"Make sure you sign this and this, please," Angie instructs, handing me two portfolios. "This one's with Instagram right? What's this one for?" I ask Angie signing the first set of documents and quickly skimming the second. "Oh! Fabletics, for weekend two. Gotcha." The two of us are sitting at the office at home, we're all set to go to Coachella this year, luckily I was invited by two brands for both weekends, the first weekend is sponsored by Instagram and all they've asked me to do is post a bunch of instagram photos in the house they set us up at and their party, same thing with weekend two with Fabletics, everyone on my team and my plus one were given festival type workout gear to wear for photos.
So many of us are going this weekend — Kevin, his girlfriend Sam, Jon and Lee, Angie and Jeff, Kasey and Zach, Shann and Matt, my hair stylist Chad, and Abby! Not to mention a lot of the cast is going to be there, as well as every other celebrity.
I'm not the biggest fan of Coachella, to be honest, only because I'm not a fan of the desert. The music part I really love, the moo fest of people not so much. I've gone the last three years with Lucas and our other friends and part of me sees it as, "you've been to one, you've been to them all." But, nonetheless, I'm excited to get to go with Abby and our friends and just have a bit of a break from studying and for the music!
"We've been packing for daaaaays," I whine to Angie and Abby in our closet. "Literally, every fucking time we need to pack you're like this. WHY? WHY DO YOU TORTURE ME LIKE THIS?" Angie barks back. "I don't know," I slump over one of my closed suitcases. "Oh my god, you're done. I'm done packing for you! Go! Leave!" Angie bellows, shooing me away.
After a three hour drive, we make it to our house for weekend one of Coachella. I fulfill my sponsored deal and take a bunch of photos and videos, "they literally outdid themselves! This house is amazing! It's so big! They left gift baskets in each room for all of us!"
"Ohh! Check out these sunglasses, baby!" Abby calls for me, sitting cross legged on the bed in front of the gift basket in our room. She looks fucking adorable with the giant sunglasses perched on her nose and a straw fedora hat on her head. I crawl on all fours and kiss her on the nose, resting on my elbow as she goes through the rest of our gift basket and drawing circles on her bare thigh.
"Don't start anything you can't finish," my lady sang to me taking the hat off her head and placing it on mine. "Oh come on, munch! Real quick! To start off our Coachella weekend!" I laugh practically tackling my girlfriend on to the bed. Hovering over her I kiss her, tracing her bottom lip with my tongue, she growls against me and runs her tongue hotly against my lips, making me whimper into her. She bites my lower lip making me buck my hips searching for contact. She bites again, harder this time, and I gasp.
For someone that doesn't want to start anything because of our plans and the large number of people we're sharing the house with, Abby is really going for it.
Abby takes advantage of my open mouth and brushes her tongue more forcefully against my lip, making me groan deeply, our tongues meet and I see stars. I pull myself further on top of her and I want nothing more than to grind and roll my hips on her.
Her hands are everywhere on my back, scratching, rubbing; mine are running up and down her sides and over her stomach slowly making my way between her bare legs. Thank god, she's in tiny white shorts!
I allow myself to get lost in kissing Abby, it's one of those days where my lady wants us to kiss for hours — except I want more!
She finally pulls away, "we can't there's like fifty people in the house and I don't think I can keep quiet," Abby says rolling her hips into me one last time, chewing on her bottom lip.
"Ugggghhh!! Don't do this to me, babe! PLEASE!!" I beg as she slips out from under me. "Abigail! Please! I'm all wet!" I hiss at the girl heading into the bathroom. "I'm gonna jump into the very cold pool, I suggest you do the same!"
I roll over on my back, groaning as loud as I can to show my disdain for being cut off like that. It doesn't help that Abby is undressing in front of me and changing into a teeny tiny pink bikini! I cover my face with the hat and I can hear all of our friends jumping in and out of the pool laughing with music playing loudly. Abby smacks my stomach making me groan in pain and I take the fedora off my face and my girl is holding up a bottle of sunscreen in my face, implying I rub it on her.
"No, you need to find someone else to do that for you because if I do..." I shake my head and start undressing, changing into my also barely there bikini. "Ugh! Stop being such a horndog and come put sunscreen on me before I go outside!" She tosses the bottle in my direction and I blatantly mock her.
