Olivia
Carol Rhea was literally the human embodiment of nails on a chalkboard. She was bitter, pretentious, and never under any circumstances was she wrong.
Given, she did argue with people for a living. That is exactly why she was in town. She was working for some big case, and decided to just drop by and see me.
However what turned into an awkward meet and greet in my living room at nine pm on a Sunday, turned into a stiff, yet classy dinner Monday.
All day at work I had dreaded dinner with my mother, because it isn't like a phone call or a text message.
I couldn't lose service, or not answer, she was sitting in front of me, I had to converse.
I loved my mother, don't get me wrong. But she was absolutely impossible to impress, and even more difficult to talk to.
"So how is that writing hobby of yours going?" she asked as she took a sip of her wine. I watched the waiter serve the next table silently begging with my eyes for him to rescue me.
"You mean my job?" I said flatly, and she sighed. "Oh Olivia, I wish you would have continued with law school, you would have made such a wonderful paralegal."
I jumped when my phone buzzed in my lap, and I felt my mothers glare from across the table.
Louis and I had been messaging the better part of the day, nothing too important, just quick little witty responses.
Louis: "So how do you feel about dinner this Friday?"
My mother cleared her throat, and I looked up at her disapproving face. "No phones at the dinner table." She scolded, and I internally screamed.
"Mother I'm twenty five, not twelve." I replied as calmly as I could. "Who is so important that you are neglecting quality time with your mother, whom you barely speak to as is?" she snapped.
I looked down, then placed my phone face down on the table. "Just a friend." She raised her eyebrows, and I waited for the game of twenty questions.
"What kind of friend?" she asked. "He's really nice, and it isn't important don't worry about it." I said quickly, and internally cringed when my phone buzzed not once, but three times.
"It sure seems important." her eyes darted to my phone, and I cautiously picked it up.
Louis: "How's seven?"
Louis: "Wait no that's too late."
Louis: "Five thirty?"
I typed a quick response okaying the time. "What's his name." She drilled and I wanted to change the subject immediately.
"His name is Louis. So what case are you in town for?" I didn't even try to smoothly transition.
She gave me a fake smile, and took another sip of her wine. "Invite him to dinner." She looked me dead in the eyes as she said it.
"What? No. He's busy, and no." I stuttered and she laughed at my discomfort. "He's obviously not busy enough, and I feel like he's already here anyway."
"Seriously, this is not a good idea." I voiced, and then I stopped talking to think. My mother always disapproves of the things in my life.
Maybe if she met Louis, he would realize what a mess he would be getting himself into, and decide to run fast and far.
"Okay you know what, yeah I'll invite him." I said confidently and she downed the rest of her wine, notifying the waiter she needed more.
I took off to the bathroom, deciding to call him instead of just a measly text.
"Hello?" he sounded confused and rightly so. "Hey, umm what are you doing?" I asked awkwardly, and I heard him chuckle.
"I'm watching TV? What are you doing?" He was still very confused, and I ran my fingers through my hair.
"Do you want to have dinner, you know, right now." I asked quickly, and was met with silence.
"Louis?" I made sure he was still there. "Yeah, I'm here, I'm just wondering why you're so desperate for our date already." I could hear the smirk in his voice.
"I'm at dinner right now with my mother." I said barely above a whisper as if she would be able to hear me.
"Already meeting the parents wow Olivia I'm—"Louis please, she told me to invite you, and I don't want her to get angry and complain, can you come?" I sounded desperate.
"I'll be there in five, as soon as you tell me where you are." He quickly accepted to my surprise.
I gave him the information, and went back to the table to sit with my mother. She was picking at her fingernails.
"He said he'll be here soon." I wanted to crawl into a hole, this was going to be a disaster.
"He can't be any worse than your last boyfriend, what was his name? Zander?" I frowned at the mention of him, even though it wasn't his actual name. "Zayn." I said softly.
"Yes him, he was awful, majoring in art, and covered in tattoos." she turned her nose up in disgust.
Oh no Louis' tattoos. I knew my mother wasn't going to like him, but I didn't want him to blindly walk into this, and get totally sideswiped with hatred from her.
I grabbed my phone to send him a warning text, when Carol cleared her throat. She held out her hand, and I rolled my eyes.
"You can't be serious I am not a child." I argued, and if looks could kill I would be dead twice over by now.
"Olivia I know I can come on strong, but I do miss you, you are my daughter." For once in her life she seemed sympathetic.
