Cold Outside

5 - How Serious?

Bethany's arms and back ached as she returned home from her twelve hour work day. She wanted nothing more than the couch, but more so because she slept terribly the night before. Seeing Oliver again had upset her. She had never forgotten him, but to get past the pain of rejection, she learned to stop thinking about him years ago.

Every so often she would remember him, typically in the summer and search the internet to see where he was. The last she checked, he was a chef at a restaurant in Boston. Now Lucas expected her to work closely with him. Last year they held the event in a small ballroom at a hotel away from downtown. Bethany had worked so closely with the functions manager they had become friends. She couldn't avoid Oliver despite what she had said.

"You'll need to contact Oliver to start planning. I can't figure out why you're so reluctant to work with him. He's a great guy even if he calls me 'old man'."

"When did he say that?" She smirked.

"When we were playing basketball with the boys. There's always a lot of trash talk."

"Trash talk! You sound like the high school athletes that I treat. How long have you been playing basketball with the chef?" She didn't know the two knew each other so well.

"A while. I like him. He claims he and the partner are just friends. I can't believe he's single."

Bethany felt a clenching in her abdomen and a headache starting. Why wasn't he married? He's not married! What happened with Hayley?

Exhausted, she slept better and woke early as was typical. The sound of pouring rain greeted her, and she felt disappointed. Making coffee, she picked up her phone to see what else she missed aside from the weather. She had a bunch of emails. Scanning them they were mostly about store sales. Then she saw one from the night before and she felt nervous as she opened it.

Awkward, well that's one thing that they agreed on. Clear the air meaning listening to his excuses so he would feel better. Availability to meet! How could she meet with him and stay calm?

She thought of Lucas and her promise to him and the foundation. She would have to work with Oliver. She convinced herself to respond. I am off Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays. Let me know what works for you.

Slowly enjoying the smooth hit of caffeine, she remembered every detail of the day she met Oliver six years before.

She had just finished a full day shift at the ice cream shack. It was still early June, but it had been busy because it was unseasonably warm and everyone fled to the beach. It seemed like the line never let up.

Nana had recently had a stroke and settled in the rehabilitation hospital and Bethany was living alone in the beach house. On that night, her best friend, Caitlyn, spent the night. Both had recently turned twenty-one and were enjoying drinking at the Beach House right on the beach.

Caitlyn had recently broken up with her overbearing college boyfriend, who Bethany had never liked. She was interested in playing the field. She wouldn't consider them easy, but they had come of age watching a healthy dose of Sex in the City reruns. Perhaps their scruples were skewed a little, but as Caitlyn said, they were always safe.

They were barely in the bar when two guys approached them. One guy was completely interested in Caitlyn while the other stood back and observed with a grin. She turned to him.

"What's so funny?"

"My friend, JP, is nothing if not smooth." He laughed.

"It happens all the time. I think it's her red hair. Why do guys love redheads so much?"

"Don't know. I've never been a fan, myself." He responded dismissively.

"I just sit around and watch the guys flock around her. At least it's entertaining."

"I am sure you get your share of interest." He commented in a smooth, deep voice.

Not wanting to dispute his statement, she quietly sipped her beer.

She was stuck with him by default. She appreciated that she could have done a lot worse. His eyes were like the sky on a beautiful day. His hair was a little long for her liking with some unruly wavy curls. She had never seen curls like that on a boy before. She assumed it was only because it was grown out. A good haircut would probably chop them all off. Her hand was itching to reach out to touch his hair.

Two drinks and Caitlyn was pressed up against JP, leaving no question that she would ask him back to Bethany's house. Sure enough, she said, "It's getting too crowded. You have beers at your house, don't you Beth?"

"Yes." Under her breath, she said, "Beds too."

She heard JP's friend laugh, as they walked. "I'm Oliver, by the way."

"Beth. Are you on vacation?"

"Nah, I'm here for the summer working at the restaurant at the inn. I have one more year of culinary school in Rhode Island. What about you?"

"I live here year round. I have since high school. I'm in school too for physical therapy."

"That's great. I'm a year behind. I spent a year at Yale studying business because that was what my father wanted. I was miserable and applied to Johnson and Wales and got in," he said proudly.

"Yale! You must be smart and rich."

"My parents are rich, but I'm your typical starving college student."

"Starving? You work with food."

"Alright." He laughed. "Broke. I'm definitely broke."

"Did your father accept your change of majors?"

"Yes, slowly. I think he realized that I'm good at what I do."

By the time they reached the house, Caitlyn and JP were making Beth feel uncomfortable. It didn't take long before they were behind closed doors in her grandmother's room. Awkwardly, she offered Oliver a beer and grabbed one for herself.

"Do you live here alone?"

Not even sure why, but she told him about her grandmother taking her in when her parents didn't want her. He listened and nodded and made comments like, "That must have been awful." They talked for a very long time and occasionally pausing with an uncomfortable laugh because of the sounds coming from the bedroom.

He looked into her eyes and she felt a warm wave go through her body. He was kind and thoughtful, but he wasn't interested in her. Just as those thoughts formed in her head, he put his hand on the side of her face and breathed, "I want to kiss you, but I have a serious girlfriend at home."

Feeling relieved to know that he was at least attracted to her. She placed her hand over his. "How serious?"

She hardly recognized that forward girl. She may be older but didn't feel as brave. The tears were brewing again, so she climbed back in bed to snuggle up against Lucas' warm body. She ignored that she was mad at him for renting her house. When his arms went around her and he started nuzzling her neck, a warm feeling spread through her.