More than Anyone

Olivia laid on her stomach, her hand resting on the empty spot next to her. It was cool to the touch. She wondered what time he had left. It must have been early. It was only eight-thirty and the left side of the bed already looked as if no one had slept there the night before. She sighed softly, situating the pillow underneath her cheek to become more comfortable. She didn’t feel like getting out of bed quite yet. She had things her mind had to see to. For instance, why had Ben come to sleep over if he was just going to slink out in the middle of the night? And in addition to that, what was going on with her and Ben in the first place?

She sighed softly, closing her eyes again. She felt the rising sun slowly begin to warm the bedroom but she felt a shiver go down her spine. She pulled the goose down comforter up over her head, engulfing her like a cocoon. The darkness swallowed her and she welcomed it. She had woken up slowly, still almost dreaming and she had rolled over, intending to touch him. She wasn’t sure why but she had wanted to wake up touching him. His absence was something she did not care to wake up to.

Rick, the man who lived on the floor beneath her, was obviously up. His television was up on that deafening volume again – it being so loud that she could hear perfectly that he was watching an episode of “Project Runway”. She groaned, burying her head underneath her pillow. It was far too early in the morning to hear Heidi Klum. Olivia wondered if there was ever a right time to hear her. She tried to plug her ears but that was to no avail. She groaned dejectedly. Rick had won this round. He was a nice man to live by but he was a musician, a drummer to be exact, and his hearing was anything but great, hence the television being turned up as high as it would go.

She couldn’t think in such a situation and she needed to think. Things were beyond the point of confusing. With Ben, whatever this thing was that they were sharing with one another, it intrigued her, infuriated her, confused her, mystified her… aroused her. She shook her head slightly. Lying next to him in bed last night had been a bit more challenging then she had first anticipated. Despite being completely exhausted, the moment he laid down next to her, the mattress sinking with his weight, the heat radiating off his body, Olivia became very much awake. She had studied him as he slept. His dark red, nearly auburn, buzzed hair that made her want to scratch his head, his face with the sharp features and bones that made him look hardened but it all melted away whenever he smiled, which seemed to be more and more often around her now, the light splattering of freckles across his pale skin. She knew he hated the freckles. He had complained about them more than once grumbling that freckles were intended for boys, not a man in his mid-twenties. She stared at him, not thinking about how strange it was that Ben Norfolk was sleeping in her bed, but thinking about how oddly right it all felt to have him there.

Rolling onto her stomach, she pushed the covers from her face and stared up at the ceiling. Their kisses were phenomenal. But even she knew that that was putting it lightly. Each time they kissed, which she knew was further complicating things between them, she couldn’t help but one more and more. She literally had to cling to him as her knees shook and her legs became unreliable holding her up. His lips were addicting. He could kiss her with so much passion and yet, his caresses on her body and lips could be so gentle. Olivia nearly swooned just thinking about them.

None of it made any sense. It all confused her. Looking back on the past few months, it had all started with her birthday – her least favorite of all days. And that one day turned into many and many and before she knew it, she and Ben were something. They were friends, yes. That was without argument. But there was something more there. Something that was more than any friendship she had ever had. And it drove her crazy to let it exist without a label of some sort. She wasn’t even sure whether or not she could discuss this with him. Perhaps she was seeing something that wasn’t there.

Olivia shook her head slightly. Or perhaps these thoughts were too many to be having at such an early hour in the morning. She needed coffee. And then she could proceed with over-analyzing everything. Maybe she could even make a list spanning their entire friendship or relationship or whatever this dance they were involved with one another called. Yes. That’s what she would do. She had yet to make a list that failed its purpose.

Pleased that the morning wasn’t turning out to be a complete disappointment, Olivia slid out of bed, immediately stretching, grunting slightly as the muscles in her body woke up. She pulled the sweatshirt off over her head and slid on a tank top. Her apartment was always a bit warm in the mornings with the windows facing east and the sun pouring directly into the rooms. She hopped happily into the kitchen, all but now forgetting that Ben had snuck out without waking her up, and opened the refrigerator, searching for the jug of cranberry raspberry juice she had bought the day before.

