9 Patriotic Feathers

Oliver cleared his schedule for the rest of the afternoon so he could introduce a "friend" to his sister. He gave Olivia a call before leaving his office to make sure that she didn't forget their scheduled lunch that day. And true to his gut, she did forget about it. He could hear her fake gasps followed by an excuse that she had forgotten to jot it down on her planner.

"I don't want to hear another lame excuse, Livi. Now, bring that lazy a$$ over here and stop pretending that you are working because I know for a fact that you are just lying around in your house naked like your cat."

Olivia's bell-like laughter, sweet and soft, tickled Oliver's ears on the phone, "Heeey, I like how we're slowly getting to know each other brother. How did you know I was naked?" Of course, the brother had a smug look on his face. Who knew that in a span of half a year, brother and sister would be talking like they have known each other for a long time even though the truth was they grew up separately?

"Ok, ok. Because you made me laugh this morning, I'll get up and grant you your "lunch" date. With clothes on, of course." But before he could end the call, Oliver heard his sister on the other line stifle a groan. He could hear shuffling noises in the background that his heart started to pound. "Hey, Livi. Is everything ok?"

Last month, they had to rush Olivia to the emergency room when she suddenly fainted. At first, he thought she had a miscarriage after seeing her pants soaked with blood. He almost stormed into GL.com's building and sucker punch the lights out of Lance Go. However, the doctor explained to him that Olivia didn't suffer a miscarriage but had a condition called endometriosis where blood clots would form during her menstrual cycle because of abnormal tissue growth in her uterus.

"It's the time of the month again. Don't worry, today's my last day… hopefully," Olivia reassured her brother. She knew how emotional her brother had become ever since her arrival. I mean, look at him now. He's even acting like an impatient mother, setting her up on dates and nagging her to go marry and conceive a grandchild.

Oliver's car arrived in a three Michelin star restaurant situated in Business District but he stayed in the car to talk to Olivia for a little longer. "I'll send my driver to pick you up."

"No, it's ok. I can walk to that place. Plus, it's a good exercise too. I'll be there in 10. I promise."

Oliver nodded before glancing at his watch and said, "Make it 15. We still have plenty of time." His assistant stepped out of the car and opened the door for him. He was a feet away from the entrance when he saw Maxen come out of the restaurant with a girl clinging to his arm.

"Brother!"

The men cried out and gave each other a firm hug followed by an awkward silence. Oliver was thinking whether or not he should come clean and explain why he didn't invite Maxen over for lunch. Surely, Maxen knew why he's here, right? But before he could open his mouth to say a word, Maxen broke the ice and said, "I should get going, Ollie." Oliver nodded and went straight inside the restaurant. He shook his head when he realized how sticky that chance encounter was. It was a good thing he knew Maxen is a diplomatic person and would avoid confrontation at all costs… well unless he's in the battlefield, of course.

On her way out of Rockaway Tower, Olivia was too engrossed on her phone while walking that she accidentally bumped into a couple, dropping her keycard in the process. She apologized and kneeled quickly, her finger sparking from static electricity when it accidentally touched the other person who got down to pick up the cards they dropped too.

"Sorry about that," she said as she picked up the nearest keycard to her among the three keycards that were scattered on the floor.

The restaurant is a seven-minute walk from her place and she arrived earlier than expected. She found her brother in a secluded spot in the restaurant and waved her hand but what welcomed her was Oliver's questioning gaze. She put a hand on her chest as if she was offended by Oliver's facial expression but she quickly realized that he was looking behind her so she turned around and saw Emily who was caught off guard too.

"Has anyone said that you have pretty eyes?" Emily couldn't help but ask.

Olivia flashed an enchanting smile that amplified the mystery in her eyes and said, "Sorry, but I don't date girls."

The ladies shared a laugh and warmed up with each other instantly.

"Are you here for Ollie? I'm his childhood friend, Emily."

"Olivia, I'm his… sister."

Emily's mouth turned into an O-shape at the revelation. She never knew that Oliver had a mesmerizing sister like Olivia.

"Where have you been all this time?" she looked curiously at Olivia and asked as they made their way to the table where Oliver and Wyatt were waiting.

The group ate an 18 course lunch made of 18 dishes of tiny servings cooked using molecular gastronomy discipline, a technique where physical and chemical components of the ingredients were used to bring a different level of dining experience.

Everyone started giggling when the dessert rolled out, an apple-infused edible helium balloon. The moment Olivia took a bite, the balloon deflated in her mouth, a part of it sticking to her face. In a few seconds, her voice started to sound like a mouse's squeak, making their group laugh hysterically.

At the end of their lunch, while waiting for their check, Emily asked Olivia if they have met before. She had this freaky feeling that she somehow saw Olivia before but she couldn't pin when or where in her memory.

"Oooh thaaaat," Olivia paused before she leaned in her seat with her arms crossed and continued, "I had a big show at an old friend's Ting Hun. You must have seen me there."

Big show. Ting hun.

"No waaaay…" Emily whispered as she clasped Olivia's arm.

Olivia nodded and the two instant bffs giggled.

"That was a great show, Livi. Oh, is it ok if I call you Livi too? I don't want to overstep my boundaries," Emily said, pulling away when she realized how clingy she got with her newfound friend.

"It's weird but I like it. You can call me Livi."

Across the table, Oliver beamed with happiness that her sister found a new person to rely on. He knew Olivia have little to no friends growing up. She was homeschooled after all. And by the time she finally had the chance to mingle with other people, she's already an 18-year old genius studying her MBA.

"You might want to introduce her to friends and family, Em. She recently opened a branch here in Business District, accepting clients for a private wealth management."

"Great! Wait, so have you met Maxen? I'm sure he'll be a nice addition to your portfolio."

"Huh? Who's Maxen?"

The three friends were dumbfounded with her statement. Wyatt and Emily looked at Oliver with accusatory eyes as if he failed to raise his daughter. All the attention suddenly moved to Wyatt's direction when his stern voice echoed in the place after Olivia's ignorance ruffled his patriotic feathers the wrong way.

"For starters, if you plan to stay here for good, you should start to learn about your country's history first, right?"