by Krista Lakes
“If anyone can win this game, it's you,” Elsie said, stepping close to Oliver.
I hope she's right, he thought. How embarrassing would it be to lose this in front of her?
“You get three balls to throw,” the attendant said, handing the balls to Oliver. “If you're able to knock them all down with just those balls, you can have the giant teddy bear. I'll tell you right now, though, it's harder than you think. Not one person has pulled it off today.”
Okay, I got this, Ollie thought, as he lined up to throw. I hope that kid wasn't right about the bottles being glued together.
The milk bottles were arranged into a giant pyramid and were a surprising distance away. Nothing he couldn't handle, but pretty far for a kid's game. Oliver figured it to be at least fifteen yards. Good pass for a first down.
“It's been a while since I've thrown a ball,” he said, glancing toward Elsie. “Don't judge me if I don't get this.”
“You'll get it,” she assured him. “I know you can.”
Ollie let out a slow breath and then threw the first ball. It rocketed out of his hand, careening toward the milk bottles. He was used to a throwing a football, though and the spin he put on it caused this ball to curve, crashing into the very top bottle. It fell off the stack, but the rest of the pyramid stayed put.
“Damn,” he whispered. Second down.
“It's okay, you've got two more tries,” Elsie said, encouragingly. “Hit the bottom of the stack.”
Ollie wound up and threw the second ball, this one took out the lower right of the pyramid, leaving just two bottles standing. He was understanding what the kid had said about it being nearly impossible. Here was Oliver, a professional quarterback, and even he was unable to get it as easily as he had hoped. He thought he could get them all down in the first ball, but that was clearly not the case.
Alright, he thought. One more ball. I'm not leaving here without that teddy bear.
He tossed the final ball, watching as it dropped down directly onto the remaining milk bottles. They split apart, flying in opposite directions and crashing to the ground. Elsie yelped in excitement and wrapped her arms around Ollie's neck, kissing his cheek.
“You did it!” she squealed.
“Wow, you actually did do it,” the attendant echoed, handing him the over-sized bear. “I've been here all day and I haven't seen anyone get close. You might have quite an arm on you.”
“It's all in the wrist,” Ollie said, with a wink. He then turned to Elsie, handing her the bear.
“Awww,” Elsie said, cuddling into it with a happy grin.
“It's as big as you are.” Oliver laughed, as he watched her wrap her arms around it.
“I know, I love it,” she said, giving it a squeeze. “Nobody has ever won me anything before. Thank you.”
He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him like that. It made him feel like the center of the world. It was better than lifting a trophy over his head, or at least pretty darn close. He felt like the MVP with her.
Oliver smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder. Then they just walked. They didn't run to any rides or sprint to the food, they just strolled next to each other enjoying themselves. The sounds and smells and their company was enough. It was all they needed. It was so simple, yet so perfect. Oliver couldn't have asked for a better date.
It's funny, a few months ago, I would have thought doing something like this would be dumb, he thought. I'd have called this a waste of time and probably said I'd rather be out at a club, getting drinks with my boys and any beautiful women who wanted to join. But now, all of that seems dumb. This county fair with Elsie is so much better than any of that.
Oliver knew that it wasn't really the fair he was enjoying, it was Elsie's company. Her smile, her laugh, her lighthearted sense of humor. That was what made the fair so much fun. They could have been anywhere and he would have been having a great time, as long as she was with him.
I think I could even enjoy myself at the DMV with her, he thought to himself with a chuckle.
The sun had dipped over the horizon and the air was beginning to cool. He considered suggesting to Elsie about going on some more rides or maybe getting a funnel cake or two, but what he really wanted was to spend some alone time with her.
The fair was fun, but the constant onslaught of people approaching the two of them had become just too much to handle. It was either somebody coming up to say that he looked an awful lot like Oliver Lance, or it was someone who knew Elsie and wanted to say hi. Either way, it seemed like the only time they had gotten a chance to breathe was when they were on the Ferris wheel.
“So, want to check out any more rides?” Oliver asked, hoping she was ready to be alone with him too.
“No, not really.” Her response was music to his ears. “To be honest, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe get some take out Chinese or something. I'm starving for food with at least a little bit of nutrition. We could eat at my place.”
“Chinese?” he repeated, his own stomach rumbling in response to the word.
“I mean, you're probably used to going to fancy restaurants and clubs, but there aren't any around here, and-”
“Chinese sounds perfect,” he interrupted her. He loved that she relaxed into a big smile. “But you do remember that we drove a tractor here, right? You don't think they'll mind if we park in front of the restaurant in the John Deere?”
Elsie leaned her head against Ollie's shoulder, as they made their way toward the parking lot and the tractor they rode in on. “You have to remember just how small of a town this is. I doubt it will be the first time a tractor has pulled up into the Chinese restaurant's parking lot.”
“It's settled then,” Ollie said, as he helped Elsie and her bear onto the seat of the tractor, before sliding in himself.
He started up the engine and pointed the tractor back toward town. More than a few people turned their heads to watch as the Oliver Lance look-a-like, a town's physical therapist and a giant pink teddy bear pulled out of the parking lot on a John Deere tractor. Oliver knew it would be a story that many of the town's people would enjoy chatting about for the next few weeks.
