TROTD - Chapter Nine: Carry You Back Home

            Olivia stood in front of the full length mirror checking her reflection. She and Fitz had spent nearly every spare moment of the last week enveloped in each other’s arms. Now she was deciding between two dresses to wear to the opening of his restaurant. She knew he wouldn’t have much time to spend with her but she wanted to look nice. She found herself doing that a lot lately, dressing for what she thought Fitz might like. It felt silly and juvenile but she would never tire of the way he looked at her though she was pretty sure she could garner looks from him if she were wearing rags.

            Her mother watched her change between dresses then regard herself in the mirror. She still wore the faded remnants of the love bite Victoria had noticed in church.

“Olivia, who is going to be at this party that you’re so nervous about impressing?” her mother asked.

“It’s just going to be a lot of important people in entertainment,” Olivia replied changing dresses for the tenth time, “Now that I have my own show people pay more attention to what I’m doing and what I’m wearing.” 

“Then perhaps you should try some more makeup on the bruise from the decorations” Olivia tried not to react but she knew she had to tell her mother something.

“Mom, it’s a long and complicated story that I neither have time nor want to get into right now” Olivia tried to be firm but she knew this wouldn’t end the conversation.

“Just tell me he’s a nice guy” her mother sounded almost pleading, “and that he’s not an actor.”

“He’s a very nice guy Mama” she smiled and hugged Victoria.

“But he’s an actor?” her mother asked cautiously. Visions of Olivia splashed across tabloids flashed in front of her eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Olivia kissed her mother’s cheek, “Now what do you think of this dress?”

“It’s a little short” Victoria replied, “Is he going to be there tonight?”

            Olivia thought for a moment, “He might be” she half-lied.

“When will your father and I get to meet him?”

“When the time is right” she walked into bathroom and closed the door, effectively ending the conversation.

X-X

            Fitz straightened his shirt and gave himself one last look in the mirror. As excited as he was about the opening of his restaurant he was even more excited to have Olivia meet Heather. He tousled his curls one last time and walked to the living room.

“You look really handsome, Dad” Heather smiled and gave him a hug.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked picking up his coat and car keys. He held the door for her and they made their way to the limo waiting in the driveway.

            They arrived at the party and stopped for the obligatory photos outside the restaurant before heading inside to find Fitz’s business partner, Edison.  Fitz found him quickly and they made sure all of the last minute preparations were taken care of.

“I’ve never seen you so nervous” Edison said, “I thought you were an actor, put on your ‘confident restaurateur’ persona and let’s have a successful opening. Remember you’re the charmer, I’m the behind the scenes guy.”

“I’m ready, I’m ready” Fitz assured him, though he felt more like he was trying to reassure himself. They got word from the maître d’ that guests were starting to arrive. Fitz smoothed his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair then the two men walked together to greet their guests. They shook hands with actors, directors, celebrity chefs, athletes, and politicians. Fitz felt his heart swell when he saw Olivia approaching.

“Olivia so glad you could make it” he beamed hugging her then added in a low whisper, “You look absolutely stunning. I love your necklace.”

            She touched her fingers to the necklace and felt herself blush but forced herself to recover, “I wouldn’t miss it” she gave her best smile, “Fitz, I want you to meet my mother. Mom, this is Fitz Grant.”

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Pope” Fitz extended his hand to shake hers.

“Likewise, Fitz” Victoria said politely, “and please, call me Victoria.”

“Well Victoria, you ladies look wonderful” Olivia recognized when Fitz was turning on the charm. She could tell he was nervous about meeting her mother, a fact that she found incredibly endearing.

“Thank you Fitz, you are charming aren’t you” she couldn’t tell whether her mother liked the Grant charm or found it further proof that an actor wasn’t to be trusted.

“I’ll catch up with you ladies later” he skimmed his fingers lightly past Olivia’s when she moved past him. She felt an instant rise in the temperature of the room and her cheeks burned. She and her mother were seated at a prime table. Olivia noticed that there was a bottle of wine there waiting for them, Henri Jayer Burgundy.

