Chapter 15
The next morning, Olivia was so stunned by the unexpected empty space where her car was normally parked that she stared at the vacant spot wondering if it was a trick.
She stepped onto the front pathway, glancing up and down the street, and it slowly dawned on her that her almost-brand-new BMW was, indeed, gone.
“No,” Olivia moaned to herself as the sudden twisting of her stomach muscles signaled awareness of something gone wrong. She walked to the end of the driveway, looking both ways up and down the street again, hoping for a reasonable and obvious explanation. But the reality still came down to the fact that her car was gone. Not missing, but taken.
“No,” she uttered again, this time with disbelief…and annoyance.
For several seconds, Olivia’s mind went through a short list of what she should do. It was very telling that the first thing was to call Sloan. But she didn’t. Turning and retreating quickly into the house, Olivia dropped her purse, tote, and other necessary objects for the day on her sofa and dug out her cell phone, her hands trembling slightly.
She called the police.
Olivia was sure that the answering desk officer was the exact same one who took her call months ago when she found money in the house she was going to renovate. He was just as blank and bored, while she was indignant and firm in her aggrieved announcement that her car had been taken, right from her driveway! There was an unnecessary silence.
“Was anything of significance left in the vehicle?”
“Well…what do you mean, significant?”
“A kid. A pet.”
“No! No…”
“Okay, hold on…”
He cut her off before Olivia could launch into another argument of urgency. The officer she was transferred to interrupted her repeatedly with a litany of scripted questions while typing in her answers in a computer form. No offer to send an officer to investigate, no suggestion that she come into the local precinct to file a report. No show of sympathy or encouragement that the police would get right on looking for her vehicle. Quickly Olivia figured out that in the great scheme of things, her missing car was not on the priority list of we’ll-get-right-on-it.
When she got off the call, Olivia felt exhausted from the twenty minutes of dealing with a personal issue that no one else, even law enforcement, cared about. Then she realized she was going to be late for the first period at Harvest Prep. She called Lori.
“Hi. I’m coming in, but I’m going to be late for first period.”
“Are you okay? I tried to give the Wednesday morning meditation class, but the kids didn’t take me seriously. The little boogers laughed when I couldn’t get down on the floor.”
Olivia smiled to herself. “Don’t worry about it. As long as you kept them distracted until the next class. I…eh…something happened this morning and I had to take care of it.”
“Are you okay?” Lori asked again, now with real concern.
“Yeah, yeah…well…actually, my car was stolen and…”
“Oh no.”
“And…and… It’ll be okay. So don’t—”
“I’m so sorry. What are you going to do?”
Olivia sighed, very annoyed that she felt on the far edge of tears. It was anger and frustration and helplessness.
“I already called the police. They were not empathetic to the fact that my new car had been stolen. But the officer did tell me that I could request something called BMW Assist that will track the car.”
Lori humphed. “Do you have any idea how many and how often cars, especially new ones, get taken in LA? No, the cops probably didn’t care. But at least your car can be tracked. I hope that works.”
“Yeah, but I need a car now.” Olivia said somewhat frantically. “I’m going to call my insurance company. There’s probably a rental benefit on my policy, but I don’t know how long it will last.”
“Right. And if you don’t get your car back, you’re probably talking replacement.”
Olivia sighed again. She fingered her hair, gnawed her lip, anxiety beginning to grip her. “You’re right. Anyway, not your problem. Just wanted to report in.”
“You have a lot to deal with. I wouldn’t worry about coming in today. Everything’s cool. The usual manageable high school drama. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I caught Colby’s brother, Curtis, hanging around as the students were arriving this morning. He wasn’t trying to get into to the school or anything. More like he was waiting for something. Or someone.”
“I wouldn’t worry about him, then. As long as he stays out of the building. I’d better go. I have some calls to make, and I have to see about a loaner car.”
“Don’t worry about here. I’ve got it covered.”
“You’re the best. Thanks, Lori.”
Olivia hung up but was momentarily disoriented as she tried to plan her next move. She called Jackson, but it was just to inform him of what had happened. She didn’t need more sympathy or suggestions of what to do. But he did offer both. Jackson also said he thought it was time to get rid of the things they’d stored in the garage after their mother had died. Olivia had returned to live with her mother after her divorce. It had never been her plan to stay in the house in Baldwin Hills where she’d spent her adolescence.
The insurance company was the easiest to deal with, and she supplied all the information they asked for, and they informed Olivia that she did have rental privileges on her policy. All she had to do was submit a police report as soon as possible. She arranged for a Lyft to the police station and couldn’t believe that obtaining the report was a rigamarole taking almost two hours. It was early afternoon when Olivia was finally handed the report. She asked the officer when she should expect word on her missing car. The officer didn’t even bother to hide his amusement. He shrugged, turned back to his computer.
