I sat at my dressing table the next morning. I rubbed my clean tired face, I barely slept last night. I was so nervous about coffee this morning.
I didn't have long to get ready so I had to be quick.
I looked horrible. I pulled my hair up to a messy bun on top of my head, I pulled a few strands loose around my face and sighed. I just didn't look anything special. Like a plain Jane.
I lifted my hair brush and pulled my drawer open to put it in and there was some face powder with a brush to apply it. I glanced at myself in the mirror and took the powder out with the brush.
Just a little bit won't hurt, will it?
I ran the soft bristles over my skin and it took me back to only a few years before when I would have a full face of make up on to go to the shops for some milk.
My face was beginning to look a little more alive. I liked this, it wasn't much but it was something.
I put the powder down and spotted some mascara in the pot on the table. Surely a little bit of this wouldn't hurt either.
I was putting the mascara on when I heard a knock at the door, I looked at the time and it was five past ten. Really?
I jumped up and picked up my bag. "Did you hear someone knock on the door?" Beth called out. I walked out my room and she was standing at the kitchen door.
"No?" I lied.
"No I honestly thought I heard a knock?" She looked at me confused. "I just don't know what it could be." She muttered.
"Didn't hear anything, I'm going for a walk." I rushed down the hallway.
"A walk?" She questioned.
I looked at her and tried to come up with something. None of this would of happened if it wasn't for this stupid make up. "Yeah, we need milk." I hoped that we did. I really did.
"A walk for some milk?" She laughed.
"Yep, better go." I stood at the door, wanting to open it but not wanting to reveal what was at the other side whilst she was standing there. "Olivia, we don't even need milk? And have you got make up on?" She asked, curiously.
"No." I lied.
"Yeah whatever." She laughed and walked back in to the kitchen. I looked to the floor and let out a sigh of relief quietly. Could this morning get any weirder?
I opened the door slightly and slipped out. Jack was leaning against his door with a raised eyebrow, "I thought you stood me up." He smirked.
"Why would you knock? I told you not to knock." I whispered.
He laughed, "I just told you, I thought you stood me up." His voice was a little too loud for my liking. I had to get him away from the danger zone. I began to walk down the stairs and he followed.
We walked in silence all the way down the stairs and outside. "where do you wanna go?" I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders, "I'm lost in Manchester." He smiled. We kept walking down the other steps at out flat towards my car. "Oh, I think I was meant to buy you flowers or chocolates but I didn't have much notice, so I got you a protein bar." He said sarcastically.
I looked at him and he was holding out a bar of rubbish for me to take. "A protein bar?" I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Better than coming empty handed, isn't it?" He pushed it out more, trying to encourage me to take it.
I laughed, I couldn't help it. "Keep it, Jack. Thanks anyway." I replied and pressed the button to unlock the car.
"I thought we could walk? You know, more time for chatting?" He suggested.
I looked at him, confused. "It's starting to rain but?" I complained.
"You're wearing a hoodie, aren't you? I'm sure you'll survive." He laughed and began walking along the path.
I rolled my eyes and locked the car and followed behind him, "I hate walking."
"Save the planet and all that jazz." He looked straight ahead with a proud grin on his face.
"Fine whatever."
When we arrived to the coffee shop after twenty minutes of me complaining of getting wet by the rain and him telling me to shut up, I was relieved to sit down whilst he went up and got the order.
I stared out the window at all the people passing, presumably going to work and I sighed. I couldn't believe I had to work at this place tonight, looking after all these sweaty pieces of meat. Maybe Jack didn't fit in to the category.
He sat down across from me and put the cup down in front of me. I watched carefully as he opened his small bottle of orange juice and took sip of it, whilst admiring the view outside like me.
"Why did you ask me for coffee if you don't drink it?" I questioned.
He smirked at me, "asking you out for coffee is a lot more common than asking to go out for some orange juice."
He made a point, I suppose. "Why don't you like it?"
"Why don't you like protein bars?" He continued to smirk as he looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders. "I just want to keep myself healthy." He said honestly.
