Endlessly...

Chapter 18 - Olivia

"Hi, I need a reservation for two, please. Tonight. Yes. 8:00, I understand it's last minute but it's for my boss. Last name Riviera. Yeah, and I need one of your private rooms if they're available. Well, I don't care if you have to bump someone. Ms. Riviera has been eating at your establishment for years. You know what just give me your manager. Yeah, 8 pm. Thank you." Angie said fiercely.

"Thanks, Ange!"

"No problem!"

"You and Jeff good? I know he couldn't come out on tour with us much after we left the states. And I know how hard it is to be on tour and try to maintain a relationship..."

"It was hard, definitely. I trust him and that wasn't the issue. The only problem I think was just being without each other. We're really good now. We're even thinking about getting our own place together...."

"You're gonna leave me??? AAAAAAAANNNNGGGGIIIIEEEEEE!!!" I whined.

Angie moved in with me two weeks after I hired her. At first, it was for efficiency, she lived across town and always had to travel at least an hour just to get to my house, but it became friends living with friends. I love having Angie as a roommate. When I bought my house and rebuilt it from the ground up, I built it with the idea of it being my "forever home", raising my family in this home, and I thought that was all going to come true with Lucas but now...I don't know if I want to stay in that home we built together. My house is as much Angie's home as it is mine and she wants to leave and move in with her boyfriend....I'm happy for her but I feel like a piece of me would be leaving.

"Oh my god, relax. You'll be fine and hopefully, I'll only be 10 minutes away or less...I was hoping you'd help us find a place...you have a great realtor."

"Of course I'll help you guys find a place. I wouldn't have it any other way because if I help that gives me a better chance of keeping you close to me, " I laughed.

"Good! Another thing I want to address is expansion...you're 'people' have been trying to convince you to move up in the business and have an actual production office. I want you to really consider it this time. Really. Not that I don't like working from home like we have the last few years but we're literally growing every minute and we need more help and space. You're not admitting defeat by getting more help, you're delegating."

"I agree. I'm not even going to fight you on this because you're right, I've known this for a long time but I didn't want to admit it. Opening up an actual company and an actual office opens me...us...up to more possibility of failure and that's what stopped me before. I've also wanted to separate my home life from my work life and working from home like this...here in our office doesn't help. So, yes. I'll call my realtor and tell him to start looking for a place for you and a place for....the company."

"Wow. That was easy. Okay, last thing..."

"Oh my god, there's more?" as I put my head down on my desk.

"Haha! Yes. Calvin called...he wants to know about you...and..I quote, 'her new girlfriend.'"

"Oh shit..." I sat up and grabbed my phone and texted Abby about our publicist's new found piece of information.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"No, we keep it quiet and that's that, Calvin. You and your team will work to keep photos off the internet, you spin any stories that are made as just two best friends hanging out, and Abby and I will make sure we aren't photographed in any compromising way. That's how it's going to be for the time being. Do I make myself clear? This comes first. Not my career. Remember that. Protecting her personal life is what I want to take precedent." I said sternly to my publicist.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Dinner was great! I love that we're going out on actual formal, dinner dates like who knew you were so romantic, Olivia Riviera!" my teeny tiny brunette said happily.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, munch. Next date will be more than just dinner...it'll get you moving,"

"Oooohhh! Babe, you can't call 'magic time' a date. I mean, I require it at the end of each date but it's not the date. Not with me."

"Hahaha noted but that's not what I meant, you'll just have to see in a couple days."

I had a bar full of retro video games planned as well as cosmic bowling ha!

As we walked out of the restaurant there were dozens of paparazzi outside waiting for the two of us, instantly Abby let go of my hand and put at least three feet of space between us.

Ouch.

I got in the car and remained silent the entire drive back to Abby's house. I pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine. I got out of the car and walked around to open Abby's door and let her out of my car.

"Talk to me...please. What's wrong?" she begged.

"I have to wake up early tomorrow for work so I'm gonna stay at my place tonight." I snapped. She stepped out of the car and tried to kiss me but I turned my head and said: "you wouldn't want paparazzi to see." And I walked back around my car and opened the car door and drove home leaving my doe-eyed girl walking up to her house alone and sad.

"Goddamnit."

I knew she didn't want this to be known by the entire world just yet but that hurt and that's going to be our reality until she's ready. Until we're both ready to come out.

Secrets. Lots of secrets.

I got home and climbed into bed with Angie and Jeff who were watching a baseball game on TV. The couple moves over so I fit in bed with them without question or cause for concern that I just got into bed with them. Sometimes I forget about boundaries...

"It's your turn," Angie turned to her left and said to Jeff.

"What happened, Olivia?" Jeff leaned forward and turned his head towards me.

"This is going to be harder than I thought...keeping this a secret."

"What that you come into mine and Angie's bed at least twice a month but we don't have a threesome." Jeff joked.

We all laugh and Angie asks more seriously, "What's going to be hard to keep a secret? You and Abby?"

"Yeah, paparazzi were at the restaurant again tonight and she always does the most to get as far away from me as possible whenever there's press...it fucking sucks," I confess.

"That does...that's not a healthy relationship...sorry to break it to you. I love you both but that's fucking unhealthy. Like she's ashamed of you." Jeff said.

"Jeff!" Angie stops him.

"No...that's what it feels like sometimes," I wipe away tears from my eyes. Jeff hands me his beer to help console me.

Sigh.