Olivia had waited for Lucas to say something about her tone but he hadn't. He just carried on driving and at the same time he was humming. How did he manage to be so calm and composed about it? He was so calm about everything and it frustrated the living day lights out of her.
It was almost impossible to tear down his walls, he knew what he was about and his life seemed to have a purpose. He was from a different mold. In all her life that she had encountered men, she knew everything and the role that she needed to play according to them.
All she had to do was to study him so that she would be able to break down his walls. Olivia was determined to do that and she would smash him to pieces. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing in particular." as she looked out the window. She studied the places that we were going to and they looked really nice. They parked outside a building, it was very huge. She followed Lucas as he opened the door.
"Where are we?" as curiosity got the best of her. "We are at my art gallery." Lucas walked inside and she followed him, she can't help but to look around and the paintings are so beautiful they seem to speak with you. "You paint all these?"
"Yes I do." as he is checking for something by the counter. Olivia would admit he was talented alright but what kind of man was he? "what am I doing here?"
"I need an assistant and I think you would be perfect for the job." She looks at his face and she can tell that he was serious. She was so nervous and excited "are you being serious?"
"Yes Olivia I mean it." as he looks at her quizzically . "I'm Olivia and I'm reporting for duty. How may I be of your assistance?" as she says it in a high pitch voice, which is topped off with a salute. "I would like you to clean up this place first." he shows her where to mop, where she should dust the tables and set up.
She starts cleaning and scrubbing making sure that the place is left spotless. "Olivia come here, I need to show you something of great importance." She puts down the broom and walks over to him. She sees he is looking at a computer screen. "This is the cash register that you will be working on." she nods.
"I will teach you how to cash up, invoice receipts and make online payments so that whilst I'm at the back room I will be painting and you can be at the front."
"Yes sir!, anything else?"
"I also need you to learn all the paintings and interpret what they mean for the customers" she nods as she listens to him intently. "I want you to explain it to the customers in a way that draws them in and gets them lost so that they are in a different world."
"How am I supposed to do that?" as the panic in her voice is clear. He puts his hand on her shoulder "Olivia don't worry you will grow into it and you will figure it out as you find yourself more." She sighs. How was he so sure that she would get the hang of it? What if she became a failure just like she had been her whole life. Maybe you should just go back to what you were best at Olivia and that's just having sex with man.
She shakes her head as the thought of going back to being a prostitute is too unbearable. She had reached her limit before Khloe had screwed her over. She wouldn't have been able to survive even if she wanted to. "Earth to Olivia please."
"Sorry Sir." as she comes back to the present. "Where did your mind wander off to?" She averts his gaze as she doesn't want him to read her more than he had. "Nowhere." as she clears her throat. He seems like he wants to protest but he stops himself.
"Where was she?" as he tries to regain his train of thought.
"By the art explanation."
"Of course, so here I also have a painting room because at times I get inspired and I don't want to forget it so I go to the back."
"So I need you to greet customers and if they insist upon meeting the painter then you can call me. I will come out and talk to them in person."
"I see."
"Okay you can go finish off what you were doing and when you are done, I will explain in more detail on what you are supposed to do."
"Yes Sir." as she goes back to what she was doing. Olivia cleaned to the best of her abilities as this was her first different job that she had. She had to prove to herself that she could do something different from the other previous job I had. But for how long are you going to last Olivia?
That was a question that even she didn't want to answer herself, why did these dark voices have to persecute her all the time. "I'm done with cleaning Sir and what would be the next thing you want me to do?"
"Okay now I will teach you how to use the cash register and how to cash up." As they move onto there. "Why do you trust me so much, what if I steal your money Sir." He chuckles a bit "I know you wouldn't Olivia" as he looks at her straight in the eye. She feels a bit uncomfortable as she looks away. Why did he say it with such confidence as if he has known her for the longest time?
Most of the times as a prostitute, clients would come back and accuse you of stealing things you never stole or say cutting remarks about you "you better not steal anything!" and she tried to not let those words bother her at all, but she knew those remarks hurt. They would call you vile names and here this man that she barely knows is putting all his trust on her. She couldn't let herself overthink as much as she already did.
