Chapter II: A Space for Oliver
Spice Meter: 2 flames
Greetings, my dearest reader! Before I raise the curtain on recent happenstances, I've been musing over certain things. First, it must be challenging to transition from living alone to suddenly sharing your space. Especially when you've had a house to yourself, you're of a certain age and habits are ingrained. Second, how would a person who is so methodical deal with the knowledge his new bride is charmingly disorganized? And finally, how would the charismatic bride handle a midnight crash landing on the toilet because her methodical husband left the seat up?
The mind does wander.
Anyway, I am sure you all want to see what's up with ShOliver. (Cute little moniker, isn't it?) Will our hero have to reach for a YooHoo when he starts learning more about our heroine's habits? Will our heroine deal with the challenges with her usual grace, or will the stash of "serious chocolate" have to be refilled often? There's only one way to find out, and that's to read on….
"Oh dear." Oliver sighed, as he perused the contents of Shane's closet. It was a mid-sized walk-in closet. There were boxes upon boxes of shoes and multiple items of clothing, all jam-packed together. She said she made space for him, but the rack she cleared off wasn't going to be enough. His suits and shirts would be tightly crammed together, necessitating constant ironing that would drive him crazy.
How in the world do women accumulate so much stuff? Oliver thought. Did she really need so many handbags? What about all those winter coats? It wasn't like he wanted half the space, but the little rack space she left for him would be a tight fit for the clothing he brought. And this was only part of his clothing.
Oliver could feel a twinge of something running down his spine. Was it fear? Maybe just apprehension? He drew a deep breath, keeping himself in check. Three months would fly by, and if he had to iron every day, so be it. He looked forward to the day they could move into the new house. Both would have their own walk-in closet and that would take care of that issue.
It was interesting, for lack of a better word, living with a woman again. Shane's quirks were rapidly adding up. She squeezed the toothpaste smack in the middle of the tube. As much as Oliver tried to squeeze from the bottom in a uniform fashion, every day there was a fresh squeeze in the middle once again. Then there was the realization the toilet paper roll was placed with the paper curving under instead of over. That just wouldn't do. Thankfully Shane hadn't realized (or didn't particularly care) he had made the switch to over.
There was also the fact she was just a tad bit messy. A cushioned chair in the bedroom served as her clothing catch-all. Was it a closet, was it a laundry basket? Was there a comfortable chair underneath? Who knew? The chair could very well be a lovely spot for his early morning devotionals, but he didn't dare mention anything to Shane about it. Every evening he saw her fling items of clothing upon that chair, and sometimes he saw her retrieve items for usage. He tried to keep his expression passive when he was witness to such actions. Even so, he had to admit it was becoming a challenge.
One evening he went to the kitchen, ready to prepare something for dinner. Shane had already shared she wasn't adept at cooking, so he decided to take over the responsibility, albeit temporarily. He simply couldn't have takeout for dinner every single day. His attempt to find proper cooking utensils in the kitchen proved to be unfruitful, but he did find a drawer filled to the brim with chocolate. The options were quite varied… Hershey bars, peanut butter cups, chocolate covered almonds, turtles, Godiva truffles, even Toblerones. Oliver guessed this was her "serious chocolate" stash, but he wasn't judging. He had only recently been able to kick his YooHoo addiction, although he hadn't been in a situation where he might have felt the need to indulge in his comfort drink. At least not since they got married.
"I see you found my stash!" Shane had gone to the supermarket to pick up a couple of essentials and just recently arrived home.
"That's quite a bit of chocolate, my love." Oliver chuckled.
"Well, let it be known the stash had to be kept constantly replenished. The last few days before the wedding were a bit stressful." Shane smiled sheepishly. "I haven't touched it since I've been home, though."
"As long as the indulging isn't because you're stressed, it's quite alright." Oliver commented.
"So, Oliver, how about we go to the DLO tomorrow? Maybe for a few hours? I know we still have some leeway with the time we can take off, but I figured I can give Rita and Norman some tech backup while you check out how they've been holding down the fort."
"I had been thinking the same thing, so that plan is perfect." Oliver grinned in commiseration with his wife. They were perfectly in concert, and he couldn't be more pleased. "Maybe you can have lunch with Rita. I'm sure you have missed spending time with each other."
"I thought of that. Thanks, darling," she said, as she leaned over for a kiss. "What's the plan for dinner?" Shane asked, changing the subject.
