More than Anyone

He knocked on the door nervously. He wasn’t sure exactly why he was there. He only knew that Olivia had called and told him that she had pictures from their vacation that if he wanted to, he could come over and look at. It had been almost two weeks since he had told her his secret and her reaction was one that he had never imagined. She had just been hurt that he had lied to her more than anything and he understood that. He had lied to her and she hated being lied to. He had made a silent vow to himself that he wouldn’t do it anymore- or at least he would try not to.

He had been going insane with anxiety for fourteen days. He hadn’t talked to Olivia in that amount of time and he found it unsettling how much he missed her. For her to call him out of the blue after such a time left him anxious. Perhaps she had spent the past two weeks thinking and decided that she still wanted nothing to do with him. Or maybe, she had invited him over, douse him with her sweetness and then ask for some money. No. He immediately shook that thought from his mind. Olivia was like no other girl he knew. That both terrified him and excited him. He had no idea how to handle a girl like her. He smiled though, knocking again. He definitely wanted to try though. If she would let him.

Olivia smiled at him when she opened the door and all air swooshed from his lungs. He never thought that this would be the case but two weeks were definitely two weeks too long to not see or even talk to her. She was wearing gray sweats that had been cut into short shorts, barely hitting her mid-thighs, and a white camisole. He swallowed at the sight of her. Her legs were long and Ben almost coughed as he imagined them wrapped around his waist. He had to stop thinking like that. This was Olivia. They were becoming friends and he had to admit that he missed having a close friend in the same city as him. He couldn’t screw that up by imagining what her body would feel like underneath his. Her legs though were slim and muscular and he wondered if she ran at all. She certainly wasn’t out of shape. He noticed that her hair was down again, wavy, as was the natural. He used to like it up so he could admire the arch of her neck but now he liked it either way. When she wore it down, he had the urge to run his fingers through it constantly.

“Hey,” she greeted with a smile then stepped aside so he could enter. Her apartment didn’t have air conditioning and the air was practically stifling. Chicago in June was not a pleasant time. All of the windows were open and she had several fans going on high but it didn’t seem to be helping the heavy heat in the rooms.

“Hey, Firecracker,” he grinned and she rolled her eyes at the nickname. She closed the door behind him and he followed her into the living area, watching as she collapsed on the couch, managing to still look graceful and even sweating, she still looked beautiful. He sat down next to her though keeping a bit of space between them. “Can I take off my shoes?” He asked and she nodded her head, giving him an odd look. “What?” He asked defensively, making her smile faintly. “I’m trying to be respectful. Why would you want my sweaty feet all over your furniture?”

“You’re right,” she said, biting back laughter. “Keep your shoes on.”

He ignored her, kicking them off. “I’m wearing socks,” he grumbled and she laughed.

She pushed him playfully then leaned forward, situating the fan on the coffee table in front of them so it blew directly on them then she stood up. “I left the pictures in my bedroom. I’ll get them.”

“What time is it?” He asked, trying not to watch her ass as she walked away.

“Two-thirty exactly,” she answered, not stopping on the way to her room.

“Can I watch something on your television?” He was already grabbing for the remote.

“Sure!”

Ben smiled, turning on the television and saying a quick prayer that she had cable, which, thankfully, he discovered she did have, he quickly flipped to the National Geographic channel. With a contented sigh and smile, he slouched down and sank into the cushions. The show on was ‘Living Wild’ with a focus on African lions. When Olivia came back out, she looked at the television, her eyebrows raised in question and an amused smile tugging at her lips. She looked at him.

“What?” He asked as she sat down next to him again, she tucking her legs underneath her body and he was slightly grateful for that. Her legs were damned distracting. “I like the National Geographic channel.”

“Obviously,” she said with a nod of her head and that same amused smile on her lips. “I just... this is something I never expected from you. ESPN, yes. BBC, definitely. But the National Geographic channel?”

“And what pray tell is wrong with the National Geographic channel?” He asked. “I’ll have you know that I am horribly devoted to every show on this network. And I also enjoy the travel channel and the Discovery channel. ESPN is so stereotypical of guys.”

She smiled at that, sinking into the cushions as well. “What is this?” She asked referring to the show the moment a lion pounced on his dinner. “Something on the food chain, no doubt,” she decided and he smirked.

“Lions in Africa. I think I’ve actually seen this before,” he said.

