Chapter Ten
“Do we eat these?” asked Olivia as she held up a slice of cucumber.
Ava and Kaci laughed, “No sweetie you’re supposed to put these over your eyes.” Ava said smiling at Olivia’s confused face. As of right now her little face was covered in a green facial mask and she looked like a little monster.
Kaci had planned a girl’s day today and they were going to pamper themselves all day long. A facial, manicures, pedicures the works. And Olivia wanted nothing more than to participate along with them.
“Why?” Olivia asked.
Ava looked to Kaci for an answer who in return shrugged, “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Tay.” Olivia said as she pulled herself up onto the couch between Ava and Kaci.
“Alright girls do we have our cucumbers?” Kaci asked as she held up her own two.
“Check.” Ava said holding up hers.
“Sheck.” Olivia said copying Ava.
“Alright, I’m setting the timer.” Kaci said as she reached her hand to the end table next to her and grabbed the kitchen timer. She set it for ten minutes and then sat it back down, “And go.” She said as all three covered their eyes with cucumbers.
Ava sighed and smiled when she heard Olivia do the same. “To bad we don’t have a masseuse. Then it would really be a day at the spa.” Ava said as she got situated in her spot on the couch.
Kaci sighed, “I tried. But the guy bailed on me. Plus I thought it would a little too X-Rated for the kid. Because believe me dude was hot! I don’t think I would have been able to control myself.”
Ava laughed as she adjusted herself on the couch, “Good thinking. How are we doing over there Liv?”
“I good.” Olivia said.
“I think the kid’s a natural.” Kaci said as Ava laughed.
“I think we’ve created a monster. D-A-D-D-Y is gonna kill us when he returns.”
“I’m not scared of him. What’s he gonna do beat me with his awesome dance moves?”
Ava laughed, “Good point.”
Silence fell upon the three girls for the next few minutes until the timer buzzed.
“Alright let’s go wipe this mess off our faces.” Kaci said as she stood to go into the bathroom followed by the other two.
“We eat now?” Olivia asked referring to the cucumbers.
Ava smiled, “No not now. They’re yucky now from the green stuff. Want me to throw them away for you?” She said making a face that showed how yucky they really were.
“Pease.”
Ava smiled as she Olivia placed the slices in her hand and she threw them along with hers in the trashcan next to the sink.
They washed their faces off and helped Olivia with hers. Kaci and Ava had her standing on the sink and she looked into the mirror, “Is soft.” She said rubbing her face.
Ava and Kaci laughed, “Come on Kid.” Kaci said as she gathered Livvie in her arms and carried her back into the living room.
They each returned to their spots on the couch, and Kaci opened her case full of nail polish. “Alright Liv what’s your favorite color?”
“Pink!” she squealed as Ava helped her back onto the couch between her and Kaci.
“Alright then pink it is. Let me see your hand.”
“You make my nails yike yours?” Olivia asked as she admired Kaci’s nails that were holding her hand steady.
“I sure am.”
Olivia smiled big, “Me yike yours.” She said excitedly.
Ava laughed at the child’s excitement and began to flip through a magazine. These past couple of days spent with Olivia had really made her love the child so much more. She was so full of life, and so eager to try and learn different things. She was so great having been raised by only one parent and it being a father who freely admitted he didn’t know what he was doing half the time.
And as if on time she heard the sounds of her cell phone, “I’m bringin’ sexy back…”
“It was too good to be true. Are you gonna answer that or make us sit through the torture?” Kaci asked as she worked on Olivia’s nails.
“Hey that’s a good song.” Ava said as she stood and walked over to her phone that was currently sitting on the dining room table, “Hello?”
“Hey! How’s it going?”
Ava smiled, “Perfectly. She’s been an angel.”
“Great. Well everything is on schedule as planned. My flight leaves at 5:30. But I have one more favor to ask you.”
“I think you’re all favored out my friend.” Ava said as she walked back into the living room and sat back on the couch.
“Last one I promise.”
“I’m sure, but go ahead. What does this favor consist of?”
