Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
OLIVIA
“That picture nearly killed me.”
Holding the phone up to my ear, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. “You liked it?”
“Baby, I loved it. You’re so beautiful. But I will admit that I’m jealous.”
I walked out of the bathroom and moved around the bedroom, gathering up the things I’d need to take with me. “Jealous? What do you have to be jealous of?”
“Everyone else is going to get to see you in that dress tonight,” he explained.
“You did, too. You got to see me first. That’s why I texted you a picture.”
“And I appreciate it, Olivia. I do. It’s just that I’m more than slightly bummed about not being able to take the dress off you later tonight.”
I walked out of my bedroom, hitting the light switch on the way, and set my purse down on the kitchen counter. “Oh, Taj. Don’t say that and make me feel bad. I’ll miss you tonight, but I’ve been looking forward to this. I really want to go.”
There was a long pause before Taj spoke again. “I’m just teasing you. I’ll be fine. In fact, I want you to have this time tonight. It’ll be good for you.”
I agreed with him.
It was during the latter half of that first full week of the year when I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize.
I didn’t answer, but when I listened to the voicemail that was left, I was surprised to hear Savanna on the other end.
Evidently, she’d gotten my number from Taj when they were at work earlier that week.
She’d reached out to invite me to join her, Chloe, Mia, Harper, Tessa, and Lark for a girls’ night out.
They’d all been bummed I’d gotten sick and couldn’t attend the New Year’s Eve celebration, so she’d gotten my number from Taj when they were at work to invite me out with her friends.
They’d decided on dinner at Lou’s followed by karaoke.
I couldn’t wait.
I’d never done it before and suspected I’d have a blast with all of them.
“I’m so happy they invited me to join them. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to work up the courage to do any karaoke tonight, or if I’m just going to watch.”
“I say you live a little and go for it. But make sure someone gets it on video because I’d love to see it.”
Laughter spilled out of me. “We’ll have to see about that. I’m not sure I’m that courageous.”
“You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met, Olivia.”
My heart melted, but before I could respond, my phone buzzed. “Oh, I just got a text. I think your sister is here to pick me up.”
“Okay. Well, you look beautiful, and I hope you have a great time tonight. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d really appreciate it if you’d let me know when you get home. I just want to know you made it back safely.”
My belly dipped. He was such a good man. “I can do that for you.”
“Thank you. Have fun tonight, baby.”
“I will.”
Taj and I said goodbye to one another, and I checked my phone to confirm that Savanna had, in fact, texted me.
I’d returned the rental car weeks ago and hadn’t purchased myself one yet.
My apartment was located within reasonable walking distance of just about anything I needed, so as long as I could bear the cold and snow on occasion, I didn’t find it necessary to rush out to get a car.
It felt adventurous right now, but I got the feeling it might wear off soon.
I sent Savanna a return text to let her know I was locking up and would be right out to meet her. Then, I did precisely that.
And before I knew it, Savanna and I had walked into Lou’s to meet with the rest of her friends. Finding all of them there, I said, “Oh, I’m sorry we’re late. Savanna picked me up, and I thought I came out quickly after getting your text.”
Savanna shook her head. “We’re not late at all. In fact, we’re right on time.”
My eyes darted to the rest of the women at the table, and understanding my confusion, Mia explained, “We often tell Lark and Tessa a time that’s fifteen or twenty minutes earlier than when we plan to meet, so they show up on time.”
“I see.” Savanna and I sat down and perused our menus with the rest of the group.
After we’d given our orders to our server, Tessa said, “We’re so glad you were able to join us tonight, Olivia. We missed you on New Year’s Eve.”
I smiled. “Me, too. I was so bummed about that, but I could barely keep my eyes open. Thank you for inviting me out with all of you tonight. I’ve really been looking forward to this since Savanna called me.”
Seated right beside me, Savanna playfully shoved her shoulder into me. “If you’re going to be around for a while, you need to have some friends.”
I certainly had no plans to go anywhere, so that was reassuring.
“Yeah, and Taj is great, but you need girlfriends, too,” Harper added.
Warmth spread through my body for at least the second time in less than an hour. “It’s very kind of you all to offer your friendship like this when you don’t even know me that well.”