They watched the show in silence. It wasn’t a tense silence but very comforting and relaxing to Ben. He reveled in it. He hadn’t realized how much he missed having a friend’s company in his life until he had visited Jamie in London. It was so strange not having him in the apartment below him anymore. They used to do everything together. They would go to Humpy’s, pick up girls together, always get chicken from Colonel Cluck’s then while Jamie worked on something for the literary research department for the University of Chicago, Ben would lounge on his couch, joking and watching the TV. But now, within a year, Jamie had met a girl he couldn’t live without, married her, and then moved across an entire ocean. Ben couldn’t have been happier for his best friend. But then, he noticed just how much he missed having Jamie constantly around.

He glanced sideways at Olivia next to him, watching the show intently. He smiled. He supposed that he had her now but he never would have guessed such a thing just a short time ago. It was actually still somewhat unbelievable. No one could have ever known after their first meeting that eventually, he’d be sitting with her watching television as if it was as normal as waking up in the mornings. He would have laughed just a few months ago if someone had suggested spending just one minute with her but now… He rested the back of his head on the cushion behind him, sinking down a bit into the couch. Now, it was as if he woke up and suddenly, everything around him changed. And change wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Oh. Here,” Olivia said, handing him the packets of pictures. “I got doubles so you can take any that you want.”

“Thanks,” Ben smiled at her.

Their fingers brushed against one another as he took the pictures from her and Olivia had to suppress a shiver. Hiding her reaction to just a simple touch from him, she turned her attention back to the television. How strange things were turning out to be for them. This was Ben Norfolk. That should have been enough to say but not anymore. Now, this was Ben Norfolk, the man who could kiss the hell out of her and still give her shivers just from a simple contact of their fingers. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Not with them. They were simply a product of predicament. If Jamie and Violet had never married or moved thousands of miles away, Ben and Olivia wouldn’t have been placed in a situation that friendship could blossom from. When they hated one another, at least the world made sense to her. Now, everything was out of her control and yet, being there with him at that moment, she felt oddly serene.

“This is a good one,” Ben grinned and she looked at the photograph he was holding. She laughed softly and nodded her head in agreement. Ben, tired of Olivia constantly taking pictures of him, had turned the tables on her when he stole her camera one day. An extreme close-up of her sticking her tongue out at the camera was snapped at the changing of the guard. He chuckled then slipped the photo from the pile, keeping that one.

“Figures you’d keep that one,” Olivia sighed with a roll of her eyes and he chuckled again, beginning to flip through the stack again. She glanced at the clock on top of the television then sighed again, much heavier, and sunk so low into the couch, she was practically reclined. “I should get ready.”

“For what?” He asked, not looking up for the pictures, putting one of the two of them outside the British Museum aside.

“My parents are having a 30th wedding anniversary party at their house tonight,” she said. “It’s going to be a wild and crazy time in Hammond, Indiana tonight.”

Ben smirked, looking at her. “Just family or are Kid n’ Play coming too?”

She smiled, her eyes watching the mass of lions feasting on their dinner on the television. “I’m pretty sure that anyone my parents have ever met is invited tonight.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye then cleared her throat somewhat nervously. “Would you want to come tonight?” She asked, still not daring to meet his eyes.

He stopped on a photo that Madelyn had taken of them while in the impressive gardens surrounding the keep. He hadn’t even known that she had taken the camera while they were out but she had snapped a photo that hypnotized him. Olivia was laughing; her face completely free of any strain or worry, as Ben bowed lowly perhaps like a knight did for his lady centuries before, extending a small bouquet of heather to her. They had just been playing around, enjoying one another’s company and yet, the way they were smiling, he wasn’t sure that he had ever smiled to genuinely before.

“Yeah,” he answered softly, still staring at the photograph. “I’ll come tonight.”

-~-~-~-

The neighborhood street was packed with cars already when they arrived and Olivia leaned forward in the front seat, pointing towards a driveway.

“You can park here,” she instructed. “It’s my aunt’s house.”

Ben followed her directions and pulled the car he rarely drove into the empty driveway. For about to meet her parents, he was feeling quite relaxed. He had gone home a little bit later after going through the pictures to change, putting on a black suit then going to the garage a few blocks away where he always parked his car on the long-term level. He had gone to Olivia’s to pick her up, almost laughing at how ridiculous this all was. It certainly felt like a date though it was far from it. It was her parents’ anniversary and she had asked him to come with her so they could get a free meal out of it. It wasn’t a night of committing or serious talks or doubts concerning the future. It was just a night for them to hang out with one another. But that all flew out the window when she opened the door.

Olivia was wearing a dark blue satin evening gown that nearly matched the color of his own eyes and he wondered whether or not she had realized it. Her hair was worn up again and he could see the pale arch of her neck. It had a certain gracefulness to it. He hated comparing it to a giraffe’s but at the moment, it was all he could think of. She wore no jewelry other than a thin silver diamond tennis bracelet around her left wrist that glittered when the sun caught onto it. She was standing on one leg, bracing against the door as she slipped on her high-heeled black sandals.

