Art Heaux

Stroke Nine

The rise and fall of Olivia's chest against his back served as a reminder that he wasn't sleeping alone. They had turned in early that night after Spencer's flight had landed. The season was going by fast and the fast pace of everything was a lot at times, but he was finding peace in his personal life. Luckily, he was surrounded by people that actually cared about him and that alone kept him level-headed and calm when things were demanding with work. The sun wasn't even up yet and the stillness of the room sent him back into a slumber.

The next time he opened his eyes, he was blinded by the orange glow coming through his window. Through the brightness, he could make out the shadow of a body sitting at the edge of the bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tossed the covers back, freeing himself from the tangled sheets. Olivia hummed to herself as binaural beats streamed through her airpods. She had set an alarm to catch the sunrise that was in perfect view from Spencer's bedroom window. The steady scrapes of her colored pencils against the sketchpad grew louder as she began shading in the orange orb resting against the horizon.

"There was a better view on the balcony," Spencer said, his voice heavy with sleep.

The calming beats in her ears kept her from hearing his husky voice until she felt the warmth of his hand on the small of her back, "Sorry, I wasn't too loud was I?"

"Nah, but the sun is. We forgot to close the blinds last night," Spencer mentioned, tilting his head towards the window. "But, I see you found the beauty in that."

"Figured I'd add another drawing to my portfolio since I rarely just sit and draw in my sketchpad. Glad I woke up early enough to catch it this time," she replied, throwing her sketchpad to the side. "I have a little time before I have to head home and get ready for this interview..."

"What are you trying to get into," Spencer smirked, falling back on the pillows as Olivia straddled his lap.

A soft glow formed around her as the sun continued its climb into the sky. She held up a half-sheet of paper, pushing it into Spencer's chest, "Go over these interview questions with me, again?"

"You sure you're not overdoing this? We've been over these five times," he answered, taking the sheet anyway because he knew Olivia wasn't going to back off.

"Come on, ask me again," she begged, rehearsing the answers in her head before he could even read the first question.

Later that morning, she was rushing out of her house and heading to the museum downtown. She had applied for a position with their contemporary art section and gotten a call within a few days. Her heels clicked against the museum's marble floor as she turned the corner to arrive at the front desk of the executive offices. The secretary dialed two numbers and spoke quietly into the phone before having Olivia sit down in their waiting area. After two small cups of coffee, she heard two voices sound off behind her. One of them immediately familiar.

————

"What are you staring at?"

Jordan Baker hated how mysterious his sister could be at times. It was even more irritating that she was happy and mysterious. There was a certain pep in her step and her usual stoic face was replaced with a permanent grin. He spent some of his free time at his parents' home when he wasn't out on dates or handling business with his career. Every time he was over to visit, Olivia was either absent or just walking in. No one ever knew where she was and assumed she was hanging out with friends she had met. By now, she would have met new people, right?

"Why haven't we met any of these new friends you have," Jordan questioned accusingly. "You're always out and it's been months since you got here." He was a protective brother and had been since the day Billy finally introduced them.