43 Intoxicating Giggles

Cultural Center

"I am not jealouuus," Olivia dragged the last syllable in gritted teeth to make her point. Why was everyone saying that she's jealous when she already told them that she's not?

Her fingers that lay flat on her lap curled into a white-knuckle fist as she evilly eyed Emily who looked unimpressed with her answer because of the smirk that was painted on Emily's face.

"Ok, girlfriend. Stop," Emily held her hand up in a stop sign that made Olivia straighten her back and listen intently to what the former had to say.

"Jealousy is normal. You're attracted to Maxen and you witnessed him look like a horny highschool boy around a va-va-voom maiden. Now, if you insist that you're not jealous, then why are you so mad?" Emily cocked an eyebrow to her in-denial friend.

"Because I gave him a chance and he blew it. He almost jacked off in the freaking elevator for Pete's sake," Olivia said in her usual soft voice yet her face was red from anger. She bit her bottom lip and kept herself from flipping the table when she remembered that horrible elevator ride.

Suddenly, sweet peals of laughter filled the room, mollifying the furious Olivia who stifled her laugh too but had to chuckle when Emily's intoxicating giggles seeped through her veins.

"What's so funny, Emily? It's true. You should have seen the look on his face. It's disgusting," Olivia covered her face with her hands to hide the smile that escaped her lips because she's supposed to be channeling her annoyed persona at the moment. However, Emily's smiling face was so infectious that she couldn't help but smile too.

"Sooorry for laughing, Livi darling, but you look like a tomaaato," Emily said, wiping the tears of joy on the corners of her eyes.

"Ay-ah! You have all the right to be mad right now, Livi darling. That must have been an excruciating riiide," Emily said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"It was," Olivia sighed to release her vexation. She cupped her face and looked at her reflection in the window. She pouted when she saw that true enough, her face flushed red.

"I really look like a tomato," Olivia smiled at her reflection before she moved her gaze back to Emily and noted, "I haven't looked this embarrassing for awhile."

In a beat, Emily's smile turned into a sympathetic look when Olivia's words hit her. She wanted to comfort Olivia but she had to set the reality for her new gal pal so she said, "Livi darling, by now you should know men just a tad bit from your experience with Lance. They would always get a boner when they see someone… eye-catching. That's a fact. The things you read in novels where men only get turned on by one person? Complete and total lie."

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest. She gave Emily a rueful smile and nodded in agreement.

"The question lies in whether or not Maxen acted on his impulses. Did he? Or did he not?"

"He didn't but who knows down the line he would," Olivia huffed before taking a sharp breath and continued, "Maybe I just need to scratch this itch and move on? Have a one night mind blowing sex with Maxen and be done with it. No more chances, just business partners."

"Liviii, stop. Darling, you're so confused. Let's stick to one topic, ok? That business part, that's out of the window because we both know Maxen would give the heavens and earth for you. I know because I've never seen him act on impulse, and enter a fist fight in the middle of a party like what he did last night. Sooo, let's focus on 'giving him a chance' part. Okaaay?"

Emily's eyes almost bulged out in frustration over Olivia that the ghost of her twenty-five-year-old self was mocking her now. God, did she look like this back then too?

Hearing Emily's story pacified Olivia and the latter blushed at the former's words. "Okaaay, That's news to me."

"You should have seen him."

Olivia bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling. However, the smile on her face instantly vanished and she appeared distressed. "Emily, do I look desperate after getting…you know... over Fiona..." Olivia's words tapered off almost into a whisper.

"Jealous?" Emily filled in the word for her when Olivia couldn't admit the word.

"Yes, that's the 'J' word," Olivia acknowledged, clearing her throat. "Am I overreacting because I don't want to go through that hell again? You know what? I should stop this, whatever it is that's going on between us before I go ape sh*t." By the end of her dialogue, Olivia panted for air and frowned at how distraught she sounded like.

Upon seeing the resignation on Olivia's face, Emily stood from her seat and knelt beside Olivia. Silently, she felt bad for the turmoiled twenty-five-year-old lady who couldn't understand her own feelings. They could talk about this topic in circles for hours and Olivia's words would keep on contradicting what her heart really wanted to say.

The two made eye contact and mirrored small smiles. "This thing right here, it's yours to safekeep. You can keep it locked up for yourself or you can open it up just a little bit. Give it room to breathe or let a special someone in. At the end of the day, it's your call." Emily grasped Olivia's hands with hers and planted it on Olivia's chest.

"I can't help you decide what you want to do next with Maxen because it's not me who would be 'having a chance' with him but… I can help you clear your mind with a little retail therapy."

Emily and Olivia exchanged knowing smiles before Emily stood and patted her knees.

"First things first, I'll prepare the shipment document for 'Sir James' and theeen, I will clear my schedule today and we will spend the rest of the day shopping til we drop. How does that sound?"

"Just exactly what I needed," Olivia slumped on the chair in an unladylike manner.

"So much for loosening up, gal paaal," Emily teased as she gently squeezed Olivia's hand before taking her leave to make the arrangements for the 'Sir James' transfer.