Just because someone understands themselves - their mind, interests and opinions - doesn't mean that they can make decisions and be decisive.
When someone understands themselves it means that they know the reasons for having two choices. For instance, Olivia wanted to go and party but it was January and cold. The two options passed back and forth between her mind as she thought of all the pros and cons: should she go or stay?
She was already dressed. It was a 60's themed party, Lucy Grove (the birthday girl and party planner) had been obsessed with breakfast at Tiffany's and really wanted to dress up as Audrey Hepburn so she had set the theme as 60's for that reason alone.
Olivia had bought a silver, metallic playsuit with matching knee high boots, which were equally as shiny, along with a plastic, inaccurate, gun (which looked more like a pistol).
Ever since she had heard the theme was 60s she knew she wanted to dress up as Barbarella. Her dark brown hair was in the classic messy waves that had become her staple along with her 70s haircut - she had shown a picture of Brigitte Bardot to her hairdresser and said 'that's what I want'. If there was one thing people always remembered about Olivia, after her smile and bright green eyes, it was her hair.
After she debated with herself, trying to decide if she wanted to go out, she eventually came to the conclusion that she had already bought the outfit (and gotten ready) so it would be a waste not to go - even if it was just for an hour. She grabbed a thick coat since it was cold and wet, which was usual in London during January (and well, most months not even just winter), and called a cab.
She had thought it was strange that Lucy had planned her party on a Tuesday but she had said that she wanted to celebrate on her birthday.
That was the luxury of having a flexible job, you could choose your days off. She wasn't sure how many other people would be there, since most people had actual 9-5's and would have work the next day, but the small bar she had booked was full of people. There were a couple of people outside smoking and some that just needed fresh air (since Olivia had spent about an hour trying to decide if she was coming they had a head start on getting drunk). There was one guy sat on the steps in the doorway his head hung between his knees. Olivia slid past him.
She had walked in and had gone straight to the bar for a drink. She hated standing around looking lost so she quickly ordered a drink, it gave her time to look around and try to find some people that she knew.
Whilst Olivia liked Lucy they weren't very close, they had done a few shoots together but they had never gone out for lunch or even coffee - Olivia was actually surprised to be invited but she assumed that Lucy just wanted a lot of people and didn't care who they were.
She spotted a group of girls all wearing hippie flower girl outfits with flared sleeves and matching headbands. There was one guy dressed up as Austin Powers, which made Olivia chuckle as she sipped her drink. As she looked around she assumed everyone had just googled '60's costume' and she suddenly felt very proud of her costume in a pretentious way - she liked feeling like her outfit was better than everyone else's, even if that was a very egotistical thing to be proud of.
Just as she spotted a group of some people she might know, or at least felt confident enough to talk to, Lucy had grabbed her shoulder and when Olivia turned around in surprise Lucy had pulled her into a hug.
She was tall, most models are, with black hair and pale skin. Her eyebrows were thick and her lips were a rich pink naturally that matched her blushed cheeks. What Olivia liked about Lucy was that she didn't take herself too seriously, she still had fun and didn't stick her nose up at people.
"I am so happy that you're here!" She squealed and she squeezed her tightly, she was clearly already drunk from how happy she acted. "Come with me, I'll introduce you to some of my friends. I'm so happy you're here." She kept repeating that phrase which made Olivia laugh as she followed her to a table.
She knew that if she had decided not to come Lucy wouldn't of even noticed her absence. She wasn't offended by this, she just thought it was humorous how alcohol could amplify you emotions - Lucy was clearly a happy and hyper drunk.
Lucy led her to one of the tables in the back corner of the bar, dimly lit since the bar's lights were dimmer than a candle flame. Though, she could still see all of their faces, a group of 6 people were sat around the table. "Guys this is my best friend, Olivia . . ." She began with her arm wrapped around Olivia's shoulders. Then she scrunched her eyebrows together, "What's your last name?"
Olivia laughed and whispered in Lucy's ear, not only because it was loud and she could hear her better this way but to also give Lucy the chance to act like she knew it all along, "Warren."
