Chapter Six: Surprises
The same day, just after Fitz dropped Liv off.
Olivia leaned back against the door, sniffing Fitz jacket. She had only remembered she still had it on, when she stepped in the door. She had already heard Fitz's car door shut and speed off, so she couldn't give it back.
She had only just agreed to go on one date with Fitz, and she was already turning into a giddy school girl. She couldn't believe this was happening. One minute their just c-workers and the next he's suddenly calling her his girlfriend. She told him, that she wasn't his girlfriend yet and that he had to earn the privilege to call her his girlfriend. After months of dragging her along, she was just gonna give in so quickly to him. No matter how bad she wanted to.
Clearing her thoughts, Olivia stopped by the kitchen for a bottled water, then made her way up the stairs to Alex's room. She didn't bother knocking, because neither of them knocked on any door, and they rarely even shut their bedroom doors. When she walked in, the first thing she noticed was her sister's naked body sprawled out on the bed face down, with the sheets wrapped loosely around her waist. Next she noticed her clothes and her duvet thrown across the room. The smells of sex and the lingering of a man's cologne filled her nostrils.
Liv tentatively made her way over to the bed, making sure not to wake her sister yet. She side stepped a lacy black bra, and hoped to the chair beside the bed. She grabbed one of the pillows off the bed, and brought it down hard on her sister's back. "Up and at 'em!"
"Oh my God!" Lex groaned, turning over in her sleep. "God you are so annoying."
"Well that's an awful thing to say about our lord and savior." Olivia snickered. "And you might want to cover your nips, there's a bit of a draft."
"Fuck you." Lex pulled the sheets up over her breast.
"Looks like someone already beat me to the punch. I guess you and Jackie had fun last night?"
"No, I'm done with Jackie I told you I had to let him go."
"Why?" Olivia reached for a shirt by the bed and gave it to Alex to put on. "You guys were fun together, I thought he really liked you."
"Yeah he did, and that was the problem. I told you I don't do relationships." Once Alex had the shirt over her head, she took Olivia's water bottle and down half of it. "I told him to stop calling me, while you were in Paris. And lucky I did, because he starts talking about how he loves me and all that shit. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and I'm just glad I got out when I did."
Olivia shook her head. Once again her sister had broken another man's heart without a second thought. How could she be so heartless at times, and yet still be the same loving person she grew up with her whole life? "Whatever. So who was the mystery man last night? And please tell me it wasn't that Old slick rick with the bad spray tan."
"No, I have higher standards sweetheart."
"So then who was it?"
"No one you know, don't worry about it. Now enough about me, where have you been since yesterday night huh? And whose clothes are you wearing?"
"There mine."
"And who were you with?"
"What do you mean? You know who I was with, I was with Fitz. Or are you too hung over to remember him picking me up from the club last night."
"No I remember, sort of. And I'm not that hung over thank you. I just have a slight headache. Now off me and back to you. What'd you and sexy Fitz get into?"
"Nothing." Olivia said quietly, blush rushing to her face.
"Oh my God! You fucked him didn't you?"
"No! No I didn't-"
"You fucked him, you so fucked him!"
"I did not, and please stop saying that!"
"So if you didn't fuck, then what did you do?"
"Nothing, he just took me home and I slept as did he. Nothing happened really. The next morning his cook made us breakfast, and he brought me home that's it."
"I don't believe you, there's something you're not telling me."
"Well uh, we sort of have a date this Saturday."
"What?!" Alex sprung up on the bed, sitting on her knees. "What the hell do you mean you have a date, and why the hell didn't you tell me the minute you got home?"
"Because I was a little distracted by my naked sister in her bed, and the sex tornado that hit this room." Alex rolled her eyes, and sat back down on the bed while Olivia told her about this morning and last night. Well all that she could remember. "Then I told him just because he suddenly decided to change his mind, doesn't mean I was automatically his girlfriend. I said something like earning the right or something, honestly it was just something I heard on a TV show once. It was lame but effective. He asked me out on Saturday, I made him sweat a little but eventually I said yes."
"Holly shit Liv, who are you? I have never seen you this way before. I loving this new found confidence you have."
"Me too. I guess Fitz just brings this person out in me and it's the same with him. When we're with other people, he's always the take no BS businessman. But when we're together and alone, he's totally different. He warm and charming. He's different from any man that I ever dated before."
"Yes he is, and it's a good damn thing. No offense Liv, but you're like a magnet for idiot and losers. I mean don't get me wrong, not all of them were bag, but the majority were."
"Nobody's perfect Alex."
"And I'm not saying he has to be. But damn he could at least try."
"Yeah, I know. But I don't think it's gonna work. I mean I would like for it to work, but what if he was right before? About dating his employees. Maybe we should be friends first, and then build into something more."
"Oh please Olivia not that shit again."
"What I'm serious. There is so much that I don't know about him, I can't just jump into a relationship with him."