“Juice, juice, juice,” she sang to herself, practically diving into the refrigerator on the hunt. Her tongue felt swollen in her mouth from her thirst. And when one had a taste for cranberry raspberry juice, nothing else would do.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ben asked, suddenly appearing behind her, catching her by surprise so much, that she nearly fell into the shelves. His arm snaked around her waist, catching her. She immediately elbowed him in the chest making him back away so she could turn around and face him.

“And where the hell have you been?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to ignore the fact that his hand was still resting on the dip of her hip. That was something she definitely had to add to her list. His touch, no matter how innocent or brief or even unintentional, always, without fail, sent the temperature in her body spiking a few hundred degrees.

With a roll of his eyes, Ben turned slightly, his hand still on her body, and took a piece of paper from off the counter, holding it up for her to see. “I told you I was going for coffee and something to eat so I could bring it back here. You have absolutely nothing to eat.”

“That’s not true!” Olivia exclaimed, turning around again to face the still open refrigerator. “I have eggs…”

“Two,” Ben interrupted. “We both can’t be full off of two eggs.”

Olivia sighed, elbowing him again. He laughed, finally stepping away from her but not without kissing her cheek affectionately. She felt her skin flame up in a blush but he didn’t notice as he went to the counter, taking the cups he had bought from the coffee shop down the street.

“Here. One mocha frappuccino,” he said, holding the appropriate cup out to her. He then opened the paper bag he had also brought back with him. “And…” he pulled out two muffins, one blueberry and one banana nut. She smiled, taking the banana one just like he knew she would. “Do I deliver or what?” He asked with a grin and she laughed softly. Walking past him, she patted his arm and pecked him quickly on the lips, going into the living room and collapsing onto the couch.

“I woke up this morning and I thought you had left,” Olivia admitted, her lips tingling. She stared at the blank television screen, munching on her muffin and trying not to watch Ben from the corner of her eye as she saw him still standing in the kitchen, taking off his shoes and stripping back down to his tee shirt and boxer shorts.

“I was trying to get back before you woke up,” Ben said, collapsing down next to her with his own coffee and muffin. He reached onto the coffee table and took the television controller, sinking back down in the cushions. Beginning to flip through the morning shows, which consisted of infomercials and anime cartoons, he began to gulp down the coffee, not being bothered at all by it searing his throat as it went down. “How’d you sleep?” He asked, turning his head to look at her.

She nodded. “Really good actually.” She took a small bite from her muffin. “Don’t flatter yourself though,” she quickly added and he smirked, shaking his head.

Ben looked back at the television, watching a rerun of “The Dog Whisperer” on the National Geographic Channel, which was probably his least favorite show on the network but there was nothing else on at the moment. He had slept good the night before too. Real good in fact. He thought that maybe he wouldn’t have with her being so close but as soon as he felt the warmth from her body, her soft breathings. During the night, he had felt their bodies touch – nothing serious. Just their feet touched but he felt it in his sleep and it had found its way into his dreams. He gulped the rest of his coffee then rolled the empty cup between his hands for a moment, not really watching the show but instead lost in thoughts of none other than Olivia Grange. She was staring out the window as she ate her muffin, taking small bites, a few crumbs falling onto the boxer shorts she had slept in. She was so imperfectly beautiful in the mornings. Her hair was a tousled mess, her clothes were rumpled, there was a pillow mark on her right shoulder and yet all of that made him smile. It was her imperfections that reminded him that she was very much real.

He cleared his throat. He had had a thought in his head and he needed to get it out before it stayed in there and became a victim or over-analyzing. “Hey Olivia?” He asked, his voice coming out a bit croaked before it cleared it again.
“Hmmmm?” She said, still looking out the window, now sipping her frappuccino.

He scratched nervously at the back of his head. “Do you want to go get a drink with me tonight?” He asked her rather quickly.

Olivia turned her head to look at him. “Where? Humpy’s?”

