AN: Thank you guys for reading my story and for the reviews I appreciate it, truly. So here's the 2nd chapter, hope you enjoy it!
The next day Olivia woke feeling happier than she'd been in a long time. Rolling over in bed she came into contact with the bible her mother had given her as a present.
Without hesitation she opened the book to her favorite chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, as the last verse spoke to her in a special way. "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."
Olivia had never considered herself a religious person but she valued her relationship with God and the guidance she received and peace she felt from reading His words.
After she finished reading the bible verse, she said a prayer for the day and began getting ready for work.
Then dressed in green boyfriend pants, blue denim shirt and leopard flats, Olivia ate breakfast, before applying her basic make up. After a while her attention drifted away to the previous night. Her smile turned soft and dreamy as her thoughts centered on one particular man. She wondered when or even if he would call but she quickly banished the thought when she saw the time.
Grabbing her bag, she did a quick safety check, before hurrying out the door and hopping into her red Ford Fiesta that she absolutely loved. It was cute and Eco-friendly, and best of all it allowed her to daydream at traffic stops about her night absorbed in the serenity of III Legend's music, and the few minutes she'd spent with Fitz, the man.
Olivia arrived at work 5 minutes early and used the extra time to make coffee. She hated the dark brew but her boss Jean Lewis absolutely loved it.
With only one more month before she graduated with a BA in Photography, Olivia had already managed to find employment as a photographer's assistant at a small but reputable photography studio in Seattle, WA.
Jean who was the main photographer and he'd grown his repertoire throughout the years from family portraits to high fashion celebrity shoots. At 50, he'd been in the business long enough to have a wealth of knowledge and Olivia felt lucky to have a job working with him. She had learned more from Jean in a few short months, than she had in all her time at school.
Making her way through the office, coffee mug in hand, Olivia greeted the rest of her colleagues.
First there was Jackie, the free- spirited and kind woman whose official title was secretary but she knew the business better than anyone, having worked for Jean from the time he opened the studio. And she knew Jean better than anyone as Jackie was not only his secretary but his beloved wife, and they were still beautifully in love even after 15+ years.
Finally, there was Akeem, the main editor and back up photographer. He was a shy and well-mannered young man who took his job seriously. He had taken Olivia under his wing when she was new here, and she was glad to have him as a friend.
In all Olivia thought that working at J.L Photography studio was a good fit for her. If things got busy, Jean always hired extra help to ensure that the quality of work was nothing short of spectacular.
By 9, everyone had arrived at the studio. It was an informal environment; most people came to work in a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Even though it was not formal, Olivia still tried to dress casual chic. She often opted for flats to stay safe and comfortable when they did outdoor shoots in Seattle's rainy weather.
"Liv, we've got a job," Jean approached Olivia, "I just got a call from Diverse Magazine and they want III Legend on the cover of their May magazine."
Olivia couldn't believe her ears, after meeting this man only a few hours ago, she now felt as if the universe was intent on having them cross paths again, but all she said was, "That sounds great"
"We'll be doing the shoot at his home in LA. Don't worry it's all-expenses paid. We'll have to leave Friday night to be there for the early morning shoot on Saturday."
Trying to control the butterflies in her stomach, Olivia murmured, "That sounds wonderful. When will we be back?"
"Sunday, but we'll be on two separate flights. Since this shoot is sorta last minute, tickets were difficult to get but we've got the last two available. I'm sorry that this is the ..."
Before he could finish, Olivia interrupted, "No, no...no need to apologize, I understand," and teasingly she added, "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself"
He laughed, and proceeded to discuss other details of their trip, and the schedule for their Wednesday work day.
Olivia got out of work a few minutes after 5. She headed to the parking lot and plugged in her phone to Pandora after getting into her car. Then laughed softly to herself, hearing one of Fitz's songs playing. Even Pandora could read her mind!
Smiling, she started her commute home. She was about 10 minutes from her house, when her phone began ringing. The hands-free car display showed an unknown number, so she felt a bit wary as she pressed the hands free button for the car and simply said, "Hello?"
"Hi, Livvie."
Her heart leapt as she heard his deep baritone voice. She couldn't believe he was calling and that he'd already given her a nickname. It made her blush and feel cherished at the same time.
Realizing he was waiting for her to speak, she said immediately, "Hi Fitz, how was your day?"
"My day was fine even though I was counting down the time to 5 o' clock." They both started laughing. "How was your day?"
"My day was actually great. It's nice being able to work in an environment that you actually enjoy."
"You can say that again. You know, I never understood those people who would get excited and passionate about their job until I've started singing. Now I can relate; I feel that same passion when I'm doing something I love."
Olivia admired his openness and honesty, surprised how comfortable she was talking him.
She filled him in on her day, but neglected to tell him about the upcoming photo shoot.
Then Fitz turned the conversation to her personal life. "Have you lived in Seattle all your life?"
"Actually, no. I was born and raised in Florida then I moved here for college. Talk about trading sunshine for rain." They both fell into easy laughter over the polar difference of the two states.
"Not that this is any of my business, but do you have any intentions of moving back to Florida?"
"Not at the moment but I do visit from time to time as my mother still lives there…" She paused. Then said before she could change her mind, "It's nice talking like this with you, Fitz, but…why are you so interested in me?"
Olivia wasn't a coward but she wouldn't call herself very courageous either, but she had always been straightforward person and her mom admired that about her.
Fitz laughed nervously over the phone. "I honestly don't know how to put this into words. There's something about you that captivates me. It's not just your beauty, because you are beautiful."
Olivia sucked in a breath, surprised that he would think that, then forced herself to focus on the rest of what he was saying,
"There's more to you, and more that I want to know about you. I promise that I don't make a habit of asking my fans for their phone numbers but from the time that I saw you in the lobby I wanted to know you."
He gave a deprecating laugh. "I don't know even know if I'm your type, but I'd like to make my intentions clear. I'd like to pursue a relationship with you even if takes you a while to say 'yes'."
In response, all Olivia could muster was, "Wow."
Olivia Pope was speechless and she was nervous and excited at the same time. After a few seconds she replied, "Ok" and she heard Fitz exhale a breath he'd obviously been holding.
"Fitz, this does not mean that 'ok, we're together' but it means that I am open to the idea of getting to know each other. I'd really like it if we could take things slow."
She heard the smile in his voice as he said gently, "Thank you, Livvie. It's been a long time since I asked a girl if we could date."
Olivia smiled herself. "And it's been a long time since I've been asked."
"As an older guy…"
"How much older?"
"I'm 30 going on 31. And you?"
"Twenty two."
"You look about 16."
"You wanted to date a 16 year-old?"
"What?! No!" Then he chuckled. "Livvie, are you teasing?"
"Yes," she smiled.
He laughed again, then said a bit more seriously, "I'm not playing, Livvie. I have intentions. Good intentions about you. Just so you know."
Olivia's heart melted and she sent up a silent prayer hoping that her heart wouldn't lead her astray.
They spoke for another 15 minutes with Olivia sitting in her car in the parking lot of her apartment complex.
"Livvie, I have to go but is it ok for me to call you around 9 before you go to bed? I would love to sing you a lullaby."
His statement made her blush, but said quietly, "There's nothing I would love more Fitz."
We made it through the end of another chapter. Woohoo! I've already written 5 chapters so far. Once they're finished editing I will post them. Special shout-out to my unpaid editor ScandalMania. :)J