"Oh god, you aren't one of they people who don't touch anything with sugar in it, are you?" I blurted it out without thinking. I really hope he wasn't offended by my disapproving tone.
He shook his head, "no of course not. But boxing is really important to me, Olivia." He was serious now.
I rested my elbows on the table and leaned forward slightly, "I don't know why." I muttered.
A hint of a smile again appeared on his face, "not a fan?"
"Nope." I popped the 'P.'
"Why?"
I gulped and looked out the window again, not wanting him to notice weakness in my face, "I just think it's a silly sport." I said honestly. There was so so much more.
"What's silly about it?" He was amused now, I could sense it in his voice without taking my eyes away from the outside world.
"Two people just beating each other to see who is stronger. It's dangerous." I replied.
"It's not like that. There's more to it." He defended.
I made eye contact with him again, "are you telling me it isn't dangerous?"
He sighed and paused for a few seconds, presumably trying to defend it even more but it was impossible. "It's not dangerous." He said and I scoffed. "Well, there's way to do it so that it isn't as dangerous as say your average street fight."
I shuffled uncomfortably, "anyway, why Manchester? Don't the have boxing rings in Somerset?" I tried to change the subject slightly but not too obvious.
"It's silly really, you'll laugh." He said shyly.
Oh, maybe he wasn't all smirks and cheekiness. "try me." I said and took a sip out my hot drink.
He sighed, "the winner of this tournament gets to be on the under card for the biggest fight next year and for some reason I just have a feeling the winner will be competing in Manchester."
"Why here?"
"I've just done a bit of research and here just seems like the best place to compete. I reckon the scouts will be looking for somewhere 'local.' It wasn't running in Somerset anyway." He replied.
"So it's happening more places than Manchester?" I questioned.
"Yeah, there is boys competing in Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Liverpool and obviously Manchester. The winner gets taken on by a company based in Hull and Manchester is the closest place out them all."
"Hull? That's random." Although I didn't like the sport, I was interested in Jack's side of it.
"Yeah, Luke Campbell? Have you heard of him?" He questioned.
"No."
"He won gold at the Olympics in two thousand and twelve for boxing. It's his guys that are looking for a new upcoming boxer. Hopefully me." He smiled confidently.
"Oh, so does that mean you would leave Manchester?" He just got here, surely he wasn't planning on living here for long.
"Who knows? Hopefully I'll be on the first flight to Vegas but." He laughed and I took another drink of my fancy coffee. "Anyway what about you?"
"Do I plan on staying in Manchester?" I was confused.
"No, well yeah maybe. What's your story?" He crossed his arms on the table and leaned in a little, interested.
I thought about it for a few seconds, "I grew up in London, I ended up here last year and moved in with Beth. I worked in the office with her up until yesterday... And yeah that's about it." I breezed over it.
He scoffed, "short and sweet. Why Manchester?" He repeated my question.
Ugh it was the first job that I got accepted for out the long list of places I applied for to get me out of London as quick as I could. "Umm, I don't know really." I lied.
He studied me for a few seconds, almost as if he knew I was lying. "What did you do in London for work?" He asked.
I licked my lips, taking a few seconds to consider what I was gonna say. "I was in university." I answered honestly.
"What were you studying?"
"Nursing." I muttered.
"Wait rewind a second. You're a nurse and you were working in an office? Especially with that guy as a boss? He sounds like a freak." He was so confused.
"I didn't finish university." I smiled at his comment about Richard.
"Why not?" He frowned.
I thought fast, "the work was really hard and I just wasn't very good at it." I admitted.
"Good at it? How do you be good at it?" He raised his eyebrow.
"You save lives." I answered quickly. I put my cup down on the table and used the napkin to wipe my lips in case I had some cream on them. "Not working today?" I asked. I was quick at changing the subject in conversations.
"We start at one. One till seven then straight across to the club for our first fight." He grinned, that glint in his eye appeared that always seemed to appear at the mention of boxing.
I looked at my watch and it was just going on eleven. I took a bigger drink of my cooled down coffee, not taking my eyes off him as he was looking down at the table. "Where does Brad think you are?" I asked.