Chapter 16
Elsie
Elsie smiled from ear to ear as she unlocked her front door. Oliver was next to her, his arms overflowing with takeout boxes from the Chinese restaurant. The smell of sesame chicken and fried rice filled her nostrils, making her stomach rumble.
“I still can't believe the expression on the restaurant owner's faces when they saw us pull up in the tractor,” Elsie said, as she stepped into her apartment and set her new teddy bear down on the chair near the front door. “They looked as us like we had come from another planet.”
“We definitely made an impression,” Oliver said. “They're probably still talking about it.”
“Sorry, my house is kind of a mess.” Elsie quickly picked up her living room area. “If you want, you can grab plates from the kitchen. We'll eat at that small table in the corner.”
“You got it,” Ollie said, kicking off his shoes and walking toward the kitchen.
Elsie couldn't remember the last time she had had company at her place that wasn't family. She wasn't used to having to keep things in order. As soon as she had picked up the living room, she went straight to her bedroom. The after-effects of her indecision on what to wear that evening was still there. Clothes were scattered on every possible surface.
Crap, she thought. It looks like a tornado came through here.
She had a couple of choices. She could either take the time to put everything back on the hangars and get it all organized, or she could do the quick option.
It's all going in the closet, she thought, picking up armfuls of clothes. She dropped them into a pile in the closet and repeated the process until everything was picked up. The mess was at least hidden now. It was good enough so that she wouldn't look like a total slob if Oliver saw her room, and she was really hoping that he would.
; “Sorry about that,” she said, stepping out of the bedroom and putting on a big smile.
Oliver was already seated at her small table in the corner of what she called her “dining room”. It was hardly a dining room, though. More like a few square feet of unusable space that was wedged between the living room and kitchen. It was just enough to fit her table and two chairs.
“No problem,” Ollie said, pushing his bangs off of his forehead. “Your place is great. I like it.”
“It's tiny,” Elsie said. “Someday I'll get a house.”
“It's small, but nice.” Ollie glanced around, then refocused his gaze onto Elsie. “Plus, it's close to where you work. Can't get much better than that.”
“Living above your business is a mixed blessing,” she said, taking a seat in the chair across from Ollie. “Sometimes it feels like I can never get away from work. It was actually really nice getting to treat you over the past few months. I got out of this building for a few hours.”
“I enjoyed it, too,” he said, as he put a plate in front of her. “It's been a nice little vacation. And I use the term 'vacation' lightly, since you put me through some of the hardest workouts of my entire life.”
“I'd say it paid off, though. We whipped you into shape.” Elsie smiled warmly, but her heart sank a little bit. She was going to miss those workouts and all of that time with him.
“You sure did,” he said, patting the top of his once-injured knee. “You fixed me and I was pretty sure I'd never be fixed. Thank you, Elsie. Seriously. I honestly don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for you.”
Elsie blushed at the compliment. “Just doing my job.”
“No, the attendants at the fair, they were just doing their jobs. Not you, though. It was more than that,” Ollie opened up the takeout boxes while he spoke. “You work miracles. Something about your touch and your passion for what you do. I hope that you see your work as more than just a job. Because what you did for me was nothing short of incredible.”
“You're making me blush,” Elsie said, sweeping her hair over her ear. “Don't stop.”
“You deserve it,” he said. “And also, you deserve some of this sesame chicken. It smells amazing.”
“It really does,” she agreed, as she put some of it on her plate. Her stomach grumbled and her mouth watered. Cotton candy was great, but it wasn't exactly filling.
She was about to take a bite, but Ollie stopped her. “Wait, hold on a second. We should do a toast. Do you have anything to drink?”
“Yes, a toast is in order.” Elsie nodded as she stood up from her chair. “I have some boxed wine in the fridge, but I think that's about it.”
“That will work,” he said. “But you sit down. Let me get it. I want to spoil you tonight.”
She smiled and stopped in her tracks. “Are you sure? I can get it.”
“Nonsense.” Ollie got up and led Elsie back to her seat. “You just relax and eat. I'll get the wine. This is supposed to be a date.”
She sat back down in front of her plate, watching as Oliver disappeared into the kitchen. Her heart ached with how much she was really starting to like the guy. The more she got to know him, the more she realized he was perfect for her. It wasn't just his good looks, though that definitely didn't hurt. It was the way he made her feel. Especially now that the whole patient/provider stigma was gone. Ollie treated her like a princess and made her feel like she was his whole world.
To think, this is only the first date we've been on, she thought. I can't imagine how great things could be if he didn't have to leave.
In a flash, Oliver was back. He had in his hands two wine glasses, filled with the best boxed wine money could buy. Which also turned out to be the most inexpensive wine that could be purchased at the corner store. He handed one of the glasses to Elsie and then took his seat. Holding his drink in the air, he paused and gazed into her eyes.
“What should we cheers to?” he asked.
How about... how freaking gorgeous you look when you're dressed up like a cowboy? She thought, quietly to herself.
