27. Trinity
Trinity
I knocked on the door of Oliver’s apartment. He said he was going to stop over for lunch today. But it was after three already and I hadn’t seen or heard from him all day. It wasn’t like him to go radio silent like that.
In the past I wouldn’t have cared and probably would have welcomed a bit of a break. But things with Oliver had moved beyond the scope of what I was used to. We were navigating unchartered territory.
I’d had a rough morning and could use a friend right now.
Macy was in all-day meetings and couldn’t be disturbed.
And honestly, I’d much rather confide in Oliver about what was bothering me.
He’d become a bit of a sounding board, and as much as I wasn’t sure I liked relying on someone, I valued his opinion.
When I’d waited long enough to be sure he wasn’t going to come to the door, I rummaged around in my purse for a scrap of paper and something to write with.
If he wasn’t answering my calls or responding to texts, maybe he’d dropped his phone or left it somewhere.
I jotted down a quick note asking him to call or stop by, so I’d know things were okay.
As I tucked it into the doorway, heavy steps sounded on the stairs.
I turned around in time to catch him coming into view. He had on athletic shorts and a T-shirt and looked like he’d just survived a no-limits cage match. “Hey, you.”
He looked up, his eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. “Oh, hi.”
“Are you okay?” I reached for him, intending to give him a hug.
He wrapped one arm lightly around me as I pressed against his side. “Yeah, I’m fine. Careful though, I’m sweaty and need to hop in the shower.”
“I thought we had plans for lunch?” My lips grazed his cheek. He seemed distracted or preoccupied.
Instead of meeting my lips with his, he released me and dug a hand into his pocket. “Sorry. I ended up meeting with Professor Burch and wanted to work off some steam after.”
“Is he the one who’s been trying to find you a job?”
“Yeah. Still no word on that front. But he had a last-minute opening on his schedule this afternoon, so he asked if I wanted to stop in. I’m sorry, I totally forgot about lunch.”
“That’s okay. The shipment I was expecting didn’t show. I’m waiting for a call back from the freight company.”
Oliver pushed the door open and gestured for me to go first. “What do you mean it didn’t show?”
I entered his apartment with him right behind me. “I was supposed to be on site from nine until noon today. The freight company called on Friday to confirm. I’ve been here since eight so there’s no way I missed them.”
“Maybe they’re just running behind schedule.” Oliver set his bag down on the floor then moved to the fridge. “You want something to drink?”
“You don’t think it’s weird?” I asked.
“Nah. Whatever you ordered will probably show up tomorrow.” He pulled two beers out of the refrigerator. “Since we missed lunch, how about dinner instead?”
“It’s only three o’clock.” I took the bottle he handed me. “Since when are you a fan of day drinking?”
“Since I don’t have anything else to eat or drink in my apartment.” He held a chair out for me at the kitchen table. “Why don’t you relax for a few minutes while I hop in the shower? When I get out, we can order pizza, or I can run downstairs and grab us a couple of burgers from the bar.”
My stomach growled at the thought of food. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little…I don’t know…off.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. My mum called last night and said my aunt had a heart attack. She’s having surgery today, and I guess I’ve been a little distracted by that.”
“I’m so sorry. Is she okay?” All of a sudden, my annoyance about the yarn not showing up on time seemed like a trivial thing.
“She should be, but I’m waiting to hear. It’s my dad’s sister. We all thought Aunt Agnes was indestructible.” He shrugged. “I’m just worried about my parents.”
“Come here.” I pulled him into a hug.
“Careful, I stink.”
“You’re not so bad.” I nestled against his chest and squeezed him tight before giving him a gentle push toward the bathroom. “Go on and get your shower. I’ll wait here.”
“You could join me, you know.” His fingers lingered on mine.
“Oh no. You need to feed me first. If I get in the shower with you, I know there’s no way we’d get around to eating until late tonight.”
His half-hearted laugh lightened the mood. If he was joking around, all wasn’t lost. “Give me five minutes. I’ll feed you and then maybe we can revisit the shower later.”
I shook my head, but my stomach flip-flopped. The way he made me feel, that addictive mix of excitement and warmth one of his laughs could bring on, made me realize how important he’d become to me in the short time we’d known each other.
“Clock starts now.” I tapped my watch.
He shot me a warm grin before he grabbed a towel and headed toward the bathroom.
The water turned on, and I nestled into the couch.
Poor guy. The situation with his aunt put things in perspective.
How would I feel if one of my relatives was having unplanned surgery today?
While I waited, I pulled out the pattern I’d been working on.
My vision for No Limits included a collection of exclusive patterns I could sell alongside the yarn.
I already had quite a few done, but this one was special.
All of them were named after people I knew who inspired the design.
Ever since I met Oliver, I’d wanted to come up with a pattern for him.
But this one had been giving me fits. As I concentrated on the colorwork, Oliver’s phone started to chime.
I ignored it, and it finally quit ringing. Then it started up again. Someone wanted to talk to him. Or maybe someone needed to talk to him.
My curiosity got the better of me. It wouldn’t hurt anything to take a peek and see who was calling. I set my knitting down on the couch and practically tiptoed toward the table. It was the video app. Oh God. His mother. What if she had news about his aunt?
