Hey everybody, y'all all right? I hope you're all doing well and enjoying these hot as hell lazy days of summer! I know I am. Thank you, as always, for the reviews and PMs.
I can see that Olivia is not a fave for many of you. Unfortunately, she's still being extra in this chapter. She is a lot to take, but don't give up on her just yet, because Fitz isn't. He knows that if he wants a relationship with Olivia Pope, he's going to need to be patient, it will not happen overnight. He also knows that, if it's a relationship worth having, it's a relationship worth waiting for, and she is definitely worth the wait.
I enjoyed writing this chapter. Hope you enjoy reading it.
TBOT
Two weeks later...
It had been three weeks since Olivia walked out of Fitz's home. Each time she thought of calling him, she changed her mind at the last minute. During cocktail hour at her parent's party, she'd overheard a few male guests talking football. Some were season ticket holders for the Football Team, and Fitz's name came up a few times. Was she ever going to get away from that man? They had mixed feelings regarding his skills, and whether this year would be his last chance to lead his team to a Super Bowl championship. One thing the men did agree on: he was famous, single, rich, and had his choice of women.
So why was he attracted to her, she wondered as she walked away.
She'd begged Joey to attend the party with her, which didn't sit too well with her mother, especially after Joey and JP spent the last dinner party going at it. It wasn't that Maya didn't like Joey, she just thought that she could be a little loud and uncouth at times. Olivia didn't agree with her mother, obviously, but after spending the first hour with her friend, she couldn't decide which was worse, dealing with her mother and her matchmaking, or listening Joey go on and on about calling Fitz. Instead, she spent most of the evening in the kitchen with the caterers. That way, she avoided them both.
Over the last two weeks, she'd regularly searched for new information on the internet about Fitz, but didn't come up with anything new from legitimate sites. In her position, she could have requested background information on him, but she refused to use her access for personal gain. Instead she reread the stories she'd bookmarked, and looked at the pictures. She also did something she swore she wouldn't do, read the stories from the gossip sites. She knew they were mostly unreliable but she read them anyway. There was one that backed up her position that Fitz wasn't someone interested in a meaningful relationship. He was a "hit it and quit it" kind of guy. She'd definitely made the right decision by turning down his dinner invitation and not making the call.
X
Marc McField was the Deputy Chief of the Felony Trial Unit, which meant he assigned cases to the staff. He'd been Olivia's mentor when she joined the AUSA's office, acclimating her to prosecuting felony cases. Many public defenders and defense attorneys felt he'd done his job too well, because she was a beast.
The office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia is the largest of the U.S. Attorney's offices with over three hundred lawyers, one of which was Olivia Pope. Because they were located in the nation's capital, they were not only responsible for federal crimes, but also for the prosecution of all serious local crimes committed by adults in D.C. With thousands of felonies per year, there was never a lack of work.
Theft, assault, murder, Olivia had prosecuted them all. Some defendants had money, most did not. It never ceased to amaze her that those with money would stroll into her office with their five-hundred-dollar-an hour attorneys, and an attitude that they were somehow above the law. Because of who they were, they believed they should receive special treatment, which to them meant dropping the charges. If that didn't work, they would ask for what was basically a slap on the wrist.
Over the years, Olivia had built a reputation of being someone who didn't care who you were, where you came from or how much money you had. If a case was pleaded out, it was based on the facts of the case, not the person involved, which is why her status and respect among her peers and superiors was so high. It was a reputation she cherished because she'd worked hard to earn it.
Word traveled fast about Olivia when she joined the agency. Her father's reputation had preceded her, and stepping out of his shadow had been challenging. Elijah Pope was highly respected in the legal community. While none of her co-workers would ask her outright, she knew many of them wondered why she'd taken a position with the AUSA's office as opposed to working in her father's prestigious firm.
At first, it was hard to earn the trust of her fellow attorneys. In their minds, she didn't fit in, but Olivia ignored all of that, put her head down and focused on getting the work done. Thankfully she'd gotten rid of the extra baggage, and had carved out a successful and fulfilling career for herself.
X
"Are you a football fan?"
The question caught Olivia completely off guard as Marc walked into her office. She'd never considered herself a football fan, but lately she'd been fascinated by the sport, and one particular player. Fitzgerald Grant.