“Trace came home yesterday and was en route to Tennessee for his sister’s birthday. Which leaves me without a ride that is unless you can bestow your kindness upon me again? Otherwise you’ll leave me to the terrors of LA at night in a Taxi. You don’t want a dead Pop Star’s blood on your hands do you?”
“What’s the Diva demanding now?” Kaci asked as she popped her head up from the work she was doing on Olivia’s nails.
“Tell her I heard that.”
“I think that was the point.” Ava said laughing, “What time does your flight land?”
“Scheduled for 9:30 but plans could change.”
“Alright, I’ll pick you up. But call if time changes.”
“I will. Is Livvie around?”
“Yeah she’s right here.” Ava pulled the phone from her ear, “Liv you want to talk to Daddy?”
“Mm hmm. Me miss him.” Olivia said as Ava held the phone to her ear, “Hi Daddy.”
Ava could only hear Olivia’s part of the conversation and she knew it was inevitable that he was going to find out about the girl day they were having.
“Lots of fun. We got to put cumbers on our eyes. And dis geen stuff on my face. I yook like a munser daddy.”
Kaci and Ava both shared a look that was hopeful of their not getting in trouble.
“No daddy Mrs. Ava said it was yucky so no eat. Uh huh. Kaci do my nails.”
Uh oh. “Pink.” Olivia said with a smile, “Tay Daddy wuv you too!” Olivia handed the phone back to Ava, “Daddy talk to you.”
“Hello?” Ava said as she put the phone back up to her ear.
“Pink huh?”
“She’s a girl Timberlake. She wanted to do what we were doing. She’s still alive, no harm done.”
“But I wanted to make her into a big time basketball star.” He whined, “Now you’ve introduced her to the world of girly stuff and so now my dreams of having a WNBA star daughter are down the drain.”
Ava rolled her eyes, “Justin even WNBA stars have girly days. So it’s still possible.”
“Ugh whatever. Just as long as she’s not wearing make-up and her ears aren’t pierced when I get back then I’m all good. Let’s save that heart attack for when she’s 16. No make that 30.”
“Too late.”
“What?”
“Just kidding.” Ava said laughing, “So we’ll see you at 9:30?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright have a safe flight.”
“Will do. Bye.”
“Bye Timbs.”
At 9:20 Ava and Olivia parked outside Justin’s terminal. Ava who was dressed in her relaxation clothes opted to stay inside the car considering she and Olivia wouldn’t be able to greet him outside his gate for security reasons.
She looked in her rearview mirror to see Olivia asleep in her car seat and she smiled. She was gonna miss the kid being there with her. She had come to the conclusion this weekend that Justin was just going to have to share her. The kid was far too cute for him to keep to himself.
Five minutes later Ava happened to look down and see her phone light up. She quickly answered it so the sound of the tone wouldn’t wake Olivia up, “Hello?”
“Did you forget about me?” said Justin.
Ava rolled her eyes and smiled, “No, I didn’t. I’m parked outside your terminal though. Olivia and I opted for the car greeting since I’m dressed in my PJ’s.” Ava turned her head to look at Olivia who was still conked out in her seat, “I don’t think your daughter is going to be much of a greeter. She’s totally zonked out back here.”
She could practically hear the smile forming on Justin’s face, “Just her being there will be fine with me. I really missed her.”
“She missed you too. She almost cried when she woke up that day you left. But then I came in the room and she was alright. I think it was knowing that you weren’t there plus waking up in a different place that freaked her out.”
“I’m used too it.” Justin said laughing.
Ava yawned and looked toward the doors of the airport to see Justin coming out of them. He was headed for her car, “Hey I see you.” Ava said with a smile.
“I think we can hang up now.” Justin said as Ava laughed and hung up too.
She stretched and opened the door to get out and help Justin with his bags.
She walked around her vehicle just as he approached. Her Jeep Liberty might not be the best thing compared to his Escalade but it was her baby. It hadn’t failed her once since she graduated college.
