Olivia was all dressed up and definitely ready to go somewhere: she was wearing a slightly more fitted than normal black dress, trousers usually accentuated her devastatingly shapely curves, that were usually hidden under something baggy. A charcoal chiffon V-neck blouse with a tight black vest top underneath – her top would be see through otherwise, but she wasn't 20 anymore – and soft grey heels elongated her legs and made her arse bounce just so, as she swayed her hips in walking. She had never looked better and Edgar seethed and smouldered at the sight. She must have plans, but she hadn't spoken an unnecessary word to him since he'd returned from Kiev. Edgar had no idea where she was going. Or more importantly, who with. He couldn't stand it.
"Ready?" A man eclipses the light from Liv's office, blocking the doorway to office.
"Elliot? What are you doing here? Ready for what exactly?" Olivia doesn't look particularly pleased to see him. In fact she looks decidedly the opposite of pleased.
Edgar had heard about this Elliot pillock from Fin. They had slept together while Edgar was gone. His fists clench at the thought. Surely Olivia wasn't getting back with him.
"Our date tonight." He smiles at Olivia as if butter wouldn't melt. You're fooling no one mate, Edgar inwardly rages.
"What are you talking about?" Olivia is bewildered and irritated and she's not sure which more.
"Well, you're all dressed up and raring to go." He eyes up the brunette in her outfit, like some scrap of meat he's eager to devour.
"Yes. I have plans this evening. Just not with you."
Edgar almost contains his laugh. But he wasn't trying very hard, to be fair. Although, if Olivia wasn't going out with Elliot then who?
"Oh really. Quite a coincidence then that you just happen to be dolled up at the exact right time, here waiting for me for our dinner." Elliot smirks and Edgar wants to swipe it off his smug face, but he doesn't want to actually touch him.
"As I told you last week when you asked me. Again." Olivia sounds exasperated, as if he never stops asking. "We are not dating. You and I are done, Elliot."
"So who are you waiting for then?" He looks confused. Surely Olivia couldn't possibly have someone else, she was too busy lusting after him.
"That would be me."
They all turn to see a man hidden behind Elliot's frame. He offered them all a kind smile, which only widened when his eyes settled on Olivia. Edgar hated him already.
Olivia smiled fondly back at him for a moment before clearing her throat loudly. "Hi Ellis." Olivia was almost demure.
Edgar watched the two of them for a time, sensing he was missing something...
"Oh hello. I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Elliot Stabler, Olivia's boyfriend." He extended a handshake to this Ellis.
"Ex partner." Olivia snapped. " This is Ellis Baynard. he's a lawyer.
"Well, Ellis it's nice to meet you. I don't suppose you mind cancelling your plans with with Olivia here, so she and I can go on our date?" Elliot was incorrigible.
"Elliot! For the last time, you and I are not dating. Because...because Olivia faltered. She couldn't tell him the real reason, not with Edgar sitting there and not when she hadn't told the man herself, in private, that she was in love with him. If she ever stopped being angry long enough to speak to him at all.
"Because we are." Ellis piped up. "Dating...I'm mean." He had struggled to watch the captain flail and said the first thing that came to mind, to get rid of the man who was clearly making her so uneasy. He hoped he hadn't overstepped.
Three dropped jaws and three sets of bug eyes told him that perhaps he had.
"We are?!" Olivia looks at her with a "what are you doing?" expression, while Ellis returns a "just go with it" head tilt. "Yes, that's right, we are." It sounds more like a question than a certainty but Olivia stands firm.
"So, darling. Are you ready to go yet?" Ellis slips an arm around Olivia's waist pulling her to him with a squeeze. "You look stunning, by the way." he winks at the brunette, who stands open mouthed.
Edgar was jealous as Hell. he hadn't seen the exchange between the two and thought they were really dating. Though he had to admit the man had a good eye, Olivia looked positively incredible.
"Yes, em. Sweetheart? Ready when you are." Olivia drapes an arm around Ellis's shoulder, trying not to giggle at Elliot's face.
He storms out in a huff and they all hope that's the last they'll see of him.
Both of them dissolve into kinks of laughter still holding onto each other, as Edgar surveys, more than a little perplexed.
"Oh Ellis. That was the best fun I've had in a while." Olivia swipes away tears of joy. "Did you see his face when he thought we were dating. Thank you for rescuing me from that horrible idiot. You are such a great friend."
The penny drops for Edgar then, they were only pretending. He feels relief soothe him until he sees the look in Ellis's eyes as he watches Olivia. The man has it bad for Olivia. And who could blame him? Ellis's heart drops like a stone when Olivia friend zones him.
"Olivia?" Ellis begins.
"Hm?" Olivi lifts her head and seeing the serious expression Ellis wore he adds. "Is everything alright?"
"I think we need to talk." Ellis replies ominously.
"Sounds serious. We've only been pretend dating for about 3 minutes and you're already breaking up with me!" Olivia tries to lighten the mood with a bright smile.
Edgar and Ellis sigh simultaneously to see her gorgeous smile.
"Are we friends?" Ellis puts it to her, no frills, no sugar coating.
"I hope so. Don't you think we are?" Olivia looks a little hurt that he might be losing her companion. They'd only known each other a few weeks but she liked Ellis immensely.
"You see, the thing is. I was rather hoping that we were more than just friends." Ellis runs a finger across the back of Olivia's knuckles as her hand rests on her desk, switching off her computer for the day.
Olivia looks down at her hand being softy stroked by Ellis and back up at the woman herself. "I don't understand." Olivia genuinely seems confused.
"Shall I explain it to you?" Ellis smiles and pushes up on his tiptoes, attempting to plant a kiss on Olivia's lips.
Olivia moves back instinctually, she grabs the tops of Ellis's arms to hold him at bay. "Ellis, I'm really sorry if I gave you the wrong impression of what was going on between us but -"
"You're not interested?" Ellis looks dejected.
"Not exactly." Olivia hasn't really come up with an answer to that one yet.
"You're still in love with Elliot fellow?" Ellis tries again.
"God no!" Olivia's sure on that one.
"Are you seeing someone else?" Ellis's running out of options fast.
"No. I don't suppose I am." It was the truth.
"So what's going on? I thought we had a nice time together." Ellis seems upset.
"We do. I do enjoy spending time with you. I just never thought anything of it." Ellis had thought they really were friends.
"I want you to think something of it." Persistent little thing, isn't he? Edgar thought. They'd forgotten he was even there...
"Ok." Olivia seemed to be agreeing with him. "You see the thing is...the thing is..." What, Olivia, what is the thing?! "I'm not really...I'm sorry, I just -" Olivia is gesturing nervously with her hands when Ellis interjects.
"You're not attracted to me?" Ellis was reasonably sure he had read the woman correctly, there was someone between them.
"I guess I hadn't really thought about you. Like that." Olivia considers the man in front of her. He was rather good looking and Olivia loved spending time with him.
"Listen, I'm not proposing marriage. I really like you and I thought you felt the same way. Why don't we just see how things go? No pressure." Ellis offers his hand to the brunette.
"We could do that." Olivia takes the proffered hand, gathering her bag and the two walk out hand in hand.
Neither released that Edgar had witness it all, crouched behind her monitor. Neither saw the look in his eyes.
COMMENTS AND REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME