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Olivia nods. “Yeah, Mavis didn’t have any children of her own, and her husband passed away before she did. Lorelei was like the daughter she never had. She swears Mavis’ spirit is still here. She talks to her all the time.”
My eyes practically bulge. “Really? Are you saying this place is haunted?”
She laughs again. “I’ve never had an encounter with Mavis, so I can’t say for sure. Lorelei definitely believes, though.”
I chuckle, realizing that my mom would’ve thought the exact same thing. In fact, she did. After her parents passed away, she swore their spirits were still with us. I’ll admit, there were a couple of strange occurrences I can’t explain when I was a teenager, and Mom swore it was my grandparents trying to communicate with us. I didn’t know what to think, and I still don’t, but I suppose it’s not entirely impossible.
“Should we get going?” Olivia asks, changing the subject.
“Yes, of course,” I say. “Ready when you are.”
As we walk outside, we see Lorelei, still working in her flower bed. She waves and calls out, “Have fun!”
We both wave back and say, “Thanks!”
When we approach my car, Olivia’s mouth drops open. “This is yours?”
I walk to the passenger side and open the door for her. “Sure is,” I reply.
“Wow, this is my dream car,” she says, taking me by surprise. “I’d love to have a Range Rover someday.”
She gets in the passenger seat, and before I close the door, I say, “You’d look good driving one.” I smile at her, then shut the door, walk around to the driver’s side, and get in. “I love driving it,” I add as I start the engine. “Maybe I’ll let you drive it sometime.”
“Ooh, I’d love that!” The excitement in Olivia’s voice makes me want to make her dreams come true. And I don’t just mean driving my car. I want Olivia to be happy.
As we drive to the hotel, we make small talk. She tells me about her day, and I tell her about mine. I don’t mention my conversation with Lorelei, and I won’t. I don’t think that would be appropriate.
When we get to the hotel, we head toward the banquet room where the dinner is being held. Diane sent me a text saying she’d meet us at the entrance, and when we get there, she’s waiting.
A smile spreads across her face, and I’m not sure if it’s simply because we’re here, or because she also finds Olivia attractive.
“Hello,” she greets us. She looks at Olivia and offers her hand to shake. “I’m Diane, Stone’s publicist.”
“Hi, I’m Olivia,” she says, shaking her hand.
“I love your dress,” Diane says, which makes me silently chuckle. I’ve never seen Diane wear a dress. Tonight, she’s wearing a black pantsuit, which looks great on her. However, I know she really does love Olivia’s dress––on Olivia.
Unbeknownst to Olivia, I roll my eyes at Diane, and she winks at me. I know she’s only joking with me and would never attempt anything with my date.
We find our table inside the banquet room, all the while fans are calling out my name as we walk past them. I smile and wave in return, trying my best to be cordial. Of course, I’m grateful to be where I am in my career and to be here at this dinner with fans who want to meet me, but I also want to fast forward through dinner so Olivia and I can spend time together.
Unfortunately, time seems to drag on. Olivia seems to enjoy herself, though, and we do get the chance to talk a bit throughout the dinner portion of the evening. After dinner, I have meet and greets to do with fans, including photo ops. While it’s fun, I can’t help but watch Olivia from across the room. She’s entertained by everything that’s going on––there are several authors milling about, and I see her talking with various people as I fulfill my commitment with fans. I’m glad to see she’s having a good time.
Once I’m finally done, I walk over to the table where Olivia is. She and Diane are chatting about something, but they turn to me when I approach. “Hi!” Olivia enthusiastically says.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” I ask, and I can’t help myself––I have to touch her. I place my hand on her shoulder, and I swear there’s a bolt of electricity between us.
Olivia smiles at me. “Yes! It’s been fun to be around so many famous authors, some of which I’ve read before. It’s a trip! I even met Charlotte Ann, who I’m a big fan of.”
“I’m glad you’re having a good time.”
“Thanks for bringing me,” she says with sincerity.
“You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure.” I look at Diane, hoping she’ll say we’re free to go.
“Olivia and I were just talking aboutFire and Ice.She’s a real fan of yours,” Diane says with a wink. Then, she turns to Olivia. “Sorry, I had to tell him.”
Olivia laughs. “Oh, that’s all right. He knows I’m reading it… I’m almost done.”