Being the tease that she is, in true Abby Ricci fashion, seeing that I was mocking her she comes up to me and cups my warm and slightly moist sex, causing me to audibly gaps, "don't...mock...me!" She squeezes between each word, whispering in a raspy voice into my ear.
"Baby, please!" I beg one more time whimpering. I'm frozen in her clutches with sunscreen on both my hands. "Sunscreen!" She demands turning around and putting her hair up so I can apply the white lotion all over her back and shoulders.
"You're such a fucking tease! I hate you so much right now!" I say grumpily. Begging and pleading obviously isn't enough and I'm slowly starting to accept that I will not be getting any, at least not today.
After Abby applies sunscreen on me, she takes me by the hand and we walk out to the backyard and enjoy the afternoon with the rest of our friends, I immediately jump in the cold pool hoping to alleviate all the frustration I was feeling.
It's the first night of the music festival and all of us are heading to the headlining show tonight after much glam and photos. Instagram has offered a professional photographer to capture moments from this entire weekend and of all the photographers in the world it's Vincent, Lee's ex-boyfriend. Fortunately, Vincent was Lee's rebound from his breakup from his serious relationship with Michael, doesn't make our first encounter with him any less awkward.
"Everyone be cool!" I say half drunk when Vincent shows up at the house to capture photos of the glam process. "We're cool, are you cool?" Abby giggles back at me getting her hair braided by Chad. "You two are the only ones who AREN'T cool," Jon says and I can sense he's a bit annoyed already.
"You guys need to stop, everything is fine! He's in a relationship now, I'm engaged. We're over our very short lived relationship!" Lee asserted, wrapping his arms around his fiancé's waist, stepping away from my half done cat eye.
"Oh my god! Vincent, I fucking forgot how good your pictures always come out! Shit, honey!!" I gush over the photos Lee's ex has taken of me in the crowd of people waiting for the headliner.
"Yes, honey! Here, let's take one with you two, don't worry! These will go straight to you, you can kick me in the balls if they leak," Vincent jokes, pushing Abby to hold my hand. She reaches for my hand and as we take the photos in the clouds of dirt and dust, I can feel my lady rubbing circles on my hand and playing with the ring she got me that I wear all the time.
"You guys look fucking amazing in these photos! Honestly, GOALS!!! HASHTAG GOALS!!!" He yells. Abby and I know better than to be affectionate at Coachella where there are hundreds of paparazzi.
"Wait, are you guys coming because I'm hungry as fuck!" I shout at my friends and Kevin and his girlfriend who have decided to split from our group to hangout with their friends and some of our cousins who are also here. Like I said, EVERYONE goes to Coachella.
"Let's just go," Shann urges only because I know she's hungry too! Most of us jump on the golf cart to take us to where all the food tents are. Shann and I spend a good hour finessing our way to all the food, getting plates and bowls full of food for us to try, within an hour we're all fed and ready to go back to the house where we're all hoping to party in a more comfortable setting.
The guys set up a game of beer pong and it's girls against guys. I ended up texting Nick who I knew was there to join our very relaxed "after party" if you could even call it that, he and Lucas join us. "For you two being ex's you guys see a lot of each other and are actually really civil," Kasey babbles almost drunk.
"Only because I let her," Abby whispers but it isn't much of a whisper and we laugh it off. Abby and Kasey are terrible at beer pong — we're almost drunk because of it too! After the first round, the boys realize we're not much competition so we move to a game with a more equal playing field.
"Would you ever do Coachella? Liv? Lucas? Nick? Abby?" Shann asks us all. "I would," Lucas, Nick, and I say simultaneously. I'm sure Abby would have answered if she weren't passed out on my lap, she's more of a wine and clear cocktail drinker than she is beer and shots so she's definitely down for the count tonight. "Oh look at that, she's out...I wonder if she blacked out or just fell asleep," Matt teased from across the table. "It's almost 4 AM she's asleep," Jon laughs leaning sleepily into Lee. "No fucking way it's almost 4!" Lucas says in disbelief. We all check the time and slowly start to get up.
"Hey! You two, stay. It's late and you're drunk!" I hissed at Lucas and Nick while holding up Abby and walking her with me. She's standing flush against me, her head resting on my chest and her arms resting on my shoulders, I'm holding her up by her waist as she walks backwards in the direction I lead her. "Nah, we got a car. Don't worry about us," Lucas brushes us off. "Your poor driver!" I protest, Abby moaning at the volume of my voice.