“Does Fitz know you like wine?” Victoria asked, “This looks like a fairly expensive bottle.”

“I’m sure I’ve mentioned that I like it” Olivia looked closer at the bottle and noticed small letters in Fitz’s handwriting at the very bottom of the label. She picked it up, running her fingers over his writing, it read “For Olivia”. She couldn’t stop the passionate smile that rose to her lips. She quickly replaced the bottle on the table and turned her attention back to her mother who was looking at her intently.

“What’s going on Olivia, you’ve been acting strange for weeks” Victoria looked skeptical.

“Nothing,” she took a few deep breaths, “I think I’m just tired from work and lack of sleep.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, work was exhausting and Fitz didn’t allow her to get an excess of rest at night.

“That’s not it. I know you and you’re not acting like yourself. You’re distracted, not as focused as you usually are” Olivia knew her mother wouldn’t rest until she had a satisfactory answer.

“Mom, I –“ Olivia looked towards the table and began playing with the edge of the napkin in her lap.

“Ladies” Fitz strode in their direction, saving her from being forced to answer her mother’s inquisition. She took a giant deep breath as he took the seat next to her at the table. He sensed tension between them and was unsure whether he should stay but he saw the near pleading in Olivia’s eyes causing him to keep his seat.

“Fitz, your restaurant is beautiful and such an interesting bottle of wine, I didn’t notice it on the wine list” Victoria said as if she were simply making small talk but Olivia knew better, she was fishing for information, trying to read Fitz, to see if he would betray some secret about himself.

“Thank you, Mrs. Pope, I appreciate you saying so” he contemplated the rest of her question, “That particular wine isn’t on our list. It’s produced in limited quantities. It’s an exquisite burgundy.”

“Are you serving it to everyone this evening?” Victoria wasn’t going to let the subject drop, “Or are we just lucky?”

            Fitz didn’t miss a beat, “Olivia and I had discussed this particular vintage and she expressed that she had never had it but was interested in trying it. I found a bottle and I thought tonight would be an ideal time to share it.”

“How sweet that you remember what kind of wine Olivia likes” Victoria continued to smile sweetly. Olivia felt sorry for Fitz, he’d certainly found himself in an almost unwinnable situation. She had considered that they should just tell her mother, she would find out eventually anyway. This just wasn’t the right time, it wasn’t the right place, there would be a better time to tell her, she hoped.

“We spend the majority of our days together, we’ve become good friends” Fitz glanced at Olivia, “I like to take care of my friends.” He patted Olivia’s knee under the table.

“Well, it’s nice to see that Olivia has good friends to look out for her” her mother looked a little more relaxed, “I worry about her. I never thought she would really go into show business. All of those degrees and she wants to be on television.”

“She’s a wonderful actress, Victoria” he was being absolutely genuine and he hoped her mother could tell, “I’ll definitely take care of her but I think she can take care of herself pretty well.”  

“That she can” it seemed her mother had relented, “I appreciate you keeping an eye on her, Fitz.”

“My pleasure, Mrs. Pope” he smiled at Olivia again, “Victoria.”

X-X

            Fitz and Heather mingled among the guests at the after party. Heather knew many of the people in attendance through her work as a columnist and prior events she had attended with Fitz. She chatted with each person as if they were old friends, so much of her personality was Fitz. They both made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the room. Both had an infectious smile and heartwarming laugh. Heather was tall and thin like Fitz with the same impeccable fashion sense and propensity for having every eye in the room focused on her.

Victoria had taken the car and headed home after dinner leaving Olivia to enjoy the rest of the evening on her own.  She talked to her cast mates who were in attendance and did her best to meet as many people as she could. She had just approached the bar for a glass of wine when she felt his proximity. She turned and there were the cobalt eyes she wished she could look into for days on end.

“Hello Olivia” he spoke first.

“Hi” everyone else in the room blurred into the background.

“Olivia, I’d like you to meet my daughter Heather” Fitz felt his pulse quicken. This seemed like such a momentous occasion. His palms felt slightly sweaty and he suddenly felt warm as he prayed that they would hit it off.

