Fitz & Olivia had been working together for three months. They had been making tremendous progress. The restructuring project was going well especially, because people weren't hearing it in a memo. They were out in the field talking to people.
The first thing they did was create two companies in one. Some of the managers and executives handled domestic and international stores. Everyone was on board, and Olivia had done a masterful job of putting people in positions that would show their strength. There was minimal fallout when everyone's role was announced.
Fitz enjoyed being back in the stores more. It was how his grandfather and father made the company so successful. He could tell that the staffs enjoyed seeing him.
Olivia was even more personable. Even with a designer suit on she had no problem getting dirty. They walked into a restaurant that was in the middle of a lunch rush one day. The flu left them down three workers. Olivia took off her jacket and began to help the hostess and the wait staff. Fitz headed to the kitchen.
Neither of them realized that some journalists were in the restaurants. The next morning, they were on the front page of the food section. Big Jerry sent them the link and told them they should take a couple of days off before heading to Europe. Both were workaholics and declined.
Well that was partly true. Really, they were attracted to one another, and it was scaring the both of them. Fitz wasn't worried about them from a professional standpoint. Technically, they were equals. They both reported to his dad. He just wasn't sure if his heart could handle things not working out between them. His gut told him that Olivia felt the same way.
They hadn't been in the air long. Fitz had checked in with his dad. He went to check on Olivia. He found her sitting by the window looking sad.
He sat across from her, "I've been told I am a good listener."
She smiled, "You wouldn't care."
"Try me…"
She took a moment before looking at him, "I'm a little sad to be going to Europe when I know that my Nana has dreamed of taking a European cruise for so long. It was one of the reasons that I was looking forward to the promotion to pay for her cruise. I didn't just want to send her. I want her to enjoy a luxury cruise. Once I agreed to this job the one I was going to send her on the one that she wanted to go on, but it was already booked. I still plan to send her. I am just in my feelings."
Fitz smiled, "I understand. Cyrus told me a little bit about your grandmother. She is a great woman."
"How do you know?"
"I stopped by Cyrus's house when I got back from Italy. I wanted to discuss you in more detail and drop off his retirement gift from me. It was never about pity Olivia. I knew that you deserved a promotion. The only question was what it would be. Your grandmother happened to be visiting Cyrus, and he introduced us. We enjoyed a nice lunch together."
"She never told me."
"I asked her not to…"
"Why…"
"I've screwed up a lot of things in recent years, and I can't go back and fix them. I refused to screw you over, and I just needed time to sort things out. I wished that it didn't take Andrew dying for me to see what I was doing with my life. What I was doing to other people. I was just so lost. I love my dad, and we have a great relationship, but my mom was my everything. I was a proud mama's boy. She kept telling me that she was getting better. She had breast cancer, and that the chemo was working. Although we spent a lot of quality time together I just wished she had been honest with me. I just wish I knew the cancer had spread. I would have cherished her so much more."
Olivia grabbed his hand, "You did cherish her. The way she wanted. She didn't want those final days to be tarnished with you thinking about her dying. As much as you wished you had known I can tell by how you are talking that you wouldn't have done anything differently. I think that is why she didn't tell you. She died knowing that you loved her, and that you guys enjoyed every moment she had left."
He didn't know he was crying until she moved beside him and wiped his face.
He looked at her, "I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy for you to talk about."
She nodded, "You never get over losing your parents. Like you I wish I had more time, and honestly the advice I am giving you is things Nana told me. My parents always made sure we cherished every moment. We were never allowed to go to bed mad, and we always told each other I love you. I find solace that they knew I loved them. I know that I could have taken any number of executive level positions at other companies that allowed me to live the high life, but family matters to me."
"I know it does. Your grandmother is a special woman, and while I can understand she doesn't replace your parents I understand the bond you two have. I enjoyed every moment I got to spend with her. I understand why you don't want to move far away from her. I didn't go far away to college. Even now when I travel I still like to take breaks and come and check on dad. He found a companion in the last year, so he has been traveling more which surprisingly makes me happy. I know mom wouldn't have wanted him to be alone."
"You are right. Nana has a friend too. As much as it hurt me to lose my parents it was anguish for her to lose her only daughter. I am just happy that she is enjoying her remaining years."