"We're only a few houses over, don't even worry about us," Nick chuckles stumbling towards the door. Jon and Matt walk the two brothers out and I put my lady to bed.
After a weekend of crazy Coachella shenanigans with our friends and my brothers I'm exhausted and so very dry from that desert air, "I need a week long nap," a slightly hungover Angie says in the car on the way home. "Same," Abby adds. "It's literally a weekend long party...it's Vegas without the casinos and the night clubs are outdoors in the dust." My head nods off because I've already fallen asleep in the car, causing me to jolt in my seat, "we have to do it again next weekend..."
I spent the week before weekend two of Coachella, studying and working on the finishing touches on the office. We're so close to being done! In about two weeks we're having a business launch party that we're planning at the same time as all of this, but thankfully Armando, my go to event planner has it all under control, I basically just have to show up to the party that night
Abby and I are sitting outside in our yard, sunbathing while I get work done at the same time, "was it weird having Lucas and Nick over last week?"
"Honestly, baby...no. It felt like old times. It all felt very grown up. I also fell asleep on your lap so," she shrugs with a smirk on her face. "So what?" I scoff. "So everyone knows that you're mine, duh!" Abby says laughing but I know she's not joking, that whole thing was a play at territory and I shake my head because I totally missed that whole thing!
"Calvin is losing his shit about those paparazzi pictures of us last week, have you seen them?" My lady asks drinking some of her iced water. "Yeah, we looked cute! We also went in very aware of the paparazzi so I think we did a pretty good job, considering!"
"I wanna post those pictures Vincent took of us because they're so fucking good! His edits are fantastic!"
"Go for it," I chuckle. "I want to post some too!" I can see that Abby is really mulling it over and thinking about every possible scenario that could go on. I'm worried as well, but the media has already reported that Abby is my girlfriend and that we went to Coachella together. Over and over we've been referred to as "the happy couple."
"I'm gonna do it!" Abby decides. We both excitedly pull out our phones and get to work on posting a photo of the two of us on instagram, making sure to edit, tag, and create the right caption. We both kept the captions very simple and after hitting "publish" we laid back and waited for the aftermath of our post.
"Oh! I gotta take this FaceTime, we have a study session I need to get in on. I'll be in the office, munch!" I quickly make my way back inside the house.
Calvin: so are you two making it Instagram official?
Abby: Guess so :P
Calvin: This is going to drive the internet crazy!
LOL!
Calvin: I'm already getting notifications! OMG!
Weekend two of Coachella and Abby and I are both here on behalf of Fabletics. There's also not as many of us this time and we've all kind of agreed that we wouldn't party as hard as we did the last weekend because it took us all week to recover only to come back and be put in that same exhausting situation again.
"You guys aren't staying the full weekend?" Kevin asks during the car ride. "No, I have a ton of studying to do and a meeting on Monday I need to not be hungover for," I explain. "I have a late night show appearance," Abby confides. I can see that Kevin is worried that he has to leave early because I am, I reassure him that just because I'm leaving doesn't mean he has to. I have a car set up to take him home after the weekend and the house is available to him as well, just no parties because it's company owned.
Abby and I make our appearances at certain brand events before enjoying a lot of the music. We run into a few of Abby's friends too, we get separated for a while because I get pulled by some friends to join their group while Abby gets pulled to join her friends at the same time.
Tiny and Mack are both with me which irrationally upsets me because if they're both with me then no one is with Abby, which is kind of stupid because their job is to watch over and protect me. "Can one of you please go find Abby and stick with her until we see each other again?" I shout over the music with more attitude than needed. "I'll go. Don't worry about it, Livy," Mack says. It's hard to read Tiny and Mack because their both very good at keeping up their deadpan expressions. "THANK YOU, MACK!" I shout after him and he throws up hand.
I grab some snacks while at the Revolve event, meet with a couple of the brand's representatives, take a few pictures, and get ready to leave. I meet up with Kevin and his girlfriend who are truly living the boho Coachella life.
It's nearly sundown by the time I fulfill all the press I need to get done and still no Mack and Abby. Lucas is here again with his big group of friends who I guess were also my group of friends when I was with him. He calls me over and I get reacquainted with my old friends. Lucas has about three girls fawning over him and I can't help by have a look of disgust on my face when our friend Anthony waves a hand in front of my face to get me out of my daze. "Seriously?" He laughs. "That better not be the look of jealousy," he teases handing me a cold beer. "Ew! It's not. I'm just..." the look of disgust is back on my face as I wave my beer around gesturing at the girls hanging around Lucas.
