off camera.
”Bye for now, Olivia,” she heard Andy’s voice.
”Dude, get out of here. Sadie needs a walk,” Nate called after him.
”Sorry about that, love,” he looked a little embarrassed as he turned back to face her.
”No, that was interesting,” she smiled.
”Yeah, I bet,” he agreed, a little chagrined it seemed. ”He’s always had a big mouth, that Andy-boy. So, where were we?”
”You actually have an assistant? A personal assistant? I thought only Hollywood stars had personal assistants,” she said.
Suddenly he squirmed in his chair, looking uncomfortable. She wondered if she had embarrassed him.
”It’s no big deal, I was just taken by surprise, that’s all,” she said, to ease his mood.
”Well, you know, I travel a lot for work, and he takes care of things at home, with Sadie and everything, when I’m gone,” he said sheepishly.
He looked so cute, she wished she could throw herself at him and kiss him right then and there.
”You look so cute when you’re embarrassed - makes me want to kiss you all over,” she said.
”Really?” he asked, self-deprecatingly. ”I really, really wish you were here right now to do just that. I would be a very good boy, and just sit back and take it like a man.”
”I bet you would,” she smiled.
”So, you think I’m cute,” he added, clearly pleased at the thought.
”Who doesn’t?” she said, jealousy creeping into her voice.
”What do you mean?” he asked, suddenly on edge.
”That’s the first thing Sasha said to me when she saw you at the café, that first day. I believe her exact choice of words were: ’Who is that hot piece of ass?’,” she said drily.
He laughed, suddenly relaxed again.
”Well, lucky for you, I’m only into strawberry-blonde Viking girls with a penchant for dusty, old history tomes.” He cocked his eyebrow at her.
”It’s time,” she heard Andy’s voice off camera. ”Car’s here.”
”Okay, thanks Andy,” Nate replied. He looked distraught at once. ”Sorry, baby, I’m needed elsewhere. If I get the chance I’ll call you in a few hours to say goodnight, all right?”
”Okay,” she tried to smile at him. Already she felt the loss of his face and voice acutely.
”Olivia, I would give anything to get to hold you right now,” he whispered softly.
She smiled, her vision clouding with tears.
”I wish I had something that smelled of you to keep me company,” she said. ”Maybe, next time you leave, I can have one of your t-shirts or something to keep with me?” she asked, feeling shy.
”Of course, sweetheart. I should have thought of that myself.”
”Nate, you’re gonna be late,” she heard Andy’s stressed voice, somewhere in the background.
”All right, I’m coming!” he called back without taking his eyes off her. ”I’m counting the seconds ’til I can hear your voice again, love.”
”Same here,” she smiled.
”Bye for now,” he said and looked like he wanted to say something else.
”Bye. Keep safe today,” she answered and disconnected, so he wouldn’t see how much it scared her to say goodbye to him. She always felt as if she would never see him again. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was too good to be true.
She sighed, and decided to try and lose herself in research for her next novel. She wasn’t sure of the entire storyline yet, but she knew it would come together when it had stewed in her mind for a while longer.
* * *
Nate called her a few hours later, when she had settled into bed with her battered copy of Jane Austen’s ’Persuasion’, to try and get her mind off of a very handsome cowboy too far away for comfort.
”Olivia? Did I wake you?”
”No, no, I’m still awake, trying to not drive myself crazy with thoughts of a certain cowboy.”
He laughed at that.
”I’m conceited enough to take for granted you mean me, when you say that.” His husky voice sent goosebumps skittering across her
”Bye for now, Olivia,” she heard Andy’s voice.
”Dude, get out of here. Sadie needs a walk,” Nate called after him.
”Sorry about that, love,” he looked a little embarrassed as he turned back to face her.
”No, that was interesting,” she smiled.
”Yeah, I bet,” he agreed, a little chagrined it seemed. ”He’s always had a big mouth, that Andy-boy. So, where were we?”
”You actually have an assistant? A personal assistant? I thought only Hollywood stars had personal assistants,” she said.
Suddenly he squirmed in his chair, looking uncomfortable. She wondered if she had embarrassed him.
”It’s no big deal, I was just taken by surprise, that’s all,” she said, to ease his mood.
”Well, you know, I travel a lot for work, and he takes care of things at home, with Sadie and everything, when I’m gone,” he said sheepishly.
He looked so cute, she wished she could throw herself at him and kiss him right then and there.
”You look so cute when you’re embarrassed - makes me want to kiss you all over,” she said.
”Really?” he asked, self-deprecatingly. ”I really, really wish you were here right now to do just that. I would be a very good boy, and just sit back and take it like a man.”
”I bet you would,” she smiled.
”So, you think I’m cute,” he added, clearly pleased at the thought.
”Who doesn’t?” she said, jealousy creeping into her voice.
”What do you mean?” he asked, suddenly on edge.
”That’s the first thing Sasha said to me when she saw you at the café, that first day. I believe her exact choice of words were: ’Who is that hot piece of ass?’,” she said drily.
He laughed, suddenly relaxed again.
”Well, lucky for you, I’m only into strawberry-blonde Viking girls with a penchant for dusty, old history tomes.” He cocked his eyebrow at her.
”It’s time,” she heard Andy’s voice off camera. ”Car’s here.”
”Okay, thanks Andy,” Nate replied. He looked distraught at once. ”Sorry, baby, I’m needed elsewhere. If I get the chance I’ll call you in a few hours to say goodnight, all right?”
”Okay,” she tried to smile at him. Already she felt the loss of his face and voice acutely.
”Olivia, I would give anything to get to hold you right now,” he whispered softly.
She smiled, her vision clouding with tears.
”I wish I had something that smelled of you to keep me company,” she said. ”Maybe, next time you leave, I can have one of your t-shirts or something to keep with me?” she asked, feeling shy.
”Of course, sweetheart. I should have thought of that myself.”
”Nate, you’re gonna be late,” she heard Andy’s stressed voice, somewhere in the background.
”All right, I’m coming!” he called back without taking his eyes off her. ”I’m counting the seconds ’til I can hear your voice again, love.”
”Same here,” she smiled.
”Bye for now,” he said and looked like he wanted to say something else.
”Bye. Keep safe today,” she answered and disconnected, so he wouldn’t see how much it scared her to say goodbye to him. She always felt as if she would never see him again. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was too good to be true.
She sighed, and decided to try and lose herself in research for her next novel. She wasn’t sure of the entire storyline yet, but she knew it would come together when it had stewed in her mind for a while longer.
* * *
Nate called her a few hours later, when she had settled into bed with her battered copy of Jane Austen’s ’Persuasion’, to try and get her mind off of a very handsome cowboy too far away for comfort.
”Olivia? Did I wake you?”
”No, no, I’m still awake, trying to not drive myself crazy with thoughts of a certain cowboy.”
He laughed at that.
”I’m conceited enough to take for granted you mean me, when you say that.” His husky voice sent goosebumps skittering across her
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