5. Olivia
OLIVIA
T he beep of the grocery store cleaning robot taunted me as I searched desperately for an avocado that wouldn’t go bad by the time I drove home.
Once I finally found some acceptable candidates, I skirted around other shoppers to visit my mecca, the cheese section. I was not discriminatory in my love of cheese, but today I was here for cotija, which I grabbed quickly before setting out for the self checkout.
We were well into summer now and summer heat always made me crave street corn. So I was gathering the few items I needed and making Dip Dinner, as I liked to call it. A bunch of dips and sides gathered to form a meal that was greater than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients procured, I left the grocery store with plans to throw on some comfy clothes, make my dips, and watch a comedy special.
On my walk to my car, I heard my phone ring from inside my bag. For a moment, my mind traveled back to my car three nights ago and Lucas’s demanding text.
The combination of the praise for my work followed by the concern for my safety had me ruminating for days. What was his deal? He was fairly aloof via email and even at our first interaction. Then at Tony’s, he seemed more human, almost protective. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
My still ringing phone snapped my attention back to reality, prompting me to dig it out of my bag. It flashed a New York number I didn’t recognize. Not unusual in my line of work, so I set aside my Lucas Alessi thought loop and answered.
“Hello. Olivia Dawson.”
“Hi Ms. Dawson! My name is Callie Klepner. I’m calling from the development department at Netflix. Do you have a moment?”
Netflix? What could Netflix possibly want from me? I still had that DVD of Pride & Prejudice from the days of DVD rentals, but I’d paid for that, hadn’t I?
“Um, sure. What can I do for you?”
“Well, we’re hoping a lot. My team is interested in discussing the possibility of developing a show for you on our service.
We’ve been scouting social media for some time, looking for an up-and-coming designer with a great sense of style to build a new show around. We think you’d be an incredible fit.”
Professional painters would have struggled to capture my expression. I was having so much trouble breathing, I quickly ducked into my car to panic attack privately.
“Me? You want to speak with me about a show?” I tried not to make it come out high and squeaky .
“Yes. We’ve been following your story and believe your grassroots rise to success would be an attractive plot line. We’re also interested in the variety you would bring to the genre. Would you be open to setting up a creative brainstorming meeting to discuss further details and possibilities?”
My own show? I’d honestly never even considered the possibility, but it immediately clicked in my mind like a puzzle piece. With my social media presence and the popularity of interior design shows, it made total sense.
I told Callie I would be thrilled to meet with her and we exchanged information. Then I spent about fifteen minutes staring out my windshield, wondering if that really just happened.
A show.
A show .
This could be a life-changing opportunity.
My mind reeled with all the what ifs as I made my way onto the road and toward home.
Netflix wanted me. Olivia Dawson.
This felt like a dream. One I hadn’t even allowed myself to have, but was now within my grasp.
In my dazed state, I almost didn’t register my phone ringing again.
Shit. She’s calling to take it back. She didn’t really want me.
But when I glanced at my car’s screen, it showed a contact. For Alessi Construction. Now I felt an entirely different type of anxiety. Lucas never called. We spoke via email only. I must have messed something up.
My thoughts were still jumbled from the call I just finished, but I answered and put on my most professional tone.
“Hello, this is Olivia.”
“Olivia, hi! This is Adrian Alessi. We met a few weeks ago when you visited the office?”
I tried to mask the disappointment in my voice that it wasn’t Lucas on the other end of the call. Even though I’d been certain he was calling to reprimand me for some error just thirty seconds earlier.
“Yes, of course. Hello Adrian. How are you?”
“Just fine, thanks. How is the Arnoult project coming along?”
I had no idea what the purpose of this call was. I rarely spoke to anyone at Alessi other than Lucas and never by surprise. My guard was up as my mind filtered through any reason Adrian Alessi might call me.
“It’s going well so far. Everyone at your company has been great to work with.”
“Wonderful! Happy to hear it.”
An awkward silence hung in the air. Well, awkward for me. Something gave me the idea that Adrian Alessi didn’t experience awkwardness.
“Is there… something I can help you with, Adrian?” I hedged, trying to fill the quiet.
“Right, apologies. I’m calling to invite you to the annual Alessi Fourth of July gathering. It’s held at my dad’s place on the lake. We grill, do all the usual picnic stuff, and there are fireworks over the water at the end of the night.”
A party at the Alessi family home? Why would he invite me to something like that ?
“Oh, wow. Well, um, isn’t that kind of thing for friends and family? I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Liv. I'm hurt. Are you saying we aren’t friends?”
I laughed nervously. What was going on today? I’d met Adrian once. He had already nicknamed me and declared us friends. Netflix was calling me. Had I stumbled into some sort of simulation?
“Uh, of course not. It just sounds very… family oriented. You don’t need to feel obligated to invite me just because of the Arnoult project.”
“No obligation. We always extend invitations to other contractors we’re working with.
You won’t be the only one. Pops thinks it builds good professional relationships to ‘break bread and sip sauce’ together.
You’re technically already invited, but everyone else knows it’s a standing event, so we don’t do formal invites.
A bit of an oversight on my dear brother's part, but no matter. I’m ready to rectify his heinous mistake. ”
It was becoming clear Adrian wouldn’t allow me to say no to attending this party, so I sucked in a deep breath. Was I really about to attend a party hosted by the Alessi brothers?
“Well, it sounds like I can’t say no. I mean, if I can… I’m saying no. Respectfully, of course.”
“Of course. Noted, but no, you can’t say no.”
This man should run for office.
“In that case, I guess sure? I’d love to come. Could you text me the details?”
“Wonderful! No problem. Pops will be happy to meet you. See you Friday, Liv.”
“Uh, yeah. See you Friday. ”
I ended the call and stared at my reflection in my rear-view mirror. Would Lucas be there? Why hadn’t he invited me? Did he not want me to come?
Lucas Alessi was so hot and cold with me. Though he was stoic enough that even his “hot” felt like tepid water. Except for that moment he’d told me what a good job I did with Helen’s plans. That had been decidedly not tepid.
I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Wondering what he thought of me had consumed far too much of my time recently. I really needed to get it together.
With that in mind, I made myself a promise that I would attend this party, have a lovely time, not concern myself with Lucas Alessi, and keep moving along on Helen’s home. It was unnecessary to be on edge and unhelpful to think about Lucas in any light other than as a fellow contractor.
The image of his outfit from the day at Tony’s came to mind at the word ‘contractor’ and I immediately cursed myself. I hadn’t made it two minutes into my new mindset before failing miserably.
Get it together, Liv.
As I pulled into my small driveway, I resolved to work on it. Couldn’t be that hard. I’d only met the man a few weeks ago. It wasn’t like we had a long history to sort through.
And I had other shit going on. I mean, I’d just spoken to Netflix for god’s sake. The last thing on my mind should be Lucas Alessi.