He wished he had more coffee to swallow. At least that would give him something to do. The muffin was making his mouth far too dry to finish. It now sat ignored on the coffee table. “Actually, there’s this cool cocktail bar over on Michigan I was thinking about going to. What do you think?” He looked at her, hopeful.

It took a few passing moments for Olivia’s eyes to light with understanding. “Oh,” was all she said for a minute. She took a sip from her coffee. “Are you talking about a date?”

He nodded his head, trying to describe her tone. Was that disgust? Or approval at the suggestion? He thought he knew her tones but now he definitely wasn’t sure. He awaited nervously for an answer. His heart nearly collapsed when her mouth turned upwards into a faint smile.

“That sounds lovely,” she smiled, her cheeks breaking into a light blush. “I can’t wait.”

Ben broke into a grin. “Me neither. I think getting a drink at some place quiet, where we can actually hear one another talk, would be the best. Unless you wanted to go somewhere else…”

“No,” Olivia shook her head, still smiling faintly. “I think that that sounds perfect.”

“Yeah?” Ben asked. Now that she had agreed to an official date with him, he wasn’t sure why he was now more nervous than when he had initially asked her. She nodded her head again, smiling a bit wider, and he almost laughed. If someone had told him months ago that he would be excited and most of all happy to be going out on a date with Olivia Grange… It amazed him. Something that seemed so improbable just a short time ago was now about to happen. He was nervous with anticipation of the evening but he knew that everything was going to be fine. He and Olivia had gone out together plenty of times. The only difference now was this was official. They were going to be going out on a date. It almost blew his mind. He was going out on a romantically charged date with Olivia. He couldn’t believe that he had gathered enough courage to even ask her. But now that he had done that, why stop?

Ben stood up and Olivia watched him as he began to pace back and forth between the coffee table and the television. Her brow furrowed.

“What is it?” She asked, almost preparing herself to have him take it all back.

He shook his head slightly. “Fuck,” he mumbled to himself over and over again before stopping suddenly, facing her. “Okay. This is it. I hate when people have things to say to one another and they never say it because they’re too scared or too stupid or something,” he began to ramble. “And yes. I know I didn’t tell you about who I was for a long time but that is the only thing I’ve ever kept from you and it’s the only thing I plan on ever keeping from you.” He scratched at the back of his head again before he sighed heavily. “Fuck it.” He stared straight into her eyes and didn’t dare look away. “Olivia, I like you.”

She returned his stare. “I like you too Ben.”

He shook his head. “No. I LIKE you. Like, like you.”

“I know Ben. And I like you too,” she said again. She said it so casually, he wasn’t sure if she still understood the exact meaning of his words. He stared at her, confused, and she smiled. “I like, like you too,” she furthered, hoping that it clarified it. But he continued to stare at her. She stood up slowly, her stomach a weave of heavy knots. She couldn’t believe that she was just coming out and saying this. She had planned on never telling him. She was going to be one of those people that never spoke of their feelings towards the person she harbored them towards. “I like you Ben like a girl likes a guy.”

That must have cleared it because his face broke into a grin. “Yeah?” He asked and she smiled, almost laughing, nodding her head. “Wow,” he breathed. “What a morning.” She did laugh at that and he grinned widely at the sound. “Olivia Grange likes me.” He laughed shortly. “You like me. You really like me.”

Laughing, Olivia leaned over the coffee table and pushed him playfully, but Ben caught her wrists and pulled her towards him, almost pulling her over the table. Cupping the back of her head in one hand while holding both of her wrists with the other, he kissed her. The kiss was hard and passionate and it was leaving no room for politeness. When they finally broke apart, both were breathless.

She opened her eyes slowly and stared at him. “So… tonight?”

-----

She smiled when Ben took her hand in his as they walked down Michigan Ave., the wind from off the lake a bit brisk but it was still a wonderful night. She was wearing a simple black dress, the type of black dress that almost every woman seemed to have hanging in her closet, and black high-heels. Ben was a bit more casual in a blue jeans and a white tee shirt underneath a track jacket but he was a guy and it was somewhat of a universal law that men could always be more casually dressed than women. For some reason, women had the pressure of looking fabulous whatever the occasion.

