Mistaken Identity

by Breah Elise

  “I’m sure. It’s time.”

  They worked together to load up what they needed into the catering van. “We’re making field green salads, bruschetta, and penne a la vodka with shrimp, fresh spinach and fresh mozzarella and I’ve got assorted flavors of cheesecake for dessert.”

  “Sounds decadent,” Olivia observed.

  “The client picked the menu. He’s a single guy and once a month he hosts a family dinner. Normally they just do take out but he heard about us and wanted to step up his game a little.”

  “Lucky us!”

  Soon they were on their way and when Tina pulled up to a large townhouse located in one of the most exclusive areas in Raleigh, Olivia found herself to be impressed. There was a golf course out front and a large lake in the back. “This is absolutely stunning. I can’t believe that some people actually get to live like this!”

  “I’ll admit that I’m a wee-bit jealous,” Tina said as she pulled into the driveway. “He gave me a key so that we could go in and get set up before he got home from work.” She looked at the clock and saw it was near six. “They’re all supposed to be here for seven so we’ve got an hour to prep and set up.”

  “That’s more than enough time. You said it’s only for four, right?” Tina nodded. “Seems kind of silly to hire a server for such a small group but I guess he’s trying to impress.”

  “I don’t really care about his reasoning; he’s paying us a fortune and I for one, am glad.”

  Within minutes they were inside and in action. Tina was getting the food set up and prepped while Olivia set the dining room table. The floor plan was beautiful – it was wide open with hard wood floors and the entire back of the house was nothing but a two story wall of windows. The sun was setting on the lake and the view was breathtaking.

  The dining room was set apart from the kitchen area with a swinging door dividing the spaces. Olivia knew this would be beneficial to keep them separate and from intruding on the family’s time together.

  She was done with her portion of the set up and had joined Tina back in the kitchen and was assembling the salad plates when they heard someone walking toward them. “Show time,” she smiled at Tina and that smile fell from her face when she turned and saw David walking toward her.

  She shot a look of anger at Tina. “What did you do?” she hissed.

  David chose to ignore the tension and came over and hugged her and then hugged Tina. “Welcome, ladies. Thank you for being willing to help me out on such short notice.”

  “Our pleasure, David,” Tina gushed and Olivia wanted to scream. “Everything’s just about ready so let me know when you want us to start serving.”

  “Actually, we’re having some drinks in the living room so in about fifteen minutes, you can bring out the salads and the bruschetta and we’ll get started.” He turned and left the kitchen and Olivia counted to five before turning on her friend.

  “How could you do this to me? You totally set me up!”

  “Oh, please,” Tina dismissed. “How did I set you up?”

  “You got me all pampered and relaxed and then brought me here to where I’d have no choice but to see Daniel! What is wrong with you? How could you do this to me?”

  “I didn’t do this to you, Liv; I did it for you. It’s time to move on. David approached me about doing this dinner, he was willing to pay us a lot of money to do it and so I took the job. We’re a new business and basically, beggars can’t be choosers.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Olivia said hotly. “We are not that desperate that you should have to sell out your best friend for the sake of a client.”

  Tina put the spoon down that she was using and crossed her arms. “I didn’t sell you out; what you and Daniel had is over. You said it and his silence surely said it. It’s time to move on. It’s one night and a short one at that. Surely you can stand to see him for two freakin hours.”

  “You’re making me serve him as the hired help; it’s hardly a victory on my part.”

  “It’s time to grow up, Liv. This isn’t a game; there isn’t a winner or a loser in this. You had a relationship and it ended. Now I’m sorry to sound like a bitch but there it is. We’re here, we can’t leave and I need you to put on your hot pink big girl panties and do what needs to be done.”

  There were no words to describe all of her inner turmoil. Olivia couldn’t remember ever feeling so betrayed. “Fine,” she said stiffly. “I’ll do what has to be done but I want you to know that I think that you are royally fucked up.”

  “I can live with that,” Tina said without a hint of a care.

  Minutes later Olivia was carrying a tray with the salads on it out into the dining room. “Olivia!” David’s father cried when he saw her. “It’s wonderful to see you! David said he had a surprise for us but didn’t say it was you! How are you my dear?” He stood up and waited for her to place the tray down before coming over to hug her. Olivia had always had a wonderful relationship with the elder Slade and it did her heart good to see him.

  Soon his wife Judith was up and hugging her and it helped keep Olivia from focusing on Daniel sitting at the opposite end of the table, glaring at her. When everyone was seated she served their salads and then excused herself to go and grab the bruschetta. She shot Tina a dirty look when she grabbed the platter and then plastered a serene smile back on her face as she entered the dining room.

  Placing the platter in the center of the table she turned to leave when David stopped her. He reached out and grabbed her hand and pulled her close and then put an arm around her waist from where he sat.

  “I was just telling my parents about how well the business is doing and mom thought it would be great to book you now for all of the holiday parties,” he said, his grip firm around her waist, his hand gently caressing her hip.

