Chapter 7

Olivia's nerves were raw and her anxiety quite high.  Today is the day in which she will no longer need to attend another class and today is the day where her life will finally begin.  

She was offered a position at Bellevue and after cafeful negotiations she accepted.  She's on her way to the top and feels that her future looks promising.

At the dry cleaners she grabs all that she dropped off, including the dress that she's wearing to graduation.  It's a simple black dress, plunging neck line with a criss cross back that lays on the small of her back.  It lands just above the knee so with the boots she's selected, she knows that she will look more than amazing at the graduation party.

At home she showers and gets ready for graduation.  She does the usual, pulling her hair up in a bun, with some diamond accent hair accessories.  Her dress is on, boots are on and she just needs the final touch.  She spritzes herself with some White Diamonds, grabs her cover and is out the door.  The car service was waiting for her when she reached the street.

The car ride to the university was quick.  As they pulled up to the building, she was pleased to see that she wasn't the only one walking in alone.  

The graduation is well under way and when they get to her name, with grace and assurance she walks across the stage and acceps her diploma, her ticket to a better life.  The Dean gives her a hug and whispers in her ear, "I need to talk to you, please see me before you leave?"

Olivia agrees and leaves the stage, with such pride and accomplishment.  As she waits back stage for the Dean, she makes small talk with some class mates and thinks to herself, "I made it here, and I did it alone."

The ceremony was over and Olivia met with the Dean.  She was a little worried about what he might have to talk to her about, but when the conversation was over - she was even more sure of herself. The college offered her a teaching position, in a pilot program they were launching for emergency medicine/trauma cases.  She was intrigued and up for the challenge, although she told the Dean that she would need to give it some thought and she would get back to him after the weekend.  She was on cloud 9 when she left the university.  Nothing could bring her down from this high.  Nothing!

She grabbed her wrap from coat check and exited the building.  Wrapping herself right, fighting off the chilly cool air, she looked for her car.  It was down the road a bit and when the driver seen her, he pulled forward and let her into the back seat.  She wasn't alone.

"Hi!"

"Jesus Jon, you scared me.  What the hell are you doing here?" Olivia snaps at him, as she just fell from cloud 9 all of the way to cloud 3.

He leans into her and kisses her, she's so stunned, she can't pull away. "I was here to watch you graduate."

"Looks like you missed it if you're out here in my car." Snarky, she replies.

He chuckles at her, "I seen the whole thing, Liv."

"From where?" She thinks about all of the people that she looked at and none of them jump out at her, "Where did you sit?"

"The only safe place that I could.  The balcony." He smiles at her and then winks, "I watched you in your cap and gown saunter across that stage.  You were absolutely radiant."

"Why did you come?" She asks, tucking her program and her fake diploma in her purse.  "Why, Jon?"

"Well, I thought about what you said and you're right.  I missed out on many of the important things in your life and when I sent you those roses, I know the note said that I'd never miss another birthday - but it should have said that I'll never miss anything important to you again."

Olivia smiles at him, but it was quick.  She's thinking to herself it's nice he's here for the last important thing in my life and that hurts her heart a little bit.  "I wish you would have told me you planned on coming, I would have told you to not bother."

"Why?"

"Cause you are not coming in and out of my life like this.  My life does not have a revolving door in it."

"I'm here to tell you that I want to be with you!" He's a little frustrated, a little anxious.  "I'm ready for the world to know about you."

Olivia can't believe what she just heard.  Not only because those are the words she's been dying to hear for two years, but her mind is telling her that this is his last ditch effort to hang onto her.

"I don't believe you." She states, the butterflies are fluttering at mock speed.  "If this is what you wanted, why are you telling me now?"

"I had things to take care of and get in order before I told you."

Olivia doesn't know what to say, and the scariest part is she doesn't know what to think.  "Jon, it's too late.  I have given you two years and you did nothing, except keep me hanging on."

"I filed for divorce." he tells her, his nerves are shot, his heart is in a million pieces and he thought this would be a great graduation present for her.

"You shouldn't have done that, especially if it was for me. I can no  longer be available for you."  She breaks their eye contact and reaches over hand takes his hand, "I'm sorry, but my life is heading in a new direction and I don't want the ghost of relationship hell following me."

"It wasn't that bad, Olivia.  I was good to you and you were wonderful to me.  What started out, as you called it, my dirty little secret - has clearly evolved into more.  YOU know that."

She's exhausted, she's still quite high from her graduation and the potential job offer at the university - she really doesn't to ruin the night by fighting with him.  "Jon, please go.  I have a lot of things to do before I leave for Bora Bora."

"Bora Bora?" he asks with a little bit of condensation in his voice.  "Going there for what?"

" A grad present to myself."

"Are you going alone?" he questions, with a sinking feeling that it's not the way that he wants it to be.

Her frustration is getting worse, and she's feeling like it was days ago when everyone was firing questions at her that are none of their business.  "That's none of your business."

There is a pause in the conversation, they are looking at one another eye to eye and Jon can finally see that he may have lost the one thing that made him happy - inside and out. 

With the sinking feeling, he has to ask her, "Is there someone else?"

"No Jon.  When would I have had the time to find someone else?  Between work, school and you,  I had very little time for myself."

"What happened to that guy I met at CBGB's?"

Olivia chuckles as she walks to the door to let Jon out, "It was over that night, he was more demanding than you are."  She opens the door, "Please go, I really need to get to bed." 

He meets her at the open door and stops just before he steps out, kissing her lips, gently and with intent he tells her, "This isnt over, you know that."  

"Bye Jon."

He leaves her Manhattan apartment, with his heart in a paperbag, a little bummed and very scared that he's really lost her forever.  But he vows to not give up.