“But we know Taj,” Chloe reasoned.
I wasn’t quite sure I understood what that had to do with anything. “Of course, you do. But I don’t see what difference that makes.”
The women all exchanged looks with one another before Savanna said, “You’ve changed him.”
I blinked in surprise. “What?”
Sensing my concern, she smiled reassuringly. “It’s a good thing. Trust me.”
Looking around the table again, the rest of the women were nodding their agreement. “I… I don’t understand. How has he changed?”
“I saw it when he came in for that cake a few weeks ago,” Chloe shared.
My brow furrowed. “The one he got to celebrate with me when I found my apartment.”
She shrugged. “If that’s what you say it was for.”
“Well, what did you see when he ordered it? What changed?”
“Except for the day of the grand opening of my cake shop, Taj has never stepped foot inside to purchase a cake. Until he wanted to get one to celebrate with you.”
“As his sister,” Savanna chimed in. “I can assure you that someone who loves chocolate as much as Taj does should be buying cakes regularly.”
I thought they might have been making more of it than it really was. “I’m not sure that him stopping in to purchase a celebratory cake is a reason to say he’s changed.”
“Maybe not,” Harper said. “But when I talked to my brother the other day, he told me that Taj went snowboarding.”
Mia added, “Yes. Kingston told me that he and Archer were both baffled to see him show up out of nowhere.”
Now I was confused. “Taj grew up snowboarding, didn’t he?”
Savanna nodded. “Yes. We all did. But as we got older and found other interests, hobbies, and careers, we pulled back on it. Sometimes, we’ll all still plan fun days out, but that’s the extent for most of us.
It’s the same for Taj. And I honestly never knew where he’d wind up.
He is just as good, just as capable, as Kingston, Archer, and so many of the Blackman Boards professional riders.
He has that level of skill. But he stopped doing a lot of that riding when he started focusing on his career.
Taj decided that running the show there was where he was happiest.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t told you that we always give him a hard time about how he’s always working,” Lark said.
“He has. I just didn’t realize he had stopped snowboarding or spending time with his friends because he works so much.”
The conversation stopped for a moment when our server returned with our meals. With seven dinners to distribute, it took a minute or so to get everyone situated, and I spent that time feeling as baffled as Mia had noted Kingston and Archer were about Taj showing up to snowboard with them.
After our waitress confirmed we had everything we needed and walked off, Mia said, “I think the takeaway here is that since you’ve come along, Taj is making changes that are for the better.
He’s a great guy, and we all love him, but he works too hard.
It’s nice to see that you’ve inspired him to enjoy life just a bit more. ”
I nodded slowly as I digested all that I’d just learned.
Taj had mentioned leaving work early one day, so he could go to the ski resort and ride with Archer and Kingston that afternoon.
When he mentioned it, I had just assumed it was a normal thing for him to do on occasion.
I hadn’t realized it had been so infrequent or nonexistent.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything, though.
I’ve teased him once or twice about the workaholic thing, but it was only because he told me he worked a lot. ”
“That’s just it,” Harper said. “He’s making these changes now because there’s something about you being in his life now that’s making him seek to have more than he’d been giving himself. It’s a good thing, Olivia.”
“It’s an excellent thing,” Savanna declared. “He’s so much calmer when he’s at work, too. The little things don’t seem to bother him anymore. And I can’t tell you how happy I am to see my brother like this. You’ve been so good for him.”
Though this all felt like a lot, I couldn’t say I was upset learning about any of it. Considering how much he’d done for me, I was relieved to know what we had between us wasn’t all one-sided.
“All I know is that he better be doing the same for you,” Lark said.
“Are you serious?” I countered.
She nodded. “I hope he’s making you just as happy as we see you’ve made him.”
Without hesitation, I shared, “He’s the best man I’ve ever known. Nobody has ever treated me the way that Taj has, and I feel so incredibly lucky that I wound up here in this town and even more fortunate that he didn’t look the other way that night at the Christmas tree lighting.”
My words were met with six smiling faces, and it was Tessa who said, “I hope you don’t take offense or mind my asking, but what exactly brought you here?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got time.”