"Not really."
"Good" Marc said, taking a seat across from her desk.
"What's going on?"
Placing the brown file folder on her desk, he opened it to the first page which contained a police report and a mug shot.
"I'm assigning this case to you."
Olivia took a look at the photo. The young woman looked upset.
"That is not a football player."
"See, that's why we pay you the big bucks," he said, raising his hand for a high five. "You figured that out all by yourself."
"Ha, ha," Olivia said, and smirked at him. She ignored his hand and looked at the next page in the file.
"Shoplifting? Why are giving this case to me?"
He didn't respond as she continued to read.
"Ah, Grand theft."
Marc nodded before he started to fill her in.
"Evidently, she wanted something nice to wear, because she tried to walk out of the Tory Burch store with over four thousand dollars worth of merchandise."
Closing the file, Olivia leaned back in her chair and picked up her bottle of water.
"How is this related to football?"
"Does the name Fitzgerald Grant sound familiar?"
Olivia choked on her water.
"Are you okay," Marc asked with concern on his face.
"Yeah," she said, searching for a napkin to clean up the mess she'd made. "Just went down the wrong way."
"Well, you better get it together because this case has the potential to be sticky," Marc said handing her another file.
She opened it and stared at the mug shot. This young woman had red, puffy eyes, tear stained cheeks, a quivering lip and a face Olivia recognized immediately. Holding her reaction in check, she waited to hear what Marc had to say.
"That's Theodora Grant, his younger sister. It appears that just because your family has money, doesn't mean one won't try to take something without paying for it."
"I don't believe it," Olivia said, almost to herself. The young woman she'd met three weeks ago didn't strike her as the criminal type.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, confused by her statement.
Realizing her mistake, she tried to cover her slip. "It's just that she doesn't strike me as a thief."
Marc stared at his star prosecutor, wondering what she'd done with the tough lady who always assumed the worst about people.
"I haven't had a chance to read her file. She was arrested and booked last night, and her brother showed up bright and early this morning with his attorney, demanding to speak with someone. From what I hear, he's just like all the rest. Yelling about the injustice, and that someone had obviously made a mistake. I figured if anyone could handle this, you can. He's in conference room 'C.'
Before she could say another word, Marc stood and left her office. Olivia sat staring at T.C.'s mug shot for a full minute before picking up the file and heading down the hall. She was disappointed, but also excited. Marc had described Fitz to be like every other rich person that found themselves in this type of situation. Her initial assumptions about Fitzgerald Grant were true. He was a spoiled, rich, professional athlete with family problems to go along with it; expecting everyone, including the law, to turn the other cheek at his missteps.
She was also conflicted about the excitement she was feeling at coming face-to-face with the man who had taken up a significant amount of space in her head lately. From all of the information she'd gotten from the internet, she could recite his bio from top to bottom.
Joey felt that the worst thing that could happen would be that they would go out, Olivia would discover that he was the jerk she'd thought him to be, and she would never have to see him again. The problem with that was, Olivia had gotten to know him through the screen of her laptop, and what she saw, she liked.
How disappointing would it be to spend time with him and find out it was all a façade that covered up who he really was. If Marc's description of his behavior was true, then she'd made the right decision. Still, she couldn't stop her palms from sweating or her heart from pounding in anticipation.
Why was she nervous?
Taking her first case to trial, that was nerves. Stepping outside the courthouse to answer questions from the media, because she was prosecuting a local politician accused of murder, that was nerves. But this? This should have been a breeze. But she knew why it wasn't.
Get it together, Olivia Carolyn.
X
Opening the door to the conference room, Olivia watched the older gentleman stand. She refused to look at Fitz, but instead focused her attention on the man standing next to him.
"Olivia Pope, Assistant US Attorney."
The older gentleman stepped forward and held out his hand. Dressed in an expensive black suit, it was apparent that he was being paid quite well to be Fitz's lawyer.
"David Rosen, attorney for Fitzgerald Grant."
Olivia set the file on the table, still refusing to make eye contact with Fitz.
"That's interesting, because from what I understand about this case, Mr. Grant doesn't need an attorney, his sister does."
"You still have that smart mouth, I see."
