If You See Him, If You See Her

By:  Stephanie Woodworth

© 2001 Chaotic Bliss Fan Fiction

~*~Monday~*~

        Olivia ran through the parking lot and into her favorite restaurant.  She hated being late.  Punctuality was a big thing to her.

        “May I help you?” the hostess asked.

        Olivia scanned the restaurant until she saw him.  “No thank you I’ve found my party.”  She rushed past the hostess and to Chris’ table.

        Throwing her coat and purse across the back of her chair, she sat down opposite him.  “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry that I’m late.”

        Chris glanced down at his watch.  “Didn’t even notice.  There is this hot waitress that keeps flirting with me.”

        “You’re shameless Christopher.”

        “And you love me anyway,” he said standing and kissing her cheek.

        “That I do,” Olivia opened her menu and closed it right away.  “Who’s our waitress?  I’m starved!”

        Chris motioned for their waitress and watched in awe as Olivia ordered.

        “I want the grilled chicken salad.  No eggs, no mushrooms, no tomatoes, light on the onions.  Fat-free honey mustard and fat-free ranch dressing.”  She always ordered the same thing.

        “Anything to drink?”

        “Diet coke with a twist of lime,” Chris said before Olivia could.  “I’ll take the turkey club platter.”  Chris continued to order as he watched Olivia rearrange her place setting, the salt and pepper shakers, the condiments and the fake flower in the vase.

        He waited until after the waitress left to tease her about her neurotic habits.  “O, why is it that you can order a salad just the way you want it.  Arrange a table to suit you, but you can’t tell someone how you really feel about them?”

            Olivia’s face dropped, “You told me that you wouldn’t bring him up.”

            “I didn’t really, you did.”  Chris had been trying to come up with a way to talk to her about Lance without bringing it up.  He was grateful that she was running late, a trait so unlike her.

            Olivia smiled, “Well since he’s been brought up, how is he?”

            “You can’t even say his name can you?”  Olivia looked down and fiddled with her fork.  “Look O, Lance is miserable without you.  He’s always asking me how you are.”  Chris felt like he was being torn in two.  Olivia was his best friend and so was lance in a way.  Through the years the five guys had become more than friends, brothers.  He hated seeing both Olivia and Lance unhappy.  He reached across the table and grabbed her hand.  “Do you still love him?”

            Olivia looked up at him.  Tears welled in the corners of her eyes just waiting to fall.  “Yes,” she said just above a whisper.

            “Everything is going to work itself out, you’ll see,” Chris said just as the food arrived.

            “I hope so.”

            They ate and chatted careful not to bring Lance back into the conversation.  “How’s work?”  Chris asked as he took the last bite of his turkey club.

            “Great,” Olivia beamed.  She absolutely loved her job.  “The clinic is running well.  We had a few regulars pass on, but for the most part everyone is doing well.”  Olivia had recently been promoted from a floor nurse to the head of Oncology.  She had a tough time at first dealing with all the death, but had grown more accustomed to it.  Losing a patient still hurt, but knowing that their suffering had ended helped ease the ache.

            “How’s everything at FuMan?”  Olivia asked half listening as she pushed the rest of her lettuce around on her plate.

            “We’re thinking of launching a new line for pets.  The works, doggie jackets, food bowls, leashes …” Chris stopped and just stared at her.  She wasn’t even listening to him.  There had to be something he could do to make her feel better. 

“That's’ nice.  I’m glad that you’re branching out.”

Chris laughed.  “O, did you even hear me?”

“Yeah … um … something about a new line.”

“Glad to know that you were paying attention.  Now do you think the doggie line will work?”

Olivia’s head popped up.  “Doggie line!  What the hell are you talking about?”

“I just said that  … oh never mind I was just testing to see if you were really listening to me.”

Olivia cringed, “How’d I do?”

“I’ll give you a C for effort.”

“Thanks.  Guess I let my mind wander.”

Chris looked at her with sympathy.  “Where’d it take you?”

Olivia started to cry but quickly wiped away the tears.  “What the hell am I doing?  I’m over him!  I’m over him!”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”  Chris sat and watched her wrestle with her feelings.  “I’m having dinner at his place tomorrow.”

Olivia’s face perked up.  “You are!”

“Yes.  Would you like me to tell him anything?”

“Tell him I miss him more than ever.”  She thought for a minute than said, “No, you’d better not.”

Chris and Olivia parted ways and he went about the rest of his day.  The pitiful look on her face kept popping into his thoughts.  If things went as predicted with Lance He’d put his plan into work.

