Oliver left her place feeling like a complete idiot. A grinning idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.

After the initial shock of being pulled inside, Ava grabbed his hand and led him over to the breakfast bar to sit while she got them coffee. He awkwardly sat on the stool, still avoiding her gaze until she sat in front of him and was forced to look at her.

At first, Ava kept space between them, asking questions about his life. Curious and sweet. Then, her knees bumped against his as she swiveled on the stool while he spoke of his life.

It was an innocent action, so Oliver didn’t pay much attention to it. She, however, did. Taking his lack of reaction as a sign, she scooted herself closer to where one knee sat between his legs and one hand came down to rest on one of his knees. It flustered him, causing him to stop his story, but she grinned and prompted him to continue, so he did.

Over the next few hours, it became painfully obvious to him how different their lives were. Ava spoke of family, many away on vacation, and her travels all over the world. He had barely left the state.

Yet, Ava didn’t seem to mind in the least as he told her about his old schools and work. His widowed father who worked as a P.E. teacher at his middle school and his younger sister several states away for college. The time the boy’s bathroom literally blew up in high school and how he pulled off going to 8 am classes and working until three in the morning.

Oliver spent his days and nights wherever the catering service needed him and behind hotel bars serving drinks. She found it ironic that he would serve drinks and yet, not drink a drop himself. But, cutting alcohol and sodas, and staying away from smoking, from his life left him with more money to pay off debt and afford more than just ramen cups and TV dinners.

Come the weekend, he kept indoors, busy cleaning or hiding behind his TV screen. Oliver never met the elderly couple a few doors down from him or confronted the family of five above his floor about their noise level. He did wave to the college students that lived opposite of him and did his best to ignore the obnoxious frat boys and their drinking by the pool area. He didn’t tell her that.

No, he told her that he relaxed, cleaned up his apartment and went grocery shopping. Ava nodded along to that, agreeing that since he spent most of his days working from sunrise to sunrise, it was good he relaxed on the weekends.

Ava had been around the world twice before she graduated high school and spent her time in college focused on her major (Communications) before interning at her mother’s company. She worked in the student affairs office on campus in between it all. Even now, she freelances to friends and family in need of advice or her skills with social media and event planning.

Her father set his eyes to foreign alliances and with him, she found contacts ranging from El Salvador to Sweden to Zimbabwe. She spoke Newar and Mandarin conversationally, Xhosa with difficulty, and fluent Arabic and Spanish.

She spent most of her time responding to emails for her mother and getting in touch with her own personal clients. Compared to Oliver, Ava spent most of her weekdays, and occasionally weekends, glued to her laptop and phone. When she wasn’t busy with work or events such as the ones they met at, she liked to travel, tasting local cuisine and seeking out wineries.

Ava had set her mug aside, resting her head on her hand as they spoke. The red in his cheeks faded as he relaxed and she could feel his eyes wander over her when she got up to put away their dishes. The first time he had actually done so since arriving.

She took no shame letting her eyes take him when he first stepped through her door. But, when she turned back around and caught his stare, his cheeks flared and he turned his head away.

Ava smiled at his bashfulness. She returned to her seat, reaching out to trace his knuckles on the bar before turning it over to trace the lines on his palm. He stiffened under her touch, his cheeks fully molting in color. She giggled at his reaction.

“You’re so…” She bit the side of her cheek as his fingers twitched under hers. “Reserved.”

Oliver grunted at her comment, his fingers curving up to tickle her skin as she continued to explore.

“You make me nervous…” His tone was low again and Ava couldn’t decide on whether to be flattered or not.

“How so?”

“Like I should bolt for the door before you lock me in here.” His answer came out blunt and he visibly winced at his own words.

Ava stopped her hand, letting it hover above his own. It gave him a chance to wrap his fingers around her hand. Just to feel her skin against his. His stare lingered at the sight of their hands intertwined with an intensity that left her reeling.

He was nervous around her and yet, he held her hand with a gentleness in his touch and a fire in his eyes. She couldn’t seem to get a grasp on what was going on inside that head of his. For someone so reserved, he sure did have an intensity about him.

“You kind of came out of nowhere… like a sneaky vixen. I wasn’t really sure what you were doing at first, and then I figured it had to be a joke just to entertain you and your friends.” The words flowed out his mouth like vomit. Uncontrollable and gross.

“I thought you were playing along actually. It wasn’t meant as a prank or to be cruel.” Ava rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand, her voice barely a whisper.

“It was definitely cruel…” His eyes locked with hers and in their depths, she saw a humorous glint and the corner of his lips turned up to smile. “I kept searching for you in every face I came across.”

Ava gave a short laugh, relieved. She gave a grin that showed all her teeth and tilted her head, warmth spreading through her. He was something else.

Oliver reached out with his free hand, intending to simply touch her cheek. He stopped short and pulled back with a frown, averting his gaze over to the large balcony doors.

He mentally cursed himself. He always felt too strongly too fast. It was why he kept to himself. And Ava didn’t help, switching from her entrapping charm to sweet and warm sincerity in mere seconds.

Ava hoped he’d try again, but when he didn’t, she too turned to look outside.

“It’s pretty early.” The sky began to lighten up and she cringed at keeping him for so long. “Sorry, I kept you.”

“I enjoyed it.” Oliver smiled her way and not even biting her lip would stop the smile from spreading across her face at his words.

“I did too.”

Ava escorted him to the door, leaving a chaste kiss to his cheek before letting him leave.

“Ava?” Oliver grabbed her hand from her side and kissed her knuckles gently. “Just so you know… you looked good tonight. Both at the party and now.”

He didn’t give her much time to respond before he headed down the hallway and to the elevator.

Ava bit her knuckles as her heart beat fast and she resisted the urge to scream. She felt like a giddy teen all over again.

Closing her door and bolting it, she headed for bed.

They didn’t get to see each other in person for a while, but they texted as much as they could between work.

Ironically, they ran into each other at a party. He had snuck up behind her, complete in his waiter attire and offered drinks to her friends.

Unlike the past times they’ve seen each other, Oliver remained composed, but relaxed, and his smile lacked the professionalism he usually donned. It was warm and sincere. His were bright and she made a mental note to find the name for the color of his eyes. They weren’t a turquoise - too much blue, but not a teal - too dark.

Like this, he was exquisite.

The only thing that ruined it was that stupid gel he had to use and the clothes that didn’t do him justice like those faded jeans. They hugged him much better than the black slacks did and his long sleeved tee from before had only added to his quiet charm.

Biting her lip in hopes of seeing his cheeks redden, she took a drink from his tray. His eyes remained locked with hers, much to her surprise, and when she firmly had her drink in hand, he bowed politely before moving on.

No blush this time.

Ava smirked, returning to her conversation.

Perhaps tonight, they’d get to dance.