"I forgot how girls used to just fall all over him like that."
"He invited them, saw them walking around and just asked them to come over. Really living out his single lifestyle."
"I guess so," I raise an eyebrow at the sight of Lucas now dancing with the girls. I finally walk over to him and his trio college bimbos, "hey! You having fun?" I ask him. "Yeah, have you met Mae, Caroline, and Hannah?" The three girls greet me, "oh my god! You're Olivia Riviera! I love you!! I thought you guys were broken up?" One of them say. "Yeah, we are but we're still friends," I reply shortly. "That's cool that you're like a lesbian now and still friends with your ex fiancé," the shortest and probably dumbest of the three says. "Uhhh hahaha, excuse us," Lucas interrupts and drags me as far away from the trio of blondes as possible. "They're drunk and probably high...don't go ripping their heads off," Lucas jokes.
We take a walk and Lucas passes me a blunt, I shake my head and take a hit anyways with Tiny following closely behind us. The sound of the bass thumping from the nearby concert. Dust coming up from the passers by and our own walking. "What was that all about?" I ask Lucas taking a sip from the beer in my hand. "What?" He plays coy. I give him a "you know what" look and he chuckles, "just trying to have fun! Can't just jump into a relationship like you." Ouch. I nod because he was right, after being in a long term relationship, less than a year later I jumped into another seemingly long term relationship. "That's just me, I'm not a serial dater!" I hip check my ex.
"Heads up," Tiny warns and the two of us stop and look around to see paparazzi photographing the two of us on our walk. "Great. I gotta go," I groan. We turn around and I take one more hit from the blunt to ensure I keep my high. When we get back Abby is there looking around for me, "Hey! I was wondering if I was ever going to catch up to you again," I smile at my girl. "Yeah, I got caught up. Hi, Lucas," Abby says looking suspiciously at the two of us.
"I think I'm ready to go, what about you?" My lady asks me. "Yeah, ready, Freddy!" And I giggle uncontrollably.
The four of us get back to the house and it's actually really early for us to turn in, the headliner for tonight hasn't even performed yet. I'm nursing yet another drink when we get to the house, eating all the snacks I can get my hands on. "Are you high?" Abby asks me seriously after I close the door to the fridge. "Maybe a little..." I chuckle.
Abby's expression completely changes, she's upset and worried. I can tell just from looking at her lips — they're purse but curved down but her brows aren't scrunched up like they normally are when she's mad. "What's wrong, munch?" I ask her softly, wiping the crumbs off my face. She walks away in a huff and into our bedroom, slamming the door shut. I put my drink down and follow her quietly with my tail between my legs.
Abby is sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs tucked closely into her body, "The drinking, the drugs I need it to stop. I can't let what happened to Monty happen to you..."
"I'm done. I promise, munch. I'm sorry," I sit next to my lady and unfold her legs onto my lap. "No more crazy drinking, no more drugs. Deal?" I lean my forehead against hers, caressing her legs. "Deal." She says kissing my lips to seal the deal.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Back in the city for school work these next couple of days, I honestly love that Abby has been coming with me on these trips. I feel guilty that I'm not with her most of the day but we're able to spend time together after I class and studying not to mention that my friends really love her— they have that New Yorker thing in common. I love coming home to my lady.
"Munch, we're all planning on going to Finn's tonight. I'd really like you to come," I ask my tiny brunette very formally over the phone during my lunch break. She chuckles at my tone, "I would be honored to come!"
"Perfect! We can get dinner before because Finn's isn't exactly known for it's healthy options on the menu," I joke. The real truth is that Finn's doesn't have anything vegan or vegetarian for Abby.
"We can get dinner with your friends then head to the pub if you want to invite them," she answers, I can hear the bustling of the happenings on the street, she's out walking around with her mom or dad probably. "We can do that, if you don't mind. Say hi to your mom and dad for me," I say smugly because I know I'm right about her being out and about with her parents. "How'd you know? I just decided to meet with them like thirty minutes ago!" Abby say slightly breathlessly, laughing with surprise. "What can I say my sweet lady, I just know you, oh so well!"
