We were in the emergency room for what seemed like hours. The doctor gave me three stitches in each of my first four knuckles. Without an x-ray, he deduced that there was possibly a crack in my cheek bone, but nothing he could do but let it heal normally.
He took a good look at my face and the missing skin on my wrists. I was sure he suspected something was up, but Olivia insisted I’d crashed a dirtbike on a gravel road and he believed her sweet sincerity.
He gave me a prescription for Tylenol, but I shoved it hastily in my pocket. It wasn’t the best prescription for pain he could have given me, but I was sure it would take the edge off. At least since I wasn’t under the influence of anything else, it might actually work.
We left the hospital, and drove to a movie rental store. We picked out two movies. The first one was a chick flick that she had chosen and the second one was an action comedy that I’d picked out. From there we drove to Olivia’s father’s house. It was almost dinner time.
She refused to let me help with dinner, and practically forced me to sit down on the sofa. She insisted I put a bag of ice on my hand to reduce the swelling. My hand was black and blue and double the size it should have been. My face was killing me, and I actually wondered if I’d cracked a tooth. I was sure by the morning my eye would be black too.
I took a Tylenol and watched a football game that was on TV while Olivia made dinner. She brought me a coke when I finished the one I had and even brought me a bag of chips.
“You don’t have to wait on me,” I insisted.
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” She shrugged lightly.
I watched her chop the ingredients for the pizza she was making.
“Hey, Liv. Can I ask something?”
“Sure.” She shrugged lightly.
“You told me before your dad was a lawyer. And tonight you told the cop that he was a judge…”
Olivia sighed. “He is a judge. I don’t tell a lot of people that because it makes him seem greater than he actually is. It’s easier to just tell people he’s a lawyer, that way he doesn’t seem like such an important person.” She sighed. “When people hear your dad is a judge, they expect different things. It’s easier to just say he’s a lawyer… Because really that’s all he is, a glorified lawyer. He’s not at all above the law.”
“I get that.” I agreed.
“I am going to tell him about that cop. What he did was just… wrong.” She shuddered.
“Olivia, it’s alright.” I mused. “I’m used to it by now.”
“It doesn’t make it right. Doesn’t the man have morals?” She demanded irritably.
“I guess not.” I mused.
“Do you want to call your parents? Maybe you should let them know what happened…” Olivia offered.
I shrugged. “They’ll see my face when I walk in the door, and I’ll tell them then. They probably won’t believe me.”
“I’ll vouch for you.” Olivia answered. “I’ll go in to the house with you and tell them everything.” She insisted.
I smiled, even though it hurt. “Thanks. That’ll help.”
“Sure, any time.” She smiled.
Instead of watching the television, I watched Olivia focus on neatly arranging the various toppings on the pizza and covering them with the cheese she had grated earlier.
She put the pizza in the oven carefully and set a timer.
She crossed the apartment and sat next to me carefully. “How are you? Are you okay?” she asked, taking my non-wounded hand.
“I’m fine.” I mused. “Believe it or not I’ve been beat up worse.”
Olivia sighed, and with her free hand reached up and lightly touched my cheek. “We should maybe put some ice on your eye too. I think you’re going to get a black eye.” She mused.
“It’s alright.” I mused. “I’ll be fine. Stop worrying, okay?”
Olivia nodded, drawing in a deep breath. “Okay… I’ll try.” She lightly laid her head on my shoulder.
“Are you tired?” I asked, lightly playing with her fingers.
Olivia nodded a second time. “Yeah, I think so. I don’t entirely know why.” She sighed.
She reached for a blanket that had been draped over the sofa and pulled it over herself, making sure to cover my lap as well.
“Close your eyes for a bit, Liv. When the timer goes, I’ll take the pizza out of the oven, okay?” I offered.
Olivia shook her head. “No way. Not with a bum hand. The last thing I need to do is take you back to the hospital with severe burns. The ER doctors will think I’m brutally abusing you.”
I chuckled. “A sweet little thing like you? I doubt it.” I smirked.
Olivia lifted her head from my shoulder and smiled at me, hugely. “Besides, I need to stay awake for our big, romantic, movie night in date.”