Before I thought it through, I pressed the button to connect the call. A woman’s face filled the screen. I could have picked her out of a lineup as Oliver’s mom. They had the same nose, the same high forehead and the same shade of brown eyes.
“Oliver?” his mom asked.
I realized that I’d left the phone sitting on the table, so all his mother could see was a shot of the ceiling.
“Are you there?”
Oh, I shouldn’t have connected the call. If I hung up now, his mother would probably think something was wrong. But if I picked up the phone, would that be worse? I reached out, changed my mind and left my hand hovering in the air.
“Oliver Wendell, what’s going on?”
Wendell? His middle name was Wendell? I leaned over the table. The camera caught part of my head.
“Um, Mrs. Martin?” I managed.
“Who’s there?” Oliver’s mom squinted at the camera.
I took in a breath through my nose. Please don’t let this get any more awkward than it already is.
“Um, hi.” I went for it, picking up the phone and holding it up to meet the camera face on. “I’m Trinity, a friend of Oliver’s. He’s um, indisposed right now, but I saw your call and didn’t want him to miss it so…”
“Who’s that?” Another face joined in on the screen. “Are you Oliver’s girlfriend?”
“Um, I, uh, I rent the space next door…” I shot a quick glance to the bathroom door. I wasn’t sure if it would make the situation better or worse if Oliver came out while I was holding a video call with his family.
“But you’re answering his phone. That must mean you’re good friends. And I’m Isla, his sister.” She turned to her mom. “She’s pretty, Mum. No wonder Oliver doesn’t want to come back.”
The compliment made me smile, but it also caused my cheeks to ignite. “Sure, we’re good friends. He told me about his aunt having surgery today. Is everything okay?”
Mrs. Martin nodded. “She’s fine. The procedure went well, and they were able to do what needed to be done. Can you tell Oliver that we’re looking forward to seeing him soon?”
“Yes, of course. I’m sure he’s homesick too.”
“I doubt it.” Isla spoke up again.
“Who are you talking to?” Oliver came out of the bathroom, a towel barely covering his lower half.
I gasped and dropped the phone. It clattered to the floor and landed screen-side down. Voices floated up through the speaker. “Are you still there?”
Oliver took swift steps across the hardwood floor and snagged the phone in one hand. I clapped my hand over my mouth to prevent nervous laughter from making the situation even worse.
“Mum, Isla, hey. How’s Aunt Agnes?” He angled the phone so just his face showed and tried to hold the towel closed with one hand.
“I was just telling your friend that your aunt will be just fine. Surgery went well, and she’s expected to make a full recovery. She’ll have to make some dietary and lifestyle changes. I don’t think she’ll be able to help with the lambing anymore?—”
“I’m glad she’s doing okay.” Oliver nodded and tightened his grip on his towel. “Can I call you back later? I promised Trinity here that we’d grab a bite to eat, and I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
I shook my head. Whatever was going on with his family was much more important than my current craving for a bacon cheeseburger.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “I’ll head next door so you can finish talking.”
He pressed the screen against his chest and nudged his chin toward the couch. “Just give me a minute. Please?”
“Okay.” I took a seat in the corner of the couch while he wrapped up.
If he was pissed, I deserved to hear what he had to say.
I’d always protected my privacy, and if someone had snagged my phone off the table and answered a video chat with my parents while I was in nothing but a towel…
a chill raced down my spine, and I shivered.
I could only imagine what my parents would think.
A few minutes passed, and he hung up. I got up from the couch and moved toward him.
“I’m so sorry. I had no right to answer your phone.
I don’t know what I was thinking. It rang, and I saw ‘Mum’ on the screen, and all I could think about was your aunt and how worried you must be, and I didn’t think, I just reacted. ”
Oliver set the phone down on the table and adjusted the towel. “Well, that’s not exactly the way I pictured you meeting my mom and sister.”
“You’ve pictured it?” The idea of him picturing me meeting his family made my heart melt a little around the edges.
“Of course. But I figured it was a long shot. Thanks to modern technology, now you’ve met.” He shrugged and headed back to his dresser.
“They’re going to hate me, aren’t they?”
“What makes you say that?” He dropped the towel and stepped into a pair of boxer briefs.
I chastised myself for wanting to go to him. We were talking about his mom. What kind of weird horndog would drool over getting a glimpse of naked butt cheeks after having a very awkward video call with her hookup’s mom whom she’d never met?
“I was awkward.” I buried my face in my hands. “Oh God, and you came out of the bathroom practically naked and…”
“Hey, I’m sure it was just as weird for her as it was for you.”
While I appreciated his effort at trying to make me feel better, he was way off the mark.
“Come on, let’s go grab a bite and then we can come back here, and I can introduce you to my shower.”
“Is an introduction necessary?” I asked. Thankfully, the heat had almost fully dissipated from my cheeks.
“It is if we’re going to be spending a lot of time in there.” He gave my ass a playful swat as I passed him on the way out the door.
I’d met his mother. And his sister. So what if it had only been through the grainy connection of a video app? That was another milestone I’d never reached in any of my adult relationships. I had to find a way to keep Oliver in the States. I just had to.