"Yeah, yeah! Ms. Sweet talker, I gotta go we're here. I'll see you later for dinner, baby," she laughed and I could tell she was smiling, even through the phone. I slide my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and join my friends for lunch. "Hope you guys don't have plans tonight before Finn's because Abby just invited all of you to dinner with us before drinks," I sang.
"Fancy dinner or nah?" Nathan questions looking up from his sandwich. "Can be, if you guys want. Anywhere you guys have been vying to eat?" I wonder. "Our treat!!" I smirk and instantly Fabian has a long list of places uptown that he's been dying to eat. Fabian, like myself, is a total foodie.
"Babe!" I call for my girl walking into our hotel room. I drop my stuff at the foot of the bed, looking around for my sweet lady and her sweet lips that I've been thinking about all day. "Abby?" I call out again.
"GRRRAAAAHHH!!!" I hear from behind me and the next thing I know an Abby sized hooded figure is climbing on my back feathering me with kisses. I can't help but giggle at Abby's sad attempt at taking me down. Instead I hook both my arms in the crooks of her legs that are wrapped around me, "listen, we need to hurry, my girlfriend will be here any minute now!" I tease and get bit on the cheek for it.
"HEEEYY!! I hope you have all your shots!" I yelp after the bite. "I missed you," my little lady laughs into my ear and I can't help but laugh with her because of how infectious her laugh has always been.
"I missed you too, munchkin!" I walk with her still on back to my suitcase of clothes to find something to change into for dinner and Finnegan's. "What should I wear?" I ask the koala on my back who is still very much latched on to me and only further nuzzling her face into me. "How about this?" I hold up a nude bodysuit, "with my coat and these jeans?" I walk the bodysuit and my koala of a girlfriend over to the full length mirror. "I think you'll look sexy as hell in that but I was going to wear something similar," Abby smiles. "Are we gonna match?"
"I don't mind," I snicker.
We decide on a type of fusion restaurant that actually was really fucking delicious and Abby friendly! It amazes me how well she gets along with my crazy band of friends. "How long have you two been together?" Abby asks Julia and Fabian. "Since our sophomore year of high school but we grew up two apartments down from each other," Fabian gushes, looking into Julia's eyes. "Ugh! That's fucking adorable! Do you guys ever fight?" Abby asks again. "Of course, we bicker a lot but it's that hot Puerto Rican blood he has, but we do have fights," Julia replies like it was obvious that they have arguments.
"Nathan, why aren't you dating anyone?" I challenged my friend who was sitting back and enjoying his beer. "I guess I really like being single," he smirked leaning his chair back to check out the hostess at the front of the house.
"You guys ready to go?" I asked examining my watch. I had already called us an Uber to take us to Finn's. When we get there, it's a full house already, "why are there so many people?" Abby shouts into my ear over the band currently playing on stage. "It's open mic night," I smirk at her, the five of us luckily find a table after running into a pack of freshman who were on their out because under 21 time at Finn's was over.
"Wait, so students get to show off like that once a week? Why don't record execs ever just come here?" Abby said shocked after a college senior just sang her ass off. "There's always the hope that one will show up here, but usually students perform to show off to each other," Nathan scoffs. "Did you ever do open mic night, babe?" My lady asks me. "Did she fucking ever!" Julia exclaims setting all of our drinks down on the sticky table. "These are from Danny," Fabian sets a tray of tequila shots on the table with a bowl of limes and some salt in the center. "He said he'd add it to your tab," I lean over to thank Danny for the drinks and he winks at me after we make eye contact. "That's really nice of him, but these are all yours!" I announce to the table remembering what my lady asked of me that night at Coachella. "What?? You can't expect us all to finish these, you both gotta have at least one!" Julia pleads, looking at Abby and I.
"Here!" Abby takes a shot glass for herself and places one in front of me. I look at her curiously and she attempts to wink at me but it just looks like she's batting her eyes at me, which gives me butterflies just as much as if she had winked. I grab two limes and wait for Julia to pass the salt, "To Abby! Our newest friend and to her first real night at Finn's!" Fabian makes a toast and we cheers as my sweet brunette blushes. My heart soars and my stomach fills with even more butterflies!
"You guys are insane!" Abby shouts over our laughter, Julia just got done telling a really embarrassing story of how I fell asleep in class and Doc scared me awake with the organs.
