Leaning Into the Breeze

Olivia and Jack rose early the next morning to catch a 5:30 flight to New York. They kept their hands laced together the entire way there; not ever wanting to be separated.

Once at the airport, it seemed as though everyone was gaping at Olivia. She wrapped her arms around herself, self-consciously.

“Fuck,” Jack muttered, draping his arm over Olivia’s shoulders, “you’d think they’d have seen a smaller sized woman before.”

He quickly ushered himself and Olivia over to the gate. After going through customs, Olivia and Jack boarded the plane directed to New York.

Olivia slipped on a pair of ear-buds when she heard Jack’s breathing slow and deepen. She, as well, closed her eyes, enjoying the peaceful state that only listening to Jack’s Mannequin could take her to.

Olivia’s time on the plane and taxi drive to her mother’s apartment seemed to much together in a blur. She left her music on and let Jack seemingly guide her everywhere. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours; soon enough Olivia was standing, arm linked, with Jack at her mother’s door.

“What the hell am I doing here?” Olivia asked herself, thinking that Jack wouldn’t be able to hear her.

Clearly, though, she was wrong. “What do you mean? I’m sure you mother will be thrilled to see you! I mean, when was the last time you talked to her?”

“That’s my point, exactly.” Olivia rapped her knuckles on the white door before reaching down and tightly wrapping her hands around Jack’s.

“Don’t be nervous,” Jack lightly gave her ear a loving kiss and stroked her hair.

Olivia looked down at the floor and bit her lip as she heard the door starting to open.

“Olivia?” In front of Jack and Olivia stood a young looking, middle aged woman. She had long, blonde hair that was done up in a low, elegant bun at the nape of her neck. She had sparkling and intense blue eyes, a sharp nose and high cheekbones. She had a slim body; dressed in a flowy, white, long sleeved shirt and dark, slimming jeans. “Where have you been?” A normal mother, one would think, should be beyond euphoric to see their daughter after months of no contact. Olivia’s mother, however, had been hardened by busy New York socialite life, and expressed nothing but rage on her apparently ageless face.

“Um, well, I’ve been living with John for the past year in Arizona.” Olivia, replied, not sure if her mother’s question had been rhetorical or not.

“What the fuck to you mean you’ve been living in Arizona? You didn’t even bother to call me. Not even once. And you’ve been living with John? A guy? Do you know what would happen to me if my friends found out. What kind of bull-shit is this?” Her mother stared down Olivia, causing her daughter to almost literally whither before Jack’s eyes.

“Um, Mrs. Bliss?” Jack said, unsure of how to address Olivia’s mother.

“Oh, god. Please, call me Mercedes. Mrs. Bliss is my ex-mother-in-law. And who are you, hm?”

“Uh, Mercedes, I’m Jack. Jack Barakat. And Olivia was living in Arizona because she and Ashleigh got, in a sense, transferred there by Kelly Cutrone to run the new Arizona outlet of People’s Revolution.”

Though Mercedes Bliss didn’t approve of her daughter’s doings, there was no way she could argue with her daughter’s quick success in the fashion industry; the type of success that her friends could only wish for their daughters.

“Yes, well. What are you doing here then?” Her mother eyed Olivia up and down, visibly analysing her daughter. “You are looking good; I’ve seen you’ve finally lost that extra baggage you’ve been carrying around for the past few years.”

“Yes’m, thanks.” Jack was astounded; both that Mercedes thought Olivia’s weight was acceptable and her harsh attitude. “So, Jack and I are going to be in New York for a while. Do you think it would be all right if we could stay her for a night. You know, before we find a place to stay.”

“I suppose; I very well can’t turn away my own daughter. Come in, come in. My, where are my manners, leaving you two at the doorway.” She lead the two into her apartment. It was just as you would expect and more. The space was open concept; only the bedroom cut off only lightly by view by a room divider. The walls were all white, except for one which was Tiffany Blue. All accent pieces and picture frames were an antiqued white or black. The living room was on the right; a couch of a darker shade of blue, dark mahogany book tables at either end. A TV was mounted on the wall with a coffee table in between the TV and couch sporting a single vase with a bundle of Casa Lilies. Magazines stacked high on the bookends and a rich Parisian carpet lined the floor.

This area in particular was the one Olivia’s mother lead them two. Olivia took a seat on the couch, Jack sitting beside her. Perhaps a little too close. “So, can I get you two anything? Oh, hold that thought.” She stuck her index finger in the air as her ran over to the kitchen on the opposite side of the room, looking around for something, “I need to call Anetta for her to get your room ready.” She found what she was looking for; a phone, and dialled.

“Augh!!” Olivia moaned as she fell over in the newly made guest room bed.

“What?” Jack stood over her, hands on his hips. Their bags were piled at the closed doorway, with no intention of being unpacked. Jack fell on top of Olivia; sticking is hands out to cushion his fall as to not crush her.

“What do you mean what? My mother is what!” Olivia cupped Jack’s face in her hands and smiled. “Sorry you had to experience that.” She closed her eyes and smiled as Jack’s lips crashed into hers in euphoria. Olivia forced her tongue into Jack’s mouth; though it didn’t take much forcing. Jack pulled away and planted little kisses along her collarbone.

“Hey,” Olivia quietly laughed. She kissed the top of Jack’s head, who’s kisses were slowly turning into bites. Olivia slipped her hands up Jack’s shirt and tugged it off.

“Olivia, I.” Olivia’s mother stopped mid sentence when she saw Jack and Olivia sprawled out on the bed. “Sorry, I didn’t know it was like that.” She placed some towels on the dresser beside the door, turned on her heel and left the room, closing the door behind her.

By that time Jack had detached himself from Olivia and had put his shirt back on. Olivia let out a big sigh while rubbing her hands over her face before tugging on Jack to come back.

“I don’t think so, Olivia. Let’s just go to sleep.” Jack pulled of his shirt and pants. lay down beside Olivia. She let out a weak smile before whipping of her clothes, as well, and crawling in beside Jack.

Olivia didn’t sleep well though. She woke in the middle of the night, around 3, covered in sweat, tangled in the sheets. Jack, beside her, slept soundly, not even waking when she did.

Her pulse was racing as she shakily stepped out of bed and walked over to her suitcase to retrieve her box labeled Attachments.