Chapter 52
CHAPTER 52
CHARLIE
A fter the concert, my head was spinning a little bit and it wasn’t from the alcohol we’d consumed. The show had been amazing and sharing the experience with Liv had been even better, but it completely baffled me that people in New York could just do stuff like this all the dang time.
I was also surprised by how late people stayed up here. It was close to midnight by the time we were leaving the arena and there were still hordes of people around. Food vendors were still open and serving their customers as if it was midday, the scent of grilling chicken, hot dogs, and spice still wafting through the air.
Dallas inhaled deeply and groaned. “Great, now I’m hungry. Anybody else up for a late-night snack?”
“Me,” I said immediately. “All that dancing has me starving.”
“I’m not going to say no,” Colt agreed, his head turning as he looked up and down at the options on offer. “Empanadas, anyone?”
“I’m pretty sure ours are better than what we can get here, but sure. Let’s do it.” I smirked when Olivia gave me a disbelieving look.
“There is no way the empanadas are better in Texas,” she protested laughingly. “It’s one of the most popular street foods around. We’ve got it down to an art here.”
I pumped my eyebrows at her. “It’s always been perfect in Houston. There was no need to get it down. It’s just always been there.”
She chuckled, the light back in her eyes after it had been extinguished when she’d seen Todd. Liam chimed in too, taking my side in the debate, and then it became girls against guys since we were all Texan and they were all New Yorkers.
Lots of laughter and banter later, we’d gotten our food and joined a few small plastic tables together so we’d each have a place to sit. Olivia grinned up at me when I let out a soft moan after my first bite. “It’s good, right? Better than say, Texas?”
I laughed around the food and swallowed, then shook my head. “It’s great, but it’s absolutely not better.”
Abigail stepped up to the plate then, clearly as unafraid to take on a challenge as her sisters even while laughter shone from her eyes. “Okay, but how are we supposed to trust you? You’ve already decided that yours is better. I feel like we need to get an independent opinion. Until then, we won’t be able to know for sure.”
London smirked at her. “I already know for sure, and the boys are wrong. These empanadas are better.”
Liam scoffed. “Have you even eaten empanadas in Houston?”
“No.”
Abi wagged a finger between the two of them. “Neither of you are independent. I’ll do some research online. If we’re bickering about this, someone else has done it too and the answer is already out there.”
“Stop with your crazy logic.” London sighed before she sent her sister a wicked grin. “It’s a good thing we’re here to push you out of your comfort zone again for a few days. Promise you’re going to keep living a little once we’re gone?”
Abi stuck out her lower lip. “Don’t remind me that you’re leaving soon. I’m just happy you’re here now.”
“You can always come visit,” I said. “If you’d like, we can show you around the ranch and teach you how to ride a horse. You might like it.”
“I’m sure I’ll love it.” She sent me a kind smile filled with genuine warmth. “Thanks, Charlie. I’m going to take you up on that sometime.”
“Anytime.” To my surprise, I found that I really meant it. I was thoroughly enjoying spending time with Olivia and her family and friends, and while it was true that I was falling for her big time, that wasn’t the only reason I was enjoying it.
Despite coming from such different worlds, we all got along well—except Liam and London, that was. On the other hand, I didn’t think it would be possible for those two to get along until they accepted that they desperately wanted to sleep together.
At least, that was my take on it.
As they found something else to bicker about, I turned to face Liv and Abi, holding Liv’s hand but focusing more on her sister for now. She was the only one I couldn’t keep getting to know once we left here, and I was definitely curious.
She meant a lot to Liv and that made me want to know her better. “What else would you like to do when you come to Houston? We’ll start putting together an itinerary for you.”
Learning about that would also tell me a lot about her, and I slung my arms around Liv’s shoulders, drawing her closer to me just as her sister seemed to make a few decisions.
“Waterfall Park, for sure,” she started, winking at Liv and making a satisfied tremor run down my spine at how much Liv had clearly enjoyed our first date. “I’d also definitely like to spend some time on the ranch and I’m not leaving until I’ve been to a rodeo, but outside of that, I’m open to suggestions. Oh, and the Space Center. I absolutely want to visit that as well.”
“No big shopping sprees then?” I half-teased, but I was interested in finding out exactly what made her tick. “No art galleries or maybe a football game?”
“A football game could be fun.” She rocked her head from side to side. “I suppose that depends on when I’m there. But I can go to some of the best art galleries in the world right here and I don’t mind shopping with Mom, but I’m not going to do it for fun while I’m in Texas.”
She glanced at Liam’s hat. “I might make an exception to that rule to pick up one of those, though. Maybe some boots, too. When in Rome, am I right?”
I nodded slowly. “The Space Center is a good one. I’ve been a few times, but not for years. I might tag along.”
“Me too,” Olivia said immediately. “I can’t believe I haven’t even thought about it since I’ve been there.”
Abi chuckled. “Well, it hasn’t been very long and you did have a massive branch at the firm to start getting to know.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Olivia smiled at her. “I’m taking some time off while you’re there, though. We’ll be tourists together.”
