Content to Just Be - Chapter 5
Elliot pulls up in from of the apartment complex that Alex lives in. Olivia gets out, thanks Elliot and heads to the door. Olivia hits the buzzer for Alex’s apartment.
“Liv, is that you?”
“Yeah, hon. Lemme up!”
“Haha, fine. Have patience, my friend.”
Alex hits the buzzer and Olivia pushes the door open. She makes her way to the elevator and hits the button for the 5th floor. Olivia taps her fingers on the side of her leg as she rides the elevator towards Alex’s apartment. She steps out of the elevator and walks down the hallway towards the familiar brown door. She knocks lightly.
“It’s open!” Olivia hears from the inside. She walks in, hanging her coat on the rack by the door. She wanders through the apartment looking for a certain blonde haired, blue eyed ADA. Olivia enters the guest room-turned office adjacent to Alex’s bedroom. She sees Alex sitting behind the desk furiously typing on her computer, the glasses of justice perched on the bridge of her nose. She smiles, “hey cutie, you ever lock your door?”
Alex grins and walks over to give Olivia a kiss. “I knew you were coming up, so I left it open for you.”
“Can I cook you dinner tonight? Do you have anything in your fridge I can use? Cause the last time I was here it was left-over takeout and bottled water and I know you haven’t eaten yet,” Olivia asks. Alex punches her playfully in the arm and replies, “yeah, you big goof. I just went to the supermarket today, so you have plenty with which to work your magic.”
“Fantastic. I might have to run out to pick up a few extra things, but let’s go see the damage your superior shopping skills have done to your kitchen.”
“Liv! So not funny! I have good shopping skills!”
“Yeah, in a mall,” Liv says and then dodges a punch that Alex throws at her and then runs into the kitchen. Alex follows and arrives just in time to see Olivia duck down behind the counter. Alex manages to sneak around the counter to where Olivia is crouching down. Just before Alex reaches her, Liv turns around and tackles her to the floor. Liv has the advantage, being the one who pulled Alex down, and starts mercilessly tickling Alex.
“Liv, Liv, stop. Stop,” Alex manages to squeak out in between giggling madly. “Liv, seriously. I can’t breathe!”
“Okay, okay, you win. For now!”
“Now, lemme up so I can help you cook dinner.”
“No. I want you to sit at the counter and relax. You shouldn’t be working at home. Home is for relaxing.”
Alex suddenly decides to glance at her watch. “Liv! It’s eleven pm already? Last thing I knew I was securing a warrant for Munch and Fin.”
“Um, yeah. I knew you would get caught up in work, so I decided I was making dinner. I haven’t eaten yet either. I’ve been looking at the details of Mark Castillo’s life for the past three hours.”
“You know me too well. So what are we having for this untraditionally late dinner?”
Olivia takes a look at the contents of Alex’s refrigerator. She sees everything she needs for the perfect dinner. She begins pulling ingredients out. Alex just sits and watches as bell peppers, chicken breasts, Swiss cheese, ham, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots, potatoes, butter, brown sugar, rosemary, Caesar dressing, honey mustard, and some cutlery end up on the kitchen table.
“So I was thinking that maybe we could go out Saturday night. I’ll pick you up here if you’re free…” Liv trails off.
“That sounds great, baby. Where’d you have in mind?”
“Well, I actually planned something, but it’s a secret for now. Trust me?”
“I’d trust you with my life, Liv,” Alex replies with a completely serious look on her face.
Liv smiled softly and says, “Wear something nice. Maybe not as nice as something you’d wear to one of your mother’s functions, but dressier than casual.”
Liv continues washing the vegetables in the sink. She cuts the chicken almost in half, but not quite all the way through and places the cheese and ham in between the two halves. She adds a light coating of mustard on top. She places the chicken in a pan and pops in the already heated oven and sets the timer for 30 minutes. She starts in on peeling the potatoes. Alex was just content to watch her cook. “You know you are really gorgeous when you cook?”
Liv smiles sheepishly and shrugs. She begins dicing the potatoes and placing them on a tray. She sprinkles rosemary on top and pops them into the oven with the chicken.
“What are you making?” Alex inquires.
“Well, I was gonna surprise you, but since you’re watching me cook, cause that’s the only way I know you aren’t gonna go back to work, I’ll tell you. I’m making chicken cordon bleu, roasted potatoes, Caesar salad, brown sugar carrots, and I have yet to pick the wine. Actually, you wanna do that? You have great taste in wine.”