  Olivia didn’t want to be rude but she clearly did not want to have his hands on her – and not just because Daniel was in the room. Carefully, she stepped from his embrace and told Judith to call her the following week so that they could set up an appointment to discuss what she had in mind. Olivia excused herself and went back into the kitchen.

  “You are serving dinner,” she hissed at Tina.

  “What? Why?”

  “I am not going back in there. David is acting all weird and he keeps touching me and it’s freaking me out!”

  “David is? Really?” she asked. “Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Have you had some sort of head trauma that I don’t know about?” Olivia asked.

  “Who has head trauma?” David asked, walking toward them, empty plate in hand.

  “No one,” Olivia mumbled and then groaned inwardly when David put his plate down and came to stand beside her, his arm instantly snaking around her waist.

  “Everything is wonderful so far, ladies,” he said. “I just wanted to come in and see if we could have a little bit of a break between the appetizer and the main course.”

  “Certainly,” Tina said. “That won’t be a problem at all. I haven’t put the pasta on yet. I’ll wait fifteen minutes and then do it so we’ll plan on dinner in thirty. Will that work?”

  David agreed and Olivia hoped that he would leave, but he didn’t. Instead he stayed close and talked to Tina about a corporate lunch he was hosting the following week, all the while keeping Olivia close. She did her best to move away but he kept pulling her back until finally she heard the door slam open.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Daniel barked.

  David let go of Olivia and turned. “What are you talking about? I’m talking to Tina and Olivia about the luncheon for next week.”

  “And you feel the need to maul Olivia while you’re doing that?” he snarled.

  David rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t mauling her,” he said.

  “Like hell you weren’t,” Daniel snapped and began to stalk toward his brother. “You haven’t kept your hands off of her all night.”

  “She doesn’t seem to mind,” David said
lightly and Olivia gasped with outrage.

  Daniel looked to Olivia for confirmation but noticed the distress on her face. “Every time you touched her she tried to move away and you wouldn’t let go.”

  “I don’t see what business it is of yours. Right now, she’s just a friend and the hired help who I’m talking to about future work. If you have a problem with it, then deal with it.”

  Olivia looked around for something to stab David in the face with to make him stop talking. She had never been more offended and could not believe that this was a man that she had not only crushed on but had admired. He was a royal prick and she really wouldn’t care if she never saw him again.

  She was just about to say something to that effect when he reached out and put his arm around her again and resumed their conversation about the luncheon. Olivia roughly stepped from his grasp. “That’s enough, David,” she said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said that’s enough. I don’t know what’s going on here but I’ve had enough. I don’t want you touching me so basically, yes; I do mind you manhandling me. And if I was really your friend, you would never have referred to me as the hired help.” Tina made to interrupt her but Olivia held up a hand to silence her. “We are here to do a job for you and believe me, I would like nothing more than to tell you to take your dinner and shove it up your ass. But I’m a professional and I’ll finish what we came here for but from this point on, I’d appreciate it if you hired someone else for any of your catering needs.”

  Without looking back, Olivia stalked from the kitchen and out the back door and out onto the deck overlooking the lake. Her heart was racing and she knew that she was going to have to answer to Tina for costing them what could have been a potentially huge account but right now she didn’t care.

  Olivia had no idea how long she stayed out there staring at the water but when she finally went back inside, the kitchen was spotless and Tina was packing up. “Is dinner over already?”

  “Pretty much,” Tina said but there wasn’t a hint of animosity in her voice. “I’m just going to load these things into the van and then we’re good to go. If you don’t mind, please just wipe down the counters. I’ll meet you outside.”

  Olivia agreed and when she was done with task, she found her purse and was heading toward the swinging door to the dining room when Daniel walked in. Her breath caught in her throat; she had hoped to avoid seeing anyone and to just simply escape. With as much dignity as she could muster, she faced him and said, “I’m sorry for my outburst and for ruining your family’s dinner.”

  Hands in his pockets, he simply looked at her with a small smile and replied, “You didn’t ruin anything. Dinner with my family is never without its share of drama.”

  “Oh, well…” she cleared her throat. “I just feel bad for your parents. I didn’t mean to make a scene in front of them.”

  “They’re fine, Liv. Really, it’s no big deal.”

  “Okay, well, good night, Daniel.”

  “How are you getting home?” he asked.

  “I drove here with Tina.”

  “Tina just left.”

  “What?” she cried. This night just kept getting worse and worse. When she finally got caught up with Tina she was going to strangle her. “Are you kidding me?” When Daniel shook his head she cursed under her breath. “Well, I guess I’m calling a cab.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’ll get you home.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I’d really rather call a cab.”

  “Liv,” he said, exasperation lacing his voice. “Look, I told Tina to go. It was my idea.”

  “Why? Why would you do that? I don’t want to be here; I certainly don’t want to see your brother again.”

  “He went home, too.”

  “Home?” she asked, confused. “Isn’t this his home?”

