Redemption （n.） – Olivia
REDEMPTION (N.):
THE ACT OF REDEEMING, BUYING BACK PROPERTY BY PAYING OFF A LOAN, INTEREST AND ANY COSTS OF FORECLOSURE.
OLIVIA
“This is the best we have to offer for your budget, Miss Spencer.” The car salesman escorted me to a long line of used Nissans on a Friday afternoon.
“I already drive a Nissan,” I said. “I want something different.”
“These are all different colors from what you have, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, there you go.”
“I mean like a different model,” I said. “Maybe an upgrade? I’m trading my old one in, and it has to be worth something, right?”
“Lady, I’m being generous by even allowing you to trade in that soup can you’ve been driving.” He shook his head. “You’re only getting a five-hundred-dollar credit for it.”
“Five hundred dollars? That’s it?”
“How much do you think your car is worth?”
“Five thousand, easy.”
“What?” He burst into laughter, holding his stomach. He bent over and started choking, and a small part of me didn’t want to help him survive.
“You said you were going to negotiate with me!” I walked over and patted his back. “You promised over the phone to give me the best offer.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He caught his breath and looked at my car, then at me. “I’ll give you a five-hundred-and-twenty-dollar credit for it. Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it…”
“I thought so.” He handed me his business card. “Feel free to take your time checking all these out. Call me whenever you want to test drive your top three.”
“Thanks.”
He tipped his hat and walked away.
Holding back a groan, I slid behind the wheel of an army-green one, but it smelled like swamp water.
I moved to the one next to it—a bright red one—but the leather seats were torn.
“Don’t panic, Liv.” I moved to the next. “It’s just until you finish law school. Just until you finish law school.”
As I was moving out of a cerulean one with a broken radio, a bright red Ferrari swerved into the parking lot, stopping right in front of me.
Liam?
The driver’s side door opened, and he stepped out in a white button-down shirt and custom black pants. His gavel cufflinks gleamed in the sunlight, and his lips curved into a smile the moment his eyes met mine.
“So…” he said, stepping closer. “You’re finally selling that thing you call a car?”
“Hello to you, Liam,” I said. “It’s nice to see you.”
“You know I like to skip over the obvious parts of a conversation.” He looked me up and down. “You’re beautiful as hell.”
“It’s some lovely weather we’re having in this city these days.” I swallowed as he moved closer. “It’s been an entire week without any gray skies.”
“I read your article in The New York Times this morning,” he said. “Very good work—as always.”
“I only did the research part. Not the writing.”
“It’s still good work.” He reached out and brushed a few stray hairs off my forehead, sending a tingle up and down my spine. “I was impressed at the parts you left out.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My ties to the case.”
“Oh, that.”
“Yes, that.”
“Well, this judge I used to work for was very adamant about me only including the most important things in dockets and summaries,” I said. “Your parents’ crash with him wasn’t relevant—especially since he went out of his way to erase it like it never happened.”
“Thank you, Olivia.”
“You’re welcome, Judge Ashton.”
“You’re going to have to pick one,” he said, smiling. “I can’t be both to you, especially since you don’t work for me anymore. Unless you’d like to come back?”
“Law school will be torture enough, thank you.”
He slid his hand around my waist, looking deep into my eyes.
“I don’t know anything about dating or relationships,” he said. “But I do know that I fucking miss you, and I need you to come back so we can pick up where we left off…”
“Where we left off doesn’t exist anymore.” My voice was quiet. “We don’t have to share an office space anymore and—”
“It could be better.” He pressed his fingers against my lips. “I can make it better.”
Before I could ask him how, he pulled me even closer.
“I’ve had two weeks to think about all the things I should’ve said to you, so…First, you’ll let me prevent you from buying another shitty ass car.”
“My car was wonderful.”
“As a memory, sure.” He smirked. “Second, I’ll pick you up in the mornings and take you to campus since you’re going to be tired from all-nighters.”
“That means less sex.”
“Nice try.” He let out a low laugh. “And third, I’ll take you out on dates—in public—as there’s nothing to hide from people in the office anymore.”
“What if I wanted to spend the night at your place sometimes?”
“You’d never have to ask.”
“And if I wanted to ask you hard questions here and there?”
“I never stopped you from asking them, Olivia,” he said. “I had issues answering them.”
“Do you think you’ll have that issue now?”
“Not if you give me a chance, no.”
“And if I tell you that I have real feelings for you, and that I will rage like hell if you break my heart—”
“I would say I love you, Olivia.” He cut me off. “And I won’t hurt you—ever.”
I blinked a few times, certain I’d misheard the “L” word, but he pulled me close for a long kiss, a kiss that made me remember that last time I was in his place, the very moment I wanted to pick up as best we could.
“I love you,” he whispered against my lips. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure out I was supposed to come to you first…”
“Apology accepted,” I barely managed. “I love you, too.”
“Hey! Hey! Hey!” The car salesman was suddenly yelling, making us briefly tear apart. “When I said you could test drive the merchandise, I didn’t mean test-fuck on it. The touching is for the cars only. Back away…Back away.”
I laughed and Liam clasped my hand, leading me away from the Nissans and into his Ferrari.
He made sure my seatbelt was buckled before pulling away.
“Since you offered,” I said, looking around the interior lights. “Is this one of the options I can get?”
“Hell no.” He looked over at me. “You can get an Audi or a Mercedes, though.”
“How very generous of you…”
“Not really.” He looked at me. “They both have child safety locks and assisted driving systems…I followed you all the way here, and you still can’t drive worth a damn.”