Chapter 40

Chapter Rating: PG for swearing

Olivia went over the ritual 'Shopping Trip Essentials' list with her daughter as an amused Natalia looked on.


"Purses?"

"Check," Emma answered.

"Comfy shoes?"

"Wearin' them."

"List of things you want to bring back to your best friends?"

"It's in my purse."

Olivia turned to Natalia. "If we don't keep a list, the chances of us visiting every single store in the mall rises significantly."

Natalia smiled.

"Mommy, do you have your credit card, too?" Emma asked eagerly.

"Or, as you mistakenly like to refer to it, 'Mommy's free money card'? Yes, honey, I never leave home without it."

Olivia looked around and clasped her hands together. "Okay. Cell phones on vibrate?"

"Believe it or not, I turned mine off," Natalia stated.

Olivia looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Wow! Brave."

"Well, I figure if there's any emergency at the hotel, Jacques can handle it... I mean, seeing as how he no longer trusts me anyways."

The older woman gave her a sideways glance as she retrieved her purse and moved them all towards the doorway. "I guess that's what you get for trying to be a one-person navigator of a multi-billion dollar ship for a day, huh?"

Natalia bit her cheek and stepped through the opened door. "Let's not go there, shall we?" She warned with a smile.

Olivia smirked. "Now all we need to do is call for a driver."

Emma raced down the hallway towards the elevator. Natalia took her keys out of her purse. "I thought I would chauffeur us around today."

"You drive?"

"Just because I don't have to drive myself, doesn't mean I don't like to do it every once in a while." Natalia caught the look in the other woman's eyes. "And don't you dare steer that into a PG-15 rated direction," she added.

"You make it so easy though."

Natalia snorted. "It's not that I make it easy. It's that you're such a pervert."

Olivia's jaw dropped and she gasped in mock surprise. "You say that as if you know me?"

"Let's just say that it's a very well educated guess." Natalia smiled and the two women turned to walk slowly down the corridor.

"Speaking of you being a 'Know-It-All'... There's only one rule for this trip," Olivia said.

"Sweet Jesus! Are you serious?"

"Hey! Our friendship is at a very vulnerable stage at the moment, and we need to both actively cultivate it while safeguarding it from our usual pitfalls."

Natalia stopped walking and was silent for a few moments before she looked at Olivia with a seemingly serious expression. "So do you schedule all of your meetings around Dr. Phil? Or do you TiVo it so that you don't ever have to worry about missing out on all the action?"

Olivia rolled her eyes and continued walking. "Whatever. Do you want to continue being friends, or not?"

"Ah, yes," Natalia chuckled. "Friends who give each other roses and who randomly want to make-out with each other?" Natalia did laugh at this. "Of course. Who wouldn't want a friendship like that?!" she joked.

Olivia wasn't going to give in to her. "You want to make-out with me?" She laughed at Natalia's expression. "Naughty!"

"You're an ass," Natalia shot back and then sighed. "You said something about a rule? What'ya got... lay it on me."

"And you say I'm the pervert." After being given a gentle swat on the arm, Olivia continued, "Okay. The rule is that no matter what we do today, or what we talk about... just loosen up. Have fun."

"That's it? That is your one rule that is going to save our 'friendship'?" Natalia asked incredulously. "I maintain that I am a very fun person!"

"Uh-huh. Believe it when I see it."

The elevator reached the floor and opened. Olivia motioned for them all to get in.

"Alright. Pack 'em up and move 'em out."

"God. Country girls are so hot," Natalia muttered under her breath.

The doors closed.

"Shut it Rivera."

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The drive to the shopping district took approximately fifteen minutes but, to an excited little girl with a shopping list and the knowledge that several toy stores were about to be visited, those minutes seemed to drag on endlessly. Emma spent the time sitting in the middle of the backseat listening to her mother banter with the driver. She heard her mom make a comment about Natalia's driving, but from the silly grin on her face she knew it was only meant to be a joke. Natalia responded by turning to the girl and telling her that, as long as she was in the car with the them, they had nothing to worry about, but that if it were just the two adults, she couldn't guarantee the same safe results. She watched as her mom laughed at this and, although Emma really didn't know what was so funny, she looked at the side profiles of both women’s faces and giggled also.

Her mom looked happy. A different kind of happy than usual. It made Emma's smile grow even wider and, as she looked intently at the younger woman in the driver's seat, she felt an overwhelming urge to say 'thank you'. For what, though, the little girl was not entirely certain.

The car passed an underground parking spot at the mall that, according to her mother, had enough room to fit a 747 jet plane – an opinion that Natalia quite vocally disagreed with. Emma was sure then that Natalia had almost used a cuss word, and she immediately looked out the window, smiling as she guessed at what that word might have been but not wanting her mother to see that she found the whole thing to be quite hilarious. Having finally parked and unbuckled, the two women took one last shot at each other.

"Hey! I got us here safely, didn't I?", asked the younger woman in annoyance.

"Yes, I'll give you that," Olivia replied. "But, thank god you have your chauffeur's number on speed-dial. I may want to ask him to take us back. Don't want to push our luck in trying that again!"

The mall wasn't as densely populated as the adults had been dreading. The school year had ended long enough ago for the teenagers to have become bored with spending all of their free time hanging around in food courts. Much of the younger crowd had migrated to the beaches, movie theaters, skate parks, etc.

Perfect conditions for shopping with an eight-year-old, Olivia thought as they made their way to the escalators. She searched around for some suitable stores in which she herself could indulge in a bit of 'retail therapy', as she liked to call it, but didn't see any that might have what she was looking for.

Natalia noticed the disappointment on Olivia's face. "Not 'high-end' enough for you, huh?", she teased.

