Olivia
I just finished changing. I wore a white lace blouse and a soft brown skirt.
I inhaled and exhaled. Ready for today. Applying a little make-up and looked in the mirror. Facing myself. I knew what to do now. “You can do it, Olivia,” I said to myself and then stepped out of the room.
I saw Blake in the living room. Just sitting on the couch and his eyes were on me. “Meeting with that boy again?” he asked rudely and lazily.
“Yes. We’re just going to have lunch in his hotel.”
He scoffed. “I don’t like the idea. It’s like you’re entering the wolf’s trap. If you do anything stupid, he will bring you to his room and—”And he stopped. I knew what he was going to say.
“Blake, I will be fine. Trust me on this. There’s something I have to talk about with him.”
“What? Did he confess already?” His question snapped me hard. My cheeks warmed up as he smirked. “As I thought. Do you like him?”
“Well, I like him but I’m not sure if this is love or not. That’s why I want to make sure of it.”
“Do you think he’s ready for what’s going to come?”
“He should, right? Because not everything occurred according to what we wanted, right?”
Blake smiled when I said that. “You’re right. Where’s his hotel?”
“In the Wynn. Why?”
“Well, if something happened, at least I know where to look.” I could only chuckle softly over his answer.
Blake escorted me to the front door. He didn’t have anything to do today. “Well then, I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Blake. And please don’t worry about me,” I said and I moved forward to him. Tiptoeing myself and placed a kiss on his cheek. I hope this would calm him down and I walked out.
I headed to the Wynn. It was not that far from Four Seasons and I could walk to get there.
Once I reached there, I headed to Mizumi Restaurant where Stewart had waited in front of the restaurant. He waved his hand when he saw me and I moved closer to him.
“Hey, thanks for coming. Actually, I had trouble sleeping last night thinking of what answer you will be giving me today.” He was such a sweet guy. No woman would pass him over. But I had made up my mind.
“Don’t worry. You will sleep at ease tonight,” I said and he stared back at me. I could see from his expression that he was rather hoping that I would give him the answer he needed. “We should eat first. And please do not pay for my lunch. I brought my own money,” I reminded and walked inside the restaurant first.
We headed to our table. Stewart had booked it for us. We ordered our lunch and now we waited. “So? You’re going to give me the answer now?” he opened the conversation.
“Maybe after lunch. You’re okay with it, right?”
“No problem, baby girl.”
I looked at his face. There was something I wanted to talk about and ask. I was desperately wanted to know for a long time.
“Stewart? Can I ask you why you considered me as your only one?” I asked.
“I thought I have told you before.”
“You did. But there are plenty of women who will do that to anybody. Kind, gentle, caring. You can find that type of girl anywhere and it hasn’t had to be me.”
“It has to be you!” he snapped. I could sense some eyes were on us. God, that was embarrassing.
“Sorry about that. But I don’t know if you’re testing me or something but there’s a difference when people fall in love with someone. When they found the one, they don’t need any reason for them to love. Just like what I do to you. Tell me, Olivia. Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“I don’t know. Maybe yes. Maybe not because people have to know someone first before they fall in love.” Yeah, I thought that was the reason. I mean, we had to have our own reason practically in everything we did, right? Falling in love was just the same.
“Have you ever fallen in love with someone before?” he asked and although I said…
“No.” Blake’s face was on my mind. No, I couldn’t do this. I had to get rid of that. Blake was my father and it was taboo for me to loved him even though he was only my stepfather.
I could hear him sighing and he was looking at the table. “You said you will be giving your answer after lunch but maybe,” he paused and directed his brown eyes to me. “I think I already have it.”
I continued to look at him. I didn’t expect to do this but if he already found it out, might as well tell him the truth. “I’m sorry.”
He chuckled nervously. “Sorry, it’s just…I never used in rejection. This is my first experience. I’m confident about my looks. I’m popular among my fans. But you’re right. I can get any woman I wanted but you are the first that I failed to conquer,” he confessed.
“I assure you that you will meet your true one someday.”
Stewart formed a smile. A forced smile. “I hope so. Well, can we remain friends? Sometimes people would put some distance but I don’t want that. I want us to remain as a friend.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. Olivia, thank you for giving me this experience.”
“I’m really sorry, Stewart.”
“Come on, stop. Now you’re making me guilty. But don’t tell Karen about this. She could probably tease me for a little while.”
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. After all, what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas, right?” He laughed when I said that.
The lunch just arrived and I felt so much better. I was so relieved that I was able to give the answer he needed. I couldn’t date him half-heartedly. I would hurt him eventually even though he said he didn’t mind if I was not in love with him while we were dating but to me; that was wrong.
Feelings could develop into something else. Either I would fall in love with him like he wanted me to be or it could be his downfall where I would still reject him. Better I rejected him now, getting hurt rather than giving him false hope.
After we finished our lunch, Stewart excused himself saying there was something he wanted to do. While I was waiting, my phone was ringing and there was a call from Blake.
“Blake?”
“Have you finished eating?”
“Yes, why?”
“Good. I want to take you Ethel M Chocolate. I have an acquaintance there and he offered me to try every single of the chocolates they served there and since I’m not fond of sweets and I don’t want to throw up, I’m thinking to take you there so you can eat some desserts there.”
