10. LOVE ME.
"Hell to the fuck no."
"Never in a million years would i agree to pretend to be engaged to you" Olivia flared up once she heard. "I mean what was your thought process coming to ask me this—"
"Olivia" Amanda called, an attempt to calm her down. "Listen to me. Think of it as a way of killing two birds with one stone. That way we could fix whatever notion you already put out there about my son, Damien" She scoffed. "And the other bird?" Liv asked.
"It's private company matter"
"And coming to me to pretend to be engaged to be engaged to your son isn't?" Liv wasn't exactly infuriated. But the thought of him having the audacity of walking back here after firing her barely two days ago didn't sit right with her. It was then their eyes met from opposite sides of the room and she walked to him.
He had a hand against her designs and she stacked them from beneath. "It's none of your business" She gritted through her teeth and a sigh escaped his lips. A deep one.
"Come on Ophelia" She eyed him for intentionally getting her name wrong and he raised his hands in the air. "You know for me to come here—" He looked up at the thatched ceilings. "For me to come to you for help, i must be really desperate. And it wasn't even my idea—" Amanda heard the murmurs between them.
"It was hers"
"Quite frankly, i don't give a shit" Liv muttered from below him, so close that their heated breathes mixed in the air. "I'd offer you anything you want" He suddenly said and she put away her designs in the bottom of her closet. She turned to him with the loose tshirt that fell above her thighs.
"Not everything is about the money, billionaire boy" She hated herself for saying it but there was some truth to it. "I think i've moved past the stage of being your secretary and you made me realize that" Damien cleared his throat, searching for his next words. He wasn't as convincing and even Amanda had started to give up. "Besides, you have Amelia" Olivia added.
"And she would throw herself at the idea of posing in front of the cameras as the great Archer bride—" Olivia paused and Damien turned away. "I haven't spoken to her since the article"
"I thought you guys were a thing" Liv pushed. "It's none of your business" He almost raised his voice and then silence between them. She placed a hand against her hip as she heaved a sigh. "It's not just my thing." She continued.
"The company is crashing" He suddenly said. And Amanda stepped in front of him. "What?" Olivia asked softly. "The company is crashing and that's the real reason i need your help convincing these investors to come back after you—you opened your—" "Damien" Amanda immediately cut him short and he backed away. "It isn't as serious as he makes it seem" She said.
"But it seems to be for him to ask of something this much from me" Liv replied and her mum smothered. "You know what, you can forget i asked anything of you" Amanda snapped, looking around for her bag. Damien had had enough in that moment and he inched closer to Olivia, taking her by her arms.
"Anything" He gritted through his teeth.
"Come on, Damien" Amanda tossed her head upon her shoulders as Liv looked directly into his icy eyes that were for once filled with emotions and vulnerability. She pushed a lump down her throat and he did. "Listen to me, i saw your designs. Think of how a trip to Vienna can help you. And if you couldn't at least do it for you or for me, do it for the company" He added.
"My father's legacy. Do it for Hank"
It took a second but Liv pulled away from him. Her hands folded into each other as she turned away. And one particular finget brushed against the side of her neck. "I can't" She finally said and Damien's shoulders fell. "I don't owe you anything. Neither do i, Hank. I'm sorry" And in that moment, even though she didn't mean anything she said, Olivia felt like she needed to. Seeing the way his eyes fell close, it felt even. After all these years.
She turned away with tears stinging her eyes as if she wasn't the one that said the words. "Close the door on your way out" She swallowed a hard lump down her throat, leaving Damien with the bigger one—one that tasted of rejection. Disappointment.
"Come on"
Amanda held unto him as he still faced her back, hoping for her to turn around to him. Olivia never did—and instead all she heard was the sound of the door close behind her. She immediately pulled out her phone, dialing Alli with glassy eyes. And once he picked up, she found her way up the stairs.
"You wouldn't believe what happened" She started.
-
"One second"
Omar looked at the finger before him as Alli alighted the car. He could hear the murmurs even when the door closed behind him and all he did was rest back into his chair.
"Wait what?" Even he was shocked and Liv ran her hands through her red hair. "I know right? I was surprised as hell. I mean isn't that a whole new level of too much to ask?" She asked and he let out an exhale. "Don't tell me turned him down Liv or else i would smack some sense into your head"
"What could i have done? Thrown myself at the idea like he expected?" She snapped back at him. "Girl." Alli exclaimed. "If you don't shut the fuck up. It's fucking Archer, do you know the privileges that could come from being his pretend wife. It isn't even real and think of how much it could benefit you. Think of how it could benefit me. You could go to expensive galas and even be in the spotlight, that way you get a hundred steps closer to your dream of being a fashion designer. You get to meet people across the fucking world and you just turned t—"
"But it's—" She paused, a crack in her voice as she realized she couldn't even say her next words. "It's Damien Archer" She settled on and he rolled his eyes. "And?" Came the obvious question. "If shooting yourself in the leg was a person, it would be you" Alli replied as she fell into her chair.
"Can you just cut me some slack?"
"No the fuck i won't. No, i genuinely won't. Because if you loved me half as you claim to do, you would accept that offer in an instance but here we are" She scoffed. "This isn't about you" She answered and he folded his hands. "Since when—"
"Since when don't we do shit for each other. You know i would suck a score of cocks for you" Alli said and Olivia's throat gave way like she was about to throw up. "Can we all calm down" She urged. "It's not as if you were going to follow me to Vienna—" His jaw dropped to the ground.
"Vienna" He emphasized with wide eyes. "Fucking Vienna, that is the dream. The gate to Eastern Europe, the city of Music" Liv rolled her eyes, convinced that Alli would have thrived in the drama club if he wasn't such a tech guru. "I don't know what to do, Alli. I mean it changes everything" Olivia continued.