"That's what dating is for stupid. You go out, you talk and get to know each other. What are you so worried about anyway?"
There was only one thing that bothered Olivia about Fitz. When he told her about his past, and how he could be a different man at times. One she would like or even recognize. She hated to admit that she was frightened. Frightened that one day Fitz would show his true colors to her, and she wouldn't be able to look past them. She had finally freed herself from a hazardous relationship, she wasn't about to walk right into another.
"You okay Liv? You just totally zoned out on me."
"What? Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Uh don't you have to be at work like an hour ago?" Olivia changed the subject.
"Actually no, I quit. Or more like I quit after Mark fired me."
"What? Lex that's like the third job in nine months."
"Yeah I know, apparently I'm not that great at being a receptionist. According to Mark, I am the worst receptionist in the history of receptionists."
"Lex." Olivia sighed, not finding the humor in the situation.
"Look Liv it'll be fine, okay I promise. The band is doing really well right now, we have gigs lined up for the next two months. Besides I always find another job, we'll be fine."
"Okay."
"Okay. You going into work today?"
"No, I'm gonna stay home today. And I called Valerie and told her I wasn't coming in today." Olivia had started working in Valerie's store to make a little extra money, in addition to working at the center. Sure she was doing well at the GAI and the Paris trip had gone better. But most of that money went towards paying off bills.
"Well I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready. The band is practicing tonight, before the show at Juelz tonight. You didn't forget did you?"
"How could I forget Lex?"
X
Olivia hummed, as she made herself a fruit smoothie. She changed from her clothes Fitz got her, and into a pair of black tights an oversized long-sleeved, grey NYU t-shirt and black and white striped socks. Since she wasn't going to work today, she figured she work on some of her unfinished work. Lately she had been doing more sculpting than painting, and she knew exactly why. Her work spoke for itself. She had been working on a sculpture for close to six years, and still didn't know when she was gonna be finished with it. So far, she only had the body portion from the neck to the thighs. She was in the process of perfecting the chest and abs, then eventually she would move to the face the groin.
The man she was sculpting wasn't a complete figment of her imagination, but it was her idea pf the perfect imperfect man. She had started sculpting the piece about six years ago, right after she broke up with her boyfriend David. She had only sculpted the chest and pecks, before she stopped. She didn't work on it again, until after she got dumped by Lance, the architect with the dreamy eyes, who now presided in sunny California. She thought about the best part of Lance that she loved the most. It happened to be his arms, so she carved a pair of arms onto her sculpture. And so years later, after every failed relationship she had, she added to the sculpture. Taking the best part from each man and adding to her sculpture.
She hadn't decided whether or not she was going to have a face on the sculpture yet. She was going to leave the sculpture headless. Because really, what man wanted to see his head on a sculpture with other men's body parts.
But who was she kidding? She knew exactly who this sculpture was gonna look like once it was finally finished. Which is one of the major reasons it wasn't finished. She couldn't very well sculpt Fitz's face onto this sculpture.
"When are you gonna give this thing a face?" Alex asked, pulling one of Olivia's earbuds from her ear.
Olivia took off the other earbuds and pulled down her mask. "Hey, I didn't hear you come in." Olivia put her tools on the table, wiping the dust from her hands on her pants.
"I don't see how you can work in this room with all this dust."
"I keep the windows opened, and the fans work wonders. I guess after years of breathing this stuff in, it doesn't bother me anymore."
"Have you been sculpting all night? I thought you were gonna go to Juelz to hear the band tonight."
"Oh shoot, what time is it?" Olivia had completely forgot about the time. She had only intended to spend a few hours on sculpting and before she knew it, it was dark. "I am so sorry Lex." Olivia hoped off her stool, putting away all her art supplies. "Let me wash this dust off me and change my clothes and I promise I'll be ready by time the van gets here."
"Liv you better be ready!" Lex hollered to Olivia's fleeting form.
"I will! Forty minutes tops."
X
Band:
(I get so lonely
Can't let
Just anybody hold me
You are the one
That lives in me my dear
I want no one but you)
Alex:
Sitting here with me tears
All alone with my fears
I'm wondering if
I have to do
Without you
But there's no reason why
Fell asleep late last night
Crying like a newborn child
Holding myself close
Pretending my arms are yours
I want no one but you
Band:
(I get so lonely…)
Olivia was sitting at a booth near by the wall, listening to her sister and her band play. This was one of Olivia favorite songs. She had helped Alex write a couple lyrics in the song, as she did with many others. Olivia didn't consider herself a songwriter, but whenever Alex got stuck with a song and need another verse or needed help arranging the song, Olivia would help her out. This song was about the one who got away, and only Liv and Alex knew who the person was Lex was talking about. It wasn't something she was embarrassed about, but she'd rather just keep the person's identity to herself.
