11. Olivia
Olivia
I should have known better than to think Drake wouldn’t have anything to say about it. But I wasn't expecting him to kiss me or touch me like that again, either.
My mind is scrambled when I walk through the front door to my house and plop onto the couch. I barely register Callie's keys on the hook by the door or the fact that she’s standing in the kitchen making macaroni and cheese. I don't have the energy to hide my feelings right now, either.
She walks around the counter with a pot in her hand, eating macaroni with a wooden spoon. She looks at me with raised eyebrows, takes a seat, and offers me the spoon. I shake my head and close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers.
“What's wrong?” Callie asks, turning off the TV.
I contemplate lying. I could tell her it was a long day at the office and make up a story about how I screwed up an order for someone on the marketing team. I don't have the energy to lie anymore, though. The guilt I have is eating away at me and if I don't release it, I’m going to go crazy.
“Where do I begin?” I sit up straight and cross my arms.
“Would tequila help loosen your tongue?” Callie asks, cocking an eyebrow mischievously.
“Not on an empty stomach,” I say as I take the macaroni pot from her. She jumps off the couch and rushes into the kitchen to grab a bottle of tequila from the fridge, some orange juice, and a couple of glasses.
“How bad are we talking? One shot or two?” She holds the bottle over a glass tumbler and waits for my answer.
“Three isn't an option?” She shakes her head and raises her eyebrows as she pours me a triple shot with a splash of orange juice. I take my first sip and wince at the taste, but it only burns for a minute.
“Now, if you would please do me the honor of telling me whatever is plaguing your pretty little mind,” Callie says as she downs her glass and pours herself another shot.
“The short version of the story is that I slept with my boss,” I say before taking another painful sip of my shot. Callie stares at me with her mouth hanging open, shocked by my words.
“Okay, I'm going to need the long version now.”
I take a deep breath and swallow more of my drink before elaborating on everything that's happened the past week, ending with how I made breakfast for Drake after losing my virginity to him the night before. When I'm finished, Callie can't wipe the smile off her face.
“I can't believe this. I've been trying to set you up with people for so long, and you've always turned me down. And you … slept with your boss the first chance you got?” She laughs incredulously and stands, pacing around the room.
“Who are you, Olivia Porter? I mean it. Did my friend get body-snatched? This is insane.”
“I wish it were that simple,” I say, finishing my drink while I wait for her to calm down. The alcohol makes my head swim, and I laugh at her reaction.
“Drake Vance?” Callie is still astounded by the news as she rejoins me on the couch. “Honestly, with everything you said, he handled that situation better than I would have given him credit for. I'm surprised he didn't kick you out and call you an Uber as soon as he was done.”
“He was very sweet, believe it or not,” I say, fighting back a smile. Callie shoves my arm playfully, and I try to think about anything else. “He's nothing like I expected him to be. He even told me today that he hasn't been able to stop thinking about me.”
She leans forward and stares at me, forcing me to look her in the eyes. Her smile falters as a look of realization crosses her face. “You can't like him, Liv. He's no good.”
Even though I want to agree with her, I can't. My life would be much simpler if I could just say that Drake Vance is a womanizing sleaze and that I should stay as far away from him as possible.
But I've seen a different side of him. I know there's more to him than what he projects to the world. It might be deep down, but it's there.
“I don't like him.” It’s a lie she immediately sees through. “Whatever. A part of me likes him, but I'm only telling you this because I need advice. I can't keep doing this with him. Whatever happened between us can’t happen again.”
“Sure, Jan,” Callie says and shakes her head.
“I mean it!”
“You might mean it now, but I know that look.
I've seen it on my face. Remember when I told you Steve was just a fuck buddy?” I nod and laugh, remembering how adamantly I argued against that to help Callie realize she had feelings for him.
“I can see it in your eyes just as much as you saw it in mine.
You want him, and I don't think anything I say will stop you from acting on that.”
I sit up on the couch and turn to her with a serious look.
I can feel myself wavering as three shots of tequila tear through my system.
“My heart and my head are at war. I need your help, Cal.” She reaches for my hand, and her hardened look softens as she sees how much turmoil I'm in.
“My heart wants me to forget about the guilt and just be with Drake.
I feel so good and free when I'm around him. But my head is telling me to quit my job and run as far away from him as I can.”
“What about your job, though? This is everything you've worked for for so long. Quitting means giving up on your restaurant dreams for now,” Callie argues. “Going with your heart means potentially getting caught and dealing with those repercussions. Your dad is going to be devastated.”
“Why do you have to use logic?” I ask, sinking against the back of the sofa and shaking my head.
Callie leans back with me and rests her head on my shoulder as I mull over what to do.
Running isn't an option because I need this job.
If I work for Drake for a year, I'll have enough money to open my restaurant.
But working for him is dangerous. I don't know how long I'll be able to resist temptation, and if anything else happens, I stand to seriously hurt my relationship with my dad.
She turns on the TV, and we eat macaroni and junk food from the fridge as she tries to get my mind off Drake.
It's nearly impossible, but I force myself to not talk about it.
When I'm done for the night and lying in my bed, the only thing on my mind is the way Drake kissed me in his office earlier that day.
Working with him will be nearly impossible if he is as tempted as I am, but I don't hate that idea. Just thinking about walking into his office after everyone is gone and straddling him on his chair is a turn-on that I try desperately to stop thinking about.
After hours of tossing and turning, sleep finally finds me, and the only thing I dream about is Drake Vance.