"A run. We could of just told them, they probably wouldn't care. Unless you're married with kids and I just didn't know." He joked.
I laughed and he watched me amused, "yeah I'm not."
"Sounds like something someone who is married with kids would answer with." He kept the joke going.
"I'm not married and I don't have kids." I leaned across the table and slapped his arm slightly. As I pulled my hand back I noticed him looking at the ring on my finger. He pursed his lips and looked to the window. A serious look on his face again.
I sat my hand on my lap under the table, "we can head back soon if you like." I suggested. Of course he was curious about it. It was on that finger after all.
He shook his head slightly, "I'm fine here. Your company isn't that bad yet." He forced a smile.
I rummaged in my head for more things to ask about, "what's your parents like?" I asked.
He continued to smile, it changed a little more genuine. "Great. I was brought up really good. My dad is a lawyer and my mum is a nursery teacher."
"Aw that's sweet." I grinned.
"What about yours?" He asked.
"My mum works for a charity and my dad is a professor." I missed them. It's a shame London was full of memories.
"What kind of charity?" His eyes softened.
"Knife crime." I muttered and finished the contents of my small cup.
He looked taken aback at first but after a few seconds he spoke, "I always see stuff on the news about how bad the knife crime is in London." He made sense of it. Well as much sense it could make to someone who didn't know the real reason.
"Shall we head off? I don't want you being late for work again." I smiled and pulled myself up.
He stood and took the cup from my hands. "I like what you're wearing today, Olivia." He smiled. He walked up to the counter and placed the cup up followed by a thank you to the worker. I looked down at my plain black hoodie and denim mum jeans and converse. Ummm what?
We walked along the pathway on our way back to towards the house, "I had fun today, you know?" I admitted.
"I did too. We should do it more often?" He looked at me and I nodded. "Maybe we could have a drink tonight after the fight?" He suggested.
My stomach jumped a little, "yeah that sounds good. You don't drink, do you?"
He laughed, "I don't but I'll have some water maybe."
"Brad drinks?"
"I take things a little more serious than him." Jack replied. Not in a nasty way but more honest and I could see that in the way Jack acted when he spoke about it. Maybe Brad just does it to get girls? "Speaking of Brad, I think he was going to ask Beth to come tonight."
I smirked at the thought, "I mean she will but I think he could be barking up the wrong tree with her." I said honestly.
"Why?"
"Beth doesn't do boyfriends and nothing will convince me otherwise." I laughed.
"Maybe Brad will be different?" He suggested, a hint of laughter in his voice also.
"Oh he will be, he will absolutely be the most convenient person she sleeps with at the minute with you guys being directly across the landing." I answered.
He laughed loudly. "I think you might be being a little judgmental. You never know? Her and Brad might live happily ever after."
"Yeah, and maybe I'll eat your disgusting protein bar." I joked.
We climbed the stairs and I finished my complaining about the walk. "It isn't even that bad of a walk-" Jack was cut off by the sound of a door closing as we reached the top.
A guy emerged from my door, still adjusting his belt. I looked at Jack with a proud 'I'm right' smile and he rolled his eyes.
"Hiya." He said as he passed by us on the stairs.
We both ignored him and made it up the last step. "You can just say it, 'Liv you were right.'" I said teasingly.
He laughed, "I thought I wasn't allowed to call you Liv."
Liv. That name. For some reason it didn't repulse me as much when he called me it. Not as much as it did when anyone else tried to over the last two years.
"Yeah well you've reached level two of friendship now so you're allowed." I said sarcastically.
"Well, Liv. Maybe he wasn't in there for what you thought he was in there for." Jack tried to convince me.
I scoffed, "yeah you're right. Maybe he was in there fixing my leaky shower that I've been asking her to ring her friend to fix for nine months." I said sarcastically.
"Alright, you were right." He smiled.
"Always. Anyway, I'll see you later? Try not to boss me about too much?" I laughed.
He chuckled, "I wont. See you later, Liv." He smiled and opened his door. Giving me one last smile before closing it.
I made my way in, closing the door behind me before making my way down the hallway. Beth was sitting on the couch in just a tiny thong and a bra painting her toe nails.
