-less, it was at that point she recognised him for what he was — a good, trustworthy man who cared enough to step in and warn her.
Unmistakably, Trevor's lips upturned in to the makings of a smile. Olivia couldn't help but return it, he looked incredibly handsome and had put in such effort for the charity gala that she was suitably impressed. She knew he had partially asked her along because of Noah. He had been her adoption lawyer and she knew that without him the adoption may have ended in a different way - but he had fought tooth-and-nail for continued custody of her son and again when Sheila Porter entered the ring.
Yep, thought Olivia, Trevor Langan was a good man and she was proud of him for all that he had achieved through his charity work.
He brought his speech to a close and the room applauded him — Olivia too. She clapped him on with as much enthusiasm as was deserved for his incredible words about the cause. She felt the need to make sure he knew just how wonderful his delivery was. He made his way down the steps of the podium, threading through the crowd on a path back to Olivia.
They exchanged smiles as he drew near.
"There he is! Man of the hour," a big, jovial voice interrupted, stepping in front of her. She couldn't help but to show her disappointment. Trevor, towering over the man, grimaced covering his irate with a nod of acknowledgement. "Hey Bob," he shook the man's hand, edging around him to meet Olivia.
Bob turned around, following Trevor who stepped beside Olivia. He glanced at her and back to Trevor, "is this your date, hi sweetheart!"
Olivia lifted her eyebrow and nodded at him, "Does that work for you?," she asked with a half-smile, looking back to her date. Trevor could see her smile but knew that there was a clear absence of enthusiasm in it.
"Most of the time… I usually need a stick to beat the ladies off with…."
"Nice…" Olivia remarked.
"She's outta your league, Bob…" Trevor retorted in a way that seemed good-natured, but she could tell from the tension crossing his smooth face that he had been annoyed by the man. She could have been mistaken, but she was almost certain she saw a roll of his eyes.
Bob smirked, the smirk bordered on the line of appearing lecherous to Olivia. She tried hard not to make a face, not to be rude to the man that she recognised as one of the speakers at the event.
"Well, hopefully I'll catch up with you both a little later," he blasted Trevor with finger guns and turned to Olivia, "but mostly you."
"Mmm great," she replied, monotone, showing that the thought of catching up with him later was anything but great.
Trevor watched Bob step aside and head out to the bar. "Sorry about him," he apologised.
"What a charmer," Olivia replied sarcastically, "you guys friends?"
"With him?" Trevor looked behind him, glancing at Bob in the distance, he almost laughed, "not a chance…" he turned back to her and smiled, "he's not the kinda guy I would usually associate with but I'm not going to lie to you, Olivia, he brings the money."
Olivia just smiled.
"Would you like another drink?" He asked, nodding at her empty wine glass.
She glanced down at it in her hands and thought for a moment, she'd already had two over the course of the few hours they'd been at the gala. One more would be okay, she didn't feel drunk or even mildly tipsy. "Sure," she replied, "thanks."
"I'll be right back, don't move a muscle," he smiled.
Trevor felt nervous around Olivia Benson; it was the way she was smiling at him, the way she glanced up at him with a look of fondness, affection even. She was complimentary and sweet and chatting to her about parenthood had been nice too — and they'd both agreed, no shop talk, so the conversation was more personal than usual and that had been nice too.
She was the most interesting and beautiful person in the room, he thought, but the detective he'd become very fond of himself over the past decade was almost always the most illuminating of presences in whatever room she was taking up space in.
Oddly, despite being nervous around her, he was surprised by how well the date was going — he made sure to call it that, casually of course, but a date all the same. She seemed surprised but delighted by the idea and he let himself think that that was a win.
He got himself a whisky and rye and took a glass of wine back to his date.
Date…
It had a nice ring to it.
"Would you like to come and find somewhere to sit down?," he asked, handing the wine to her. He noticed that Olivia had been shifting from one foot to another as if she was uncomfortable.
"I'm okay," she replied but in truth, her stilettos were killing her, "thanks…"
"Come on," he nodded through to another room and gestured for her to walk forward to where it was a little quieter and not so crowded. She felt his hand on the small of her back and she wasn't afraid to admit how nice it felt that such a handsome man acted chivalrously toward her and was showing her what it was to have a nice night out with a few drinks, stimulating conversation with someone who seemed genuinely interested in her company.
Those experiences seemed few and far between.
She loved how his presence commanded attention - that when he entered the room patrons stopped to look up and greet him or pause him for conversation and she was a little impressed with how little interest he showed to anyone but her.
"Do you go to these kinds of things very often?" He asked her as they got closer to an empty table. He pulled a chair out, "take a seat," he added.
"Not at all," she laughed at the very thought. "I rarely go out like this anymore, it's kind of nice, to be honest." She took a seat and thanked him.
"No? You're not fighting off all the men with a big stick?," he joked, making fun of Bob from earlier.
Olivia laughed, appreciating his humour. "No, I can't say I am, but it's nice, I'm having a really nice time, thank you for thinking of me."
"Of course," Trevor nodded. He scooted his chair in closer to the table and took a sip of his whisky before setting it down on a coaster. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to come but —I…" he found himself stammering, not quite sure where he wanted the sentence to lead.
"Why not?," she asked point-blank. She was still smiling but her eyes sparkled as she gazed in to his. He felt drawn to her, unsure of whether or not her slightly turned head was her way of flirting.
"I don't know…" he scratched behind his ear nervously, "truthfully?," he offered, "I was a little intimidated to ask you on a date with me, I thought you'd have much better things to do than to come to a gala put together by little old me…"
Olivia's smile broadened; he was sweet, she could tell he was being honest by the way his neck and cheeks flushed as he stifled an embarrassed smile. He was barely able to make eye contact.
"I would never say no to such a wonderful cause," she remarked but realised how it would have come across, "and the company of course," she smiled at him and took a mouthful of wine and let it swirl around on her tongue.
He managed a chuckle and felt a little hot under the collar at the way she was eyeing him. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the moody lighting and the glow of her cheeks that was making his knees feel weak. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation, it's a little bit of an honour."
"You don't need to make some rounds? Go speak to some of these people?," she wondered, looking around, "lots of people have been trying to get your attention."
He shrugged, "I am not a crowd-type person," he replied, "I'm more of a one-on-one-type person. I feel kind of uncomfortable in these situations."
"Me too," she agreed.
"I was thinking… I'm ready to dip, actually, would you like me to take a walk with me? I could walk you back to your apartment if you're ready to leave."
Olivia was surprised and slightly disappointed and she wasn't sure why. She didn't want her night to end but she couldn't have imagined walking too far in her stilettos. Still, she didn't want to turn him down, she figured she would grin and bear it until she couldn't.
"Sure… that sounds nice," she agreed.
"Great," he seemed pleased and tried to remind himself to take his drink slowly. "Do you have to be home by a specific time?"
Olivia laughed, "like, do I have a curfew?," she joked.
Trevor laughed out loud, "Yeah, do you have a curfew Captain Benson?" He took another swig of his drink, his grin reached her and it felt infectious.
"Well, my baby sitter is pretty flexible and Noah is happy to be having a fun night of movies, Minecraft and probably way too much junk food," she smiled. "How about you?"
