Page 52 of Roman & Olivia
Roman shrugged, then stretched his arm around Melody. “Nothing. It’s just that Olivia hates Caesar salad. In fact, she hates salad altogether. I’ve only ever seen her gag down what she calls bunny food when it’s doused in ranch dressing.”
Olivia shot him a sharp look, and Roman chuckled. It didn’t matter that he was right. He did know what she liked and didn’t like. Mason would learn, though. And that chicken salad had been okay. Mason had insisted she’d love it, and she’d let him order it for her.
“Is that true, Olivia?” Mason asked, pulling back a little.
Face burning, she gave Mason a shy smile. “Actually… Well, the salad was… good.” Her face burned hotter. “But Roman’s right. I’m… not really… Salads aren’t my thing.”
Mason frowned and pulled his arm back to his side.
If they didn’t have an audience, Olivia would have given Roman a lecture. How dare he? Didn’t he know that these first few weeks were for laying the foundation for a new relationship? She didn’t want to scare Mason off by admitting she didn’t like salad when that was something Mason enjoyed eating most lunches at work.
“That’s okay. I don’t like salads either,” Melody said as she leaned forward. Her little button nose wrinkled in the most adorable way.
Olivia hated her.
Then she hated herself more for hating someone who probably hadn’t done a single bad thing in her lifetime.
She heaved a sigh as she turned a reassuring smile to Mason and placed a hand on his forearm. “It was a good salad, though. I might get it again.”
Mason glanced at her out of the corner of his eye but didn’t respond. Olivia couldn’t bring herself to meet Roman’s stare. He would have insisted that she get the steak. That was what she usually got. But when she was with Mason, she was more careful.
In the end, she got a chicken breast with a side of asparagus, which wasn’t nearly as tasteless as the salad. Roman’s irritation continued to grow during dinner, and the only person who couldn’t sense the tension between the four of them was probably Melody.
Mason stared daggers at Roman. Roman silently judged Olivia for her life choices. Olivia seethed with jealousy. And Melody told adorable stories about some of her past patients. Even the waitress could sense that this dinner date was nothing but torture.
It got so bad that Olivia had to make a decision. She could either let her past one-sided crush on Roman destroy the new relationship she’d worked so hard for, or she could throw herself into it and salvage the life she’d so desperately wanted.
She reached for Mason’s hand where it rested on the table as he talked about some of the new initiatives that his father wanted to implement in the city. Then she nearly released it. His hand was clammy. But one look in Roman’s direction had her reconsidering.
Olivia slipped her fingers between Mason’s and turned her full attention to her boyfriend. She laughed at the dumb jokes and paid him all the attention she was worth. By the time they got the dessert menus, she was exhausted and nearly forgot why she’d been so intent on flirting with Mason like he was the last guy on earth.
“I’m going to run to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.” Olivia got to her feet and scurried away. When she emerged from the restroom, a strong hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged her around the corner of the hallway toward the restaurant offices.
She gasped and nearly swatted at her assailant until she met Roman’s eyes. Then she swatted him anyway. “Roman! You scared me to death. What are you doing?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he snapped.
Her head reared back. “What are you talking about?”
“The salad? The chicken breast? Since when do you pick grilled chicken over red meat?”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Since I’m opening myself up to new things.”
Roman snorted. “I thought you said you were happy dating him.”
“I am,” she shot back.
This time he gave her a flat look—one that clearly said he didn’t believe a single word she’d sputtered since he’d cornered her in this hallway.
“I am,” she insisted. “The relationship is still new. We’re figuring things out.”
“Oh, is that what you call not being comfortable enough to tell him how you feel?”
She gaped at him. This was a side of Roman she’d only ever seen a handful of times and rarely directed at her. But to be fair,she’d usually been more than capable of sticking up for herself, but lately it felt like she was struggling.
But she’d never tell Roman that.
Olivia folded her arms and scowled at him. “I don’t think this is any of your business.”
