Page 32 of Twins with Daddy’s Bestie

“Do I have a bad reputation? Yes,” I say, pulling up to the dress shop and parking in front of it. “That doesn't mean that I don't still like you, Olivia. I very much do, and I want us to make a fresh start.”

Olivia nods and smiles, leaning in to give me a small peck on the lips. We get out of the car and enter the dress shop. One of the workers recognizes me, turns to her coworker, and begins whispering. I try to ignore them as Olivia and I look through the racks.

She shows me a few dresses and asks if they would be appropriate, and I think all of them would be. The problem she has is that the idea of wearing an elegant gown to a fancy gala is overwhelming for her, and I want to do everything I can to make it easier.

If I'm going to consider a relationship with her, she has to get used to the different aspects of my lifestyle. She won't be able to hide at home when I attend high-profile business openings and movie premieres. She'll be in the public eye and scrutinized, and I want her to be ready for that. This gala is almost going to be like a litmus test for her.

Olivia grabs a few dresses and tries them on, too nervous to show them to me until she's confident. When she finds one she likes, she steps out of the fitting room, and my jaw drops.

“What do you think?” she asks nervously, stepping out and looking in the mirror. She's wearing a floor-length sapphire gown with dainty lace flowers sewn into the fabric. You wouldn't even notice the flowers if you didn’t stare for too long, but I of course take great notice. The dress hugs her curves perfectly, with the deep V-neck cutting between her breasts and landing a few inches above her belly button.

She tucks a few strands of wavy blonde hair behind her ear as she looks in the mirror, running her hands along the fabric that fits her like a second skin.

“You look incredible,” I finally manage, wanting nothing more than to go into the fitting room with her and help her take it off.

She blushes at the compliment, ducks back inside to change out of it, and we check out shortly after. I drive back to her apartment and say goodbye, wishing I could go inside. I watch her walk away with the bag in her hand, an excited feeling in my stomach knowing I'll be the one walking into the fundraiser with her on my arm.

***

The rest of the week flies by, and Olivia and I keep things under the radar at work. I didn’t have a chance to talk to Tyler about what's going on, and I figure it’s best to keep things calm before things blow up after the event. You know what they say, it's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission. That motto will carry me far in pursuing this relationship with Olivia.

On Saturday, I spend a little extra time getting dressed before picking up Olivia at her place. I knock on the door, and her roommate answers, none too pleased to see me. Still, she invites me inside and I stand awkwardly in front of the door for a few moments.

“You must be Olivia’s roommate,” I say, searching my mind for her name. Olivia must have mentioned it at some point, but I can't remember.

“I am. And you must be her boss… errr, baby daddy.” She crosses her arms in front of her and raises an eyebrow.

“Actually, I'm both,” I say with a smirk. I know she's trying to get a rise out of me, but I won’t let her.

Before she can say anything else, Olivia walks out of her room in the dress, and my jaw is once again on the ground. If she looked good in the dress shop, she looks ravishing now. Her hair cascades in waves around her shoulders and her makeup is delicate, and it makes her face glow.

“Take it easy on him, Callie,” Olivia says, nudging her roommate and pushing her aside. She stands next to me, and I force myself out of the stupor I'm in to give her a hug.

“I want her back by curfew,” Callie says, looking me up and down disapprovingly. I'm not sure if it's a joke, but I laugh anyway.

I open the car door for Olivia, doing everything in my power to be as chivalrous as possible. She's amused by that as she climbs in. We chat about our days on the way to the observatory, and I find myself more interested in the details of her life than I've ever been about anyone's. A simple story about her washing machine leaking every time they use it and how she has to stand there with a pan to catch the water is the most riveting story I've ever heard.

The press is lined up outside the observatory, eager to catch glimpses of celebrities and prominent entrepreneurs as they arrive. Because my relationship with Olivia is new and hasn’t been made public, we don't walk the red carpet to the event. Instead, we walk in through a side entrance and join the party.

The din is loud as people excitedly talk to one another with tall glasses of champagne in their hands. I can't take my eyes off Olivia as she looks around the room, gazing up at the painting in the atrium that depicts Atlas holding the Earth on his shoulders with Greek gods surrounding him.

I hold her hand as we walk through the crowds, trying to take in everything we can about the beautifully designed building as we look around for important people. Olivia told me in the car that she is on celebrity watch while she's here, and every time she sees someone from a reality TV show, she taps me on the shoulder and excitedly tells me some of their “lore.”

“I take it you've never been here,” I say as we walk away from the center of the room and find a quiet corner to talk in.

“I haven't done any of the classic touristy L.A. stuff yet,” she says after she finishes a bite of the truffle mac and cheese ball she grabbed from a server. “I've been meaning to. I was so stressed about finding a job when I moved here that it all got put on the back burner.”

She flags down another server to grab another mac and cheese ball, and I watch her with an amused smile before grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the back of the observatory. She doesn't protest as I pull her into a hallway and lead her down it.

“Do you know where you're going?” she asks, looking around to see fewer and fewer people.

“I was a pretty big science nerd when I was younger,” I say as I slow my pace and cautiously look around to see if anybody has spotted us. “That's why I invest a lot in medicine and technology. There's no money in being a chemist, so I pursued finance in school instead of science.”

“That's not true; you could have been an incredible kingpin.” I laugh louder than I should considering I’m leading her to a part of the building I’m sure is off-limits.

“Some wealthy people don't mind doing illegal things, but believe it or not, I try to stay aboveboard with my finances.” We come to a halt at the end of the hallway, and I put my hand on the door to make sure it's unlocked. “I spent a lot of time in this building in my teenage years. Now, I want to show you one of my favorite parts of it.”

A wild smile crosses her face as I open the door to reveal the east terrace. It's different than I remember when I was thirteen, but the view is unbeatable. Nobody else is around, and I grab Olivia's hand to guide her toward the edge of the terrace to look out at the city. The sun is low in the sky, and vibrant orange and pink hues glow around the city below us.