Page 5 of The Hardest Hit

“OK,” he said picking up his own fork. He felt like he was missing some sort of subtext. She took a bite and he relaxed, preparing to cut into his food.

“No,” Olivia said. “No, it’s not fine.”

He put his fork down and looked at her in exasperation.

“I can’t play this off. You don’t understand. I have been in this stupid city for six months and no one has cooked me anything. Not a cookie, not a cake, not a casserole.” She ticked them off on her fingers like a checklist, as if people just randomly made casseroles. “Every piece of food I have put in my mouth I either made myself or paid someone to make, and that’s fine, but it’s like paying for a whore.”

“What?”

“The sex is good, but it’s not real love if you know what I mean.”

“I love the way you talk,” Evan blurted out. “But it’s still just chicken. I didn’t even cook it tonight. I reheated it from last night.”

“And I really, really appreciate it.”

“Then I won’t tell you about the vegetables.”

“I love the vegetables.”

“You haven’t even tried them.”

“I still love them.”

“Eat your food.”

“Thank you,” she said smiling as if she had won. “I will.”

He glared at her as she popped a piece of broccoli in her mouth. He was uncomfortable having someone thank him. He was used to doing things for other people and expecting something in return. That was how things worked and it kept him in control of who owed what. He didn’t know what spontaneous thanks meant.

3

Olivia – New Rules

Olivia sipped her third glass of the Syrah Evan was pouring and looked around his living room. This was by far the best not-a-date she’d been on in…year? No, it was over a year. She’d broken up with Clark last July and this was the first time since then that she’d felt like someone might be worth pursuing.

“So you’ve been here six months?” asked Evan, flipping on the stereo from his watch. “Where are you from?”

“Georgia. I moved for my job.” And to get away from Clark and her family, but that didn’t need to be said. “And I love my job so far, but I have to say, making friends here has been difficult.”

“Is that why you went out with Glen?” he asked.

“He knows a co-worker of mine. She said he was normal.”

“I’d complain to her tomorrow,” he said. Olivia made an agreeing noise, still scrutinizing the bookshelves. “What do you do for a living?” he asked.

“I’m in research and development, focusing on the bioluminescence of theVampyroteuthis infernalis, commonly known as the vampire squid.”

“Oh,” he said. Which was what most people said when they learned what she did for a living.

“OK,” she said turning back to him. “Where is it?”

“Where’s what?”

“This is a very lovely entertaining space. Very comfortable. Welcoming even. With good flow patterns for when you have people over. But this is not your living room.”

“No, it actually is my living room,” he said, frowning.

“You laughed at my joke about Wolverine versus Cyclops. You got my Marie Curie reference. And you never once asked what character I was supposed to be and I think it’s because you already know. Where is it? Where’s the nerd swag? There’s not a singleStar Warsmovie poster in this place.”