Just a super short chapter while I work on the next part. It should be up tonight. Hoppy Easter! :)

When Olivia picked Alex up on Friday evening, Alex was grinning from ear to ear.

"TGIF," she said happily as she dropped into the vehicle.

"Well, you're awfully perky today."

"I am," she affirmed, putting on her seatbelt as Olivia drove out of the parking lot. "I'm going to be going out tonight. With a friend."

Olivia's eyebrows rose as she looked over.

"You made a friend?" she asked happily.

"I did," Alex said, smiling. "A volunteer at the library. She comes in to bring books to elderly shut-ins. We've been friendly since I started and yesterday she invited me out to show me around the city."

"That's great!" she said sincerely. She knew how hard it was for the woman to make friends. She had been doing really well since they arrived though. Olivia was proud of her. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know to be honest. She said she was going to show me around though, so that will be nice."

"I guess she'd know the town pretty well if she drives around bringing books to people."

Alex nodded.

"That's what I figured too."

"So since what time have you been planning your outfit?"

Alex laughed.

"Shut up," she muttered. She was notorious for spending hours agonizing over what to wear, even for something as simple as a BBQ at Elliot's house. Olivia used to groan and whine every time they got invited somewhere because she knew the blonde would spend hours deciding on an outfit.

"Answer the question."

"Only since two."

"Yesterday at two."

"Maybe."

"Is that when she brought up bringing you out?"

"Maybe," Alex repeated.

Olivia chuckled, shaking her head.

"I thought so. Have you at least figured out what you want to wear?"

"I think so. I'm thinking of wearing those new jeans I just got with the burgundy sweater. It gets chilly at night, so I figure I'm safe with that. And then the boots I bought on Wednesday."

Alex had done a second round of shopping for the both of them this week, given that they were quickly running out of things to wear. She had bought them shoes and a few other things as well, like a belt for Olivia and a plastic cup dispenser for the bathroom.

Olivia nodded, not voicing her thoughts about how good she looked in that sweater and those jeans.

"That's a good outfit."

"Thanks."

"What time is she picking you up?"

"Around six fifteen."

Olivia glanced at the clock. It was 5:28 now and they were just pulling into the driveway.

"Will you have enough time to get ready?"

"I think so. I mean, I have the outfit already planned and that's usually the most time consuming thing."

"Will you have time to eat?"

"I think we're going to go to a sandwich shop. She told me she was going to show me the famous local places. I think that includes diners or restaurants. If they're good, I'll bring you next time we go out."

"Sounds like a plan," Olivia said, smiling.

She followed the blonde into the house, disabling the alarm while the woman jogged upstairs to change. She wandered around the main floor, wondering what she would do for the evening. Maybe she would clean as a surprise to Alex. Normally, she loathed doing any housework and consequently, it fell to the other woman to do it. However, she made up for it by fixing broken door handles and killing unwanted insects. Alex had agreed to do the housework as long as Olivia killed every single spider, bug, creepy crawly, or whathaveyous that made their way in the house. The brunette happily agreed to that arrangement.

Olivia walked over to the main floor bathroom, pulling out the disinfectant wipes and wiping down the sink. She then grabbed a fresh wipe and wiped down the toilet. The bowl looked clean, but she had seen Alex scrub it with the white scrubby thing by the toilet so she grabbed that and did the same. There was probably supposed to be some kind of cleaner added to this, but given that she had no idea what to use, she just shrugged and used none. One week without soaping down the toilet bowl would be fine. She put the scrubby thing back and then washed her hands, ridding herself of the smell of the disinfectant wipes.

She then went to the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher, filling it back up with the dirty dishes from the sink. She washed the frying pan from the omelette she had made them this morning and decided to wash the coffee pot as well. She was just in the middle of wiping down the counter when she heard the clicking of Alex's boots on the hardwood floor. She tossed the dishcloth in the sink and felt the air leave her lungs when she saw the blonde.

She looked hot.

Her hair was brushed, but it looked as though she had just run her fingers through the top, leaving it fall messily around her jaw. She was wearing a subtle amount of make-up, except for her lips, which were a gorgeous ruby colour. Her burgundy sweater hugged tightly against her torso, and her jeans, which were tucked into her high-heel boots, were just as snug. She was currently in the process of putting on her hoop earrings, watching herself in the hallway mirror, oblivious to Olivia's blatant staring.

When she successfully put them in and turned towards the kitchen, Olivia blinked and smiled at her.

"You look really nice," she said after clearing her throat.

"Thanks. If I'm going to meet the people in this city, I want to at least look presentable."

"You always look presentable."

The blonde smiled warmly at her.

"Yeah, yeah," she said affectionately.

There was a knock at the door, and Alex felt her nerves tighten. She was always nervous upon making new friends. What if things got awkward or she didn't know what to say?

"Do you want me to get it?" Olivia asked.

"No, I will. But you can come and I'll introduce you if you want. As long as you promise not to do the cop thing."

Olivia had a bad habit of interrogating new people, even if she was friendly about it.

"Hey. I can't help it if I'm curious."

Alex laughed and shook her head, heading towards the door. The woman did it because she was suspicious of everyone.

"I know what you do, and it's not from curiosity."

"Hey, you can never be too careful."

Instead of responding to the comment, Alex grabbed the door handle and turned to the brunette. She pointed a finger in warning.

"Be nice."

She opened the door and smiled at the woman standing before her.

"Hi, Lori." She took a step back, allowing the woman to come in. Olivia stayed a few feet away in the hallway.

"Hey," she said as she entered. "You look great."

Olivia's enthusiasm suddenly waned. Wait. Was this a date? Was Lori gay? Fuck. She looked gay. What were the signs Alex had taught her?

Hair! "Short hair, sometimes asymmetrical." Yes, this Lori woman had short hair. It was definitely asymmetrical, with the left side cut significantly shorter and the hair on the top of her head spiking out towards the right. No make-up. Olivia glanced at her face. Definitely no make-up on this woman.

She rushed through the rest of her thoughts, racking her brain on the spot.

Nails! Nails. She looked at the woman's hands. They looked a bit rough, and Lori's nails were cut short, as were her own. And the woman's outfit spoke volumes: baggy, loose fitting jeans, big belt, black shirt with a plaid, long-sleeved top, and a bulky watch. Olivia felt her inside turn. She had to be gay. And she stood just like Elliot did.

"Thanks. By the way, this is Cam, my roommate. Cam, this is Lori."

Olivia nodded politely and said hello.

"Hi," the woman responded. She was friendly. Olivia didn't like her.

"Well, we're going to go now. See you tonight, Cam."

"See you later," she said, forcing a smile. After the door closed, she bolted upstairs to the lime green room to discreetly look outside. Lori, the woman's name pronounced with disgust in her head, was at least maintaining her distance. However, Olivia watched as the woman casually opened Alex's door before making her way to the driver's side of the vehicle. The brunette's heart sunk a little. Was this really a date? It definitely looked like one. But, Alex had said she was just a friend. Would she have told her if it was a date? She couldn't possibly be moving on already. But what if she was? Olivia had told Alex that they were no longer a possibility, so she was technically free to see whoever she wanted now.

Olivia watched the car pull out of the driveway, sitting dejectedly on the windowsill, lost in her thoughts.