"Where are we going?" Olivia asked, her curiosity finally getting the best of her.

Ben smiled. "We're almost there. Before my dad died, he invested in some high-class cocktail bars, the kind of places he and my mom would go to with the piano player in the corner and the low lights and soft voices. He was going to make them additions to all of the North Stars but I don't know. They decided to just have them as independent establishments."

"So you own the place we're going to?" Without explanation, her stomach began to flutter. He had such a different lifestyle than her. He had so much money to his name and he even had buildings that belonged to him. He walked into a place and he had everyone's instant respect and attention. She couldn't even fathom what that was like.

"I just have some money invested in it," he said with a casual shrug. "I don't really go here too often though. I prefer Humpy's," he added with a grin and she laughed softly.

"You could go anywhere in the world and yet, you like going to Humpy's with the constant odor of beer, peanuts and vomit in the air," Olivia said, shaking her head slightly with a smile.

Ben squeezed her hand. "Yep. I'm cool like that." She laughed and he grinned. He loved making her laugh. It was one of the first things about her that began to change his initial opinion about her.

The cocktail bar was named Red Sky, a place she had passed numerous times while shopping on the street but had never glanced twice at it. There were stores on Michigan Avenue that one came to recognize as not their kind of place. One knew what they could afford and what they couldn't. The bar was a bit small but it was certainly softer and more comfortable than Humpy's. There were armchairs and small tables for patrons to sit in and a bar completely made out of glass was against the wall opposite of the door. Plants in heavy pots were situated in the corners, giving the room a splash of green amongst the whites and creams. The piano was in the corner to the right of the doors and the music being played reminded Olivia of the music she had to listen to when a company, usually a credit card one, put her on hold. This definitely was not the kind of place one ordered a Miller Beer at. She doubted they even carried beers like that.

"Come on," Ben said, smiling with amusement as she looked around at her surroundings. He tugged on her hand and guided her towards the bar. "I'm gonna have a rum and coke and..." he trailed off, looking at Olivia. "What do you want, Liv?"

"Um..." she paused in thought for a moment. "Vodka tonic," she told the bartender.

With their drinks, Ben, who still hadn't let go of her hand, led them to two available chairs far enough away from the piano so they could hear one another as they talked perfectly. Olivia situated herself in the soft chair, a far cry from the sticky benched booths at Humpy's. Instead of slinking down in the chair like he usually would have, Ben sat up and forward, wanting to be close to her, to give her his undivided attention.

"I can't believe we're here," she said after taking a sip from her drink.

"Where? At the Red Sky?" He asked, handing her the cherry the bartender had plunked down in his drink.

Olivia smiled as she popped it into her mouth, sucking the rum off of it. She shook her head. "No. I mean. I can't believe we're here. You and me on a date."

"It is a bit surreal," Ben agreed. "But on the other hand, this is something we've done before. Gone out, just the two of us."

"Yes, but this is different," she said. "That was a strictly friend situation. This has a more of an... hmmmm. More of a romantic overtone," she decided.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Does it now?" He grinned. Olivia nodded her head firmly and he laughed softly. "Does that mean I'm getting lucky at the end of this night?"

Olivia made a face at him that made him laugh a bit louder. "Let's not jump the gun, Ben. This is our first date. Six months ago, I despised you." She held her hands apart at a fair distance. "That's a lot of ground we have covered, yes, but I'm not ready for you to see me naked."

He nodded his head. "Fair enough. I'll strip then. You can keep some clothing on." He laughed when she leaned over and pushed his knee.

"Is that all you think about Ben Norfolk?" She demanded, pretending to be put off.

Without hesitance, he answered honestly. "Yes. With you, lately. Yes." He watched her as she smiled shyly, her face blushing ever so slightly.

"Oh," was all she said before taking another sip from her drink. Ben grinned.