 *~*Tuesday*~*

             Chris rang the doorbell again.  He turned and looked.  Lance’s car was parked in the driveway.  “Where the hell is he?”  Against his better judgment he turned the doorknob and prayed that the alarm wouldn’t go off.

            He pushed the door open slightly.  “Lance.  Lance, are you home?”  He could smell something cooking and thought maybe Lance was in the kitchen and couldn’t hear him.

            Chris dropped his coat on the hall tree and walked through the house to the kitchen.  No sign of Lance.  Again he yelled, “Lance!”

            He glanced out the sliding doors to the back yard.  Lance was sitting on the swing set.

            He opened the door and walked out, “Yo Lance!”

            “Hey,” Lance said not even looking up.

            “Am I here on the wrong night?”

            “No, oh no.  Dinner’s ready.  Kim made it before she left.”  Lance continued to push his swing while Chris sat down on the one next to him.

            “What’cha doin’ out here?”  The cool Florida night air made him shiver.

            “Just thinking.”

            “Oh yeah, about what?”  As if he had to ask.

            “This and that.”  Lance stopped his swing and walked to the pool’s edge.  “You know it was her request to have the swing set.  She said it brought back childhood memories.”  He turned and looked at Chris.  “We would come out here and swing sometimes late at night with the sky full of stars and the moon glistening on the pool.  It was always very romantic.”

            “I talked to Olivia yesterday.”  Chris said bringing up her name for the first time.

            Lance turned back toward the pool.  “How is she?”

            “Fine.  Talked about work.  Her sister is getting a divorce.  She misses you.”  Chris pumped his legs harder as the swing went higher and higher.

            “That’s too bad about Scott and Gina.  It’ll be hard on the kids.”

            “They seem to be adjusting fine.  I think they were more upset when you and O broke up.”  Chris said as he jumped off the swing.

            “I miss them too.”

            Chris wrapped his arms around Lance’s shoulders.  “I’m sure that Gina would let you see them.”

            Lance looked up.  He looked miserable.  How could they do this to each other, Chris thought.  They obviously still cared for each other.  “Let’s go see what Kim made for dinner.”

            “Probably something good, but not as good as Olivia’s cooking.  She rivaled Joey for the best Italian food I’ve ever had.”  Kim had been helping Lance out around the house ever since Olivia moved out.

            Chris carried his dishes over to the sink.  “Man I’m moving in.  That was the best pot roast that I’ve ever had.”  He rinsed his plate and put it in the dishwasher.  “Do you think Kim would go out with me?”

            “I think her husband might object.”

            “After one date with me she’ll leave him in a heartbeat.”

            Lance laughed something Chris hadn’t heard in a long time.  “Sure Chris she’s gonna chuck 20 years of marriage for someone her daughter’s age.”

            “She has a daughter!  What are ya thinking?  Hook me up!”

            Lance laughed again.  Chris was just what he needed.  “I’ll see what I can do.”

            “Thanks!”  Chris headed toward the front door.  “Oh man I almost forgot.  Party at my house Friday, 8 sharp!  Don’t be late!”

            “I’m not up to a party.”

            “Too bad.  You must show.”

            “Okay.  Fine.”  Lance conceded.

            “Think I can get Kim’s number before then?”  Lance smacked him.  “I thought I’d see if she’d cater, or at the very least ask her daughter out.”

            “Why don’t I just give her the message,” Lance said with a chuckle.

            “Okay but don’t forget 8 sharp!”

            Chris and Lance said their goodbyes and Chris didn’t hear from Lance the rest of the week.  He did hear from Kim two nights later and got her to help with his plan.  He also got her daughter, Jodi’s number.

            “Medical Hematology and Oncology.”

            “Is this my own private nurse?”  Chris asked with a disguised voice.

            “What?”

            “O?”  Chris asked panicked.

            “Christopher Alan!  What if you’d gotten one of the other nurses?”

            “Are they cute?” he asked with a laugh.  “Oh don’t worry I didn’t, I got my favorite.”  Chris said.

            “Why are you bothering me?”  Olivia was having a bad day.  She just had to tell an 18 year old that his cancer had returned and he was out of remission.

            “Tad bit snarky, aren’t we?”

            “C’mon Chris I don’t want to play today.  Why’d you call?”

            “Party at my house Friday.  8 sharp!  Mandatory attendance”

            “Chris, I don’t think I can.”

            “Absolutely not taking excuses.  You must come!”

            “Fine,” Olivia pouted on her end.  She didn’t feel like going to a party.  “Fine, Should I bring anything?”  Like a date?

            “Just you’re sexy self.”

            “I’ll see you then.”  Olivia hung up and thought of Lance.  Wonder if he’ll be there.

