du great
Partners
Even though he was determined that they’re not friends, nor will they ever be, they make the best of companions. They have the same interest, work in related fields, have a lot of things in common, and are interested in each other enough to listen to what the other has to say.
Roman likes to make her laugh, and she loves to laugh. The days following Declan’s departure for his business trip, Olivia spends with Roman. Working, primarily, but being with each other became a comfortable regularity. He walked her to her building every morning after buying coffee, they have lunch together every day, and they go out for client surveys together. And it didn’t go unnoticed by their employees how their professional partnership had blossomed into the closest of friendships.
But there’s a deep amorous desire lurking underneath it. The restraint from taking their relationship further was because Olivia managed to withstand her urges more than Roman tried. She ignores his flirtatious comments and cheeky advances even though she enjoys every bit of it. She looked away every time he undressed her with his eyes. She never rejected his calls, his messages never go un-replied, she stopped refusing his invitations, and so it goes.
She wanted to keep him close without giving him what he wanted, an assurance that what they were having was real. Although she never let him touch her, it didn’t mean that she didn’t want him to. It was her way of denying it. She wasn’t having an affair because it was platonic when the truth is they’ve been doing everything that is considered to be an affair. They just haven’t physically done it yet.
“Olivia … sorry to disturb you,” Gaby voice through the intercom.
“What is it, Gaby?”
“Mr. Hunt is on line 2,” she replied.
“Oh, thanks,” she put down her pen and picked up the phone.
Olivia: Hey … how are you?
Declan: Hey, still working hard, I see. How’s everything going?
Olivia: (Sit back on her chair) It’s going great, actually, just not sure I can do everything all at once. How’s your trip? Brian’s keeping you entertained?
Declan: (Laughed sarcastically) He can be a nuisance … I can tell you that much, but we’re getting closer to closing the deal … and I’m calling to tell you that you will get that summer home we’ve talked about.
Olivia: (Smiling) That’s fantastic news.
Declan: The contracts are being drafted by the acquisitions lawyers. In a few weeks’ time, they’ll be signed and sealed, and we can book that flight to London for house hunting.
Olivia: (Giggling) I’m so happy for you.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Declan: For me? For us! This is our victory … how about that doctor’s appointment? Have you done it yet?
Olivia: (Hesitated) No … I haven’t
Declan: Oh … why not? Have you looked into it again? Doctor Tomlin recommended us to that clinic in Gastonbury, we don’t need to look for another one. He’d handled us for years. He knows what we need.
Olivia: (Rubbed her forehead in distress) I don’t know, Declan, it’s a pretty intensive procedure. I don’t know if I’m up for it.
Of course, it wasn’t the only reason she had doubts.
Declan: But … I thought we’ve talked about this? We were going to our first appointment after I get back from this trip …
Olivia: Yeah … but …
Declan: The sooner, the better, Livy, it’ll take weeks to do the first cycle, and we have to anticipate the possibility that we may need more than one cycle
Olivia: (Sighed deeply) Exactly … that’s why I don’t think I can do it.
Declan: (Silent)
Olivia: It’s too much … I can still smell the hospital whenever I think about it …
Declan: Don’t be a child, Livy, we have to do what we have to do … it’s not gonna be easy, it’s never been easy for us … you know that …
Olivia: Exactly… it’s easy for you to say, you just threw me an idea and leave me doing everything by myself… and I’m the one who has to do all that horrible procedures, and all you have to do is sit and wait
Declan fell silent for a moment. He was surprised by the tone of his wife’s voice.
Declan: Okay … you’re obviously in a mood.
Olivia: (Glared in disbelief) What? No, I’m not in a mood … I’m saying you came up with this idea out of the blue. You told me to do the research, book an appointment, and then leave for a business trip the very next day … is that what you’re gonna do once we’re expecting triplets?
Declan: (Pressed his fingers on his forehead) Okay … no need to shout. I was making a plan for us. You know this trip is to seal the deal with Brian’s company, and we’re going to buy that house in London so maybe we can have the baby there … or at least that’s the idea …
Olivia: No, Declan … don’t make plans like that, we’re not even sure if we will do the procedure yet.
Declan: Of course we are … we have to do the IVF … we don’t have much time … I know we both want this.
Olivia: I’m not so sure … I don’t think I want it anymore.
Declan: (Sighed) Look … I’ll be home in a few days. We can talk about this when I get back, okay? In the meantime, cool down a bit and think about it, Livy. This is precisely what we need to do right now.
Olivia: (Didn’t reply)
Declan: I have to go now … I’ll call you later?
Olivia: Fine.
She hung up the phone without saying goodbye. Roman was right, she was starting to get used to her new routine, and her business was expanding rapidly. The idea of having children was a deliberate interruption to her new life. She couldn’t help but think that Declan must’ve done it on purpose, the way he persuaded her to stop working when they first tried to get pregnant. Her career was taking off at that time too.
Her mind was back to Roman again. Knowing he was in his gallery across her building, painting or developing pictures. He’d welcome her, that’s for sure. Declan was coming home in a few days. He’s going to persuade her to do the treatment. The baby she wants, but the father she wasn’t so sure about. All it took was that one phone call for her to cross the street and changed everything.