“Maybe in a few days, if you’re lucky. Maybe never.”
Olivia sat in a waiting area of the station house, feeling dispirited. She was alone and finally tried to settle down. She closed her eyes. She focused on not blaming herself for everything that had gone wrong. Marcus certainly would have.
Olivia considered how much more needed to be done to get through the day and prepare for the next. Feeling in control again, she finally called Sloan.
“Agent Kendrick.”
He sounded so official. “You know who this is,” Olivia said quietly.
His voice retained his irregular ragged texture, but now very alert. Attuned to the emotions emanating from her.
“Liv? What’s up? Everything okay?”
Olivia felt some relief just hearing his voice, his concern. “For the most part. I…I was leaving for school this morning…”
“And?”
“And…when I left the house I saw…I didn’t see my…my car was gone. Missing. I don’t know…stolen.”
It was odd to hear the way Sloan, so effortlessly, was able to maintain the authoritative tone of his voice. In command. But it was definitely underscored with compassion and warmth. Immediately he began asking quick, concise questions. Details about the car, specs and VIN number. Had she left any valuables in the car? Olivia was being interrogated about her loss, something even the LAPD officers never bothered to conduct. Sloan’s attention countered the sterile, stark indifference she’d received since calling the police early that morning.
“Look…I don’t have authority to search for your car, Olivia. I can’t do much of anything, actually. But I do have good relationships at LAPD, and I think I can call in a favor and get some follow-up or a BOLO.”
“What’s a BOLO?”
“It stands for ‘be on the lookout.’ You don’t really know when or how the car went missing. There’s nothing to go on. So I have to be honest and warn you that…this might not have a good outcome.” His voice lowered. “You might not get the car back. Or if it’s found it might be…chopped.”
“I understand.” Olivia sighed deeply. Sloan was silent while she considered the possibilities. “Well, I can’t worry about what-if? I have to get a usable car right now. I have to get to work. I have to be able to have a daily life. I have to have a car. LA is a total car culture.”
“That’s right.”
“My insurance company will pay for a rental for a week or two. But…I have to start thinking about getting a replacement.”
“I’m sorry, Olivia.”
That heartfelt comment from Sloan made her feel cared for. “I appreciate that, Sloan. I shouldn’t have called, feeling sorry for myself,” Olivia said with a short laugh. “Bad form.”
“Want me to come over? Or I can pick you up from wherever you’ll be later, take you to dinner.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m a big girl. I can take a hit and stay standing.”
She heard Sloan’s peculiar habit of stifling his laugh…but she’d already caught him out, so it was a pointless effort. She wanted to hear him laugh. She wanted to be responsible for that.
“The least I can do is say something that might help you feel better about today.”
“I’ll take whatever you got,” she murmured in amusement.
“I love you,” Sloan said softly.
She didn’t change her mind about having him come over, but Sloan knew that was Olivia’s way of exerting a little bit of independence. Not expecting him to make things better. He had to accept that Olivia hadn’t yet come to the fact that he would willingly do a lot of things just for her.
It was a new awareness, for sure, for him. His ex-wife never really needed him. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but it did include sometimes taking care of him. In fact, he also realized that in her own way, Olivia might be among the very few rare relationships in which it was sometimes about him. Her caring was subtle, natural, intuitive, and that made it all the more special to Sloan because it was so like her. The her he’d come to know. Declaring his love to Olivia was not spontaneous but an accumulation of time spent with her, her calm and charming sense of humor, her generous ability to consider other people and their feelings. His feelings.
So he was on his way to her in Baldwin Hills, ignoring her brave decision to tough out a very bad day by herself. It was precisely that brave front that made the decision for Sloan that he was going to be with her anyway. To support and comfort her. To love her.
But a brief surge of doubt pumped through his heart as he wondered if Olivia would be annoyed or pleased at this gesture. He rolled up in front of her house, and the absence of a car in front was a solid confirmation of her missing brand-new car.
Sloan shut off the engine and reached for the plastic bag on the passenger seat. Quietly closing and locking the car, he headed to the front door and rang the doorbell, hearing the soft chime on the inside.
In less than a minute, the door opened cautiously, and Sloan saw Olivia’s pretty face, her eyes wide with curiosity. And widen even more when she recognized him. And brighten as a smile transformed her features.
“Sloan!”
Sloan’s smile was not as obvious, very small and not full-blown, but it was only for her anyway. He knew Olivia would read the feelings behind it honestly. He lifted the plastic bag for her to see.
“I come bearing gifts,” he said.
Her smile grew bigger, her face showing surprise and pleasure.
“Oh…Sloan.” It was a small mew. She stepped back and opened the door wide so he could enter.
