Chapter twenty: Mood swings

O L I V I A

Kaison's appointment had gone well. The doctor had been pleased with his progress. She'd also scheduled his appointments for physiotherapy from the next day onwards.

Kai was happy with his healing, but the physiotherapy bit didn't sit well with him.

After that, I safely dropped him home. The paparazzi had all but gone. But just to be safe, I dropped him off a block away and he walked the rest of the course. To be on the more unassailable side, he entered his building like a fugitive from the back door.

He insisted that I joined him for an afternoon snack but I declined. For one, I did not want to be spotted in public with him. I had work to worry about. I could not afford to be the office gossip. I liked my quiet life, thank you very much. Also, I had to pick up my roommate and his boyfriend from the airport.

I also had to do laundry. It was late, but I needed clothes. With Kai around, I had completely forgotten that I needed fresh apparel. So with the guys home safe and jet-lagged, I got to work. Since I was busy and they were tired after the five-hour flight, we decided to order in.

Battered from the day's events, I trudged back to the apartment. I was ready to collapse. I let myself in and dumped the basket beside the door, closing the door and sliding down to the ground against it. I shut my eyes.

"I see you have done your laundry," I heard George comment.

"Not in the mood, G," I grumbled, not bothering to open my eyes.

"I see that." He chuckled. "Dinner?"

"No. Sleep."

"Sleep?" He repeated questioningly.

I opened my eyes menacingly. "I. Want. Sleep."

"Okay, got it." He raised his hands in defense. "You want to sleep. Sleep you shall get."

"Good," I huffed. "Take me to bed," I demanded.

"Excuse you, young lady," Griffin walked in, "That's my boyfriend you're talking to."

I was so over his 'my boyfriend is mine' phase at the moment.

"Shut your trap," I snapped at him. "He's basically my brother."

He swung the fridge open and pulled out the carton of juice. "Umhmm."

"She on that time of the month?" George directed at Griffin.

"Yup. But it's almost over," Griffin answered, waving his hand dismissively.

"Thank god," George sighed.

"I'm right here," I barked.

"Right, sorry." George scratched his head. "I'll just be sitting there, trying not to piss you off any more than you are."

"You-"

"I'll get you to bed," Griffin interrupted, setting the carton on the table tiredly. "Leave him alone."

"Whatever," I said, miffed. "Just get me there."

"Yes ma'am." He mock-saluted, walking over. He deftly picked me up. "Oomph," he groaned a little, "Olive, those chocolates and ice creams did not do you any favors."

"Nor did those tequila shots you so intently kept throwing down your throat every five minutes at the club," I retorted, punching his shoulder. He glowered down at me and I stuck my tongue out at him in response.

"I'll drop you," he threatened as he walked.

"I dare you." I narrowed my eyes at him. He clicked his tongue in frustration, shouldering the door open. Then his face cleared.

"There," he said a moment later, dropping me on the bed. I fell with a grunt.

I glared at him. "I will-"

"Sleep," he cut me off, switching off the lights. "Good night, Liv."

"'Night," I huffed and he closed the door behind him. I was going to pull the covers over me but then I remembered the reason I was in a sour mood.

Work.

I dragged myself out of bed and trudged to the living room, opening my door with more ferocity than needed. Griffin and George paused to look at me.

"What is it now?" Griffin asked, leaning back into his chair. George watched me with an almost cautious gaze.

"I forgot my phone," I garbled snarkily. They stared at me. "Look away!"

They sighed and did just that. I plodded to the laundry basket and picked up my phone which lay on top of the clean clothes. I walked back to my room aggressively, slamming the door shut behind me and faceplanting on the bed. With another huff, I forced myself to sit up again.

I had to set an alarm for the day after.

I squinted at the bright screen in the dark of my room. I reduced its brightness and unlocked it. I reset the alarm for five-thirty and then locked it back. I drank some water and was about to lie down when my phone buzzed. I debated letting it ring but my eyes fell on the caller ID.

It was Kai.

Debate over and won.

"Hey," I picked up the call, "What's up?"

"You're awake," he breathed.

"Umm, yeah." I felt my mood getting the better of me and the next words just slipped right off my tongue without a single thought. "That would explain why I answered."

"Pearson changed my appointment time," he said, ignoring my snark. "It's in the morning now."

"Oh." I bit my lip. I was going to go with him. I couldn't anymore because I had work.

I keep finding new reasons to hate that junk of a job.

He sighed. "Yup."

