Chapter Ten
The phone rang two times before he answered. Olivia didn’t even wait for him to finish greeting her before unleashing her wrath.
“Theo, I swear to God if you set me up with another Taylor I’m going to throttle you.
” She shoved her scarf deep into her bag with a huff.
She had called him as soon as she had turned onto the next street.
It was raining now, and her jacket did little to stop the spray from completely drenching her.
A typical evening for springtime in London.
“Well, hello to you too, sunshine.”
“Don’t you ‘sunshine’ me. I have a bone to pick with you. That…” Olivia stepped on the train platform with a pained look on her face. “That complete and utter prick.”
“What happened?” His breath rattled through the receiver with a firm tone. Could she be imagining it, or did he sound concerned about her? Worried. There was a rustling of fabric on the other end of the line before a series of distant laughter.
“He was a total prick. At first, I thought it was going well. He ordered our drinks and paid without even asking. But then… instead of focusing on me, he decided his time would be better spent focusing on the waitress’s backside.
” She let out a small huff as she gazed upon the station map.
Noting where her train was coming in, she began walking up another flight of stairs to the east side of the platform.
“Oh.” Theo sounded surprised.
Olivia continued her ramble. “Poor woman, she didn’t even know she was being objectified right then and there by that weirdo.
” She paused on the steps, slightly out of breath and turned around, glancing back at the busy street that led back to the pub.
“Oh no, I should have warned her. She’s probably being harassed by the corporate lawyer dickhead as we speak. ”
“So, this date didn’t go well, and he was a prick. That’s okay.”
Olivia continued walking. “It is?”
“Not every date goes well, Olivia,” Theo said softly.
“I know that.” She rolled her eyes. “Believe it or not my dating life is not as sad as I make it sound.” The low droning of a TV came through the receiver, followed by the sound of other men’s laughter in the background. “Are you busy?”
“What?”
“T, get off the phone, you’re missing it!” She heard a man’s voice yell through the phone.
“Shut up, man,” Theo yelled back, before sighing. “Sorry about that.”
“I can call you later. I’m sorry.”
“What? No, it’s just game night at Finn’s. We’re watching the rugby.” “He sounded as if he was popping another bottle of beer open, the pang of pressure being released and the cling of glass ringing out.
“Of course. The game. You’re probably missing it.
I should let you go; you’re with your friends.
” Olivia shook her head, making her way down the second steps and onto the concrete platform, her hair now completely drenched from the misty rain.
The rumblings of another train zooming past at top speed sent the realisation slapping across her face.
“Oh, my goodness, I totally forgot. It’s Sunday.
I shouldn’t have called. I’m so, so sorry. ”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Liv,” Theo muttered.
“You can call me anytime.” She heard him shuffle in the background, as if he was moving away from the loud noise of Rugby League and shouting men.
The sharp click of a lock, then she heard the echo of his voice resound in what she assumed was a bathroom. “Now tell me about the date.”
“John, please tell me I’m not going crazy.
” Olivia was perusing the small interior of her friend’s florist shop.
Picking up a fresh, light pink rose, she gathered it in her hands before twirling the flower and picking up another.
After a day of sitting in the city library, she had successfully outlined three more chapters, pulling paragraphs from her numerous notebooks and slotting them together like a jigsaw puzzle until the beginning of a pivotal scene began to play out on the paper before her.
She had arrived at Danielle’s flower shop at two in afternoon, stepping in from the unseasonably warm spring day and into the cool air-conditioned storefront.
Danielle’s husband had just wandered out of the back room carrying a box of scented candles ready to stock up the shop walls when Olivia hit him with the question.
“Are we talking about the fact that you like pineapple on your pizza? Cause the answer in that case is no.” The burly man looked so comedic carrying the pink logoed cardboard box, the heavy scent of peony soy wax candles wafting in the air as he passed her.
His wife rolled her eyes, turning to her friend and handing her another flower. “Ignore him. You’re not crazy. That dickwad Taylor never should have said that. He was clearly a weirdo.”
“Did Liv go on a date?” John sputtered, placing the heavy box down beside Danielle.
“Yes. She did.”
John’s eyebrows shot up, glancing at his wife with surprise.
Olivia took note of the look of disbelief on his face. “Yes, John. I went on a date. I know, hard to believe, right?”
“You just have never showed any interest in dating since… If I had known, I would have set you up with one of my brothers from the army.” John picked up some pliers and began clipping off the sharp prickles on the rose stems. It was a job he demanded he do, claiming he didn’t want Danielle to hurt herself.
Another reason Olivia felt like puking any time she was around the couple. They were too cute.
“I’m not interested in dating.”
John frowned. “Then why did you go on a date.”
Danielle reached forward and squeezed his bicep as she moved past him to grab the de-thorned flowers. “Honey, it’s for her new novel, remember?”
“It’s all in the name of research.” Olivia hummed, grabbing one final rose and placing in on the wooden table before him.
A dozen pink roses. Just like Danielle had suggested a week prior.
Her living room would look refreshed and retro.
They weren’t Olivia’s favourite flower, but she could tolerate them if they made her apartment look and feel like something out of a home and style magazine.
If it didn’t, well she’d donate the flowers back to the florist shop.
If they were still alive by then. Olivia swore keeping plants alive was harder than keeping a puppy or even a child alive.
John gave a low chuckle as he made his way towards the back room. “Yeah, sure. Research.”
“Quit it, you.” Danielle’s hand reached out and smacked his backside. “Besides, I already made that joke.”
Olivia averted her eyes at the movement, instead occupying her time by fiddling with the rolls of silk ribbon in front of the till.
It hadn’t been so long ago that she would have found the act romantic.
Now all she felt was envy. Green, ugly envy.
Twirling a thread of inch thick bright orange around her fingers she pushed down the jealousy seeping from her bones.
“I swear to the florist heavens, Danielle, it is just research. He’s doing me a favour.
I had a date with that schmuck, Taylor, and that’s okay.
Theo said he’d be more attentive to who he picks next time, and that he potentially has another date for me.
I’m just waiting for him to send me the details. ”
“Another date?” Danielle asked. “Already?”
“Yes, already. What did you think? That my leading man would just write himself? I’ve got Hannah breathing down my neck whenever I even think of opening my emails.
” Olivia hummed, watching as her friend wrapped the roses up in plush paper and that orange ribbon.
“I need quick turnarounds. If the date doesn’t go well, find me another. I made that pretty clear to Theo.”
“Let’s hope this one is better than the last one,” John noted, wiping his hands on the pink apron tied around his waist. The things he did for Danielle were truly inspiring, including wearing a neon pink apron and helping his wife at her store on his day off.
“How much do I owe you?” Olivia asked, pulling out her wallet, she was eager to get home, crack open her laptop and finally make a picture out of those jigsaw pieces.
Danielle winked. “Girl, put your money away. This one’s on me. You can repay me by giving me all the details about your next ‘research’ session.”