Page 15 of She’s a Big Deal
Olivia was prepared to be denied, but she was still disappointed when it happened. Of course, the favor thing was just a joke. The generous gift of a brand-new high-tech website certainly did not mean that Grace had to do anything else for her. But at least on the surface, Olivia disguised the request as a bit of a tease, which helped to laugh it off when Grace said no. Olivia did not insist again after that. Just, ‘Sure thing. No problem. Well, thanks again. Bye…’ Dana would disapprove of this blatant attempt to chase, for sure. Olivia sighed and called Joel next, who turned out to be as helpful and friendly as his work was brilliant. He told her not to hesitate to call on him again if she needed to make changes or to feature new work and that he was now, as instructed by his boss, her personal web advisor. So, Grace had thrown that in as well…
“Never met a woman so confusing. What say you, Everett?” The cute puppy cocked his head and gazed at her with hopeful eyes. “And you’re just chasing treats. Alright, then.”
Olivia gave him one, then scooped him up and headed to her workshop. Might as well focus on something useful, eh. She put on her headphones, considered the slab of raw wood in front of her, and decided to go with the flow and see what happened. A couple of hours later, having managed to keep the enigmatic Grace Michaels out of her mind for more than ten minutes in a row, which felt like a major victory, she paused when her phone vibrated in her pocket. One look at the number on the screen had her heart rate shooting through the roof. Grace. She whipped the headphones off.
“Hello again.”
“I have a vicious headache,” Grace announced as if it might be her fault.
“Oh?” A bit puzzled, Olivia frowned in wonder. “Well. Are you staying hydra—“
“I’m going to Ottawa on Sunday. If you still want to come, I’ll pick you up at oh-seven-thirty.”
Now her stomach performed a nice double-flip.
“Oh yeah, I still want to come. Great! Uh… What made you change your—”
“See you then,” Grace cut again before ending the call.
So damn rude… And that temper was so attractive at the same time! It was probably a handy way to hide her irritation as well. Olivia suspected that Grace did not often change her mind after making an executive decision. She grinned at her puppy.
“You know what, Ev? I think the woman does like me.”
◆◆◆
Charlie was pleased at the news. “I’ll feel a lot better knowing you’re not on your own for the long drive, especially at this time of year.”
“I invited you to come,” Grace pointed out.
“Yes darling, but I wouldn’t be much help with the driving. It’s best if you have Olivia with you.”
Grace gave her a long look. Her aunt could drive, no issue there. Her cardiologist had given her the green light to resume life as normal. She’d started to exercise and had found a personal trainer she actually got on well with.
“You just want me to take her, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Charlie grinned. “I certainly do.”
“Why?”
“You should have seen how good the two of you looked on the dance floor the other night.” Grace just shrugged, ready to terminate the conversation, but Charlie stepped forward to take her face gently in her hands. “You looked happy, darling. With the sort of smile I haven’t seen on your face in a long while.”
“Yeah, well… It’s nothing.”
“But you two are close?”
“No. Not really.”
“Grace?”
“We just…” Oh, for God’s sake! “Olivia kissed me.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “The other night at the awards?”
“Hmm. Yes. And I kissed her back.” Now her aunt blasted a smile bright enough to make her wish for sunglasses. “Don’t you turn this into a thing,” Grace muttered in warning.
“Oh, no. Far from me to suggest that you may be attracted to her,” Charlie chuckled.
“Good. Because I’m really not.”
“But Olivia kinda is, you know? I mean, it really is written all over her cute little face. I could tell from the word go, the day you met each other here. She couldn’t take her eyes off of you. She’s such a sweetheart.”
“You’re exaggerating.” Wishful thinking on her part, Grace knew for sure. But hey… Sometimes a little dose of denial could be helpful.
“She’s into you.” Charlie laughed, not going along with the program. “And I dare say you paid her a bit more attention than you normally would anyone else.”
“I don’t think so, Charlie.”
“Uh-huh. But now you’ve had an intimate moment.”
“Moment of weakness. It won’t happen again.”
Just like agreeing to take Olivia with her had been foolish. Dammit. Well, too late to decide otherwise now. Grace would have to be careful. Not let that cute face and smoldering dark eyes sway her, even if Olivia stuck in her mind like a limpet to a rock. Not good. She was also far too unpredictable, another thing Grace was not used to. It occurred to her now that it was sort of appealing as well. Jesus.
“Grace?” When she sighed, Charlie pulled her into a gentle hug. “Just so you know, I like Olivia a lot.”
“Yes, I got that. I’ll go easy on her, don’t worry.”
“No, darling. I mean to say I hope you go with your heart. I think it’s time.”
◆◆◆
Olivia was all set and ready to go by 07:00 on Sunday morning. Dana arrived at 07:12 to pick up an excited puppy. They shared a cup of coffee and a quick chat. At 07:29, a powerful engine growl made them both glance out the window.
“Well, well.” Her friend raised an ironic eyebrow. “Your woman, I presume?”
“You got it, D.” Olivia grinned. My woman? Yeah, she liked the sound of that.
Dana continued to stare. “I hope she’s got appropriate snow tires on that show-off muscle car.”
Olivia had not given a thought to the kind of vehicle Grace might show up in. But this, a dark-burgundy latest model Ford Mustang, suited her like a tailor-made outfit. Sexy and powerful, with a slice of badass and dangerous thrown in... Perfection. At precisely 07:30, Grace honked.
“Jeez.” Dana snorted. “The impatient kind, is she?”
“Just punctual, I suppose.” Olivia grabbed her coat.
“She growls, she honks, and you go running? She not going to come in and say hi?”