Knowing that he was staring at her, she sighed. “I know. I know. But my mom wanted me to be all dolled up so she got me all of this stuff.”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, swallowing the lump in his throat caused by the vision before him. “I was going to say that you look…” he trailed off, wondering what the repercussion would be for what he wanted to say. To hell with it. “You look beautiful,” he said firmly so there would be no room for her to doubt his words.

Olivia straightened, staring at him. She wasn’t sure what to say to that. He wasn’t so bad to look at either, in his black suit, white button shirt and solid black tie. He actually was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen. She couldn’t tell him that though. He was only being polite to her, complimenting her. She was certain that once they arrived at the party and he saw Sophia, not much else would matter to him. She wasn’t sure why she invited him if she was so certain that he was going to abandon her that evening but she had asked without thinking. After he had revealed his rather overwhelming secret, she had purposely stayed away from him. And she had been frightened to find that during those two weeks absent of him, she had actually missed him.

“Thank you,” she finally said barely above a whisper. Staring into his eyes, the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, she took a step towards him and straightened his tie. Her hands came to a rest lightly on his chest as they fell into one another’s orbs. She swallowed somewhat nervously when he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then leaning forward, with only a breath of air now between them, Ben kissed the corner of her mouth as if he had found something there and wanted it all for himself.

They didn’t exchange another word as they rode the elevator down to the lobby or walked to the car though she thanked him quietly when he opened all of the doors for her. When they finally were on their way, driving out of Chicago and heading towards Northwest Indiana, dealing with all of the construction and the traffic currently on the Dan Ryan, whatever spell had befallen upon them seemed to pass and they fell into easy conversation and teasing as they always had before. She flipped through the music collection, laughing over his Wham! Greatest hits, before popping it into the CD player and belting along to “Wake Me Up Before you Go, Go”, and making him laugh as well.

Tom and Maria Grange lived in a small two story home on a quiet tree-lined suburban street. A massive maple tree grew in the yard, shading most of the front property. Olivia’s Aunt Bridget, Tom’s sister, lived across the street a few houses down and as they began walking down the sidewalk, the music coming from the Grange backyard could be heard. Ben straightened his tie again as Olivia clasped the present she had gotten for her parents in her hands.

“Are you ready for this?” She asked as they rounded the side of the house. Ben nodded his head, giving her a slight smile. She stopped, grabbing his hand and pulling him to a stop as well. “You’re not nervous, are you?”

Ben scoffed, shaking his head. “Any reason why I shouldn't be?”

She shook her head. “No reason.” She didn’t let his hand go though but he wasn’t exactly pulling it away. He liked their hands together. He squeezed it and Olivia sighed softly, looking up the path that led to the backyard. “Do me a favor.”

“Sure,” he said, hiding his surprise as best he could. Hell must have frozen over if Olivia had just spoken those particular words to him. “What do you need?”

She sighed again, looking into his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She squeezed his hand back then tried to speak to him again. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t find the words let alone get them out. He had done so much for her already. She had no right to ask him for anything else. She scolded herself silently. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t ask him to stay with her that night and not run off with her sister. She couldn’t ask him to keep holding her hand and she certainly couldn’t ask him to say she looked beautiful again. No one had ever stared at her the way that he had when she had opened that door.

“Olivia!”

She dropped Ben’s hand like a hot coal and turned to see Sophia coming down the path. Like Olivia, she was dressed up elegantly with her hair pulled back into a flawless twist. Her high heels clacked on the concrete and the sun caught her diamond necklace. Ben put his hands in his pants pockets, watching Olivia closely. He prayed silently that no matter what Sophia said, Olivia would retaliate somehow.

“Where have you been? Everyone’s already here and it doesn’t look so good for mom and dad if their own daughter isn’t here!” She scolded sharply.

“I’m sorry. It took me a bit longer to get ready than I thought it would,” Olivia said softly.

Sophia rolled her eyes. “It’s the dress, isn’t it? I told mom to get you the next bigger size. How’d you finally get it zipped up?” She asked, putting her hands on Olivia’s shoulders and turning her around so she could see if the zipper was pulled up the entire way.

“I think the dress looks fantastic on her,” Ben interjected suddenly, making both girls look at him.

“Ben!” Sophia exclaimed chirpily. “I’m sorry! I didn’t see you!” She hugged him and pecked him on the cheek. “What are you doing here?”

He looked at Olivia but she was concentrating on staring at the ground, subconsciously touching the zipper of her dress. “I came with Olivia,” he said.