The words were spoken in his deep, sexy voice and Olivia felt goose bumps on her arms. For a brief moment, she'd wondered if he would recognize her, and was secretly pleased that he had. But that warm and fuzzy feeling quickly faded as she remembered why he was there.
Facing him, she prepared herself for a verbal battle, but for a split second the words wouldn't come. At his party, he was relaxed and carefree, but today it was a different vibe. Dressed in a pair of navy sweatpants and long-sleeved white, cotton tee, he stood looking at her with an air of authority, as if he was the one with the power. Not today, buddy. Today, he was on her turf.
"We meet again, Mr. Grant."
"Please, call me Fitz."
Olivia ignored his request and faced David. "You asked for this meeting, what can I do for you?"
"You can drop the charges against my sister," Fitz said, his voice tight with anger.
Olivia thought about the conversation he'd had with T.C. when she was in his home. In those few moments, she'd gotten to see how much he cared about his sister's well-being. But none of that was going to save her today.
Without acknowledging Fitz, she continued to speak to David.
"Please inform Mr. Grant that we do not make it a habit to arbitrarily drop charges for someone who was caught stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, especially when the store wants to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."
"David doesn't have to tell me anything, I'm standing right here," Fitz said, trying to keep his voice down and his emotions under control. He wasn't doing a very good job.
When he'd received a call from the D.C. Metro Jail the previous evening, he'd thought it was a wrong number and ignored it. Ten minutes later, his phone rang again and the call was from the same location. This time he answered and when he heard his little sister's voice, he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. Stealing? His baby sister? She'd been arrested for shoplifting, and he could hear the fear in her voice coming through the phone.
When he'd arrived first thing that morning with David, his only objective was bringing his sister home and dealing with what had to be a serious mistake. Why would T.C. steal anything? She had credit cards, and a checking account that his parent's accountant made a monthly deposit electronically into. T.C. was the only one of her friends who didn't have to work, and had enough money to buy whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. And if, for some reason, she didn't have access to any of it, she could call her brother. His sister didn't have to take anything.
David had warned him, twice, to keep his temper in check because yelling and screaming at the people in this office was not going to make the wheels of justice move any faster. He'd also advised his client to keep his mouth closed and let him do the talking. Obviously, Fitz was having a hard time following those instructions.
X
While waiting impatiently in the conference room, Fitz had paced back and forth. When the door finally opened and she stepped inside, he stopped dead in his tracks. The last person he expected to walk through that door was the woman who he'd dreamed about almost every night, and who was constantly on his mind during the day, the one woman in his entire life who never called.
With only a first name, it had been next to impossible to find her. Now here she stood in front of him, trying to keep his sister in jail. The anger, frustration and impatience that he was feeling, was now battling with a new emotion: attraction.
She looked every part the sexy lawyer in an elegant dark grey pinstripe suit which she wore over a salmon pink blouse. The slim fit, structured one button blazer was unbuttoned, giving him a view of her petite body from the top button of the blouse, down the tailored straight leg pants, to the dark grey four inch leather pumps she wore. Her hair fell in loose curls past her shoulders and as before, she wore light make-up. She was stunning, and he stood taking all of her in.
X
Olivia finally turned to Fitz. "Yes, you are standing right here. However, this situation is between lawyers, which you aren't."
"No, I'm not," he responded. Her rude behavior was beginning to annoy him. "What I am is a professional athlete with a team and a reputation to think of. I also have a family to protect."
Early in his career Fitz had learned to play the game, and walk a fine line. He did what was expected by showing up to photo shoots, being seen with models and actresses, signing autographs and showing up to charitable events. He had to be above reproach. Even when his publicist had suggested he fake a bad boy image, he'd refused. Occasional profanity was as far as he would go. Behaving badly hadn't been and would never become an option, because he was bound by a personal conduct clause in his contract. He couldn't mess up on or off the field, and for him that extended to his family. He had to think of his reputation once his football career ended.
"I am well aware of who you are, and despite what the people in this city, and around the country might think of you, I am not impressed. Your sister should have thought of your team, your reputation and your family before she went on a shopping spree without paying."
Fitz clenched his jaw tightly and ignored the warning look from David to keep his mouth closed.
"My sister is not a thief," he said between clenched teeth.
"Not according to the police report."
"Excuse me," David said, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. This exchange between his client and the prosecutor was far from professional, and more personal than anything he'd ever witnessed.
