by JN Welsh
Nigel peered over at her as if waiting for the follow-up explosion. When it didn't happen, he continued. "I want them to understand that we need time alone and away from them. They can survive with a little separation, including nightly phone calls. It's good for them and for us."
Olive's thoughts went back to Luna. Even though Olive had explained the trip to her kids, Luna took it the hardest. Luna was the only one of her kids who had never spent much time without Mommy for more than twenty-four hours.
"You're right," Olive whispered.
"I am?" Nigel’s eyes widened.
"Yeah. I'd thought that maybe the separation from Luna might not have been as horrible if we'd both had some experience with it." She cleared the lump growing in her throat. "All right."
Nigel covered her hand with his. "They'll be okay."
Olive swallowed and nodded.
They called the kids just before their bedtime. The older kids gave a quick update and Luna was too tired to complain about not hearing from them for the next few days. Overall, the call and Nigel's suggestion went well.
She showered and readied for bed while Nigel fiddled with the app. While he showered, she stressed over sleeping in the same bed with him. He may have still wanted to do right by their kids and they'd accessed their memories, but now, shit was about to get real.
When Nigel came into the bedroom he was dressed in a loose fitting gray tee shirt and navy blue sleep shorts.
"We have an early morning, so...we should get to bed."
"Yeah," she agreed.
"We’ve talked quite a bit already, tonight." He grabbed his phone from the desk. "Are you ready for the uhh...you know...this kiss?"
"Mmm-hmm."
Nigel readied the app for the ten-second kissing video and then stepped closer to her. The familiar fragrance of lime and bergamot, from his shower gel, filled her nose. The scent used to lull her to sleep and she missed it. Olive evaluated the golden blond whiskers that started to form on his face. In a few days, he'd have a scruffy beard that she used to love wiggling her fingers through.
Nigel caught her evaluation of him and his voice dropped to a seductive level. "Here goes." His mouth descended and the softness of his lips met hers. At first, the kiss was akin to children, closing their eyes hoping for the best, but then she felt Nigel's lips move against hers. She let out a shaky breath into his mouth and Nigel exhaled heavily through his nostrils.
The timer sounded and they both opened their eyes before they withdrew from the kiss.
"Got it," Nigel whispered and walked as he uploaded the video for Flor.
Olive spun in a circle as if not knowing what do until her mind called, Go to bed. She had to go to bed with Nigel after they kissed. Their kiss had been gentle and all lip but she may as well have had sex with him considering the rate of her pulse.
She slid under the sheets and duvet, thankful that the room was cool enough for both because she needed to hide.
"All done." Nigel slipped into bed next to her.
"Great." She lay on her back with her arms glued to her sides to prevent herself from doing what she always did—lay her head on his chest and intertwine her body with his. Since they'd separated, she'd bought another six pillows for their bed, to mimic his presence. She wasn't sure what had happened when they had kissed but she quickly reminded herself that she and Nigel were separated and on the road to divorce. No matter their attraction, she wanted out. Didn’t she?
Chapter Seven
Last night, Nigel had a hard time sleeping with Olive inches away from him. When she had tossed over to him he had kept his urges under control. At 6:00am, he'd slid out of bed and got ready to leave. He and Olive were meeting Flor and Riley for breakfast. He let Olive sleep because, with three kids, she no doubt needed a few extra Zs. She worked from home to take care of their children. She never complained and often fanned off his questions about her career as a regional operations coordinator, even though she worked with high profile clients. Add humility to the list of reasons why he loved his wife.
She was always there for them whenever they needed her, but over the last few years, he’d always sensed that she needed more.
Olive tossed under the white duvet. "I'm coming. Get Luna dressed," she mumbled and then sat up with a start.
Nigel regarded her as she rubbed her eyes and squinted over at the clock on the night table.
Realizing she wasn't at home, and didn't need to tend to the kids, she sank back against the pillow with her palm clutching her chest, no doubt trying to calm her racing heartbeat.