"Well, I have something for you. I think this will make you happy. I am going to check on dinner."
She was curious what he was talking about. He grabbed his iPad before heading to another part of the plane.
Olivia gasped when she looked at the screen, "Nana…"
"Hi Livia. Where are you?"
"Your new traveling buddy knew about your plan to send me on a European cruise. I admitted I was disappointed I wouldn't be going on the cruise we discussed. He talked with his dad who made some calls. There was a luxury yacht cruise ten times better than the one I was looking at."
Olivia was in shock.
"We had a long talk over lunch at Cyrus's house. He really is a fine young man, and I knew from the conversation that he truly wanted to find a way to take care of you. If I am being honest I think personally and professionally. Although neither of you are ready to deal with the personal part. I remember hearing him on the phone. He told someone that it would make his mom happy."
Olivia smiled.
"Well it looks like he spared no expense."
"He didn't. I thought he was going to call you and tell you but then I heard him paying for it. He made sure that we were able to get our passports. When I got onboard there was a new cell phone that allows me to make international calls, and an American Express gift card. When I asked him why he just said that he knew it was important to you, and it was important for his employees to be happy. Me being happy made you happy. I don't buy that being the whole truth, but I let it go."
Olivia was too stunned to say much.
"I have to get ready to go Liv. They are doing the safety meeting, but before I go I just want to say that when you dated Edison and Jake you were a girl. Now you are a woman, and I will never force you to do anything or be with anyone I will just say don't close a door that you have never even looked into."
Finally, Olivia asked, "How long are you gone for?"
"Three glorious weeks. I don't plan to think about you much, and I hope you will do the same."
Olivia laughed, "Have fun Nana. Promise you will check in from time to time."
"You know I will…"
After the call ended she headed into the room where Fitz was seated. When he saw her, he wasn't sure how she was going to react. They both knew that sending her grandmother on the cruise was entirely personal. He couldn't explain having feeling and emotions for a woman he had not formally met at the time. He was afraid too, because if she evoked these kinds of emotions out of him without meeting her then what would she do once they met. As expected she was ruining him for any other woman. Hell, she already had if he wanted to be completely honest with himself.
She finally made it over to him. The words that her grandmother said to her were playing over and over in her mind. Before she realized it she had climbed in his lap, and he just held her as she cried. She cried until she fell asleep.
When the staff came in to bring their meal he asked if they could keep it warm until after Olivia woke up. They were more than happy to accommodate.
Olivia slept for almost a 1 ½. When she woke up she was surprised to find herself still in Fitz's lap. She should have been embarrassed, but once she climbed in his lap it felt like home.
He smiled at her when she woke up. "Did you sleep well?"
"Surprisingly I did…"
Both said "I'm sorry at the same time…"
Fitz looked at her, "Olivia, I apologize if I crossed a line. Since we have been honest with each other since we got on the plane. When I got back from Italy I had all intentions of meeting you, but when I saw you through the window of the restaurant one day and our eyes met briefly. I was dressed down, and you didn't recognize me. That fleeting moment scared me. Then after talking with Cyrus and your grandmother I began to feel things. All I could think is if this is how I feel without being in your presence then I am done for. I thought putting it off would allow me to come to my senses, but the moment you answered the phone and opened the door I knew I was in trouble. I just want you to be happy Liv, and it was an impulsive decision to set up the cruise, but it felt right. It was like my mom was on my shoulder telling me to go for it. I know I am putting myself out there, and I could be rejected. At least you will know."
Olivia looked at him for a moment before she began speaking, "I've only had two boyfriends. Edison in high school and Jake in college. I don't really hold Edison liable for being a fool. After all we were in high school. He had our life planned out because his family had his planned out. We were supposed to be the high-school sweet hearts who got married and turned into this power couple. It was okay for me to be smart, but I could tell that his dad didn't like the fact that I was smarter than his son. He expected me to bow down to his son. I wanted to be like my parents. An equal power couple. My dad loved my mom's intelligence. They complimented each other and loved all of each other. Jake was my college boyfriend. It wasn't until after we started dating that I realized how wealthy he was. He was overconfident, but I let it slide. I really don't know why as I looked back. My friends told me early on that he would cheat on me, and they told me when he started cheating on me. it wasn't that I didn't believe them, but I wanted to see it for myself. I also didn't really care. I knew early on that he wasn't marriage material. The truth is that I didn't want to be alone. All my friends were in relationships. I was away from home, and he took care of my needs when I wanted it which wasn't often. Finally, I went to his apartment to surprise him with dinner. The surprise or rather the truth was in front of me when his current fling of the week was riding him. I took a picture of them and sent it to him telling him to delete my number. He tried to get back with me, but I was over him."