"I thought of cooking something but there are no proper cooking utensils in your kitchen. I will have to bring some from my house. So, dinner will be one of the prepped meals Sharon and Rita left in the freezer. I will warm up the spinach lasagna and make some garlic bread. Can you toss a simple salad?"
"Sure, sounds good." Shane hoped Oliver wasn't too frustrated with her lack of kitchen utensils, not to mention skills….
In a short while dinner was ready, and Shane managed to put together a lettuce and tomato salad sprinkled with black olives and Parmesan cheese. She was proud of her efforts since her experience was limited to the salad bar at the Mailbox Grille.
"Oliver, what would you like to drink? I'm just having water with the meal, as I don't really feel like wine tonight."
"Water's fine, my love."
It all felt wonderfully domestic to Shane. She couldn't be happier to finally be sharing these kinds of moments with her husband. Until Oliver took a bite from his salad and she saw him wince.
"Oh no no no no no no no! What did I do wrong!"
"There seems to be an earthy, gritty component that shouldn't be there," Oliver said, after chasing the unfortunate bite with large gulps of water.
Shane paled. "I didn't wash the lettuce!" She covered her face with her hands for a moment, but with a bewildered expression she continued, "But wasn't it washed already? I have seen those bags at the supermarket. The greens come pre-washed!"
"Yes, they do, but that was a head of romaine lettuce." Oliver coughed, clearing his throat, and tried not to laugh. He didn't want Shane to feel more uncomfortable than she already did. She was going to need those cooking lessons sooner rather than later!
After the salad fracas, Shane wanted to watch a movie, but Oliver felt like reading. He got comfortable beside her on the sofa, but the sounds from the television wouldn't let him concentrate. He was trying to take a stab at reading Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, and it was a profound read. Oliver suddenly missed his reading corner in his former home.
"Oliver, is something the matter?"
"How do you know something's going on?"
Shane tilted her head and took his hand in hers. With a glint in her eye she replied, "Because I know you, Oliver. I have been watching you and learning your body language from the day we met at the coffee cart. And you were fidgeting just now, and your eyes were flicking from one corner of the room to the other. Not to mention I could just feel your energy changing."
Oliver blinked. "My energy?"
"Yes, your overall vibe."
"I have a vibe?"
"Well, yes. But I believe I'm the only one who picks up on your little nuances."
"That's true… you even understand what I try to say when circumstances render me inarticulate."
Shane smiled, remembering a particular time that happened, and it all ended with a heart exploding embrace at the DLO. "That I do, darling. But tell me, what's on your mind?"
Oliver paused briefly, gathering his thoughts, wanting to express himself without hurting Shane's feelings. "Is it safe to say we both have lived on our own for a long time?" He asked.
Shane had an idea where this was going. "Yes," she replied.
"I love living with you, don't get me wrong."
"I don't Oliver." She could have interrupted him, she knew what was on his mind, but it was only fair to let him express himself. "I also love living with you."
"I was just missing the reading corner in my former home."
"That's it? I thought you were going to say something about the obscene number of shoes I have, and how I tend to be messy."
Oliver couldn't help it. He smirked. "Well, there's that too."
"I promise I'll make a conscious effort to be better, my dear husband."
"I'm sure you will." He took her hand and softly kissed her knuckles.
Shane held onto his hand and squeezed it. "I have a proposition. Why don't we set up the guest bedroom as a den for you?"
Oliver's head tilted, liking the idea, but he still felt like he had to be practical about the proposal. "Don't you think it's too much of a hassle just for a few months?"
"Not at all. The furniture we get can go with us to the new house. I think you need the space, Oliver. Like you said, we've both lived alone for quite a while. I know you must be missing your house. I also know we're a bit crammed here, so having that space will be great when you get fed up with my quirks and want to blow off some steam."
Oliver's eyes softened. "I will never get fed up with you, Shane. However, I will admit I would love to have a space where I could do my devotionals in the morning and read in the evenings. Maybe bring in my vinyl collection and record player."
"Then it's settled! The guest room will be your den!"
A couple of days later they started setting up Oliver's space with Joe's help. First order of business was taking out the queen bed and putting it in storage, along with the dresser and nightstand. A sofa bed was placed in its stead, to cover the need for an extra bed in case they had guests over, or even if Joe wanted to spend the night when he visited. Oliver brought in a wingback leather chair with a side table and an antique lamp. Joe set up shelves and a library table was brought in as a desk. The room was sufficiently spacious for everything, and it was taking good shape. Shane was pleased with the results. She was even more pleased to see Oliver so happy about getting this space for himself.