“Oh?” Sophia asked, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Are you two seeing each other? Olivia hadn’t mentioned anything like that.”

“Because there was nothing to mention,” Olivia finally spoke but in that particularly soft tone that seemed to be especially reserved for her sister. “I’m going to go say hi to mom and dad. Are they in the back?”

Sophia rolled her eyes, slipping her arm through Ben’s. “Of course, Livi. Where else would they be?”

Olivia and Ben locked eyes with one another, the contact lasting longer than necessary before she gave him a weak smile before turning and continuing on down the path. Sophia sighed then turned her sweetest smile on Ben. He ignored her though. Had he really been intrigued by her at a time? She had to be the ugliest person he had ever met. No one treated their sister the way Sophia treated Olivia. It just wasn’t possible. Sophia was the classic case of being gorgeous on the outside but truly hideous on the inside. He pitied the man who fell for her looks without knowing her soul.

The Grange backyard was shaded by the same maple trees that shaded the front. Paper lanterns had been strung throughout the branches, giving a soft glow. Circular tables had been set up and a small live band was sitting on the deck, performing classic songs like “At Last” by Etta James, which had been Tom and Maria’s wedding song. By twilight, candles on the tables had been lit and the guests remaining either sat around, eating the cake that one of Maria’s sisters had baked, standing in small groups talking or dancing.

The band began to play a new song and Olivia smiled upon hearing the first few notes. It was one of her favorites: “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingos. She used to listen to it when she was a little girl on a record her mother had had. Ben was sitting in the chair next to her, having rarely left her side since he managed to get away from Sophia, sharing his third piece of cake with Sammy, sitting in his own chair between them. Ben lifted his head and Olivia smiled at him hesitantly.

“Would you like to dance?” She asked.

Ben swallowed the piece of cake in his mouth then shook his head reluctantly. “I would love to but I’m not a very good dancer. I try to avoid it actually.”

“Okay,” Olivia managed a smile. She hoped she didn’t sound disappointed because she wasn’t. She really wasn’t. He didn’t dance. It wasn’t as if he didn’t dance with just her. “How about you, Sammy? Will you dance with me?”

Sammy grinned, nodding his head and sliding down from his chair. “Come on, Livi,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her away.

Ben managed his own smile as he watched. He wished he did dance. He would have no problem dancing with her. He had been forced by his mother to take dance lessons when he was younger and he hated every second of it all. He hadn’t danced in so long but he felt weird sitting there, watching Olivia scoop Sammy into her arms and spin him around the floor, making them both laugh. She really was beautiful when she laughed. He couldn’t deny that. He also couldn’t deny the longing he felt at that moment watching her. He wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened. Maybe in Scotland or maybe it had been the first time he met her. But he did know what had happened. He had fallen for her.

He stood up as another song began to play. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles this time with “You Really Got A Hold On Me”. He could do this. If it meant being near her then he could do it. Clearing his throat, he tapped Sammy on the shoulder. Both he and Olivia looked at him.

“Sorry, Sammy,” Ben said, never looking away from Olivia. “But I was hoping to dance with your sister now.”

“Okay,” the boy shrugged. He had to go to the bathroom anyway and as soon as he was put back down to his feet, he scampered off towards the house.

Olivia stared at Ben. “You don’t have to dance with me,” she said softly.

“I know,” he said as he slid an arm around her waist and took hold of her hand. He pulled her body flush against his and Olivia held onto his shoulder. He tried to keep his body from reacting her pressed up against him but he didn’t want her to move away. He didn’t mind that a piece of paper couldn’t slip between them at the moment.

“You dance fine,” Olivia said softly, her cheek resting against his. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

Ben shook his head, closing his eyes, smelling her, feeling her. “It’s fun. And it’s only fair that I meet your parents since you already met mine.” He could actually hear her smiling. “Thanks for asking me to come.”

Her hand slid from his shoulder to the back of his neck. Her hands were cold but he didn’t mind since his body felt as if it was on fire.

“These have been such a few crazy months,” she said.

He smiled, inhaling bananas and strawberries. “Tell me about it. A few months ago, I hated you.”

Olivia pulled her head back enough to look into his eyes- his beautiful blue eyes. “And now?” She asked softly, her heart thumping in her chest so loudly, she was certain that he could hear it.

Ben swallowed the lump in his throat. Now? Now always terrified him because it always led to later and later was when he saw the true colors of people. He had let Olivia see more of him than anyone ever before and she hadn’t hurt him. Yet. There was always yet and yet always came later. After now. He stared at her. He didn’t know what to tell her or if he could tell her anything. So he didn’t say anything. He stared at her and kept silent.