I laughed. “Okay, okay. I get it. Staying in for the evening is not the most romantic thing in the world. If you want we can go out.” I offered. “I’m sure we can find something to do together.”
“No, no. I was being sincere. I’m definitely glad we’re staying in tonight. It’s very nice to spend the private time together… besides, it’s cold out there.” She shrugged lightly.
I chuckled. “Okay.”
The timer went on the pizza and Olivia leapt to her feet. She opened the oven and peered inside. She turned the pizza and checked the bottom before shutting the oven door again. She reset the timer and set to work getting everything ready.
She reached down two plates and found a small stack of napkins.
She hummed a soft, slow tune as she worked. She found the pizza cutter and arranged everything on the kitchen island carefully.
She poured herself a glass of ice tea and rummaged through the fridge again. She produced another can of coke and brought it over to me. She placed it on the coffee table next to my swollen and stitched hand. “Just for when you finish your last coke.” She offered.
“Thank you… can I help with anything?” I offered. “I mean, granted I only have one good hand but I could do something. I could set the table…”
“Well, actually, I thought we could just eat on the sofa.” She shrugged. “That way we don’t have to stop watching movies or anything, you know? We got three movies, and you have to be home by midnight…” She mused.
“Right. That’s a better idea.” I mused.
I was dreading going home. I was sure that my parents would absolutely freak out when they took one look at my face and my bandaged hand. Even if Olivia explained to them what had happened, I was sure they’d be waiting to ambush me the second she left.
Olivia went back into the kitchen and I reached into my pocket for the bottle of Tylenol. When she wasn’t looking, I took two pills and washed it down with a drink from my coke.
The last thing I wanted was to admit that my face and hand hurt more than I let on. I didn’t want to seem like a wimp in front of Olivia.
Olivia opened the oven again and turned the pizza a second time. She sighed, leaning against the counter as she took a sip of her iced tea.
“You could put a movie on if you want.” She offered. “The pizza is almost ready.”
“Okay, which one do you want to watch first?” I asked. “Your movie or mine?”
“You choose.” Olivia lifted her shoulders lightly.
“Okay…” I mused, glancing at the movies. I chose the one she picked.
I stood up from the sofa and crossed the living room. I put the movie in and sat down with the remote.
I had barely managed to get everything cued up when Olivia came into the room with two plates of pizza. She placed one plate in front of me, and plopped down on the floor with the other. She crossed her legs and sat at the coffee table like it was a low dining table.
She smiled at me, waiting as I took a huge, massive bight out of the pizza she’d given me.
I chewed it slowly, my mouth already watering.
“How is it?” Olivia asked, blinking up at me.
“Delicious.” I mused. “Amazing. This is the best pizza I’ve ever eaten.” I smiled.
“Really?” Olivia beamed happily.
“Yeah. This pizza is better than ninety percent of the pizza places in Tulsa. You should give lessons or something.” I mused.
Olivia laughed softly.
“I don’t even miss the meat.” I teased.
Olivia laughed sweetly. “Well, that’s good. And this pizza is a lot healthier than anything you could get at a restaurant. All the items are fresh, and there are no preservatives.” She shrugged lightly.
“That’s good.” I replied, although I had no idea what she was talking about.
Olivia picked up her own pizza and took a small, dainty bite. She’d only taken three pieces, and given me five. It suited me fine, because I probably could have eaten the entire pizza myself.
Once we’d finished eating, Olivia climbed up on the sofa with me, wrapping her arms around me. I tucked the blanket around us both, and she sighed comfortably.
“I’ll help you with the dishes before I leave, okay?” I offered, lightly kissing her hair.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to do that.” She insisted. “I’ll leave it for the house keeper.” She shrugged.
“House keeper? You have a house keeper?” I asked in disbelief.
Olivia nodded. “Lovely woman. She lives just outside town on a farm. She has two teenage children and seven cows. I think she even mentioned a couple of goats when she was here this morning.” She frowned.
“Oh… well, in that case, we should trash the place. I mean, even if it looked like a bomb went off in here, we’d still have to be cleaner than the cows.”
Olivia laughed.
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