(…Can't let
Just anybody hold me
You are the one
That lives in me my dear
I want no one but you)
Alex:
I still remember to the day
In fact it was a third Monday
You came along
To be the one for me
Now I'm alone
I'm sitting here by the phone
Call and say that you're okay
So that I'll have
The chance to beg you to stay
I want no one but you.
Band:
(I get so lonely…)
X
"Come on man, why are you calling that woman?" Patrick said, leaning on Fitz's bar with a beer and cigarette.
"Because I want to talk to her not that it's any of your business." Fitz replied, popping the top off his own beer. "Why are you here anyway?"
"What I can't come visit with my big brother?"
"I don't know, depends. Why'd you come?"
"Well actually, I came to tell you that mom called, and she said she would be coming to visit soon. And you know her, soon might be a month from now or tomorrow, so I don't know."
"Mhm and you couldn't say this over the phone?"
"I'm sure I could've but I came over to see if you wanted to go out tonight. Go get some drinks or something, maybe meet some girls."
"Did you not hear me earlier? Olivia and I are a couple, or about to be anyway."
"What do you mean about to be?"
"We have a date Saturday."
"You fuck her yet?"
"No Patrick."
"Damn, back in the day all you had to do was look at a woman and her legs would open. Does this girl know how rich you are? Buy her some jewelry or something and I bet she'll give it up then."
"Firstly, Olivia is not like that. Secondly, don't ever let me hear you talk about her that way again, or I'm gonna kick your ass."
"Alright, I'm sorry. It's just, so many of the women you've dated before were exactly that type."
"I know, but that was because I wasn't serious with them. Most of them were just a warm body when I needed one."
"So you're serious about this one?"
"Possibly." Fitz answered honestly.
"So I guess this mean you won't be joining me later to pick up some girls would you."
"No I won't, you man whore."
"Excuse me, but you use to be an even bigger whore than I am."
"Pat that was college. Okay and a couple years after. But I have since grown up. I'm a one woman man now."
"Whatever." Pat rolled his eyes, as Fitz took his phone out to call Olivia.
X
Olivia was singing alone with the song, when her phone started ringing. She could see Alex frowning on the stage, as she checked her phone. A smile grew on her face, when she saw it was Fitz calling her.
"Hello?" Olivia spoke over the music.
"Hi." Fitz replied, barely hearing her over the music. "Livvie?" He moved to the living room, so his brother wouldn't listen in.
"Yeah, I'm here. Hang on." Olivia motioned to her sister that she was gonna step out the take the call. She could tell Alex wasn't too pleased with that and she mothed 'sorry' to her before working her way out the lounge.
"Hello? Fitz you still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Are you at another bar Liv?"
"Uh no, there is a bar with drinks. But I'm at a lounge. My sister and her band are playing tonight."
"Oh sounds like fun." Fitz said a little disappointed, he had called hoping that he could coax her into going somewhere with him tonight. He knew it was late, but he had sort of a sweet tooth and would often go out to his favorite ice cream shop that stayed open late.
"You seem a little upset."
"To be honest, I was gonna coax you into having a late night treat with me."
"Oh my sister would kill me if I left in the middle of her set. She says I'm her good luck charm."
"Well we can't have her sounding like a frog because her luck ran out the room."
Olivia laughed a little, "I'm sorry. We just sort of depend on each other when it comes to our shows. I go to all her gigs the band has, and she comes to all my art showings."
"Nothing to be sorry about, you're sisters. You're supposed to support each other."
Olivia couldn't say she wasn't the least bit interested in whatever Fitz had planned for them tonight. "So what did you have planned for tonight?"
"Well, there's this place that has the best ice cream and baked goods. I go there sometimes at night to clear my head. I was gonna take you there."
Liv wasn't a big sweets person, but she did indulge every once in a while. "You know that actually sounds nice. Maybe- You know you could come here, to the lounge I mean. My sister only has two more songs to sing, we could meet here and then go?" Olivia asked hopefully. It had only been hours since she last seen Fitz, but she was missing hi already. Of course she would not tell him that, she was supposed to be playing hard to get. "Or you know you don't have to its okay."
"No no, I'd love to. Just tell me the name of the lounge."
Olivia couldn't hide her smile, or the cheerfulness in her voice. I haven't even had a date with him yet, and already he's got me like this. "Okay, it's the lounge downtown beside the coffee place. It's called Juelz."
"I know where that is, I'll see you in thirty."
"Okay. See you soon."
X
Alex & Band:
Every time I hear you name babe ooh. (You are the one)
Every time I see you face (That lives in me)
You are the one
That lives in me
Baby
I want no one but you (I want no one but you)
Olivia slipped back into the lounge just as Alex and the band finished their song. The crowd cheered as they took their bows and the mc for the night came on the stage.
"Aright ladies and gentlemen that was Free Spirits. Let's hear another applause for Free Spirits. Our next performer will be none other than the beautiful Toni with an I."
