Chapter 23 - Olivia
O livia felt content after the delicious meal with Aiden’s family. Other than the awkward moment when Sam texted to apologize because he hadn’t gotten around to shipping her stuff, the night couldn’t have gone any smoother.
“Thanks again for coming tonight,” Aiden said.
“It was my pleasure,” she said truthfully. “Your family is…entertaining. And everyone was so kind.”
Sometimes being around family brought out a different side of someone, but Olivia hadn’t seen that in Aiden. If anything, he seemed at ease in their company.
Though the dinner and conversation were light and positive, obviously intending to keep their dad’s spirits high, at times she sensed a misstep in the flow of their conversation–as if their dad’s words were missing from the dialogue.
Aiden brushed a lock of hair behind her ear with his free hand. “I think you bring out the best in my family.”
She gave his hand a grateful squeeze .
“No pressure, but would you give me a tour of your farm? If nothing else, I would like to understand what a dahlia is and why Ellen is so excited about them.”
She laughed. “Sure, I’d love to give you a tour, but you’ll have to imagine what it’s like in daylight.”
They stepped out of the car. Olivia was thankful the mosquito witching hour had passed and the evening was mild. Instead of humidity, the air was thick with the sound of crickets chirping.
Olivia pointed to the bright green bugs flitting in the air. “Oh look, fireflies.”
Aiden reached out and caught one. He held up his cupped hands to let Olivia peek inside. The flickering bug lit up the insides of his palms.
“You’re so gentle. When we were kids, Grace and I would squash them and wipe the glow juice on each other. We were such little monsters.”
“It’s the Hippocratic oath. I’m sworn to do no harm,” he said with mock seriousness.
She shook her head and grinned, letting out a soft chuckle.
Letting the firefly go, Aiden reached for Olivia’s hand and deftly spun her so her body was between him and the car. He stepped toward her, backing her against the passenger door, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning against her, Aiden lowered his head to whisper in her ear.
“I really like you, Olivia.”
The hot air on her ear and his words made her shiver. She was breathless and tingly all over. Oh god . Once again, she was stunned by how much her attraction to him lit her from within .
“I really like you too,” she whispered back, feeling the truth of her words deep in her body while also worrying about how fast her feelings were intensifying.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked.
She tilted up her face, meeting him halfway. They took their time, slowly exploring each other's lips. Olivia slid her arms from his neck to touch more of him, caressing his broad shoulders, his chest, his flat stomach, his waist.
Starting at the back of her thighs, Aiden ran his hands up her body, around and over her slight hips, along her ribs, grazing the sides of her breasts with his thumbs. He moved his lips to her neck, kissing the tender spot below her ear.
Olivia moaned with pleasure, and Aiden nipped her earlobe.
She turned her head to meet his lips with hers.
Pushing her hips forward, she rocked against him and heard his breath hitch. “Fuck, Olivia, I want you so bad.”
She pulled back, grabbed his hand, and led him inside.
Ms. Darcy lifted her head off the couch when Olivia opened the door, only to curl into a ball and close her eyes as soon as she saw them.
They kicked off their shoes, and Olivia led Aiden up the stairs to her bedroom, keeping one hand intertwined with his. Her body was effervescent with anticipation.
Olivia closed the bedroom door behind them, stepped toward Aiden, and unbuttoned his shirt. As she did, he pulled the left strap of her dress down her shoulder and kissed her collarbone.
Pausing, he removed his unbuttoned shirt and lifted his white undershirt over his head. She took in his bare torso, appreciating the toned muscles and taut skin. His firm chest had a smattering of dark hair. Olivia reached out to touch his firm stomach and let her hands caress his abdomen, drifting toward his waist, grazing the hair running from his navel downward. She ran a finger along the skin beneath the waistband of his jeans where the elastic of his boxers hugged his torso.
A low rumble vibrated in his throat, and he let out a raspy breath. He stepped closer and tipped her chin up, enveloping her with his kiss. Their tongues met, exploring each other from the inside out. He pulled her hips tight against him, and his hardness pressed against her stomach. He untied the wrap of her dress, and the garment fell open and down to the floor.
He paused to look at her. Her face, her torso, her legs, her breasts.
She reached behind her back, unhooked her bra, and let it fall. Uncovered, she paused for him.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful, Olivia.” His words made her feel cherished.
