Chapter 9

The next couple of days were very productive for Olivia and the OPA staff. She and Harrison had interviewed three great candidates for the assistant position and they both were on the same page as to whom would be offered the job. Huck had completed the background check of the young man before he was even interviewed. He didn't want his team wasting time with an interview for someone who would not be suitable to work there. Harrison had agreed to make him an offer on Friday so that he could have the weekend to consider the offer. Olivia was not rich, but she was financially comfortable. She chose to pay her staff a competitive salary and an unbeatable benefits package. The OPA team was one of the best paid small firms in the area and had yet to experience turnover due to dissatisfaction with pay or working conditions. Her take-home pay was slightly higher than the rest of the staff, thus she was financially secure without necessarily being wealthy. Olivia was convinced that any potential new hire would jump at the opportunity to work for OPA.

She and Fitz had spoken during their lunch hour that day. He was hoping to spend some time with her later that evening, but she informed him about her plans with Edison. The two had made plans to spend Friday night together and leave from her place to his birthday surprise.

Later that evening, Olivia arrived at the restaurant where she was having dinner with Edison. When she walked in, she noticed him at a booth near the front entrance. She motioned to the hostess that she saw her dinner companion and headed in his direction. Olivia dropped her purse on the side of the booth where she would sit, making a semi-loud thud.

"Why do you need to carry that anvil with you wherever you go?" Edison teased her.

"Because I suspect that by the end of this night, I will have clabbered you a few times!"

Edison just looked at Olivia, looking her over with curiosity and noticing a difference in her demeanor. "I get the feeling we're going to be having girl talk tonight," he said with a side eye.

"Shut up. I just thought it was time for us to hang out. It's been a while since we last saw one another. You act like you know me like that," Olivia responded back with an eye roll.

"But am I wrong?" he asked, waiting for her answer to his original comment about girl talk.

Olivia was reluctant to make eye contact with him, knowing he was 100% correct. "You make me sick! I wish I could quit you," she finally let out with a laugh and the two enjoyed their faux contentious banter. "Did you order any drinks yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you. You're looking good. How is work? Now that tax season is behind you, what's keeping you busy?" Edison questioned as he looked over one of the menus on the table.

Although Olivia was checking out the cocktail and wine menu, she decided she'd just have some type of soft drink. She knew what she was going to order, so she pushed her menu aside. "Thanks. Work is good and steady. We are in the process of hiring an admin assistant and thank goodness tax season is behind me." Their server came to the table to take their orders. "How have you been?"

Edison got a serious look on his face and took a deep breath. He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box and placed it in front of Olivia. "Go ahead. Open it," he told her.

Olivia's jaw dropped and hung open as she slowly picked up the box and revealed its contents. "Oh Edison, this is gorgeous. What's your plan?"

"I'm taking Jackie for a special weekend on Solomon's Island. I've chartered a boat for a sunset dinner, and I'll ask her to marry me while we're stopped on the river taking in the full moon. Do you think that'll be romantic enough? That's a proposal a woman would want, right?" Edison asked with a bit of nervousness.

Olivia closed the ring box and pushed it back in front of Edison. She then took his hand in hers, "I think that would be the perfect proposal. And Jackie loves you so much. She's really good for you. I'm so happy you found your person!"

"Let's hope she says yes. I knew I wanted to be made an honest man by her the moment I looked at her."

Olivia held her hands over her heart, beaming with happiness for her dear friend. "Have you told your mother yet that you're proposing?""

"No, but she kept making less than subtle hints at Darius's wedding. I already knew I was going to do it, I just wanted to come up with the perfect proposal." The server returned to their table with their drink orders. "Olivia, I'd love it if you were my best man or best woman. What do you say? I'll even let you plan the bachelor party."

Olivia belly laughed at the idea, but when she looked at Edison, she knew he was serious. "You really want me and not Darius or someone else. A guy friend?" She asked a bit confused.

"No. I want you. You're my closest friend, basically my sister. Or at minimum my play cousin. You've been supportive of my and Jackie's relationship from day one. And she thinks very fondly of you too."

"Okay then. I'll be your best man. Do you really want a bachelor party?"

"Hell yeah. With strippers." Edison confirmed with confidence.

