Olivia married late. All her friends had tied the knot long ago, some more than once. Many had older kids already in school.
She wasn’t lacking in male attention. Beautiful, slim, well-groomed. But those who liked her, as often happens, didn’t appeal to her.
She desperately wanted to marry for otherworldly mutual love. «Wait, don’t rush, don’t make a mistake. Happiness will come,» her mom would say when Olivia started freaking out about her unsettled personal life.Best gifts for your loved ones.
«Mom’s right, of course. But waiting is tiring.» She wanted everything at once.
What if that one special person never appeared in her life? What if someone else had already snatched him up and tied him down securely? She so wanted to slip on a wedding ring soon, so all relatives and acquaintances would stop pestering her with questions about when Olivia would finally get married. The clock was ticking, time was slipping away. She fell in love, got married.Best gifts for your loved ones
The rose-colored glasses shattered right after the wedding march. She convinced herself that they’d adjust, everything would work out. But time passed, and it only got worse.
With the birth of her son, problems snowballed. She filed for divorce and moved back in with her mom. Fatigue, dissatisfaction, resentments, humiliation, lack of money.
All this made Olivia unsmiling and irritable. «Listen, go on vacation down south, relax. I’ll stay with Nicky,» her mom said one day.
«No, how will you manage him? And I couldn’t be without you two,» Olivia resisted. «I’ll manage, don’t worry. You need to rest.
Get a tan, live a week for yourself,» her mom insisted. Olivia took time off and headed to Miami in the off-season. From the autumn slush, it was like diving into the gentle warm sea.
She missed her son, called several times a day. Worried about how her mom was handling the active and spirited three-year-old boy. One day on the way back from the beach, she bought a watermelon.
All the way to the hotel, she imagined crunching through the thick rind, inhaling the fresh aroma, sinking her teeth into the juicy sweet flesh. She carried the heavy torpedo in front of her, pressed to her belly. A noisy group of young people came toward her…
Olivia stepped aside to avoid them, but from behind, a man bumped into her. From the surprise, she let go of the watermelon from her tired, stiff hands. It split with a crunch on the asphalt, splashing her and the whole group with bits of ripe flesh….
The young people shook themselves off, cursing loudly and rudely. — Oh, sorry! — Olivia apologized, standing over the fragments of striped rinds in a puddle of watermelon juice. Olivia wondered if she should pick up a big whole piece; it was a shame to leave it.
— It’s my fault, forgive me! — she heard a male voice nearby. — You know what, I’ll go right now and buy you a new watermelon, and you don’t go away, wait for me here, — the man offered, looking at her with guilty eyes. Olivia wanted to respond sharply, refuse.
She was at fault too, should have held her load tighter. But then she thought, why refuse, actually? — Okay, — she said, — I’ll wait on that bench over there, — she pointed to a bench a bit further down the road. — I’ll be right back, in a flash! — the man smiled and dashed off.
— Just wait, don’t leave! — he shouted, having run a decent distance. — Of course, I’ll wait! — Olivia thought, looking regretfully at the coveted broken watermelon on the asphalt. She sighed, stepped around it, and sat on the bench.
She wanted the watermelon, but not to carry the weight herself. She watched the passersby. Here’s a family father carrying a striped torpedo, a young mom pushing a stroller in front of her, in which a girl sits, head tilted up, not taking her eyes off the watermelon.Family vacation packages
Olivia lamented her failed marriage once again. — Here I am! — a joyful, out-of-breath man distracted her from her thoughts. Flushed face, sweat on his forehead.
He’d run, hurried. In his hands, he held a torpedo bigger than the one lying on the asphalt. — Where to carry it? — he asked readily.
— Come on. Olivia stood up and smoothed her dress. The man walked beside her.
For a while, they were silent. — I’m David. And what’s your name? — he started…
— Olivia. She answered reluctantly, trying to be polite. After all, he bought her a watermelon.
— And where are you from? — I’m from New York. Olivia stayed silent. — Why? What difference does it make where she’s from?
He has a wife, two kids, or divorced, alimony.
Same as always. — No ring, so you’re not married, — the new acquaintance persisted. Olivia automatically looked at his hands.
— You, as I see, neither. Down south, everyone’s single and unmarried, — she quipped. — Why say that? I’m really not married.
Lived with one, but she left me for my best friend.
Then I started avoiding all women. As they say, once burned by milk, Olivia looked at him more closely, fit, dark-haired, quite handsome….
Complete opposite of her ex-husband. — Don’t look at me like that. An unmarried man at my age is more a flaw than a virtue.
Here’s my hotel. Olivia stopped. — Come on, I’ll escort you to your room, the watermelon’s heavy.
I’m amazed how you lugged such a thing?
