6. Olivia
OLIVIA
F or the second time in the span of a few weeks, I stood outside an Alessi building. This time, a gorgeous lake house. The Alessi family home was stunning. Like their offices, it was also an older structure carefully brought into modern times.
There were windows tucked into every nook and cranny of the navy siding. Big hydrangea bushes lined the exterior, nestled behind short stone walls.
Beyond the house sat a beautiful lake lined with other immaculately restored homes. Close enough to add a lake community atmosphere, but far enough to provide privacy.
I shouldn’t have been surprised by any of this. This family specialized in creating exactly this scenario, but it was still impressive and exciting for me. I dealt with a lot of newer construction, so getting to see these older homes restored and adapted to modern times was a treat.
Buying myself some more time before I had to face Lucas and his entire extended family, I picked up my phone and, out of habit, checked my email. Then I immediately regretted my decision.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Belated Birthday Wishes
Olivia - I apologize for the delayed sentiment. I hope you had an enjoyable day.
All the best,
Linda
My birthday was two weeks ago. I spent it at Tony’s with Maria and Tony, eating my weight in desserts and watching a crime drama that Maria dubbed “hot” and Tony called “deeply disturbing.” Then Maria and I got wine drunk and took full advantage of the jukebox.
I wish I could say my mother’s absence went unnoticed, but no matter how many times she let me down, it still surprised me.
Losing the love of a parent through death is so difficult, but never having the love of a parent who was alive, but just chose not to care about you was its own sort of torture. It took me years of repeated disappointment and pain to build up enough of a tough outer shell to cope.
I sighed. Deciding anything was better than rereading that email, I grabbed the dish I brought from my passenger seat and stepped out of my car.
From the flow of other guests, it seemed everyone was foregoing entering the home in favor of heading directly for the backyard.
I followed suit while continuing to admire the details of the exterior.
The house had to be a hundred years old.
When I turned the corner to access the backyard, I couldn’t believe the number of people in front of me. It hadn’t seemed like there were this many cars parked in the drive.
I was both relieved and newly stressed. It would be much easier to get lost in the crowd, but also…
there was a crowd. I wasn’t averse to social situations per se, but I didn’t know anyone here or what their relationship to the Alessis was.
I was possibly walking into a party full of family or other contractors.
I searched faces for anyone I recognized, which I acknowledged was futile because it was likely I only barely knew two people at this gathering. That thought made me question, not for the first time today, why I was here.
As I contemplated my poor decision making, a large, familiar man yelled my name from across the lawn.
“Olivia! You made it!”
Adrian was standing at a grill, wearing an apron that said ‘I like pig butts and I cannot lie’. He began walking my way, tongs still in hand.
When he reached me, he gave me a sideways hug as he began guiding me toward the patio where most of the guests congregated.
“Welcome to the Alessi abode! Happy Fourth.”
“Hi, thank you for inviting me. The house is absolutely gorgeous.”
At that, an older man approached us, offering his hand. He had soft eyes surrounded by wrinkles clearly etched from years of smiling. He wore a broad grin that settled perfectly into the lines.
He was clearly the father of the two Alessi sons I’d met so far. Sharing their stature and dark, commanding features.
“Well, thank you, young lady. My boys here should take the credit for the house, but they never let me brag on them. Well, except this one,” he turned to Adrian, “but he certainly doesn’t need more compliments.”
I took his outstretched hand with a laugh. I didn’t know Adrian well, but I would already agree with that statement.
“You must be Olivia. I’m Marcus Alessi,” he offered. His kind eyes sparkled and put me at ease.
“That’s me. Thank you for having me.”
“Nonsense! Everyone’s welcome on the Fourth. You’re just as beautiful as I’ve heard. I thought my boys here were exaggerating.”
Oh god. They’d been talking about me?
Didn’t matter. I didn’t care what Lucas thought of me. None of my concern.
Marcus watched my reaction to his comment as I muttered a thank you. I swore I could see him physically file it away. His eyes dipped to the dish in my hands.
“What do we have here?” he asked.
“Oh, I wanted to bring something to contribute. It’s a quiche - prosciutto and gruyere. My father’s recipe. I know it’s not standard picnic food, but it’s incredible, I promise.”
