22. Olivia
DAY TWO OF THE 2024 OLYMPICS
When Zeke wasn’t in the room, Olivia could focus on what she didn’t like about him. Because it was much easier to look past his perfect face and clearly ripped body when he wasn’t standing right in front of her. But her resolve not to get pulled into his orbit came crashing down with an embarrassing speed as soon as he walked into the Hub.
Why? Because Zeke Moyo was annoyingly hot. Like, infuriatingly good-looking.
Olivia hated to admit it, and she’d never known herself to be fickle. But Zeke had a disarming smile, the kind that made her want to lay down her weapons and let down her guard.
“Olivia,” he said, smiling at her. His voice was low, and the sound of her name on his lips was almost too much to bear. She told the weak-kneed part of herself to stand up. Because as tantalizing as the thought of Zeke was, Olivia didn’t have time to get sidetracked by a crush on a superstar athlete. She was supposed to be getting her life back on track.
“Ezekiel. To what do I owe the displeasure?” She meant to say it like she wanted to get the conversation over and done with. But even she could hear the playfulness in her voice.
“Olivia, where’s your Village spirit?” he said, leaning against the desk until he was just a few centimeters away from her. It should be illegal, she thought, for him to smell that good.
“Zeke, shouldn’t you be in practice instead of stalking me?”
“I thought volunteers were supposed to be upbeat and friendly,” he said.
“I’m a goddamn delight, and I’m also very busy,” she said, even though she and Arlo had just spent the last thirty minutes debating whether they loved or loathed the final season of Ted Lasso.
“I’m guessing now would be a bad time to ask for a favor?”
“What do you need, someone to buggy you? A babysitter to guide you around the Village?”
“Only if you’re the one driving.” His eye contact made her want to twirl her hair. She could feel herself beginning to fold. She had to reinforce her defenses.
“So, what’s this favor you’re looking for, and, more importantly, how are you going to try and convince me to help you?” she asked, desperately seeking more stable ground.
“Okay, so I might have locked myself out of my apartment,” Zeke said with a grimace.
Olivia faked a sharp intake of breath. “Oh, that is a tricky one. Village keys are like gold… I’m not sure I can help you there,” she said, enjoying the temporary power she held over him.
“I could drive the buggy there, be your chauffeur. You’d just have to let me in one time, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone.”
“Ah, but that would mean having to find the key… and then going through security to make sure you are who you say you are… and then I’d have to sign you out…” She sighed, pretending to be annoyed, even though she knew the whole process would take less than five minutes.
“What if I gave you something in return?” He leaned against the desk until they were just centimeters away from each other again.
“Ezekiel,” she said. Her voice quieted to an almost threatening whisper. But instead of stepping back, he leaned closer.
“Olivia,” he said, glancing down at her lips, biting his, and then looking back up at her eyes. She could feel the tension hanging in the air between them. The possibility that lingered whenever they stood face-to-face. She kept her voice quiet and low.
“If you offer to pay for my dry cleaning again, I’ll break protocol, deactivate your pass, and completely exile you from the Village,” she whispered.
“You can do that?” he said, whispering back.
His lips looked really soft. She wondered what they would feel like against hers, how easily one of them could close the distance between them.
“I can do a lot of things.”
“I knew it.”
“Knew what?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. They were so close that she could feel his breath against her cheek.
“That you’re the kind of person who gets drunk off power,” he said, looking right at her. She held his gaze and then stood back up, breaking the spell.
“Everyone needs a kingdom.” She shrugged, a little dizzy from being so close to him. “This desk is my castle, and that cabinet of keys over there is my crown.”
“Well, what if I said I have something that belongs to you?” he said.
“What do you have?”
“Ohh, you see, I can only give it to you if you help me get back into my apartment.”
“Keeping your bargaining cards close to your chest, smart,” she said, nodding. “Seems like something I would do.”
“I’m just trying to be like you, Liv.”
“It’s Olivia, Ezekiel.”
“I prefer Zeke, Olivia.” He paused, and they locked eyes. For a moment it was like some sort of force was stopping them from noticing anything but each other. Like they were playing a game of chess, looking down at the board, trying to predict each other’s next move. Olivia could almost see the sparks of electricity humming between them. For once, she was the one to look away; she couldn’t let him see the destabilizing effect he was having on her.
“What of mine did you say you have again?” Olivia asked, feeling like she’d just wakened from a trance.
“I’ll only give it to you if you promise to let me into my apartment,” Zeke said.
“I promise, I guess,” she said, noncommittal.
“I guess?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Okay, I’ll let you back into your apartment,” she said.
He looked at her, took his backpack off, and undid the zipper.
“You dropped it on the day we met, then walked away before I could give it to you,” he said as he rummaged through his backpack and pulled out her iridescent I AM FEELING VERY OLYMPIC TODAY notebook. The one she had lost on her first day in the Village. She’d been determined to find it, but then she’d got so busy running around the Village that she’d completely forgotten about it. Usually, she couldn’t live without a notebook in her back pocket. Her lists and plans felt like such a fundamental part of who she was that she always needed paper handy to map things out. However, she could already feel the sun getting to her head. She could feel herself slipping into the carelessness of Summer Olivia, and the boy with her notebook in his hands wasn’t making it any easier to regain her focus.
“Here you go,” he said. She put her hand out to take it, but Zeke hadn’t let go yet. “Only if I get the keys,” he said, looking directly into her eyes as they both held the notebook. The notebook was big enough that there was no need to touch, but still, his fingers gently grazed hers. She felt a tingle spread across her body. A glimmer of something dangerous, something intoxicating. Standing in front of him made her cheeks warm and her mouth dry. Looking into his eyes made her want to walk around to the other side of the desk and lean forward until they were too close not to touch. Feeling the soft, sharp graze of his skin against hers brought what she wanted into sharp focus. But, after a moment, he let go. Then she heard someone clear their throat.
“Ahem, I look after the keys,” said Arlo. He’d been standing behind the desk with her all along.
“Here you are,” he added as he gave Zeke a new set of keys.
“Same time tomorrow, Olivia?” Zeke said.
“There’s nothing I want less than to see you again,” said Olivia as he fixed her with a gaze so intense it made her feel dizzy.
They both knew she was a bad liar.