Chapter 60 Nate
SIXTY
nate
Olivia checked in with the host at the front desk. I looked around the restaurant with no idea what type of food she’d chosen.
“Does this place have meat?” I asked.
“Yes. You can get your meat with a side of meat, don’t worry. I even went one step further and pre-ordered the ribeye for two.”
“Damn, baby. I promised you the world before—how the fuck will I outdo this?” Spoiled.
Yeah, my birthday had passed, and I enjoyed spending it with my mother and Coach, but the anticipation of tonight had grown to a fever pitch.
Shit, it was the only thing getting me through the final dregs of this season.
“Nate Reaves?” A woman’s voice interrupted from the side, and I stole a glance. I wasn’t normally recognized outside of uniform. The city provided anonymity and the chance to fade into the crowd.
“Yes?”
“Oh, my God!” she gushed. “My son loves you. Can I get a photo for him? He’ll never believe I met you.”
I looked at Olivia, and she nodded. “You don’t need my permission.”
She snapped about 5,000 photos, then turned her attention to Olivia. “Is this your girlfriend?”
My eyes flashed to Olivia. “Yeah.”
“What’s your name?” She directed her question to Livvie.
“Olivia,” she said, reaching out to take the hand the woman offered her. The warmth I felt from the first public declaration was a preview of our future. It felt so—normal. The exact opposite of how it had felt hiding from everyone.
When my fan left us, Olivia crooked her finger. Oh man, I’d follow her anywhere. “Kiss,” she demanded.
“Is that all you want?”
“It’s all I can have. But doesn’t it feel decadent to be together, out in the open?” Olivia followed with a chaste kiss.
“Calling you my girlfriend—”
“That was hot as fuck.”
“I fucking love you,” I said. The words slipped out easily, but the intensity of the weight of them—I felt that in my bones. “I can’t wait to tell the world.”
Once we were seated, the server came over and offered me the wine list. I accepted it, but had no intention of drinking. Passing the menu to Olivia, she quickly scanned it.
“Do you mind if I order wine with dinner?”
“You’re paying, baby. Order whatever you want.”
Olivia ordered the wine and confirmed that she’d pre-ordered the ribeye for two ahead of time. When they brought the bottle of wine, they automatically placed a glass in front of both of us.
“Would you like to taste, sir?”
“What?” I asked.
“Who is planning to taste the wine?”
I looked to Olivia for some help. Why the fuck was he asking me to taste the wine Olivia ordered?
“I’m tasting, thank you.”
And then the server made an entire ordeal out of presenting the bottle to her, as if he were showing off a prized family heirloom.
Olivia winked at me before she picked up her glass that he’d filled with barely a sip.
She swirled, sniffed, and sipped the deep red liquid before closing her eyes and declaring, “That’ll do. Thank you.”
He then filled both our glasses and left, promising to be right back for our appetizer order.
“That’ll do?”
She giggled. “Once I realized you’re never seen wine served table-side, I figured I’d have to put on a show for you. I didn’t feel like correcting him when he served you. If you don’t want it, I’ll drink it.”
“I’ll try it.” I lifted the glass and sniffed. It smelled like the wine my mother used to drink, and I swear there was no way she spent over five bucks on the bottle. “How much was the bottle?”
“It was a decent amount. I felt like a treat tonight.”
I sipped it and almost spit it back out. “If you spent over ten bucks on this, you got ripped off.”
“Not everyone likes red wine at first—”
“At first? I’m good with never trying it again.”
“Ah, well, at least try a sip with your meal and another with dessert.”
Throughout the meal, there were several reminders that I’d had a much simpler upbringing than I thought. Olivia had to explain which fork to use, no idea why I needed three.
“Use the utensils from the outside in. One per course.”
“Why can’t I reuse them?”
“Because we dressed up pretty and for tonight, we’re too fancy to reuse a fork.”
“Is this how you want to dine, Olivia? Fancy? Because I’ll make it happen.”
She studied her wine. “I love to celebrate with a special meal. But I’ve never needed this.”
“I didn’t ask if you needed it. Do you want it?”
“It hasn’t ever been an option. Between Coop and work and never actually dating anyone seriously—”
“It’s an option now. Do you want it?” God, she could be so frustrating. Olivia was a giver by nature, and even when I asked her a specific question, she refused to ask for what she wanted.
“Yes.” Her response was barely a whisper.
“For someone so demanding in bed, that took far too much to get an answer out of you. Whoever made you think you didn’t deserve the world on a platter—” I shook my head.
“I’m going to spoil you. In bed. Out of bed.
Every chance I fucking get. Hopefully, I get so good at spoiling you that I know what you want before you do. Got it?”
Those baby blues stared back at me, wide-eyed, as if she was seeing the world for the first time. Maybe she was. I’d heard the way her dickbag ex talked to her—someone made Olivia believe she deserved less—was worth less. And it was long past time to correct that bullshit.
“I remember when Austin was a rookie. He wasn’t flush with cash. I’d never ask you for anything.”
“It’s a good thing I hired a professional—and that shit that happened when I couldn’t pay a phone bill? Never again. I’m good. Trust me, okay?”
She sighed heavily. “I’m trying to trust this—to trust you. You’ve gotten so much more out of me than anyone else.”
“You’re my everything. And I don’t take your trust for granted—not for a single fucking second.”
We’d already devoured our appetizers when this glorious piece of meat dropped between us. “Jesus. I’m in love.”
“With me? Or the steak?”
“You—for knowing exactly what I’d want.”