Olivia closed the door and came to stand in front of him, staring as if he were some magical apparition. Sloan stood, watching her every move, the look on her face and in her eyes. The reception was more than he’d hoped for. Olivia continued to gaze at him as if he was the greatest thing since chocolate milk. He held the desire to chuckle at the image in check.
“I didn’t know, of course, what your plans were for dinner, since you turned me down on the phone. But number one, you have to eat. Number two, I knew you weren’t going to feel like cooking for yourself, and one is the loneliest number. And number three…I didn’t think you should be alone. I brought you dinner. And me.”
Olivia drew in a little gasp and released it in a small laugh, her eyes bright as she took in the reality of him right there in front of her. She didn’t say anything, but it wasn’t hard to read her next move. Sloan quickly put the bag on the floor and opened his arms as she walked right into them, hugging him with her cheek against his chest. He couldn’t have scripted a better hello, a warmer reaction or tender greeting. He held her close, taking in Olivia’s reception as just what he had hoped from her. A little TLC never hurts.
“Are you angry that I went against your wish to be alone?”
“No! Oh, no. I’m so happy that you ignored me. Seeing you is the best moment in the whole day.”
“Well, it wouldn’t have taken much to give you that.”
“But you’re the one who made it happen,” Olivia murmured. She finally pulled back to gaze at him. “Thank you. Until this moment I didn’t realize that the last thing I needed, wanted, was to be alone.”
“You and I both understand it’s just a car, Liv. But it was your car you picked out for yourself and paid for. The loss is not catastrophic, but having it taken is still significant.”
“I thought I was overreacting,” she admitted.
He snorted. “A man would have gone into a rage, killer instincts surfacing in a burning heartbeat.”
“Too extreme.” She smiled at him.
Sloan guessed what she was going to say next, and they spoke simultaneously. “It’s just a car.”
When Olivia tilted her face upward, he met her halfway with a quick and gentle kiss.
“Thank you. What did you bring?”
“Chinese.”
“Wonderful.”
Sloan took up the bag and followed her into the kitchen. Olivia suggested eating in the backyard, and Sloan went to find the collapsible table to open and set up two chairs. Olivia had emptied the bag of half a dozen containers, warm, aromatic flavors wafting into the air. When she reached a small white food container that was very light, she turned to him.
“What’s this?”
Even as she was about to open the square box, Sloan deftly lifted it out of her hand and set it out of reach. “That’s for later. I did forget to get something to drink.”
“I have wine. I could make a pot of tea…”
“Wine is fine.”
Within fifteen minutes of his arrival, Sloan and Olivia were seated in the early evening in her yard, enjoying a casual and easy dinner. She’d lit three large hurricane candles along the top steps outside the living room glass doors and dimmed the lights mounted on corners of the house. Beyond asking about getting a temporary car, they didn’t talk about Olivia’s stolen car. Sloan was sure that was what happened; it was stolen. Olivia had persuaded the car rental agency to send someone to pick her up from the house the next morning and take her to get her rental. Sloan was silently amused that she’d accomplished that. Acting as chauffeur for customers is not on rental agreements, but he was not surprised that Olivia had managed it with a little bit of charm and, probably, an eloquent argument.
Sloan was enjoying being with her, bottom line. It was easy and undemanding. No upheavals or controversy. No complaining or bad temper. Nothing special about the evening—take-out dinner and small talk at a kind of picnic setup in Olivia’s backyard. For him, it was terrific just because it was all of the above.
“What’s in the box?” Olivia asked. They’d finished eating and were just lingering at the table over wine as night filled the sky above.
Sloan quickly returned to the kitchen to retrieve the package. In the yard again, he silently handed it to her.
Because he’d offered no introduction, explanation, or hints, Olivia cast a silent stare at him, accepting the box and opening it. Then she broke into a grin.
“Fortune cookies.”
“Of course.”
“How did I get started collecting them?”
“You really don’t remember?”
She was already ripping cellophane from a cookie, but she looked at him steadily. Sloan could see that, of course, she remembered.
“You took me to lunch when I came to your office. It was the day after we met.” She passed the broken cookie pieces to Sloan to eat as she read the thin, white paper insert. She glanced at him briefly again and quoted the paper out loud. “‘You display the wonderful traits of charm and courtesy.’”
Sloan met Olivia’s gaze and held it for a long moment. “That’s a good one. And it’s true.”
“I think it holds true for you too,” she said.
Olivia appeared to read, and reread, the paper several times in silence. Sloan didn’t miss her covertly putting the slip of paper into the pocket of her denim skirt. She stood and began to clear the table, gather the garbage, close containers with any leftovers. They efficiently worked together to put everything away. The dinner, the evening, was essentially over. But there was this sense of not knowing how it would actually end.