"Done. You should know that I'll be coming to the wedding with a plus one." Their food finally arrived and they waited for the server to leave before continuing the conversation.

"Your ugly mean ass finally found someone to show you some interest?" He returned back to the banter.

"You don't really want that bachelor party, do you?" Olivia gave him a stern but playful look.

Edison held his hands up in surrender and let her continue. "Is he the guy you mention a couple of weeks ago?"

"He is. His name is Fitz. He owns Defiance Bourbon."

"Your new man is Fitz Grant?" Edison said, halting his forkful of food that he was about to consume.

"How do you know who he is?"

"He is a client of my previous firm. I never worked directly with him, but I'd seen him from time to time when he would come into the office. He seemed like a good guy. Not demanding at all. An easy client to work with."

"He is the easiest person to be around. I really like him. We've already decided to be exclusive with one another. I think you two would get along quite well. At the expense of sounding corny, we should do a double date." Olivia surprised herself with the suggestion.

"I'm open to that. Plus, I need to give the final approval to this guy. I need to make sure he's good for you," Edison said with a wink.

The two good friends continued to talk and eat and enjoy each other's company. Edison paid the bill and they called it a night. Olivia arrived home around 10pm and went straight into doing her nighttime routine of showering and winding down before going to sleep. She decided to call Fitz before shutting everything down for the night.

"Hi."

"Hi. I just wanted you to know I made it home. I also wanted to hear your voice before going to bed," she said in a low and sleepy voice.

"Did you have a good time?"

"I did. Edison is going to propose to his girlfriend this weekend. He wants me to be the best man at the wedding."

"So, he's confident she'll say yes, huh?"

"She will. She's perfect for him. They are perfect for each other."

"This weekend seems to be a big one for couples."

"Don't even ask, Fitzgerald. You're less than 48 hours away from finding out your birthday surprise."

"I wasn't. Scouts honor. I'm still trying to figure out your clues."

"All will be revealed on Saturday. In the meantime, I'm going to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow evening. Sleep well, Hun."

"You too. Sweet dreams."

XXX

Olivia had opened her eyes and looked at the clock that read 8:23am on Saturday morning. She moved her head to look in the other direction to see that Fitz was still sound asleep. She quietly and slowly arose out of bed and made her way to the bathroom for her first relief of the day. She considered taking a shower right then but didn't want to wake Fitz since they had a couple of hours before they needed to get on the road. When she finished in the bathroom, she continued quietly to the kitchen to make coffee and gather items for a light breakfast. She opened the blinds throughout her living room and put away the dishes that dried in the rack overnight. The smell of the strong brew wafted through the air of the condo. Olivia chopped half a cantaloupe, some watermelon, and apples, sprinkling in some fresh blueberries, drizzling the fruit salad with a little honey. The coffeemaker beeped indicating that the hot beverage was ready. As Olivia rinsed drops of honey from her hands, she felt strong, yet warm arms embrace her around the waist and the stubble of his chin graze against her neck.

"Morning you. Are you hungry? Have some of that fruit salad, and I was just about to fry up some bacon."

"That sounds wonderful. And I'll make the bacon. You sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, and I'll have that bacon on the table in five minutes." Fitz kissed her on the cheek and began his task of making bacon and added a few slices of toast to complete their morning meal. The two of them had a leisurely breakfast full of chit chat and silly jokes, and Fitz trying his best to successfully guess his birthday surprise, although he was unsuccessful. Fitz cleaned up the kitchen while Olivia showered and dressed. She finished with her hair, and while she packed a few things in a large duffle bag, Fitz showered and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. At about 11am, they climbed into Fitz's truck, with Olivia driving. She knew the place where they were going, so she didn't need to use the GPS which may have tipped off Fitz to their destination. They had about an hour's drive ahead of them and they used the entire time talking and singing to the music playing from Olivia's playlist.

At the last stop light before reaching their destination, Olivia reached in her duffle and pulled out an eye mask. "Here. Put this on."

"Are you serious?" He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Yes. I want it to be a big surprise and that will only happen if your eyes are covered. We'll be parked in five minutes." In less than four minutes, Olivia had parked the truck, grabbed her duffle, and got out to head to the passenger side to assist the blindfolded Fitz.

