Cold Outside

26 - You loved her

Ava took one look at him after Bethany left and said, "You must be some smooth operator, Romeo. I don't want to know what went on down there."

"Then I won't tell you she's going to move back to the beach, but she's not telling Lucas until after Saturday night." Oliver was smiling.

"Good thing you found yourself an apartment." She smiled.

"It was time, but I also hoped it would be the push she needed." He confessed.

Oliver and Ava talked about the details for Saturday night. Instead of paying staff, Ava's Josh agreed to carry trays. David had agreed to work the bar for tips most likely because of Caitlyn. They had to pay some kitchen staff, but Oliver arranged for some older teen center boys to help. Lucas was paying them a small portion of the ticket price to help with the cost of food, but they were still donating quite a lot, not to mention lost revenue. Ava told Oliver that she needed him bright and early the next three days to help her with the pastries.

"You know I'm not good at pastry." He complained.

"You're strong and it will make you sexier, Romeo." She teased.

Pastry required pounding out butter and rolling the dough and butter multiple times. It was physical work. It amazed Oliver how easy Ava made it seem. For more reasons than one, he'd be glad when Saturday was over. Beth would be setting up most of the day, and that made him happy. Maybe they could steal away downstairs for a kiss, he thought wistfully.

Friday came, and Oliver was excited to be seeing his parents. His mother made him text her his specials. "The menu's online, but I'll be thinking all day about what I want my talented son to make for me."

"Please don't embarrass me."

Oliver was always close with both his parents, but especially his mother.

After Hayley broke up with him, Oliver went to look for Bethany. He came back sad, but his mother thought it was because of Hayley. It relieved him when they finally had it out over her jealousy of Ava. Oliver was going to France, and Hayley would not stop him. If he had found Beth in Maine, she wouldn't have stopped him either. He would have told her, he loved her and asked her to wait for him knowing he had no right to.

Immediately after they returned a year later, he went looking for Beth again. When he returned home, his mother knew he was unhappy. Oliver had no reason to be sad after his amazing experience abroad and his new job he had lined up in Boston.

"Ollie, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I went back to Maine to find a friend who's disappeared." He answered vaguely.

"A friend?"

"Yes, a friend. Mom, I'm sorry that things didn't work out with Hayley. I know how disappointed you were."

"Oh honey, I should apologize to you. I pushed my dreams on you. Believe me, Hayley recovered well. You hadn't even landed in France and she was running around with some guy in a convertible. It didn't last, but there were a few this year. I thought you'd have beautiful children." Her voice was filled with sadness.

"Except she wants dogs not children, so that would have been a disappointment."

"I guess you're right. So this friend in Maine?"

"I know I had no right to, but I really liked her. I had to choose, and I chose Hayley for all the wrong reasons and now it's too late."

When he told his mother about their plans to open a restaurant in Portland, she asked, "Are you still hoping to find your friend?"

"If I can, I'd like to know she's alright."

"You loved her, didn't you Ollie?"

He answered, "Yes, probably more than I realized at the time."

He wished that he could tell his mother about Bethany, but he couldn't because he owed it to both her and Lucas, who oddly enough was his friend, to keep his feelings secret. His parents were arriving in an hour, and it was a busy night. He was glad his mother made her entrée choice so he could ensure he saved a serving for her.

About a half hour before his parent's party was due to arrive, a server came back and said, "Hey Chef, your friends are here again."

He knew that Lucas had insisted on taking Bethany out tonight, but wouldn't tell her where. He'd been so busy helping Ava, that he didn't even think to check the reservations.