"I shouldn't be laughing." Bette tried to apologize but her smile kept it from having any real effect.
"It's not funny." Olivia protested. "I don't see how my coming down here-"
Bette cut her off- "To tell me that Gregory's acting as mad as a hatter is funny."
"Exactly Bette, that's exactly it." She sank back into her chair, grateful that the outdoor café gave her a reason to keep her sunglasses on.
Her blonde friend waved down the waiter. "Honey, more coffee please." As the waiter carefully filled her mug, Bette leaned back in her chair to study Olivia.
"I guess you just don't see the irony Livy." Bette peaked under the table for a second and ran her eyes over her entire outfit. Shaking her flamboyant pile of curls, she picked up the coffee and blew across the top of it thoughtfully. "Your poster-child status for the neglected wife has suddenly come to an end and you don't know what to do about it."
"How can you tell that?" She asked, fighting between her curiosity and her desire to be annoyed.
"Elaine's coffee is divine." Bette explained as she finished a long sip of coffee. "I have the eye."
"The eye." Olivia repeated mockingly. "All right Bette, what do I look like to 'the eye'?"
"You didn't put any makeup on this morning because you were afraid of smearing it. Your sunglasses cost more then my entire ensemble and even though the morning sun is always bright at Elaine's, you didn't wear them to be health conscious. You pulled your hair back because your hands weren't steady enough to curl it. Your navy suit is too dressy for a meeting with me, but you didn't remember that until you were already out the door. That's why you left your jacket in the car when your driver dropped you off." Bette counted off on her fingers, "Makeup, glasses, hair, suit- what am I missing?"
Olivia started to protest, but Bette pointed at the waffles being placed in front of them. "Patience Livy, take a bite of that and let me finish."
Tapping her thumb to remind herself of the fifth thing jogged Bette's memory. "You wore the suit because he hates it." She ran through her fingers again. "Those are five choices you made this morning. Do you know what they add up to?"
Olivia shook her head, reaching for glass of orange juice. "You are going to tell me aren't you?"
"Gregory scared you yesterday. He did something so totally out of character that he has you terrified. That's why you dragged me out of my bed to meet you for a seven am breakfast." She finished her coffee in a triumphant swig and held it out for the waiter to refill. "Now that I've once again proved my brilliance in the trivial things of life I want you to tell me what he did."
"He asked to kiss me." Olivia admitted softly.
Bette choked half-chewed waffle into her napkin. "He asked?"
"Then he apologized."
"Gregory did what?" Bette clung to her coffee mug, waffle forgotten. "I didn't think he could-"
"He can't apologize." Olivia agreed with a high note creeping into her voice. "Not really apologize." She leaned across the table and dropped her voice to a whisper. "But he meant it. He put this bandage on my hand after I scratched it on his desk. He asked me to stay and talk to him."
"And?"
"And he meant it! He actually wanted just to talk to me." She sat back again, taking off her sunglasses and setting them next to her plate on the glass table. "And when he kissed me something was-"
"You let him kiss you?" Bette butted in.
"No, no I didn't let him. I was asleep when he came home and his kissed me before I could wake up."
"What 'was' about it?"
"I'm not sure." Olivia explained slowly as she tried to think. "I felt something…"
"Something?" Bette asked again. "What kind of something?"
"Something gentle." Olivia finally decided as she took a bite of her waffle. She took the time to swallow it before her epiphany hit her. "My god Bette, he hasn't kissed me like that…"
"For centuries." Bette finished for her, smoothing the front of her vibrant purple blouse. "And you liked it."
"I did not-" Olivia started to protest, but then she had to smile. "I did."
"Most of us only wish men would come home and kiss us awake from our naps." Bette flagged down the waiter for her fourth cup of coffee. As he walked away, she looked at his retreating back and sighed dreamily. "Like that one."
Olivia turned to look at the waiter with a puzzled expression. "That one?"
Bette dropped her fork to her plate and started laughing. "One kiss and you temporarily stop noticing other men. If all men had Gregory's powers I might still be married."
"What his game Bette? What does he want from me?"