"You okay?" Nigel asked, from his spot by the bathroom. He missed his kids when he was away for work and even more so with his and Olive's separation. His wife, on the other hand, was experiencing separation on a whole other level. He hoped that eventually, she'd be able to relax.
"I thought I was home." She cleared the sleep from her throat. "What time are we meeting up the Guardians of the Divorce List?"
He chuckled at her play on the Marvel comic. "7:30."
"I should get dressed." She glided out of bed in a gray and pink pajama set. Her locks were wrapped up and tied in a satin scarf.
Disheveled from sleep, she was still cute and as she walked, led with her full bust. Her ass was only slightly bigger than her tummy and he recalled the times she'd told him that she wasn't blessed with a black ass, but was happy with what God had given her. He'd always been attracted to her body, even more so after she'd had his children. Fuller figured now, she had an aura that drew him to her like a fly to sticky sweets.
His phone sounded and he walked to the desk to check it. Olive's phone also vibrated on the nightstand. They both received the same reminder about their good morning kiss.
"You done?" she asked, just before she was about to duck into the bathroom. "I have to brush my teeth so we can uh...."
"Right," he said, nonchalantly. He'd replayed their kiss last night until sleep had finally taken him. Olive may have objected to the rule, but when he had kissed her, she'd reacted. He'd kissed her plenty of times to know that she liked it and wanted more, but she had reigned in whatever she was feeling.
When Olive reentered, dressed, with locks swinging at her hip, he was ready with his phone.
"I see we're jumping right in," she mumbled.
"Yup," he replied.
Once again, they stood inches apart while he got their image in view. Her eyes were glued to him and he smelled the minty toothpaste as the scent mixed with her white tea and pomegranate face cream he'd seen on the bathroom counter. This time he didn't ask if she was ready. His slightly parted lips descended on the softness of hers.
Olive leaned into him and he lost time. His free hand went to her cheek and his mouth opened with tongue ready to savor. The timer sounded.
He opened his eyes, ready to curse the app for the interruption but the flush on Olive's face and the speed at which her chest rose and fell, stopped him.
He tossed his phone on the bed, squared toward her and clasped her face on either side. "Olive? Do you want me to kiss you again?” His stomach lurched, bubbling with anticipation.
Words hung on the tip of her tongue. His thumb moved along her jawline, coaxing as he prayed for a positive response.
"Yes." Her permission, no more than a whisper was all he needed to consume her mouth. Last night and ten-seconds ago, they had experienced lip play but now, his tongue explored with hers like a new adventurer. The last time they’d been intimate was a dark moment for them both. Foreplay had been reduced to him following her down the hallway toward their bedroom. They hadn't kissed then, but tasting her now was narcotizing.
Her hands gripped his waist and his pelvis was a magnet, melding hard and fast to her as he encircled her in his arms. Their kiss deepened and he longed to call her name, but playfully bit her lower lip instead. He was rewarded with a soft moan that vibrated in her chest. He matched her response with his own desirous grunt.
He was so hard he thought his dick might
actually be indestructible. Olive moved her hips against him and he thought he'd fall to his knees and beg her to let him have her. His Olive, his wife.
The loud train wreck ring tone of Nigel’s phone shook them out of their trance. Olive pulled away, staring at him. She ogled his arousal poking against his shorts, rubbed her face, and turned away.
"Shit!" He took an infuriated breath and grabbed the phone. Flor. "Yeah," he barked into the phone.
"Good morning to you too, sunshine. What happened? You woke up on the wrong side of the bed or what?"
When he didn't answer, Flor continued.
"Uh oh." Flor’s sadness rang in his ear.
The blood already started to drain from his hard-on. "It's nothing. What's up?" He regarded Olive as she whizzed through the room, collecting the last of her belonging and placed them into her luggage.
"We've been waiting for you two. You know this continental breakfast is over at eight, right? So get it while it's still here." Flor reminded him.