“Ohhhh yumm. That sounds amazing. Yeah, lemme see what I have in the way of wine and I’ll let you know,” Alex says as she gets up to investigate.
“And I better not catch you working!” Liv whips a dish towel in her direction.
“Count on it!” Alex playfully calls back.
Liv turns her attention back to her task at hand. She starts the water for the carrots and tosses the salad. Then she turns to melt the butter and mix it with brown sugar. The timer goes off for the potatoes and she pulls them out with an oven mitt. She checks the times for the chicken and sees it has about 15 minutes left on it. As she starts the carrots, Alex returns with a bottle of wine. “Oh, Liv. That smells heavenly,” Alex breathes.
“Good. I’m glad. I just hope it tastes as good as it smells.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will.”
Liv returns her attention to her carrots. She pops the potatoes back in the oven for a few minutes so they stay warm. When the timer goes off for the chicken, she pulls that and the potatoes out. Alex hands her two plates and Liv dishes up. They carry their food and glasses of wine into the dining room. They sit across from one another and dig in.
“Oh. My. God. Liv, this is so good. Seriously, this is one of the best meals I’ve ever had,” Alex states sincerely.
“Thanks,” replies Liv quietly, not used to the praise.
They finish up their dinner with light banter back and forth. After they’d rinsed their dishes and put them in the dishwasher, they make their way to the sofa and flip on the TV. Alex snuggles into Liv and sighs contentedly. “Do you have to go to work tomorrow or can we just stay like this forever?” Alex looks up at Liv and sees that she is lost in thought.
“Liv? Earth to Liiiivvv…”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. What’d you say?”
“Hon, what’s on your mind? Something’s bugging you.”
“Oh, it’s just this case. There’s something I’m missing. I’m sure of it...”
Alex can tell she's avoiding something, but lets it slide. Alex knows Liv will open up to her in time. She just hopes it’s sooner rather than later. She yawns widely.
“Come on, Alex. Let’s get to bed. It’s late and we both have to work in the morning.”
Much like the previous night, they snuggle up together in bed and quickly find sleep. The last thought running through Liv’s mind is one of worry and anticipation for what she plans on asking Alex on Saturday.
“Liv, is that you?”
“Yeah, hon. Lemme up!”
“Haha, fine. Have patience, my friend.”
Alex hits the buzzer and Olivia pushes the door open. She makes her way to the elevator and hits the button for the 5th floor. Olivia taps her fingers on the side of her leg as she rides the elevator towards Alex’s apartment. She steps out of the elevator and walks down the hallway towards the familiar brown door. She knocks lightly.
“It’s open!” Olivia hears from the inside. She walks in, hanging her coat on the rack by the door. She wanders through the apartment looking for a certain blonde haired, blue eyed ADA. Olivia enters the guest room-turned office adjacent to Alex’s bedroom. She sees Alex sitting behind the desk furiously typing on her computer, the glasses of justice perched on the bridge of her nose. She smiles, “hey cutie, you ever lock your door?”
Alex grins and walks over to give Olivia a kiss. “I knew you were coming up, so I left it open for you.”
“Can I cook you dinner tonight? Do you have anything in your fridge I can use? Cause the last time I was here it was left-over takeout and bottled water and I know you haven’t eaten yet,” Olivia asks. Alex punches her playfully in the arm and replies, “yeah, you big goof. I just went to the supermarket today, so you have plenty with which to work your magic.”
“Fantastic. I might have to run out to pick up a few extra things, but let’s go see the damage your superior shopping skills have done to your kitchen.”
“Liv! So not funny! I have good shopping skills!”
“Yeah, in a mall,” Liv says and then dodges a punch that Alex throws at her and then runs into the kitchen. Alex follows and arrives just in time to see Olivia duck down behind the counter. Alex manages to sneak around the counter to where Olivia is crouching down. Just before Alex reaches her, Liv turns around and tackles her to the floor. Liv has the advantage, being the one who pulled Alex down, and starts mercilessly tickling Alex.
“Liv, Liv, stop. Stop,” Alex manages to squeak out in between giggling madly. “Liv, seriously. I can’t breathe!”
“Okay, okay, you win. For now!”
“Now, lemme up so I can help you cook dinner.”
