Olivia

 

We’re sitting at the breakfast table like a couple of strangers. I can’t believe that we’ve spent nearly the whole weekend in the bedroom. From Friday night until this morning we’ve been together. I didn’t think that we had anything in common and we couldn’t enjoy each other’s company, but it’s as if Andrew doesn’t want to let me go.

“A penny for your thoughts,” he says as he gazes at me. We’re supposed to be eating breakfast so he can drop me at home and he can go to work. The place that I would have been going with him, up until last Friday. The same day that I lost my job and ended up in bed with my boss.

“Sorry, that’s rude. I didn’t even realize that I was staring into space.” I can’t tell him what’s really on my mind.

“I must admit that I don’t feel like going into the office right now…” He’s about to say something else, but as he moves his chair closer to mine he strokes my arm. “You did have a good time, didn’t you?”

I nod. “Sure, that’s not an issue. I’ve got a pair of designer jeans and shirts,” I laugh, “and a ripped up lace dress which cost close to five hundred dollars but only lasted one night.”

“Actually, I have a surprise for you.”

Then he hands me a bag from the same store that he bought the dress which he couldn’t wait to rip off me. How the heck did he manage all this? We’d spent all weekend in bed or in the shower, and the odd visit to the kitchen. That’s what it’s like to be rich. He had staff, people that could do whatever he requested by the touch of a button. That’s all it took for him to get things done.

“Okay, so it’s not the black dress, but you did have your eye on the red one originally.”

I shake my head. “Andrew, I can’t, and how did you manage to do this? Did you tell one of your staff to go in the shop and find the sexy red number?”

He laughs. “You can and not quite, but near enough. I remembered the sales assistant’s name, Harper, and it didn’t take long for her to click about which couple we were, which is the beauty of shopping at some of these stores. Anyway, I took up your whole weekend and I feel as if I need to give you something in return.”

“It’s not as if I had anything else planned and I enjoyed myself. I feel bad about you spending so much money on me. It’s not as if I did it for the money.”

“Why do you always get so defensive?”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t.”

He laughs. “You’re doing it again. I can afford to get you things and I wanted to do it. Just say that you appreciate it and move on. Why do you take it as a bad thing?”

“Andrew, I have no job to go to. It just feels silly having designer clothes when I’ll have nowhere to wear them.”

He takes a sip of his coffee. I had a question that I wanted to ask him, but it wasn’t the reason that I stayed for the weekend. I just didn’t know how to ask him if he could get me a job or even hire me in a different department.

“I could speak to a few departments or even friends and find you something, if you like?”

I jump up.

“You’re kidding me? I was hoping that you’ll say something like that.”

I wrap my arms around him. Having the dress and even the clothes is nice, but to be able to support myself and get out of my living situation would be even better.

“Why didn’t you ask me?”

He holds me for a minute, stopping me from moving back to my seat. I hate the idea of confessing it all to him. It feels as if it’s my burden, never to be shared.

“I didn’t want you to think that I only stayed here for that. I wanted to be with you…”

“If you need help, then you should never be ashamed for asking for it.”

“Oh and the great Andrew White’s always asked for help?”

I raise an eyebrow thinking that he has no idea what it’s like to be in constant need. I could ask the world for something, but it doesn’t mean that I deserve it.

He nods his head. “At times if I’ve needed help…. Sure. There’s no shame in it. I used to count on my dad all the time until he passed away and even now sometimes I ask my sister for help.”

I take in his words, thinking that I’ve never had the luxury of asking anyone for help and that’s the reason that I’m used to doing things alone. “Like how to get rid of ex girlfriends?”

I laugh as I think about Roberta and the crazy way she was acting at her party. Andrew found out after that the reason for the party was to celebrate them getting back together. She had told a friend that if Andrew turned up alone, then they were meant to be. This was another reason that Andrew didn’t want to turn up by himself. I wonder if the charade worked?

“Olivia?”

“Yes?”

Then we're interrupted by the housekeeper, who thought that he’d gone to work already.

“Mr. White you’re never still here at this time. Especially on a Monday.”

She raises her voice at the last point, while she’s looking at me as if she’s automatically blaming me for her boss being late to the office.

“Okay, Martha. Don’t worry, I’m going to the office now.”

He winks at me. “Sometimes she acts like my mother or something. You hardly touched your breakfast, are you sure that you’re not hungry?”

I shake my head as I look at the pineapple, grapefruit, slices of bacon, croissants and everything else that I can’t afford to eat, but are neatly displayed on dishes in front of me. Andrew commented on me being hungry when I put them on my plate. I was at the time, but then the realization that I need to go back to the place that I call home entered my mind and I don’t want to go back. I want to stay, but I know I can’t ask him that. It just wouldn’t be right. I’m sure he’s a man of his word. He’ll find a job for me, that I’m sure about.

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Okay, let’s go. The driver’s waiting and I need to get to my meeting in about twenty minutes.”

I nod my head. “Sure.”

I grab the bags and wave to the housekeeper. That’s when my reality becomes a fantasy and no longer the one that I’ve been living the last three days. I clutch onto my bags as I sit at the back of the limo. If I get really desperate I’ll have to sell them, because if I don’t get a job soon, I have no idea how I’m going to even eat.

Andrew gets to the office and gives me a kiss on the cheek. He’s been on his phone with a sense of purpose. Work. He’s important. Making phone calls. Making deals, whereas I just gave him my virginity and in a heartbeat, I’ve gone from being the most important person in his life to unimportant.

He’s holding his phone and saying, “I’ll call you.”

I nod my head thinking that I’m hoping that he’s a man of his word. Until his driver blurts out, “Where to, miss?”

I give him the address and as I do, he hesitates as he rolls up the window and says, “I’ve worked for Mr. White for ten years and I have to say this to you. You don’t look like the other women that he’s used to being around. When he says that he’ll call you…” He clears his throat and part of me knows exactly what he’s going to say, but I prepare myself for the punchline anyway. “Don’t wait up expecting that phone call.”

I nod my head. “I thought that was the case.”

“I just thought that I’d warn you,” he changes the tone in his voice and says, “Don’t worry I’ll get you there in about fifteen minutes.”

I shake my head holding onto my bags tighter. “Take your time. There’s no rush. You can make it an hour if you like.”

He shrugs. “I’ve got no jobs until two. So, I can give you a little tour if you like.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll just drive around. It’ll be a silent one. You won't even know I'm in the limo. Apart from the fact that I'll be driving.” He laughs nervously, when he doesn't have a reaction from me. He rolls up the window. I didn’t want to cry in front of him, and I sense that he knows that as he continues to drive around the city. l hug the bags, thinking this will be the first and last time that I have nice things. I can’t work in the city. I don’t have any experience in any domain in the city and there’s no way I can go back home.

No, I’ll never go back there.

So, I sit in the back of the limo, while the driver takes me on a tour and push back tears.