Oliviaʼs hands grazed the lacy curtains throughout the night as she was unable to sleep. She had fallen asleep at first but then all of a sudden, it began to evade her.
She sighed as she reached out for the camera phone Pete had gotten her earlier, she twiddled the phone in her hand contemplating. Should she or should she not? She wanted to call Sophie to see how things were going, but she nervously thought against it.
Just when she made her decision and started to punch her friends line on the phone. She heard a knock on the door, it was so soft that she thought she had imagined it.
Olivia stared at the door for a long while before taking her gaze off it. She heard it again, this time it was accompanied by Peteʼs voice.
"Morning Olivia, are you awake?"
"Morning Pete, Iʼm well
awake." She replied as she checked the screen of her phone to know what time it was, four thirty am, wasnʼt that too early for someone to be awake?
"Weʼre going out early today. Something came up and I have to attend to it. We would be out by five." Olivia heard his footsteps as he walked away.
She pursed her lip as she got off the bed, she hadnʼt been able to sleep before anyway so this new development was not a disturbance.
She took her bath and changed into an emerald green colored top made of polyester and a black pair of jean trousers. She didnʼt have anything to pack as she had no belongings. So she sat on the bed watching the time on her phone until it ticked five.
"Are you ready?" Pete asked at exactly 5:03 am.
"Yes." Olivia called out as she skidded off the bed and opened the door for him.
"Okay, then letʼs get going." She followed him out of the house and into his car. The streets were deserted while the only sounds that Olivia could hear was the blowing of the breeze and the chirping of birds, such early risers they were. Oliviaʼs lips stretched into a smile as she remembered that unlike this place, people would now be awake in the city. In fact, this was the best time to set out to travel especially if it was going to be a long journey.
Olivia settles in the car as she waited for Pete to lock the door and join her in the car.
"How long before we reach the city?" Olivia asked.
"Depends, where exactly does your friend live?"
"Maple Oaks." She replied. "Thatʼs where I live too." She added, only that their houses were distances apart.
"The exact address?" He asked once more.
She said it to him and fell silent immediately. Pete set up his phoneʼs gps and followed the map it laid out for him.
"I think itʼs best we get to know each other better before we part." Pete suggested as he geared the car out of the driveway.
"Really why?" Olivia quipped. One thing was she never had friends, she barely needed friends, well except Sophie. And that was because her mother had been friends with Sophieʼs mum, so they had been close since childhood.
"Just seeking a friendship with you, thatʼs all." Pete replied although he swallowed after he made that reply. Damn that statement, he never made friends with anyone. All that mattered was his job and he did it with as much diligence as he would while while uncapping an honeycomb.
"I donʼt know you anymore than you know me." Olivia said to no one in particular.
"Exactly why I want us to keep in touch with each other." Pete interrupted, to him this was just a way to get to know more about the Montgomerys. If Olivia could trust him, then the rest of his job would be easy peasy.
"Why donʼt we just leave this topic. I donʼt want to talk about this to anyone, okay."
"Okay, if thatʼs what you want." He replied assuming the role of a gentleman. It didnʼt matter what she decided, he would still persist. He knew her line, offhand and making a few phone calls here and there wouldnʼt hurt. All he had to do was say he was checking in on her, it wouldnʼt take long before she began to warm up to him. Yeah, that would be his plan.
~**~
Damian Blackwood stood in front of his closet staring at the array of suits and luxury clothings in it.
S**t, he had only one problem. What exactly was a man supposed to wear while going out with his own kid, sure it couldnʼt be one of this suits that he had in his wardrobe. He didnʼt want to go out on a casual outing looking like a mafia dressed in all black.
He ran his hand through his hair for the hundredth time. His daughter would be dressed by now, Darcy would have made sure of it while he was still here contemplating on what to wear.
He imagined her in a pink colored flair gown which had a large bow in front, her blonde hair tied into a high ponytail giving her an overall princess look. Ha! He was an all serious man, twenty four seven, he didnʼt remember how and when he began to have such fantasies.
Placing his hands on his hips, Damian decided that the best thing he could do was postpone this ... dare he call it a date. He didnʼt want to be such a killjoy but he was sure that going out with his daughter looking all professional would kill her joy even more.
The door to his room opened and someone walked in. Without looking back he was able to deduce that it was his mom. He had a rule concerning his room and his mum and broken it not once but twice.
"Mother, you could have knocked." He said raspingly as he turned to face her.
"Would you have let me in if I had knocked?" Darcy asked in response.
"Thatʼs the whole essence, I donʼt want you in. This is my personal space." He argued. Darcy stared at him with her lips pursed.
"June is all dressed up and she is waiting for you." She said after a while. Damian didnʼt respond.
"You donʼt want to keep her waiting, do you?" Darcy felt obliged to ask.
"I donʼt think I would like to go out anymore." Damian breathed. If he explained to his mother, maybe she could help give June a solid explanation for this and not make it look like it was a flimsy excuse.
"What?" Darcy started at him. Damian took a step back, not in fear, it was surprise.
"I personally made sure that June got ready, you donʼt want to waste my efforts do you?" She asked in an angry tone.
"Of course not mum but look at my wardrobe, I have nothing to wear."
Darcy paused and inclined her head towards said wardrobe.
"I donʼt think I can go." Damian decided and went to seat on his bed whilst Darcy rubbed her temples with her fingers.
"Okay." She said snapping her fingers as if a new idea had struck her.
Damian watched as she hurried out of the room to nowhere in particular only for her to return half a second later with all the clothes in the world.
"Your father had clothes for every occasion just like me. I donʼt know why you are such a workaholic." She chided as she dumped the heaps of clothing on the bed.
Staring at it, Damian sighed. "Just help me pick one mother." He said to her.
"I have my eyes on the orange T shirt. Very simple and the material is rich." She said.
Damian took the time to stare at the heap of clothes until his eyes caught a black one.
"How about this one?" He asked pointing at it. He didnʼt fail to miss the stern gaze his mother gave him.
"What exactly is with you and black things?" Damian lowered his head. He had a penchant for black, he was proud of that.
"You know what. I donʼt care! Just pick whatever suits you. June and I would be waiting." Darcy gave him one last predatory glance before she left his room.
And what was it that he heard, 'June and I?ʼ No, it better not be what he was thinking.