150 Olivia meets Isaac

~ Elizabeth's apartment ~

Saturday

8:59 AM

Olivia entered Liz's apartment while humming a song. She has earbuds on which are blasting her favorite playlist.

Usually Olivia is more alert and would check the place for Liz (and Max), but she knows that since they returned from Hawaii, Liz is staying with Max, so Olivia assumed that the place is empty.

She moved through the living room in the direction of the kitchen, and her steps were dance-like. Olivia looked at her feet like she is trying to ensure that her choreography is spot on.

"Ahh!", Olivia exclaimed and dropped grocery bags from her hands when she was startled by the sight of Isaac who is sitting at the kitchen island and sipping his coffee while reading news on his iPad.

It's not that he is scary, but she didn't expect anyone.

Olivia swiftly removed her earbuds when she saw that Isaac is looking at her questionably.

"I am Olivia, the housekeeper. Who are you?" She spoke rapidly while patting her chest.

Isaac was amused by Olivia's clumsiness. "I am Isaac, the father."

"Oh! Oh…" Olivia's brain was on pause and she could not find what to say. "Uhm… Liz didn't tell me that you are coming."

"She didn't know. I arrived yesterday without giving her a heads up.", Isaac explained, and his eyes flashed when the idea hit him… "Say, you are with my Liz for some time, and you know that she is dating her neighbor. Correct?"

"Correct.", Olivia confirmed reluctantly.

"Can you tell me what kind of a man he is? Is he treating her well?"

"Uhm…" Olivia was stumped at the part of 'what kind of a man he is'. He is Max freaking Anderson! The hottest guy on the planet! The king of the night! The guy with a thousand girlfriends! But she can's say that, can she? It is not a good idea to say that to Elizabeth's father. And in the last few weeks, Max changed… for Liz. But how should she answer that question? Oh, God! Why is she breaking down in sweat? Where is Elizabeth?

"Allow me first to put the groceries in the fridge, so they don't go bad.", Olivia thought of a way to avoid or at least postpone this questioning. Maybe this man with piercing black eyes forgets about his inquiry and they chat about the weather or something…

In Elizabeth's bedroom…

Elizabeth moved and hugged her bolster pillow tighter. This hug made her bolster groan.

Her eyes sprang open. "Max? Are you OK?"

She looked at his face which grimaced. He is obviously in pain.

"When was the last time you took your medicine?", she asked on an instinct.

"Midnight.", Max responded.

"Oh… you are overdue. It's after nine o'clock! Let me get them for you."

Liz sprang into a sitting position and observed that she is in her bedroom. How did she get here? Last thing she remembers is talking with Isaac on the sofa in the living room.

But that is not important. Max is in pain, and she needs to help him.

She dashed out of the bedroom through the living room, straight for the door and into Max's apartment.

From the kitchen island, Isaac and Olivia watched Liz run out of the apartment wearing an oversized t-shirt (and nothing else). A minute later, she returned to the apartment and went straight back to the bedroom without acknowledging their presence.

"Do you know what can cause this behavior?", Isaac asked Olivia who was busying herself with arranging things in the fridge.

Olivia understood that Isaac is asking about Liz's running around first thing in the morning while dressed scarcely. She opened her mouth with an intention to say that she does not know, but Liz was back. This time she came to the kitchen.

"Hi dad! Hi Olivia!", Liz greeted them while reaching into the fridge for icepacks. She took a glass of water as well and looked at Olivia. "As you can see, my dad is visiting. Can you check if we have enough breakfast food for all four of us? If not please get some. Thanks!"

Isaac frowned at the sight of Liz dashing back to her bedroom. She barely looked at him!

When the door of the bedroom closed behind Liz, Isaac looked at Olivia.

Before he could ask anything, Olivia grabbed her purse and spoke while walking toward the exit door with urgency: "I'm going to buy breakfast… things… we are definitely short on… things…" And she was out of the apartment already.

