Take It to Heart

Lark was beautiful. There was no mistaking that. She was tall and curvy with wavy blonde hair that was accented with smooth, golden skin. When she smiled, she had one dimple on her left cheek and a laugh that lit up any room. She charmed the whole table, and I quickly took to her. Until now, I felt bitter about my brother getting engaged without me knowing, but all the negative feelings fluttered away when I met the woman he was in love with. From first impressions, she seemed caring, funny, and everything I could hope for my brother. They complimented each other so well it amazed me. He dated much more than I ever did and he never really fancied anyone my family would approve of, but Lark deserved approval.

Dad, Josh, Lark, Oliver, and I sat around a large table in a small Indian restaurant not far from my dad’s home. The décor of golds, browns, and dim light made the environment more suitable for getting to know Lark and the brother I hadn’t seen in such a long time. Family style dishes wound around the table like the conversation we shared. The couple told the story of how they met and their first date, which was almost ruined by my dim brother. I don’t recall a time when I ever saw Josh happier than he was now, with his arm over Lark’s shoulders and a smile plastered onto his face.

“It really took loads of convincing to get me to agree on a second date,” Lark gushed with a shake of her head. “And now we are getting married, I would never have thought.”

Next to me, Oliver rested his arm close to mine on the top of the table. He glanced at me occasionally, reassuring me that this dinner hadn’t killed him yet. He was being a real trooper. The same charisma and politeness he showcased over tea with my dad carried to dinner. When we first did all the introductions, he was outgoing and witty, making both my brother and Lark laugh. Josh originally gave me a skeptical look, seeing as Oliver’s neck tattoos were visible above his collar, but Josh later grinned and winked at me. Apparently that was his unneeded seal of approval.

“Have the two of you got plans before the rehearsal dinner tomorrow?” Josh asked as he grabbed the check from the waiter before anyone else had a chance. “We wanted to see if you’d care to get lunch and a few drinks.”

“That would be great,” Oliver answered first. He looked to me for confirmation and I nodded.

Lark turned to me, “Rose, I’m so glad I finally got to meet you. Josh has a couple photos of you around the house and I bugged him so many times about it.” She was creeping up on a sore subject, but the genuine tone of her voice kept me from getting upset. “You two seem so alike, you know?”

“We were especially when we were younger,” I said. Josh looked directly at me and smiled sadly. Now wasn’t the time for this, but it was hard not to feel hurt by never seeing my brother. Dad picked up on the tension and directed conversation to him.

With his hands no longer above the table, Oliver placed his palm on my thigh and squeezed lightly. It was such a simple but much needed gesture. I let my hand slide to meet his, linking our fingers together as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I invited Oliver here, not because I had feelings for him, but so I wouldn’t be without a date. Now, he was acting stranger than I ever expected. Everyone assumed we were a couple without actually asking, and yet neither of us corrected them. I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed the contact and the attention he gave me, it just seemed so strange.

Twenty minutes later when our curry dishes were finally cleared away, I hugged Josh and Lark goodbye outside the restaurant. She kissed both my cheeks, still raving about how great it was to meet me. Josh and Oliver shook hands and we parted ways, headed back to my dad’s home.

“I leave for work around five in the morning,” Dad explained as he pulled into the garage. “So help yourselves to anything in the morning and I’ll see you after lunch with Josh and Lark.”

“Night Dad.” I placed a kiss on his cheek and watched him walk up the stairs to his room. I turned to face Oliver, blowing out a puff of air.

“Do you have a spliff on you?”

Oliver held back a smile and looked me straight in the eyes. “It didn’t go that bad, did it?”

“There’s just a lot going on in my head, that’s all,” I replied quietly. He nodded, turned away from me, and headed to the back door.

We sat in the cold, cuddled close on the patio furniture, passing a spliff back and forth. The sky was dark and flurries of snow filled the air. The soft sound of wind lulled in the background, almost silent. I curled closer into Oliver’s side, feeling the head radiate from his body. He draped his arm around me and breathed in a long trail of smoke.

“So, what do you think of your brother’s bird?” With each word, wisps of smoke left his lips.