Olivia turned to David when he spoke. For a brief moment, she'd forgotten he was in the room. Gathering herself, she picked up the file.
"She'll be arraigned later this afternoon and bail will be set."
"I'm going to ask that she be released into her brother's custody. No bail," David responded.
"And I'm going to request bail be set."
"Wait a minute," Fitz said, not liking where this conversation was going. "Arraignment? Bail? I'm sure there's something we can do to make this little mishap go away."
Olivia looked shocked and insulted. The thought that he would even suggest it, made her glare at him in anger.
"How dare you think you can walk in here and change the system to fit your needs just because someone pays you an outrageous amount of money to run around and throw a football?"
Fitz's eyes widened and his nose flared at her insult.
"How dare you insult me?"
"You mean the way you just insulted me?" she asked.
Thinking about her words, Fitz lowered his voice and took a deep breath. This conversation wasn't getting them anywhere.
"My intention wasn't to insult you. All I'm saying is…"
"All you're saying is that because of who you are, you should be treated differently. Because you are a superstar athlete, the world should bend over backward to accommodate you. Well, I don't operate like that. The store wants full prosecution, so that means I'll see you in court."
She held out her hand for David's business card. "I just received this case today. I'll contact you after I've thoroughly reviewed it."
Without another word, the two men watched her turn on her heels and walk out of the conference room, slamming the door behind her.
X
Olivia returned to her office and closed the door, this time a little more gently. Tossing the file on her desk, she mumbled under hear breath, as she paced in circles. The nerve of that man, using his name and status to try and get his sister out of trouble. Did he expect her to compromise her integrity just for him? Who did he think he was dealing with?
A knock on the door startled her. She stopped her pacing and rambling when she saw Fitz's face through the small glass pane. Opening the door, she ignored the curious looks from a few of her co-workers, and turned to walk to her desk.
Fitz had ignored his attorney's odd look and his advice that going to talk to Olivia wasn't a good idea. He'd responded by asking David to find out when he could see T.C. and how soon they could get her out, while he went and searched for Olivia's office.
Closing the door behind him, he waited until she took her seat before taking his. Placing his hands on his knees, he leaned forward, never taking his eyes off her. The look of irritation on her beautiful face, and her pursed lips indicated that she had lost all patience with him. Anything he said probably wouldn't be the right thing. But it was a chance he was willing to take. He just couldn't help himself. Today was no different than it had been at the pool party. She'd judged him for no apparent reason and it pissed him off. He was going to find out why before he left.
Reaching out he picked up her nameplate. "Olivia Pope. What a lovely name. You should share it with others more often."
Not appreciating his mocking tone regarding the fact that she hadn't given him her full name, Olivia reached across the desk and grabbed it out of his hand and set it back in its original place. She was so furious, she could hardly speak.
"What are you doing here?"
"First, I want to apologize for my behavior, and second to find out why you think so little of me."
Olivia's office had never felt cramped…until now. Fitz's presence sucked all of the air out of the room, and he was too large, too masculine and to damn handsome to completely ignore. The walls even felt as if they were closing in. Her office was her home field, the place where she was in control, but that quickly changed when he invaded her space.
"I don't think little of you…I don't think of you at all."
Fitz heard her words and watched her face. The blank expression was forced, and she wasn't looking at him, but past him. That's when he had an aha! moment. He'd been so busy wondering what he'd done to offend her, and now he realized he hadn't done anything. She was giving him a hard time because she was attracted to him…and fighting it.
"You're lying."
Olivia sat up in her chair. "What did you just say?" she asked. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Grant."
Smiling at her, Fitz stood and walked around to the side of her desk. "I told you to call me Fitz."
Olivia tried to ignore the rapid beating of her heart. Each time he was in her personal space, her body reacted as if it had a mind of its own, and her desire for him grew stronger and stronger with every minute they were together. She had to put some distance between them, so she pushed her chair away from him.
"I don't think it's necessary that I call you anything. I'm on the case involving your sister."
At the mention of T.C., he remembered why he'd come to her office. The playful and relaxed expression that had been on his face disappeared, replaced by the look of a concerned big brother.