"We hungry," Riley’s voice echoed in the background.
"Start without us. We're coming." Nigel hung up on Flor in the middle her snarky sentence. Never had he wished for his last words to be truer, but with his dick buried inside his wife, loving her the way they'd vowed.
He found Olive with her luggage by the door. "I'm sure that was either Flor or Riley."
"Perfect timing." He shrugged.
She gave him a tight smile.
He adjusted his shorts. He hadn't fully softened yet, but convinced himself that most people wouldn't notice. He packed his toiletries and his sleepwear and wheeled his luggage toward her. He fumbled with what to say, so he said nothing.
When they were in the moment, it felt right. She was warming up and though he wanted his marriage and family back, rushing Olive was a deadly move. Attraction had never been a problem between them but he needed more time. They needed more time to salvage what they'd lost.
Befuddled, Olive hurried to breakfast. Olive held her breath, only exhaling when the elevator dinged their arrival at the lobby. Kissing Nigel felt so good, like he wanted her. A piece of her heart hoped that maybe he was having second thoughts, but when he collected his things and didn't mention their kiss, she didn't know what to make of the situation. He was her husband and she loved him. But, in a situation where nothing was wrong but everything was wrong, could love conquer all?
A warm hand closed around hers. She startled but didn't pull away.
"We want to follow the rules, don't we?" Nigel asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Sure." She was so wound up that a deep inhale and exhale hadn't made a dent in her tense neck muscles.
"Relax Olive, or Flor and Riley will know that you almost made love to me upstairs," Nigel teased and jiggled their connected hands.
She gasped and was about to empty a flurry of perspective on him, but they were mere feet away from their friends. She squeezed his hand hard instead. Nigel winced and she was satisfied that she had relayed her discontent. She let his hand go and rested her luggage next to a seat between Flor and Riley.
"So, how was your night? We got the videos." Flor winked.
"It was okay." Olive rushed to answer.
Nigel tilted his head at her, his lids low, and "understatement," written all over his face.
"I'm going to get breakfast." Olive made a quick exit and strutted the breakfast buffet runway until her plate was loaded with breakfast sausage, hash browns, and sautéed spinach. She made a large to-go cup of coffee and sat down to eat. She stopped mid-chew when three sets of eyes landed on her.
"What?" she asked with a mouth full of potatoes.
"Sorry we interrupted you and Nigel." Riley smiled.
"You told them?" Olive glared daggers at Nigel.
"They asked. Seeing as they’re the gate keepers here, it only made sense," Nigel responded.
"If we fucked would you have told them that, too?" She rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. "Things just got a little heated."
"Heat is good." Flor nodded rapidly.
"Unbelievable. I don't appreciate my intimate business being showcased like this. A few minutes of heat is not going to erase two years of distance between me and Nigel, so can you just tell us where we're going next so we can go and get this trip over with." Olive felt too exposed and lashed out, right at Nigel. More than anything, she wanted to erase that last bit she’d said. She used to go with the flow but now, so much was at stake. For years she’d hoped for change with Nigel. She’d done all the therapy, read the books, and believed his promises for changes and new beginnings that never came because when work called, he ditched his family. Kissing him wouldn’t change that.
"Is that how you feel?" Nigel leaned forward in his seat ready to pounce. "I thought last night on the beach was nice. Now you have a change of heart?"
"I didn't say anything about last night. There you go, putting words into my mouth. You don't know how I feel. You just keep assuming. It's how we got here in the first place." She fumed.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"How do I feel right now, Nigel?"
"You're pissed, obviously."
"Wrong, I feel betrayed because even if what we shared upstairs was a special moment, instead of it being private, it was the topic of conversation while I got breakfast."
Olive made eye contact with everyone at the table.
"Sorry, Olive." Flor patted her hand. "We just thought it was sweet. That maybe…"
"Maybe there was a little rekindling happening," Riley finished.
