Chapter 16: Chapter 16
That night, as Olivia sat on her bed daydreaming about their quiet time together on the beach, she couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. She knew that Elena had noticed how happy she looked at dinner and she was sure Tyler did too. At that moment, she didn’t care. She smelled the sweater she had put on at the beach when it started getting chilly; it still smelled like him. She smelled it so much that she later got used to the scent.
Olivia didn’t want to ruin how relaxing it was there, but she also did actually want to call Kate. So, she picked up her phone and saw that she had numerous missed calls from her friend. She quickly dialled Kate’s number, before she could convince herself to do otherwise. The phone didn’t ring long on the other side, before Kate answered.
“Finally! Did the French do something to you?”
“Sorry, Kate. We went to the beach,” Olivia blurted out.
“We?”
“You wanted me to call you? Did you find something,” asked Olivia, changing the subject.
“This topic isn’t over yet. You tell me something, I tell you something. That’s the deal, remember,” said Kate, excitedly. She probably got more out of this deal than Olivia.
“Please, Kate. My body is sore and I’m tired. This game isn’t going to work now.”
“Oh, excuse me for forgetting about your adventure,” said Kate with what Olivia hoped was a bit of sarcasm. “I’ll pass you on this one. Blanca got money from an anonymous account owned by someone who you won’t see bankrupt soon. I know what your next question will be. No, I haven’t yet been able to trace the account.”
“Tell me again why you know me so well?”
“Maybe because I’m your guardian angel and best friend.”
“Mr Roselli is her previous boss. Maybe he’s the one behind it, using other people to keep his hands from getting dirty and protecting his ‘image’.”
“Mm…maybe. I’ll look into him. I feel like a detective these days, considering that I barely have a job anymore. All I do all day is look into things for you and make sure the press doesn’t get wind of our finances.”
“How is it going there? Any hope?”
“No. Most of the employees aren’t too happy about your surfer boy just leaving the company.”
“I know. I don’t understand it either.”
“Well, I have to go. I have a lead to follow up on.”
“Thanks K.”
“K? Something has really gotten into you,” Kate replied, laughing at her own comment. “Oh, Olivia,” said Kate, before Olivia hung up, “it’s not Roselli. Police cleared him. I just got a message from the head of accounting. ”
“Okay, thank you. Back to square one again.”
As Kate hung up, Olivia was left in silence again. The sun had already set, and the blue colours of the room was barely recognisable as the room got darker and colder. There was a knock on the door and Olivia got up and opened it. Tyler was standing in the hall with towels in his hands and a basket of wood.
“May a gentleman come in and light a fire for the lady,” he asked, putting on an accent.
“Sure,” Olivia said.
She took the towels and moved out of the way so that he could enter. He packed the wood in a structure and lit it. She stood behind him, watching the city boy working with his hands.
“Wow, for a CEO, you are not too bad at this.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“A cup of coffee would’ve given you some serious bonus gentleman points. Pity,” she said, standing beside him and warming her hands at the fire.
“Learning every day.”
“I’m proud of you. For being yourself. It’s something I struggle with too,” Olivia said, turning to face him.
“No one ever said that to me; you are the first, Ms Acker.”
“I’m glad I am.”
He moved closer and closer to her. Her mind told her to turn away, but her feet were locked in place and her heart refused again. He put his one hand behind her ear, as he had done before. Her heart won and her whole body gave in. He kissed her passionately, with his other hand moving up her arm and finding its place behind her other ear. She put her hands on his hips and could feel his abs with her thumbs. She felt as though the heat of the fire beside them increased as the love that she felt burned like a fire inside of her. It was like in the movies, only better, she thought. For a few seconds, nothing around her mattered. She didn’t have much experience with such passion. So, when they stopped and she looked up into his green eyes, while their arms were still wrapped around each other, she screamed in her head, Play hard to get.
“I’m going to take a shower. Freshen up before I go to bed.”
Worst excuse ever, she thought. With a last peck on her head, they separated and he walked to the door.
“My room is just at the end of the hall, if you need anything,” Tyler said, opening the door.
“I see. You wanted me near you,” she said, mocking him.
With a smile and without saying a word, he closed the door behind him.
“Ah,” she whispered as she fell on the bed on her back. “You’re in love, Olivia. Just admit it.”
That he respected her and knew when enough was enough attracted her even more. “I am worthy, and he treats me that way,” she said again. Those were the only words that came into her mind.