“Nice to meet you Heather” Olivia extended her hand. She saw Heather’s gaze quickly travel up and down her frame as if sizing her up. Had Fitz told her about them? She couldn’t imagine that he would without talking it over with her.

“It’s wonderful to meet you Olivia,” Heather smiled, “My dad has told me a lot about you. He told me you have a degree in Political Science. I’d love to exchange stories sometime.”

“That sounds great” Olivia felt more at ease. She hadn’t realized that Heather was a Poli Sci major.  “Anytime you want to get together. Your dad can get you in touch with me.”

X-X

            Fitz and Edison sat at the deserted bar and toasted their successful opening. The restaurant had been packed from the time the doors opened until they closed for the night. Fitz had originally planned to drink the Henri Jayer Grand Cru he had shared with Olivia weeks before when he successfully opened his first restaurant. He thought this would be one of the greatest things to ever happen to him but it paled in comparison to meeting Olivia.

“How well do you know Olivia Pope?” Edison asked breaking the silence.

“Uh…I work with her that’s about it” Fitz didn’t meet his eyes instead focused on his drink.

“Do you know if she’s dating anyone?”

“She doesn’t really say much about it to me but I’ve heard through some of the other people on the show that she has a guy she’s pretty serious about” Fitz tried to sound casual, “She doesn’t go out much from what I gather.”

“That’s a shame, I’d love to take her out sometime” Edison took another drink of his wine, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to call her up and ask.”

            Fitz had a death grip on his glass. He finished the wine and poured another glass, drinking nearly the entire thing in one gulp. Edison didn’t realize what he was saying but that did nothing to ease Fitz’s irritation. How could he tell Edison to back off without admitting that he was the guy Olivia was seemingly serious about?  He knew he cared about Olivia and that she cared about him but would she turn down Edison if he called and asked her out?  Did she want to be exclusive?  He felt she did but was that being presumptuous? Fitz decided none of his questions would be answered by sitting and drinking with Edison. He finished his wine and bid Edison goodnight. He wanted to talk to Olivia before he and Heather left for New York the following day.

            As soon as he was safely in the limo Fitz pulled out his phone and dialed Olivia’s number.

“Hello?” he heard her sleepy voice say.

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry, go back to sleep Livvie. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

            She sat up with a yawn and the cute little squeak he’d come to know was her stretching, “I’m awake, come over.”

“You need your sleep, Liv” he wanted to see her but he was afraid she felt obligated to invite him over.

“Fitz, I am not going to see you for an entire week” she knew if she didn’t see him they would have only a short time the next day, “You need to come over.”

“If you’re sure” a smile immediately came to his face, “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”  

            Fitz relaxed back into the seat running his fingers through his hair and getting lost in thought. His mind wandered to the evening’s events then to Megan and the tough week he had ahead of him. He thought of how hard it had been to hear Megan cry on the phone and knew it would be all that much harder to handle in person. Then he thought of Olivia, simple things like her smile and the feel of her hand in his and more complicated things like navigating their complex relationship and his growing feelings for her. It was difficult to deny their attraction, even in public. He always had the need to touch her and he was certain other people could see the way he smiled at her.  He was roused from his reverie when the car came to a stop and the driver opened the door. Fitz stepped out into the cool night air, inhaling deeply.

            She heard a knock at the door and rose from the spot she’d inhabited on the couch. She scurried to the door and opened it with a sweet grin.

“Hi Gorgeous” he slipped past her and into their protected world. Crossing the threshold allowed him to unload so much of the baggage he’d been wrestling with in the car. She had such a calming influence on him. When they were together she was all he could think about.

“Hi Handsome” she placed a peck on his cheek.

“I’m sorry I woke you” he followed her into the living room and sat down next to her on the couch, “My feelings wouldn’t have been hurt if you wanted the night alone to rest.”

“My feelings would have been hurt if you didn’t spend your last night in LA with me” he felt a warmth rise in him when she laced her fingers with his. Their hands intertwined, resting on his leg, seemed natural to her. They seemed stronger when their hands were touching, “I’m nervous about you going so far away from me.” She tried to keep her voice neutral but he could hear the fear in her voice.