"Here, take my hand," she said as she helped him step completely out of the truck and closed the door behind him and locked the vehicle. She turned his body in the direction she wanted him to face and instructed him to remove his eye mask. The sign directly in front of them read "37th Annual Airstream Festival."

Fitz just stared with the biggest smile she'd seen on his face to date. He snapped his head in her direction and grabbed her around the waist before kissing her passionately. "Livvie, my god, Livvie! You are amazing! I knew I loved you for a reason," he said and hugged her again, not realizing what he'd just said. He didn't notice when Olivia's eyes grew wide at the revelation while they lingered in their embrace. "Well, let's get in that festival. I want to see everything," he chirped out like a kid in Disneyworld.

As they walked to the ticket booth, Fitz thought about the clues Olivia had given him. "Explain to me those clues. Well, I think I get home away from home, but explain to me 'look back to know where we're going.'"

"Fitz, you keep your Airstream in your backyard, babe. Look back," she emphasized with body language that screamed 'obviously' and 'duh'.

Fitz laughed at her antics and led her by the hand into the festival. He didn't know where to look or go first. There were dozens of the silvery RVs everywhere waiting to be explored. Some were being shown for their vintage nature, while others were the newest models available for purchase. There were also vendors in attendance who specialized in repairs and upgrades to the vehicle. Of course, being in a childish state, Fitz chose to check out the newest models, telling both himself and Liv that he was just looking, although in his head he was calculating the potential cost of purchasing a new 21st century model.

Olivia was in awe of the event as she'd never been around so many recreational vehicles in one place. She had never given a lot of thought about road trips or camping until she met Fitz, and now she was truly curious about the experience in an Airstream. Since it was Fitz's day, Olivia allowed for him to lead the way on which models to first tour. He chose to see the largest models and work his way down in size. The interiors of the latest models reminded him of his tiny guest house. With Olivia in tow, he inspected every inch of the largest model, the 33ft Classic. Fitz was in awe of its separate bedroom, full-size bathroom, and spacious interior living area. The large awning extended the living space to the outside of the RV. He repeated this same inspection routine with each model they toured. He also asked dozens of questions, giving the salespeople hope of a huge payday.

After about two hours of new model tours, they were hungry and walked around the festival grounds for another fifteen minutes in search of food. The festival organizers had invited food vendors who had converted their Airstreams into food trucks, and they chose to order their food from one serving Mexican food. Fitz ordered a large beef burrito and Olivia ordered chicken tacos. Their beverage of choice was cold Stella Artois. They ate their food at the café tent and relaxed for a little while before checking out the vintage RVs.

Fitz wiped his mouth after swallowing his last bite of burrito and guzzling the final fourth of his beer. He looked at Olivia with wonder and amazement as she continued eating her tacos. "Livvie, thank you so much for today. I'm …I'm just…I don't even know what to say. I would never have done something like this for myself and for you to think of me…it's…I feel like you really get me," he finally got out softening his gaze at her.

"This was a no-brainer when I saw the ad in the City Paper. Something just told me that you'd love to come here." Olivia finished off her tacos before continuing, "I hope we get to do more stuff like this. Festivals seem to be our thing," she said with a wink.

Fitz spotted a food truck that sold baked goods. He and Olivia agreed to share a funnel cake covered in powdered sugar. He hurried to the truck to place an order and five minutes later he was rushing the plate filled with sugary goodness back to their table. Fitz handed Olivia a fork and they quickly devoured the quintessential fair confection.

After about an hour eating and chatting each other up, they made their way to the double wide RV that was converted into immaculate restrooms. When Olivia walked inside, she recalled very few public restrooms that were as spacious, clean, and pleasantly fragrant as these. RV life is no joke, she thought to herself. Fitz's trip to the restroom garnered a similar thought, and he felt bad that he'd hired port-o-potties for the bourbon festival and not these babies. He catalogued in his brain to research the cost of renting one of these, even a small one for Defiance's next outdoor event.

