Return to You

never had a hangover,"
Olivia said proudly.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    Olivia heard the door open and click shut
but she couldn't lift her head to greet her customer, and getting
up from the stool was completely out of the question. It was all
she could do not to groan.
    "I wondered what kind of condition you'd be
in," she heard Eve's voice say, followed by the sound of something
set in front of her.
    She cracked her eyes open. This time she did
groan. In relief.
    "Here. Let me." Eve opened the bottle of aspirin and
offered her three tablets. "You're going to have to stop holding
your head for a moment to get these down."
    "My hands are keeping my brain from spilling
onto the counter."
    "I thought you never got hung-over."
    "You were right. There's a first time for
everything." She took the pills and sighed when she noticed the
steaming latte Eve held in her other hand. "Have I told you how
much I love you?"
    "I figured you needed it. You didn't stop by
Grounds for Thought this morning."
    "I woke up too late." Olivia took a sip of
her drink and waited. When her stomach didn't roil in protest, she
drank some more. "Thanks for letting me crash at your place."
    Laughing, Eve said, "I didn't have much
choice. You kind of passed out on the couch."
    Olivia frowned. "I did?"
    "Yes."
    "How did I get to the guest bedroom?"
    "Treat carried you."
    "And I wasn't lucid. I can't believe I
missed that."
    "How are you really? Do you feel as green as
you look?"
    "I feel chartreuse. Is that how I look?"
    "Just about."
    "Great." It probably didn't help that she
was in yesterday's clothes. Although, she took a shower at Eve's so
she didn't feel completely grungy.
    Eve leaned on the counter and peered closely
at her. "So, other than the hangover, how are you?"
    She decided to play dumb. "What do you
mean?"
    "I mean about everything that happened
yesterday."
    "I hadn't really thought about it." She'd
been too busy trying not to puke all over herself. Testing her
tension, she rotated her shoulders a few times. They felt
remarkably light. "Actually, I'm pretty good. Talking must've
helped."
    "Good."
    "I can ignore Parker."
    "Right."
    A deaf person would have heard the
skepticism in Eve's voice. "I can. Once they start filming, he'll
be too busy to plague me. Worse comes to worse, my room has a
lock."
    Eve shook her head. "So you're going to let
him make you a prisoner in your own home?"
    "You're right. I'll lock him in instead."
Olivia frowned. "I just wish I knew what he was after."
    "Maybe he had a change of heart and wants to
show you he loves you."
    The earnestness of Eve's eyes showed she
actually believed that. Of course, she didn't have as much
experience with Parker as Olivia had. "And the glass is half
full."
    Eve grinned. "Is that your plan for Michael
too?"
    "Michael's easier. He's not staying at
Gran's." She wrinkled her nose. "At least not that I know of.
There's no reason I have to run into him. Ever."
    Eve just stared at her.
    "What?"
    "Nothing."
    "Why don't I believe that?"
    Shrugging, Eve said a little too casually,
"Couldn't say really."
    Olivia was about to pry it out of Eve when
the front door opened and Rick strode in.
    "Ladies." He put an arm around Eve's
shoulders and kissed her cheek. He turned to Olivia and stopped
short. "You look terrible."
    "No wonder you don't have a
girlfriend. Don't you know that you don't ever tell a woman she looks
terrible?"
    "Even if it's true?"
    "Especially then."
    Rick cocked an eyebrow at Eve, who said,
"She had a rough night and an even rougher morning."
    "I see." He surveyed Olivia thoroughly, his
PI eyes probably taking in signs of strain she didn't know were
there. "Is this about that guy yesterday?"
    "No," she said firmly
    He looked at Eve again. Eve nodded.
    "I see. But something else
must have happened," he said. She wasn't that upset yesterday."
    "Her father came back too."
    "I see."
    Olivia wanted to growl. "Will you stop
saying that?"
    "Well, as fun as this has been, I've got to
get back to the cafe." Eve hugged Rick and gave Olivia a long look.
"Call me."
    "Thanks for the coffee. You saved my
life."
    "That's what friends are for." With a
parting smile, she left.
    Olivia turned to Rick with
an arched brow. "Don't you have someplace you have to be?"
    He grinned unrepentantly. "Not really."
    She would have rolled her eyes but that'd
hurt her head, so she grunted and concentrated on her latte. Maybe
if she ignored him long enough he'd leave.
    No such luck.
    "I didn't