He smiled, "My kid actually hates me right now, so the longer I'm gone from the apartment, the happier she'll be," he laughed.
"What!? Your daughter? Noooo, surely not, she loves her Daddy!" Olivia challenged him. She remembered meeting his daughter once or twice, but it had been quite some time ago.
"She's fourteen, Liv, she doesn't think her Dad is very cool anymore," he told her with a little amusement.
"Aw, Ava is fourteen?!" Olivia was shocked. "Wow, time really flies."
"Yeah, it's like that," he agreed, "one minute you're holding them in your arms and then the next minute they're telling you that they hate your stinkin' guts," he shook his head and laughed in spite of his at-times strained relationship with his daughter.
"I'm sure she doesn't hate you, she's just going through that teenage girl phase…" Olivia replied.
"Hopefully," Trevor shrugged, "I made the nanny stay with her tonight and she was less than pleased."
"Well, it's kind of late and I think you're being responsible. Not saying that Ava is irresponsible, but I've seen what teenagers get up to without supervision, peer pressure is a very real thing."
Trevor nodded, "yeah, that's what all the fights are about, her little snot-nosed friends, her Mom and I are considering changing her school… she's kind of fallen in to the wrong crowd, I think," he paused, "or is that naive? Is that a thing parents say when they want to believe their kids are still angels?"
Olivia chuckled and shook her head, "No, I think you're safe, I can only imagine your daughter is a well-mannered, polite and intelligent girl if she is anything like you…"
He felt a little thrill wash over him at the compliment. She was kind and warm with her words and he knew she never said what she didn't mean. "Thanks Liv, that's a really sweet thing to say," he remarked meaningfully, giving her a look of recognition. She noticed he did that, it was a tiny gesture, a little smile and a lift of his head. She liked it, it was cute and she was almost sure that he was unaware of the habit.
"Well… it's the truth. If it makes you feel any better, Noah has told me he hates me several times recently and that he wishes that his nanny was his mother… talk about breaking hearts."
Trevor widened his eyes with shock, "are you kidding, little Noah said that?" He managed a laugh of surprise, "that does actually make me feel better, Liv, I'm sorry to admit, but if that little boy can be so harsh then I guess it means it's just a kid thing that they all go through at one time or another."
Olivia laughed too, "yeah, I really think it is, but don't worry, it's also normal for it to really hurt you, but you still gotta be the parent and sometimes it's a really tough gig."
"You are definitely right about that, Ava has the power to make me feel inadequate with nothing but a look these days," he smiled, leaning over the table, his arms resting on the surface, leaning in closer to his beautiful date.
"Just hold your own, Trevor, you're a good Dad, I'm certain of it."
He watched her finish her drink and he drained the rest of his whisky and rye. "Are you ready to get out of here?," he wondered.
Olivia appraised him, his green eyes felt almost-hypnotic, so much so that she was barely able to draw her own away from them. She slowly nodded trying not to be so aware of the fact that she was gazing at him like a lost puppy.
"Sure… whatever you want…" she replied.
Just as they stood, a woman stopped at their table and she could immediately tell the woman had more than just a few glasses of champagne beneath her belt. She was a little unsteady and glanced from Olivia to Trevor in that way that made Olivia aware that she was trying to figure out the relationship between the two. "Hiiii Trevor," the tall blonde greeted him. She placed her hand on his upper arm.
Olivia, once again felt irate that they had been interrupted but the feeling transitioned to amusement when she saw Trevor glance at the woman's hand on his arm with a look that seemed put-out. "Hi," he greeted her kindly inspite of the unwanted affection.
"My name is Melody," she told him.
Olivia sucked her lips in and pressed them hard together to keep from grinning. Melody, she thought to herself, suffocated by her interior laughter. She knew it was mean, but it seemed so fitting for a woman who was blatantly flirting with a man who was clearly on a date.
"Nice to meet you, Melody," Trevor replied, "thank you for coming tonight."
"Of course, one of my girls invited me," she told him, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Trevor glanced at Olivia in apology. He couldn't help but to notice that she was smirking and trying hard to contain her amusement with his discomfort.
"This is my date, Olivia Benson, Olivia, this is Melody," he introduced them.
"Ohhhhhh your date, sorry, I wasn't sure…" she giggled, "anyway," she glanced at Olivia only briefly before turning away dismissively, "my friend said that you're quite the eligible bachelor, so I thought… I'd come say hello."
"Well, lovely to meet you," he replied, "Olivia and I are on our way out now."
"Feel free to speak to Maria Southwell if you want to get a hold of me, she has my number…." She gave him a little wink and turned away, almost stumbling on her heels.
"Wow…" Olivia chortled good-naturedly, "that was … direct, does this happen wherever you go, Councillor?," she teased him.
"Good grief, no," he muttered, "that was … something."
"It sure was…" she replied laughing again, "kind of sweet though, think you might want to get her phone number?," she continued.
He nudged her ever-so-gently, "stop," he tried not to laugh, not wanting to seem like a dick, but he couldn't help but to stifle a grin at Olivia's playful jibing. Mostly he was relieved that she wasn't offended by the woman ignoring her almost entirely.
"Sorry about that though, that was a little rude," he apologised.
"Yeah but you weren't rude, it's fine," she flashed him a smile as they headed toward the door with Olivia leading the way.
He wanted to take her arm or her hand or show her just a slight sliver of affection that would make it obvious that he was at least somewhat interested in her in more than just a casual one-night-because-you're-an-adoptive-mother way.
"Are you going to say goodbye to anyone?," she asked, turning slightly, almost causing him to fall in to her.
"No," he was smiling, "An Irish exit is always my style," he admitted as if he was ashamed.
Olivia started to laugh as they exited the function centre. She hugged herself from the cool night air. He shed his suit jacket and put it over her shoulders. She seemed surprised but gave him her best appreciative smile. "I'm okay, really…" she murmured, a little taken-aback by his sweet gesture.
"It's okay, it's cool out here, I invited you on this walk, I don't want you to get cold," he remarked. She went to take a step carefully down the stoop that led to the path toward her apartment.
"Here…" Trevor quickly extended a hand out to her to assist her.
She glanced at him before taking his hand, appreciating him for his chivalry. She felt their palms collide and her fingers slid between his. He closed his grip around her hand— his grasp was firm but it felt nice and neither of them could deny it.
Trevor tried to play it cool, to not show how nervous he was and willed his palms not to grow sweaty.
As they reached the landing of the stairs, Olivia decided not to let go.
Her feet hurt and she tried very hard not to walk without wincing down the path past the weekend party-goers in Manhattan. "I love this time of year…" he announced, looking around, "you know, when the weather is starting to turn warm again."
"Yeah, but New York summer can be offensive sometimes — especially my apartment, it really holds the heat."
"Air conditioning?," he wondered.
"Yeah but … I try not to leave it running too much because it affects Noah's allergies and asthma," she replied.
"Oh, his asthma still not any better?" Trevor prompted her — he always took an interest in Noah's wellbeing as his adoption lawyer.
"It's better than it was thankfully, the paediatrician thinks he'll probably grow out of it eventually," she explained but then she laughed at their stupid, bland conversation. "Trevor what are we doing? Are we really so boring that we're discussing my son's allergies?"
He started to laugh. "Sorry," he murmured, "I just haven't been on a date in so long that I've almost forgotten how to function like a regular member of society," he admitted.
