Without
saying hello, Olivia answered the phone knowing it was Elliot. "El, is that
you?"
"Olivia…."
"Yea, El you're breakin' up." Olivia warned him.
"Can you hear me now?" he asked.
"Yea….perfect…" she smiled.
"Um,
you're probably wondering why I'm calling...but."
"Keep going."
"….but I just wanted to say thanks."
"Thanks? Thanks for what?" Olivia asked confused.
"For what you said today about um…..being there for me…"
"Elliot what's going on?" she laughed.
"I was so scared about this baby, and God…your voice is so comforting."
"El, do you need to talk?"
"No, no….It's just great to hear your voice and actually talk to someone who understands. Look, I'll see you tomorrow." he replied. Olivia wanted to beg him to stay but knew he had a family, and a different kind of life. They said their goodbyes and she hung up. She leaned her back against the wall and slid down. She was sitting on the bathroom floor with her head resting on her knees. A knock came from the door.
"Olivia, are you alright in there?"
came a voice from the door. Olivia jumped at the familiar voice.
"Yea John just give me a second." she told him. She fixed her blouse and reapplied her eyeliner. She met a weary and impatient Munch when she opened the door.
"You ok?" he asked putting his arm around her waist.
"Just fine" she replied putting on a false smile. "Did Fin leave?" she asked looking around.
"Yea, he needs to get his beauty rest." Munch joked trying to get her to laugh. She just portrayed her fake smile again. "Guess it's just you and me."
"Guess so, was I long?" she asked.
"10, 15 minutes." he replied.
"Wow, sorry." she apologized.
"Don't worry about it. After three wives, I know how long it takes to reapply makeup." he added sarcastically. Olivia blushed in embarrassment and took a sip of her beer.
"Gosh it's hot out." she said. "When will this weather end?"
"You never know. The New York weather is so capricious, you never know if it's going to be hot or cold." Munch replied. For the next few moments neither Olivia or John said anything. Rather sporadically Olivia opened up.
"John…how come you never had kids?"
"Ditto."
"John…"
"Olivia….I told Cassidy once when he asked me the same question, that I wouldn't want to give them the responsibility of me. I've had enough problems with children at work, I wouldn't want the same at home."
"Oh."
"Why?"
"You seem to know a lot about them…" Olivia answered.
"Well, I've been married to three children so I know what to expect…inexperience, no manners, compulsion, immaturity, and so on." he joked.
"I see…" she replied.
"What about you?" he asked.
"John, I'm not married."
"But if you were?"
"I dunno…" she said gazing at the wall. "It would have to be with the right person. Someone who I could trust. You know?" Munch just nodded and again there was a prolonged silence.
"Oh shit, look at the time. I really have to go. I'm sorry John." she apologized.
"You're not going to finish your drink?" he asked.
"Maybe next time. I'll see you tomorrow." she replied.
"Reason number three hundred, sixty five why I don't date anymore. Getting left at the bar." he joked.
"Bye John." she said laughing running out the door. Like always, Olivia walked home unless Elliot offered her a ride. There was a homeless man on one stoop lying next to a bottle of gin. She held her head up trying not to look at him digging her hands in her pockets. She reached her building and quickly ran upstairs. Her apartment was empty, dark, and dull and found loneliness without someone to talk to. Turning on the TV she sat back and closed her eyes listening to the news broadcast. She didn't really know why she rushed out of that bar, she would have been doing nothing anyways. Plus, she felt bad for leaving John all by himself. She was so relaxed and calm that she fell asleep but in the background she could still hear the TV.
It felt like two minutes that she had slept but it was actually three o'clock now. The TV was still on and a rerun of Seinfeld was playing. She got up and tried to stretch the back muscle she had been sleeping on. "Two hours to go." she told herself as she headed to the bedroom. She threw herself down on the bed and was out in a flash.
However, two minutes later Olivia rose her head to the pounding sounds at the door. "What the hell?!" she said as she turned on the light. She tried looking through the peephole to see who it was but she was half asleep and couldn't see through the dark hallway. She opened the door just a bit and looked at the tall figure outside.
"Look man, it's a little early to be selling bibles." she criticized the man who she thought was a religious book seller.
"Hey, Olivia it's me." the man whispered.
"Munch?" she asked wiping her eyes.
"No, it's Elliot." he revealed.
"Oh, oh, come in." she said. Her eyes grew large and now she could see clearly like she was awaken suddenly.
"Sorry, I know it's early but I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?" he asked.
"No, no, I couldn't sleep either." she lied.
"So what's that in your hand?" she asked.
"Oh um, well this is why I came; to show you this." he said. She smiled to let him know to continue. "I'm taking Kathy to Paris. She's always wanted to go and I just want her to be happy. Plus it gets harder to go on planes further into the pregnancy. We're going for ten days. What do you think?" he asked. Olivia seemed shocked at his announcement. Nearly as shocked as when he told her Kathy was pregnant early on in the day. She wanted to give her blessing but jealousy fueled over her.
"That's great!" she falsely exclaimed. "But do you think that this is a good time to go. I mean I've been hearing the Euro isn't that good."
"I'm going to do anything to make her happy. I mean I never knew she was so unhappy with my late nights and never being there for the family until she told me she was pregnant. I just want her to be happy." he replied as he sat down on the couch. She went to the sink and got him a glass of water.
"You did this all today after work?" she asked. He nodded "So when are you leaving?"
"Sunday, but I didn't tell her yet. I told the kids though, they're going to be staying with Kathy's mom." he replied.
"El, that's three days away! She is going to get the fright of her life!" Olivia warned.
"She's going to be….thrilled." he yawned. Olivia handed him the glass of water and he smiled. She went into her room to get her slippers.
"Who's gonna to bring you to the airport?" she asked. She got no response from him and found him snoring with the glass of water in his hands.
"Oh, Elliot." she smiled at him. "You've got an hour." She threw a blanket over him and watched him twist until he was on his back. Olivia tried to go back to bed but watched the clock go from 4:01 to 4:02 and so on. 'Your out of your mind for watching him go insane.' she told himself. 'Or maybe you're the one going insane.'
A/N: Alright, I still have everything planned in my head. R + R if you have any comments questions or suggestions. You know the deal. Thanks for reading!
