Olivia and Ricky's Odyssey to Rock Bottom

6. Busted

Olivia was crimson in the face as she stood between Roxie and Josephine, twirling her small silver ring around desperately. If only the ground would open and swallow her whole.

She couldn't believe Roxie had done this. She had promised to forget it was Olivia's birthday when she found out—thanks to Olivia's ninety-three-year-old great-grandmother.

Carlotta Casini had gone half-deaf with age and thought when she had trouble hearing people's voices over the phone, the one on the other end naturally couldn't hear her either. It made it rather uncomfortable taking phone calls from her, so Olivia had long ago learned to automatically put her on speakerphone whenever she called. Something she was seriously regretting now.

Her phone had started ringing while they were being pampered at Roxie's place, and seeing the display read 'Bisnonna,' Olivia answered with speakerphone as per usual.

"Buon compleanno, bambina mia!" Carlotta chirped in singing Italian. "Happy birthday, Liv!"

Olivia felt her cheeks heat up and hit the 'end call'-button before she knew what she was doing. She just needed to shut her great-grandmother up—immediately feeling guilty for hanging up on her.

She slowly turned to look at her friends, meeting Roxie's wide eyes, a look of surprise on her face.

"It's your birthday?"

Olivia didn't answer as her gaze danced back and forth between Roxie and Josephine. She was contemplating whether she could play it off as if her Bisnonna was a senile old lady who always got the dates mixed up. She settled for silence. Her cheeks were burning though, pleading with her eyes for Josephine not to reveal that she already knew.

"Why didn't you tell us it's your birthday? I would have gotten you something." Roxie sounded disappointed.

"I'm sorry, I just... I don't like the attention," Olivia tried to explain. "And, I mean, you've already given me a gift, really. This whole makeover arrangement." Her phone started ringing again, but this time Olivia ignored it, quickly putting it back in her purse.

"This doesn't count," Roxie disagreed, shifting her gaze from the ringing purse to Olivia. "I arranged this before I knew it was your birthday."

"Please, Roxie," Olivia begged, "can't you just forget it? It's honestly not a big deal to me."

Obviously, Roxie hadn't forgotten because a large cake covered in white and pink whipped frosting, with seventeen lit candles on top, was brought in on a serving cart by hotel staff at that moment.

Ricky, who had spotted Sebastian and Lincoln by the stage, followed in its lead to get up to them whilst Roxie grabbed Olivia's hand, dragging her down from the stage.

"What the fuck is going on?" Ricky asked Sebastian when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder and turned to see Roxie looking up at him expectantly. She sighed irritably when he just kept standing in the way and pushed past him, unknowingly shoving against his bruised ribcage.

Ricky caught his breath and suppressed an outcry of pain, bending over. Bitch! He pressed his lips together, trying to control his breathing, willing the pain to subside, and slowly stood upright, holding a hand against his side.

Sebastian cast him a puzzled look, but Ricky shook his head, letting him know to ignore it.

Unaware of the physical pain she had caused Ricky, Roxie turned to Olivia with a big grin, standing in front of the cake. "Make a wish."

There were a lot of things Olivia wished for at that moment. That she hadn't taken the call from Bisnonna for one.

When she looked up, she caught Ricky's eyes and felt the surge of a rush go through her, her heart beating faster with yearning. She lowered her gaze, but when she stole another shy glance, he was still looking at her, making her feel warm all over.