"Olivia Warren." She said to the group of people sitting down at the booth. She then got immediately distracted, she acted like a dog surrounded by squirrels or birds as her head whipped around, "Oh my god, Terri just arrived, you guys talk to Olivia, I'll be right back!" She practically pushed Olivia into a seat and she rushed off, stumbling as she left.
Most people in this situation would feel awkward and would be uncomfortable surrounded by so many strangers but Olivia was someone who flourished with people - she was easy to talk to and the only thing intimidating about her was how pretty she was.
She quickly reintroduced herself and began a conversation with one of the guys sat at the table. His name was Matt and the others were members of the band he was apart of. There were also two girls, Breana who was Matt's girlfriend and Katie who was Jamie's.
Matt had pointed at each one of them and introduced them since Olivia couldn't hear them over whatever pop, party anthem was playing.
She had heard about the Arctic Monkeys before but couldn't of put their faces to the name.
Once you meet a couple of bands and musicians that mesmerisation begins to wear away and you don't become starstruck anymore, or at least not as much - they eventually just become people to you.
So whilst Olivia admired anyone with the talent to produce anything slightly lyrically or rhythmically good (which she could never do) she didn't act exaggeratedly blown away. Sometimes this offended people but then they deserved the ego blow, no one was worthy of being praised just for creating something - though she had to admit that the Arctic Monkey's hadn't just created something they had created something great and it did feel slightly surreal to be talking to them so casually.
Everyone seemed to get along with Olivia, eventually after a few more drinks it seemed liked she wasn't just someone that they had just met, she just fit in so easily - there was just something so naturally likeable about her.
Olivia had always been able to fit into a group with ease, she didn't have to try hard to be liked - she just was. Of course the fact that she was attractive helped, but she was also socially aware and wasn't terribly dull and humourless (like some people, who assume they can just ease through life based on looks alone). Olivia was truly the full package.
Katie and Breana really enjoyed having another girl to talk to. The only person who didn't seem happy to have Olivia there was Alex, sat at the end of the table wearing his sunglasses and a scowl.
He wasn't someone who would admit to enjoying themselves when already stating that he wouldn't. He had told them that he didn't want to go to 'a stupid 60s party for a fucking girl I don't even know the name of' and he was adamant on proving that he was right by sulking all night.
He was extremely stubborn and wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of admitting that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.
He didn't even bother dressing up, the rest of them did (Jamie was dressed as James Bond, Matt as a cowboy and Nick as George Taylor from 'Planet of the Apes'.) At the start of the night he hadn't talked to anyone, still annoyed at them all for forcing him to come. Only after a few drinks - which they had bought as an apology because who could be mad at free drinks and 'to get him lighten up' - did he join in on their conversations.
Then Lucy came back to their table, somehow drunker then when she had left, with a girl next to her. She was hard to take your eyes off, dressed head to toe in silver and if it wasn't covered in metallic pleather then her bare skin was on show. Even disregarding the eye catching outfit her brown, mash 70s hair and dark, almost maroon lips, were mesmerising. It was clear that she was another model, it would be a waste of beauty if she wasn't.
Alex wasn't too fond of models, most were the same - pretty but not much else. However, he noticed that Olivia hadn't stopped smiling or laughing since he saw her, it was a smile that made you want to smile - even if you were in a bad mood like he was.
A part of him hoped that she would be rude or obnoxious so that they wouldn't talk to her and she'd leave, she wasn't, she was annoyingly cool.
It was worse that everyone else seemed to like her too. Alex had just come out of a relationship and he hadn't been handling it well.
You can't be a songwriter and not be a romantic, whilst when your in love it can be great it means you feel heartbreak worse than anyone else. If someone met him they just assuming he was a jerk - that fake had gotten to his head. Matt, Jamie and Nick knew he was being a jerk because he was heartbroken but they didn't know how to help if he just get pushing them away.
She hadn't even talked to him, not even smiled directly at him. He had just watched her from across the table. Even then, just watching from the sidelines, without even a second of eye contact - let alone a touch, he knew that, given the chance she could make him fall in love with her.