"Yeah, me too, but it's okay…" she gave a little shrug. "It's been really nice to get out of the house and in to a dress."
"And might I say, you look wonderful," he remarked very quickly — so quick that he made himself feel self-conscious.
Olivia's cheeks flushed, "thank you Trevor," she replied, "you look really nice as well and forgive me if it's inappropriate, but you actually smell really nice too."
He chuckled with bashfulness, "yeah? Wow, no one has ever told me that before, thank you." He paused, "hey uh… would you like to go somewhere with me right now?" He decided to take a chance but he would know that if she turned him down, then his perception of how things had been going that evening were extremely off base.
"Where?" She wondered, a half-smile danced upon her lips.
"Just a little city secret that I only share with the best — it's a dessert bar, I thought maybe we could have another drink and have a dessert that might actually feel satisfying rather than that pathetic excuse they served after our mains tonight…"
Olivia thought for a moment, she was intrigued by this tall gentleman that still held her hand firmly within his. She hadn't at all expected the night to go this well, but she wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to be treated like a lady.
People assumed because Olivia Benson was a bad-ass tough-woman captain of the NYPD SVU that she didn't want for certain things — like romance or chivalry or any form of tradition, but really, the idea of romance excited her and chivalry was like catnip to her — she didn't see it very often, but when she did, it set off something within her and she welcomed it like a familiar old friend.
"Okay, sure…" she replied, "why not?"
"Great, it's not too far away…" he was relieved and pleased and took it as a good sign that she didn't want the night to end yet. It wasn't particularly late, only about 10:30.
He could feel her slowing down, he glanced down and noticed her steps had become smaller and realised that her shoes were hurting her feet. "Olivia, are you okay? Are your shoes giving you pain?"
"Its okay," she answered, "what is a woman without uncomfortable and ridiculous footwear?," she joked.
"I promise it's not far and after we'll take a cab back to drop you off home so you don't have to walk," he didn't want to see her in discomfort despite how nice it was to walk and talk. With his opposite arm, he took her hand and guided her to link her arm within his. "Put your weight on me if that helps," he suggested. And she did, he felt her pushing her weight in to him and he couldn't help but to smile, enjoying their closeness.
"So, I know we said no shop-talk, but how is it now that you've moved away from public defence?," Olivia wanted to know, trying to remain nonchalant as she wrapped her other arm around his. He didn't flinch, he didn't seem to mind and she appreciated his kindness and closeness. She wasn't lying when she said he smelled good either; he smelled so good that it felt almost intoxicating to her senses and it made her want to stay close to him.
"It's different, but I am not going to lie to you — it's a lot less stress for me to be working on matters that are closer to my heart," he replied, "it's a nice transition in to retirement too, I will probably keep doing this for another five or so years and then see what happens," he added with a shrug.
"You seem lighter too, less intense if you don't mind me saying so," she stated, glancing up at him, letting her eyes wander over the beautiful angles of his face. He was a sight to look at with his well-chiseled featured and those eyes…
"I feel it, public defence caused me so much stress and so much soul-searching and guilt, it just all came to a head and then one day Ava looked at me and was like, 'Daddy, why do you always stand up for the bad guy?' And …" he paused, "I had no answer for that and I knew it was time…"
Olivia found herself nodding with understanding.
"I just want her to be proud of what her dad does, you know?," he asked looking down at her as her body felt warm, leaning in to his.
She was hanging off his every word and he realised that he had captivated her, she was listening attentively as if his small talk was actually interesting. He felt excited by the attention, happy that the date was coming around better than he could have hoped for.
"No disrespect, but I couldn't have done your job and it's not to say that I didn't think you were very good at what you did but … too many bad people to deal with and I couldn't really ever reconcile my brain with that," she replied thoughtfully.
Trevor was silent for a moment, thinking about how he wanted to respond. "Hmm," he hummed, "I suppose I had to get myself in a headspace where I was looking at it matter-of-factly, everybody deserves their day in court and there are times where things have been unjustly treated or falsely jailed so the due process is imperative — that was my job, guilty or not, but you get to a point and you just start feeling your conscience goading at you."
"I understand that you had a job to do. We all have to do the right thing, it just sucks sometimes when you know what someone has done and we're the ones who deal with the ongoing ramifications of what the victims have endured, it makes it tough to want someone to see their day in court," she said.
"Down here," he nodded down a small, well-lit alley.
"Really?," she asked with a laugh, "Trevor what kind of a place is this?," she laughed.
He chuckled, "Please, trust me, it's a great place."
She eyed him for a second, letting their stare linger for a moment longer than necessary.
Together they walked down a short stoop, Trevor holding out his hand to assist her. He pushed the door open and gestured for her to step in to the moody lighting of the three-decade-old dessert bar.
It was bigger than it appeared from the outside and Olivia looked around to find a dozen or so booths, only a few taken up by patrons. There was soft music playing and it was certainly cosy and also a little bit romantic. She felt a fluttering in her stomach at the realisation that he obviously liked her enough to take their date to that next level.
It was now less like a favour to him and more of a pleasure.
The pleasure was all hers, she thought as she let him lead the way, speaking to a waitress who took them to a booth. As chivalrous as always, he placed his hand on the small of her back and gestured for her to slide in to one side of the booth. She thanked him and sat down, shimmying over. She was so relieved to be off of her feet.
He clamoured over whether or not to sit beside her or across from her for a moment. He made up his mind quickly and slid in beside her. She was surprised but not bothered by it. She was pleased, actually, she couldn't get enough of the smell of him; masculine, clean and just a little earthy like cedar and spice.
"Could I get you both a drink to start?" The waitress asked looking back and forth between the couple.
Trevor looked to Olivia, "would you like a minute to look at the drinks menu?," he asked, not wanting to rush her.
"No," she shrugged, glancing down at it in front of her before looking back up at the waitress, "I'll have a scotch on the rocks, thanks," she flashed her a smile.
Trevor was surprised but a little chuffed that she liked what he really felt was his signature drink. "Make that two," he added, "and we'll have a few minutes to decide what we want to order to eat."
"Sure thing, the drinks won't be far away," she replied.
"You're right…" Olivia announced as soon as the waitress left them, "this is really nice, thanks for this, I love dessert," she chuckled in spite of how stupid it sounded.
"Thanks for coming, I've had a really nice time with you, Liv."
"Me too," she replied, "its nice to get to talk to you outside of the workplace situation and get to know you a little better," she said carefully; she felt a little shy around him without the distraction of a room full of people. He gave her butterflies in her stomach from the way his eyes surveyed her so closely; it was enough to make her feel nauseous.
"It is nice," he let a smile pass over his face. His stare lingered and she liked it, she stared back at him, letting her eyes drown within his. Maybe she was overstating it, but there really was something there between them, she could feel it. "You're good company."
She didn't know how to respond but she could feel her cheeks heating up and she knew that she had to look away.
"You are too," she murmured.
"Is this…" he paused, "is this awkward?," he wondered, "because I feel very self-aware and uncool right now," he admitted.