“Oh, God. Seriously?”
“Seriously. They have lots of variances and I’m sure you will be happy there.”
“I’ll go. Oh, my God. I’m so excited! I’ll come back to the hotel right after this.”
“You don’t need to. I’ll come to pick you up. Let me know if you’re done there,” he said and I saw Stewart was coming over.
“Okay. See you later.” I ended the call and Stewart just arrived. He put the plate in front of me and it was a blackberry sorbet. I looked at him. “A dessert?”
“Yep.” I was thankful that he didn’t bring me any chocolate desserts because my stomach would be full before I could hit the road with Blake.
“What’s yours?”
“It’s a mochi green tea ice cream.” We began to eat our desserts and it was delicious. I tasted Stewart’s too and it was so tasty. Both of the desserts looked simple but it tasted amazing. I would like to try to make it once I got home. “So, you’re going to be here for two weeks?”
“Well, that’s the plan. I don’t know if Blake and I will be spending time in Vegas or he will take me somewhere else. Sometimes he’s unpredictable.”
“I see. Well, I’ll be here for a week then since your answer is not something I was expecting. I guess I’m going to spend my time in Caesars Palace. It’s been a long time since I did the gamble and stuff,” he said and while he was talking, I suddenly feel dizzy.
I thought it was not because of the coldness of the sorbet but my head was heavy. “Olivia?” he called but I didn’t respond to him. “Olivia, are you okay?”
“No, I…my head is so heavy. The world is like circling on me.”
“Oh, damn. Your face is pale.” Stewart immediately stood up and went next to me. “Come on, let’s take you outside.” He helped me to stand and headed out. I saw him giving his credit card to the cashier. I couldn’t find my voice to forbid him to not pay for me because I was in no condition to talk.
After Stewart was done paying, he took me to the elevator. “You can get some rest in my room for a moment.” Once I realized what he just said, I pulled myself from him.
“I’m fine. You don’t need to take me to your room.”
“No, you are not. Your face is white as sheets and you are in no condition to walk around. I will probably have to talk with the Restaurant Manager. They must have used something that has passed their expired date.”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t think that’s the problem.” This was so not good. I got sleepy and before I knew it, I lost my consciousness.
“Olivia!” That was the last thing I remembered when I was fully passed out. The voice of Stewart desperately calling out to me.
***
I heavily opened my eyes. I blinked a few times as my eyes were directed to the ceiling. I intended to wake up but found myself unable to. Something was holding me and I looked at my hands were both tied up at each side of the bed. What the hell?
I tried to remember what happened today. I was out with Stewart. Eating lunch and after I had that sorbet, I suddenly got dizzy and so sleepy and then I lost consciousness. A mere expired ingredient did that to me? I didn’t think so.
I tried to release myself until, “It’s useless.” I could hear Stewart’s voice. I found him sitting on the sofa chair with his leg on top of the other leg. Looking at me like he just accomplished something.
“Stewart? What are you doing? Did you do something?”
“Well, I was just using a small amount of sleeping powder on you,” he replied. My mind instantly went back when he excused himself and returned by bringing a sorbet for me. The jerk put the powder on that?
“That’s illegal, you know?”
“I agree. But not after I fucked the chef and asked her to put some sleeping powder on your sorbet,” he rudely said. How dare he!
“What do you want from me? This is not the way to solve everything because I rejected you.”
He scoffed and then he laughed hard. Like he found it funny for me to say that. He stood up and moved closer to me. His expression was nothing like he ever showed to me. He was…different.
“Unfortunately, sweetheart. I never love you. It was all part of my plan.”
“What?” This was confusing. He never loved me, okay, but why he did this?
“I think you have no idea what happened. I was planning to take you as my girlfriend, treat you like a Princess where you are so far away from that, and then when I fully had your trust one me, I will do this to you. I didn’t expect that you will reject me like that so I decided to do it today.”
“Why are you doing this? Did I do something to you before?”
“No, you didn’t. You never do anything because you only shut your mouth and only allowed those girls to do anything to you. My primary target…is your father.”
“Those girls? My father? Why? What are you talking about?”
“Do you still remember about you being bullied by a group of girls when you were in sixth grade?” he asked. He surprised me. All those memories were returning. The humiliation. Everything about it.
“How do you know that?” Stewart didn’t say anything and he pulled out something from his pocket. He showed it to me. A picture of a young girl who looked familiar to me.
I knew her. She was one of the girls who bullied me.
“Do you know what happened to them?” he asked.
“They were…raped by someone.”
“It’s not just someone! It was a group of sick people! They were hired and it was all your father’s doing! Your father hired them to do that crazy job!” What?!
I don’t know anything.
That’s what Blake told me when I asked him a few years ago. I never told him anything about the bully but the teachers told him. I remembered when they bullied me, one of the teachers saw them and that’s how she told Blake everything.
I never expected he would do this something crazy. I had my suspicion but I always told myself that Blake would never do that.
I trust him. Stewart was lying.
“I don’t believe you. And why you have to bring that incident?” Once I asked him that, his eyes changed. It was so full of hatred. He gripped my hair and pulled me up. I hissed in pain but he paid it no mind.
“Because one of those girls…was my sister and she died by hanging herself in her room.”