Trust the Timing - Chapter 5
It was Christmas and everyone was extremely busy and exhausted. Oliver's team had delivered over 20k letters to the children of the Denver metropolitan area in just under 30 days.
Once they were able to pause and take a breath to relax, they thought of nothing else but the Postal Ball. They were all looking forward to the ball tonight. Oliver was particularly excited about having the chance to dance with Shane.
Shane and Rita took a lot of time and care with their looks and they both looked stunning. Rita wanted to wake up Norman to what he was missing and curl his cummerbund; while Shane just wanted to have a good time and forget all about Oliver.
She knew he had sent the letter to Holly, the letter he had written while they were locked in the bank vault. She saw him mail it. It was just a matter of time before Holly came back into his life.
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As the girls entered the ball room, Oliver and Norman stood rooted to the ground with their jaws collectively hanging open. They were both absolutely gorgeous! They took their breath away. Oliver couldn't take his eyes off Shane. He was almost shaking with the desire to grab her and twirl her everywhere on that dance floor.
To his great chagrin, he saw another man doing just that. A tall, dark, and handsome stranger was sweeping Shane off her feet. Shane was smiling, enjoying herself and looking flirtatiously into his eyes.
Horror of horrors! They were dancing Oliver and Shane's dance!
The steps they had taken meticulous care to learn for weeks on end were now being shared with a perfect stranger. Oliver felt an overwhelming desire to punch something. He was taken aback by how ferociously jealous he felt at this moment. His jealousy was almost blinding him and he was unable to think rationally. These feelings were something he had never experienced before in his life.
When he realised he needed to release this frustration or explode, he rushed to the dance floor and cut in on the tall handsome stranger. He tapped the man on the shoulder. The man stepped back and actually seemed very friendly. The man introduced himself as Mr. Angelotti, a trouble-shooter for the USPS during the busy Christmas season. Oliver didn't care! All he wanted was his Shane back… in his arms… where she belonged.
"Ms. McInerney, you amaze me." He said when he had her all to himself.
"What? Why?" She said, baffled.
"You were dancing our dance."
"What?" She continued to look puzzled.
"You were sharing our dance with a perfect stranger who has not earned the right to dance with… the dance."
"What are you talking about, Oliver? We don't have a dance or a song or anything else of our own, for that matter." Shane was now as angry as he was. What they didn't know was that their anger was adding an extra dimension, an extra spark to their dancing and how they moved about the floor, to all who were watching. They looked absolutely stunning together. His possessiveness and jealousy pushed him into acting bolder than the usual. He pressed her closer to him than he had ever before. He didn't care if the entire Denver Main Branch saw this steamy and sensuous dance right in front of them. His theory on the appearance of evil between them was totally and completely tossed out the window.
"I wasn't sharing state secrets, you know. It's just a dance."
"Our dance!" He insisted, saying firmly as if it was a topic not open to debate. "A dance that you cancelled, leaving me high and dry while you ran away."
"I didn't run away!"
"Yes, you did. Are you suffering from short term memory loss?"
"Ms. McInerney, you are… you are…"
"Am I what? Just say it."
He wanted to say "you are mine", but he realised how absurd that was. He needed to get a grip before he completely lost control of himself. "You are… driving me crazy!" He said into her ear as he pulled her out of a dip. His blue eyes had changed into a darker shade. He looked as if he was going to grab her and kiss her senseless right there, not caring who was looking.
She gasped.
Shane spent the rest of the evening dancing alternately between Oliver and Mr. Angelotti. Oliver was being driven up the wall with jealousy by Mr. Angelotti openly flirting with Shane. Shane was enjoying this situation immensely. She turned on the charm when she danced with Mr. Angelotti. He didn't disappoint either, being extra attentive every time Oliver came near them.
It was as though they were both playing a part in a play and all Oliver could do was watch it unfold.
"What are you doing?" Oliver asked her irritated, when they were dancing together again.
"Aaaah… Dancing with you?" She innocently batted her eyelashes at him, openly flirting.
"Do you know this man at all?"
"What man?" She said, looking around them.
"Ms. McInerney, who is this Angelotti guy and where did he come from?" "Well, it seems to me he was heaven-sent, otherwise I'd be stuck with you and your bad mood all evening."
"I'm not in a bad mood." He said, but he immediately felt silly, as he knew very well he was in a very sour mood.
She laughed. "He works for your precious USPS, Oliver. Surely he can be trusted."
He pierced her with his intense blue eyes. "Not with you!"
She looked surprised, but then she shook her head. "I don't know what to do with you, Oliver."
He nodded. "Neither do I." He said, under his breath.
Despite the fun she was having, Shane decided to tone it down, as she realised she had pushed Oliver to the brink of insanity. He was uncharacteristically rude, acting and saying things he wouldn't normally do or say. She started to feel sorry for him. Her love for him kicked in and their last two dances were a lot more like their normal, loving behaviour towards each other.
When the ball was over, both Mr. Angelotti and Oliver offered to drop her off at home. She shook Mr. Angelotti's hand and thanked him for a wonderful evening. She then hooked her arm with Oliver's and subtly pulled on him to leave.
"Did you enjoy your evening Ms. McInerney?" Oliver asked, on their way to her place.
"I certainly did, Oliver. What about you?"
"I'm not sure. I think I lost my way a bit." He said sheepishly.
"You can say that again, Oliver! Why did you?" He looked at her briefly and then turned his eyes back to the road ahead.