I put my phone down smiling, but then frowned immediately when she grabbed it and put it in her purse.
I watched my mother as she scanned the surrounding area. We were on a rooftop, her choice, and I was already feeling a hole in my pocket where my money was going to burn from the food prices.
"Oh wow, he's quite a looker." I heard her say lowly. I rolled my eyes knowing it was probably some fifty something sitting alone at the bar.
"Olivia?" I heard Louis' voice, and I turned quickly not expecting him here so soon.
I then realized that my mother was talking about him. I took in his appearance quickly. His usual sneakers and black skinny jeans.
A black shirt that barely grazed the top of his chest tattoo, and a smart looking blazer that I quickly realized was covering all of his arm tattoos.
His hair was pushed away from his face, styled similarly like the time where I told him I didn't like it, but at the moment it suited him.
"Hello I'm Louis, I'm Olivia's—" he glanced quickly between me and my mother. "I'm her friend." He stuck out his hand, taking my mothers in a dainty awkward handshake.
She was looking him up and down, and I felt like I was sweating. "It's a pleasure." she said dryly, and I swallowed nervously.
"You look great." I whispered as he pulled up the chair beside me. "Just pretend to be surprised Friday, this is my only nice shirt." He winked.
"So Louis, what is it that you do, and please don't say my daughter." I coughed at her unexpected inappropriate comment.
"Mother!" I scolded, and Louis laughed. "I work in the IT department in our building." he answered smoothly.
"IT?" She questioned and I felt my heartbeat accelerate when he gently placed his hand on my thigh. "Information Technology, I work with computers, and other electronics." He informed her.
The rest of the dinner wasn't as awful as I expected it to be. Every question my mother threw at him he answered. He even offered to pay the ticket, which surprised me and Carol both.
"No I'll pay." My mother insisted, as she shoved her credit card at the poor waiter as he walked by.
I felt like I was finally going to be able to breathe again once this was all over. "So Louis, what are your intentions with my daughter." I heard my mother ask, and I felt my cheeks burning.
He coughed slightly, and I felt like telling him to run. "Well, I plan to—" He paused, and I got a little worried, he had answered her questions like wildfire all night, he can't pause.
My mother smiled smugly, knowing she finally found something to get him to stumble. With Zayn it was when she asked about his career, you can guess how the rest of that night went.
"Ms. Rhea" he started over and she held her hand up "Please, call me Carol." He licked his lips.
"Ms. Carol," my mother smiled, a real one. "I would like your permission to date your daughter."
I felt like time had frozen, and I didn't hear him correctly. Did he just ask my mothers permission? What was this the fifties?
I looked at him, I'm sure my mouth was wide open in shock, but he didn't break eye contact with my mother.
She let out a hmm, and then started laughing. I was confused and I was sure Louis was too. "Oh Olivia I like this one." She complimented, and I was at a loss for words.
"W-what?" I stuttered, and I felt a headache forming. "He's smart, he's funny, he's very handsome," she continued to dote on him, and I saw him smirking out of the corner of my eye.
"Of course." she clapped her hands together gleefully. I don't think I had seen my mother this happy since my father signed their divorce papers.
"Mother, I don't know what you're—"Thank you." Louis cut me off, and my mother just looked simply overjoyed.
I was starting to think that my mother liked Louis more than she liked me. "What a wonderful dinner, I think I'm going to call a cab." she informed us as she retrieved her card from the waiter.
"That's completely unnecessary, I'll drive you both back." Louis offered, and she grinned even wider.
After dropping my mother off at her hotel, Louis and I rode back to my apartment in silence.
He had a never-ending smirk on his face, and I'm sure I had a scowl. "Don't forget to add all of those nice things your mom said about me to my pros." he teased, and I bit my lip.
"I don't understand." I said out loud, and he chuckled. "What? That I'm actually not a horrible human being?" he questioned.
"No one has ever been able to charm my mother like that." I said incredulous, and he pulled to a stop in front of my building.
He shrugged "There's a first time for everything." I nodded, my hand on the door ready to leave.
"How did you know to cover your tattoos?" I asked genuinely curious. He smiled leaning in to kiss me, and I turned my face so he kissed my jawline instead.
"Lucky guess" he whispered in my ear, and I got chills down my spine. "Yeah, okay." I mumbled grabbing the door handle.
I made my way around his car, and he rolled his window down before I was out of sight.
"You look beautiful." he complimented, and I scoffed turning around to face him. "Shut up." I yelled, and he smiled.