“I don't know,” she replied. “Your recovery?”
Ollie nodded slowly. “Yeah, my recovery. But also, let's do a cheers to the car accident that brought me here.”
Elsie raised her eyebrows. “You want to toast to your car wreck?”
He shrugged. “Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to live my life without having to experience another one. But if it wasn't for that wreck, I wouldn't be sitting here right now with you. Seems to me like that's something worth praising.”
“I guess I never thought of it that way,” she said, as she slowly twirled the wine in her glass. “So how about this: here's to happy accidents, the kind that bring you some place that you'd never have expected. The kind that transform our lives for the better.”
Oliver stared into her eyes as she spoke, causing her to melt.
“I couldn't have said it better than that if I'd spent weeks rehearsing,” he said. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” Elsie lifted her glass and clinked it against his.
“This is the first sip of alcohol I've had in quite awhile,” Ollie said, after taking a drink of the wine. “In fact, the last drink I had was the night of the wreck, right before we left the club.”
Elsie drank some of hers and set the glass down. With a smile, she said, “They have boxed wine at the club? That must have been a fancy place you were partying at.”
Oliver laughed, seeming relieved by her joke. “Oh yeah, we only party at the best places. If they don't have boxed wine in the VIP section, we get the hell out of there.”
“A VIP section without boxed wine?” Elsie asked, playing along. “I can't imagine a place so barbaric.”
The two of them laughed and then began to eat their meals. There was a pleasant tension between them. Elsie could feel it in the air. There was a magnetic pull, drawing her toward the man across the table from her. It caused a tingling to shoot through her body, radiating from her core. It felt familiar. It was a similar sensation as the one she'd experienced when she'd given Oliver his back massage.
Maybe it was the sip of wine kicking in, or maybe it was the fact that they had the privacy of her apartment. Or, she thought, it could have simply been that the moment was finally right. But as she ate her meal, she couldn't stop thinking about how badly she wanted Oliver physically. And she knew that if it was going to happen between them, then this night would be the final chance.
“How's your food?” Ollie asked, interrupting her thoughts.
She swallowed her bite of sesame chicken, followed by another sip of red wine. “It's really good. Nothing is as good as the Thai chili pizza we had, though.”
“Agreed,” Ollie replied. “That pizza was amazing. I remember that night so well. It was the first time you came over that wasn't for therapy.”
“That was a strange evening for me,” she admitted. “It was the same night that I found out about my uncle's diagnosis.”
“How is he doing anyway?” Oliver asked.
“He's doing alright, given the circumstances,” Elsie said. “The doctors are trying to decide whether or not they should do surgery, or try chemo first and see if it shrinks the tumor. But, as is always the case with Uncle Frank, he's somehow in good spirits about the whole thing.”
“I wish him the best,” Ollie said. “I didn't get to meet him, but you've painted him as an amazing person.”
“Maybe you can meet him before you leave, if it works out.” Elsie swallowed another sip of her wine. It made her stomach feel warm and fuzzy, helping her to relax.
“I'm really going to miss you, Elsie,” Ollie said, setting down his fork. “It's kind of crazy how fast this time has flown by. I hope that we can stay in touch after I leave.”
“I hope so, too,” she said. “But I know you've got a pretty complicated life back home, so I understand if it doesn't happen. I'm well aware that most people don't live the simple, small-town life that I do.”
&n
bsp; Elsie fought back some tears. Every minute she spent with Ollie was another minute closer to him leaving. It was a double-edged sword. She wished she had some magic powers, something that could allow her to stop time and live in the moment forever. But forever wasn't an option. Not for anyone.
“Are you finished?” she asked, looking at his empty plate.
Ollie patted his belly. “Yes, I'm stuffed.”
He stood up and cleared the table, while Elsie finished her wine.
I could seriously get used to having a man around the house, she joked to herself. I feel so spoiled right now.
“What do you want to do next?” she asked. “I can put some music on and we can pretend it's the club? As long as we turn it down by ten, the neighbors won't mind.”
Oliver popped back into the living room. “How about we just relax on the couch for a minute and decide? I'd be up for watching a movie here. Just something simple. I don't really care what we do, I just want to spend the time with you.”
“That sounds great,” Elsie said, standing up from her chair.
They walked over to the couch and sat down. Oliver scooted close and placed a hand on top of her knee, while Elsie grabbed the remote and clicked on the TV, turning it to a movie channel. She didn't recognize the movie that was on, but didn't really care. It was really just background noise. Her body was on fire, burning with three months of subdued passion. That was all she could focus on.
This is likely our last night ever, she thought. I'm not usually a one-night stand kind of girl, but this is different. It's our only chance to be together. I'd kick myself if I didn't express my true feelings.
“Ollie,” Elsie said, turning to face him. “Kiss me.”
Her words fell out of her mouth in one desperate exhale. Oliver turned and brought his lips to hers. No hesitation. Not any more. She moaned softly as their tongues danced. Elsie slowly crawled over the top of him, straddling him, without breaking their kiss. His hands gripped the outside of her thighs as he pulled her firmly over his lap. In an instant, she became wet with desire.