Page 63 of Baby, It's You
We have filmed two more episodes of the series recently, and every single episode has made the bar fund grow. We have almost hit our goal of a million dollars. I know Olive realizes that this means she will have to ask Tripp if he will sell the bar to her soon and it’s making her anxious. I might have to threaten the guy if he doesn’t sell it to her. I can’t watch Whiskey’s get taken from her.
Today we are meeting at the bar to have lunch and then film. She has the day off since Missy is working and I’m excited to have some uninterrupted time with her. I pull up to her apartment complex, preparing to get out of my truck, when I see her burst out her front door, all smiles, as she waves to me. I chuckle and wave enthusiastically back to her. She bouncesdown the concrete steps to the ground floor and my breath escapes as it always does when I take her in. Olive has her hair pulled back into a high ponytail that swishes when she walks and puts her long, swanlike neck on display. She is wearing a simple white tank that shows off a sliver of her stomach, and a pair of jeans. She always looks so effortlessly beautiful.
“Hey, stranger.” She smiles as she walks up.
I step around to the passenger side of the truck and pull open the door for her, motioning to the seat. “Your chariot awaits, princess.”
She rolls her eyes. “Princess?” she snorts.
“Too much?” I chuckle. “How about ‘doll’?”
“How about no nicknames for me,Curls.” She playfully tussles my hair as she shuffles past me into her seat.
“Not into nicknames?” I lean against the side of my truck, looking down at her.
She wrinkles her nose. “No, I always feel like they are condescending most of the time. I only like ‘baby’ or my own name.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Condescending?” I smile. “Okay.Babyit is.”
“I love when you do that.” She smiles up at me.
“What?”
“Throw your head back when you laugh; it just bursts out of you. It’s contagious and it makes me happy.”
I didn’t realize that she notices these minute details about me. I lean forward and kiss her on the forehead. Her eyes close and I hear her breathing hitch slightly. We both have decided it’s best to not be fully intimate with each other until she’s ready to be in a relationship, but I am glad I still get to show her some affection. These small intimacies feel almost more sensual, like we are really appreciating each other as our connection increases.
I draw back from her forehead and playfully pretend to tussle her hair like she did to me. Olive giggles as I close her door and walk back around, smiling to myself like an idiot. This is the happiest I’ve been since losing my father; I didn’t know it was possible for me to feel this amount of joy again.
Soon we arrive outside the bar. I hear her let out a sigh of relief when she sees that Tripp’s car isn't in the parking lot.
“Looks like today will be a good day,” I tell her.
“You read my mind.”
We get out of our seats simultaneously and shut our doors. I walk to the back of my truck and pull something out.
“I have something for you. Well, not technically foryou, but…here,” I say as I pull out the basket with a lid that was sitting in my truck bed.
“Thank you?” Olive questions as I hand her the basket.
“Open it.”
When she does, she gasps. She stares down at a basket full of petunias from my garden. “For Jane,” I tell her.
Olive shakes her head and looks back up at me. “You're amazing,” she whispers.
I chuckle, as she continues, “No, I’m serious. You’re perfect. You always know what I need and how to make me smile.”
I feel my skin flush at the compliment, but also know I’m sweating. The intense sun causes a bead of sweat to drip down my neck. “I would do anything for you,” I tell her. “Seriously. But can we please go inside because I’m sweating like a pig out here.”
She places the basket back in my truck bed, then grabs my right arm and leads me towards the door. By the time we get to the bar entrance we are holding hands, and I clasp hers tighter as we walk in.
The first person I see when we walk in is Johnny and his eyes widen when he sees our connected hands. He begins to slow clap, dramatically.
“I never thought I’d see the day. Olive has a boyfriend. And it’s barstool boy, I’ll be damned.”
“Oh god, stop that. Don't make it weird,” Olive scoffs at Johnny. “Also, we are taking it slow, so please, no pressure. We aren’t in a relationship.”
