Chapter Nine
Eric
Sitting through the play was torture, for more than just the poor choreography and the creative liberties that had been taken. I had this sexy woman, in a beautiful, form-flattering dress, sitting next to me the whole night, and I didn't know where I stood with her. But things were looking promising: during the performance, our legs brushed, our knees touching, and Olivia didn't move away. In fact, if anything, she pressed her knee closer to mine so that I could feel the heat radiating between the two of us.
Emboldened by this, I casually let my arm drop around her shoulders. Not only did Olivia allow the touch, but she actively snuggled toward me, her fingers creeping over to rest on my thigh. “This is really bad,” she whispered up to me, and I stifled a laugh.
“I warned you,” I reminded her.
“Which one is your patient again?” she asked a little while later.
“He called me to let me know that he was sick and couldn't make it tonight,” I admitted.
Olivia stared up at me for a moment and then dissolved into quiet giggles, which fortunately were appropriate to what was happening on the stage at the moment. “You mean we're sitting through this for nothing?” she asked.
I shrugged. I hadn't wanted to cancel on her, and even though it might not be ethical to bring her here under false reasons, I couldn't help wanting to spend the evening with her. The real truth of it was that, when pressed, Henry had admitted that he wasn't part of the theater production at all. He'd just given me the tickets in an attempt to do a little matchmaking, because, “You seem so lonely all the time, Dr. Jones.” Typical meddling, small town elders.
Things seemed to be working out all right, though. I'd been surprised by both of us that night. I had wanted this to be a date, but because I hadn't exactly phrased things that way when I'd invited the woman, I hadn't been sure what this really was. Did she think I was just trying to pawn off that second ticket? Did she think I didn't have anyone else to ask? Did she think I felt like I owed her since she was taking care of Emma every day?
From the moment I laid eyes on her, though, I knew that she was thinking along the same lines as me. She had put time and effort into her appearance, and she looked gorgeous. She was beautiful, funny, and enticing, and I wanted to know her better.
And I could tell that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
It was a heady feeling, that tension escalating between the two of us. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, finding myself aroused before we even went to intermission.
At intermission, we filed out into the lobby with everyone else and found a quiet spot in the corner. Olivia and I exchanged a look. “It's worse than I expected,” I admitted. “I never would have dragged you along to it, if I'd known.”
“Do you even understand what's happening?” Olivia asked. “I don't know if it's just the poorly done accents that I'm having a problem with or if it's the plot itself that's needlessly confusing, but I'm lost.”
“All I've gathered is that everyone seems to be angry with everyone else,” I said.
Olivia laughed. “Yeah, that's the point I'm at too.”
I shook my head. “Do you want to skip out early?” I asked. “Since Henry isn't here tonight anyway, I wouldn't feel bad. We could find someplace quiet to talk.” I wasn't ready for the date to end just yet, but I didn't know if I could sit through another hour or more of this.
“That would be nice,” Olivia agreed warmly. She linked arms with me, and we headed out to the parking lot.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked as we got to the car. “It's already after 7; most places around here are already closed, or about to be.” I frowned. “I think there's still a 24-hour diner over in Lakefield that caters to truckers. We could get a cup of coffee.”
Olivia shuddered. “First a terrible play, and now a terrible cup of truck stop coffee?” she teased. “What kind of a date is this?”
I laughed, but I was racking my brain for other ideas. What I'd really like, I realized, was to take her out into one of the fields, lay down a blanket on the dirt, and have my way with her. I bet she'd look incredible, sprawled out naked beneath the glow of the stars and moon. I didn't know how she would take such a forward suggestion, though. After all, this was our first date, unless you counted the dinner at her mom's place or at least the dinner at the Italian restaurant.
But both of those had been about business. Then again, for all I knew, that's all this was as well.
“Why don't we go back to my place?” Olivia suggested shyly. “I have a nice bottle of wine that Mom gave me as a housewarming gift, but I haven't wanted to drink it alone.”
“That sounds nice,” I said, smiling over at her and moving into the driver's seat. I gave myself a strong mental kick. That sounds nice? Couldn't I come up with something better than that?
Something about Olivia had me tongue-tied in a way that I had never been around Emily. Of course, conversation flowed smoothly enough between the two of us, but I felt like I was second-guessing everything that I said and did. She made me nervous.
I wasn't normally nervous.
“I should be the one supplying the wine, after dragging you to such a horrible show,” I joked half-heartedly.
Olivia laughed. “You paid for dinner,” she reminded me. She paused. “But if you're really worried about that, you could always supply the wine next time.”
“Next time?” I asked, my blood singing beneath the surface of my skin.
Olivia nodded, her eyes locked firmly on mine. I swallowed hard and then gave myself a shake, putting the car in drive.
I headed back to her place as quickly as the law allowed, my hand resting on her knee the whole time. When we arrived, she led the way inside, and I followed. But rather than go for the wine, she paused in the front hall, turning toward me.
She tilted her head up, leaning toward me, and I could tell that she was going for a kiss. I caught her face in my hands, pressing my lips to hers. I could feel her hesitation, and I did my best to soothe her, taking control of the kiss and nipping at her lower lip so that she opened to me with a soft sigh. Her arms looped around my lower back, drawing me in closer.
I lingered there, not wanting to push her too much, but from her passionate response, I could tell that she was just as hungry for this as I was. She pulled breathlessly away, looking up at me through her lashes, her eyes molten hot with desire. Slowly, she started undoing the buttons on my shirt, giving me plenty of time to stop her.
I didn't want to stop her; I wanted this just as badly as she appeared to.
“It's been a while since I've done this,” I admitted as I pulled Olivia's dress up over her head.
She tossed her hair out of her eyes, smiling at me. “It's been a while for me, too,” she admitted.
“No, I mean it's been a while,” I said, feeling almost frustrated by her lack of understanding. I didn't want to admit this in so many words, but I paused and then took a deep breath. “I haven't had sex with anyone since Emily. It's been about two and a half years.”
Olivia's eyes widened, and her hand crept up over her mouth. “Oh, Eric,” she breathed. There was a long moment of silence, and I started to reconsider even being there. Maybe I should leave.
But for the first time, it didn't feel like I was dishonoring Emily's memory by being with someone else. In fact, I had a feeling that if Emily were to meet Olivia, she would be fast friends with the kind, intelligent woman. And I knew that all Emily had ever wanted was for me to be happy. In the face of my budding feelings for Olivia, I knew that walking away wasn't something I wanted to do.
Olivia looked searchingly into my eyes for a long moment and then twisted her fingers in mine. “Come on,” she said, leading the way toward the stairs. “If we're doing this, we're going to do this right.”
I grinned and followed her, watching her panty-clad behind as she led the way upstairs and down the hall to her bedroom. She paused in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder at me. For the first time, I sensed hesitation. “Are you sure about this?” she asked.
I frowned at her. “Are you sure about this?” I asked. “If you don't want to do this, we don't have to.”
“I want this,” Olivia said, and I was surprised to hear the raw note to her voice that let me know just how much she wanted this. “But sleeping with someone for the first time since your deceased wife, that's a big deal. If you're not ready for this, we can wait.”
I trailed my eyes over her body, from her silky skin to her lace panties. “I want this,” I said hoarsely.
“All right,” Olivia said simply, leading the way into her bedroom. I took a deep breath and followed after her.