Once their bathroom break was over, they headed to the other side of the festival site to tour the vintage Airstreams. Even though Fitz reveled at the new models, he was super excited about the vintage vehicles and the maintenance and upkeep routines that went into keeping them functional and able to maintain their value. He loved his Airstream, and although from time to time he'd thought of selling it, he couldn't bring himself to part with the RV and its memories. Fitz had convinced himself that there were more memories to be made with his vehicle.

He and Olivia spent the next few hours touring a couple of dozen vintage models, as well as the vendors who specialized in maintaining the Airstream look and function. Fitz seriously considered upgrading the interior of his Airstream and replacing the awning. There were also a couple of spots where the exterior needed repairs. This trip to the festival caused Fitz to commit to taking better care of his baby and begin the process of her revitalization. He had a stack of brochures that detailed the various reno styles for the Airstream interior, as well as upgrades to the vehicle's technology. He had lots to read and decide on the subject, and he was excited.

The couple had a long day at the festival and enjoyed every minute of it. Fitz knew that he'd worn Olivia out with seeing everything there was to see and tour and explore, so he drove on their way back home. After about five minutes of talking, Olivia leaned her head back on the headrest and fell asleep. Fitz looked over at his exhausted angel and smiled. An idea came to him about how he wanted to end the night. He wanted to surprise Olivia later that night, so he let her nap the entire ride home. When they arrived at her place, he gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and softly called her name.

"Liv. Wake up baby."

Olivia stirred, drawing in a deep breath and arching her back to stretch herself out a bit. She looked out the window and saw they were back at her condo. She also noticed that Fitz was double parked with the engine still running. "Aren't you coming in with me?" she asked a bit confused and disappointed.

"I want you to come by my place in a couple of hours. I'm going to make us dinner, plus I have something special for you." Fitz peered deeply into her eyes and continued, "Thank you for today. It was amazing! You made this old man feel like a ten-year-old boy again. I cannot remember the last time someone did something so incredible for me. Can I keep you forever?"

Olivia smiled and felt her cheeks growing flushed. "You're a good man, Fitz, and you deserve the world. I'm glad today made you happy and I look forward to finding other ways to bring happiness to you," she said not quite knowing how to directly answer his question, as she didn't know forever to him meant legally. She cared about Fitz deeply already, but she was nowhere thinking about or considering marriage. Whatever his intent, she knew she wanted to continue in a relationship with him, and in this moment, she wanted her lips on his. She leaned in to give him a sweet but passionate kiss. Olivia grabbed her duffle off the floor and opened her door, "I'll see you in a couple of hours then."

XXX

Olivia texted Fitz that she'd be arriving at his place in a matter of minutes. He had given her a garage door opener the last time she had visited with him. He'd unlock the door from the garage leading into the house for her easy access. She arrived at his house less than ten minutes later with her weekender in tow. Olivia entered the house and called out for Fitz but received no answer. She saw the lights on in the kitchen and headed that way. As she reached the kitchen, Fitz was coming into the house from the deck.

"Hi," he said with a large smile covering his face. He went to the sink to wash his hands before embracing and kissing her."

She dropped her weekender at her feet. "I like the way you greet me," Olivia replied with her hands rubbing his back. "Whatcha got going on out back?"

Fitz picked up her bag, took Olivia by the hand and led her to their evening destination. Olivia noticed the lawn torches glowing towards the back of his backyard that lit up the path to the Airstream. The illuminated RV finally came into view. Fitz had created another outdoor oasis for them to enjoy, this time he had decorated the patio area of the Airstream for a romantic dinner. The awning was extended and covered in mosquito netting and draped with string lights. Under the awning was a bistro set with a dinner setting for two. A cart with food and drinks was next to the table. The sound of music traveled through the Airstream's opened windows. Fitz pulled back one side of the netting to let Olivia through to begin their evening.

"I hope you don't mind that I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to our Airstream day. I've missed this old girl, and today just made me want to spend some time here in her with you."

"This is fantastic, Fitz! You plan the most creative dates. Did you get all this done in the last couple of hours?" Olivia asked with a look of marvel on her face.

"I did. Have a seat. I hope you're hungry because I am starving. Tonight's menu is kabobs, Caesar salad, and smores. I hope that works for you. If not, I have other stuff in the house."