He opened his arms for her embrace him in a hug which she obliged willingly, “I didn’t realize how much I would miss you guys.” Justin said into her hair as he placed a kiss on her head. He had to admit he was glad to be home and not only to just be able to see his daughter. Although Livvie played a HUGE factor in his excited return, Ava had a hand in it as well. He missed her. And being away only gave him time to think. He had come to the conclusion that he thought way to much on this trip. He always found himself thinking of what she was doing. And he tried to write it off as he was just feeling that way because she had his daughter. But it wasn’t long before he realized that he couldn’t do that. He had feelings for her. What those feelings were he wasn’t sure yet. But something was definitely there.
He had no plans on rushing that. If they developed into relationship feelings he would deal with that when the time came. But for now he was setting them aside.
He wasn’t sure if he was ready for a relationship again.
Ava smiled and pulled away as she grabbed one of bags and opened the hatch to put his bags in her car, “I do have to confess that it was pretty boring without you around.” She said as Justin feigned shock.
“You only missed me because you were bored? I see how it is.” He said as he put his other bag in the back and closed it.
Ava smiled and walked around to her side of the car and climbed into the driver’s seat as Justin got into the passenger seat beside her.
“So how’d everything go?” Ava asked as she buckled her seat belt and put her car in gear to make their journey to his house.
Justin sighed, “Everything at William Rast went well. Our Spring line is looking good and everything with that is running on schedule. Well, for now anyway. Trace is supposed to be leaving in a few weeks to visit some of the factories to make sure that everything is running good in that department.”
“You’re nervous.” Ava said interrupting his spill. She looked over at him and saw him make a confused face.
“What?”
“You’re nervous. Over the past few months I’ve picked up on a few things about you, and one of those is that you ramble when you’re nervous.” She said as she flipped on her blinker to enter the interstate.
“Whatever. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said.
Ava laughed, “You’re doing it now. What’s got you so shook up?”
“It’s nothing. Well it’s something but it’s not anything that I haven’t dealt with before.” He said rubbing a hand over his face. As he propped his elbow up on the armrest and rested his chin in his palm.
“What’s going on?” She asked as she entered into the never ending traffic of LA.
“My record label is pushing me to do another album.”
“Do you not want to do one?”
“I do. At least I think I do. That’s the problem I’ve never actually had to think about doing another album. I was always so ready to jump feet first into a new one.”
“So what’s the difference with this one?”
Justin turned and looked back at this sleeping daughter, “Olivia. She’s brought so much perspective into my life. Any decision I make not only effects me it affects her too. And I never had to factor that into the equation before.”
Ava just remained quiet and let him talk as she continued to drive him home.
“If I do decide to do this album I can’t just put out a record and be done with it. It’s a two year long circus that goes along with it. And I have a hard time keeping her out of the tabloids as it is and I’ve been on hiatus for three years now. She doesn’t need to be around that at her age, and I can’t stand it when I’m NOT around her.”
“Is there a way you can give them what they want and do what you want?” Ava asked.
Justin shifted back to face the front and shrugged, “I don’t know. I honestly think this is going to be the decision that’s going to make or break my career.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a decision on your hands.”
“A big one, but I ultimately know what I would choose. Without a second thought or a look back I would choose my daughter.”
Ava felt her heart swell a little bit. She bit her lip and continued to listen to him talk as she drove. While all the while trying to fight off these sudden…she didn’t even know what to call them.
Surely she couldn’t be having feelings for him? Before she could honestly say she wasn’t attracted to him and that they were strictly friends and what they had was purely platonic. But she wasn’t so sure about now.
She also knew she wasn’t going to focus on them or try to make them something that they weren’t. She didn’t want to ruin what they were just starting to build. She knew that they to lay the foundation before pouring the cement. Right now she was content with just being his friend. He was still grieving his wife, and she…well…she was grieving her failed love life.
Author's Chapter Notes:
*SIGH OF RELIEF* Another chapter from hell! LOL. It's short I know, but I think after this it should be smooth sailing for a I have an idea I think you guys are gonna like! For now...ICKY CUCUMBERS!
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