As the day came to a close, Olivia and I walked out of the courthouse past the crowds that were shouting questions at us while we walked down the steps of the building and both of us slid into the low black car. I had planned a date for the two of us and it required the two of us going to Eleven Madison Park. I took Olivia to many of the more expensive restaurants, most of which recognized me so clearly that I'd gotten into the habit of never paying because there was the addition of my card on file.
Driving away from the curb I began the journey back to Southampton, I'd forgotten what had come from the journey her and I took together. She had witnessed the type of man I'd been the one who was still too unstable to be well, and yet Olivia still stood by me, allowed me to grow and not to compare me. She'd never compared me, and in my head I could only compare her to an angel, after that there was nothing. No one would compare to the woman I hoped to one day have a family with. It was also that same reason that I hoped to make sure that no one would ever stand against me or my company. I wanted to be sure no one could harm the people that I surrounded myself with and it was for them that I'd be certain that no one had anything bad be leaked to the world. I would take that blame again and again for as long as it took.
Getting onto the main highway I felt Olivia's hand wrap around mine, before her head resting on my shoulder, looking over at her I was met by those piercing grey eyes that never lacked an inkling of trust. I thought she could do better then me, that she eventually would, and instead in my tendency to be the best at everything I'd become the person she needed and wanted at the same time.
Besides she would always look better with me.
"Hello bellissima," I say glancing down at her and she smiled at me in return.
"Hi Adrian," she mewed and I tilted my head against hers as I drove down the road.
"You're going to have to put on a formal dress for dinner tonight, Olivia, I'm taking you for dinner," I say and she nods seeming happy, and the smile that had permeated her expression never left filling the rest of the trip back to the Hamptons in a joy only she could exhume.
When I got back to the house I parked the car and climbed out before rounding the vehicle and opening the door while Olivia picked up her purse and stepped out.
"Thank you," she says before her and I walked up to our front door and stepped into the home. Slipping off my shoes I carried them up to the second floor and off to the bedroom which since I had everything linked to my phone, and security system to turn on the lamps in my home.
Pulling off that day's suit I walked into the bathroom and stepped into the shower and let the rainfall showerhead send blades of hot water down onto my tense shoulders. I prided myself on my composure something that slipped on certain circumstances, but I balled all of it into my shoulders, and I wished that it wasn't the case but unfortunately I had my vices and emotional control led to tension I relieved in only a few ways.
I then heard the door slide and glanced to the other end of the tiled space to where the opposing showerhead was while the wooden shelves that had been integrated into the shower supported the soup bottles we each used.
"What?" Olivia asks crossing her arms over her chest, and I stepped closer to her before wrapping an arm around her middle, while the other held the side of her face.
"You, you're perfect, all of you is perfect," I whisper, and she hums resting her head more into my hand.
"I like the feel of your hands. They've done shit, and they're not exactly rough either," she muses and I exhaled in amusement.
"Hands that could fight someone, and make love in the same day," I say thinking of all the times I'd gone to Taz's and brought my hands to a bloody mess. I could still feel the years of destruction I'd done to my body, my personal desolation until I had more to my life then pain.
"Yes they could," Olivia says and I nod tilting my head down until it rested on hers, watching as her expression shifted and her eyes dipped down to my torso. "I used to think you would play a game of getting with the scholarship girl. I was so insecure about it, but you weren't I saw that more and more each day," she adds still not looking at me.
"I couldn't play a game with you Olivia, I'd carry so much guilt that I'd be haunted by it forever if I thought I'd hurt you emotionally," I say looking at her and admiring not just her beauty but the person she'd become. Olivia wasn't unfamiliar with the world I lived in. I had gotten to learn that she and her friends from Williamsburg had discussed that there were girls at Thornbrook that had better features then them, while many of those girls weren't natural, and I wondered if even after the years since then Olivia had yet to move past those insecurities.
"You're giving me that look," she says and I met her eyes as water trickled over the two of us.
"What look?" I ask barely above a murmur as I watched her expression, trying to decipher what she could be thinking. What she was looking for in my eyes?
"Like I'm the only girl you'll ever view as special," she replies and I laugh softly.
"Because you're the only woman, I'll ever look at with love, then one day I may look at a girl with love. But that girl will call you mom," I say and Olivia flushed deep red.
"Maybe I'll have more then C's then," she jokes glancing at her chest, and I couldn't stop the hearty laugh that left my chest even with the effort of suppressing it.