Olivia looked back at him and finally laughed, feeling the tension leave her. "Yeah, a little…" she watch him rest his hand on the tabletop again and decided to just go for it, to help him out a little. She took his hand, turning it over so that his palm was open. Slowly she slid her fingers between his until once again, she felt him closing her hand in to his grasp. "Sorry, I just… really wanted to hold your hand again," she told him.
Trevor felt something alight inside of him, happy wasn't word enough for it, thrilled by her show of affection. "Don't be sorry…" he murmured. "I'm just really out of practice, but… this," he lifted their entwined hands and nodded at them, "is nice."
She felt gooey on the inside and realised it wasn't a feeling she'd had in a long time so she was taking it for what it was at face value.
"Do you think we should order?" Olivia asked, "or at least pick something to eat?"
"Sure of course, have whatever you want, its my treat…" he told her.
"No, you don't have to do that," she smiled, "you've already treated me to such a wonderful evening."
He shrugged, "No way, I brought you here, I am paying… anyway," he changed the subject, "you're going to want to try a few things, probably."
"Am I?" She smirked at him, lifting an eyebrow and he realised she took it as a double meaning. '
He chuckled, his neck heated up, "mmm maybe," he flirted with her, his small dazzling smile made her knees feel a little weak and her heart beat quicken.
"Well…" she responded, "I certainly love to try new things…" her voice lingered along with her gaze and they both realised they were no longer talking about food. He stared at her for a moment willing himself to take the bait, to throw caution to the wind.
"Do you?," he questioned softly, his voice, a deep hum as his eyes trailed over her face, settling upon those beautiful, full lips that still had traces of lipstick on them.
"Yes…" she nodded slowly. She willed him to kiss her; to make the first move because she knew that she would never be comfortable or forward enough to initiate the first kiss herself. She wanted Trevor to be a gentleman but that also meant for him to take charge of the situation.
She loved being asked on a date but she would have loved if he started to show more of his romantic side. Though, she didn't entirely blame him, she could see that he was riddled with nerves and it made he feel just that little bit more attracted to him.
He glanced down at their hands still entwined before looking back at her and giving her his best smile. "Olivia Benson, I don't know quite what to make of that, I am kind of …" he paused, "wanting to kiss you…"
A slight smile danced upon her soft lips as though it was music to her ears. "I'd like that…"
He let go of her hand and cupped her cheek. She could help but to lean in to it, to feel the thrill of his hands on her face surge through her body. He leaned in too, and pressed his lips against hers and let his eyes fall closed. It had been so long; too long, he had almost forgotten how good it felt to have a set of soft pillowy lips aligning with his and making him feel things in the pit of his stomach, in the back of his brain and in the front of his pants.
It was brief and sweet.
Trevor pulled away. He knew he wanted to kiss her again, but he would wait a little longer, he would kiss her properly next time, he would use his tongue and gauge her reaction and he would be more affectionate because he realised that they wanted the same things and it pleased him to no end.
He saw Olivia slowly open her eyes, savouring their moment. She smiled a broad, tight-lipped smile at him, her doe-eyes were expectant and pleased and entirely adoring which he chose not to take lightly.
The awkward romantic tension in the air sent her attention immediately to the menu to collect her bearings.
"What's your favourite dessert?" Trevor asked curiously.
"Lemon meringue pie," she replied without flinching. "What about you?"
"Creme Brûlée, do you want to order one of each and split it?," he asked curiously.
"Sure," Olivia agreed with a smile. She was excited to eat with him, excited by what the rest of the night would bring. "That sounds good…"
The waitress arrived a few moments later with their respective drinks and Trevor took the liberty of ordering for them both and she had to admit that she loved that he took charge.
She took a big mouthful of her scotch just to absorb a little liquid courage because her nerves were getting the best of her. She knew that this man in front of her had had a crush on her for quite some time but neither were good at this anymore; both out of practice and out of touch with dating and initiating anything other than friendship.
She did not want Trevor Langan to friend zone her nor did she want him to think that she didn't hold the same interest in him as he did for her.
"Whoa, Liv," he laughed, "that will burn your throat…"
And it did but she enjoyed the burn of the liquor and just smiled at him. She shrugged, "I need to calm my nerves after that kiss…"
He smiled, "Why? Was it that bad?"
"Nooo.." She placed her drink down on the coaster and turned back to him, "I'm going to be honest, Trevor, you make me very nervous."
He laughed but realised that she wasn't kidding about. "Really? Why? I don't want to make you nervous…"
"I don't know… you're so handsome and that kiss made me feel nervous, like…" she looked in to her glass for the answers, "like I don't want to fuck up this date," she admitted.
The smile faded from his mouth and he looked at her seriously. "Olivia Benson, you are a beautiful enigma, if any one of us should feel nervous it should be me."
She laughed. She held on to her glass with both hands a little regretful that the brief kiss that they shared had been enough for him to let go. "You have nothing to be worried about Trevor, you're incredibly handsome, successful, kind — remember you have many eligible women in your wake, like Melody, for instance," she teased, nudging him in the side.
"OI'm sitting beside the only eligible woman that I want to spend my company with," he replied, ignoring her joke and finding it hard to believe that she was letting her vulnerability shine. "I love a strong, independent woman who works hard and believes in something bigger than herself — that's incredibly sexy to me."
"Oh yeah?," she posed it as though it was a question and Trevor thought of how sweet it was that her cheeks flushed a shade of rose pink at his bold statement.
He nodded and realised that he wasn't alone in his feelings between them. Her eyes swept over his tall frame and settled upon his eyes; there was a quiet and comfortable gaze for a moment before he reached up and caressed those beautiful dark curls that caught some shades of gold in the low light of the restaurant.
Olivia kept very still, feeling his fingers disappear within her hair, his forefingers brushed ever-so-slightly over the shell of her ear and it took everything within her not to visibly shiver at what felt to be such an intimate touch.
She couldn't remember the last time a man had shown her affection.
The whole time his gaze lingered, he was looking for protest, for something in her eyes to tell him that she wasn't in to it, but she only seemed to lean in to him. She lifted her arm, letting her hand rest upon his shoulder finding her way to his thick neck, letting her thumb swipe across his chiseled jawline.
Trevor relished the feeling of her soft touch against his slightly bristled skin. "Mmmmm…" he couldn't help but hum, "that feels nice," he admitted; his eyes were intense and he continued to stroke her hair. "Anyone ever tell you that you have the most beautiful hair?," he wondered.
She shook her head, "nope…" her head was full with desire of all the ways she wished that he would touch her. She imagined being in bed with him, his hands buried in her hair beneath the pillow as he made love to her.
It was almost too much, she needed to slow things down — but, it had been awhile, she could do nothing about her mind skipping to that.
"Well, now you've been told…" he replied. He leaned over her a little, getting closer, wanting to close the distance between them to kiss her again, this time after reading the vibe she was giving off, he wanted to kiss her properly to take her nerves away; to stop her from second guessing what the energy bouncing back and forth between them.
Olivia felt his mouth on hers, resting his lips upon hers. She kissed him back and let her hand fall from his face down his shoulder until she slid it around his chest, pulling him closer and turning her body toward him. She felt his hand slipping down her back, his touch was firm, pulling her close. She closed her eyes and welcomed his tongue in her mouth. She sighed softly as his hands searched her gently— one arm wrapped around her and the other resting on her outer thigh as his tongue danced against hers in a rhythmic pattern to music that only they could hear.
