Olivia
“A jewelry store?” Luca asks skeptically as we step inside. “You wanted to show me a jewelry store?”
Honestly, I just wanted, well, needed, to get out of the studio. Going there felt invasive enough, like trespassing in a way. After all, it is the place I record podcasts about love and relationships.
Between that and receiving a text from Sadie right before we kissed, it felt like cosmic intervention.
And while Luca doesn’t believe in those types of things, I do.
So much so that my nerves were tingling enough to make me want to throw up.
So much so that yanking him down the stairs, out the door, around the corner and into the first shop we encountered felt like the only way to break the bad juju.
“This is my favorite jewelry store,” I lie. I’ve never been here before. Although once I look around, it’s not actually a lie. Not really. Everything is handmade, more boho and geometric than silver and gold, and all of it is totally something I would buy.
“Interesting,” Luca mumbles, and I toss him a look.
“What’s interesting?” I ask.
“I guess I just don’t see how they can charge so much for fishing tackle,” he says and I gasp. “Sorry. It’s alright if you like it. But it’s not Tiffany’s.”
“No, it’s not. Tiffany’s is way overpriced,” I say, slowly pursuing.
“It’s also real,” he says.
Then I gasp again, reaching for a bracelet. “I love this,” I say.
“Really?” he asks skeptically.
“Yes, really,” I say, attempting to unlatch it so I can try it on. It’s a charm bracelet, sort of coppery gold with yellow and green gemstone charms on it.
“Here,” Luca says, stepping closer and taking the ends of the chain. His fingers brush the inside of my wrist, sending a spark of electricity through me. Once it is latched, I hold it up, watching the sunlight sparkle through the gem facets like sequins.
“It’s very pretty,” he says softly.
“It’s lovely,” I say, still watching the sparkles dance.
“You should buy it,” he tells me.
“No…” I say apprehensively, though still smiling as I unlatch it and set it back on the rack.
“Why not?” he asks. “If you love it, buy it.”
My only reaction to that is to laugh lightly. “If only that was how life worked. Love it, buy it. And still be able to pay the electric bill and buy wine to boot.”
“It could be how life works,” he says and I don’t know what he means by that. It stirs something in me deep enough to make my chest flutter, and I decide not to let him elaborate.
“We should go,” I tell him. “There’s another store I want you to see.”
I make my way towards the front, and my phone buzzes again. Sadie. I really should text her back. Stepping outside, I pull up the text stream.
Sadie: I need coffee. You want to get coffee?
That was the text from earlier, the one that interrupted us at the studio.
Sadie: Girl. It’s your day off. Aren’t we going to hang out? Coffee? Brunch? Shopping? Shit, I’d go for a run right now. My new job is boring af. I need some girl time.
Olivia: Sorry. I was taking care of something at work…
It’s a lie. Sort of. I don’t know. Ugh. Who even am I right now?
Sadie: It’s your day off. You shouldn’t be dealing with work things.
She sounds demanding; I know. But Sadie is just protective. She cares about me and knows that I am a workaholic. Which makes me feel worse when I lie again.
Olivia: I forgot to plug in my tablet. I wanted to make sure it would be fully charged.
Sadie: Right. Brunch?
I bite my lip. I’m torn. On one hand, I’d love to. On the other hand, I’m really enjoying this date.
Olivia: Rain check?
Sadie: Ugh. For real? Livv…I’m bored to death here. You’re my best friend.
Olivia: I know, I know. I’m just…running errands.
Sadie: I’ll run them with you. I don’t care if you’re at the DMV. I’ll go with you and we can grab mimosas after. Or go to that new beer wall. Anything.
Olivia: What if we hang out tonight?
I am about to say we can watch Pretty in Pink and eat Thai food in our pajamas and practice TikTok trends on each other’s hair. I may or may not have given in and bought the newest hair wand. But before I can type that, she answers back.
Sadie: Yes! Let’s go out! Seriously, how long has it been since we have gone out?
Olivia: Go out?
Sadie: Yes. You know…dressing up, dancing, eye-fucking men across the bar until they buy us drinks.
Right. That. I’m not sure how to answer, and I’m pretty sure my vanishing and reappearing ellipses on her phone tell her that.
Sadie: Unless you have plans…
She doesn’t say Luca’s name. And yet, by not saying his name, we both know she is saying his name.