Bette took several bites of her waffle before she bothered to reply at all. "Let's see. He has money. Power. Both of his children are around to control and we both know how fond he is of doing that. Ben said Liberty Corp is looking at its most profitable year ever. You've never been able to keep your hands off of each other, even when you want to kill each other." She gave an exaggerated sigh. "I think, as difficult as it may be to believe, he may still love you and to top it off, he decided he wants to do something with that love."
Olivia took a very slow breath and started to fidget with the bandage on her hand. "He can't- We've done so much to each other."
"You and Gregory may be in the running for cruelest couple of all time, but that doesn't mean you don't-"
"I don't-"
"Still love him." Bette finished for her and reached across the table to pat her hand gently. "Uh-huh. You keep telling yourself that Livy."
The handsome waiter politely interrupted them both. "Are either of you Bette?"
"You'd better believe it." The blonde replied as she smiled up at him. "What can I do for you gorgeous?"
"I've a phone call for you at the desk."
"Hang on for a second kiddo." She assured Olivia as she got up, teasing the waiter as she went. "If he's as good-looking as you are, I'll be a lucky woman."
Bette disappeared into the darkness inside the restaurant. Olivia leaned towards the windows, but the glare kept her from seeing anything. She could hear talking. Bette's flirtatious tone carried across the patio along with her laughter. She returned shortly with a mysterious smile.
"Where's your purse Olivia?"
Surprised, she searched the table and the ground beneath it. "I don't know." She discovered sheepishly.
Bette slid easily back into her chair. "In your mad dash out of the house you left your purse in the bedroom. Gregory was concerned, but then Rose said you were with me. And he knows we always come to Elaine's for breakfast."
"Gregory called you?"
Bette finished the last bite of her waffle and gave Olivia a naughty smirk. "Maybe he didn't want to frighten you."
"Wait a minute, he said actually said concerned?" Olivia echoed with disbelief.
"Sounded like he meant it too." Bette shivered appreciatively. "I have always loved a good romantic comeback."
Olivia ignored her. "Did he call from the office?"
Bette glanced at her watch and clucked her tongue. "No, and it's already 8am. He must be pretty distracted to be running that late." She reached into her purse for her checkbook. "Since you're missing yours, I guess this is on me."
"I'm sorry Bette." Olivia stammered quickly. "I don't know how I could have forgotten."
She patted her friend's shoulder as she headed up to pay. "You can owe me one."
Olivia grabbed her sunglasses as she left the table and followed Bette to the front of the restaurant. "He sounded concerned?"
Bette left the tip in the jar on the counter and winked at the young waiter. "I even believed him."
"What do I say to him Bette?" Olivia caught her hand as they headed out back into the sunshine. "What does he want?"
"He wanted to see if he should drop by with your purse."
"What?" Olivia stopped walking. "He thought he should 'drop by'?"
"I'm half inclined to call him back and have him pick us up." Bette said as she shaded her eyes and looked for the Richards' Mercedes and driver. "Without your cell I don't think we're going to get your driver to bring us home."
"Let's walk."
Bette chuckled. "You're serious?"
"It's a lovely morning after all." Olivia put her sunglasses back on and gave her friend a feeble smile.
Nodding quickly Bette pointed down the street. "I get it. After the hour it will take us to get back up to One Ocean Avenue, your darling hubby will certainly be at work and you won't have to face him."
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about. I'm just suggesting we get some exercise." Olivia started down the mostly empty street.
Bette took a few quick steps to catch up. "Olivia Richards does not walk home from breakfast."
"She's going to today." She answered defiantly.
Shaking her head Bette smiled impishly. "It'll be in that hussy's gossip column. The Queen of Ocean Avenue slumming with the common folk."
"She does not call me that." Olivia argued indignantly.
Still nodding Bette's smile flashed into a grin. "Joanie Hartwell's been calling you that since she started at the paper. Don't you ever read it?"
"No." She said quickly. "And now I'm glad I don't."
"You aren't missing anything. Joanie doesn't know gossip when it comes up and bites her in the tushie."
Olivia laughed lightly. "Didn't you apply when the paper had the opening?"
Shaking her head, Bette thought for a moment. "No, I didn't need the work at the time."
"You'd be good at it." Olivia offered honestly as she let her hair down from its clasp. As Bette watched her, she explained herself. "It's still wet, might as well let the sun do some of the work for me."