"Olivia where did you go? You missed the ending of the song." Alex, Quinn, Mark the drummer and Jordan and Chance. They were the backup singers.
"I'm sorry. That was Fitz, he wanted to see me tonight-"
"But you told him you were at my show tonight right?"
"Of course. But then I invited him here, and he said okay."
"Wow look at you Liv, inviting a member of the opposite sex out. Feels good don't it." Chance said, as he slid into the booth.
Olivia rolled her eyes, and sipped on her coke. "You guys sound good up there."
"You could always join us Liv." Jordan said. She had been trying to get Olivia to join the band, ever since she heard Alex and Liv serenading their father for fathers' day. She thought they sound beautiful together, and they would more than likely get a lot more offers to play, if Olivia joined the band. But Liv never saw herself as the musical type, she just liked to paint. The only way Alex could get her on the stage was just to take her by surprise call her up on the stage during a show.
"Wow she sounds great up there." Chance said of the performer on the stage. She was singing a beautiful solo, playing the guitar.
"Yeah she does, and I hate her."
"Quinn!" Everyone shouted at her.
"We were all thinking it." Quinn shrugged her shoulders and chugged down her drink. They sat at the table, listening to the other bands playing, until it was their turn again. They were listening to the fifth bland play, when Alex spotted Fitz walk in the door.
"Hey Liv look, he's here." Lex pointed to the door, where a handsome Fitz stood at the door, with another immaculately dressed man stood next to him. "Who's the guy with him?"
"It must be his brother. Fitz text me and said he was bringing him." Olivia couldn't care less about the man standing next to Fitz. All she cared about was Fitz, standing there looking like a GQ model. He had on a pair of faded jeans, a long sleeve cream shirt and a black leather jacket. He was so effortlessly sexy, it wasn't fair. Olivia was staring so hard, before she knew it, Fitz was standing in front of her.
"Hello Olivia."
"Hey." Olivia stood up to hug him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he around her waist. He wanted to do more, but her sister and five other people were staring at them expectantly.
Olivia was the first to pull away, and introduce Fitz to everyone. "Guys this is Fitz. Fitz you remember my sister Alex, and Quinn guitar and second vocalist. Mark the drummer, Jordan and Chance backup singers."
"Nice to meet you all, this is my brother Patrick."
"Oh please tell me your name is just Patrick and not Fitzpatrick." Alex was the first one to speak.
"Uh actually it is."
"Well that's just unfortunate."
"Yes it is." Patrick stared at the beauty in front of him. She was gorgeous, nice little body with a face and just the right amount of sass to match. She looked like his next girlfriend, and he was damn sure gonna make sure it happened.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, that was Posh and crew, we will break for a very brief intermission. When we return we will kick back off with another performance by Free Spirits. Can we have Free Spirits set up now?"
"That's my cue. See you after the show Patty." Alex seductively stood up, and sauntered off with the others following behind her, leaving him with Fitz and Olivia.
"Liv this is my brother Pat, Pat this is Olivia."
"Nice to meet you." Olivia shook his hand.
"Pleasure's all mine gorgeous. Fitz told be you were beautiful but I don't think he did you justice." He kissed the back of her hand, before Fitz smacked him in the back of his head. "You know what, I think I'm gonna catch a seat at the front, and leave you two crazy kids alone. Nice meeting you again Olivia."
"Likewise." Olivia said, before he walked off to undoubtedly get a better look at Alex when she got on stage. "Is he always that big a flirt?" She asked, sliding in the booth, with Fitz beside her.
"All the time." Fitz put his arm around her and brought her closer. "Now can I have a proper hello?"
"You know I don't really kiss a man until our fourth date. And you and I haven't even been on our first yet."
"So I guess that makes me special then huh?"
"Yeah I guess so." Olivia whispered, before Fitz connected their mouths.
X
"I still can't believe she let him kiss her like that. And in public no less." Chance and Alex, where stalking Olivia and Fitz from behind the curtain. They had seen Fitz kiss Olivia like a mad man, and were all shocked that she let him. Olivia had never really been one for a public show of affection of that magnitude. Maybe a few sweet kisses, but not a full on make out session. "I can't blame her though. That man is too damn fine."
"Down boy, he's taken."
"Then how about his cute brother? That pale pink button up he's got over those bulging muscles is making me squirm."
"Easy, I don't think he swings that way." Alex spotted Patrick sitting in the front row, scrolling through his phone with a beer in the other hand.
"Why? Because you two were eye fucking each other? Baby that don't mean a damn thing. My ex-boyfriend has a wife and three kids. Well probably had a wife and three kids. Hope my little phone call didn't have anything to do with it." Chance snickered, applying Chap Stick to his lips.
"You are a mess Chance. Come on, let's go set up."