Shane noticed Oliver had gotten the record player set up on a smaller table in a corner of the room. A box with a collection of vinyls lay on the floor beside it. She was itching to check out his music collection. They both liked jazz. She knew there had to be some classical recordings in there too, but it would be interesting to see what other type of music appealed to her husband.
The newlyweds invited Joe to stay over for dinner, and Shane ordered Chinese. It was always fun spending time with Joe. They all had a good laugh over dumplings and crab rangoons, while Joe shared tales of Oliver as a little boy. He refused the offer to stay the night, not wanting to cramp his kids' style…after all, they were recently married. So, he left, giving his children a bear hug and promising to bring one of his famous fruit desserts for the gathering planned for the weekend.
"Shane, how about we open a bottle of cabernet, and we sit in the den for a while." Oliver proposed.
"Oliver, that's your space… I'm not supposed to barge in."
"You're not barging in, I'm inviting you. Come, you mentioned wanting to check out the record collection." He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her wrist, feeling her pulse skip a beat.
Shane smiled and acquiesced with a nod. She sat on the floor, and went through the records, a grin of pleasure spreading on her beautiful face.
"Oliver, this reminds me of my father's vinyl collection. He was a big music fan. I remember that much about him. He always said the only decent music came from the 60's through the 80's." Shane paused when her eyes landed on a specific record. She gasped. It was Billy Joel's Storm Front album. "Oliver, when did you get this?"
"A few days after our failed dance showcase." He gave her one of those tender looks that were just for her.
Shane took the vinyl out of its sleeve, placed it on the record player, and laid the needle on the groove for "And so it goes". "May I have this dance, Mr. O'Toole?" Shane asked.
"Always. Do you think we'll remember the steps? It's been a while."
"Oh, I am sure the movements will flow." Shane placed her left hand on Oliver's shoulder, and let him take her right, leading her into the first steps of their dance. The lyrical notes filled the room, and as if no time had passed, their movements meshed, bringing their dance to life.
As Oliver lifted Shane up from the choreographed dip, their faces were close together, their breaths mingling. He kept her pressed against him, wanting to feel her warmth. Their thoughts went back to that fateful day when a kiss did not happen and so much angst ensued afterwards.
"Mrs. O'Toole, I believe I should make up for the kiss I couldn't give you that day." His lips were so close to hers, the tickle of his words on her face made her heart thump erratically.
"That would be a wise course of action." Shane said, anticipating his kiss.
But Oliver felt like drawing it out, taking his time. Shane lightly licked her lips and his stomach tightened. His instinct was to ravish her lips, but he took a breath, and instead softly covered them with his. He gently molded their mouths together, feeling her gasp as she parted her lips, letting his tongue come together with hers.
This. Forever this. This is what he had wanted that crucial night. This is what he had dreamed of every time he had listened to the Billy Joel song. His hands slid to Shane's waist, squeezing her spasmodically, trying to hang on to her, knowing that otherwise his heart would fly out of his chest. She let herself be devoured, but she kissed him back with a yearning he hadn't felt before. It was an endless kiss where they finally put an end to the frustration of the past, replacing it with the joy of the present.
Shane let herself be carried away by the moment and the feelings rushing through her. As she held onto Oliver, her lips swollen but clinging to his passionate kiss, she felt herself come full circle after that auspicious night. She was more than grateful she'd been patient. If she hadn't trusted the timing, as difficult as it was back then, there wouldn't be this.
Oliver pulled his mouth from Shane's, closed his eyes and laid his forehead on hers. "I have to confess something, my love." He took a moment, opened his eyes languidly and looked deeply into Shane's. "I played this song over and over for the longest time. It made me feel close to you when I couldn't be."
Shane's eyes watered, and unable to find her voice, she touched his cheeks with her hands, softly rubbing them with her thumbs. It was only fair of her now to also admit something. "I also played it on a loop, darling."
Be still my heart. These two always make the heart flutter. Initially what had been a heart-breaking song for both became the healing song they needed. And they both played it on a loop! Oh, it's just too much for my poor little heart. Still, I can only imagine Oliver did so by repositioning the needle on his vinyl, while Shane programmed a one song playlist on a music app. It's all just beautiful in any case, and this author can't wipe the silly grin off her face!
A/N: A shoutout to Veronica's fanfic "The Fate of the Vinyl" which provided inspiration for this chapter. Go read it. It's beautiful.