Olivia's heart sped up and she felt a little overcome with feeling - he squeezed her thigh lightly which immediately turned her skin to goose flesh. She wanted more of him; she craved him and she knew as he kissed her back hungrily that he felt the same.
She began to wonder how she could invite him back to her place without waking Noah or alerting Lucy to her male company. She sighed softly again, feeling his lips press together, breaking off their kiss with only the heat emanating from both of their bodies.
Trevor couldn't deny how much of a turn on it was to hear her sigh or the tiny little whimper that he heard her expel from the back of her throat when he squeezed her thigh.
"That was a good kiss," he appraised her with a little laugh, "easily would kiss you again and again," he added.
She laughed, "me too, 10/10…"
Their dessert arrived and looked amazing. Olivia was excited about her dessert and the man beside her who smelled so good that she could barely stand it.
"Ooh yours looks good too," she remarked, her eyes drawn to the creme brûlée.
"We can share if you like," he offered, "I don't mind if you don't mind…" he was so sweet and she loved that he got himself ready to eat. He loosened his tie just slightly and folded his sleeves up so that he was showing the skin of his forearms. She stared shamelessly at his broad arms, only slightly covered in hair.
"I don't mind," she replied.
He handed her a spoon and put a plate of lemon meringue pie in front of her. "Ladies first…." He motioned for her to take the first bite.
She scooped her spoon in to the decadent slice from the plate and spooned it in to her mouth. It was divine, the meringue was perfect, the lemon was just on the cusp of tart with the base and the sugar and egg mixture cutting right through the sourness of the citrus. "Oh my goodness, its so good…" she breathed in sheer delight.
Trevor grinned at her, a little turned on by just how much sheer joy the dessert brought her. He spooned some of the creme brûlée in to his own mouth and let his eyes fall closed. He fell back dramatically in to the booth, "someone revive me, I think I've died and gone to heaven…" he joked.
Olivia laughed. "Will a kiss do?"
"Mmm yeah, I think a kiss could do the trick," he flirted with her.
She sat up straight and Trevor leaned over to oblige her, enjoying the sweetness of the moment between them as her lips pressed against him, the taste of lemon transferring to his own mouth, tasting sweet and tart at the same time.
"Yeah, I could get used to this…" he nodded with a laugh, "dessert and kisses from a beautiful woman."
She couldn't wipe the smile from her face.
He scooped some more creme brûlée and held it up, "want?," he offered.
"Sure," she replied about to motion to take the spoon but she saw him coming at her with it. It wasn't something she was entirely comfortable with, being fed by a man — nothing anyone had tried with her, but she leaned in to his gesture anyway. She opened her mouth and let him insert the spoon in to her second it touched her tongue she knew that it was good. He slowly pulled the spoon from her mouth as she let out a moan. "Ohhh my goodness that is good!," she exclaimed.
Trevor's pants tightened at the sound of the soft, throaty noise emanating from her. "Yeah?," he smiled, glad that they both had desserts that they enjoyed.
"Yeah, want to try some of mine?" She wondered.
"Absolutely…" she did the same, took a spoonful of lemon meringue and held it out for him. He leaned forward and took the mouthful, letting her feed him, taking great pleasure in it. It was fun and flirty and a little bit sweet.
"Its so good, right?," she asked him.
"It's amazing," he agreed, "you know, I make a great lemon meringue."
"Oh really?," she replied as though she didn't believe him for one second. "Better than this?," she wondered.
He chuckled, "Nah, probably not this good, but… maybe if you would agree to another date with me, I could make it for you and you could be the judge."
"You don't have to bribe me with another dessert to go on a second date with you, Trevor," she replied with a little laugh. "I would say yes to a second date if you asked — with or without the lemon meringue."
"Well — that is very, very good to know because all night I was thinking about how I would ask you out again in an organic way… I was worried that the gala was a little stuffy and boring."
"It wasn't Trevor," she told him sincerely, "it was really nice to see what you're up to you, honestly, I admire what you're doing and I support it whole-heartedly, I was honoured that you thought of me."
"Of course I thought of you. You were the first adoption that I ever helped with and I saw what a difference Noah made to your life, it's really what started the ball rolling for this whole thing," he admitted, "there is no-one else that I would have thought to invite."
"You really did help change my life and it was what I wanted more than anything in the world. I don't think I ever really sincerely thanked you for that."
He shrugged, "seeing you happy all of these years is thanks enough," he replied.
Olivia was feeling a little sentimental. It was the beginning of their friendship — or at least the turning point from foes to friends.
"Well, thank you for everything you did back then, I know at times I was probably a bit rude or bitchy to you."
Trevor just laughed, "stakes were high, you had a lot of emotions invested and I understood that and I never took it personal."
The both dug at their dessert as the spoke. They were slightly facing each other, their knees knocking together. Every now and then they helped themselves to each other's plate. It was nice and strangely intimate.
"So… what's life been like since Elliot's been back?"
He felt her tense but she quickly relaxed. "Honestly?," she asked, glancing at him, "it's messy and I just don't have the energy for it anymore. It's been over a year and I've tried to help, I've offered a lot of myself to try to help him heal and … it's just met with…" she thought about her words carefully before shrugging, "just borderline cruelty and I had to draw a line in the sand."
Trevor nodded slowly. He thought about how his next question might sound. "Everyone was hopeful that you may have gotten together," he remarked, trying to gauge where it was at between the once-partners.
Olivia scoffed. "There's just a lot to unpack there and… probably too much. I don't know that I can get over his leaving, but not just that — there was this whole thing with a letter that was kind of mean and cruel and then apparently he didn't write it, but still gave it to me anyway—" she shook her head, "I dunno Trevor, it's too messy and I don't want messy for Noah."
He drew in a deep breath. "I guess what I'm asking is that if you and I go on a few dates, I don't want to end up competing for your feelings with someone else."
Olivia glanced at him and smiled gently, "I like you. I would love to go on a second date and see where it all leads…"
"Great, then it's a date," he smiled. He was sure that he could treat her better than Elliot and he was sure that she liked him, she liked that he was direct and that he treated her respectfully and gently.
"Perfect," she replied as she finished off the last mouthful of her lemon meringue. She pushed the empty plate away and took a sip of her drink.
"Did you want something else?," he wondered, not wanting their night to end.
"No… that was a perfect dessert, thank you so much," she replied.
"You are very welcome, love," he replied and she loved the affectionate name that seemed to roll right off of his tongue.
He sipped his scotch and moved in closer to Olivia so that their thighs were touching. "How tired are you? On a scale of one-to-ten?," he wanted to know.
"I don't know… maybe about a 5."
"I know how this is going to sound but it's not that, I was just wondering if you'd like to come back to my apartment and have a nightcap?"
Olivia desperately didn't want their night to end. She wanted to talk to him more; she wanted to get to know him and learn about his life. "What about Ava?"
"I'm sure Ava will be fine; that's why I'm being honest with you, I'm not asking you to my apartment for anything with an ulterior motive. I am just having a really nice time with you and I don't want it to end."
"Me too," she agreed, "let me text my babysitter and see if she needs to go…"
She took her phone from her gold purse that was laying on the table and Trevor waited with baited breath. He smiled to see a photo of Noah saved as her phone's wallpaper. It was an official baseball team photo and her son smiled sweetly back at the both of them. Olivia opened up her messages and texted her babysitter.