"Where does your mind keep wandering off to?" as he searches her face. "Sorry, I am going to focus more than hundred percent Sir."
"I wasn't asking for an apology Olivia. I am just worried about you because you seem like you are somewhere else."
"I am fine, can we carry on with our work?"
"Sure." as he carries on explaining to her how it all works. She focuses on getting everything right. "Okay let me void this ticket." Yet it doesn't work and she ends up making a bigger mess. Lucas sees the distraught look on her face and he rushes over. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to get it wrong."
"Its okay Olivia." as he fixes it with a flew clicks.
"I'm so stupid, I will never get anything right!" as she goes outside. She sits there for half an hour, the day is already gone and it is late at night when Lucas comes out the shop. "Let's go home." He smiles at her and she is puzzled.
Why didn't he yell at her for the mistake that she had made? Was he going to do it later? Or didn't he want her to work for him anymore since he also thought she was useless. She gets into the car and they start driving home.
Was he disappointed in her? He probably was, she would be too. Her heart feels very heavy. What if she can't do anything right? Of course she can't. What if he chases her out? Where would she go then? Should she offer him sex as a payment? But he didn't seem like he was interested. Just go back to what you have always done. At least you will have money.
She shakes her head, no that's not right. She couldn't go back to that. She couldn't endure it anymore and it had been a while since she felt like she had gained her freedom. "Its okay Olivia, you can't get everything right especially when you are doing it for the first time."
She turns to see Lucas is looking at her fondly. Why wasn't he angry? Why did he have to understand? It would have been much better if he got angry. She couldn't let her defense down to where he was concerned.
She doesn't respond to him and she Just looks outside into the darkness. They get to his house. "Go change and I will get dinner going." She nods as she walks off. She go to their room and she undresses and changes into her pajamas. She feels very comfortable as she walks downstairs.
Olivia finds him cooking and it smells delicious. She sits by the counter as she watches him cook. "Do you want to tell me what has been eating at you for the whole day?" She looks up at him "nothing that I can't handle."
"Why don't just tell me at least a bit?"
"Fine, I don't know when you are going to fire me or get tired of an incompetent person like me."
He laughs as if it is some joke "Olivia I have had my own shares of failures. This is your first time and you will learn to be better with time you just have to be patient with yourself."
"What if I DON'T?" as her frustration is more prominent.
"You need to go easy on yourself and realize that you are human just like everyone"
"Its easy for you to say since you already have found your passion as a painter"
"And so will you Olivia" Why did he have to say it with such calmness and assurance. It angered her more that he was so calm and sure about everything.
"Fine if you say so." as she doesn't want to go in any further into the matter with him. She would play what ever he wanted her to be. She sees him do his usual routine of praying before he starts to eat, he raises his head and she glares back at him. He knew what she thought.
He just smiles at her and he starts to eat. "Sir how many women have you slept with in your lifetime?" he chokes on his water as he starts to cough really loud. He is beet red and she sees the look in his eyes. "Wow don't tell me you haven't slept with anyone."
His silence confirms the answer that she was looking for. He was a virgin. "I could teach you a few things you know." he doesn't say anything. "But Sir." She waits for him to look at her. "Why haven't you had sex?"
"Because I'm not married yet." He really does look calm. "what?"
"The first person I'm going to make love to is my wife." She tilts her head in amusement "so wouldn't a virgin be better for you too?"
He looks up and gazes at her squarely "No I don't care if you are a virgin or not, Olivia."
"Really, wouldn't it be a magical experience." as she mocks him. "Two virgins find love and they stay together forever as they discover each other."
"Life is not all about sex you know. I believe if you find the right person then everything will fall into place." It seemed as if Lucas was living in a bubble, did he really think that life was that simple. If he knew half of her past, he would have already left.
"You don't know much of this world. You would run for the hills if I told you half of what I have done."
"Try me then."