"Up next we have some old timers — some repeat offenders, if you will. Olivia, Nathan, Julia, and Fabian, 'The Choppin Wannabes?'" Someone said over the mic.
"Be right back," I smile devilishly at my girl, before kissing her quickly on the lips. She tasted like salt, lime, and tequila.
I take my place at the mic, Fabian at the drums, Nathan at the piano, and Julia at the other mic. "Hey guys! Sorry our name is so shitty, we haven't thought of a better name yet," I scoff. "Man, how I've missed being up here! There's nothing like this stage at Finn's, am I right?" The crowd cheers. "To Danny, the mighty owner of this fine establishment that has nourished our souls for so many, many years! Juilliard wouldn't be Juilliard without you!" I raise my glass that I brought on stage with me and the entire bar cheers to Danny and Finnegan's!
Fabian starts with a steady beat, boom boom tss, boom boom tss and everyone starts clapping because we all know what song it is — it's Danny's song. I look out into the crowd and see my lady watching me, her big doe eyes. With her elbows on the table and her chin resting on the palms of her hands.
I don't know where I'm goin'
But I sure know where I've been
Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
Here I go again, here I go again
Tho' I keep searching for an answer
I never seem to find what I'm looking for
Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on
'Cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams
Here I go again on my own
Goin' down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
Just another heart in need of rescue
Waiting on love's sweet charity
An' I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days
'Cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams
"I can't tonight, guys. I have dinner with Abby's parents and then bowling with a couple of her friends," I apologetically turn down my friends offer to a jam session and a bit of homework or in my case, tutoring. "Ooohh Abby's friends huh? Good luck! Don't bite anyone's head off," Julia teases, hip checking me on our way off campus. "Ha ha, her New York friends are a lot nicer. They're mostly her broadway friends," I affirmed.
"Yeah, yeah. Guess we'll have to transpose all of those pieces Watters gave us on — our — own!" Julia shouts after me. "You guys will manage!!" I shout getting into the car on my way back to the hotel.
"Munch, what are you wearing?" I say into a deep yawn. "Just what I'm wearing right now," she answers walking out of the bathroom in leggings, my oversized red flannel, and my black beanie. I lay myself back on the bed, stretching and letting out baby dinosaur noises. "If you're too tired we can reschedule, baby," Abby says quietly as the bed dips and she snuggles up next to me, her head on my chest and her hand running up and down my stomach. "Mmm, no it's fine. I'm excited to see everyone and eat your mom's baked ziti," I chuckle lowly, wrapping both my arms around Abby.
"Change out of your sweatshirt and you'll be fine for tonight," Abby raises her head kissing my jaw, nibbling softly. "Mmmm...so I can't just wear my hoodie?" I protest with my eyes half closed. "No! Now get up!" Abby giggles, tickling my side so I get up.
"Eve, your baked ziti has to be my most favorite thing in the world. Burry me in a tub of it and call it a day!" I say wiping my mouth and letting out a quiet burp. "Abby knows how to make it, she hasn't made you any?" Eve asks clearing everyone's plate and I help her carry them all to the kitchen. "I have, Mom. She just doesn't like it like she loves yours!"
"Olivia, you want a drink?" Marc shouts to me in his very New York-Italian accent. "No, I'm okay, thank you Marc!" I shout over the running water at the sink as I washed dishes and Abby rinsed. "No, no, you can have just one. Come one, it's a really good year!" Marc insists. "I'm actually trying to stop drinking," I announce. "That's not true!" Abby shouts back. "I just asked her not to get shit faced anymore."
"Huh...," Marc grunts and stares at the two of us washing dishes. "She can drink if she wants, Abigail. You're not her mother."
"No, Marc, it was my choice," I lie a little.
"No, no it's not! Don't lie to me, honey. Don't let my daughters past and fears tell you what you can and cannot do. You are not Monty. She is not him, Abigail, you understand?" Marc lectures the two of us, waving his index finger back and forth between the two of us.
"Marc..." I start to say but I don't know how to respond to that. "Daddy, this is between Olivia and me. Don't, okay?" Abby snaps back. He raises his hands indicating his surrender to his daughter. "It's my choice, Marc," I say quietly, drying my hands on a towel, walking into the living room with Marc. "My parents were drug addicts when I was younger. No one really knows this about me or my family. My dad was arrested twice, our home was raided...it's not our proudest moment. Anyways, I only ever done pot and drank, but those could be vices that can ruin my whole career — my whole life if I let it. So, Abby isn't telling me what I can and can't do with my life, sir. She's just the reason I've seen why I should stop. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good bowl and a nice strong hit. But I gotta stop while I'm ahead."