He leaned down to take a nipple into his mouth and sucked, rolling the tip of his tongue back and forth over her bud. It was Olivia’s turn to groan with pleasure when he placed his hand against her inner thigh and moved it toward her center. With his thumb, he pulled her panties aside and caressed her other bud with his fingers. As he did so, he released his pull on her nipple and caught it between his teeth, nipping.
“Ohmygod, Aiden.” Olivia arched her back. “Ohmygod.” It came out as a one-word prayer for him to please keep doing what he was doing.
“Jesus.” His voice was gravelly and raw. “ You’re so wet.”
He caressed and explored her opening, slipping a finger in and out, then two, while he used his palm to continually massage her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and trembled as he worked magic on her body. The intensity of standing while the orgasm built within her was almost unbearable. Her mouth fell open, and her head tipped back as she cried out through the crest of the wave. Aiden caught her mouth with his and held her, continuing to gently stroke as she trembled through the aftershocks.
When Olivia returned to herself, she unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down over his hips.
She backed him toward the bed until his legs hit the side, and he was forced to lie down on the white duvet. He propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes boring into her.
She crawled onto the bed next to him and connected her mouth to his. She could taste his desire.
Holding herself up with one hand, she used the other to continue the journey across the planes and curves of his body.
She tugged on the waistband of his briefs, and he lifted his hips, helping her slip them off. She took a moment to explore, gently running her fingers down his length before taking him in her mouth.
“Uhhhh.” His sigh was braided with relief, pleasure, and anticipation.
Olivia sucked, nipped, and tugged, letting him in deep one moment, only to lightly kiss his tip the next. It became a game as she counted every “fuck” that escaped his lips, smiling against him with satisfaction.
After several minutes, his body stiffened. “Olivia. Stop. I can’t. Wait. I want to. ”
Incoherent, he pushed her away, and she let him. He looked at her with drunken lust, unable to articulate comprehensible sentences.
After a few ragged breaths, he asked, “Do you want…?”
“Yes!” she interrupted. “Do you have a condom?”
His eyes darted away shyly. “Yes.”
“Oh good,” she said, relieved. She wanted him to know he wasn’t the only one who had considered how this evening might end.
She lay back on her bed and watched him cross the room. Stroking herself slowly, legs parted for him, she admired his nakedness as he retrieved a foil packet from his jeans pocket.
Aiden returned, pausing briefly to watch her before unrolling the condom. He reached down and pulled off her panties, unwrapping her like a gift. He moved over her, his hardness warm against her sensitivity as he kissed her. He rubbed it there, gathering her wetness against him, increasing her pleasure.
He kissed Olivia across her jawline until his mouth hovered above her ear. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he whispered.
“Me too,” she said, realizing it was true.
His eyes were reverent as he slowly entered her. “Is this okay?”
“Oh…god. Yes.” Olivia’s head fell back against the pillow, chin tilting up as her body curved in pleasure. A key deep within her turned, releasing all tension from her body.
He grinned, and a touch of ego showed on his face. She met his eyes and smiled back.
When he started to move, she raised her hips to meet him, wave after wave, thrust after thrust .
As their bodies began to know each other, Aiden rolled over so Olivia was straddling him. She moved her hips, now in complete control, and the tension returned as her body sought a second climax. He reached between them and massaged to help her get there.
She cried out once more and collapsed onto him. He continued pumping his hips from below as she shivered in ecstasy. Moments later, his pace quickened, and he drove hard into her, guttural noises escaping from deep within him as he unlocked his own release.
For a moment, neither moved from the spot. Olivia rested her body on top of his, and Aiden’s hand gently stroked her back as they caught their breath, damp and panting from exertion.
After a quick, playful shower filled with kisses and caresses, they lay in bed, facing each other, silly smiles on their lips. Their heads rested on their respective pillows, but their legs were intertwined beneath the sheets. The room’s darkness graciously muted the intensity vibrating between them.
“You should come down to the Cities and stay with me if you can get away from the market for a weekend.”
Olivia appreciated the offer, but she didn’t want him to feel obligated or to feel whatever was between them had to be something it wasn’t. “Oh, it’s okay, you don’t have to do that.”