"Take it he wasn't a plumber for the shower?" I sighed as I sat down beside her.
She carefully painted before replying, "not quite. He knew what he was doing with a pipe but." She wriggled her eyebrows about.
"I heard Brad asked you out tonight?" I tried to hint at her to see what her thoughts on him were.
She reached down and picked up her glass of wine, taking a big drink out of it. I looked at the clock and seen it was only twenty minutes to twelve in the afternoon. "Yeah, he stopped by just before.." She paused and thought about it, taking another drink in the mean time. "That guy came." She couldn't remember his name.
I wanted to laugh. She was just so careless and I loved it sometimes. I wished I could take some of her carelessness and she could have some of my carefulness. "I see. What do you think? Are you gonna go watch him fight?" I asked.
She painted another one of her toenails and I watched her, holding on for an answer. "Yeah of course I'm gonna go. I wanna see if they boys are gonna be there again. I haven't heard from Kurt and he was good in bed. In fact, that Nathan was alright wasn't he?" She thought hard about it.
I sighed, "well, what about Brad?"
"Yeah, he's okay, ain't he?" I don't think she was getting what I was asking. Maybe she was playing dumb.
"Never know, you could be his ring girl. Nick is looking for someone for the job." I muttered and sat back trying to get comfy.
"Wait what?" She stopped everything and turned her attention to me.
I looked at her, shocked by her sudden interest. "Nick needs a ring girl for the club. He offered me it but I said no. I've got the job of running about-"
"What do you mean he's looking for someone to be a ring girl? Why didn't you tell me?" She interrupted me.
"Umm, I didn't think I would have to?" I was so confused.
"I'll take it. You think he will let me? Can you call him?" She asked, excited.
I scrunched my face up, "come on, you don't wanna do that. Get your clothes off for money." I tried to wake her up to what she was saying.
"Might as well get paid for it. Oh come on, Olivia. Will you call him for me? Please?" She begged.
I rolled my eyes, I suppose with Beth now being out of work we were gonna need her back earning money somehow so we could pay the rent. "Fine." I muttered and she squealed excited. I reached in to my pocket and took my phone out and pressed call on his number.
"Tell him I'll wear anything." She screamed.
"Olivia, do not tell me you're cancelling. This day has been a disaster already." Nick answered the phone to me.
"No no, Beth is looking for a job. Is that ring girl job still going?" I asked and she looked at me like an excited child.
"Eh yeah, tell her to come see me tonight and I'll get her a uniform and she can start tomorrow. I have to go because I've got someone on the other line but I'll see you at seven." He said and before I could reply he had hung up.
She grinned at me, "what did he say?"
I laughed at her excited face, "yeah he said you can start tomorrow night." She squealed and I laughed louder.
"I don't know if I suit it." I frowned as I looked at my feet. Beth had just painted my toenails and I wasn't so sure.
"They're nice. And they're black just like your soul." She defended and finished up the last nail.
"Feels so weird, all this self care." I tried not to move too much so that the sheet mask wouldn't fall off my face. For the last hour me and Beth have been getting ready for our 'big night.'
She had painted my nails, toe nails, I had a face mask on and she forced me to take her fake tan bottle in to my room and put that on too. I felt strangely a little bit back to myself again after the last boxing event. "It's good for you." She muttered, her mind seemed elsewhere.
"Yeah it's just been so long since I've had all this-"
"What was he like?" She cut me off.
I gulped, "what was who like?"
"Sid." She crossed her legs on the couch getting comfortable.
I thought for a few seconds, how long had she been holding that question in? "He was funny." I went off in a day dream.
"Tell me something funny did." She almost ordered.
I tried to think back but nothing came to my head, "well, not really. He wasn't funny." I said honestly. I don't think I gave him a chance to properly be funny. He was just like my lap dog. I was so horrible to him it hurt my heart.
She laughed, "what did he do?"
We spoke about Sid for a while longer. It was nice to actually talk about him and not what happened to him. There was so much more to our little story than how it ended.