Olivia would have tried to argue, but it was actually a fact. "Yes, and no."

"Don't worry, I only know my way around here because I used to have to give information to our guests. I'll take you to some lovely stores next time you are here. You know... that is, if the Riveras haven't kicked you out of our hotel, or you and I haven't killed each other by the end of this day."

"Sounds wonderful," Olivia responded. "And not just the killing you part."

Thanks to the shopping list,  and with Natalia as their guide, the trio had made their way through all the stores they needed to stop at in a timely manner. There was, however, the occasional 'Pretty please, Mom?' and 'But I really need it!' that were aimed at breaking Olivia's resolve, but to no avail. Olivia had always maintained that although she was wealthy, this did not mean that her child had to be spoiled. Natalia noticed this and quietly respected the other woman for it. She could see that Emma had been taught to have a deep respect for the things she had been given. It was much like the way her parents had raised her and her brother.

When all the souvenirs and gifts had been purchased, Olivia suggested they go back to the hotel for a swim. This, of course, rejuvenated the tired youngster and inspired another fit of excited bouncing and giggles.

Quick glances had been shared between the women, though they individually had tried to do their best not to get caught looking at each other. They were having fun. They weren't having any arguments. They weren't trying to outdo the other in any way. They laughed and teased each other, and in a few instances when they were forced to brush past each other, they felt like teenagers on a first date. Both hoteliers knew that this afternoon's excursion was just what they needed in order to move forward. And although they still had a long road ahead of them in terms of resolving the issues between them, Natalia knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be today. Even with all of the tension at the hotel and with her father, she felt as if she hadn't a care in the world.

They arrived back to Olivia's suite, and the two women fell onto the couch, thankful for the comfort and relief it provided. Emma was sent into her room to organize which presents were going to be given to whom and to get ready to go down to the pool with her mom.

"That was fun." Natalia said lightly as she rested her head on the back of the couch.

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose and chuckled. "That was torture! Be honest. We spent the day walking around in nothing but toy stores and gifts shops that had nothing but palm trees and sunsets printed on everything they sold."

Natalia turned her body to face Olivia who was right beside her on the couch. "And, it was fun," she maintained.

Olivia turned also. They were now facing each other. Close. Olivia slowly reached out her hand to take Natalia's from her lap and brought it over to her own. Natalia didn't pull away but, instead, kept her gaze steady on Olivia's face. Olivia lightly ran her thumb back and forth over the smooth hand in hers. "So stay with me." Olivia said, suddenly aware of how the sentence sounded. "I mean stay with us... come to the pool with Em and I."

"I should go." Natalia said with little conviction. "I've avoided work all day."

"You turned your phone off and snuck in the side entrance. No one knows you are in the hotel. I doubt Jacques is doing the butterfly-stroke in the deep end of the pool right now, so you won't get caught 'playing hooky'." They both laughed and then shook their heads at the disturbing thought of Jacques wearing a bathing-suit.

"This has been great... spending time together without fighting. But like you said earlier, why push our luck? I really should go." The younger woman looked at the hand that held unto hers. Why am I protesting? I want to stay! she thought to herself, clearly confused about what to do.

Olivia moved closer and leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to almost a whisper. "No. You should stay with me," she said, bringing her other hand up to Natalia's cheek. When Natalia didn't say anything, Olivia leaned forward until their lips touched gently.

Another brief kiss and, yet, the women were once again both amazed at how, even in its simplicity, it could still speak volumes about their complex relationship. The simplest touch was intense. Natalia relaxed into the kiss and allowed Olivia to deepen it. The desire that had been lying just underneath the surface began to intensify. Before the kiss ended Olivia had wondered whether Natalia was going to push her away or pull back. It was a threat that loomed over them now. Olivia had learned to expect the worst and hope for nothing. But in this kiss, one that seemed to be the first 'real' kiss the two had shared despite all of their other encounters, she felt Natalia respond with more than just her lips. They withdrew from each other and neither said a word until Natalia broke the tension with a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Olivia asked.

"I just realized that the only reason you want me to go with you two so badly is so that you can have a legitimate excuse to stare at me in a bikini all afternoon."

Olivia threw her head back. "Ugh! Busted!" She laughed loudly. "But, since you've mentioned a bikini, you do know that you must tag along now."

Natalia looked towards Emma's door. "She's not going to wonder why I've spent the whole day with you?"

"She's smart. It won't take her long to figure it out. And it's okay, Natalia. She likes you."

Natalia sighed.

"Okay, let's not throw any more confusion into things right now. Her mother is asking a friend to come swimming with us. That is that. Life is grand. Now go get your skimpy little bikini on." Olivia tossed Natalia's hand back into its owners lap with a wink.

The brunette made her way to the door and watched Olivia head to her room to change. She was still unsure if spending so much time with Olivia was a good thing or not, but it felt good. If there was one thing Natalia did know it was that she really wanted to feel good.

It's time, she thought to herself as she made her way to her own suite.

She took off her shoes and reached inside her purse to grab her phone, not because she was curious as to what might be going on in the hotel right now, but just to call Sheila to let her know that she wouldn't be in the office. Almost as soon as she turned the cell phone back on, it started vibrating. She went to the kitchen cabinets to get a glass and brought it with her over to the fridge.

"What the fuck? Twelve missed calls and five text messages?! Jesus, people. Even God rested on the seventh day!"

She nudged open the fridge door with her elbow while she pressed the message button on her phone. Before her eyes had finished skimming the first line of the text, the door had slammed into the counter behind it, Natalia's face went ghostly white, and the glass slipped out of her hand and shattered into tiny pieces on the floor.