Riverside's Perfect Murder

Hold Me Ollie

Rita woke from the bad dream and knew she would not fall asleep anytime soon. She was halfway to George's when she stopped, turned around, and got in the car.

Rita arrived outside his apartment at a quarter past twelve. She climbed the stairs and stood looking at his door, wondering what she was thinking of coming here like this. That's just it. She wasn't thinking. Rita turned to leave when the door opened.

He was standing there dressed in his usual attire looking as crisp and handsome as ever. When Ollie started to speak, Rita stepped close and put her finger on his lips. He didn't say a word as she pressed herself against him, feeling all his power, strength, warmth, and sexuality. Ollie hugged her briefly and then reached down and lifted her as if she were a feather. Rita put her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face tight. She inhaled his scent and felt at home.

He carried her through the apartment and into the bedroom. For a brief instant, Rita wondered if she had made a mistake. Did she want what might happen next? But before she could finish the thought, Ollie laid her gently on the bed. He then opened the bottom drawer of the dresser and took out a soft blanket that a child might use.

It had yellow and green chicks and ducks printed on it. Ollie slowly draped the small blanket over the curled form of Rita. The rectangle fleece barely covered all of her. Ollie then took Rita's shoes off and climbed on the bed. He settled next to her and put his arm on the pillow above her head and waited. Rita slowly lifted her head so Ollie could move his arm under to support her. The other arm he placed over her so that they were like two spoons in a drawer. Although not a word was spoken, Rita felt safe and warm for perhaps the first time in years. Five minutes later, she was fast asleep.

Rita awoke the next morning to the pleasant aroma of freshly brewed coffee and could hear the stirring of a whisk in a bowl. Rita lay in bed for a few minutes before getting up. Had she made a mistake? Nothing happened she was sure but still, she was at a suspect's house and in his bed. Rita sighed deeply and got up and put her shoes on.

"Why good morning," Ollie said, leaning in the doorway with a bowl and a whisk in his hands. Looking as fresh and crisp as he did the night before.  "You have a few minutes before breakfast is ready. Would you care for a shower?" Ollie had a slight smile on his face, not the cat smile that riled Rita but a soft, caring smile. His eyes were bright but kind.

Rita had always wondered what girls thought when they did the walk of shame in the morning. She had never had that honor, but now that she had the opportunity, it didn't seem appealing.

"Yes. That would be nice. Thank you." Rita responded but felt self-conscious and childish.

"Great. There are towels in the sideboard. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes," Ollie said as he turned to leave.

Last night Ollie acted like a gentleman, but Rita found herself disappointed he didn't ask to join her in the shower this morning. She would have said no, of course, but a girl likes to be asked. Rita huffed and headed for the shower. She was feeling like a twelve-year-old, and she didn't like it.

When Rita came out of the shower, there were fresh clothes on the bed. She checked the size, and it was correct. "How the hell did he do that?" she said out loud. She took the tags off and tried them on. She looked good when she checked herself in the mirror. The top was rose-colored silk, open at the neckline but not too revealing. The pants were Lee's relaxed straight leg, the exact style she preferred to wear. How did he know and why wasn't she upset? Instead, she felt flattered for some reason.

Rita came out of the bathroom, and when Ollie saw her, he stopped serving and said, "Oh good, they fit and let me say you look fantastic. Hungry?"

Rita found herself smiling. "Yes, I am."

"Very well; it's ready," Ollie said, setting two plates at the small kitchen table. On the table next to the placemats were two glasses of orange juice and coffee. On the folded napkin laid as neat as can be was a knife, fork, and spoon.

Rita sat and placed the napkin on her lap and tried the coffee. Just the way she liked it. She felt she should have anticipated that. On her plate was a pizza slice of what appeared to be an omelet. When Ollie was seated, she took a bite. "This is fantastic. What is it?"

Ollie smiled. "It is a frittata," he said as he sat back with legs crossed and his hands on his knees.

Rita's slice was half gone before she said, "Wow. What's in it?"

"You can make a frittata with whatever you have in the refrigerator. I find I like it best with zucchini, onion, tomato, cheese, and of course, spiced to flavor. You could add any meat as well if you like."

Finishing like she hadn't eaten in a week, she asked if there was more.

Laughing, Ollie said, "Yes. Help yourself."

When Rita came back to the table, she realized Ollie had only taken a bite. "You don't like it?"

Smiling, "Yes, I do. I can eat later after you have run out the door which I know you must do presently. I have enjoyed watching you devour your breakfast. That is a pleasure for me. I can always eat, but I cannot always watch you. I will remember this."

Rita didn't know what to say. She knew he was not making fun of her, but what was he saying?

As if reading her thoughts, Ollie said, "I mean no offense. I know you need to go to work and do what you must. I enjoyed having you here. I rarely get visitors, and I find you stimulating company."

Reality came rushing back to Rita. Looking down at her plate, Rita said, "Ollie I will have..."

"I know," he interrupted. "No more needs to be said. Enjoy your breakfast, and what needs to happen later will happen. You do not need to concern yourself about all that now."

Rita tried to smile but didn't feel she succeeded. "OK. This frittata is mucho bueno."

"I am glad," was all Ollie said.

Rita finished her second slice and slowly folded her napkin and placed it on the table. She started to say something when Ollie got up and said, "I think it is time you went back to work."

Rita smiled. "Yes, it is. Thank you for breakfast... and for last night."

"It was truly my pleasure," Ollie said as he walked Rita to the door.

Rita realized there was no offer or hint of repeating this morning. She was asking herself how to say goodbye. Handshake? Not after last night. A kiss? Didn't seem to fit either. A hug? That seemed as cold as a handshake. Finally, Rita thought, screw it. She came back to Ollie and embraced him tightly. Then she reached up and kissed him long and hard before turning and running down the stairs.

Rita threw her bag of dirty clothes in the back of the car. Before getting in, she looked up at the apartment window but couldn't tell if Ollie was looking down at her.

Sitting on the passenger seat was a pink box. It was tied with a white ribbon and had a large white bow.

Rita didn't know what to do. Her training saidit could be dangerous, but she knew who it was from and that it wouldn't hurther. Rita did have half a thought as to how he got in the car with the doorslocked, but she didn't care as she untied the ribbon and quickly opened thebox. Rita started laughing, as inside the box was a Lululemon hat like a tennispro would wear. Solid white, of course. Rita smiled as she started the engine and drove away. "Goodbye, mylove," Rita said quietly to herself while wearing the white hat.

Wow! If you have gotten this far, thank you. I am hoping you are truly enjoying the story. I promise it is going to get interesting. Please let me know what you think will happen or your thoughts so far. I love feedback. As always, if you catch an error, please let me know so I can fix it. Thanks again for reading!