Olivia watched the change in his demeanor and understood for the first time what he must be going through. She was so caught up with trying to deny her feelings for him, that she hadn't stopped to think about what this situation was doing to him. Regardless of what T.C. had done, it was still hard news for him to hear.
Relaxing her posture and softening her tone, she almost reached out for him but stopped herself.
"I can't give your sister any special treatment."
Closing his eyes, he didn't say anything.
"Fitz, are you okay?"
That was the first time that she'd called him by his name and he was happy to hear it. It showed that she actually cared. He exhaled and opened his eyes, searching for the words to express what he was going through.
"She's a good kid. Genuinely kindhearted."
"Everyone says that when their loved one is arrested for a crime, but it's usually a case of denial." She hated being harsh, but she never sugarcoated anything when it came to work. She couldn't.
Standing, he began to pace. "Since she got that job waiting tables, she's been spending more and more time with her co-workers. She's supposed to be working and attending summer classes, but lately it seems all she does is hang out with those girls."
He stopped pacing and turned to look at Olivia. "Do you remember the situation with her car?"
Olivia nodded.
"Well it was found in Martinsburg, West Virginia."
Olivia frowned. "What?"
"Yeah. That's Jesse Hudson's hometown. Apparently she decided to go home for a few days without telling anyone. It was towed back to D.C. and checked out thoroughly. They also ran a tag and VIN check to make sure no crimes had been committed using it, and it was clean. She got it back and all seemed well. Last weekend she brought her roommates and a few co-workers to my place for a cookout. I had everything catered for them, and they seemed to have a good time. Later I overheard two of her co-workers trying to make her feel bad for the life that our parents provide for her. They were asking for money and even for her to buy them things. T.C. was trying to justify herself to them, as if she owed them an explanation at all or had something to prove."
Taking the seat across from her again, he continued. "I told her that it probably wasn't a good idea to hang out so much and she promised that she wasn't because she has to study harder for a Probability and Statistics class, and I believed her. But this? Stealing? Taking something that doesn't belong to her? I don't understand where any of this is coming from."
The sob stories came with the profession, and Olivia had heard quite a few as people tried to come to grips with what their loved one had been accused of. During her time in the AUSA's office, she'd gotten pretty good at determining the reason for the tears, and whether they were sincere. Fitz's eyes might have been dry, but his heart was breaking. She knew that he loved and cared deeply for his sister, and was at a loss as to how to keep her from going down the wrong path.
"I empathize with your situation, Fitz, but the law is the law."
He nodded. "I was a jerk earlier in the conference room. I had no right to ask you to compromise your integrity on my behalf. Please accept my apology."
Olivia knew that a good attorney focused not only on what was being said, but also had to have a natural instinct for reading people, and their body language. His said that he meant every word he'd spoken.
Olivia sighed. "As I said before, I just received the case today. I'll contact your attorney when I have more information."
"May I see her?" he asked.
"At the arraignment."
Fitz became quiet, and just sat staring at the beautiful woman who made him feel things.
"Is there something else, Fitz?"
He gave her that lopsided grin. Olivia Pope excited the hell out of him. It was as simple as that. But then, there was really nothing simple about her. She was a contradiction wrapped up in a beautiful package. One minute she was the confident no-nonsense prosecutor who had no problem going toe to toe with him, and the next, she was sympathizing with him about his sister's situation.
As turned on as he'd been by her self-assured 'I have it all under control' attitude, seeing her softer more vulnerable side had triggered something in him that he was unable to control, nor did he want to try.
"You never told me why you don't like me."
Olivia sighed. She was getting annoyed with that question.
"Fitz, as I've said before, I don't not like you."
"Well, maybe if you actually accepted my dinner invitation, it would convince me.
Olivia stared at him.
"C'mon, Olivia," he said. "It's just dinner."
She shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest.
"I told you, I'm too busy."
"Well I didn't like your reason then, and I don't like it now."
Olivia forced herself to look away from him, before she told him the truth. She knew what going out with him could lead to.
"What's the real reason you won't go out with me?"
Olivia looked at him. "I don't owe you an explanation. This is just the way it is; the way it has to be. I hope you can accept that."
"What if I can't?"
Olivia heard the urgency in his voice, and she saw nothing but raw honesty in his blue eyes. But she said nothing.
"I haven't been able to think about anything but you for the last three weeks," he admitted. "It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing. You can't expect me to ignore this."
