4
2030 Words
Oli POV
I rummage through the wardrobe in the hotel, looking for something to wear.
KNOCK KNOCK
I open the door to see Max standing there with a huge grin sprawled across his face.
“What’s up?” I asked, walking back to the wardrobe, leaving the door open for him.
“I have a date.” He gushed with a lopsided grin.
“Who with?” I mumbled, looking at two different tops.
I was having trouble deciding on what to wear tonight. I wanted to look nice for Cait, but I didn’t want her to think I was too fancy or overdressed.
“A girl from the hotel. What are you doing?”
“I’m going to Cait’s house.”
His eyebrow lifted up as he smiled a big, cheesy grin.
“And you are having trouble with what to wear?” He snickered.
He walked over, looking at the tops I’m debating over and pointed to the navy shirt, and pulled out some light denim jeans.
“Perfect. Don’t wait up for me tonight.” He winks, practically skipping out of my room. I set the clothes out on the bed and quickly shower.
Making sure to use the shower gel she loved so much.
I’ve never stopped using it, to be honest.
Every time I smell it, I think of her.
I walk up the short, white cobblestone pathway to her house.
On each side of the path, there is some perfectly cut grass.
Beneath her windows are large rose bushes that cover half the larger window, and running around the fence are tall bushes.
It’s enclosed and private.
I get closer to the door and my heart races in my chest.
I take a deep breath, catching a strange smell coming from inside.
I quickly knock on the door and wait.
“Hey come in.” She says as the door flies open.
She has her hair up in a ponytail, but it’s all messy and cute.
Patches of what I assume is flour are on her face and top, and some batter of some sort is smudged all down her apron.
I look at her and lose the ability to speak.
She looks so beautiful and I want to remember her exactly as she is at this moment in time.
How could I have been so stupid?
“Sorry, I’m having a little trouble.” She blurted out, probably because I haven’t said a word since she opened the door.
Or moved.
I’m standing outside like an unmoving mute ídíot.
“Do you need help?” I ask, finally remembering how to talk.
Her eyes squint together as she looks at me suspiciously.
“You can cook?” She says skeptically, a small smile playing on her lips.
“I can,” I boast, walking in.
I bend down and kiss her on her soft and plump lips, then freeze.
“Shít! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. It’s an old habit. Fück, I’m so sorry.” I say, stepping back with my hands held up in front of me.
She’s gonna throw me out on my ass now.
I glance at her to try to see what she’s thinking, and I see her fingers are lightly touching her lips, her face beatific.
“No. It’s ok.”
She lowers her hand walking off, I close the door and follow her, she walks into a large kitchen, it has an island in the middle with bowls and pans scattered around it, and the blob of the batter that is down her apron is spilled all over the floor and her sink is overflowing with more pans and pots.
Black smoke is leaking from the oven, filling the room.
“Shít,” she says, running over and wafting it away.
She opens the oven door and a black plume fills the room, making her cough.
I open the kitchen window and door and fan the smoke out.
I notice an oven mitt, so get that and pull something that’s black as coal out of the oven, shutting the oven door quickly.
“I think this is beyond my culinary skills.”
“Great,” she says. Her voice is croaky and full of disappointment.
She pulls the apron off, throwing it down onto the counter.
She looks adorable when she gets frustrated.
She always has.
“It’s ok. We can go out and eat if you want?” I suggest, unsure of what she will say.
“I feel bad. I was supposed to cook you something nice.”
Her lip pouts and I’m finding it hard to fight the urge to go over and kiss her plump, pouting lips.
“Hey. It’s ok. As long as I get to spend some time with you, I don’t care.”
I bend my legs slightly so I’m level with her face as I pull her into my arms, wrapping her in them.
I feel her tense up in my embrace.
Shít, I need to cool it down, but I can’t help it when she’s close by.
“Fück. I’m sorry Cait. I can’t help it with you.”
“I’ll go get dressed.” She says impassively.
Her voice is soft and I can’t tell if she’s mad, upset, or fuming with me. I don’t care if she’s mad though, she hasn’t kicked me out yet, which in my eyes is a win.
I watch as she walks off upstairs, taking a moment to look around the room.
I grab some kitchen roll and wipe up the blob of batter off the floor.
I also make sure her oven is turned off.
She has pictures stuck to her fridge of her and some friends.
There’s one of her on a beautiful beach in a bikini.
She looks beautiful with her skin kissed by the sun.
The way the light shines through her hair makes it look a bronze color.