“Do what? ”
“You know,” Olivia said awkwardly, trying to let him know she wasn’t going to pine for him after one night of sex…she hoped.
“So, you’re saying I don’t have to hang out with a sweet, beautiful woman who makes me laugh? Oh man, what a relief ,” he said teasingly.
Olivia fought to control her lips, which were trying to split her face into an embarrassingly joyful smile. “This is all just very…unexpected. Like not in a million years expected. Come on, you must feel the same way.”
Aiden looked at her quizzically. “I mean, I never thought you were coming back from Seattle, so yeah, I’d agree. But this attraction between us has always been there, at least from my side of things.”
“Ohhh, riiight,” Olivia said sarcastically. “The kindergarten kiss.”
“Wait.” He looked at her, his expression serious. He lifted his eyebrows skeptically, “What? You don’t remember?”
“Remember what?” Olivia placed a finger on his dimple.
He looked at her expectantly. “The summer after senior year?”
Olivia thought back and remembered seeing more of him that summer. After graduation, all the different groups in their high school class started hanging out together, like all of the things keeping them apart during the previous twelve years of school had been erased by graduation.
She shook her head, not able to conjure a specific Aiden interaction. They hadn’t had sex. She’d definitely still been a virgin at that point, and she was pretty sure they hadn’t kissed. Surely she would have remembered kissing Aiden. Had they talked or something ?
“We were at my family’s cabin, just down the road?” He paused again, as if that would somehow make the memory click, but it didn’t. “Oh wow, you really don’t remember, do you?” He sounded genuinely surprised.
“I remember seeing you at a bunch of parties, and I vaguely remember a party at your family’s cabin. But not much else. To be fair, though, that was the summer I discovered vodka cranberry, dare I say, cocktails? I was such a goody two shoes all through high school, and knowing I was leaving for Seattle, I think I let my inhibitions way down that summer.” Olivia giggled at the memories she had retained.
“Now it’s embarrassing how well I remember.”
Olivia was dying to know what had transpired between them. He reached out, seeking her hand, and played with her fingers.
“So, we were at the cabin, and you were with your friend Maddy. You showed up to my party with this confidence and freedom like you didn’t care what any of us were going to do with the rest of our lives. You were there to dance and laugh and apparently drink a lot of vodka cranberries.”
“Oh funny, yeah, I mean, I actually did give zero fucks at that point. I had spent so many years trying to stay in my lane. Once I knew I was leaving, it all seemed so trivial.”
She didn’t share that she had developed a mild superiority complex because she had figured out how to get out of Minnesota when most everyone else from their graduating class hadn’t. And now here she was, sleeping with the prom king.
“It’s funny you remember that night so well. Did we dance or something?” she asked .
She prayed she hadn't been grinding on him. That was the only thing she could imagine beyond talking that would have left such an impression on him.
“Yeah, we danced.” Aiden grinned bashfully. “And…we went skinny dipping. Nothing happened, thank god. Especially now I know how sauced you were. But you kept laughing at me like I was this hilarious joke you couldn’t get over. It intrigued the hell out of me.”
Olivia tried hard once more to recall the night, wanting to have the memory for herself, but she figured she must have fully written Gresham off by then. The thought of them swimming naked together made her giddy for her eighteen-year-old self.
“So, you don’t remember waiting on me like every day at Jill’s for the next two weeks after that?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah, that I remember. That was weird. But I assumed you were perpetually hungover and really needed French Toast.”
Olivia laughed, considering those brief exchanges in a whole new light.
She leaned into her pillow a little more. “I do remember you smiling at me a lot, but I figured you just wanted attention because you were such a notorious ladies' man. And I remember being sort of indignant about it and trying to ignore you.”
“ Are you kidding me? That drove me insane !” He smacked his pillow for emphasis.
Olivia burst out laughing. When she recovered, she remembered one more detail. “Wait, but weren’t you with Ashley Lund?”
His eyes intensified, and his expression turned serious. “I broke up with her the morning after you and I went skinny dipping. ”
He gave her hand a squeeze as if to emphasize the impact their brief connection had on him.
“Shut up! You’re lying!”
“No.” He smiled. “I swear. I went to her house the next morning and broke it off. I think she was relieved, though. That whole high school sweetheart thing had run its course.”