“Why Livvie?” he pulled her against him and kissed the knuckles on the hand he was holding.

“Because you’ll be with your family” she knew it sounded petty and considered that her conscious decision to be with a married man earned her this karma, “It will be you and Megan and your girls. What if she says she wants to be a family again? What if she wants to move here and be a family again?” She could feel tears beginning to accumulate.

“Olivia” he tilted her chin with his finger so he could look into her eyes, “There is nothing Megan can say that is going to change the situation she and I have.  It will be fine. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that Fitz” she whispered maintaining their eye contact, “The truth is that you have no idea what’s going to happen once you get there.” She tried to read his expression. It looked like fear mixed with sadness and uncertainty.

            He knew she needed reassurance but there really were no guarantees.  He wanted to tell her that he would give her the entire world five times over. He’d risk his life and all of his worldly possessions to have her by his side but he didn’t know how to say it.

“Can we go to bed?” he asked.

            She leaned back against the pillows and watched as Fitz slowly undressed. He tossed each piece of clothing over a nearby chair until he was standing in just his boxers. She couldn’t get enough of the sight of him when it was just the two of them. When other people were around he always seemed tense and on edge like the weight of his family name and reputation weighed heavily. But when they were alone he had nothing to live up to, no pressure of his name or what other people thought he should be.

“What are you looking at?” he moved towards the bed with a playful grin.

“You” she smiled and threw back the covers so he could climb underneath. He pulled her down so she was lying flat on the bed and kissed her fully on the mouth teasing his tongue gently between her lips.

“I’m really going to miss those kisses” he whispered, “and holding you all night” he pulled her into him and pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear.

“It’ll be nice to have some time off to relax” she gave a sad smile, “I’ll get to spend time with my parents and do some more planning for the charity. Abby and I will do our holiday rounds out and about.”

“And you’ll call me some, right?” he kissed her shoulder.

“I’ll call you every night” she skimmed her nails along his scalp, “and you can call me whenever. I don’t want to interrupt your time with Heather and Ellie…” He could tell she wanted to say something else.

“Olivia, you were right when you said I couldn’t make promises” he touched his fingertips to her face, “But what can I do?  What do you need me to say?”

“Enjoy being with your girls, call me when you can” her voice was timid, “and just come back to me.”

            He leaned in to kiss her lips. They started slow and gentle as small pecks around the edge of her mouth then deepened to feel the warmth of her lips on his. When he finally ran his tongue along the seam of her lips and pressed it inside, Olivia had begun moving her hands along the planes of his back feeling his muscles ripple beneath her fingers. They kissed and explored each other’s body. She ran her leg along his pressing her lace covered heat against his thigh and he pressed his thigh into her in response. He felt her taut nipples move against his muscular chest and moved his hands to touch them. She moaned into his mouth at the feeling of his fingers on the pebbled peaks. He moved his mouth from hers to kiss a trail down her neck and along her collarbone.

“Livvie” his breath felt warm on her skin, “will you be upset if we don’t have sex tonight?”

“Why? What’s wrong?” she asked suddenly tense again.

“Nothing” he laughed, “everything is perfect. I want to hold you tonight and kiss you. I just need your body near me.”

“Okay” her lips kissed that certain spot on his jaw and she heard him growl quietly, making her smile.

            She snuggled into her usual position against his side. He traced small circles over her back and shoulders occasionally running his fingers through the ends of her curls. She listened to the sound of his heart beating and rested her palm against the side of his face. He kissed her fingers lightly until he felt her breathing become the slow and steady rhythm of sleep. When he was sure she was asleep he turned into her hair and whispered, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

X-X

            They both woke to the sound of Fitz’s phone ringing. He rolled over to answer and Olivia rubbed her eyes wondering what time it was.

“Hello?” he answered in a sleepy tone.

“Hey Dad” he heard Heather’s voice, “Did I wake you?”

“Yeah, what time is it?” he was still only partially conscious. He stretched and leaned back against the headboard.