"And since when is that such a bad thing?"
"You could be more than a secretary all your life, Liv. And college you would have thrown yourself at this idea. It's like—it's like your books" He turned back to Omar, striking his thumb in the air. "One sec" He mouthed.
"Except it's different"
"How so? Except you're not telling me everything Olivia" Her heart dropped as she sat forward. "Of course i am" Lying to her best friend drove the other end of the knife down her back. "I just can't explain it. Like i'm scared of change" She whispered.
"Change is inevitable"
"And you used to say you're always one decision away from a totally different life" He whispered. "This is your decision. This is that decision and i couldn't force you to take it, however i would advise you to Liv" She was quiet, folding her knee beneath her chin as she heaved a deep breath.
"I would think about it, that's if the offer is still on the table" She added as Omar pushed open the door to the driver's seat, with his usual smirk. "Bye Liv. I gotta go" He hung up the call. "I'm literally so sorry that was—"
"Olivia" He added and Alli halted. "Were you eavesdropping?" He asked. "How could i not. You were yelling in the middle of the lot" Alli put an arm around his bag as Omar leaned closer to him. "Let me drive you home" He said.
"I couldn't. It's way off your route" He whispered. "So i waited for nothing?" Both of them didn't budge as he brought his face closer to his. It was if the world melted away or just blended together or both. And Alli looked deep into his eyes and then to his lips. "I'm offering to—" Omar whispered, his breath stroking the side of his neck. But the moment Alli clenched his eyes, he felt him draw away. Omar looked around them, placing his hands against the steering wheel and it was pretty obvious.
Of course he was one of those.
He wasn't out, and neither was Alli but that didn't mean he was afraid to go in for a kiss. However, Omar was. And that sucked so much that he felt his heart sink. Pushing a lump down his throat, he pulled away. "You don't have to. I'll call an Uber" And with that, he closed the door to his face without waiting for a reply.
Omar brought his head to the wheel, knowing in that moment how much he fucked up. "Shit"
-
The sun began to set by het windows, painting the sky crimson, a reflection that beamed into Olivia's glasses as she read the book in her hands. Now, there was space for her beige couch after she'd spent the day unpacking her boxes.
And she sipped the cup of cream coffee in her hands before tilting her face to the phone that laid next to her. She was in between a decision she knew she had to make at the end of the day and the dim skies reminded her she didn't have long.
Alli on the hand, took in as much as he could from the back of the Uber, a 90s song played on the stereo, a soundtrack to the thoughts that filled his head. It was a nice day, where most of it he was deceived that he could finally have that fairytale of a life but the moment in the car with Omar—that was a grim reminder that someone like him could never have that. And he wasn't even going to try. So he decided to kill it—
—much like his insides. He decided to never speak to Omar again. To end something before it even began. And the moment the car came to a halt, he alighted with his bags, looking up to the skies and filling his lungs with the fresh evening Chicago air. It was addictive, however relieving as he made his way down the lawn and up his wooden porch. But the moment he opened the door to his house, he was met with a familiar scent, one accompanied with the face before him.
"Hi" Aliya squealed, surprisingly grasping him in for a hug.
"Hi...cousin" Alli was dumbfounded, letting his bag drop to the ground as he looked around him to see the celebratory rituals. It was then his mother walked to him. "We've been waiting for you." She said. "And what's going on?" Alli pulled away.
"Aren't you excited to see me, cuz?" Aliya peered from behind, a lavender saree across her shoulders. "Aliya would be staying with us for some times before her ring ceremony" Ma said, holding a bowl in her arms and Alli arched his brows.
"Ring ceremony?" He echoed.
"Yes Alli. Ma and Pa are convinced they'd found the perfect suitor for me—" She reached out to his shoulders. "I just can't wait to meet him" He scoffed, forcing a smile on his lips as he looked around. "Me too" He grinned, widely.
-
"I haven't agreed yet"
Olivia placed the phone to her ears, hearing his halting breathes from the other end of the line. He didn't utter a word, he just let her speak. "Now, i assume there would be a contract guiding this union and i have a few things to add" She paused.
"Go on" He finally said.
"First of all i'm doing this for me and me alone. And i'm under no obligation to make it seem as much believable as it already is. I would have hours in which i will spend by myself, and what i do with those hours shall be none of your business."
"It's just a weekend in Vienna, Olivia" Damien scoffed and she scribbled something down on a paper. "I know. i'm talking of subsequent occasions in the future. I would have a restricted policy with the media in which i choose i want to say. Also, a raise. Thrice what i already earn" She cleared her throat. "Don't push it—" Came a stern warning and she chuckled lightly.
"Twice and nothing less"
"There shall be no obligatory public display of affection unless it's something i'm comfortable with. And this agreement will require two separate room should in case we lodge in a hotel" Liv said and it was almost as if she could see the snarky grin across his lips. "It's a suite" He corrected. "For the both of us" He added.
"I've told you my terms" She replied.
"Why?" He asked. "Are you afraid you wouldn't be able to control yourself around me?" He went in, and Liv bit her lower lip while rolling her eyes. "We'll have a talk on boundaries when we finally see—" She whispered. "Tomorrow?" He hid the excitement in his voice as Olivia stared out of her windows.
"Tomorrow" She agreed, realizing what that meant. She was coming back to Archers, to fill in a new role. One that would be the headlines of every major newspaper by the next week. And for the first time, Damien had a smile at the corner of his lips as he twirled the pen in his hands. "See you soon—" He croaked.
"See you soon, Mrs Archer."
To be continued...