  “No,” he said, “I live here.” And then it hit him; he’d never invited her to his home, or into his world. In their time together it had been about seeing her on his terms, when he wanted and that meant showing up when he felt like it and leaving when he was done. The reality of it hit him hard.

  He spent so much time being envious of David for so many things and when he finally had the one thing that David didn’t, he didn’t appreciate it; he didn’t cherish it. He’d simply been too insecure to take hold with both hands and not let go.

  Olivia.

  She stared at him, eyes wide. “This is your house?” Daniel nodded. “Why? Why would you tell Tina to leave?”

  “Because I needed to see you alone, Liv.”

  All of the fight went out of her. She’d missed him too much and if all he was willing to give her was his body then she’d learn to be okay with it. Olivia dropped her purse to the floor and then walked back into the center of the kitchen and then turned and faced him again. “Okay,” she said and took her apron off.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I get it,” she said, placing the apron on the counter top and then reaching for the buttons on her blouse. “I’m taking you up on your offer.”

  “What offer?” he asked and then all words dried up in his throat when she peeled back her blouse and revealed the skimpy hot pink bra.

  “The last time we were together you wanted us to go back in time, to before our argument and to just have sex. I should have just agreed with you back then and saved us the time apart.” Her blouse followed the path of the apron and she stood before him in nothing but the racy bra, tight black skirt and heels.

  “I’m guessing that you sent everyone home because you want the same thing; I’m not going to fight with you,” she said, reaching behind her to unzip the skirt and let it fall to the floor. “I’m just putting us back to that moment.” Olivia hopped up on the cool granite counter top and waited.

  She didn’t wait long. Soon Daniel was standing between her legs and ravaging her mouth with his. “That isn’t why I…” he began but Olivia cut off his words.

  “No talking, remember? We said no talking.” She stroked his tongue with her own and wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him in for closer contact. She felt his thickening erection and knew that she was in no mood for foreplay. She needed him. Now.

  Reaching between them, she undid his belt and the button on his pants and did her best to push them out of the way.

  “Liv,” he whispered and was about to say more when she wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed.

  “Sshh…” she said and released him long enough to move the crotch of her panties aside, exposing herself to him. “Now, Daniel,” she panted. “Take me now.” She knew what those words would do to him and when he pushed forward and thrust inside until he was buried to the hilt she cried out with joy. “Yes,” she sighed. This was what she had been missing; this was what she had been dreaming about.

  He may not love her; hell, he may still not even like her but his body wanted hers and Olivia was prepared to let that be enough. As long as he could bring her this much pleasure, she’d be more than willing to let him use her.

  Daniel pumped into her furiously. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he panted.

  “Shut up,” she hissed. “Just fuck me.” He didn’t wait for her to come; he simply let himself do it and filled her.

  There’d been no time for a condom and when his brain finally engaged to that fact, he pulled back and looked her in the face. She knew what he was thinking. “I don’t care,” she said softly.

  Without breaking contact, Daniel kicked off his shoes and socks and then his pants and boxers. Wrapping Olivia’s legs more securely around his waist, he lifted her and took her to his bedroom.

  With an ample supply of condoms, he made up for lost time.

  Chapter Nine

  Olivia woke with a start. She was tired and disoriented and it took a moment for her to realize where she was. She spotted the digital clock on the bedside table and saw that it was after eight in the morning and that there was a man pressed s
nuggly against her back.

  They had spent the entire night together.

  They had only done that one other time before and that was at the beach. Knowing that Daniel didn’t like the whole night scenario, she went to rise from the bed in hopes of getting dressed and calling a cab before he woke. At her first move away from him Daniel’s arm banded around her, pulling her fully against his naked body.

  “Going somewhere?”

  Olivia was nervous. She couldn’t read his tone. Was he angry that she was still there? They had made love countless times throughout the night. With the lights off. Not once did he make a demand that had to do with who he was and Olivia had orgasmed more than she thought humanly possible.

  With his hands, his mouth and his cock, he had pleasured her until she’d wept. Never in her life had she thought it possible to feel so much with one person but with Daniel, it was everything.

  “I was um…going to get up and call a cab. I didn’t want to wake you,” she said softly.

  He turned her over so that she was facing him. “Why?”

  “Well, it’s morning and well…you never stay until morning so I just assumed…”

  “Don’t assume, Liv. You’re here because I want you here. I didn’t expect you to leave in the middle of the night and I certainly don’t expect you to sneak out now.”

  “I just thought…”

  Daniel settled more comfortably against the pillows and pulled her in tight next to him and simply sighed with how right it felt. “I think it’s time you and I talked.”

  “Okay.”

  “I missed you,” he said simply. “Everything you said to me that night at your place was right. I was scared to let go of the anger and the animosity I felt. It was what I was used to; it made me feel safe and in control. We started out in a very unconventional way, Liv, but I want you to know that I’m not sorry about it. I want you; I’ve always wanted you and it pissed me off that you were always so indifferent to me.”

  “I misjudged you and for that I’m sorry,” she said and placed a gentle kiss on his chest.