Olivia couldn't believe this man. Thank God for best friends whose boyfriends work for amazing men. "No, this is perfect. And I'm starving too. It's been several hours since we last ate. While you were busy putting this together, I was napping," she admitted with a bit of shame.

"Good. You needed that after I dragged you all through that festival. I don't think there was a model we didn't tour or a vendor I didn't stalk," Fitz said as he opened the door to the RV and placed Olivia's bag inside. He plated their food and poured their drinks. They ate and continued to converse for about an hour. Fitz had made a pitcher of sangria and they enjoyed finishing that off together.

After they finished eating the main course, Fitz removed everything from the table, and retrieved from the bottom of the cart the tabletop fire pit and placed it in the center of the table. He went into the Airstream and came out with a tray of graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. He also had a couple of pairs of small tongs to use to hold the smores over the mini-fire pit.

"You really did think of everything. Do you worry that down the road you won't be able to top yourself?" Olivia asked Fitz teasingly.

"You keep me on my toes. I'm sure as long as I've got you, I'll think of creative ways to spend time with you." They made and toasted their smores and messily ate the dessert, smearing chocolate over their mouths with the backs of their hand, while their fingertips were sticky with marshmallow.

Olivia was the first to stand to stretch and then to clean her messy hands and face. "I need to clean up."

"Use the Airstream. We're sleeping here tonight anyway. That's why I brought your bag down, just in case you needed anything in it. I need to take these dishes back to the house and lock up. Everything is in working order, so feel free to use whatever you need. Of course, if you don't feel comfortable staying here, we can go back to the house."

"We are definitely staying here tonight. I'll be fine. Are you sure you don't need my help carrying things back to the house?" Olivia asked him.

"No. The cart rolls. It'll be lighter going back up than it was coming down. Is there anything you'd like me to bring you from the house?"

"Just you, so hurry back!" Olivia turned and entered the RV. She was shocked at what she saw. This was her first time entering the Airstream that night. Fitz had not only set up the outside for them, but he also decorated the interior as well. She should have known. There were several mugs filled with colorful flowers on the countertops and table surfaces. Vanilla scented candles flickered next to the flowers. He had put fresh linens on the bed in the back end of the Airstream, and she could hear more clearly the slow music playing in the background.

Olivia first washed her hands in the kitchenette sink before touching anything. She had showered before coming over, so she didn't need to bathe, but she did want to freshen up. Fitz never went to bed without cleaning his kitchen, so she knew he'd be gone for about fifteen or twenty minutes. She didn't pack a washcloth or towel, but she saw Fitz had placed some fresh ones in the bathroom. Olivia undressed and put on an oversized tank pajama shirt that hung low over her butt and down her thighs. She washed and moisturized her face and waited for Fitz to return. She laid on the bed and enjoyed the slow jams playing through the air.

Ten minutes later, Fitz returned, also in a change of clothes. "You look comfortable. Mind if I join you?" he asked as he walked towards the bed.

"No, I think I'd rather sleep alone. I'll see you in the morning," Olivia said and playfully turned her back to him.

"Okay then. Let me just show you where the bear spray is just in case."

Olivia almost gave herself whiplash turning around to face him once again, "WHAT?"

Fitz laughed as he sat on the bed next to her, "There are no bears here, Livvie. I'm just teasing you. But I'm pretty sure that you'd like for me to stay now, huh?

Olivia lightly hit his chest and laughed along with him. Still laughing, she moved over to create more space for Fitz to fit on the bed beside her. "Thank you for tonight, Fitz. Everything was lovely. I was hoping that the festival was the highlight of the day, but I think tonight topped that."

"I'm still floating from all we saw today. I was so tempted to purchase the big flagship model, but it doesn't make economic sense to buy a hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle that I would only take out once a year or even once every two years. This old girl is in great shape. I bought her gently used from a widow whose husband had purchased it one year before being diagnosed with terminal cancer. I just need to make some repairs to a few places on the exterior, but I am seriously considering gutting the interior and upgrading the kitchenette and bathroom. What do you think?"

"I don't know if I'll want you making any changes to this interior if we are about to make new memories in it," she told him, pulling his face closer to meet hers in a kiss. The two made out for a while, exploring each other with their hands and mouths before undressing and settling into a night of passion.