X
Alex:
Brown skin
You know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins
I can't tell where mine ends
Brown Skin
Up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then (Oh)
Alex connected eyes with Patrick briefly, before turning them to a man sitting at the bar. It was nothing personal, she just needed to connect with everyone in the room. Everyone had to feel she was singing to them. It had to be personal. But just because she couldn't look at him the entire time. Didn't mean she could mess with him a little.
Where are your people from?
Maybe Mississippi or an island
Apparently your skin has been kissed by the sun
You make me want a Hershey kiss
Every time I see your lips
It makes me think of honey coated chocolate
Your kisses are worth more than gold to me
I'll be your almond joy
You'll be my sugar daddy
Oh I'll be your sugar daddy alright. Pat thought. She knows what she's doing, shaking and gyrating her hips in that short ass dress she's got on. She bends over and the entire lounge is gonna have a good night.
Brown skin
You know I love your brown skin (Brown skin)
I can't tell where your begins
I can't tell where mine ends (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Every time you come around
Something magnetic pulls me and I can't get out
Disoriented
I can't tell my ups from downs
All I know is
That I want to lay you down
Every time I let you in
Abracadabra magic happens as we swim
Higher and higher
Finally we reach heaven
And we do it all again yeah
Patrick licked his lips, as Alex ran her hand through her hair, sweeping it across her chest before dragging it down her plump bottom lip. God She is so sexy. That ass is mine tonight.
Brown skin
Up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then (Oh)
"Whose brown skin?" Fitz asked Olivia.
"Someone who my sister thinks I don't know about." Olivia answered, snuggled warmly into his side. How could she feel so comfortable with him right now.
"Why doesn't she want you to know?"
Olivia shrugged, "I have no idea. I don't know if she thinks I'll upset or something, because honestly I won't. I'm not. But anyway it doesn't even matter, because it's not my business to know. If she wants to tell me then that's fine. If she doesn't' that's okay too."
Alex and Quinn:
Skin so brown
Lips so brown
Baby how can I be down (Down)
Beautiful Mahogany
You make me feel like a queen (You make me feel like a queen)
Tell me what's that thing you do that makes me want to get next to you (Yeah)
Brown skin
You know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins
I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin
Need some every now and then
Brown skin
You know I love you brown skin…
"Ladies and gentlemen Free Spirits"
X
"That was quite the show Ms. Pope." Patrick said, helping Alex down the last of the steps from the stage.
"Thank you Mr. Grant."
"Patrick please."
"Sure thing Patty."
Pat chuckled. "You know, you're about the only person I think I would let call me that, besides my mother."
"Such an honor. And I guess you can call me Alex."
"Well Alex, how about you and I ditch this place and go find ourselves a real drink?"
"I can't leave my sister."
"Your sister is in great hands sweetheart. She and my brother are gonna head out for the night."
"And what makes you so sure I want to go anywhere with you?"
"Well, I'm no Hershey kiss, but white chocolate taste just fine too."
"That was overly corny." Alex laughed.
"It sure was. And that's why you'll come with me tonight. Because I make you laugh and I intrigue you." Pat stepped closer to her, and put a gentle hand down her arm. "And the fact that you got goose bumps right now, and the way your breathing changed the minute I stepped closer to you tells me that you are more than attracted to me."
Alex squeezed her thighs together, and forced herself not to react to his little mind games.
"Alex." Quinn's voice got her attention. "The club owner wants to talk to us." Quinn eyed the two of them for a moment more, before disappearing back behind the curtain.
"I have to go for a moment. Don't go anywhere."
"Wouldn't think about it."
X
"Your sister is very talented."
"Yeah she is." Olivia clapped, as the group made their way off the stage, she was always so proud of her sister.
"Do you sing?"
"Not professionally. But when my sister and I were little, we would sing my daddy's songs from his band. Or he'd write us our own songs, and help up write some too. Whenever someone came over the house, we'd make them listen to us sing. I remember one time we made the mail man stop and listen to us. We held him up for like fifteen minutes, before we finally let him leave." Olivia laughed at the memory. She also remembered her mother scolding her and Alex for holding the man up from his job. "Then for our tenth birthday, my daddy got us both an art easel and paint. I was really the only one to pick it up and really stick with it, Alex loved singing too much."
"Is your dad still in a band?"
"Uh no, a little while after me and Alex left for college, Luke, the drum player, passed away. He had prostate cancer, it was advanced by the time the doctors found it, and he went pretty quickly. My dad didn't have the heart to find another drummer player. He was like family, Alex and I called him Uncle Luke, it just didn't feel right replacing him so they split up. They still keep in touch, but they never played professionally again. Now dad teaches a music class at NYU-"
"Fitz man." Pat came over interrupting Fitz and Olivia's conversation. "Sorry, just came to tell you I found a ride. Me and Alex are going to get some drinks."