"Your body could make Aphrodite jealous, Olivia, and every other girl in this world," I whisper to her and she laughed, all while I smiled at her, hoping that for once my wall of emotions would slip so she could experience the full force of how much I loved her, and from the gleam her eyes took when she looked back at me, she could.
"Of course you'd say that," Olivia mutters and I pressed my lips to her forehead.
"I'll tell you it even when we're eighty," I say stepping away from her so I could wash myself and get ready for our date. When I was finished showering I got out and dried off before heading into the closet and pulling on trousers, pointed derby shoes and a black ribbed pullover sweater, and a moss green wool dinner jacket that was double buttoned so it could be used as a outdoor and dinner jacket.
Returning to the bathroom I styled my hair and cleaned up my beard and mustache while Olivia press dried her hair beside me.
"Having long hair sucks," she mutters and I just chuckled observing her grab fists of her hair in the towel she was hold again and again in rows making her hair curly more then anything.
"It's easy to hold onto though, and to play with," I say and she stared blankly at me through her lashes.
"I will do something Hunter worthy and glue a wig to your raven hair".
"You like my hair too much to do that Livi," I quip and she bumped into me hard.
"Fuck off with your being rightness," she muttered and I just shrugged before I left the bedroom to go confirm the reservation, and make sure the car had enough gas for getting to New York and back.
Stepping out into the night I walked over to my car and opened the door before starting the engine which let out a dampened growl as it reached prime idle, and I could cycle through the display to get my mileage range.
I then climbed from the car and went down to my garage to retrieve the many gallons of ninety-four octane I put in my cars before returning to the Aston and filling it up. I then reset the scanner, and returned the jug to the garage.
As I had the doors shut I watched Olivia walk out of the house in an Essex green dinner dress and heels which she'd had the luxury of having them made to all be comfortable and not dig into her feet when she wore them.
"Too much she asks," lifting her head to meet my eyes.
"You could never be too much Olivia," I say opening the passenger door and she climbed into the passenger seat. Pushing the door shut, I then got into the driver seat and backed out before heading off for Manhattan again, and the dinner I intended to share with Olivia to forget about the case just for a few hours, if my mind being distracted by her would allow it.
When I reached the city I parked and rounded the hood to help Olivia put of the car before shutting the door of the Aston behind her. She was a sight, she usually was and beyond that she was drawing the attention of everyone that was in the lobby of the restaurant.
I hated when people stared at Olivia. But I also knew that there was nothing about her that wasn't worth admiring. She was also mine for now and always, just as my heart would be hers for the duration of time.
Getting to the front desk, I glanced around the slowly filling restaurant and then back to the waitress who stared me up and down and I realized she'd previously gone to Thornbrook, but Olivia's grip on my arm made it clear I was claimed all while my disinterested look in the waitress and human kind in general worked its magic.
As we were led to our table I glanced to Olivia who narrowed her eyes at the waitresses back before lightening under my gaze.
My woman, always.
Sitting down at our booth, I kept my eyes on the door from my chair all while I felt the press of the pistol in the back of my pants dig into my which I adjusted and sheded my jacket so that I could be comfortable leaning back into the chair.
I'd started traveling with a pistol whenever there was a situation, and as a result I'd carried one since I was seventeen until I graduated from Thornbrook and once again when I learned about all of this bullshit.
Sliding the menu to the edge of the table I ordered a bottle of Provence Rosé Desclans. I wanted something else then a grain derived alcohol for once and as usual I was given what I wanted based on appearance.
"You're a year under and you just got it like that," Olivia says and I tip the fake at her which had my birthday moved by one year.
"I'll be destroying it soon, but for events with you it seems important to use," I say with a small smirk, "besides the rules don't apply to the rich".
"Your ego is going to catch up to you one day," Olivia says with an unabashed smile. She could challenge me on everything but she'd never do it publicly.
"My ego is what got me everything in life, even you," I say matching her smile and I watched the blush creep onto her face.
"And I still had to give you a hint of admittence," she says as our glasses were set down with the bottle and they were filled.
"I will still say I acted first," I say pointing to her before I took a sip.
"Yes, because walking me to the gym counts, my broody asshole for life," she quips with a smile and I shook my head slightly.
"You told me I wasn't an asshole just terrifying to ninety-nine percent of the one percent," I correct and she wraps her hand around my free one.
"I'm glad I got to see behind the mask you show the world, Adrian," Olivia says and as usual a small piece of my stone wall frame chipped away as she always did, and would.
Alright decent length I won't complain, comment, vote, and share. My eyes are heavy, I'm going to sleep. Anyways i appreciate you all.
Peace✌