Epilogue
Despite a few nasty reviews from critics that I'd had to let roll off my shoulders, Smooth Operator was a huge box office success. The whole series was picked up and optioned for film, which meant a whole lot more of Tyler and me working together. Not that I'm complaining about that. I love a good view when I'm at work.
Speaking of Tyler, he'd kept his word about moving slow. He'd stayed in hotels and flown back and forth between his parents' place in Idaho and my new house in Maryland. After a few weeks of the back and forth, we decided to take a leap and move in together. This turned out to be one of the best choices I've ever made.
We got along great, with only minor disagreements that most couples go through. Tyler had a truly absurd collection of Matchbox cars that no grown man should own, and was aghast when I suggested we donate them. My collection of decorations with girly sayings on them like "Live Love Laugh" had galled him when I'd posted them in the living room. Other than that, we were in domestic bliss.
Today we were finally having our housewarming party, and it was a special day. It was one year to the day since we first met in that fancy restaurant in Los Angeles. It was crazy to think of how much our lives had changed since then. We would've had a housewarming party sooner, but this was the first time all of our friends and family were in town, except Vanessa, who was shooting something or other, as per usual. While Tyler had scaled back on the amount of work he was doing, Vanessa had leaned into it, taking every project that was thrown her way.
I was fussing over the signature cocktails I'd made for the occasion, trying to get the display just right, when Tyler snuck up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in the crook of my neck. I laid my head back, relishing the safety and comfort of his considerable arms.
"Relax," Tyler said. "Everything looks great. Besides, I'm the one who should be nervous. Nick is coming today, and I'm still not convinced that he likes me."
"Oh, hush. You guys are going to be great friends. He tells me all the time how much he likes you." The doorbell rang, making me jump. "Our first guest!"
"Remember to relax!" Tyler called as I walked toward the door. I ignored him as I hurried off to greet the mystery callers. It was my family, plus Kat, holding platters of food and bottles of wine. Nick had brought a six-pack of beer.
"Hey sweetheart," Mom said, embracing me. Kat hugged Tyler, who had followed me to the front door, and Nick took his hand for a firm handshake. Tyler repeated the process with my dad, and we headed in.
Tyler's mom and dad, Mary and Ed, arrived right after my family. They were an attractive couple in their late fifties, and they looked a little imperious, though that may have been my nerves. I tried to calm myself. This was my first time meeting his parents, and I needed to make a good impression. "Mary! Ed! So nice to finally meet you," I said, embracing them.
My heart stopped in my chest when Mary pulled back and gave me a long once-over. Her face broke into a huge smile as she moved forward to embrace me, and I nearly slumped in relief. Ed pulled me into a bear hug and shook hands with Tyler.
"Olivia, darling, you have no idea how much I've wanted to meet you," Mary said. "Tyler's been keeping you all to himself and refuses to come visit us in Idaho ever since he moved here."
I shrugged awkwardly. "We've been busy setting up the house. I promise Tyler hasn't been avoiding you. We're so excited to have you."
Tyler grinned at my sincerity, then led his parents into the kitchen where everyone else was convening with a giant wave, grasping my hand tightly. He gave it a little squeeze when we got to the kitchen, then let go of me to get the cheese platter.
The doorbell rang again, and I looked around at our guests in confusion. Everyone we'd been expecting was already here. Maybe it was a nosy neighbor coming over to remind us of the HOA regulations regarding noise levels. I squared my shoulders, preparing myself for some good old-fashioned suburban confrontation, and swung the door open with my fakest smile painted onto my face.
"Hello, darling!" Vanessa was standing on our doorstep, suitcase in hand and stilettos firmly attached to her feet. "I heard there was a party today."
"Vanessa!" I tilted my head in confusion as she kissed either side of my cheek and handed her suitcase to me. "I thought you were on a shoot and couldn't make it today."
"The shoot is done early, and I wanted to be here to warm the house of my two closest friends. You think I'd turn down a chance to see you guys?" Vanessa said breezily. I tilted my head in slight confusion at her characterization of us as close friends but stood to the side to let her through. "I'm starved. Can you believe there wasn't any meal service between Los Angeles and D.C.? Do you guys have any crab puffs?"