"I may be a little late, do you need to go at a particular time tonight or are you free to stay? How's my boy been?"
She set the phone down face up and looked at Trevor, "Wait, are you 100% sure Ava will be okay with you bringing me home for a drink?," she asked, "I don't want her to hate me before she even knows me."
"She'll be fine, I promise. She will probably just be happy that she won't have to talk to me," he joked.
"Will her Mom be okay with it?" Olivia pressed, she desperately didn't want to upset anyone and started to reconsider her options.
"Her mother is in California trying to get her new business off the ground and Ava is too much for her to deal with currently, so she's with me until at least the end of summer so as far as I'm concerned, her mother doesn't get to have an opinion."
"Oh…" Liv replied. It sounded a little messy and she felt for his daughter in that moment. Interrupting her thought was a reply to her text. Olivia picked it up and opened the message.
"Enjoy your night, Liv, I'm all yours til whenever you get home if it's by midnight or even if it's 8am tomorrow, you deserve it and as usual Noah is the best. He told me he was tired at 10 and took himself to bed like a little grown up. Have a great time."
"My babysitter is a dream come true," she remarked replying with a thank you and popping her phone away.
"That's great," he smiled. "Whenever you're ready, we'll go. I'll order a cab so you don't have to walk in your shoes."
"I mean, I can manage," she insisted.
"Are you kidding? No way, it's the least I can do. I don't want your feet to end up blistered. I'll feel terribly guilty for that."
"Probably too late," Olivia replied with a laugh.
He winced, definitely feeling guilty for making her walk as far as they had without regard for how her shoes were causing her pain. "We are definitely getting a cab," he assured her. He excused himself to use the bathroom.
Olivia sighed heavily with contentedness and let herself fall back against the booth. She closed her eyes for a second and enjoyed the stillness and thought about how well the date was going; how charming Trevor was and how nervous he had been. Despite his nerves, he had still taken the reins when he realised that she, too, was nervous.
He was her perfect idea of a gentleman and not a single look, comment, remark or gesture had made her flinch or feel bad and she loved that. He made her feel comfortable and his touch; his touch was something else entirely.
She wondered what it would be like to feel his large hands all over her — she would bet that his touch would be just as soft, gentle and sensual. She would bet that no woman had ever left his bedroom unsatisfied.
Her thoughts were interrupted when he reappeared, slotting his wallet back in to his back pocket. "Are you ready to go?" He wondered, standing at the foot of the table.
"Sure," she smiled.
He extended his hand and helped her up and out of the booth. He moved straight toward the exit. "Wait, don't you want to pay?," she asked, thinking maybe he was on a one-track-mind straight to his apartment.
He smiled, "I've already settled the check," he replied.
"Thank you," she said gratefully, "thank you for dessert, it was an … experience."
He laughed lightly, picking up on her double meaning.
They got back out on to the sidewalk and he took her arm again, linking it with his, understanding from her stilted gait that she was definitely in some pain. He saw a cab hailed for its attention and felt relieved when the driver pulled over close to the curb.
He opened the backdoor for Olivia and helped her in. She was relieved to not have to walk anymore. Trevor slipped in beside her and gave the driver directions to his apartment and Olivia was surprised to find out that it wasn't much further away than hers.
/
Trevor paid the driver and helped Olivia from the car and through the lobby of his apartment. It was a nice place she could tell by the lobby and the elevator up to the 13th floor. "You can take your heels off," he told her as soon as he opened up his front door. "Hopefully the tiles will give your feet some relief."
She slipped them off and left them at the door. "Oh my goodness…" she breathed, the ball of her foot felt unfamiliar from wearing her heels all night. The cold tiles did feel relieving.
Trevor waited for a second and took her hand, "Are you alright? It was that bad?" He wondered.
"Yeah, they were pretty painful," she admitted.
"Daddddd?," he heard his daughter calling loudly from the family room. "Dad is that you?"
"Yes Ava, stop yelling please!," he called back.
He heard heavy footsteps and felt Olivia drop his hand.
There she was, Trevor Langan's daughter looking just like an older and more grown-up version of the little girl she had met a few times over the years. She seemed surprised to see Olivia. The girl had shot up, was tall, almost as tall as Olivia and had long flowing blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and the same angled features that made her look delicate instead of harsh.
"Hi honey," he greeted her, "this is Olivia, you have both met before, do you remember her?"
"Hi Ava," she gave the young girl a smile.
Ava appraised Olivia carefully before nodding. "Yeah, I remember, you're the police officer, I didn't know you were dating my Dad," she glanced back at her father for a reaction.
Trevor hesitated, "Olivia attended the gala with me tonight," he explained. "Where's Casi?," he wanted to know.
"I told her she could go home so I could have a wild party while you were out, lucky for me they all went home right before you showed up." Despite her joke, Ava's tone was entirely humourless.
"Ha," Trevor replied, matching her dry-wit, "you're hilarious, but seriously, where is she?"
"I'm here!" Casi called boasting a very strong French accent. She came to greet them. Trevor smiled and Olivia stood feeling a little awkward, wishing that she had just gone home. "Ava, stop stirring up your Dad," Casi admonished the teen, placing her hands on her shoulders. "We had a girls night and watched movies, didn't we?," the nanny asked Ava.
Ava rolled her eyes and glanced at Olivia as if she was annoyed by the nanny's presence. "Yeah, it was so much fun," Ava replied with forced enthusiasm.
Casi didn't seem to notice. "Thanks for coming, Casi, I appreciate it and so does Ava," he said graciously despite knowing that Ava didn't care for needing a nanny anymore. Casi grabbed her coat and shimmied past everyone. "No problem, I'll see you guys next time, bye Ava!," she waved.
Trevor liked that their French nanny wasn't one for sticking around and waiting for a long drawn out goodbye. She was efficient and to the point and did the job that she was paid to do. She didn't force herself on Ava or try so hard to be liked and it suited everyone just fine.
"So, not a fan of the nanny?" Olivia asked Ava as Trevor guided them in to the kitchen and dining area.
"She's annoying and I hate her accent," Ava replied. "Every sentence she begins is Back in Paris…"
Olivia didn't bother hiding her smile as she leaned on the kitchen counter. Trevor was grimacing. He took two glasses out of the cupboard and turned to Olivia, "vodka, whisky, gin or scotch?"
She smiled, "Mmmm gin, let's go with some gin," she nodded.
Trevor smiled. "And Ava, stop being mean to Casi, she's lovely and I like you getting in that French practice," he added. He motioned for Olivia to take a seat at the breakfast bar. She pulled a stool out and Olivia wondered if his daughter was going to stick around.
She didn't mind and could tell the young girl was curious as to the relationship between them.
"How come you went to the gala with my dad? Did he commit a hideous fashion crime with that awful purple tie?," she asked smartly.
"Ava-" Trevor warned her.
Olivia shrugged, "I dunno, I like the tie," she smiled back at the girl. "I went with your Dad because he helped me with my son a long time back and it was nice to support him on his big night. Your Dad is a pretty impressive guy, I hope you know."
Ava looked at Trevor as though she was considering Olivia's words.
"See, honey?," he smiled at her, "you're the only one that hates me."
