Chapter Five
Oliver
Being a professional writer means your downtime is short-lived. I took the weekend to relax, and I’ve been writing out my new outline today. I was stuck on how I wanted to end the book, so I called my brother. He’s a terrific sounding board and helps me talk out the plot. He usually doesn’t have to say much and then, in no time, I have it figured out. Now that I’m satisfied with my outline, I’m suddenly ravenous and am at the local mom-and-pop market picking up dinner.
The owners, Pat and Rose, have run the store for over twenty years and say that working together is what keeps them together. I’d love to find my Rose. I almost had it once and like the idea of having someone to share my life and successes with. Mom and Ty are great, but I’m looking for more. I walk over to the area where there are some homemade meals, made with love by Rose, and try to decide what I’m in the mood for.
As I’m reaching for the single-serve roasted chicken it gets pulled away from the other side of the kiosk. I jerk my head up and look over the top.
“Hello there. We seem to run in the same circles,” I say to Ally, who’s peeking over at me. Yes, I clearly remember her name, and yes, the heroine in my next book may have the same name.
“You again. Do you live close by?” she asks.
“Not far.”
“I’m surprised I haven’t seen you before now. Did you just move in?”
“No, I’m a regular at Joe’s and get dinner here most nights. I guess the timing was never right.” I smile at the possibility that my Rose is standing right in front of me and that the timing has finally worked in my favor.
“Maybe. I’m not much of a cook, so I’m here most nights,” she admits with a shrug.
“I’m sure we’ll be running into each other a lot more now,” I say. She blushes, and I look away and notice that she’s taken the last single-serve dish and start scanning for something new.
“I’m sorry, were you going to get this?” Ally asks with concern, holding up the container.
“Yes, but don’t worry, I’ll find something else.” I wave her off.
“If it were more than one serving, we could have shared. Now I feel bad.” She frowns and looks around as if searching for other options.
“Well, we could get a whole chicken and have dinner together,” I cheerfully suggest, hoping to alleviate her concern.
“Uh…that’s sweet and I appreciate the offer, but I just met you and I’m not comfortable going anywhere with you.” She squares her shoulders and backs away from me.
“It’s a nice night, not too cold, how about we eat at a picnic table in the park? It’s public, lots of people walking by.” She rolls her eyes up and bites her lip.
“I guess I could do that,” Ally agrees, setting down the container while I grab a small oven roaster from the next section over.
“What were you going to eat with your chicken?” I ask.
“I like their steamed, mixed vegetables.”
“Perfect, grab that. I love their mashed potatoes, so I’ll grab those.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you need anything else while we’re here?” I ask.
“I’ll grab some water since we’re not eating at home,” she offers.
“While you’re in the cooler could you grab me a lemonade?”
“Sure thing.” She grabs the drinks and we get in line. After we set everything on the conveyor belt, I let her know I’ll pay for everything.
“I’ve got this.”
“Are you sure you don’t want half? I mean it’s not a date, right?”
“Well, not a pre-planned one, at least,” I admit in a jovial tone.
“Oh, so it is a date?” she asks, coyly.
“It can be.” She laughs.
“Okay, sure. It can be a date. And the first one I’ve ever been on in yoga gear and a bun on the top of my head.” She pats her head and pushes a loose piece of hair behind her ear.
“You look terrific.”
“Do you really want to start this relationship off with a lie?” She sticks out her hip and plants her hand on it. I look her up and down then stroke my chin as if in deep thought.
“Well, you could use a little makeup, but I was trying to be nice,” I joke and she swats my arm.
“You’re terrible.”
“No, I just tell the truth and give compliments when people deserve them, and you look beguiling.”
“That’s a fancy word.”
“Charming and enchanting but often in a deceptive way. That’s you. You enchant me with your natural beauty, but I know there is more than just beauty to your charm.”
“Wow, thank you. That’s very sweet of you.”
I pay for the items and take the paper bag then come to a halt. She runs into the back of me.
“Oof,” she grunts. “Why’d you stop? Did you forget something?”
“You said relationship.” I turn and look at her.
“What? When?”
“Just now, you asked if I wanted to start our relationship on a lie.”
“Oh, yeah, so?” She looks puzzled.
“So, you admit we’re going to have a relationship,” I explain.
“Well, that’s what people do, it’s a common word. We have relationships with everyone we know. Friends, co-workers, family. Relationship doesn’t mean romance.”