“Oh yeah, that whole prom royalty thing? That was tough, huh?” Olivia said sarcastically.
“Oh my god. You don’t remember being naked together, but you remember that silliness?”
“Please, everyone remembers that.”
“If you say so.”
“Okay, so what happened? Why didn’t you ask me out if I had you so wrapped up in knots?”
He smiled. “Well, I wanted to, but you were leaving. And the attitude you gave me every time I walked into Jill’s totally threw me for a loop. I finally ran into Maddy at a party, and she gave me your number, but when I called the next day, your dad said you’d already left for Seattle.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” Olivia nodded, cheek rubbing against her soft pillow. “I didn’t get my first cellphone until I got to Seattle, and my mom and I left three weeks before classes began so we could stop at all the national parks on the way.”
After a brief pause, Olivia said in a teasing voice, “Awww, poor Aiden, I bet you had never experienced failure before.”
He unclasped her hand and playfully tugged on a lock of her hair before running it through his fingers. “You know, that summer of freedom seems to have stuck with you. You still don’t care what anyone in Gresham thinks of you, do you?” His tone sounded as if he admired her for this.
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. I'm a lot more sober these days.”
“At times,” he teased.
Olivia laughed, remembering her birthday party. “You know, there is something to be said for being in your thirties. I definitely feel more comfortable in my own skin. But all the same, it’s hard to be fully myself here, especially if I want people to buy vegetables from me. You know how it is. The fact I don’t go to church automatically puts me at a disadvantage, not to mention I’m so obviously a women’s libber. If I hadn’t been born and raised here, and if my dad didn’t do business with half of this town, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Hmmm…” Aiden said thoughtfully. “I think you underestimate the power of your likability.”
Olivia squirmed in delight. She rolled over and tucked herself against him as a “little spoon” so he couldn’t see the grin hijacking her face.
“I appreciate that,” she said.
“Good.” He kissed the back of her neck lightly.
After a minute, Olivia decided to make her own confession. “So, I guess I have something sort of embarrassing to admit as well.”
“Yes?” Aiden sounded eager.
“I might have dreamed about you since high school.”
Aiden’s eyebrows lifted, but he didn’t say anything.
“A few times,” she added quickly.
“Did you?” he asked in a playful tone. “I think you’re going to have to tell me more–it’s only fair. ”
“There’s not a lot to tell. You just showed up a few times in my dreams, and we might have done what we just did. It was random. Don’t read too much into it.”
She was starting to regret her confession, but Aiden nuzzled his nose in her hair, and she could feel him breathe in deeply. The sensation was enough to reassure her.
“You forgot to give me a tour of your garden,” he whispered.
“ Did I? ”
He chuckled.
“What time do you have to leave tomorrow morning?” she asked through a yawn.
“Five.”
“ Oofda . That’s too early. The garden will be here next time you're in town.”
The next morning, Olivia saw Aiden off. She placed a hastily made cup of coffee in his car’s cupholder while he threw his bag in the backseat.
He turned around and gave Olivia a hug goodbye. She let him in for a PG peck on the lips, hoping to spare him from her morning breath.
“Don’t forget to check your schedule. I owe you a proper date.” He gave her one more brief kiss before driving away.
When his car was gone from sight, Olivia returned to bed, but she was too twitterpated to fall back asleep. She relived the prior evening in her head, analyzing every word, trying once again to remember the story he had told her. After a full hour of basking, she gave up on sleep and got out of bed to start her chores.
The day was the least productive she could remember since moving home. She couldn’t stop checking her phone, but she had zero regrets. She thought back to the conversation she’d had with her mom on her birthday—about harnessing joy and remembering the point of it all. She was allowed to enjoy herself, even if the future was uncertain.
Olivia was about to cave and text Aiden first when her phone vibrated.
Aiden: Thanks again for last night and for coming to my dad's bday. Everyone loved you.
Olivia: That's sweet. Thank you.
Aiden: No, really.
Then he sent a screenshot of a text exchange with his mom.
Mom: Olivia is darling. Everyone loved her. Don't fuck this up.
Aiden: Thanks for the sage advice, mom.
Olivia laughed out loud. Grinning widely, she typed out a reply.
Olivia: Woah! Your mom used the F bomb! (Mouth open emoji)
Aiden: You should know she reserves that word for only extremely special occasions.