"Well, that's alright. Don't miss it," I said.

A beat of silence passed and it grated on my overworked nerves.

"I was hoping you could drop by in the evening?" He asked. "I would come but Griffin . . . "

"Umm, sure." I smiled faintly in the dark. "I'll come around after work."

"Awesome," he cheered. "Movie night?"

"You do realize I have to be back home, right?" I replied as I lay down with the phone pressed to my ear.

"Oh, right."

"Umhmm."

"Okay, we will make do with a dinner," he said.

"Hmm," I hummed. "I'd love that."

"I know," he answered smugly. "Bring a change of clothes so you can get comfy."

"Okay," I agreed and shifted the covers so I wasn't lying over them, but under them. "Did you talk to Coach Brown?"

"I did." For some reason, I could hear his nod in his words.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He was marginally pleased to know that there was hope that I would be able to play by the end of the season," Kai responded.

"That's good." I bobbed my head to myself. I turned over in the bed, pulling the covers over me higher. They rustled.

"Livvy?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you in bed?" He inquired.

I blinked.

" . . . yeah," I answered sheepishly.

"You said you weren't sleeping!" He accused.

"I wasn't," I protested. "I was trying to."

"Livvy," he groaned, "Sleep. I'll text you tomorrow."

"Alright," I sighed sulkily. "Good night, Kaison."

He sighed. "Livvy."

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You know what," he stated.

I laughed. "Urgh. Okay. Good night, Kai."

"Good night," he said and I hear the smile in his voice. "Sweet dreams, mon amour."

* * * * *

I was much more cheerful that morning, a stark contrast to my mood the night before. My hormones amazed even me.

"I'm not even going to ask," George commented as I pranced into the kitchen with a smile.

I grinned at him. "Smart move."

Yup, I'm unnecessarily upbeat.

"Breakfast?" Griffin offered.

"Something sweet," I said, musing. 

"Pancakes?"

"Perfect." I nodded.

He chuckled. "Sit down, princess."

Simpler translation: Sit here in case I want to make you help or need someone to chat with.

"Actually, I'll go shower." I grinned cheekily. "You make them."

"Fine." He groaned. "Only because it's your first day back at work," he clarified.

I laughed. "Whatever gets me cooked homemade food."

"Go." He made a shooing gesture with his spatula. "You have to iron your clothes, too."

"Yup. That." I sighed, standing up. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the corner, crying while I iron the creases out of my clothes."

"I'm sure you will survive." George laughed.

I shook my head dramatically. "You never know, G. It's a depressing job."

"Go," Griffin told me again.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. "Let's hope I-"

He glared. "Olivia-"

I laughed cheekily, running to my room. "I'm gone."

* * * * *

"There you are." Brian grinned at me when showed up for work. "Here I thought you would never return from that adventure of yours."

I wagged a finger at him. "You ain't that lucky."

"I know." He sighed dolefully.

I raised an eyebrow. "Brian."

"Kidding." He laughed. "Glad to have you back, Liv."

"Thanks. I wanna say glad to be back, but let's face it, I am nowhere close to that," I remarked, sitting down on my chair and dropping my bag down on the floor. We were a team of three people and we had a cabin to ourselves. In that, we had our own desks against each wall.

He chuckled. "Hmm, after a Californian vacation, I am not surprised."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes. "It was great. This is not. Period."

"Uh-huh." He shot me a look.

"Where's your unrequited love?" I changed the topic as I set my table back up and booted my computers. The three screens in front of me quickly jumped to life. I had missed them. I loved my laptop, but it wasn't the same.

"Who?" He played dumb. I logged in with my details.

"You know, the cute blonde with stunning green eyes. Always wears a pantsuit to work, too dominating, and pisses off most men with her opinions and keeps them on their toes." He still wore a blank look so I continued. "Has a cute little mole on her nose-"

"Who?" He persisted.

"Urgh," I groaned, "Where is Jane, you dimwit?"

"Oh, her? She's getting herself some coffee," he replied.

"Brian?" I prompted him to look at me. "I was gone for like a week. Please tell me you made a move on her."

"Liv." He groaned. "Please don't."

"You will thank me later." I waved it off. "Did you?"

"I did," he mumbled.

"What? Why wouldn- wait." I paused, mentally trashing my reprimanding-slash-motivational speech. I took in his defeated demeanor and I groaned. "Alright, back up. What happened?"

He sighed with an air of utter desolation. "I asked her out and she shot me down."