“Ah…I see…well then, let’s see if we can enjoy a meal together and define our relationship. Come on, I have the perfect spot.” I lead her out the door and toward the park, grabbing her hand with my free one.
“Dude, I just met you, and you’re already asking me to define our relationship?”
“Yep!” I state, pulling her along.
“Well, if you rush me, you might not like the answer, so you better slow down. I’m a city girl, I don’t trust so easily,” she says, pulling back.
“Gotcha. Hopefully, after we have dinner, you’ll see I’m a pretty trustworthy guy.”
I drop her hand when we get to my favorite table in the park, and we take a seat. We’re next to a small pond and you can see the city lights twinkle above as if stars in the sky. I look back to Ally and see that she’s followed my eyes to the sky. When she returns her gaze to me, she says, “Nice night. I love this fall weather.”
“Me too,” I agree. “This is my favorite spot. I enjoy people-watching when I get in a writing slump. I like to watch their mannerisms and how they interact with each other. It’s helpful when creating characters. For instance, watch that couple.” She turns and looks. “See the way he’s leaning in?”
“Yeah?”
“They’re about to kiss. He’s leaning to see if she’ll come the rest of the way in.” We continue to watch and sure enough, they kiss. We both turn away to give them privacy.
“So the Hitch theory works.”
“What theory?” I squint my eyes in confusion.
“Hitch. The rom-com movie.” When I continue my blank stare as no recognition registers, she continues. “Will Smith. Kevin James? Nothing?”
“Will Smith the action star?” I say, and she deflates.
“He also did a rom-com and a very good one at that,” she informs me sitting up straight again.
“Sorry. I’m not a big rom-com guy. Action and thriller movies are my genre.”
“Ah, gotcha. Well, Alex Hitchens, Hitch, explains to a character he’s helping how to lean in for a kiss before his big date. The guy is supposed to lean in ninety percent and then girl will lean in the other ten, if she wants a kiss.” I laugh. “He helps guys get out of their own way to have successful dates.”
“Sounds like a fun movie.”
“It is, there are some truly funny parts where dates go wrong. You should know that if you stick around, you’ll see I tend to talk in movie quotes.”
“I can’t wait for you to educate me on all the movies I’ve missed out on,” I say as Ally is opening the food containers while I hand her the plastic utensils I grabbed before we left.
“Thanks. This little knife won’t be the easiest to use but I’m glad we don’t have to pick at a cooked chicken with our fingers.” She starts slicing.
“You’re welcome. So, you like romantic comedies and crime novels, what else should I know about you?” I take a bite of chicken as she answers.
“Let’s see.” She weighs her head back and forth. “I have three brothers who are as big as giants who will pummel your ass if you try anything on me.” I can’t tell if she’s joking or not and then she starts laughing and I can’t help but join in.
“So, you’re also a big jokester.”
“Kinda. Sarcasm is my love language, so you might not always get straight answers from me either. So, yes, I have three brothers, but no, they aren’t giants, and no, they won’t beat you up. But they are protective since I’m the baby of the family. If they didn’t beat up Roger, I’m sure they won’t beat up you.”
“Roger?”
“Let’s save him for another time.” She waves her hand as if shooing a pest.
“So, you admit there’ll be another time?”
“I admit nothing.” She laughs again and takes a bite of food. Her laughter is flirty and infectious.
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a website designer and also write descriptions for consumable products. If they can sell it, I can describe it.”
“Wow, that’s a different combo. How did you get into that?”
“I did an internship for this company in college and worked for them for a while after I graduated to gain experience and then went out on my own. Pretty sweet deal since I can work from home.”
“Yeah, it’s good and bad, working from home. I can work in my pajamas, but it can also be lonely.”
“Do you work from home too?” she asks.
“Yeah, I’m a writer.” She looks up from her food and blinks at me a couple of times.
“Writer?”
“Yes.”
“And your name is Oliver?” She drops her fork.
“Yes.”
“Are you THE Oliver Hudson?” A few heads of the joggers passing by turn and look at us when her voice raises at the recognition.
“Ding!”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe I recommended your own book to you!” She slaps her forehead with her hand.
“It was actually cute, and quite flattering. It’s nice to know you like my books.”
“How did I not know it was you? I’ve seen your picture on the jacket before.” She flops her hand back down on the table.
