Stolen Moments

Chapter Five

The night crept along lazily without much hurry after Olivia and Fitz's concise exchange over the sentiments in the speech he would be giving on the coming day. Much to the Governor's dismay, Liv had gracefully and politely declined his friendly offer of his nickname, though she found it all but easy to resist. She was nearly reliving the seven and a half minutes in her dream, as she tossed and turned atop the memory foam mattress. His low baritone surged through her ears even in his absence, whisking her away into some twisted yet celestial fantasy where she and Fitzgerald Grant kissed unashamedly and touched endearingly. Olivia's reality was restored, however, when she rolled over at nearly five o'clock in the morning and decided to call a cab. Her fingers grazed over the comforter and made up the bed with ease before she grabbed her belongings and crept wordlessly down the stairs, shutting the front door to the residence behind her.

Fitz observed her placidly as she left through the grand foyer. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't slept at all since he'd finished his speech, and the whisper of Olivia's bare feet on the hardwood steps had invited him away from the California King Bed he ironically shared with his wife Mellie, in California. He oddly felt as if he had experienced a backward version of a one night stand, or something like it. The man couldn't seem to decide whether or not he felt betrayed that Olivia had left without a goodbye, or if he had intimidated her with his intimate invitation, meaning it was his fault that she'd rushed away in the manner that she did. Oh, there was no doubt that Fitz stood looking out of his window at the halcyon night for fifteen minutes, thinking of better ways he could have approached his lawyer. When it had been long enough, Mellie rubbed her sleepy eyes and raised an inquisitive brow.

"Fitz? What's the matter?" Fitzgerald was well aware that he would've been not only an asshole of a husband, but also a simply rude human being to release the sigh at her inquiry that he wanted terribly bad to exhale out, so he kept it inside.

"Nothing, just couldn't sleep," he lied, accepting that the cab Liv had slid into was far gone. Fitz unequivocally needed to get to bed; The last thing he or Cy needed was the media talking about how tired he looked again.

***

Fitzgerald Grant III was nervous the next morning as he dressed himself in a dazzling, new suit that had been delivered priority from Hugo Boss, picked out by Cyrus the night prior. He adjusted his tie with precision, ensuring it hung down the center of his chest nicely before running a rough, calloused hand over the slick waves in his hair. The day was promising change, beckoning the new reality with each cloud that passed overhead, and Fitz could not wait for it. With Andrew gone, things would be far disparate at the courthouse. The respect, the control, that would be issued to California's own governor, well, the man could practically taste it.

On the other hand, at the luxurious Hotel Healdsburg, Olivia Pope topped off her black pencil skirt, pointed black stilettos, and printed houndstooth blouse with a sophisticated, jeweled, onyx bracelet. Marc Jacobs' Daisy perfume adorned the velvety brown canvas of skin and seeped into the fibers of her clothing, giving her a pleasant floral scent that went easy on the nostrils. Her notes were scattered on the desk table, beside her black coffee that she'd gotten that morning from downstairs. Liv always preferred her coffee black; It was stronger that way, and Lord only knew how strong Olivia needed that caffeine to be. She swiftly retrieved the papers and glided them into her folder, putting the folder into her large Michael Kors bag that she'd switched to in order for her outfit and purse to match. Upon snatching up her blazer and going downstairs, the cab was transporting the woman to the Grant residence at 9:23 a.m. It pulled up at about 10:15, causing Fitz to jump a bit, not expecting her to arrive so early. Cy, who was enjoying the breakfast that Mellie had prepared in the kitchen, was to be expected. He fretted utterly too much, but Fitz was secretly grateful. No one had cared enough about him to get worried besides Cyrus. The governor tried to maintain his composure, however, when he caught a glimpse of how delicious Olivia's calves looked as she strutted up the walk, exuding the same confidence she never left the bed without. He cleared his throat and admired from afar until she rung the doorbell. Never had that ring sounded so sweet to his ears.