"May I be honest, Ms. McInerney?"
"I expect nothing less from you."
He took a deep breath. "I was jealous…"
She nodded. "I know." But she didn't rub it in, it was just a statement.
"I have no business being jealous of you. My overprotective attitude towards my employees is misplaced."
She gasped and looked at him in utter disbelief. "Your employees? Were you jealous of Rita and Norman as well?"
He pursed his lips. "No! I wasn't."
"Ah!" She said and went silent.
He cleared his throat. "It's getting to a point that it's becoming very hard…"
"What's becoming very hard?"
"You!"
"What do you mean?" She asked, and held her breath.
They arrived at her place and he turned the engine off. He turned towards her. "Don't you know?"
She just looked at him and shook her head, unable to say anything else. Tears started to flow down her face.
He reached gently for her face and using the back of his hand he wiped them away. She leaned against his hand. He smiled at her and took his hand away.
"Anyway, Merry Christmas Ms. McInerney. I'll see you after you come back from your Spa holiday."
She smiled and nodded. "Merry Christmas, Oliver."
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Shane's spa holiday in Arizona felt as if it'd drag on forever. It was only 5 short days, but it felt like an eternity. She just couldn't wait to get back home. She hadn't seen Oliver since the night of the Postal ball, when he had as good as confessed to her he couldn't live in limbo anymore. Were they finally getting towards a resolution? Would he finally ask Holly for a divorce?
The plane would land in a few minutes. She could see the Rockies from her small window and her heart soared with joy and excitement at getting back to her beloved Denver and most importantly, the DLO. She chuckled to herself, remembering how heavy her heart was when she saw those mountains for the first time just over 3 years ago. She had hated the idea of being in the middle of nowhere. Now there was no sight more beautiful than those majestic mountains. This was home! The place where she found the love of her life, and the place where she'd happily live for the rest of her life, if given a choice.
The following day, she arrived bright and early at work. All her colleagues were already there. They treated her as if she'd been away for a month. Rita and Norman gave her a warm hug and Oliver gave her a burning, smouldering look that left her weak in her knees.
They quickly settled in for the day, dealing with the latest lost letter.
The following day was New Year's Eve and Shane invited all 3 of them to her place for a party. She also invited Hazel, Eleanor, Ramon and Joe. Joe had come back into Oliver's life with Shane's help and push. It was when Oliver needed Joe the most as he found out that Joe was not his biological father, and the news had also come with a fortune. They were turbulent times for Oliver but Shane was his rock.
At the party at Shane's house they all had a very good evening, playing charades and Pictionary. When midnight struck, they all went outside to watch the fireworks going off in the skies over the neighbourhood. They all hugged and wished each other a happy new year. Soon after, Ramon offered Hazel and Eleanor a ride home and Joe left soon after them also. The 4 POstables stayed behind for one last toast.
Norman and Rita also left soon after and Oliver sat back down on the couch again. He cleared his throat. "Ms. McInerney, thank you for the very pleasant evening. I enjoyed myself more than I can express."
Shane smiled happily. "Wow! I never thought I'd see the day you couldn't express your views on something, Oliver."
He chuckled. "Well, you seem to be able to dig firsts out of me with incredible regularity, Ms. McInerney."
They both looked at each other and smiled into each other's eyes. "I'd like to show my gratitude."
"Oh yes? How?" Shane asked expectantly.
"The Bolshoi Ballet is having one exclusive performance of Swan Lake here in Denver this Saturday evening. I've acquired two tickets and I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me?"
"Oh Oliver, are you kidding me? I'd love to."
He smiled. "Excellent! I'll pick you up at 6:30. After the performance I have a reservation at Rioja on Larimer St."
"Oh wow, remind me to invite you for parties at my house more often." She said teasingly. He smiled happily.
Shane bit her lip and asked. "But... the Bolshoi? You can't just decide to get a ticket for an exclusive performance on the spur of the moment. When did you get them?"
"About 8 months ago, when they announced their tour of the US. The tickets sold out within a few hours."
"Of course, they did. For someone who doesn't have a computer, you're incredibly resourceful, Oliver."
He chuckled. "There are other ways to keep up with the world other than just through a computer, Ms. McInerney."
She nodded. "Evidently!"
They looked at each other. They both wanted to throw themselves in each other's arms, to really show their feelings, but... they both sighed almost simultaneously. They smiled sadly at each other with understanding, their stares speaking volumes.
They again wished each other a happy new year and Oliver left soon after. The next time they saw each other would be Saturday for their evening out.
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Saturday dawned clear, but crisp and cold. Shane decided to wear the red dress to the ballet, the one she bought for the dance showcase that never materialized. It was a beautiful, backless, sexy, chiffon dress decorated with sequins. It was one of those dresses meant to be a statement piece! She knew Oliver wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her. "Swan Lake is doomed!" She said, happily caressing her dress.
Oliver could hardly contain his excitement. He was going out with Shane and doing something he absolutely loved with a woman who understood him and shared his passion for culture.
He decided to organise his wardrobe. Not only was it sorely needed but it would help to pass the time. The next 5 hours were going to feel more like 5 days. He got right into it, taking time to decide what he should donate since he was a firm believer of discarding clothing not worn for two years. If he hadn't worn something for 2 years, he didn't need it!
He was lost in the process when he heard the door bell ring. He looked at his pocket watch and it was just past 2pm. He quickly made his way to the front door. He opened it and gasped, with his knees almost giving out under him. "Oh my goodness! Holly?"