"Why, it seems like he had his pick of women? Why was he holding onto you?"
Olivia chuckled, "I wasn't a whore. I was the girl he took to dinners. I had proper training as he let slip out one time. I laughed in his face and told him if it was about training then he had enough money to send one of them to school."
Fitz laughed.
They just sat there for a moment.
Finally, she says, "I'm scared, but the more I think about it the more I realize that I am more scared of walking away from you without seeing where this goes. If we don't take this chance I think we will both regret it. Professionally there will be some people who have something to say, but we are not violating any rules. I do have one request."
"What's that?"
"Can we keep this to ourselves for a while? We have enough pressure. I just…"
"I am fine with that Liv. We still have a lot of work to do, but during our down time I plan on showing you how a man treats a woman."
She smiled, "I look forward to it."
He kissed her forehead, "You ready to eat?"
"I could use a meal…"
She finally got and moved into the seat beside him.
They enjoyed a nice meal and spent time getting to know each other even more.
Olivia finally asked, "Whose decision was it for you to date Mellie?"
Fitz laughed, "How do you know it was a transaction?"
Olivia shrugged her shoulder, "We both know that under normal circumstances you wouldn't have even looked her way."
"I concede. You are right. To answer your question, I think it was more a mutual agreement. The board was getting a little concerned that I was losing it. You are right. She has always had a crush on me so when my dad brought up the suggestion/demand I went with it."
"You calmed down a lot. She must have been good for you."
"HELL NO! She made my life hell. The sad part is Mellie is smart. She could be anything she wants to be, but her only aspiration in life is to be some rich man's wife. What makes it so bad is that she is miserable. Her whole family is, but she is a special breed of miserable. Before Andrew died I was calming down. Mellie had nothing to do with it. That was the media's perception and I never said otherwise. She liked getting credit for things, so I let her."
He got somber for a moment before saying, "I just wish Andrew got to see me get it together before he was killed."
Olivia grabbed his hand, "It sounds to me that Andrew saw the friend he grew up with before he died."
"Not all of me…"
"He knew. When you really know and love someone you see all of them all the time. Before he died what was the last thing he said to you?"
Fitz eyes immediately began to tear up. Finally, he looked at her and said, "We had just finished having dinner. The valet brought his car around. We shared a long embrace. When we pulled apart he looked at me and said I love you bro. All of you, and I know you are trying to figure things out now that your mom is gone. Just know that I'm here, and who you want to be will always be enough as far as I am concerned as long as you are happy."
Olivia kissed her forehead and wiped the tears from his eyes.
When he finally looked at her she smiled at him and said, "See, he really saw you. You just never took the time until now to really digest what he said."
Fitz nodded.
They just sat there in silence. It was relaxing.
After some time, Olivia says, "When Mellie finds out about us she strikes mas as the type to make an appearance."
Fitz looked at her in horror when he understood what Olivia said.
He said, "Well, I guess this is over before it ever began."
Her head shot up, "Nobody, but the two of us gets to say that we are over, and we are not over yet. Mellie does not scare me. When the time comes we will handle it."
"You said when not if…"
She smiled, "I did…"
"Together…"
"Together…"
They stared at each other for several seconds as they leaned into each other.
Olivia whispered, "Kiss me…"
Fitz looked at her.
She smiled at him, "Kiss me…"
Taunting him she said, "You know you want to…"
That was all he needed before their lips fused together.
Neither had shared a kiss like that before. It wasn't the physical act, but the emotions behind the kiss. In that moment they both knew they were ruined for anyone else, so they could only pray that things worked out between them.
A/N-Let me know what you think. I have the next couple of chapters already outlined. I think it has the potential to be a cut story, but I'll let you guys decide.
