giant white box with a white gossamer bow. It was beautiful. She lifted the lid and peeked inside. Then she pulled out a huge, stuffed teddy bear dressed in a white man’s t-shirt. She started giggling.
”What is it?” the twins asked her simultaneously.
”It’s a teddy bear,” she laughed. And then she buried her nose in the white tee and inhaled deeply. It smelled deliciously of Nate. She closed her eyes and hugged the bear to her, letting his scent envelop her senses.
”What are you doing?” Markus inquired suspiciously.
”Nothing,” she retorted. ”I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She picked up the box and dragged it along with the bear in her arms, into her room. Then she threw herself on the bed with her face snuggled into Nate’s t-shirt. It looked like the t-shirt he’d been wearing the day before when they were Skyping. She imagined him wearing it, thinking of her. It made her buzz with happiness. He had had his t-shirt flown across an entire ocean for her. Just because she had said she missed him and missed his smell.
Suddenly she noticed a card tied around the bear’s thick, furry neck. She sat up and ripped it off. It was a note from Nate. His handwriting was beautiful, elegant and driven.
” Olivia,
I wish it could have been me inside that box, but this is to tie you over until I’m with you again.
Nate ”
When they Skyped later that afternoon, she put the bear with the t-shirt still on next to her so he could see it. He laughed when he caught sight of it.
”Good, I see my little friend has arrived safely.”
”Not so little,” she corrected, grinning.
”No, that’s true. I didn’t want my t-shirt to smother him. He’s a man’s teddy bear, isn’t he?” he laughed.
”He sure is,” she agreed, ”and your t-shirt looks good on him, although not anywhere near as good as it did on you.” She smiled happily at him. ”How was your day yesterday, Nate?”
”Long and tedious. But I’m all good now that I get to see your face again. Did you fall asleep all right, last night?”
”Yes, thank you, I did.” She smiled at him. ”It felt almost as if you were here with me. Were you thinking of me?” she asked, so curious.
”Yeah, I was, all day in fact. It drove people nuts, apparently I came across as a little too absent-minded to some,” he smiled wryly.
”Funny that. Sasha complains every day that I’m too preoccupied and never fully present nowadays. And I never want to do anything with her after work anymore, I just want to get home and wait for your call. She thinks I’m so pathetic.” She grinned mischievously.
”Really? She should hook up with Andy then, he complains of similar behavior on my part.”
”We’re really annoying the people around us, aren’t we?” she said, pleased at the humor of each of them stumbling around like smitten fools on either side of the Atlantic.
”Yep, looks like it,” he grinned. ”Oh, speak of the devil, here comes my morning coffee.” He took the Starbucks cup being handed to him off-screen.
She heard Andy’s voice.
”Morning, Olivia. Is he trash-talking me?”
”Only a little bit,” she answered.
”Hey,” Nate protested, ”don’t tell on me like that. Might piss him off so much I have to shell out for a bigger Christmas bonus this year.”
”After what I have to tell you, you will in fact owe me a huge bonus,” Andy broke in. ”You see, Olivia,” he leaned in and looked at her, ”your boy here has been working his ass off these past weeks to be able to go back to Sweden as soon as possible. And he’s been doing such a great job, he only has three days left of work here before he can hop on a plane back to you.”
”Oh, thank you, Andy! That’s wonderful news!” She felt her heart beat faster at the thought of Nate getting on a plane in only a few days time.
”Anytime, Olivia,” Andy smiled at her and then he turned to Nate. ”You have the last thing, that
”What is it?” the twins asked her simultaneously.
”It’s a teddy bear,” she laughed. And then she buried her nose in the white tee and inhaled deeply. It smelled deliciously of Nate. She closed her eyes and hugged the bear to her, letting his scent envelop her senses.
”What are you doing?” Markus inquired suspiciously.
”Nothing,” she retorted. ”I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She picked up the box and dragged it along with the bear in her arms, into her room. Then she threw herself on the bed with her face snuggled into Nate’s t-shirt. It looked like the t-shirt he’d been wearing the day before when they were Skyping. She imagined him wearing it, thinking of her. It made her buzz with happiness. He had had his t-shirt flown across an entire ocean for her. Just because she had said she missed him and missed his smell.
Suddenly she noticed a card tied around the bear’s thick, furry neck. She sat up and ripped it off. It was a note from Nate. His handwriting was beautiful, elegant and driven.
” Olivia,
I wish it could have been me inside that box, but this is to tie you over until I’m with you again.
Nate ”
When they Skyped later that afternoon, she put the bear with the t-shirt still on next to her so he could see it. He laughed when he caught sight of it.
”Good, I see my little friend has arrived safely.”
”Not so little,” she corrected, grinning.
”No, that’s true. I didn’t want my t-shirt to smother him. He’s a man’s teddy bear, isn’t he?” he laughed.
”He sure is,” she agreed, ”and your t-shirt looks good on him, although not anywhere near as good as it did on you.” She smiled happily at him. ”How was your day yesterday, Nate?”
”Long and tedious. But I’m all good now that I get to see your face again. Did you fall asleep all right, last night?”
”Yes, thank you, I did.” She smiled at him. ”It felt almost as if you were here with me. Were you thinking of me?” she asked, so curious.
”Yeah, I was, all day in fact. It drove people nuts, apparently I came across as a little too absent-minded to some,” he smiled wryly.
”Funny that. Sasha complains every day that I’m too preoccupied and never fully present nowadays. And I never want to do anything with her after work anymore, I just want to get home and wait for your call. She thinks I’m so pathetic.” She grinned mischievously.
”Really? She should hook up with Andy then, he complains of similar behavior on my part.”
”We’re really annoying the people around us, aren’t we?” she said, pleased at the humor of each of them stumbling around like smitten fools on either side of the Atlantic.
”Yep, looks like it,” he grinned. ”Oh, speak of the devil, here comes my morning coffee.” He took the Starbucks cup being handed to him off-screen.
She heard Andy’s voice.
”Morning, Olivia. Is he trash-talking me?”
”Only a little bit,” she answered.
”Hey,” Nate protested, ”don’t tell on me like that. Might piss him off so much I have to shell out for a bigger Christmas bonus this year.”
”After what I have to tell you, you will in fact owe me a huge bonus,” Andy broke in. ”You see, Olivia,” he leaned in and looked at her, ”your boy here has been working his ass off these past weeks to be able to go back to Sweden as soon as possible. And he’s been doing such a great job, he only has three days left of work here before he can hop on a plane back to you.”
”Oh, thank you, Andy! That’s wonderful news!” She felt her heart beat faster at the thought of Nate getting on a plane in only a few days time.
”Anytime, Olivia,” Andy smiled at her and then he turned to Nate. ”You have the last thing, that
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