*~*Friday*~*

            As the week came to an end and Olivia was getting dressed for Chris’s party she wondered if she should have found a date to go with her.  What if Lance shows up with someone?  She applied her mascara and thought about making a last ditch effort and calling Curt to see if he’d go with her.  Curt was the perfect date, well educated, outgoing, dress to kill and sexy as all get out … too bad he was gay. In the end she decided she could handle going alone.

            Olivia pulled up at Chris’s and was surprised at the amount of cars already there.  Unconsciously she checked for Lance’s but didn’t see it. For as many cars that were in the driveway the house looked awfully still.

            Olivia rang the doorbell, but no one answered.  She was about ready to let herself in when someone walked up behind her.

            “Hello Olivia,” he’s deep voice drawled.

            Olivia spun around and stared into his gorgeous green eyes.  He was dressed casual, yet looked as though her walked out of GQ.  “Hello,” she said with a smile.  It was great to see him.

            “Are you here alone?”

            She nodded, “You?”

            “Yes.  There’s been no one since you.”

            “For me either.”  Hard to replace the man of your dreams.  Nervously Olivia rang the bell again.

            Lance reached around her and opened the door.  “Might as well just walk in, never know what Chris is doing.”

            They were greeted by a dark foyer and a huge poster board that read:  Welcome Lance and Olivia to your private party!  Follow the string to your next stop.

            “What’s going on?”  Lance questioned.

            “I have no idea.”  Olivia looked past the poster into the great room where candles graced every surface.  “Did you put him up to this?”

            “No, you?”

            “NO!” Olivia said a bit perturbed.

            “Let’s see where the string leads,” Lance suggested.

            “What the hell,” Olivia said with a shrug.  She grabbed the string and walked into the great room.  The string ended at a coffee table with another poster in front of it.  This one read:  Glad to see that you’re still with me.  Hopefully you’re not mad at me.  Okay on to the next place.

The string continued and so did the cryptic notes.  Finally the string ended in the kitchen.  The last one read: 

Dinner is in the oven – enjoy! 

Hopefully you know what to do from here. 

PS.  Lance, Olivia still loves you!

PSS. O, Lance is miserable without you!

            “You love me?”

            “You’re miserable?” they asked together.

            “Oh I …” Lance began.

            “You know …” Olivia started again at the same time.

            “You first,” Lance said.

            “You know that I’ll always love you.”  Olivia looked down and the ground scared to look him in the eyes.  What if she saw something other than the same feelings reflected?

            “I’ve thought about nothing but you since,” he placed a finger under her chin to lift it so she’d look at him, “since you left.”

            Olivia felt like his eyes were burning a hole into her.  The heat radiating between them was hotter than the temperature in the oven.

            Olivia broke their stare down.  “What do you think he made for dinner?”

            “Not sure.”  They both reached for the oven mitts at the same time.  Locking fingers Lance pulled Olivia to him.  “I’m going to kiss you,” he simply said.

            The kiss made Olivia weak in the knees.  She moaned as Lance picked her up and carried her up the stairs.  He turned into the first bedroom, Chris’s.  Candlelight danced all around them.

            “Oh my,” Olivia said.  The bed was covered in white rose petals.  The sheets were black satin and there was a note on the pillow.

            Olivia picked it up and read it, “Welcome to the room I like to call the ‘love den’.  Enjoy the room, the candles, the new sheets and the champagne.  Make as much of a mess as you want, my new housekeeper, Kim will be here to clean it up.  Thanks again for her number.”  Olivia paused to give Lance a questioning look.  Lance just shrugged and she continued.  “Don’t worry about me I’m planning on staying at Jodi’s tonight!”  Olivia threw the note down on the nightstand.  “Who is Jodi?”  Lance walked over and popped the champagne cork.  He poured two glasses and handed one to Olivia.  “For that matter Lance, who is Kim?”

            “Kim used to be my housekeeper.  Jodi’s her hot daughter.”  Olivia slapped his arm nearly spilling the glass of champagne.

            “What?”  Lance handed her a glass.  “Baby I only have eyes for you.”

            He raised his glass in a toast.  “To the only woman I’ll ever love.  The woman that will still take my breath away when we’re eighty.  The woman who I’ll never let slip away again.  To my wife.”

            Olivia about dropped her flute.  “You’re wife?”

            “Olivia, will you please promise that you’ll never leave me again.  I don’t know if I can take it twice.  Will you please marry me?”

            Tears streamed down her face.  Lance took the glass from her hand and placed it along with his on the dresser.  He picked her up and placed her gently on the bed grabbing the glasses again.  Raising his he said, “To the rest of our lives.”

            “The rest of our lives,” she repeated then clinked his glass.

The End

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