But do I do that?
No.
Instead, I pull up the dozens of pictures we all took last week and watch the slideshow over and over.
They’re all on my phone too, but I created the file so I could have the tab open while I work.
Maybe I need an intervention, or, as my dad would say, to talk to someone about this.
Or maybe I’m just freaking in love with this girl.
There. I said it.
Didn’t I?
No, I said it. I’m freaking in love with this girl.
Olivia.
Liv.
The crazy girl from the plane who angry types, strikes poses like a supermodel when provoked by rude people, cries while sitting in airport lounge pods, drinks a bit too much when she’s sad, who loves her friends, hates letting people down, wears sunglasses in the house…
Yeah. That girl.
Her laugh, her smile, and the fact that she is just so freaking real and genuine in everything she does…she’s like a force of nature. And her creativity is just astounding to me. And the movies! Jeez, I’ve never known anyone who is even remotely this famous. I could never sit down and write a book—on anything! And she’s written ten of them and they’re all bestsellers! I bought all of them and I plan on reading them.
And I’m going to have to make a conscious effort to do it because I rarely read in my downtime, but for Olivia, I’m seriously going to try.
We never made any progress on the plot of this new book of hers, but the girls all seemed very determined to help her with it. Roxie declared that we—as in the guys—were causing the creative block. Olivia didn’t correct her, so maybe it was true. Still, I’m curious as hell if they’ll actually come up with something that she’s going to use.
I doubt that’s happened since I left, but I plan on asking her tonight when we talk.
A picture of the two of us appears on the screen. We’re sitting in a couple of Adirondack chairs Zayne had pulled out from the garage, sipping some silly tropical drink Vanessa insisted we all had to try. Olivia’s hair is up in her signature messy bun and she’s grinning at me.
One of the things I love about when she wears her hair like that?
It’s when she shakes it out and I get to run my fingers through it.
Oy. I’ve got it bad.
I move on from that picture to one of me, Mike, and Zayne surfing. We finally mastered it and in this picture we’re all out in the ocean, but I’m the only one standing on a board. We were showing off for the girls and I was thrilled that I didn’t wipe out immediately. The fact that Olivia could capture the moment fills me with pride.
I did that.
I surfed.
And rode a jet ski!
And learned to surf fish!
All in all, it was exactly the kind of vacation I wanted, plus the kind that I never imagined having.
When we first showed up at the beach house and the guys told me we were going to be there with Loren, Vanessa, Roxie, and Olivia, I seriously wanted to bail. It wasn’t what I signed on for, and I just thought it was going to be incredibly awkward.
But…that was primarily because of the connection with Olivia. I’ve hung out with the rest of them enough that it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but when they threw Olivia into the mix, I was certain it was going to be a disaster.
Boy, am I glad I was wrong.
