by Hattie Lou
I laugh. “Usually people know these things before they have sex and yet here we are so clueless.”
“That’s because what we have isn’t normal.”
The comment makes me stare at him. What exactly do we have? There isn’t a label to it. I’m a single mother who’s taking care of his mom and he’s an actor living a crazy life that includes a fake relationship with a gorgeous model in Hollywood.
“What do you want to do for your birthday?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I don’t celebrate my birthday.” After Ethan died, I stopped caring about my birthday. It’s just another day to me. Savannah makes me a birthday card and that is it. I don’t need a party or go out to celebrate. Birthdays are overrated anyways.
He sits up and looks at me. “When was the last time you did anything for your birthday?”
“Years ago. I’m fine. I have never been big on them.” I tell him.
“Did you celebrate the big twenty-one?”
“I didn’t. Savannah was a baby.”
He frowns like he feels bad for me. I could have asked to go out, but it was my choice to stay home with Savannah. I would pick her over going to a bar any day.
“Birthdays deserve to be celebrated. It only happens once a year.”
“Not everyone likes to have a day all about themselves including me.”
Luke
Olivia said she doesn’t care that today is her birthday and was treating today like it was just another day. I want to do something special for her.
She and Mom went out to the hair salon. I made a few phone calls and pulled some strings. It’s amazing all the things I can get when I drop my name. I want Olivia to have a special day. I know she doesn’t care for it, but I care for her so I want her to have fun on her birthday.
“Get dressed,” I tell both of them the second they step foot in the house. “I’m taking you out for dinner tonight.”
Mom’s eyes widen with surprise. “I have the perfect dress to wear.” She says before disappearing.
Olivia doesn’t move. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that it’s my birthday today?” She asks, not looking too happy.
“Maybe. I want us all to enjoy this night.”
“I don’t want to go out.” She says, folding her arms.
“Please hurry! The car will be here soon.”
“What car?” She asks.
“Get dressed!” I say, pointing down the hall giving her direct orders.
She watches me for a few seconds before giving in. “Fine! I will go.”
Good because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
I take a seat on the couch knowing they will take a while to get ready. Women always do. I text Ben asking him if everything is ready. He quickly replies that everything is good to go. Now all that is left to do is make sure Olivia shows up.
Mom and Olivia come walking into the living room at the same time. “Wow! You both look stunning.” I say, standing up to greet them. Olivia is wearing a silver dress. It’s perfect. Not too short, but not so long that I can’t see those gorgeous legs of hers.
Mom smiles, loving the compliment. Olivia fakes a smile, not hiding that she still doesn’t want to go out for her birthday.
“We should get going.” I look down at my watch and see the limo should be outside by now. I open the front door to see the car is there.
As we reach the front porch, Mom’s mouth hangs open in shock. “We have a limo?” She asks like she has never been in one before, not remembering that she and Dad used to always go in them.
“We are.”
Mom talks as she looks around in amazement during the ride. Olivia is quiet and stares out the window. I’m not sure what’s bothering her. I know she didn’t want anything for her birthday, but she should see it as a special day just for her.
Her eyes widened when she sees the restaurant I picked for her birthday. It’s the same restaurant that told her not to bring Mom back after she had an incident there. I laugh. “It’s okay. I talked to the owners.” I inform her.
“But...” She says, about to protest.
I place my finger on her lips. “Shh. Just go with it.” I smile at her.
“Mr. Stewart, your room is ready.” The waiter greets us with a big smile.
Olivia looks a bit uncomfortable as she looks around the place. I place my hand on her back to assure her that everything is fine. “Let’s go.” I lead her to our private room.
“Wow!” Mom says as we enter the VIP room.
“Surprise!” Ben, Steve, and Harry shout when they see us walking into the room.
I asked Ben to talk to the party planners to tell them how to set the room up. He knows Olivia better than I do. They did a good job. The balloons are nicely set up on the table with candles lit making the atmosphere feel nice and warm.
“Happy birthday,” I say, kissing the side of her cheek. She looks up at me. It’s the first time I kissed her in front of anyone including Mom. She doesn’t know who I am, but I’m not shy. I never kissed a person in front of her. Being around Olivia makes me feel different. I’m not faking anything. If I want to kiss her then I will kiss her. I don’t hide it or force the kiss. It feels right.
“Thank you.” She says, low.
Before I can say anything, Ben comes around the table. “Happy birthday, Ol.”
She smiles at him. “Thanks.” She tells him as she hugs him and then Harry.
“Honey, you didn’t tell me it was your birthday. I wish I would have known. I didn’t get you anything.” Mom says, apologizing to her.
Olivia reaches out and pats Mom’s hand. “It’s alright. Birthdays are just another day for me.”
The lights get dim and the waiter suddenly appears with a cake with candles lit up. Everyone starts to sing happy birthday to her. Olivia looks at me with a smile on her face. Her eyes look like she is about to cry any second. I’m happy to see her react like this. I was worried that she might be mad at me for throwing her a party. This is the first time I remember seeing her genuinely smile. She’s usually serious most of the time, but not tonight. She’s really happy even though she said she didn’t want to celebrate her birthday in the first place.