Olivia closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. A part of her wanted to say to hell with her assumptions. So what if everybody might think that she was interested in Fitz because of his celebrity? She knew differently. Why deny them both the chance to explore this attraction between them because she was afraid? She looked at him again, wishing for a moment that she could hide from the intensity in his eyes.
Just say yes, her mind said. "No."
"No?" Fitz repeated.
She glared at him. "What part of no don't you understand? No, Fitzgerald Grant."
"Is it because I'm Fitzgerald Grant?"
"No. It's because you're celebrity athlete, and you can't go anywhere without cameras following you. Everything you say and do is offered up for public consumption by the celebrity media, and I'm not interested in that."
"And if I weren't what you call a celebrity athlete?"
Olivia wanted to tell him that she'd dated a man who'd loved the spotlight and she didn't want a repeat performance, but decided not to go there.
She sighed in exasperation. "I'm sorry, but I still can't go out with you."
"Can't or won't?"
"Okay, won't. I've made it a practice not to date celebrities, athletes or politicians."
"Have you ever dated either one of those?"
She wanted to tell him to let it go, that he shouldn't take her response as a rejection.
"Yes."
"Which one?"
"Politician."
"Who is he?"
Olivia shook her head. "I can't tell you that." She was surprised that he'd asked such a personal question, because if she answered he would definitely recognize the name.
Fitz nodded. "Forgive me for the intrusion."
She picked up the file containing information about T.C.'s case.
"Will you think about it?" he asked.
She looked up at him. "Think about what?"
"Think about having dinner with me."
Olivia was quiet for a minute. "Okay, I'll think about it, but I'm not making any promises."
Fitz smiled. "I'll accept that." For now, he added silently. "I'm going home to change. I'll be back this afternoon."
Standing, he nodded and headed for the door. Before leaving, he smiled at her again.
"You pointed out that I'm not a lawyer earlier. You are correct. But I do understand a few things about the criminal justice system.
"Fitz, the best thing you can do is let your attorney handle this."
"I'm not referring to this case."
"Then what?"
"Conflict of interest.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning there's nothing I can do about it now, but when this situation with T.C. is over, I'm going to get back to this attraction between you and me."
"What makes you think…"
Raising his hand, he cut her off. "You can deny it all you want, but there's something here, and I intend to find out exactly what it is."
Without another word, he turned and walked out of her office.
Olivia stared after him, and didn't move long after he was gone.
X
Three hours later...
Olivia had been trying to concentrate on work since Fitz had left that morning. It wasn't so much the case with his sister that occupied her mind; it was the comment he'd made about their attraction that she couldn't get off her mind.
Listening to him talk about T.C. tugged at her heartstrings. She'd wanted to go over to the jail and check on her, but didn't want to compromise her position. Maybe she should recuse herself.
X
"Got a minute?"
Olivia looked up from the report she was reading. "I'm due in court for a few arraignments, why?"
"This won't take long," Marc said, not bothering to take a seat. "You know the drill. As soon a case like this comes through our office, we have to make sure that we're meticulous and precise. This department doesn't need to be put in an embarrassing situation."
He didn't need to explain what he meant. When an arrest was made that had even the slightest link to a celebrity or politician, it was crucial that they made sure all their facts were accurate. It didn't put their department in a good light when a mistake was made and, the AUSA's office was made to look as if they didn't know what they were doing.
"I didn't want the media to get wind of this before we had a handle on what was happening, so I made a call to the arresting officer in the Grant case."
"You must have been reading my mind," Olivia said, reaching for the file on her desk. "I left a message for him earlier. The report was pretty weak, just a violation code. I've also been waiting on the security footage from the…"
Her cell phone beeped with a notification. She checked it and then opened a new email on her desktop. Together she and Marc watched what had actually happened in that store the previous evening. After they'd viewed the video twice, Marc flipped through a couple of pages in his notepad and read the statement .
"Jesse Hudson walked out of the store with the merchandise, along with two other women, Kara Leonard and Theodora Grant. The alarm sounded and store security had them all brought in."
Olivia looked at her computer screen and then back at Marc.
"We have to be extra careful, especially with this family. Hell, I can see at least two Grant properties from the window in my office," he said.