Olivia laughed, kissed her puppy, and hugged her.
“We’ve got a long drive ahead of us. Gotta go! Thanks for puppy-sitting, I owe you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Have fun. And be careful!”
While still under the 07:30 mark, Olivia sank into the plush front passenger seat of the gleaming car.
“Good morning, Olivia,” Grace greeted her in that elegant, husky voice.
“Hi, Grace.”
Olivia did her best not to stare or smile too hard, but it was a challenge. Grace was dressed for the occasion in a pair of blue jeans that hugged her slender legs very nicely. Classic Nike on her feet, and a white V-neck sweater (it looked like cashmere) under a fitted black leather jacket. She smelled of good leather, which Olivia could not dislike even though it made her feel a bit guilty, her trademark expensive perfume, and a hint of strong coffee as well. Phew… She was alluring and tough at the same time, and Olivia felt instantly warmer when Grace cast her an approving look.
“You’re right on time.”
“Yep, usually am. Hey, cool ride.” And you look gorgeous, by the way .
She figured it best to hold off saying this sort of thing while they were still in front of her house… Didn’t want to give Grace an excuse to boot her out early, and she would not put it past her to do so.
“She’ll do,” the woman stated, and pointed. “Who’s that?”
Olivia looked back to see Dana at the window with Everett in her arms.
“It’s Dana. You’ve heard of her, right? She’s dog-sitting for me for the day.”
“Why’s she frowning at us like that?”
Olivia bit on her lip as Dana’s long list of reservations about ‘her woman’ popped into her head.
“She’s just being watchful. And a little protective of me.”
“Hmm.” Grace narrowed her eyes ever so slightly before once again nodding in assent. “Good friend to have.”
“The best.” Olivia smiled, pleased at the endorsement. She waved to Dana, got a thumbs-up in return, and then gasped when Grace pulled off the curb like a rocket off the launchpad. And with zero warning whatsoever. The sudden acceleration sucked her deeply down into the bucket seat. “Jesus!”
Good thing all the snow had melted off the road, or they would be airborne by now. Or wrapped around a lamppost. Olivia could imagine the size of the eye roll that this departure must have caused from Dana. Her own exclamation earned her a chuckle.
“Sorry about that.”
“No, you’re not. Are you?”
Grace flashed an indulgent smile. “Not really. But you can relax. I know what I’m doing.”
It turned out she did. And anyway, no matter what, Olivia was the last thing from stressed. Her seat was comfortable, the car nice and warm, and the rising sun across a vividly blue sky promised a lovely day ahead. Grace drove fast and sure through downtown Red Falls. She was aggressively smooth behind the wheel, a contradiction in terms that perfectly fitted her driving style. And of course, the Mustang was a manual. It was Olivia’s turn to chuckle.
“Hmm?” Grace favored her with another easy smile.
“Where did you learn to drive like this?”
“On the track. I like speed and wanted to do it safely. So, I learned. I drive a Ferrari at home in Miami.”
Of course, you do.
“A bit of a daredevil but responsible at the same time,” Olivia observed. “I like that about you.”
“Good to know.” Grace also looked and sounded relaxed, perhaps because she was doing something she enjoyed. Olivia did not allow herself to think it might have anything to do with her presence in the car. “I’ll give you some tips when it’s your turn behind the wheel if you like.”
“Okay. Great! I’d love to learn how to do a handbrake turn if you know how.”
“I do know how.”
Grace downshifted brutally as a traffic light ahead started to turn orange. She floored it again, as if really trying to push her foot through, and managed to zoom across the intersection with a micro-second to spare.
“I was thinking earlier that I can never quite predict what you’ll say to me next.” The smile on her face indicated she liked that about her. At least, Olivia dared to hope. “Why a handbrake turn, of all things?”
“First thing that popped into my head.”
“Ah. ”
“And also, it’s kind of a sexy move, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Assessing blue eyes rested briefly on her face again, making her wonder what really was on Grace’s mind every time she looked at her like that. “Sexy, for sure.”
◆◆◆
So was she. Grace wondered why this astounding fact had not been more obvious to her before. Maybe because she had kissed the woman by now and tasted all that heat. It was a good thing her fast driving forced her to keep her eyes on the road, apart from the occasional glance aside. Every time Grace turned her head, she found Olivia watching her. These mysterious and smiling dark eyes took her in. Olivia was smiling a lot, for sure. Had she dressed to impress her again today? She had on sturdy boots that looked pretty new. Khaki cargo pants molded attractively to her butt and thighs. And a white T-shirt with a splash of red across the chest and the letters B.O.L.D in block capitals. Grace did not linger over the enticing swell of well-rounded breasts, though she certainly noticed. A tailored black blazer completed the look. Olivia’s style, she figured. Casual, warm, and comfortable. Yet, with an added touch of allure today, obvious in the sharp cut of the blazer and the gold creole earrings she wore. This attention to detail, Grace supposed, may be for her. The idea made her almost shiver. Yeah, she was impressed.
“How come Charlie isn’t coming?” Olivia wondered.
“She didn’t feel like it today.”
“Ah… But she’s alright, yeah?”
“Yeah, yeah, she’s fine.” Without thinking, Grace reached across to pat her on the leg in reassurance. Tight muscles tensed attractively under her fingertips, and she quickly returned them to the steering wheel. “Since you are keeping me company, she said she’d opt out of a long drive, that’s all.”
Charlie had phrased it a little differently, of course. ‘Three is a crowd’ and ‘You don’t need me on your romantic road trip’, had been some of her teasing comments. All of which made Grace grunt and roll her eyes. She was not about to share. But it was kind of Olivia to ask.