All by yourself? Sarcastic notes now in his voice. Olivia walked ahead, showing the way, not responding to his remark. — So it is, — she thought to herself.
— Observant. They climbed the stairs to the third floor. Olivia opened her room and stepped aside, letting David in.
— Let’s take it straight to the shower, I’ll wash it, — said Olivia and opened the side door.
For a moment, he hesitated on the threshold, then decisively entered. Soon the watermelon took its place of honor on the coffee table, and David fidgeted nearby.
— Let’s try the watermelon. Cut it. Olivia got a knife and plates from the nightstand.
David pierced the thick rind with the knife, which cracked loudly. The room filled with fresh watermelon aroma. The watermelon was extraordinarily sweet.
The flesh melted in the mouth. Juice ran down chins and hands. They both said «mmm» at once and laughed…
— That’s it, I’m full. David got up from the table and went to the bathroom to wash up. When he came out, Olivia was standing by the window.
He approached and simply kissed her on her sweet, watermelon-scented lips. — Why not? Vacation is vacation! — she thought, not pushing away, enjoying the moment and the pleasant kiss. He pulled away from her lips and looked straight and questioningly into her eyes.
— Stay! — Olivia said simply. The days flew by swiftly. She called home.
Her mom, from the joyful happy voice of her daughter, understood that Olivia had a romance. She was glad but worried. Wouldn’t she get into trouble again.Healthcare insurance
Olivia returned to New York, tanned and a bit sad. When Nick fell asleep, in the kitchen without details, she told her mom about the vacation. — Everything’s fine, Mom.
Rested. Yes, met someone. But we’ll each go our own way.
— she answered her mom’s question about David. — Resort romances end quickly, Mom. But at least he promised to call.
Her mom covered her daughter’s hand with her wrinkled one. — Why? All men make promises and never keep them. Don’t you know that? — Olivia shrugged.
She went back to work and was glad about it. So much piled up that no time for memories. One day the department head gathered the whole team and introduced his successor.
He himself got a promotion. Olivia immediately recognized David in him. Her heart started pounding a tap dance in her chest.
She felt hot. Her cheeks flushed with a betraying blush. She tried to hide behind her colleagues’ backs….Healthcare insurance
Soon all employees were sent back to their workplaces. Olivia couldn’t wait to leave the office, but no pushing to attract attention. — I want to recommend Olivia Johnson to you.
Experienced and knowledgeable specialist. Already at the door, the boss’s voice caught her. Olivia froze, then resignedly returned to the desk.
David raised an eyebrow in surprise, showing nothing else that they knew each other. — He’s my boss. What a mess…
And how to work now, live? — Olivia thought and forced a smile. — Well, you two chat, and I have some matters to settle. The now former boss left the office.
— I didn’t know, honestly, but I’m glad. You left and I… — Damn, I don’t know what to say. This is fate.
Such coincidences don’t happen, — David blurted out and looked at Olivia. — Resort romances rarely turn into strong relationships.
We’ll communicate at work.
Olivia didn’t look away. — And pretend we’re complete strangers. Whether asking or agreeing, David said.
— Exactly. Olivia looked out the window at the dreary, almost bare trees against the gray autumn sky. — I want you to know, I’m ready for more, — David said quietly.
— We’ll see. Olivia stood up from the desk. — If questions, call, David Thompson.
And left the office, biting her lip.
She didn’t tell her mom that her new boss was the romantic southern hero. She’d start dreaming about Olivia’s marriage, insist on meeting.
She tried to breathe evenly, not get excited in his presence. But both were bad at hiding their feelings.
On a weekend day, when Nick whined that he didn’t want oatmeal, and Olivia was tired of persuading him, the doorbell rang….
Her mom went to open it. Soon David entered the kitchen with a huge bright box in his hands. Nick stared at the box, and Olivia jumped up as if scalded.
Her mom looked from her to the guest. — Train track! — Nick said excitedly and reached for the box. — Yes, I had one like that as a kid.
And what do you have? — Oatmeal? You’re lucky! I haven’t eaten that in thirty years. He sat at the table, placing the box at his feet. Olivia put a plate of oatmeal in front of the guest.
— Let’s race! Whoever eats the oatmeal faster opens the box first. And David scooped a spoonful from his plate. They cheerfully clattered on the plates.
Nick jealously watched how much the guest had left, hurriedly finishing his. Then they sat on the floor in the room, assembling the track. And Olivia and her mom watched them with affection.
— I’ll go put on tea! — her mom said quietly and went to the kitchen. And Olivia approached and sat on the floor next to her son. — Sorry, I can’t do this anymore.
Here, came to meet. I want to be with you two. David looked at Olivia questioningly and hopefully.
And Olivia shifted her gaze to Nick and laughed. Her son looked at her with exactly the same gaze, full of hope and silent plea. — Mom, please!