This left Isaac by himself with his chilled coffee and knowledge that Liz is in that bedroom, scarcely dressed, with a glass of water and icepacks. And probably with Max as well. Why else would she need icepacks? They are sleeping together!

He told himself to calm down. Liz is a grownup. But it is hard to calm down.

Inside Liz's bedroom…

Without a word, Liz gave pain medication to Max and scrutinized him while he took it.

"How did you make it worse?", Liz asked Max after she put icepacks on his back.

"What makes you think that I made it worse?", he asked innocently.

Liz shook her head knowingly. "Because I am not a sleepwalker. I clearly remember sleeping off in the living room. You carried me here, didn't you?"

Max snorted. "And I clearly remember you telling me that you will be back! And what did you do? Sleep off in the living room! I waited and waited…" Max ignored the pain while turning on his side and pulled Liz on the bed next to him into a firm hug. "Do you know that every minute without you is like an eternity?"

Liz sighed and her arms wrapped around him. What will she do with this big baby? But he is cute. "How many eternities did you go through last night while waiting?"

"Do you think I am kidding? I was in agony… waiting and waiting and…"

"How long!?", Liz snapped. Is he using whining to avoid serious talk? This is about his health, and it's serious!

Max cleared his throat and answered: "It was more than one hour after midnight when I decided to come and check on you."

"What would you do if my dad was awake? If we were still sitting and talking?"

"I would think of something.", Max said confidently. "But he was not awake. It was just you. On the sofa. Covered with a blanket."

Liz guessed that probably Isaac covered her up. And she promised Max that she will return. "I'm sorry. I slept off."

Max was irritated. This old man needs to go! First, in the afternoon Liz left him by himself because she thought that he is resting, but actually he gave her space to talk with her dad. And then in the evening she ended up chatting with Isaac to the point of sleeping off. And where is his Liz time? Because of the old man, last night Max went without his dessert!

Max took a deep breath and told himself to swallow his grief. He knows that acting cute and vulnerable works with Liz and if he snaps and voices all the injustices it will only irritate her.

He nuzzled her neck with his nose and spoke in a lazy tone of a person which just woke up: "Yes, you slept off. So, what will I do? I really wanted to sleep by your side, but the sofa is not wide enough for the both of us. I thought of carrying you to my place, but considering my back, I choose the shorter route and brought you here. I changed you in sleepwear and then I was able to sleep peacefully… next to you." Max ended with a big smile on his face while squeezing Liz in his arms.

Liz sighed. "All that is great, but now my dad knows that we are sleeping together."

"I am sorry… How about…?"

"No." Liz interrupted whatever Max wanted to say. "No excuses. I am twenty-seven years old and it should not be unusual for a woman my age to sleep with her boyfriend. My dad will need to accept that."

"Are you sure?"

Liz smiled. "What is your plan?"

"To tell him that my back got much worse and you stayed by my side to take care of me."

"That has so many holes. Why here and not at your place?" Liz lifted her hand, indicating to Max not to answer. "Before we get buried deeper into lies, it is much simpler just to say that we slept together. Because that is what we did."

Max looked at Liz's confident expression and smiled. Last night, he was convinced that Liz wants Isaac to see her as a good girl and to meet his expectations, but now she said that she will go with the truth even if it can hurt Isaac... only because it is more convenient for the two of them.

He held her chin between his thumb and index finger and kissed her on the lips. "You are amazing, you know that?"

Liz smiled. "Because I don't want lies?"

"Because of everything you are.", Max responded and kissed her again, and again… and then Liz laced her fingers into his hair, and they deepened the kiss.

Max's hands landed under her t-shirt on Liz's bare back and he pulled her closer, closing any distance between them.

"Careful... your back...", Liz said breathlessly.

"I can manage this much... There is nothing better than waking up with you in my arms and with your flavor on my lips.", Max murmured before pulling her for another kiss.

They were both lost in a long morning make out session, completely forgetting that there is a man named Isaac on the other side of the door. Sitting and waiting for the two of them to emerge from that room.

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