I took the joint from him, rolling it between my fingers before answering. “She seems absolutely lovely. I have no complaints.”

“Yet,” he said.

I nudged him playfully and rubbed out the joint. “Don’t jinx it. I honestly enjoyed her personality. I just wish I could have had more time to pick her brain and see how she really is. I don’t want to talk about this now, let’s just go to bed, yeah? I’m knackered.”

We stood up together and he followed me back inside. “Let’s go to bed?” Oliver repeated. He walked up close behind me, his shoes almost stepping on my heels. “I’m finally included in this?”

I heard the door close behind me so I turned, now inches away from Oliver’s chest. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

He grinned the grin that could win anyone over. Most days, I forgot he was supposed to be famous. I forgot that he could sing and create clothing and make a living. To me, there was nothing extraordinary about him, except the way he made my heart’s rhythm change with a touch or glance. I used to wonder if he would ever tell me, but lately I haven’t cared at all. The Oliver I know now might be different than the Oliver who is a lead singer of a band. I didn’t care to find out the difference.

I must have been staring while lost in thought because he slipped past me and started to undress. I watched him pull his shirt over his head, revealing his abundance of tattoos below. I hadn’t seen him shirtless since the first day I went to dog sit for him, so my eyes darted around trying to soak in what seemed like a map of images covering him. Without thinking, I reached forward and brushed my fingers down the skull and coffin on his chest. The area was smooth, and I half expected to take my hand away with color on my fingertips. He gawked at me, either surprised I did it or surprised how cold my fingers were. I quickly recoiled, dug through my suitcase for something to sleep in, and ran into the connecting bathroom to change.

I seriously needed to cool it with the whole attraction thing. After I washed my face, pulled my hair into a messy bun, and changed, I had to face Oliver again. It would be so much easier if he weren’t already tucked under the dark blue comforter, still shirtless with eyes half closed. Oli sleepily lifted a corner of the blanket for me and I dove inside the warm cocoon, trying to keep my distance.

The following morning, I woke up way too warm. At some point in the night, Oliver rolled beside me and put his arm around me. We were spooning and I don’t remember that being the plan. But damn, he was a heater. I always slept with a pile of blankets, but only a thin sheet covered us now, and I was hot. Overheated aside, I comfortably fit into the shape of Oliver’s body. Since he was much taller than me, my small frame fit into the curve of his chest and legs. I didn’t want to move, but I needed to.

The clock on the bedside table read 9:32. I needed to shower before Oliver and I met up with Josh and Lark. I reluctantly unfolded Oliver’s arm from my middle and scooted out of bed. By the time I was shampooed, conditioned, and shaved, Oliver had found his way to the kitchen for tea. He managed to put a shirt on over his boxers.

“Nice mop,” he laughed and touched my wet hair. I swatted his hand away and grabbed a piece of toast from his plate, taking a huge bite.

“Don’t drink too much now,” Lark said when we finally met up at her favorite restaurant. It served French food and pastries, which seemed fitting. “There’s going to be an open bar at the rehearsal.”

I set down my half empty glass. “Wow, you seem to have gone all out. What are the theme colors?”

“Navy and white,” she replied. She beamed, her smile going ear to ear. Obviously they have planned months in advance and were excited to share with everyone.

Most of the lunch consisted if Lark and me talking. Oliver and Josh chimed in on occasion, but they both understood I needed this time to get some peace of mind. Lark was still a stranger, soon to be sister-in-law, and I wanted to know everything. I learned about her basset hound, called Cricket, and her four other siblings: Lucy, Lauren, Kieran, and Kent. She was the youngest of them all but the first to get married. Lark, born and raised in a small town, didn’t like cities or planes. The only complaint I could think of was the fact she was a Chelsea FC fan, when my whole family supported Manchester City.

“You’re lucky, you know,” I told Josh later when Oliver was starting up the car and Lark was chatting on her mobile. “And I’m happy for you; you deserve to be happy.”

He pulled me into a tight, unexpected hug. “I’m glad you’re here to share tomorrow with me.”