"I didn't know that," Abby said glumly, her lips showing me that she's sad from their downward curve. "It's not something my family and I share with everyone, I'm sorry, munch."
"We gotta go," Abby says putting on her jacket. She kisses her mom goodbye and hugs her dad. I say goodbye to her parents as well, "sorry."
In the car ride over to the bowling alley I can tell my girl is upset, "what's wrong, my sweet lady?" I try to sweet talk her into telling me what I did wrong. "Why didn't you tell me about your parents?" She says after I tapped her on the cheek. "It's not really my story to tell, it's my parent's story," I shrugged. "I thought I knew you," she huffs crossing her arms across her chest. "You do, munch. You know me better than I know myself," I kiss her on the cheek, forcing her into a hug.
"Stop. I wanna be mad at you right now. You kept something from me," she said trying to sound angry. "Oh stop it, Abby! It's not a big bad secret. Don't be mad at me," I squeeze her tighter into a hug and give her a loud sucking kiss on the cheek, making her giggle. "I want to be mad at you!" She objected. "Go ahead and try," I kissed her cheek again and loosened my grip on her because we just pulled up to the bowling alley.
"Go ahead — and — try!"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Tonight's the night of the business launch! Angie has been working like crazy interviewing new team members and training and Armando, my event planner has also been working like crazy to prep the party for tonight. This has been way more stressful for Angie and I than I think both of us expected.
We didn't think we it would be this insane. Since we started construction Angie and I have been interviewing and training prospective team members to help us. So far we have Brenda, Amy, Lex, Remi, and Aaron. All of them are very qualified and have at least three years of experience in this industry. So far, DSMN and my team are covering all my TV and movie productions, my position at the label, and DSMN the concert. They all have fresh new perspectives and ideas for my brand, Lex and Remi think I would do well with a YouTube channel. Brenda is an amazing manager and just gets Angie and her workflow — she's become her right hand woman!
"Angie, what do you think about leaving your position and making a move to —," I start to ask but she cuts me off. "Olivia, I said I didn't want to. I like being yours and Abby's assistant. I'm just helping to kickstart the company. I like the travelling and lifestyle I have as your assistant. Maybe later on in life but not right now, okay? I can help you find a CFO," she answers annoyed with my persistence. "I want you as my CFO, okay? You're it. It's always been you. There's no one else, Angie," I show Angie the paperwork I had my lawyers draw up naming Angie the CFO of DSMN along with an offer letter.
"Look it over, you don't need to answer now but at least look it over. I'm not opposed to negotiating either," I smile at her leaving her office to check with Armando and the party tonight.
Invitations have been sent out weeks and weeks ago, we've actually been functioning and working out of this office for about a month already, though. We've been working on streamlining and making everything tech savvy like I like and the whole hiring processes. After talking to my financial advisors, they said I could hire a couple interns once the company has settled but for now it's just the seven of us.
I'm so hyped for the event tonight, I've invited a ton of my friends and they're all flying from all over the country to come and support me as well as a lot of brands that we're hoping to get deals and sponsorships with, on top of big name businessmen and women in the industry who are also now my competition, which is mind blowing to think about.
"Armando, we good for tonight, you're looking a little stressed," I tease my rather plump but brilliant event planner. "Very funny, don't joke during a time like this! But yes, everything is actually going swimmingly, for your information!"
So far the office looks amazing, we didn't even have to move an furniture in or rent any chairs because of our open concept to begin with. We're not using the studio space upstairs so the main focus is our office. The party isn't until tonight at 7 so we all have time to get home, get dressed, and prepare for the evening. At around 4:30 I send the entire team home to get ready for tonight. I'm staying and getting ready upstairs in the studio, just to be safe and a little OCD.
"Hey Ms. Riviera, CEO," Abby laughed infectiously walking into the studio with a dress bag with our outfits and the entire glam team behind her. "Hi, munch," my sweet lady kisses me with her sweet lady lips and all my nerves just wash away. "Don't be nervous! It's going to be a fun night, sweets!"