"What? Why?" I frowned. They both liked each other. I teased them both separately and they were idiots to not see it happening. But seriously, why would Jane reject Brian?

"It was Thursday night. I asked her if she would like to go out on dinner with me but she said no," he answered forlornly.

"Why would she do that?" I wondered out loud. "You aren't that bad."

"Hey!" He protested. 

"I mean sure you could use a haircut, and your sense of fashion is inspired by the nineteen hundreds, but hey, old is gold."

He blanched. "Liv, that's so unf-"

The door to our cabin swing open and he sealed his mouth as the third inhabitant of the room entered zealously. 

"Olivia!"

"Jane!" I beamed at her. Thankfully my brain was feeling nice enough to accept the topic change and I did not go about muttering why did you reject the possible love of your life as soon as I saw her.

"Ohhh I missed you!" She dropped her coffee down on my table and leaned down to hug me. I hugged her back, not standing up. She didn't seem to mind. "This place was hollow without you," she said when she pulled back. Her hands quickly found their back around her sacred coffee cup.

"You flatter me." I chuckled. She walked to her desk, sitting down crisply. She crossed her legs at her ankles and leaned back, sipping her coffee in a picture of ease. Brian and I exchanged a knowing glance. He rolled his eyes and faced his screens while I faced Jane with an amused smile.

One, two, three-

"Did you meet him?" She asked coolly. I could hear the note of barely contained excitement in her voice. I gave her an entertained look. I knew what she meant. Rather, I knew who she meant.

"Who?" I asked innocently.

She kept her cool. "Olivia."

Un-hun. Not on my watch.

"Hmm?"

"Did you meet that fine piece of art or not?" She asked, leaning forward.

"Who-"

Brian groaned. "I hate it when you girls do it."

"Shut up," we commanded him in sync. "Dude we did it like five minutes ago," I added, gesturing between him and me.

"No, we did not," he denied.

I raised my eyebrows in challenge. "You forgot? I asked you if-"

He cut me off with a glare, his ears turning pink. "Yada yada yada, I remember!" 

I gave him a small, smug smile. "That's what I thought." 

"Olivia!" Jane burst out, too caught up to register our interaction and make a signature roast. Her brain was probably high on my boyfriend and coffee. "Kaison Jennings. Did you, or did you not, see. Kaison. Jennings?!"

I laughed at the accentuations. I had teased her enough. "Yeah."

"Ohhhh," she fanned herself, turning her eyes heavenward, "Is he as hot as his pictures??"

I tried not to smile or blush. "Umm, yeah."

He's hotter.

"His eyes as dreamy as they look on TV?"

Dreamier.

"Umhmm." I nodded.

"Oh, and was his girlfriend Chelsea with him?" She jumped up. "I haven't seen them together in months even though they never claimed to break up! Is it tru-"

"Breathe, Jane," I said, feeling a little dampened.

I forgot that to the world, Kai is taken. By Chelsea.

"Sorry, Liv." Jane sighed, sitting back. "It's just that he's, like, fine. I've had a crush on him since my Senior year in college."

"I know." I chuckled. "You've mentioned it before."

"My love life is doo-"

The glass door was pushed open with force, rattling its frame and freezing us in our places in momentary shock. A tall intimidating woman with a binder stepped in.

"Why the hell are you people talking when you should be working?!" Jessica bellowed. "You guys are paid to work, not gossip!"

Background? Jessica was our boss. A mean one at that.

"Sorry," we mumbled in unison, quickly turning back to our screens.

"Ms. Davis," she called for me.

I turned around in trepidation. "Yeah?" 

"Come to my office. Now," she ordered. "We have to discuss a few things."

"Yes, ma'am," I stood up, following her as she swept out of the room. I looked over my shoulder to see Brian and Jane casting worried looks in my direction and talking in hushed tones. I faced forward again and looked at Jessica's ramrod spine. Even her back looked threatening. 

I groaned internally as my brain began conjuring up unpleasant scenarios where I would not make it out of the room in one piece or get fired for savoring a little life. 

I hate this self-sabotaging bone box.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N:-

Too fluid, no? Lemme know your thoughts, please! Positive criticism is always welcome. So are compliments, lol ;)

Also, I'm sorry I'm late! I'll try to be on time from tomorrow onwards :)

QOTD: What's the one thing you want to change about yourself? Or are you one of those lucky ones who have it all??

Take care! I'll see you guys tomorrow!

All my love,
xoxo.