"Alex is leaving with you?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
"I'm sure you will. Excuse me." Olivia told Fitz she would be right back, and went to find Alex to tell her she was leaving.
X
"That was a great show you all put on tonight." The lounge owner told Alex and the band. "Listen, I'm gonna be straight forward with you guys alright." He pulled the cigar from his mouth, blowing a puff of smoke. "You guys are great, and the audience likes you more specifically my audience. The crowd gets bigger when you guys are playing at my lounge. I know you guys are playing at Lola's, but I want you. And I'm willing to pay you fifty more than she pays you a week."
Alex scoffed, "Double it, or we walk."
The man thought for a second, not liking having to pay more than he was willing to. But in the end, he'd make his money back with the new crowd the new band would bring in. "Looks like you got yourself a deal little lady." He shook Alex's hand, and then walked away to announce the next band.
"Holy shit!" They all said simultaneously.
"Man I didn't think he was gonna go for double, but damn am I glad he did." Jordan said.
"Oh please, he needs us and he knows it. That crowd has never been that big, nor had the line outside of this place been the long. I'm not trying to sound cocky, but we all know they came here to hear us. Besides, Juelz is a bigger name than Lola's. Juelz is more likely to get music produces attention. This place is home of some of the best bands and singers. This is where our big break is gonna come from guys, so we have to rock it every time we hit that stage, because we never know who's in the audience."
"Not to mention the central park show coming up. There's gonna be media coverage. We're gonna be on fucking TV." Chance said.
"Let's not get over our heads guys okay. Let's get together tomorrow to go over our sets for next week, and to practice the central park performance." They all agreed before saying their goodbyes, everyone except Quinn walked away to go home.
"Nice speech." She said, watching Alex lean over to pack up her guitar.
"Thanks, but no need to be sarcastic." Alex stood back up, to Quinn dangerously close to her. "Is there a problem?"
"Who's the guy?"
"Excuse me?"
"The guy drooling over you during the show. He's also the one you were flirting with not too long ago."
"Fitz's brother? Patrick? I don't know." Quinn looked at her unconvinced. "Quinn I literally just met him the exact moment you did."
"What were you two talking about?"
"That's none of your business Quinn." Alex walked away from her, but she was too slow as Quinn caught up with her rather quickly.
"Um excuse me, but you were in my bed a week ago. I'd say that it is my business."
"I don't have time for this Quinn." Alex tried once again to walk away from her, but this time Quinn grabbed her by the arm.
"Don't walk away from me." She growled.
"Let go of my arm." Alex said in an equally menacing tone.
"Why? You going somewhere? You leaving with someone?" Quinn grew quiet, as realization hit her and she let go of Alex's arm. "You're going home with him aren't you?" Alex stayed quiet, not answering her question. "Answer me."
"No. No I'm not going home with him happy?"
"You're a fucking liar. You're leaving with him!"
"Just to get some fucking drinks! Maybe to a club, I don't fucking know, but I am not going home with him!"
"Oh so you're just gonna fuck in the club bathroom. Or maybe you won't even wait that long huh, you'll just blow him in the car!"
"Fuck you."
"You already did sweetheart." Quinn said sarcastically.
"You know what Quinn, this conversation is not only over, but it's just plain pointless. I am a grown woman, I do whatever I want and I don't answer to anyone. Especially not to you. You knew what this was that first night you got into bed with me. Don't act like this is news to you, I have been straight forward with you since day one. If you can't handle this, then you know where the exit is."
"You're a real bitch Alex." Quinn walked off, bumping into Olivia on her way out.
"You don't have to be so cruel to her Alex."
"Olivia don't start okay. She knew what this was before it started, I can't help she caught feelings that I don't feel."
"You and I both know that's a lie, but you just keep telling yourself that. Besides, it has to be hard on her seeing all these guys flirting with you. Not to mention the songs you sing about sleeping with other men."
"Liv seriously, I don't need another lecture."
"I'm not lecturing you, I am simply making a point."
"Really? And what point is that?"
"That if you keep going on like you are with all these other men and with Quinn. Then you are going to soon loose a girlfriend and a band member." Olivia kissed her cheek, and told her she was leaving with Fitz, then walked back down the steps to meet with Fitz.
"She is not my girlfriend." Alex whispered to herself, before walking down the steps to meet Patrick.
X
"That was really good ice cream." Olivia scooped her last spoonful in her mouth. She and Fitz were sitting in a booth at a small bakery and ice cream shop. They had long since ordered their ice cream, and were enjoying their last bites. The bakery was fairly empty, save for a few couples and a group of teenagers laughing obnoxiously in the corner.
"I told you. Best ice cream in the city." Fitz wiped his mouth, and motioned for the waitress to come over. "You should try the doughnut holes. They makes them fresh to order, so they're always hot."
"You know I never guess you to be the sugar type." Oliva said, after Fitz ordered them some cinnamon sugar doughnut holes.