"I don't hate you!," she shot back quickly, offended. "Why would you think I hate you? You're my Dad! I love you!"
A smile spread across Trevor's face and Olivia realised he wasn't used to hearing his daughter blurt that out. He shrugged, "Well, that's lovely to hear but you did tell me you hated me this afternoon."
His daughter looked sheepish. "I was just mad because I didn't want Casi to come over."
"I know, but I still think that during the night when I'm going to be late, Casi should be here because I don't want to have to worry about you the whole time. Just for a little while longer and then we can talk…"
"Whatever…" his daughter muttered and Olivia couldn't help but to watch the sweet dynamic between them.
"Did you want a drink too, sweetheart?," he asked his daughter.
"Yeah, give me a gin, I'll take it like Olivia's," she replied unflinching.
Olivia couldn't help but to laugh. Trevor exchanged looks with her and shook his head and gave a roll of his eyes. "Again, you're hilarious. What would you like to drink?," he asked.
"Nothing, I'm gonna go to bed, I'm tired and I've got practice in the morning."
"Okay," Trevor agreed, "do you need me to take you?"
"Mmmm yeah maybe, is that okay?," she asked, "you don't have to stay if you don't want, Mom doesn't."
"Its okay," he shrugged, "I'll take you and wait, I don't mind." He circled the kitchen counter and kissed his daughter on the crown of her head. "Goodnight honey, I love you too, by the way."
Ava smiled and waved to Olivia, "be good, both of you! I'll know, Dad…" she teased him and made her way upstairs.
"I'll bet…" he called after her.
He turned to Olivia and handed her a crystal glass full of gin and soda with a little wedge of lime. "I hope this is okay," he smiled.
"Thanks…" she took the glass and he took his whisky.
"Let's go take a seat somewhere a little more comfortable?," he offered sweetly.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," she replied. She followed him past the living room and in to another lounge area that she figured was his own retreat. There was a large desk on one side of the room that she imagined he would use to work on his cases at night. He looked like the kind of man who would take his work home with him at times.
There was also a huge couch and a mounted TV in front of it. It looked comfortable and after standing most of the night save for their dessert date, she couldn't wait to rest somewhere comfortable. She was probably getting a little too old for such late nights.
"Make yourself comfortable, please…" he motioned for her to take a seat on the couch and pulled the bi-fold doors ajar for some privacy. She sank down in to the large tan-coloured couch. It was overstuffed and incredibly comfortable.
"This is nice…" she commented, resting her head back and closing her eyes for a moment.
He smiled and took a seat beside her. "How are your little feet going?," he asked curiously, glancing down at them peeking out from beneath her long dress.
"Recovering…" she replied with a smile; she took a sip of her gin and set it down on the coffee table that matched the colour of his mahogany desk. He took a sip of his own drink and put it on the coaster beside hers.
"Here… show me…" he nodded at her feet.
"Oh," she chuckled, "no, its okay…"
"No, come on…" he insisted, "show me…"
"You're not one of those weird guys with a foot fetish are you?," she wondered with a little bit of a laugh.
"No, I just…" he shrugged, "I'm trying to be a gentleman. Don't resist," he flashed her a little grin.
Olivia laughed and relented. He leaned over and lifted her ankles from the floor and rested them in his lap. Her toe-nails were painted a deep red colour and he couldn't help but be glad that her feet were cute. He wasn't sure he would have been able to lay his hands on them otherwise.
"Are you ticklish?," he wondered.
"Not particularly, but maybe don't try, I may end up kicking you, it's really up to you whether or not you want to risk it," she grinned at him.
They both laughed. Olivia adjusted her position so that she was leaning in to the corner of the couch against a cushion. She couldn't help but to feel turned on by his lingering touch on her ankles smoothing their way down to her feet. He held her foot firmly and pushed his thumb in to the ball of her heel where her toes met her the sole.
She groaned with pleasure, "that feels too good, Trev," she told him, "honestly, you should stop…"
He chuckled and tried to act like it was nothing but actually, her groan made his member twitch within his pants, his mind went to other ways that he could make her replicate that same sound. She seemed in a blissful state; her eyes closed as he firmly kneaded the sole of her left foot bringing some relief to the pain that she felt from walking around in the expensive Louboutins all night long.
"So your daughter… she really loves to pull your strings," Olivia remarked, "she's got a good sense of humour, I can tell."
Trevor chuckled, "yeah, but that was nice right, her blurting out that she loved me? She hasn't said that in a long time!"
Olivia's smile grew, "Yeah, she seemed genuinely upset that you thought that she hated you, I loved that, it was really sweet."
"It's been an adjustment having her here full time. I know she hates having a nanny at 14, but I really just don't know what else to do. She's in that strange in-between age."
"I know, I think it's a good idea to have someone here for her — even if the nanny doesn't force her to do activities but just stays in case she needs something, that might be a better idea…" Olivia suggested. "How long has this arrangement been in place?"
"Just three weeks. I mean, we've always shared custody, but she's not seeing her Mom at all and I would imagine that's really hard on her," he admitted to Olivia begrudgingly.
"Wow, yeah… is her Mom still in constant contact with her?," she asked.
"Yeah more or less. I think Ava feels a little rejected and abandoned, I don't really know how to approach that with her which is why I think she's been a bit harsh with me, she's just angry."
Trevor began to work on her other foot as they discussed his daughter. Olivia reached for her drink and held it in her hands as he spoke about Ava and shared his concerns. She loved that they could relate on a parental level and he wasn't afraid of sharing his misgivings and fatherly guilt.
"You're a good Dad, Trevor, I am sure Ava knows that."
He smiled wryly. "I hope so."
She felt his hands lingering over her ankles up to her calf muscles, stroking her legs thoughtfully. "What do you do when Noah starts taking things out on you when it's not your fault?"
"Mmm," she thought, trying not to get distracted by his fingertips causing goosebumps upon her calf muscles. "We've had the Dad talk a few times and he gets upset with me because I'm not ready to give him answers, but I promised him I will always be honest with him as soon as I think he is old enough, but for now he needs to know that families are not always Mom and Dad and siblings…"
"That must be hard though, right?"
She nodded. "He already knows he is adopted, with that whole mess with Sheila Porter, I thought I should tell him and he was totally fine with it… it was an easier conversation than I expected," she looked in to her drink and thought about how sweet her son had been, thanking her for picking him to be her son.
Trevor watched her smile slightly, drifting off for a moment. He loved the softer side of Olivia; the one he wasn't sure existed. He was happily surprised for the sweetness she showed, for the absence of tension in her face when she wasn't on the clock anymore. She finally looked back up at him, "With Ava, do you think she misses her Mom?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "she misses her Mom and I'm still mad at her mother for deciding she had to build her business across the country — like how is that good for our daughter? I kind of think she wanted to break free and shirk her responsibilities for awhile — maybe there's a new man or something," he shrugged. "Every time she misses Ava's calls or each time she calls me to rant at me for something I've done wrong, I just want to snap on her."
"That's really tough…"
He nodded, "And I didn't realise how loaded with extra-curricular activities this kid is — like, when does she actually get a bit of time to just be a kid?," he wondered. "She has band practice, swimming practice, she has French lessons, dance and all this extra stuff and I'm just like…" he threw up his hands as if he was exasperated, "if she had a party while I was out tonight, I'd almost be relieved because at least then I'd know she was adjusting in to a normal teenager."