Speaking of Luca…where is he?
I glance back in the store, but my phone buzzes again.
Olivia: No plans yet…
Sadie: The Blue Olive Lounge it is. See you there.
Right.
Luca reappears, and I shove my phone back in my pocket.
“Did you get lost?” I ask with a forced smile.
“No, I had a call from work,” he says, and I’m grateful for it. And for the second time today, I am flustered and need a reroute to keep him from noticing.
“Alright, well, if you’re ready, the next stop is two doors down,” I say, and he follows.
“A thrift store?” he asks as we step inside, even more apprehensive than he was at the jewelry shop.
“Yes!” I grin, letting out a decompressive sigh. At the same time, I swear Luca tenses up and I can’t help but giggle.
“It smells funny,” he says. He hesitantly follows me as I grab a cart.
“Have you never been in a thrift store before, Mr. Laurent?” I ask. Luca’s eyes dart around as if he is worried that people will know who he is now that I’ve said his name.
“I have. When I was a kid. My mom loved them. Why do you need a cart?”
“Because I’m going to find things,” I answer.
“What kinds of things?”
“Whatever things I find,” I say. I don’t even have to look back at him to know his face is screwed into a confused and constipated expression.
I love it.
And I do find things. I found a coffee cup that looks like the worm’s apple-shaped car from Richard Scarry and a crocheted throw for my couch. From there I head to the dress rack.
“Doesn’t it bother you wearing clothes other people have worn?” Luca asks as he watches me sift through the dresses.
“No. Actually, I prefer it,” I answer, pulling out a rose and white maxi dress with a cutout in the front and a strappy back.
“Someone chose this at a store, wore it until their mood changed and then handed it over. And now, it’s catching my eye.
It’s like everything in here is living more than one life, serving different people in different seasons. ”
“You could find the same thing but better at Banana Republic,” he says dryly, but I just toss him a sassy smile.
“Watch my cart,” I tell him.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“To try it on,” I call back.
“Without washing it?” he asks, and several women around me giggle.
“Seriously, Olivia,” Luca says, his voice close to the dressing room curtain. “If you want a new dress, I can buy you one. One that has never been used. One from any store–department store–you choose. One that–”
Luca’s sentence is chopped in half when I walk out. His eyes run over me slowly, down, up and down again before his eyes meet mine.
“Alright. You win. Put it in the cart,” he says and I smile. I walk back into the dressing room and catch my reflection in the mirror. I am blushing at his response, and I don’t even care.
We walk back to the car with my goodies in hand, and Luca’s posture is relaxed again. A small smile tips his lips upward at the corners. He’s not grinning, but he’s not frowning either. I know Luca Laurent well enough to decipher what it means.
He’s enjoying himself.
After we get back to my apartment, he helps me bring my things inside before turning to me. “So now what?” he asks. “Do you have plans tonight?”
“Actually, I do,” I answer. “I’m hanging out with…a friend.”
“Sadie?” he asks. I’m not sure what to say. It’s awkward. So awkward. But if he feels any certain way about that, he doesn’t show it.
“That should be fun,” he adds.
“Yeah,” I smile. “We haven’t hung out in a while.”
And for a moment, neither of us says anything else. Until he clicks his tongue.
“You know…I find it interesting that you and Sadie are friends,”
“Oh, really?” I ask as nonchalantly as possible. “Why is that?”
“You’re so different,” he says, and the elephant in the room repositions itself, squishing both of us.
He knows I know that they went out. That he fired her.
I know he does. Which makes me wonder if he knows about the podcast. Surely not.
If he did, I’m pretty sure he would have said something.
Not taken me out on dates and made comments that made me wonder just how deep the water we are treading actually is.
It’s both relieving and sickening that he probably doesn’t know.
“Yeah, well, she’s my best friend either way,” I say, hoping that solidifies my loyalty. Even though my actions as of late have challenged that a little.
Luca steps forward with an easy smile and dark, warm eyes. Then he plants a kiss on my lips, soft and sensual.
“Have fun with your girl’s night,” he says. “I’ll call you soon.”
The door closes behind him, and I sit down on the couch in a heap. My heart is racing for more than one reason, and my head is spinning out of control.
This whole thing has gotten so out of control, and I have no idea how I’m going to stop it.
Or if I want to…