“Sounds like a blast.” Abi glanced at London. “I wonder if she’s going to be too busy with Liam to join us. It sure looks like it, but maybe we should drag both of them with us, too.”
“We will,” Liv promised. “Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen. We need to put a date on the books, though. Otherwise, it’ll be a year before you finally find the time.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
As they went back and forth on their plans, occasionally asking London for her input, I was intrigued with the relationships Olivia had with her sisters. My ex had been an only child and she’d never understood why my brothers were such a big part of my life, or that they practically were my friendship group as well.
Between them and Dallas, they were all the company I needed, and she’d never gotten it at all. With Liv though, it was so different. We both had siblings and we were both the oldest, which made us competitive, but also kept things interesting.
One by one, we finished our food and eventually Olivia sighed and looked around the table. “We should probably get back to the hotel or we’re never going to wake up for the conference tomorrow.”
Abi was the first one on her feet. “We should definitely call it a night, but this was great.”
On our way out of the area, I spotted a photo booth and I grabbed Olivia’s hand, pulling her with me. She followed me and giggled when she saw where we were going. “You really want to take some pictures?”
“Something to remember this night by.” I sat down on the little plastic bench inside and Olivia drew the curtain before I pulled her down on my lap. “Say cheese, baby.”
Our faces came up on the screen and we took a few silly pictures first, but when I realized we were almost at the last frame, I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger, turning her head at the very last moment to surprise her with a kiss. Her arms came up instantly and wrapped around my neck, her lips parting as my tongue slid between them.
When we broke apart, I was breathing hard, but I smiled as I looked into those green eyes for one more moment before turning to take the strip of pictures that had come out. She looked at them over my shoulder, pointing out the one of us kissing.
“We look in love, don’t we?”
“Sure do.” I tore one of those off for myself and handed the rest to her. “For you.”
Her lips curved into a beaming smile as she tucked them into her purse. “Thank you, but are you sure you only want the one?”
“As long as it’s one of those,” I replied as I helped her up before I stood. My jeans were still a little tight after that kiss, but everyone else was waiting for us at the doors and I knew Liv had to get to bed.
For the rest of us, being a little tired in the morning was fine, but Liv, Abi, and London had another big day ahead of them. When we got to the hotel, they said their goodbyes and headed for the elevator, but I pulled Liv aside before she could follow.
Waving the guys ahead, I waited until we were alone before I led her to a semi-private alcove just to check in. “Are you feeling any better yet? There’s color in your cheeks again, but I know that wasn’t fun for you earlier.”
“I’m fine,” she said, looking directly into my eyes and smiling. “I had a great time with you tonight.”
“Same here.” I brought my hands to her neck and lowered my lips to kiss her good night. “Sleep tight, Liv.”
“I’ll miss you,” she murmured against my mouth. “We never should’ve given up our room.”
I chuckled. “Agreed, but it was already booked for tonight. The hotel is full up with the conference. We were lucky they even had it for us for one night. I’ll see you in the morning, though.”
“See you in the morning.” She pressed her soft lips to mine for another lingering kiss, but then she pulled away and took my hand, leading me back to the elevator.
We rode up together and I walked her to her room, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead and each of her eyelids before I motioned for her to go ahead. She let out a soft sigh, swiping her keycard out of her pocket and glancing at me over her shoulder as she lifted it to the reader.
“You should go now. Before I decide to drag you in there with me.”
I grinned. “Who says that’s not what I’m waiting for?”
“Next time,” she promised, pressing down on the door handle after a low beep rang out to let her know it was unlocked. She winked at me and disappeared, leaving me in the hallway alone as she shut their door behind her.
Just before it clicked shut, I heard the girls squeal and laugh when they saw her and I groaned, knowing I was probably facing an inquisition of my own when I got back to my room. We’d increasingly made it obvious that we were now fully together, and tonight, we hadn’t bothered hiding it from them at all.
They’d all known that we were into each other before, but something had changed between us while we’d been here, and I had a feeling they’d seen it. My suspicion was confirmed when I walked into our room to find Dallas, Colt, and Liam sipping beers out on the balcony.
I was still collecting a beer of my own when Dallas called out to me. “Dude, you really like Olivia, huh?”
I shrugged, but I couldn’t quite hide my grin as I walked out to join them. “We’ll see how it goes.”
“Nah, dude,” Liam said, booted feet kicked up on the little table we had out here. “I’ve never seen her like this. Not even after five years with Todd.”
My pulse spiked at his words. I’d never felt this way about a woman either, but I didn’t tell them that. Instead, I turned the conversation to the show we’d just watched and the guys were pretty happy to let it go.
Inquisition over. Good. They’d never stop giving me shit about it if they knew how hard I was really falling. I could take it. I’d just really rather not have to. The sooner I could go to sleep, the sooner I could dream about her. As whipped as I was, that was the only thing I really cared about doing right then.