Chapter 49
A Breakfast Determination
Kodi
Irolled over in our hotel bed and reached out for Olli without opening my eyes.
After a night of coaxing him to join our drunken shenanigans and depression whines, we came back to his room and cuddled while watching Food Network.
And while I could still hear some lady talk about chicken quesadillas, I couldn’t feel my cuddle buddy.
I sat up and looked around the room, eyes squinted. No Olli. Groaning, I moved over to the night stand to grab my phone, grateful the only notification I had was from my missing person.
Olli: In case you wake up while I’m gone, I just went downstairs to grab us breakfast
The message was sent a little over ten minutes ago, so with a grumble, I got up, got dressed, and made my way to the buffet in the lobby. There, in front of the waffle maker was my man, bookended by two little girls yapping at him.
“Could you put chocolate chips in mine?” the shorter girl asked, pushing on her tiptoes to watch Olli pour the batter.
“No, I already —” He paused and took a deep breath, then looked around the table. “I don’t see any chocolate chips here. Sorry.”
“What about bananas?” the other girl asked.
“I think it’d taste better if you put them on top of the waffle,” Olli said before closing the waffle maker and flipping it over.
I was too emotionally unstable to handle Olli being cute with kids. Any more and I might decide the solution to all my problems would be to marry him and pop out some kids.
It wasn’t a bad idea, just a bad idea right now.
Olli would make such a great dad and I’d be an amazing soccer mom and definitely not get too nosy about their relationships, platonic or otherwise. And I’d never get them sugar-free Capri-Suns.
“All right, here’re your waffles.” Olli handed the older girl a plate of four waffles and ruffled the younger one’s head. “Let your folks pour your syrup, okay?”
They rambled some affirmatives before leaving Olli behind to join two women at a table in the back, the girls grinning ear to ear. The women peppered the girls with questions, then waved their thanks to Olli.
“You know,” I said, walking up to him and sliding an arm around his. “The whole grumpy with everybody but kids thing really works for you.”
“You think so?” he said with a little chuckle. He nodded to the waffle machine and I eagerly bobbed my head. He started fixing up a waffle for me and asked, “Feeling any better?”
“Uh, I guess so. I just needed to pout for an evening.” Though even as I said it, I felt the pit in my stomach reopen.
“Don’t lie to me, baby.” He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. He did that a lot. And I really liked how it made me feel safe.
“Fine, it sucks and I hate it. It’s so unfair that fucking Renee Hall had to be Carlos’s agent. If it was literally anyone else, we could’ve gone with the long but safe plan.”
“It also doesn’t help that the owners wanna sell. I don’t think Hansen would’ve been as harsh under normal conditions.” The waffle maker beeped and Olli carefully peeled it off. “One good?”
I looked around at the other food offerings and scrunched up my nose. Olli chuckled and poured another cup of mix.
“Your calendar idea is really good, by the way. I call dibs on the Whipper Snappers.”
“Oh no,” I said in soft, mock worry. “Somebody already claimed that one.”
“Who?” Olli asked, voice a little sharp until he looked at me and realized I was joking. “Don’t do that to me, Kodi.”
“Why not? The campaign won’t happen anyway, so I might as well joke about it.”
“It could still happen.”
“Olli, it’s okay. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t done that whole flashing thing years ago, I would’ve gotten the job when I first applied. It’s a hard truth, but one I’m going to have to accept.”
“Kodi.” He said my name so softly, it hurt.
“Olli, stop, it’s fine. I will grow as a person, become a more responsible adult, and maybe start looking for another job.
Don’t tell Brooker, but I think staying with the team with my dreams crushed might eat away at my soul some.
And I’d especially hate for you to get in more trouble because of me. ”
“No.”
“No what? Olli, our relationship won’t be affected by me working elsewhere. I mean, we might see each other less hours a day, but that’s normal.”
“No, I mean you’re not giving up on your dream job.” The waffle maker beeped again and Olli made quick work of getting it out. “Grab whatever other food you want and let’s go. We’re making this work.”