"Most people don't, but believe it or not I was a chubby kid."
Olivia cracked a smile, not believing him. "You were a fat boy?"
"Hey, I was chubby. Never fat. All throughout middle school, then I got to high school and the girls got hotter. So I lost the weight and became homecoming and prom king."
"You lost weight for girls?"
"Why of course. Be honest, would you be dating me if I was overweight?"
"I'll be honest and say I prefer you like this, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't date you. I dated a heavy set man before."
"Really?" Fitz asked, like he didn't believe her.
"Yea really? I liked him, because he was a gentlemen, and he was sweet and he made me laugh." Fitz made a face. "Why is that so hard to believe?"
"You're so short and small, I'm just trying to picture you with a heavy man."
"Well if you must know, I don't fall for what's on the outside. It's what's on the inside that matters. And I know that's cliché, and what men say to the ugly girls to get into their pants. But it's true. You could be the most handsome man on the outside and be the ugliest on the inside."
"So what am I on the inside?"
"I don't know yet." Olivia answered honestly. So far, she was finding it incredibly difficult to read Fitz.
Fitz accepted her answer for now, and moved on. "So how'd you-"
"Oh no, don't even go there." Olivia laughed, "Besides, we never had made love."
"Why not?"
Olivia shrugged, "I just didn't feel he was the one."
"What do you mean the one?" Fitz asked, with and honest confused expression. Olivia knew what he was asking, and before she could answer him the waitress came back with their order of cinnamon holes. Olivia reached out for one, not thinking about them being hot. "Careful, that's hot." Fitz tried to warn her, but he was one second too late.
"Cheese and sprinkles!" Olivia yelped, when the doughnut hole touched her bottom lip. "Jesus that hot!"
"I tried to warn you." Fitz put a piece of ice from his cup and brought it to her lips. She flinched a little, but eventually let his rub the ice soothingly across her lip. She stared at him the entire time, while he focused on her lip. Why was this such a turn on? A man soothing her lip after she almost burned it off, from stuffing her face with a doughnut hole. No, so not sexy. Well not to her at least.
Fitz on the other hand, was having the hardest time focusing. This was not the time nor the place to lose his cool. But damn if she wasn't sexy. How she poked her lip out, how smoothed and soft they looked as the ice melted in his hand, causing it to drip down her lip. Maybe I should stop. Should I?
"Feel better?" He asked, with a frog in his throat. She wordlessly nodded, so he took the ice off her lip. He wiped her chin dry with his napkin, and picked up another doughnut hole. He blew it first, then brought it up to her mouth. Olivia hesitated for only a moment, before opening her mouth and accepting the now warm and sugary treat. "It's good right?" Fitz swiped his finger across her lip, spreading the cinnamon and sugar.
"Yes." Olivia whispered. He sure was making the conversation she was about to have with him hard. It wasn't one she wanted to have with him, but it was a much needed one. "Um, Fitz can I talk to you for a second."
"What's wrong?"
"I know I was the one making threats about you changing your mind about us dating. But-"
"But you don't want to do this anymore." Fitz finished her sentence. She wouldn't have worded it as he had, but he had the idea.
"It's not that I don't want to be with you. It's just maybe we are moving a little too fast. And maybe you were right before about me being your employee and dating. I was just thinking maybe we should be friends first, then build into something more."
"Why the change of heart?" Fitz asked calmly. He was clearly a little upset, but didn't want to show it.
"I don't know. I was just thinking this morning, after you left. Everything between us started off so fast and we've only known each other for a few months, and half the time we were not on good terms. I… I just don't want to jump into a relationship that's just going to fail in the end."
"Ouch." Fitz said, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"I'm not saying it to be hurtful Fitz, I'm just being honest."
"I know you are, and I understand it."
"You're not mad at me? Even after I threatened to kill you in your sleep if you changed your mind on me."
Fitz laughed, "No, I'm not. You're being honest. And even though I don't like it, you were right."
Olivia sat quietly in the booth, thinking about what she just did, and whether or not it was the right decision. Fitz could tell she was in deep thought, "Come on." Fitz said, taking out his wallet to pay for the ice cream and doughnut holes.
"What?"
"Come on, I want to take you somewhere." The waitress came over with a brown bag for their extras, and Fitz paid and tipped her.
"Where are we going?"
"For a walk. I need to walk off all that ice cream. Wouldn't want to put back on the pounds after all these years."
X
The sounds of loud moans and a sofa rocking against the floor filled the living room at the Pope residence. It was now almost ten o'clock, and Alex and Patrick had finally left the club they were at, after what seemed like hours of dancing and downing shot after shot. Now they were back at Alex and Olivia's engaging in some after party activities.
Alex straddled Patrick's now naked body on the couch, and began feasting on his neck. "You got a condom right?" Alex kissed, bit and sucked on Patrick's neck making it hard for him to think yet alone reach into his pants on the floor for a condom.