Nigel chomped on his food, his hazel eyes piercing. "So, let me get this straight. This is only about how you feel?"
"Nigel,” Flor started, but Olive put up a hand.
"Let him come at me. I'm sure it's been hard for him to contain his remarks for the past few hours. You want to know how we got here? Here it is. He grew this way and I grew that way.” Olive gestured with her hand. “We don’t understand each other anymore."
Nigel chuckled wickedly. "And I'm the one making assumptions? You’re the one who came at me for sharing something I thought was special with our best friends. Only to be accused of not giving a shit and being quizzed about how you feel."
Riley leaned in. "Guys—"
"Back off Riley." Nigel glared at his friend.
"She's upset, man," Riley said.
"What the fuck am I? I'm not allowed to be upset, too?" he asked Riley but didn't wait for an answer before turning to her.
"Upset? You're the one who couldn’t just let shit go and dissolve the agreement. Now we’re on this scavenger hunt being forced together," Olive blurted.
Nigel and Flor exchanged awkward glances. Was that guilt? Remorse?
Olive loved her friends but all the secrecy was exasperating. She felt like a secondary character in her own home movie.
"I’m the idiot then for believing we could end this as friends and be better than we’ve been. But you're right about one thing, at least," Nigel bitingly agreed. "We should get going and get this fucking trip over with."
His words synched her heart and the food she chewed tasted as sour as the air between them. She bit out some harmful words, too. Maybe it was her way of distancing herself from what had happened upstairs. Maybe she didn't understand what she was feeling so she crutched on anger. Whatever it was, it served its purpose. She and Nigel were back to their unpleasant exchanges.
A long bout of dead silence followed Nigel's "mic drop" statement.
Flor's shoulders slumped and Riley looked perplexed.
"I guess I'll let you guys know the next location." Disappointment laced Flor's words. "Your next stop is dinner in Carmel. You have to be there before dark which would be around dinner time."
Olive swallowed hard. "Do we go home after that?" Sadness trembled in her voice.
Nigel's face was red with anger.
"No, chica," Flor sighed. "You have a long way to go."
Olive hugged herself. Back ho
me, when she and Nigel argued, she sought out her children, caring for and loving them. Without them to comfort her, her feelings of abandonment by Nigel surfaced stronger than ever.
"We should get going," Olive's voice was shaky and she blinked away her blurry vision. She rose from her seat and grabbed her to-go cup.
"We're not done OJ." Riley patted her empty seat. When Olive sat back down, Riley continued. "You two will be driving up to Carmel alone. Flor and I won't be in the car with you."
"What?" Nigel stiffened.
Riley ignored their aversion. "You can stop at whatever vistas you want. Olive mentioned in the agreement that you must spend time with the elephant seals. That was the only rule besides making it to Carmel just before dark. You have the app to capture any pictures you like. Stay along the coast. For the most part, you should always be in view of the ocean."
"You guys are leaving us?" Olive choked.
"Not really. We'll be behind you in another car. At one point we'll shoot off to Carmel to get things ready for you. The goal here is spending time together. Right now, this sounds like a bad idea." Attitude was written all over Flor's face.
Olive knew that she and Nigel were disappointing their friends but this was who they'd become—a disgruntled couple on their way to Splitsville.
Chapter Eight
The beautiful Santa Monica coast clashed with the mangle of emotions storming like an internal squall above her head. As she and Nigel drove through Malibu, Olive spied the location where she and Riley had tried to surf. She'd failed miserably while brainy and super athletic Riley flourished like Poseidon’s son.
"That's why black people don't go in the water," she had screamed at him in jest when she wiped out and chugged a bunch of seawater.
“OJ, that doesn’t even make sense.” Riley had laughed at her. “You can do it, just get back up and try again.”
Eventually, she was able to stand but that was her last rumble with the board. Her musing provided a ray of sun through the current darkness.
