Page 23 of Reckless Intentions
Chapter Twelve
When Olivia woke the following morning, she was clammy from a steamy dream she’d had about Brody and she didn’t know what to do with herself. They’d been recreating the desk scene with she’d witnessed with Valentina when they’d first met.
The sheer volume of white Rioja she’d drunk had kept her up for most of the night, alternately thinking she was going to be sick or needing to go to the bathroom. All in she’d barely managed more than an hour of uninterrupted sleep. While she had sat on the cool tile of the bathroom floor, at some unearthly hour of the morning, leaning her head against the edge of the bath, the scene with Brody at the front door of the apartment had played on a loop in her head.
Why had he touched her like that? Why had he walked away? Why had he come after her in the first place?
She groaned as she remembered her promise to go to the club and tidy up for Brody that morning. The thought of even seeing him made her stomach churn, much like the remains of the wine was. She could already feel the beginnings of a hangover, not to mention the buckets of regret.
Olivia dragged herself out of bed, pulled off her sweaty vest top and knickers, and threw them into the laundry. She stepped into the shower, adjusting the water to exactly the right temperature to cool her down.
Once showered and dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, she went into the living room. She pulled open the blinds and was greeted with bright sunshine. Squinting as she opened the windows, the sounds of birds and the waves crashing against the shore quickly filled the room. Where she usually found the sound of them calming, that morning they were grating.
Knowing that she ought to try to eat something, she went to the fridge and found some fruit and yoghurt. Pouring herself a large glass of juice, she sat down on the sofa and switched on the TV, forcing herself to eat.
Her phone rang, making her start.
Seeing Brody’s number come up on the screen made her heart leap in her chest. She couldn’t talk to him, not yet, and sent the call to voicemail. When the message alert sounded, it took her a few minutes to listen to it. She couldn’t bear the thought of him apologising to her about the previous evening, how he’d had too much to drink, how he’d argued with Valentina, and stupidly tried to make a move on Olivia instead.
After a few moments, she summoned up the courage, and switched the phone to speaker as she pressed play. She didn’t want to hear his voice that close to her ear.
“Morning, Olivia. I wanted to let you know I’m going to see a supplier in Palma today so I’m not going to be at the club. If you need anything, be sure to ask Carlos, he’ll be there. I’ll, um, talk to you later.” His voice echoed off the walls.
Olivia’s finger hovered over the delete button. Instead, she listened to the message again, trying to work out if there was anything in it. Maybe he did need to see a supplier. Maybe he wasn’t trying to avoid her. As he wasn’t going to be there, Olivia thought there was little point in being there herself. She chewed on a piece of pineapple and considered her options. She could stay at the apartment and work or simply take the day off. Maybe she’d call Mariella and see if she was free to hang out.
Before she could make her choice, her phone rang again.
“Hey, hon, how’s it going out there? I trust Mr Fox is treating you well?”
A flame burned in Olivia’s cheeks as thoughts of her dream about Brody came back to her. Had he said anything to Caro? Surely not, it had only been a few hours since he’d left, and he wouldn’t have thought to tell Caro what had happened. Would he? Although nothinghadhappened, they hadn’t even kissed.
“Olivia? You okay?”
“Sorry. Yes, everything’s fine!” Her tone sounded overly bright and forced. She knew Caro would pick up on it.
“What’s going on? You sound different.”
Olivia let out a deep sigh. She didn’t know where to begin. Telling Caro what had almost happened between her and Brody the previous evening would be a good start. But she didn’t know how to end the story. She didn’t know if anything would happen between them, so there was no point in telling anyone.
“I’m fine,” reiterated Olivia. “Brody’s seeing a supplier in Palma today, so I was thinking of taking some time out and seeing Mariella.”
“That’s right. There’s a guy who’s got bar furniture he might sell on the cheap. I thought it would be a good idea for Brody to go and check it out.”
He wasn’t avoiding her then. Olivia wasn’t sure whether to be happy about that or not. “I thought I was meant to be keeping an eye on things out here. You’re meant to be taking a step back.”
“The guy emailed me directly late last night. I thought it would be silly to pass it on to you to pass to Brody. Plus, the offer was only good for this morning.”
“Right.”
“You should see if Mariella’s around. Remember, you promised that you’d relax properly.”
“Have you seen Nic?” The words were out of Olivia’s mouth before she knew what she was saying. Given what she had been dreaming about, Nic ought to have been the last thing on her mind.
“Of course.” Caro’s tone was serious. “He’s okay. There’s a flat in the same block as Nate that’s come up for rent and he’s thinking of taking it. Which would mean he’d be out of your place by the time you come back.”
Even though Olivia knew it was absolutely the right thing to happen, she still felt a little sad hearing the news. It wasn’t as if she could switch off her feelings, even after the thoughts she’d been having about Brody.
They chatted for a few more minutes, Olivia promising to hang out with Mariella and Trent before the week was out, then Caro had to go.