Everyone is sitting around talking and laughing. I reach for Olivia’s hand under the table and take hers into mine. She turns her head to me and smiles. “Thank you for this. I know that I don’t normally celebrate my birthday, but you made this day special for me.”
I give her a big smile. I look down at my phone and see it light up. “There’s another present for you,” I tell her, handing her my phone.
“Happy birthday, Mom!” Savannah yells into the phone.
“Savannah.” She says, crying. “Thank you, honey.”
Ethan’s parents come into the video. “Happy birthday, dear.” His mom says.
“Thank you, guys. Where are you?” She asks as the background is hard to see.
“We are here in New York. We are about to tour Time Square!” Savannah says, excited.
Olivia smiles. “Remember to stay close and listen to your grandparents.”
“I promise.” She says, before the video clicks off.
She leans back in her chair. “Okay, now this is the best birthday I have had in a while.”
I lean in so no one can hear us. “We still got a few more hours left. I haven’t given you my present yet. I will give you a little hint. It’s in the bedroom.” I say, winking at her as I reach for my glass to take a sip.
Her hand falls onto my thigh giving it a squeeze. “I’m looking forward to that present.” She says with hunger in her eyes.
Fuck! I wish we could ditch this party and go home now. All the things I have in store for her tonight. It’s safe to say that neither of us will be getting much sleep. “I do have another present for you,” I tell her.
“Oh, yeah? What is it?” She asks, clearly flirting with me as she bats her lashes at me.
I stand up and hold my hand to her. “Come
with me.”
I tell Ben to watch Katherine for a minute. We won’t be long. We walk into the restaurant.
“Where is everyone?” She asks in confusion.
“I rented the place out for us tonight.”
“Why?”
“It’s your birthday and I remember what you said about Mom not liking being around people. I wanted us all to enjoy this night. Turn around and close your eyes.” I tell her as I reach in my pocket for the necklace. I open the chain and put it around her neck.
“Can I open them now?” She asks, getting impatient.
I laugh. “Go ahead.”
She looks down at the locket on her neck and opens it to find two pictures. One of Savannah and the other of my mom. “This is so beautiful.” She says as her eyes begin to get watery. “Thank you!” She puts her arms around me, hugging me.
I can’t help but to smile. At this moment I wish I could lean in and kiss her on the lips, but I can’t. I give her a quick kiss of her cheek.
I spent most of the afternoon calling around looking for the perfect gift for her. She deserves something special and I’m glad that I’m the one who can give her a special gift. “You’re welcome.”
We head back to the party to join everyone where we spend the next few hours talking. Ben’s husband Steve can’t believe that I’m really here. He said he has never met a real celebrity before. He goes on to tell me how much of a fan he is of mine and Erika’s. There is a part of me that feels bad for talking about her like I’m in love with her when Olivia’s sitting next to me listening to our conversation. It’s her birthday.
“Is she really as beautiful in person as she is doing the walk-way?”
I laugh. “She’s beautiful but let me tell you a little secret,” I say, leaning into him. “She wears a lot of makeup.”
“Shut up! I have seen her post photos without makeup. She looks the same.” Steve protests.
“Filters,” I say with a wink.
Once we get home, I tell Olivia to go and wait for me in my room. It’s still her birthday and she deserves to have the night off. I help Mom with her routine. I have been learning more of her routine by the day.
I reach for her lamp about to shut it off when she stops me. “You really like her, don’t you?” She asks.
“I do. Is it obvious?”
She nods. “I saw you two whispering. I can tell love when I see it. Olivia is good enough for any man, but I see the way she looks at you with that sparkling look in her eyes.” She says before turning around to face the wall to go to sleep.
I close her door and stop in the hallway. Love? These feelings that I have for Olivia can’t be love. I hate to admit it but I haven’t been in love. I date and sleep around a lot, but I don’t fall in love. Love means you are committing yourself to only one person and I told Olivia that I’m not that kind of person.
I push the thoughts aside and walk to my room where Olivia’s already waiting for me in bed wearing only a bra and panties. “I want my present.” She says with a giggle.
I have seen a lot of models in lingerie and felt nothing but seeing Olivia wear it makes me crazy.
“So eager, aren’t you?” I ask, crawling onto the bed.
“I can be. Where is it?” She teases.
I slap my forehead with my hand. “I forgot about it. I will be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” I tell her. I run into the kitchen and grab the champagne bottle before running back to the room. “Now let’s celebrate,” I say, accidentally kicking the door shut with my foot.
She laughs. “You want to get drunk for my birthday?” She asks, looking cute as she’s confused.
I place the bottle on the nightstand and remove my shirt. “Do you want me to get you drunk and have my way with you?”
“Maybe.”
A big smile appears on my face as I take my pants off. “Tonight I want this to be all about you. You are the birthday girl after all.” Once I am finished, I grab the bottle and make my way over to her. I flip the lid off the bottle. “Do you want a sip, birthday girl?”