"If you ever need help with anything, I'm here… even if it's someone for her to talk to about things she might not want to talk to you about."
Trevor smiled, "Thanks Olivia, sorry, I kind of just ranted at you."
"No," she shook her head seriously. "Please never apologise, being a parent is a really tough gig like we said earlier, its nice to be able to talk to someone else who gets it."
She enjoyed him stroking her calves and her ankles absently as his eyes searched her, enjoying her company more than he ever expected that he might.
"Are you working tomorrow?," he asked.
"Yeah," she replied, "I'm starting at 8."
"Oh," he seemed almost disappointed, "I really don't want this night to end," he smiled regretfully. "I've had such a nice time."
"Its okay," Olivia assured him, "if it's one thing I'm used to," she drew her legs from his lap and sat up properly, "it's staying up late; I think I'm one of those people built for very little sleep."
He chuckled. "Maybe you've just learned to function without much, I bet if someone offered you an entire day to just do nothing except sleep, you'd sleep like a baby."
"Are you offering?" Olivia couldn't help but tease with a flirtatious lift of her perfectly arched brow.
Trevor shrugged and smirked, "Maybe… maybe one day in the future I could call you on a run of days off and be like, 'Hey Liv, how about I come grab Noah and take him with me to one of Ava's dance recitals and then I'll take him and Ava to dinner and you can spend the whole day catching up on sleep."
Olivia couldn't stop the dizzying sensation that she would combust with feeling for him. The idea of Trevor thinking so far in to the future already made her stomach flip-flop and spin around. He was so sweet and he had no idea just how wonderful that sounded.
"Stop, that's just dirty talk…" she remarked.
"Come over here…" he commanded in a soft, low voice, "don't sit so far away."
The invitation was welcomed.
Olivia took a mouthful of her drink before setting it down beside his. He leaned back a little resting in the opposite corner of the couch that she had been in. He opened up his arms and watched her shimmy in to him allowing herself to get comfortable in his arms.
She took a deep breath and let it go; she had some nervousness that she couldn't place; a lifetime of putting herself out there only to repeatedly have her heartbroken. She always promised herself that she wouldn't read too much in to a first date; that she wouldn't catch feelings so soon, but she always did.
She became very aware of his arms around her, pulling her in, securing her, turning his body toward her, and her toward him. He lifted her legs from her knees and pulled them across his own. "That's better," he murmured, "are you comfortable?"
She nodded slowly, hypnotised by the intensity of those beautiful green orbs of his. He leaned in to kiss her, letting his mouth align with hers, softly grazing against her lips, teasing and giving her just a little taste of him. He pulled back slightly causing Olivia to want more. She followed his lead; her own lips, drawing him back against her lips, not wanting him to break it. She ran her fingers through the back of his hair, pulling his head back close again. She probed at his mouth with her tongue, eager and quickly losing her inhibitions.
She wanted those gentle hands all over her, over her chest, over her legs— it had been so long. Her heart raced as he wrapped his arms tight around her, embracing her passionately as he kissed her back, slowing the pace and letting it grow urgent again, pushing her in to the back of the couch.
"Dad, can I-" Olivia pushed Trevor away from her faster than she could blink, almost jumping out of his lap. Ava stood in the doorway, glaring at Trevor who knew it was no use to try to pretend he wasn't making out with his date. "Gross…" Ava crossed her arms and upturned her lips in disgust. "You should have warned me that there would be senior's sex going on in the next room…"
"Ava!" Trevor exclaimed, "don't be crass and that's not what was happening!"
"It might have if I didn't interrupt."
"I assure you," Olivia told the teen, "that is definitely not happening," she swung her legs from Trevor's lap and sat up straight, wishing that the couch would swallow her whole.
"Ava, please," Trevor argued with her, "what do you need?"
"I was just going to ask if I could transfer some money to my bank card for school and the subway," she sighed as if the whole situation was casual, that the idea of seeing her father making out with Olivia was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Yes," he said with a sigh, "yes you can transfer some money but don't go crazy because I'll be checking and if you want me to knock on your door every time I enter, you might do me that same courtesy."
"Oh yeah, right… because it's appropriate for my Dad to making out like a 13 year old boy," she muttered with a little smirk, turning away and heading out.
"For goodness sakes, Ava!," he exclaimed, "Olivia, could you please give me a moment?"
"No, Trev— I'm gonna go-"
"No," he said softly, "please, just — one second, okay?" He seemed so disappointed that she said nothing and watched him follow his daughter out the doorway.
"Ava!," he hissed, "get back here now!" He was furious with his daughter for being so rude to him in front of company. She had almost reached the stairs but he stopped her.
"Ava!, do not test me," he warned her.
The girl whirled around to face him, glaring at him. "I don't want to talk to you right now," she was angry too and he hadn't realised it right away.
He softened first, realising that it may have been confronting for her to have seen him with another woman for the first time since he had split with her mother. "Honey, I'm sorry that you're upset with me for kissing Olivia, but I'm an adult and you have no right to speak to me like that."
"How would you like it if you came in to see me making out with a guy!?," she shot back.
"I wouldn't like it, you're right. I should have discussed Olivia with you before she came back here. Still, I've brought you up better than to be rude to company."
She avoided his eyes.
"We'll talk about this tomorrow," he promised, "Olivia is not staying here tonight and she'll likely want to go home after that outburst from you. You should get to bed, I'll organise your transfer myself before I go to bed."
"Okay," she replied softly.
"Goodnight honey, I love you," he told her.
She said nothing and made her way upstairs.
/
"I'm so sorry, Liv," Trevor apologised.
"No," she smiled and shook her head, "it's my fault too, we should respect that this is your child's house as much as yours and we should've been more careful."
"You're right, I'm so sorry that I put you in that position, Olivia, I hope this doesn't change things…"
She smiled and shook her head. "I just don't want Ava to hate me before she has the chance to get to know me," she blurted out and realised maybe she was thinking way too far ahead, "I mean-"
"I don't want her to dislike you either," he agreed. "I'd be mortified if Noah walked in on us making out, so please know I don't take this lightly."
"I do think that I should go," she smiled at him, "but I've had an incredible night, so thank you Trevor…"
"Let me order you a car and walk you out," he got up and took Olivia's hand.
/
Once out on the sidewalk Trevor wrapped his arms around her, warming her from the cool air. "So, can I call you tomorrow?," he asked.
"Yes," she smiled at him, "I would love that."
He leaned in and kissed her again; brief but soft. She didn't want it to end but could hear her car arriving. "Thanks for such a wonderful night, Trevor." She saw a trace of lipstick smudged upon his cheek and felt amused. She reached up to the handsome, tall man and wiped it with her thumb.
He smiled and leaned in for one last kiss. "Have a wonderful sleep, Liv, text me when you get in, okay? Just so I know you got home okay."
They broke apart and he opened the cab door for her and helped her in. "Next time we go on a date, wear some more comfortable shoes…" he suggested with a cheeky smile.
"Noted," she smiled back. He waved and gently tapped the roof of the cab. "Goodnight…"
He watched her car disappear in to the night. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled long and slow.