He couldn't handle that, his heart hadn't even finished mending, he needed her gone.
Olivia had noticed Alex, he was sat at the end of the table, next to Katie. He hadn't joined in on the conversation at all and since she had arrived it seemed as if he physically turned away, removing himself from the group. It made her frustrated for lot of reasons. Mainly because he couldn't even be polite enough to act interested, even if he wasn't. But also because she was so used to getting attention. She liked to walk in a room and know that if she wanted to she could get any guy in there to go home with her - that she was desirable, the ego boost of knowing that people admire you.
She didn't mind if it was narcissistic, she was a little bit of a narcissist and she didn't mind admitting that. Though Alex being so uninterested in her, almost repulsed by the sight of her, it only filled her with a need to prove that she could get him to like her.
Eventually, maybe 30 minutes later when they had gotten past the basic getting to know each other questions (which Alex did not participate in) and they had gone on to discussing cereal brands, a strange topic that seemed to come out of nowhere, was when Alex had excused himself from the table to go for a smoke.
It was the perfect opportunity.
"I think I'll come join you if you don't mind." Olivia said, already standing up and grabbing her coat.
He couldn't say no, it wasn't that he didn't want to be rude but, when he was about to say he'd rather go alone, she was already getting up. She wasn't asking, she had already decided and there was no arguing with her. He didn't wait for her as he left the pub but she was quick to follow him.
It was extremely cold even with the warmth of alcohol, Olivia's cheeks and nose went pink as she stepped out into the cold wind. "How do you know Lucy?" Olivia asked. Alex had gotten out a pack of cigarettes lighting one without even looking at her. It was clear that if she wanted to talk to him she'd have to start the conversation.
"I don't." He quipped not even turning to give her a glance, but a single acknowledgment - this guy really was a diva Olivia thought as she sighed.
It was clear that Alex wasn't going to offer her a smoke so she grabbed one from her coat pocket (she's wasn't a big smoker but she kept a packet spare for moments like these). She lit it and asked him, "So how did you get invited?" She wasn't giving up, desperate to crack this wall he had put up between them.
"Matt dragged me here." He shrugged, exhaling the cigarette smoke as he tilted his head back so it rested against the building wall. His neck stretched out and eyes closed. That was the first time that Olivia was aware of how attractive he was, it was just a shame that he was aware of it and didn't have a good personality to match.
Alex wasn't giving her much to go off. It was clear that he wasn't interested in talking to her. His answers were short and quick not even a hint of enthusiasm. Olivia felt like she should just give up but she was persistent and she hated not being in control or getting her way. "What are you dressed up as?"
She could tell that he hadn't dressed up and this was his usual attire but there was always a possibility that maybe she just didn't understand his costume and she was running out of things to talk about.
Alex was getting more frustrated the longer she spoke.
She was occasionally taking drags of her cigarette bringing his attention to her lips as he watched her from the corner of his eyes behind his sunglasses. She was stood next to him leaning against the wall about a half a metre apart, he could smell her perfume and shampoo - she smelt like cherries.
He tried his best to not look at her at all since he knew he wouldn't be able to look away. Though she never left, even with his intentionally blunt and rude replies. He hated that she was trying to put effort into talking to him - it was making it harder for him to resist giving into her.
He decided that if his passive aggressive approach wasn't going to work then he was going to have to be outright mean.
He had convinced himself that it was the only option. "Look, if you want to say you slept with one of the Artic Monkeys then go bother Nick but I'm not interesting in fucking you." He didn't think that she was trying to sleep with him but it was the only thing he could think of that would make her go away.
He was expecting her to storm off, maybe throw her cigarette at him or slap him, but she didn't. He quickly leant that Olivia Warren was refreshingly unpredictable.
Instead of getting angry or upset she simply laughed and since the moment that they were alone together this was the first time he had looked at her. She shook her head as she laughed and then tilted her head to the side as she looked up at him, "I don't go bragging about who I sleep. And don't worry. I don't want to sleep with you either."
He hadn't won and she had stayed.