She nods, knowing that I’m just getting started with her. It’s time we have a little fun.
I hand her the bottle and she drinks straight from it without asking for a glass. Good girl.
She takes several sips before handing back the bottle to me. “Lie back. Hands above your head.” I demand her. She listens and obeys. I press the bottom of the cold bottle against her stomach causing her to flinch.
She giggles. “That’s cold.”
“Shh,” I say as I start to pour the champagne onto her stomach. She suddenly jerks. “Don’t move or I will spill it all over my sheets.” I lean closer to her body and start licking the drink off of her. I’ve never done this before, but with her, I want to try everything. Nothing is off limits with her.
“Fuck.” She mumbles under her breath, loving the way my tongue feels on her.
“Do you want me to stop?” I ask, knowing she wants me to keep going. I’ve no intentions of stopping.
“No.” She says breathlessly. “Please don’t.”
I pour more on her body and drink it off slowly, watching as her eyes look like they’re about to roll behind her head. I’m not finished with her yet. I put the bottle on the nightstand and remove the rest of my clothes.
I run my hands over the curve of her body. She’s sticky. Maybe the champagne wasn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had, but it was definitely one of the hottest. “Come on,” I say, scooping her into my arms.
“Where are we going?” She asks as I carry her naked body across the hall and into the bathroom.
“I’m going to clean you up,” I tell her as I sit her down on the sink. I grab her bubble bath bottle and feel the tub with water. I check the water making sure it’s not too hot for her.
She giggles as she watches me. “Such a gentleman.” She teases.
“Gentleman? I’ll show you how much of a gentleman I am.” I say, walking over to her. I take my boxers off and throw them on the floor. I take her hand and help her off the sink. “Are you on the pill?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I grin knowing this is going to be fun. “Turn around and put your hands against the wall,” I demand her as I move her feet apart. I place my hands onto her hips as I make my way into her. “Happy birthday,” I say as I bite down on her neck. I move my hand up and wrap it around her hair. I begin to tug on it hard, pulling her head back. She doesn’t tell me to stop or that I am hurting her. She just enjoys what I’m doing.
“Are you enjoying your birthday?” I say into her ear as she looks relaxed.
“I’m enjoying it now.” She answers with a purr that makes her sound like a kitten.
I don’t say anything as I want her to keep enjoying this night we have together. Every time I can feel her body tighten up, I slow down just to drive her crazy. It doesn’t take long for her body to go over the edge as she loses control.
Once we are done, I carry her to the bathtub and I sit behind her in the water. I take the loofah and pour soap on it. I begin to wipe her body down, taking my time to admire every inch of her.
“Thank you, Luke. I’m not thanking you just for tonight. I’m talking about since you got here.” She says, exhausted and tired.
I take the loofah and run it down her stomach.
“You make me feel things that I haven’t felt in years.”
I chuckle.
She looks at me with her sleepy eyes. “I’m not just talking about the crazy sex. I’m talking about how nice it is to have someone else here to talk to and sometimes have a day to myself.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” I tell her as I continue to clean her body. “I enjoy being here especially with you.”
“Erika’s one lucky woman.” She says as she looks like she is trying to doze off in the bathtub with her head against my chest.
I finish cleaning her and grab a towel. She’s so tired that she can’t keep her eyes open so I carry her to her bedroom. Instea
d of leaving her, I pull the bedsheet down and crawl into bed next to her. I cuddle with her as she sleeps.
Chapter Twenty-five
Luke
I couldn’t sleep so I decided to go out for a jog around town. I stop in at the local donut shop after my jog for donuts and coffee. I sit around the place to catch up with the latest news about me. There are several sites where people are asking where I have been lately. Erika was seen last week stepping out from a tanning salon with several friends, laughing. A site suggested that we are taking some sort of break and she wanted to get over me by making herself feel better.
The downside to living in Hollywood is that everyone thinks they have the right to know everything that goes on in your life. If you have one bad day and take your frustration out in public, the media will immediately assume you’re having a nervous breakdown. People think we are happy all the time. It’s not always rainbows and sunshine. Things happen and we flip just like other people do in certain situations. That’s life!
People put celebrities on pedestals and want to believe we have everything we need because we have money. Money doesn’t always make a person happy. Sometimes you need more than money to make you happy such as love. What is going on with me these days? I always thought love was stupid. It was for the weak. Olivia and I were only having fun and we still are, but I’m feeling something else for her.
I open the door to see Olivia kneeling down in front of Mom as she is comforting her.
I rush over. “What happened?”
Olivia turns her head to me and I see that her bottom lip is bleeding. “Your mom tried to help me make breakfast. She dropped the dish on the floor and got scared.”
“I wanted to help,” Mom says, rocking back and forth on the couch as she’s clearly upset.
“I know you were,” Olivia whispers, rubbing her back. “Luke, can you stay with her for a few minutes? I want to clean the mess in the kitchen.”
“Sure,” I answer.
I sit with her as she tells me what happened. “I grabbed the dish and I forgot what I was supposed to do. It was hot and I forgot to put on the gloves that she told me to put on.”