“No. I want you to sit at the counter and relax. You shouldn’t be working at home. Home is for relaxing.”
Alex suddenly decides to glance at her watch. “Liv! It’s eleven pm already? Last thing I knew I was securing a warrant for Munch and Fin.”
“Um, yeah. I knew you would get caught up in work, so I decided I was making dinner. I haven’t eaten yet either. I’ve been looking at the details of Mark Castillo’s life for the past three hours.”
“You know me too well. So what are we having for this untraditionally late dinner?”
Olivia takes a look at the contents of Alex’s refrigerator. She sees everything she needs for the perfect dinner. She begins pulling ingredients out. Alex just sits and watches as bell peppers, chicken breasts, Swiss cheese, ham, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots, potatoes, butter, brown sugar, rosemary, Caesar dressing, honey mustard, and some cutlery end up on the kitchen table.
“So I was thinking that maybe we could go out Saturday night. I’ll pick you up here if you’re free…” Liv trails off.
“That sounds great, baby. Where’d you have in mind?”
“Well, I actually planned something, but it’s a secret for now. Trust me?”
“I’d trust you with my life, Liv,” Alex replies with a completely serious look on her face.
Liv smiled softly and says, “Wear something nice. Maybe not as nice as something you’d wear to one of your mother’s functions, but dressier than casual.”
Liv continues washing the vegetables in the sink. She cuts the chicken almost in half, but not quite all the way through and places the cheese and ham in between the two halves. She adds a light coating of mustard on top. She places the chicken in a pan and pops in the already heated oven and sets the timer for 30 minutes. She starts in on peeling the potatoes. Alex was just content to watch her cook. “You know you are really gorgeous when you cook?”
Liv smiles sheepishly and shrugs. She begins dicing the potatoes and placing them on a tray. She sprinkles rosemary on top and pops them into the oven with the chicken.
“What are you making?” Alex inquires.
“Well, I was gonna surprise you, but since you’re watching me cook, cause that’s the only way I know you aren’t gonna go back to work, I’ll tell you. I’m making chicken cordon bleu, roasted potatoes, Caesar salad, brown sugar carrots, and I have yet to pick the wine. Actually, you wanna do that? You have great taste in wine.”
“Ohhhh yumm. That sounds amazing. Yeah, lemme see what I have in the way of wine and I’ll let you know,” Alex says as she gets up to investigate.
“And I better not catch you working!” Liv whips a dish towel in her direction.
“Count on it!” Alex playfully calls back.
Liv turns her attention back to her task at hand. She starts the water for the carrots and tosses the salad. Then she turns to melt the butter and mix it with brown sugar. The timer goes off for the potatoes and she pulls them out with an oven mitt. She checks the times for the chicken and sees it has about 15 minutes left on it. As she starts the carrots, Alex returns with a bottle of wine. “Oh, Liv. That smells heavenly,” Alex breathes.
“Good. I’m glad. I just hope it tastes as good as it smells.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will.”
Liv returns her attention to her carrots. She pops the potatoes back in the oven for a few minutes so they stay warm. When the timer goes off for the chicken, she pulls that and the potatoes out. Alex hands her two plates and Liv dishes up. They carry their food and glasses of wine into the dining room. They sit across from one another and dig in.
“Oh. My. God. Liv, this is so good. Seriously, this is one of the best meals I’ve ever had,” Alex states sincerely.
“Thanks,” replies Liv quietly, not used to the praise.
They finish up their dinner with light banter back and forth. After they’d rinsed their dishes and put them in the dishwasher, they make their way to the sofa and flip on the TV. Alex snuggles into Liv and sighs contentedly. “Do you have to go to work tomorrow or can we just stay like this forever?” Alex looks up at Liv and sees that she is lost in thought.
“Liv? Earth to Liiiivvv…”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. What’d you say?”
“Hon, what’s on your mind? Something’s bugging you.”
“Oh, it’s just this case. There’s something I’m missing. I’m sure of it...”
Alex can tell she's avoiding something, but lets it slide. Alex knows Liv will open up to her in time. She just hopes it’s sooner rather than later. She yawns widely.
“Come on, Alex. Let’s get to bed. It’s late and we both have to work in the morning.”
Much like the previous night, they snuggle up together in bed and quickly find sleep. The last thought running through Liv’s mind is one of worry and anticipation for what she plans on asking Alex on Saturday.