I stared at her as she sauntered off in the direction of the kitchen, not looking back to see if I was following her. I shook my head and walked up the steps with her suitcase to drop it off in a spare bedroom. Good thing we had two guest rooms.
I closed the door to the bedroom behind me, and Tyler was there, wearing a wicked grin. "Hey, did you know Vanessa-" I was shut up by Tyler's mouth over mine. I smiled into the kiss, leaning up against Tyler.
"You know that fantasy I have of fucking you in a crowd and no one realizes?" Tyler murmured against my lips. "It's about to come true."
"We can't, not with the crowd of people we have waiting for us downstairs," I whispered, disappointed. "What if someone decides to come looking for us?"
"They're all preoccupied with Vanessa's arrival. Your mom's practically floating. Besides, I can be quick," Tyler answered, already shoving my panties to the side and slipping two fingers into me. "Looks like you'll be quick too," he said with a cocky wink. He pulled his fingers out of me against my protests and his hands skimmed my thighs, quickly divesting me of the knee-length skirt I was wearing. Tyler pulled his pants down but didn't bother to step out of them before thrusting into me. I moaned loudly, then clapped a hand over my mouth when I realized what I'd done.
Tyler grinned and replaced my hand with his own, silencing my cries as he thrust back and forth against the guest bedroom wall. I was already so wet for him from the teasing he'd been doing since this morning. This was the first time I'd had him alone since then, and I was ready to dissolve into a puddle of lust.
I came quickly, as Tyler had predicted, and he was right behind me. Tyler thrust one last time, kissed me softly, then grabbed the towel I'd set out on the dresser for his parents to use. He wiped me down, then shoved the towel deep into the hamper before patting me on the butt and led me out of the bedroom.
"I love you," he said. "Have I calmed you down sufficiently? You're impressing the hell out of my family, by the way. No need for nerves."
I laughed. "I love you too. And I love the way you choose to calm my nerves."
We ran into Kat at the landing of the stairwell, and she looked between the two of us suspiciously. "What were you two-" She screwed up her face. "Gross. While everyone's here? For shame, sluts."
I stuck my tongue out at her and grabbed Tyler's hand. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I said demurely. "We'll be downstairs if you need us."
"Your grandmother is looking down on you from Heaven and knows exactly what you did," Kat said. I led Tyler down the staircase, ignoring Kat's chuckles, and we rejoined the party in the kitchen.
Vanessa was charming the hell out of my mom, who turned to me with a smile. "Vanessa gave me this signed photo of herself! And she's agreed to get me onto the set of Passions of Our Lives next time we're in Los Angeles! Isn't that wonderful?"
Tyler pouted. "I was going to do that for you."
"You've never given me a signed photo of yourself," Mom said chidingly.
"That's because only an insane person would do that," Nick said, coming back into the kitchen from the backyard and shoving his phone into his pants. "What are you doing here?"
I looked at Nick in surprise. He was very rarely this rude to anyone, even someone who could be as annoying as Vanessa. She looked at him in affronted confusion. "I'm visiting my friends in their new home. What are you doing here?"
Our heads turned to look at Nick, all of us following the volley of their accusations in confusion. "This is my sister's house."
Vanessa's jaw dropped, and I interrupted. "Wait, how do you two know each other?"
"We don't," they replied in unison. Vanessa shoved a crab puff into her mouth with a particularly sexy flourish, and Nick averted his gaze guiltily.
"Okayyy," Tyler said. "I'm going to get the grill going so we can, uh, get this party started." He beelined for the back deck, with me hot on his heels.
"Small world," I said, shaking my head.
"Yeah. They don't seem to like each other very much," Tyler said, firing up the grill.
"Shame," I said, putting my arms around him.
"Big shame," he said, tilting my face up to his.
"You look sexy in my dad's apron," I said, toying with the strap of the apron that had Licensed to Grill emblazoned on the front.
"Oh yeah?" he murmured against my lips. I nodded as he kissed me deeply, forgetting all about the steaks he was supposed to be starting. He groaned and pulled me off him. "Doing it here is a little too bold, even for me."
I grinned. "I love you, Tyler Sutton."
"I love you too, Olivia," Tyler said, putting the steaks on and shutting the lid of the grill. We walked hand in hand back into the party to spend the night with our families and friends, surrounded by love and laughter in our new home together.
THE END