“How lovely. Thank you. Let’s put it out for folks and then I’ll introduce you around. ”
Adrian raised his eyebrows at me and cocked his head to the side as he whistled his way back to the grill. “See you later, Liv.”
I wasn't sure if it was specific to me or simply his personality, but Adrian seemed to function as if he always had a happy secret. It was somehow both comforting and unnerving at the same time.
Between him and his dad, I felt a little like I was waiting for an ambush. They both seemed to know something I didn’t.
After dropping my dish on the table of food, Marcus walked me around to a few small groups. At the second group, I scoped out the other guests and knew I was about to meet the third Alessi brother in person. He shared what I’d come to realize were signature Alessi features.
“Leo! I believe you know Ms. Olivia here by name only. Here she is in the flesh.” Mr. Alessi swept his hand vaguely over me.
My gaze met coffee-colored eyes framed by the same thick, dark lashes all the Alessi men unfairly possessed. But instead of reflecting happy secrets like Adrian’s, these eyes seemed more guarded. I extended my hand to meet his outstretched one.
Even through his reserved expression, he offered me a welcoming smile, which I soaked up appreciatively. For some reason, Leo intimidated me. It seemed like he might know he had that effect on people and tried to soften it a bit.
“Of course. Hi, Ms. Dawson. Happy Fourth.”
“Thanks, you too. Please, call me Olivia.”
“Okay then, Olivia. I'd ask how the Arnoult project is going, but we have a strict no shop talk policy at this picnic.”
Mr. Alessi straightened a bit in a show of performative authority. “That’s right. No work on the Fourth. Only fun, food, and fireworks.”
I laughed at the “rules” while Leo offered me a shrug. I liked Leo. He wasn’t over the top friendly and didn’t say more words than necessary, but he seemed like a solid guy and spent just enough energy making me comfortable to ease the initial jumpiness he’d conjured.
The group continued to chat. I interjected where appropriate, but I couldn’t help scanning the crowd for a certain face.
I’d made myself a promise to put thoughts of him aside in order to enjoy this day rather than be anxious about it. Execution on that promise was going fairly poorly since I’d been blatantly comparing every Alessi I met to him, as well as every other man.
Along the way, someone gave me a cup of “Stars and Stripes Sangria”, which had little stars cut out of apple slices floating in it, as well as blueberries and strawberries. I sipped the drink while I practiced not looking for Lucas.
Right as the conversation moved to a new movie coming out this weekend, I felt goosebumps rise on the back of my neck. A moment later, I heard why.
“Ms. Dawson.”
I turned to find the Alessi I had definitely not been searching for since I arrived.
Today he was wearing shorts that hit him a few inches above the knee, white sneakers, and a casual henley with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
He looked relaxed and handsome in a whole new way.
Could this guy just stop adding on ways to look hot already?
It was borderline disrespectful at this point.
I must have been staring, probably with a mortifying expression on my face, because Lucas said, “You look surprised to see me at my family’s lake house,” with a faint smirk on his face.
Obviously not surprised to see him. But definitely unprepared for this version of Lucas Alessi. Casual Picnic Lucas.
I felt like I was collecting Ken dolls. Business Owner Ken. Construction Worker Ken. Picnic Ken. I stopped myself before I came up with more–deeply inappropriate–Kens I wanted to collect.
I gathered myself enough to respond, “Hi Lucas. Happy Fourth.”
“You too. I’m sure you’ve heard the no shop talk rule, so I won’t bring up Helen’s project. And it looks like you’ve already got a drink, so I’m out of icebreakers.”
“Yes, and it's delicious, by the way. Hats off to the bartender.” I offered my sincere praise of the drink I’d been sipping.
“That would be Adrian. Though I’d be careful. He’s not known for his light hand when mixing those up.”
My feminine pride wanted to fight back against a man presuming to know how much alcohol I could handle.
In actuality, I knew that, indeed, I should not drink more than a couple of these drinks.
They tasted like that fake sense of security that came from disguised alcohol that could lull you into poor decisions.
So instead I replied, “I’ll keep that in mind. So this is where you and your brothers grew up? ”
He did a quick once over of the property. “It didn’t always look like this but, yeah. When we were kids, it was a lot more rustic. The entire community has stepped it up over the years.”