"So three women were brought in, but only one actually stole the merchandise."
Marc nodded. "Theodora Grant is currently in the process of being released."
X
Olivia was waiting in the lobby of the Metro jail when T.C. came from behind a secured door.
"T.C.?"
At hearing her name, she turned toward the voice. "Olivia?"
Without thinking, Olivia opened her arms and T.C. walked into them. They stood that way for at least a minute.
T.C. stepped out of Olivia's arms and wiped at her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, but what are you doing here? Where's Fitz?" she asked, looking around.
"He went home to change for your hearing. After we received irrefutable proof of what really happened in the store, it was quicker for me to take you home than for him to come back."
"Thanks," she said, relieved to be out that place.
"Do you want to go to your apartment, or to Fitz's?"
"I want to go to my brother's house."
Olivia had been holding her breath waiting for T.C. to respond. She wasn't disappointed. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing Fitz again.
"Okay. Do you need to pick up anything from your apartment?"
"No, I have a few things at Fitz's, I'm fine. Can we just get out of here?"
"Yes," Olivia said, and the two women headed for the nearest exit.
X
"Are you hungry? Do you want to stop and get something to eat?" Olivia asked, once they were on the road.
"No, I just want to go home."
"I understand," Olivia said, "and I'm sure Fitz feels the same way."
"Do you work near the jail? Is that why you were there?"
"Actually, I work in the AUSA's office. I was the lawyer that was going to handle your case, for the store."
T.C. was quiet for a few minutes as she looked out of the passenger side window, watching the Virginia scenery pass by.
"She tried to get me to buy some stuff for her, but I didn't feel right doing it. But I had no idea she was just going to take it"
She glanced at Olivia and continued.
"Until I came to D.C. for school three years ago, I'd led a pretty sheltered life, even by New York standards. I only met Jesse two months ago, and I never really knew anyone like her. None of my friends in New York were as wild as her. She was fun, always the life of the party. She flunked out of American University, lost her scholarship, and instead of going back to West Virginia she stayed in D.C., and got a job to pay rent. After the incident with my car, I promised Fitz that I would stop hanging out with her, and I did. But yesterday she needed a ride, and she called me. We ran some errands, and then went to several stores in Georgetown before we ended up at Tory Burch. I didn't know that she didn't have any money, and I never saw her taking those clothes. If I had, I definitely would've said something."
"I know," Olivia said, reassuring her that she believed her.
"Does Fitz know that? I haven't been the best person lately, giving him a hard time. He's been trying to tell me to choose my friends more wisely, but I didn't listen."
"He understands, T.C.," Olivia said. "He's a great guy."
"If he's such a great guy, why haven't you called him?" T.C. finally turned to face Olivia.
Olivia glanced at her, wondering what she knew about her and Fitz.
"He's been waiting for you to call, and the fact that you haven't has been driving him crazy."
"Is that so?" Olivia asked. "How do you know that?"
"Because I've never known my brother to get all bent out of shape about anyone, and when it comes to you, he's all hot and bothered."
"I see."
"Don't you like him?"
That was a loaded question and not one she wanted to answer to his twenty-year old sister.
"I'm not sure I want to discuss this with you."
Olivia made the turn on the now familiar road that would lead to the iron gates. Getting the code from her passenger, she tapped it on the screen and the gates slowly opened. As she drove to the house, she decided to drop the subject of T.C.'s brother, and focus on her.
"T.C., I understand how it feels being away from home for the first time, having the freedom of being away from your parents and their rules. You're twenty now, and you want to make decisions on your own, and be totally independent. But if you want your parents and your brother to treat you like an adult, you have to make better choices. This behavior just doesn't seem like you," Olivia said, glancing at the young woman. "Jesse and the others may seem more worldly and fun, but underneath it all, they're just as unsure of themselves as you are. This was a wake-up call, and I suggest you use your time to focus more on school, and the goals you've set for yourself."
"You're right. Sitting in a jail cell overnight gave me a lot of time to think. I need to stop hanging out so much and concentrate on school and passing my classes."
"You also need to get some new friends."
T.C. chuckled at Olivia's comment. "That too."