“My hair was longer then? I just cut it to be a little incognito. My friends say it’s like Clark Kent and the glasses. I look totally different when my hair is longer.”
“Oh my gosh, wait until my friend Morgan finds out she met you and we didn’t even know it. We’re both big fans.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And you are totally coming over and signing my books.”
“Did you just invite me to your place?”
“Well, just to sign the books, of course.” She clears her throat and wiggles in her seat before taking another bite of chicken.
“Of course.” I smile as she blushes. I think she’s fangirling, and she hates it.
“So, any brothers? Sisters?” she asks, changing the subject.
“One brother. He owns a company out in California.”
“Oh, wow, are you guys close or are you happy he’s out there?”
“We’re actually very close, and I miss him a lot. I’m hoping he’ll make his way back here someday.”
“Who’s older?”
“He is.”
“Who’s cuter?”
“Me, of course,” I say, puffing up my chest and giving her a cheesy grin. She laughs.
“I don’t know. I think I’d have to decide that for myself.”
“Next time he comes to visit, we’ll have to all get together. You can let me know what you think.”
“When is that?” she asks, before popping a piece of broccoli in her mouth.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure you and I will still be together.”
“Together?”
“Yeah, sure. You said if I stuck around, I’d learn a bunch of movie quotes, so I guess we’re stuck with each other.” I give her a wink.
“I also said I admit nothing.”
“You invited me to your house.”
“To sign books.”
“Touché.”
“Moving on, what do you like to do in your spare time?” Ally asks.
“I love doing anything outdoors. Playing one-on-one at the basketball courts, soccer, and tennis. What about you?”
“Yoga is my exercise of choice. Keeps me from getting stiff after sitting all day.”
“Maybe I should try it. Could you teach me? Ya know, when I come over to sign your books?”
“I might be able to do that,” she answers coyly and continues to pick at her food.
“I’m counting on it.” I pause and take a few bites of my meal. It’s such a beautiful evening. A gentle breeze ripples the pond as the sun sets behind Ally, causing her to glow. I have to shield my eyes, look away, and focus on the joggers and dog walkers passing by. I’m contemplating if I should ask her about the guy she was with at the bar when an older couple passes, holding hands, and I take it as a sign to go for it. “How was your date the other night?”
“Is this your roundabout way of asking me if I went home with that guy?” She puts her fork down and crosses her arms in front of her on the table.
“Uh…maybe?” I cringe as I admit she saw right through me.
“It wasn’t a date. It was a bar crawl, and he was a guy we picked up along the way. He’s giving me a free dance lesson tomorrow.”
“Dance lessons, huh? Sounds like he wants a relationship with you.” I jest.
“I don’t know, maybe he does.” She shrugs.
“You looked pretty enamored with him.”
“Were you watching us?”
“I might’ve been,” I admit. I smirk and wipe it away with my napkin.
“Hmm, you seem to be awfully interested in my affairs.”
“Hmm, maybe I’m testing the waters to see if I have a chance,” I respond, honestly.
“Let’s just say that I’m currently open to all options that present themselves,” she admits.
“I see. For what it’s worth, I’m having a nice time with you.”
“It has been a nice evening,” she admits, uncrossing her arms and starting to clean up. “I should head home. Thank you for dinner.” She stands and brushes off her lap.
“You’re welcome. Hey, do you have a pen on you?”
“No, why?” she asks, sitting back down.
“I wanted to get your number while I have the receipt to write on.”
“First, it’s the newspapers, and now you want to write my number down? Do you own stock in paper?” I laugh.
“No.”
“Just give me your phone,” she states, holding out her hand.
I give it to her with the contact screen open. “There, now you can reach me anytime,” she says, placing in back into my palm.
“Thank you. And just for the record, sometimes I like to have a backup just in case I lose my phone,” I admit, pocketing my phone in my jacket.
“I’m sure it’s unnecessary. Look how we keep running into each other.”
“True. Here, take the leftovers with you.” I put everything back in the bag and hand them to her. “I’ll walk you home.” I stand and hold out my elbow.
“Thank you, I’d like that.” She stands, takes the arm I’ve offered her, and I escort her back to her apartment.
“Thank you again for dinner,” she says giving me a brief hug.
“You’re welcome. Have a good night, Ally.”
I watch her walk into her building to make sure she’s safe then turn and walk toward my conveniently close apartment.