Olivia // l.t.

Chapter 27

Olivia

"Are you okay?" Harry asked for the hundredth time. "I'm fine" I lied, also for the hundredth time.

"You can do this." He tried to be encouraging, but he only made it worse if I'm being honest. "I know Harry" I snapped, "I've done this for the past three years, it's nothing new."

He sighed, overlooking my terrible disrespectful attitude. "As your boss that would get you fired, but as your friend, I know this is tough okay?" He placed a hand on my shoulder.

I looked down at my feet, the nude heels I was wearing were slightly scuffed on the side.

"The one person I want to be in this reading isn't here, and I know it." I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Harry looked at me sympathetically. "You don't know that Olivia, there's over two hundred people in that room right now, he could be somewhere."

I looked up at him. His green eyes were full of sorrow and hope. "Rosalyn and I will be on the front row." He stated, and I perked up.

"Rosalyn is here? What about your unnamed baby?" I joked and he smirked.

"She's with my mother, at home, in our house." He grumbled, but quickly shook it off. "and she does have a name now for your information."

"Oh yeah, what did you finally decide to name her?" I asked expecting something old fashioned like Harriet, or Glenda.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he glanced at his phone, "It's time for you now, you've got to get on the stage in less than two minutes."

He ushered me from the back, and I took a quick peek into the room.

It was packed. That wasn't unusual, these yearly readings were always full. The press, the people, our coworkers, but something thick was in the air for this one, I assumed it was just my nerves.

"I'm going to introduce you, and that you'll be reading on behalf of Lola, as always." Harry began to drone on with his instructions like he always does, however I was scanning the room.

I didn't see him, as a matter of fact I didn't see anyone I knew, other than the press of whom I had grown accustomed to from the last three readings. Lola was their favorite.

I spotted Caileigh and Niall front and center, and I smiled. At least I had their moral support.

"Ready?" Harry's hand felt heavy on my shoulder, and I bit my lip, nerves flooding through me for the first time in years.

"Yes." That one simple word, yet it had so much power, and instilled so much fear.

Harry walked out on stage, like he had done for the last hour, introducing, and joking, and being a good boss and promoter of his business.

"And in conclusion, we know this is the one everyone's been waiting for." There was a loud murmer that went through the crowd.

Journalist grabbed their notepads, obviously preparing their questions, and others scooted to the edge of their seats in anticipation.

In the far back I spotted Jacqueline, and I chuckled to myself, she was quite the little firecracker.

"—Reading on behalf of Lola, I have one of my top columnist, and my most dedicated article writer and employee Olivia Rhea."

That was my cue.

I walked out on stage, my head held high hopefully showing no signs of my complete inner turmoil, and anxiety of this disaster waiting to happen.