"My… shit my pants pocket." Instead of reaching for the condom, Alex snaked her hands down his bare chest and to his waist until she reached his now rock hard member. Patrick threw his head back, as she slowly but roughly gripped and massaged his penis. Stroking him with just the right amount of pressure, while slowly grinding her hips against his. "Shit baby, I need you to stop."
"You're not a one minute man are you Patty?" Alex teased, not stopping her assault on his penis.
"Not generally. But if you don't stop, I may just turn into one tonight."
Not wanting him to come too quickly, Alex stopped stroking him and reached in his pants to get the condom. Patrick tried to take from her to put it on himself, but she pulled her hand out of his reach.
"I wanna do it." She smirked, and ripped the condom pack with her teeth before slowly sliding it onto his penis. "You know you're a lot bigger than what I thought you were."
"Should I take offense to that?"
Alex smirked, and sank down on Patrick's dick without warning, "Oh!" Alex for sure mistook the size of him, and taking him all in at once was not a smart idea.
"Yeah, daddy big ain't he."
"Shut up, and I am not calling you daddy."
X
"Wow. Fitz this is beautiful." Olivia said of the sea of flowers in front of her. She and Fitz had been walking for a while, just talking and eating the rest of their doughnut holes. Then Fitz stopped in front of a tall black fence. She could see rows of bright wild flowers surrounding a fountain and a path lit up by lights. "Where does that path lead to?"
"You wanna find out?"
"How are we gonna do that exactly?" Olivia pointed to the lock on the gate.
"You let me worry about that." Fitz said, then pulled a single key from his jacket pocket. He put it in the lock on the gate, and swung it open.
"Why do you have a key to a private garden?"
"Come on, let's go find out where the paths ends." Fitz ignored her question, and ushered her inside the gat before shutting and locking it behind him.
"I have a feeling you already know."
"Well it's still fun to see another's reaction."
"How many people have you brought here?" What she really meant was how many women. But she couldn't ask him that.
"Besides you, only my mother." Awe Olivia thought. "This place is like my little hide away. I come here when I need to think or clear my head. Plus it's the only place in the entire city that I don't get reception in, so I can really relax without distraction."
Olivia checked her phone, and sure enough she didn't get cell reception either. "You didn't bring me out here to kill me did you?"
Fitz chuckled, "I hadn't planned on it." The couple walked a little more, until they ended at a white gazebo, near a small pond. Luckily the gazebo had walls, instead of being open in the chilly weather. The gazebo had lights streaming it, and offered a low light to the area. It really made it romantic.
"Wow, how'd you find this place?" Olivia stepped up on the gazebo, and there was a white blanket spread out. "Fitz?"
Fitz came up behind her, with a small basket in hand and another blanket. "I know it's late, but this is really the only time or place to enjoy the night sky in the city."
"You did all this for me?" Olivia was astonished at how sweet he was being to her. No one had ever gone through this much trouble for her.
Fitz shrugged nonchalantly, "I've never been the type of guy to do something like this before. Why not start now?"
"And you still brought me here, even after I told you we should be friends."
"Well this is a friend planning a nice night out for another friend."
Oliva smiled shyly, and sat down on the blanket waiting for him to join her. Fitz sat down beside her, and wrapped the second blanket around the both of them and positioned one of the heaters towards her. Olivia was wondering why she was so cold. He really thought of everything.
"It really is beautiful out here. I've never really taken the time to look at the stars. Why do you love them so much?"
"Ever since I was a little boy, I've always been fascinated by the stars and the galaxy. My dad thought I was gonna be an astronaut or an astronomer or something."
"When I was little, I wanted to be a firefighter and an actress. Ooh and I wanted to write books."
"Really?"
"Yeah, one day I saw this movie on TV. Backdraft. It was my favorite movie, and I watched it whenever it came on. I have no idea why tits my favorite movie, but it is. Anyway, my mother said being a firefighter wasn't lady like. And that being an actress wasn't practical, and that most aspiring actors never made it anyway. Nor was being a writer, because it wasn't a guarantee people would like what you wrote. I still hope one day I can take time out to write a book. I have no idea what it would be about though, but I would just like to try. Of course my mother won't approve, because she always wanted Alex to follow in her footsteps and become a lawyer, and she wanted me to be a doctor."
"Well lucky me that you decided to be an artist instead."
"Yeah lucky you." Olivia smiled up at him, her eyes lit up by the lights hanging. Fitz ran a gentle hand over her face, loving hoe she shivered at his touch. She was so effortlessly beautiful, naturally beautiful. It was a sight to see natural beauty these days.
"I don't want to be your friend forever Olivia."
"You won't be. I promise."
X
Catch You Later…
*Songs in chapter*
*I get lonely: Janet Jackson.
*Brown Skin: India Arie