P.S. (Please Stay)

Two

Since the fortuitous meeting with Harry at the tiny café miles from home, Olivia hadn't been able to get him off her mind. The guilt consumed her. Thinking about Harry wasn't something she should do, but she found herself incapable of controlling her mind. She tried to tell herself that thoughts were okay but actions were not, but her reminder remained futile.

It was the following day when he messaged her, surprising Olivia. Harry wasn't a liar but Olivia had convinced herself he wouldn't be contacting her. It was senseless on both of their parts to unearth old memories and emotions but it was clear she wasn't the only one having difficulties forgetting about the summer love from years gone by.

The light in the bathroom was poor, but she didn't expect the Plaza for the price she paid for the Airbnb studio. She scolded herself for worrying about her makeup when it wasn't a date. It couldn't be a date. Still, she blew out a frustrated breath. She wanted to look nice.

A loud knock on the door startled Olivia. However, it wasn't unusual. The Canadian family had all found short-term rentals in Stephanie's building. It was convenient, but as Olivia pulled open the door, she realised it would also make it difficult to be discreet.

"Hey! Do you want... Why are you all fancy faced?" Jessica asked, stopping mid-sentence to scrutinise Olivia.

"I..." Olivia began before being interrupted by her other sister.

"Fuck off!" Stephanie exclaimed. "You're serious? You're meeting him?"

Olivia pursed her lips together, shrugging. "I am..." she answered after a pause. "It's only dinner."

The two older sisters exchanged a glance which exasperated Olivia. "Why are you having dinner with him?" Jessica asked, her tone sounding more maternal than sisterly.

"Why?" Olivia repeated. "How can I not?" The prying, opinionated attitudes were infuriating her and her rising tone of voice showed it. "We're a million miles from home..."

"Oh, please. Twenty-seven hundred," Stephanie scoffed. "Don't be dramatic."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Fine," she snapped. "We're twenty-seven hundred miles from home. I haven't seen him since..." She broke off. It still proved difficult to talk about that last day with Harry. "I mean..." She looked at Jessica, hoping her pragmatic middle-sister gene would understand Olivia's dilemma.

"Don't you think it... means something?" Olivia asked hopefully. The hopefulness in her voice surprised her. It wasn't supposed to mean anything, and she wasn't supposed to want it to.

"Means something!" Stephanie burst out. "You idiot, it means nothing! You're willing to fuck a ton of shit up, just because you both had a coffee in one of the busiest cities in the world? God, and after what he did to you, you should be spitting in his face, not fucking going for dinner with him!"

"Steph..." Jessica told her older sister, trying to diffuse the situation. She shook her head before turning back to Olivia. "She is right, though..." Jessica reminded Olivia, her tone gentler than Stephanie's had been.