She always had a lovely body, but she is more voluptuous now.
I hear her coming back down and move away from the fridge.
She looks stunning in a short black dress and her hair is down in soft waves.
“What would you like to eat? My treat for ruining food tonight.” She asks, picking her purse up.
I watch her ass as she walks to the door, hypnotized by it.
“I’m not fussed,” I say, watching the way it sways with her movements.
“Great, I'll pick then.”
~~~
Cait POV
“So, how did you get into acting?” I ask.
We have been sitting at the bar of the restaurant waiting for a table for about an hour now.
It’s never usually this busy. I don’t mind waiting though.
The sound of pots and pans clanging together slips from the doors on the far side, and people laughing and chatting fills the room, but it’s his voice that has me captivated.
The conversation is flowing naturally, and it’s strange, but this all feels normal with Oli.
I hated him for so long, or I thought I hated him, but talking with him and laughing with him made me realize how much I actually missed him.
I didn’t just lose my boyfriend that day, but my best friend.
My heart squeezes painfully tight in my chest when I think back to then.
I look up at his face and everything melts away.
How can he still have the ability to make me feel like this?
“My friend asked me to fill in for him and someone liked what they saw and it’s been a whirlwind since then. What about you? Why didn’t you finish college?”
I take a big gulp of my wine before answering.
“When dad died, mom couldn’t afford to pay for it anymore, so I dropped out and we moved here. I actually do a night course at the college in the next town over.”
“I’m sorry Cait. I wanted to come to the funeral, but mom said it might not be for the best.”
I smiled up at him but I felt sad thinking of my dad.
He was my hero and the pain of losing him was still unbearable.
“It’s ok everything was so raw with us then.”
He looks down at his hands.
His fingers fiddled with each other.
I lean over and place my hand over his. His fingers stop moving.
“I’m sorry for being such a bítćh to you.”
His head tilts down slightly to look at my hand over his, so I pull it back fast, knowing I’ve overstepped.
Shít.
Wine and Oli are not a good combination.
“Your table is ready.” A waitress says, smiling at Oli and acting as though I’m not even here.
She pushes her chest out so her breast sticks out into Oli’s face as she flutters her eyelashes at him.
He doesn’t even notice though. His eyes are on me, making my head spin at the way he looks at me.
“Thank god,” I say quietly to myself as I stand up and walk past the waitress.
Any more wine on my empty stomach and sitting this close to him and I’d be throwing myself at Oli’s feet before I know what’s hit me.
The rest of the night goes by without any more slip-ups.
I suppose we were together for so long that seeing each other again just brought up old habits.
That’s all.
I can’t remember a time when I have laughed as much as I have tonight.
My cheeks hurt from all the smiling I’ve been doing.
Oli is still the same funny and loving guy I knew when we were younger, and it is refreshing.
When he speaks, I find myself hanging on to his every word.
“Please let me pay.” He insisted, grabbing the bill from the waitress, who is doing everything in her power to get his attention.
I glare at her but she doesn’t even look at me. Oli does though.
He looks at me and then at the girl and smiles that smug smile I wish I could wipe off his face.
It’s the smile that says he knows that it’s affecting me. That I’m jealous of a girl trying to get his attention.
I quickly look back at him and ignore the girl standing beside him.
“What? No. Oli, I messed up the food. It’s my treat.” I try to grab the bill, but he pulls it back towards himself with a huge grin.
“Too late.” He smirks, placing his card in the little black folder and passing it to the slûty waitress.
“Thank you then,” I say, standing up and putting my coat on.
“Do you have to go?”
I look at my watch, feeling slightly disappointed.
“I have work tomorrow, but we should do this again. I’ve missed having you in my life. You were my best friend.” I say, smiling at him.
He smiles back, but it’s not a genuine smile.
“Come on, I’ll drop you off at your hotel.”
“What? No! I'll make sure you get back first.” He says, putting his own jacket on.
“Really? You still have to make sure I get home, OK? I’m a big girl now. I even wear big girl panties.”
He bursts out laughing at that, making me smile.
His laughter is infectious.
It warms my soul listening to it.
“I’m glad to hear that.” He says, walking along the road in the wrong direction.
“Oli. I live this way.” I shout, pointing over my shoulder with my thumb.
He turns around, smiling that big and beautiful smile that makes the butterflies dance in my stomach and my knees feel weak.
“I knew that. I was testing you.” He answered.
“Oh right. Testing me.” I playfully push him with my shoulder as we walk along the road home.
- Writer