X
Pulling into the circular drive, she shut off the engine and sat staring at the handsome and sexy man standing on the porch. Any irritation that she might have felt toward him earlier in the day had disappeared. Instead of a self-absorbed jock, with a huge fortune and a lot of fame, demanding special treatment for his sister, he was now just a concerned big brother whose worry and anxiety had been replaced by relief.
They exited the car and walked toward the house. Fitz smiled at Olivia. "Thank you for bringing her to me," he said, once they were all standing together on the porch.
T.C. gave her brother a tight hug but couldn't look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Fitz. I didn't do anything."
"I know you didn't," Fitz said. "You okay?"
"I'm fine."
She turned to Olivia. "Thank you for getting me out of that place and giving me a ride home."
Olivia smiled at the young woman. "Well, like you said, you didn't do anything. You didn't deserve to be there."
Fitz and Olivia looked surprised when T.C. gave her another hug.
"Thanks Olivia. I'm going upstairs to shower and take a nap."
Turning to her brother, she nudged him in the arm. "Don't mess it up, she's really nice. Plus, I put in a good word for you."
"Go," Fitz said, laughing and pushing T.C. in the direction of the front door. He stared at her back as she climbed the stairs and made a right at the top. With his sister gone from sight, he turned back to Olivia.
"Would you like to come in?"
Every logical bone in her body told her to turn around, climb into her car and hightail it back to D.C. and her life. But she couldn't ignore his request. Could she?
"I don't think that's a good idea," she said after a few seconds.
Fitz leaned against one of the columns and crossed his arms over his wall of a chest and grinned down at her.
"I'm going to be very honest with you, Olivia Pope," he said, using her hesitation as an opportunity to plead his case. "There is nothing I'd like more in this world than to get to really know you, spend some time with you. But you already know that."
Olivia returned his grin. "The only reason you want to go out with me is because I'm a challenge for you," she said, thinking of all the women in all those pictures. Women he'd been surrounded by since he'd been drafted into the league eleven years ago.
"You've been dating women most of your adult life who've been more than happy to go out with you, have dinner with you, and do anything else...with you. They're easily impressed by your money, and the fame and celebrity status that comes with it. I am not one of those women."
"Well, you've made it quite clear that I don't impress you, but being impressed by me and being attracted to me are two different things. You're absolutely attracted to me and I am undeniably attracted to you."
"What you are attracted to, Mr. Grant, is the chase," she said with a chuckle. "And it's probably been years, if ever, since you've had to. But I can assure you, once the chase is over, so will your interest in me."
Fitz nodded slowly. "You seem to have it all figured out."
"It actually wasn't that difficult."
"So tell me, Ms. Pope, what kind of man would you be interested in going out with?"
Olivia inhaled and exhaled deeply before answering. "Someone who doesn't think that their fame and fortune are what's most important, and someone who doesn't view the world from an entitled bubble. You've had everything handed to you since the moment you stepped onto a college campus, and it's probably only gotten worse since you've become the NFL's golden boy."
Listening to the passion and conviction in her words, Fitz knew that trying to convince Olivia that she was wrong wasn't possible, nor would it be the truth.
"You're absolutely correct. I am just a phone call away from having anything I want. You name it, I can get it. And when it comes to women, this is most definitely true. Companionship from the opposite sex is one of the easiest requests I can make. At any time."
Olivia closed her eyes. Deep down she'd hoped that he would've denied it.
"But the only request I'm making these days is for you to have dinner with me. And since you wont, apparently I don't get everything I want, because I don't have you."
Olivia chuckled and nodded her head. "You're right about that."
"I don't believe it. We're finally agreeing on something."
"There's a first time for everything, Mr. Grant."
"Is that a laugh I hear? Are you actually smiling while having a conversation with me?" he asked in a surprised voice.
Olivia's body relaxed as she continued to smile up at him. "You are turning out to be quite charming," she responded, enjoying their easy, playful banter.
Fitz tried once again. "Charming enough to have dinner with me?"
Olivia sighed. "I'm still thinking about it, Fitz" she answered, before turning away, heading down the two steps, and walking back to her car, which started as soon as she was close enough to the vehicle.
"For how long?" he asked, standing with his hands on his hips, and that lopsided grin on his face.
"For as long as it takes," she said, laughing as she climbed behind the wheel. Closing the door, she waved goodbye as she disappeared down the long drive toward the iron gates.