Olivia: I'm. So. honored.
And she kind of was. She was glad she’d made a good impression on his family, but to be fair, they had made it very easy on her. Though she did worry his mom’s expectations were too high. Were their moms about to start planning a wedding that was never going to happen? They still lived two hours from each other, and Aiden would be doing his fellowship in Saint Paul for at least a few more years. Those facts weren't exactly the foundation for a solid relationship.
She took a deep breath and let it out as she read Aiden’s last text.
Aiden: Let me know if you can get away for a weekend. Ms. Darcy is welcome to join us.
Olivia smiled, grateful he had pursued the point, not once, not twice, but three times. It had removed any hint of the invite being anything less than a genuine desire to spend more time together.
Olivia: I’m pretty sure I can. I just need to see if I can get my mom to help me out with the CSA. I'll figure something out and send you some dates.
Aiden: Sounds good. Let me know if you want me to ask Ethan if he can help as well. He owes me a favor.
Olivia: Lol…I think I’m good, but I’ll let you know.
As the days passed and they volleyed texts back and forth, Olivia grew more and more smitten. She was also more terrified. Their chemistry was fantastic, but the longer she spent in Gresham, the more it seemed like it was exactly where she needed to be. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the tug behind her belly button pulling her toward co-ownership of the farm with Philip.
Obviously, Aiden wouldn’t give up his fellowship program. Even if they stuck it out with long distance for the next three years, she didn’t think Gresham offered opportunities to specialize in pediatric emergency medicine .
Where did that leave them? Perpetual long distance? Olivia wasn’t twenty-four anymore. If she wanted all the things , she couldn't have fun without an endgame. That was how she ended up in a six-year relationship with Sam, headed nowhere. At the same time, she loved being in Aiden’s presence. He was kind and funny and oh-so-good in bed, not to mention the easy energy between them. She wondered how long she could keep seeing him before it would hurt too much to stop.
After an hour of obsessing, she sent out an SOS to Jessa, asking her to meet for a video chat to help Olivia sort through her buzzing emotions and half-frantic thoughts.
Jessa, a fitness guru, answered Olivia’s call while riding her stationary bike. She was breathing heavily when she said, “So what’s up, Olivia dear? Are you in love or what?”
“Woah, woah, woah, let’s not jump the gun here. I’m just a little…overwhelmed and maybe a bit confused.”
“And you can’t eat, and you can’t sleep, and you find yourself smiling for no reason?” Jessa teased.
“Okay, no, it’s definitely not that bad. I mean, I’m still eating.”
Jessa let out a loud bark of a laugh, momentarily pausing her bike. She recovered and got her legs moving again. “So, what’s the problem, chica?”
Oliva brought Jessa up to speed.
“And so, it seems like this is a huge waste of time because he lives in Saint Paul, and I live here, and my ovaries don’t have time to mess around.”
“You’re only thirty-one, Olivia! You’ve got time. Your eggs are still very much in good working order. ”
Unexpectedly, Olivia’s eyes welled at her friend’s reassuring words.
“And as for the distance thing, can’t you let yourself have a little fun with a man who seems genuinely nice? Like, so much better than Sam it’s not even funny?” Jessa had never pulled punches when it came to her dislike of Sam.
“I mean, I guess.”
“Did you or did you not come twice last night thanks to this Aiden fellow?”
“I did.”
“Case closed.”
Olivia laughed, not totally sure the case had been closed, but she also knew Jessa, and in Jessa’s mind, having fun without an endgame was the whole point of life.
“Also, sweetie, I know you, and I know where your head is at,” Jessa continued. “There are too many unknowns and too few good guys out there to pass this up. Just…let yourself be selfish for a change. For a little while, at least.”
Olivia thought about this for a moment. Though she hadn’t needed to, she had been asking for permission to keep seeing Aiden and keep letting herself feel all the things for him, even though it was risking her heart.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Jessa asked excitedly.
“Okay.”
“Okay! Now stop crying, and let’s talk about what you’re going to wear next time you see this fine man. Or perhaps what you’re not going to wear…” Jessa laughed at her own joke.
After Olivia and Jessa ended their chat, Olivia called her mom.
“Hey, sweetie,” her mom answered. “You okay?”
“Yes, I have a favor to ask…”