“It’s six o’clock” she replied, “I figured you’d be up. Aren’t you usually on your way to the gym by now?”

“Yeah, I’m skipping the gym today” Olivia cozied up against him as he talked, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Wow, that’s not like you, are you feeling okay?” Heather knew that working out was very important to Fitz.

“Oh sure, I’m fine, just a long night with the opening and everything” he assured her.

“What time do you want me to meet you at the airport?” she asked, “Our flight is at noon right?”

“I guess 10:30 would be good then we can get checked in and grab a coffee” he replied.

“And pose for the obligatory photos” she continued with a small laugh.

“The price of being famous I suppose” he laughed in return.

            As they continued to talk Olivia went to the kitchen to make coffee. When she returned Fitz was scrolling through e-mails on his phone.

“I made you some coffee” she smiled and handed him a mug, “I didn’t realize I was keeping you from the gym.”

“You’re not keeping me from anything” he took a sip of the hot coffee. She knew he liked his coffee with cream and just a hint of sugar. It was something so simple but it really meant a lot to him. He gave her a grin and continued, “I plan on getting my workout this morning.”

            She recognized the tone he used and felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach. He put the mug down on the nightstand and took hers from her placing it next to his. She felt his strong hands grip her hips pulling her pelvis against his. Even with fabric between them he could feel her growing wet causing his cock to harden further.

“What were you interested in for exercise?” her smile was coy and she retreated towards the bed, “Did you want to go for a run? We could go to the gym…”

            Her words were cut off by his lips, “Quiet” he growled into her mouth.  He pressed her against the bed and quickly removed her thong. She liked aggressive Fitz and the way his hands knew how to make her body comply with his every whim. He pushed off his boxers and moved his hardness to her dripping heat. She gripped the sheets, readying herself for his incredible length, then he was inside her and everything clouded. Time stood still and their bodies melded into one, their breathing began to match his thrusts. Her nails raked down his back and settled on his glutes. She fought the urge to try to control his pace. She wanted him to take her like he wanted, like he needed. His mouth burnt trails over her lips and her neck. She nipped at his earlobe and suckled his neck. They made long slow love both assured that the other had been well taken care of before they collapsed against the mattress.

X-X

            They hadn’t talked much during the ride to the airport. So much of her wanted to ask him to stay, afraid he would never come back.  He wanted to ask her to come with him. She had become his source of strength and he felt like he needed her close by when he spoke to Megan face to face. They held hands and exchanged tiny kisses and loving glances. They pulled up to the curb in front of the terminal and she turned to him.

“Thanks for driving me” he breathed stroking her face.

“You promise you’re going to come back right?” she looked down at her hands.

“Look at me, Olivia” he urged. She complied, looking into his sapphire eyes, “I’m coming back. I’m going to take care of the things I need to take care of. I’m going to visit with my daughters. And I’m going to come back to you, Livvie.”

“I’m going to miss you” she felt a tear escape.

            He wiped the tear with his thumb, “Oh no, don’t cry. You’re going to make me cry and how would that look?  Manly Fitz Grant crying?” he tried to make her laugh. She gave a small smile.

“Will you call me when you land?” she asked running her fingers through his hair.

“I’ll text you when I get on the plane and call you as soon as I’m allowed to turn on my phone” he gave her a tender smile, “And tonight I’ll call you and tuck you in.”

“I’m serious Fitz,” she frowned, “I’m really going to miss you.”

“I’m serious too” he kissed her lips again, “I care a lot about you Olivia, of course I’m going to miss you. We’ll talk often, I want to hear what’s going on with your charity and I’ll tell you about what’s going on in the Big Apple.”

“You better go, you have to meet Heather” she kissed his lips one more time.

“One last kiss” he whispered and knotted his fingers in her curls. His tongue danced gently with hers. The kiss wasn’t urgent or needy like he expected, instead it was hopeful and sweet and passionate. It was a promise that what they had was real. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes, “I better go”

“You better go” she leaned up for one final kiss then their foreheads rested together, “I’ll miss you Fitz.”

“I’ll miss you Livvie”

            Then a voice from just behind him, “Dad?”