They returned to the living room, but Sloan didn’t sit on a chair or the sofa to settle in for after-dinner conversation. While Olivia finished whatever remained of cleanup in the kitchen, Sloan nervously paced a small area in the living room. He still held his wineglass and he stared into it, frowning at what remained. Olivia returned quietly, and they faced each other. He couldn’t read her expression, and he was lost for a moment about what to do next.
Sloan quickly downed the rest of his wine, rolling the bowl of the glass between his palms. “Well…I enjoyed dinner. I know it wasn’t much…”
“It was perfect,” Olivia commented, watching him. She approached and carefully took the empty glass from him.
“I’ll get going. I just wanted to try and…”
“I thought you’d stay awhile longer.”
“You must be wiped out after all that’s—”
“Until the morning?”
Sloan watched her, glad that Olivia had made the offer herself, clarifying their mutual desire. He didn’t want to be pushy. And he was ever careful not to give the impression that he was, again, rescuing her. He didn’t want to stoke her insecurities.
He took several steps toward Olivia and stood studying her. “You want me to?”
She didn’t avert her gaze. She nodded. “Can you?”
“Absolutely,” Sloan said so definitively that she broke into a grin. He didn’t wait for another word or a signal but gathered Olivia into his embrace and kissed her with all the desire and intent that had been building within him all evening. But he was slow, taking his time to grow their desire and need, using his lips to control and massage hers until Olivia went limp against him.
Of course he wanted her. That was the simple truth of it.
Olivia hugged him back, clung to him, raising her arms to circle his neck. She let her small, slender fingers burrow into his hair. Her touch was light and caressing. Sloan captured her mouth, rubbing over her lips and invading the opening to find her tongue and to delve deeper…slowly feeling a rising passion take them to the next level. But they both seemed riveted to that one spot in the living room, in each other’s arms, content for the moment to hold on to each other, letting their beating hearts, their deep hushed breathing, satisfy them. But their mutual need wanted more, and their bodies, pressed tightly together, indicated as much. Sloan was in full arousal. He slid his hand to Olivia’s lower back and pulled her in closer so that she could not mistake the change in him.
They swayed, and Sloan broke the kiss. He looked into her eyes, slumberous with longing. Her lips moist and parted. Sloan kissed her deeply again and then turned Olivia in the direction of her bedroom.
Olivia broke from him to adjust the window blinds, to draw the curtains. He’d left his weapon in his office. He took off his shirt, his shoes. Then Sloan stopped disrobing to come up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist. She immediately relaxed into his arms, her back against his chest. His mounting urgency caused her to undulate into him as he pressed his hips forward to meet her. He groaned softly into her ear. She reached a hand up and behind her to stroke his cheek.
Sloan held her like that, in control, with something else in mind. His left hand deftly unzipped the top closing of her skirt. The right hand slipped beneath her white boatneck T. He bent to nuzzle beneath her ear, along her jaw and her neck. He left a trail of sensual kisses while deftly unfastening her bra. The slight weight of a breast was cupped by his hand, and his fingers massaged the rounded soft flesh.
Olivia softly moaned his name. She arched her back, forcing her breast into his palm.
He gave her what she wanted.
Olivia twisted in his arms. She broke the contact and faced him, letting him once again consume her with his ardent kisses. Sloan maneuvered her to the edge of the bed, lowering her to sit. Olivia leaned back to brace herself with her elbows. She lifted her hips so that Sloan could pull away the skirt, her panties. Balancing on a knee pressed on the bed right next to her, Sloan relieved her of the T-shirt and bra in one motion.
He stared down at her slender brown body, at her chest heaving with anticipation and need. With her eyes closed and lips parted, Olivia lay waiting for him. Sloan wanted to be careful with her, to treat her with thoughtful reverence and show his love. He removed the rest of his clothing and the cellophane packet from his trouser pocket. In just a few seconds, he was bending over Olivia, smoothly shifting her body to the center of the bed, and positioning himself to lie on top of her. He lowered his weight and gently pinned her beneath him. Sloan went back to kissing her, as she hugged him, raised her knees, encouraging him.
Sloan thrust into her in one smooth stroke. He came onto his forearms so that he could look into her face, see the emotional changes as they made love to each other. His kisses were slow and erotic.
Only when she quietly panted through her climax and ended on a deep sigh did Sloan let himself go. Olivia stroked his back, smoothed his hair, and cupped his face. Sloan opened his eyes to find her staring into his with drowsy peace and warmth. He sighed and closed his eyes again, giving himself up to the ride until the end. Sloan let himself lie still and heavy, relaxed on her body. They had not lasted very long, the tension of the day and its unexpected events having resulted in a quick quenching of their needs. And when they’d given themselves ample time to recover, to cuddle with roving, caressing hands, they began to make love again. They took their sweet time over every nuance and movement because they had all the time in the world.