"Sweets?" I look at her weird because that's new.
"I'm trying it out. You don't like it? You call me sweetheart sometimes, this is kinda the same."
"No, it's fine. I just didn't expect it and I gotta get used to it. Why sweets?"
"Because you're always eating sweets and you're the sweetest person I've ever met," she laughs the cheesiest laugh.
"Ah," I nod, pretending like that made absolute sense.
Lee, Chad, and Jenna glam up the two of us plus Angie and our moms. We're all a couple glasses of champagne in thanks to a delivery from Ellen. "So many people are being incredibly supportive of your company!" Lee says excitedly. "Have I told you how proud I am of you, bud?" My brother said leaning down and kissing me on the nose. "No, but I know you are," I smile smugly.
"We're all really proud of you, Livy. Your grandma is rejoicing up in heaven for you right now," my mom adds and I can't help but cry because another milestone in my life that she isn't here to see. "Here, we got you something," my mom says handing me a big black box with pearl white ribbon wrapped around it, everyone stopping what their doing to watch.
"Did I miss it?" Kevin shouts barging into the studio, panting from running up the stairs. "No, we're giving it to her now!" Lee shouts over his shoulder.
"What is this? You guys didn't have to," I'm crying more, washing away all of Lee's work. "Yes we did! It's not everyday we get to give the girl who has everything something special!" Kevin jokes, resting a hand on my shoulder and looking at me through the reflection of the mirror.
I slowly undo the white ribbon, lifting the lid to the box, and inside there's a giant rose quartz crystal with "Olivia Riviera, DSMN CEO" etched into it and it's the most beautiful thing, "OHMYGOD, Mom! Lee! Kev! This is...it's too...it's perfect! Thank you. I get up and hug my family. "I wouldn't have any of this or be where I am if it weren't for you guys. Especially you, mommy. I love you!"
Everyone settles down and continues to get ready for the party. "I got you something too, baby," Abby says slyly. "Oh my god, stop! No more gifts!" I laugh because this is too much. "I don't need gifts for starting my business!" I say loudly because I don't think my heart can take anymore. "It's nothing crazy, sweets. Here," my beautiful lady says in her giant curlers handing me a gift bag. "Hmmm," I crook up an eyebrow at her looking suspiciously at the bag.
I slowly open another present, removing the white and yellow tissue paper slipping out of the top of the bag. I pull out a beautiful marble picture frame with a photo of me and Abby in Barcelona backstage and it instantly brings me back to that moment —that moment in time, in our relationship. The very beginning, where it all began. My eyes well up AGAIN because it's a beautiful, meaningful gift.
"Munch," I look at her and she's beaming with pride. She winks or more like bats her eyes at me from her makeup chair. I reach for her hand and squeeze it meaningfully.
I clink my champagne glass with Abby's glass to get everyone's attention. "I want to thank everyone for coming, it truly means the world to me to see all of your faces full of support. It wasn't easy starting up this company and this office. I was so resistant to the idea because it meant a greater chance of failure," I glance over at Angie who looks like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders now that the company is officially launched. "People all around me have been trying to convince me to do all this for years but it wasn't until recently that I had the courage to do so but it wasn't without the help of my fearless, headstrong, wickedly intelligent partner and hopefully CFO, Angie. ("No pressure," I whisper to her.) She has done more for this company than she is ever willing to admit, we would still be running things out of the office of my house if it weren't for her," and I raise my glass to my friend.
"I also want to thank my incredibly patient and understanding," I hesitate as I look to my right at my gorgeous girlfriend. "...girlfriend, this has been so all consuming but you stood strongly by my side, thank you. And now to my new 'competitors'," I chuckle at the men in suits in my office. "Do not doubt. Do not underestimate. Do not second guess that DSMN isn't capable of it all because we are! Don't Stop Me Now," I smile raising my glass one last time. "Cheers!"
We all cheers and Angie and I are applauded and we both undoubtedly blush waiting for the music to start playing again and shmooze with the rest of the attendees.
"You did it! Congratulations, bud." I turn around and there's Lucas smiling brightly at me and Ellen coming up behind him. "Thanks! Really, thank you. I wouldn't have done the first concert if it wasn't for you, you know that," I reply hugging him but not letting go of Abby's hand.
That entire night, the dozens of people shook hands with and shared a drink with, I never once let go of my lady's hand.