"Gregory likes it better down." Bette teased effortlessly. "But that has nothing to do with it."
"I assure you, Gregory is the last thing on my mind."
That broke her friend into a fit of giggles. "If you say so Livy, if you say so."
"Can we please talk about something else?" Olivia begged softly. "Anything else?"
They walked in silence for nearly a block before Bette piped up, "Gregory has the most gorgeous eyes, for a man-eating shark that is, but I still can't get over the coldness of them."
This time Olivia chuckled, "I've never seen him eat anyone."
"Sharks are solitary feeders." Bette explained coolly. "I saw that on the Discovery Channel."
"The proper place of learning after all." Olivia teased and Bette's thoughts hit on a conversational topic.
"Speaking of learning, what's Caitlin planning for fall semester? Another year at good old Sunset College of Liberal Arts?"
Olivia ran her fingers through her hair, spreading it so the sun could dry it on her shoulders. "She's thinking about UCLA. Her grades were excellent last year and she's mentioned going to law school."
"Daddy's footprints?" Bette wondered aloud as they walked past a series of shops just starting to open.
"I wish she wouldn't." Olivia finally settled her hair and shared her concerns. "I don't think she has the stomach for it."
"Not all lawyers are blood-thirsty sharks Olivia." Bette reassured her as she paused to look at a rather gorgeous sequined gown in the window next to her. "I was married to one who was quite respectable."
"Good old Charles."
Bette shook her head one last time at the dress and continued walking. "Not my color."
"It's not bright enough for you." Olivia agreed, watching with interest as group of young women pretended not to be looking at them. "Do you know them?"
After peering around Olivia's shoulder Bette shrugged, "Can't say that I've seen them before." She spent another few moments in nonchalant study of the group. "They look about Sean's age. Maybe they recognized you."
"Bette, stop looking at them. I don't want them to know we've noticed." They stepped up their pace slightly.
Glancing down at her watch, Bette showed it to her companion. "We've only been walking twenty minutes. It's longer then I thought it would take."
"I didn't know my life was the business of the entire town." Olivia replied defensively. "I wish they'd just leave us alone."
"Not with this upcoming show." Bette pointed out as a Mercedes with darkened windows pulled up the curb just ahead of them. "Joanie might even make the third page with this for tomorrow."
Gregory climbed out of the car with a surprisingly pleasant smile. "Hello, I was just on my way out and I thought I'd try to find you and drop your purse off." He crossed quickly to Olivia and paused taken aback by way her untouched hair hung softly about her face. "You look lovely this morning."
He handed her the purse, pausing as their hands touched. "Did you do something special with your hair?"
Gregory's fingers caressed hers gently and she couldn't help wondering why he would notice her hair. Her appearance was nothing more than a status symbol to him, wasn't it? Olivia took the purse and set it over her shoulder as she ignored the compliment. "Thank you. I suppose you're off to work?"
Gregory reached for her arm and folded it into his before she had time to resist. "Not today, I couldn't go to work like this anyway."
He gestured towards his outfit and Bette piped up her agreement. "The interns would be a little confused if their boss showed up in jeans."
Olivia hadn't noticed the jeans, but as Gregory snuggled closer to her she felt the fabric brush against her hand as she touched his hip.
"Whatever you did to your hair smells lovely." He complimented easily as the driver exited the car for his instructions. "I think I'll walk with Olivia for awhile."
Bette saw her way out. "I think I'll beg a ride back to the beach house then. Annie needs a shopping buddy to make sure she leaves herself enough to cover the rent."
Olivia opened her mouth to protest, but Gregory was too quick for her. "By all means Bette, thank you for letting me steal my wife from you."
And then she was trapped. Gregory slipped his arm firmly around her back and waited for her to find the words to say good day to her traitorous friend.
Bette flashed them both a brilliant smile and let the driver escort her to the idling Mercedes. "I'll be seeing you around Livy. Remember you owe me one for breakfast."
She nodded dumbly as Gregory waved off the car. Olivia tried not to think about the warmth of his hand through the thin fabric of her blouse. Gregory leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Now that we've the whole day together, whatever should we do with ourselves?"