"What about this?" Beth was now trying to suggest things for me to wear tonight as I sat at her dressing table, amazed by all the products, even old Liv didn't own all this. She held up a baby pink jumpsuit.
"No." I shook my head almost instantly. Every option just wasn't working for me.
"Oh come on, Olivia. It's not that hard. You can't just show up there looking like a slob." Beth sat down on the pile of clothes now lying in the floor, she was exhausted.
"Oh, charming." I mumbled. Yeah Beth, don't hold back on anything.
"It's not gonna hurt you know. Wearing a skirt." She looked to the celling and rolled her eyes.
I looked to the floor, it just didn't feel right. "Don't you understand? It's like saying to a guy 'oh yeah I'm available. Come touch me.'" I frowned. I don't know why she didn't see it like that. Maybe because that's what she wanted out of wearing these clothes.
"Olivia, nothing you wear should say that to a guy! Don't you understand? Putting a nice outfit on and feeling sexy and good about yourself isn't saying anything to a guy. Fuck what guys think. Do it for you." She tried to motivate me.
I thought about it for a few seconds, she was right. I know she was right. I was just so scared. "Can't we meet in the middle?" I begged.
"I don't have the middle, this is about it." Just after the words came out her mouth it was like a lightbulb went off in her head. "Wait!" She jumped up and walked over to her dresser.
I looked at her, hoping for something nice.
She pulled out a subtle patterned pair of almost fancy leggings and threw them to me. I held them out in front of me, trying to see if they would work. "They're so pretty." I smiled.
She had a massive grin on her face as she walked back over to the wardrobe and took out a plain white peplum top and held it up for me. The top didn't have any sleeves, however the straps were thick and the neckline was high. "Yes?" She smiled.
It would look really pretty together, "what about my arms?" I asked, worried.
"That's us meeting in the middle." She smirked as she took the top off the hanger and threw it to me. I caught it and smiled as I looked at the two things together.
"Shoes, now I'm thinking you could wear like black heels." She suggested and walked to her shoe rack.
"Wait, I'm gonna wear my black ankle boots. Heels aren't really my thing in my spare time." I stopped her in her tracks.
She looked at me, she was defeated. "Okay, well yeah I suppose that could work. You go wash your hair and run the straighteners over it and I'll get some pasta on the go." She smiled.
"Is there anything else I can get for you, Alistair?" I played the model worker as I made my way through the dressing rooms.
"No that's it. Thanks." Alistair replied, taking a drink of the bottled water I gave him.
"Perfect, good luck." I said and walked out his dressing room closing the door.
"Good job, now just keep going. Just smile and do as they ask please. It's important everyone is kept happy. If you need me then use the walkie talkie." Nick said as he observed me with my first job of the night after he talked me through everything.
Before I could reply he rushed away. I realised I had to use the bathroom so I made my way to the correct door. When I walked in I noticed my reflection in the mirror.
I asked the people doing my make up to keep it to the minimum. I had a soft eye look, nothing too crazy with some very natural lashes. My lipstick was just a nude colour similar to my actual lips and the outfit was a success. Even with the fake tan.
I smiled at myself in the mirror and walked to one of the cubicles.
Next I went to the second boxer out of the four and gently knocked on his door. I took a deep breath and waited for a call to go in.
I stepped in, thinking hard of his name that Nick has just told me. "James." I smiled.
"Jason." He corrected. Shit. Good start.
"Sorry yes, Jason. Can I get you anything? Some water? Some food?" I asked.
He shook his head, "that's alright, babe. Thanks but." He continued to sit with his feet up chilled out. Babe.
I turned and walked out. At least I knew the other two.
I knocked and waited for a voice. "Come in." I heard Brad's voice.
"Dude, are you for real?" I heard Jack's amused voice as I opened the door.
What was on the other side couldn't of prepared anyone. Brad stood in front of the mirror and he was stuffing a sock down his tiny boxing shorts.
Jack on the other hand was standing in the corner of the room, shirtless doing some stretches.
I didn't know where to look or what to look at. "Umm what? It's only Olivia?" Brad finished up and walked to me. I shuffled uncomfortably, "you look good. Are you taking us out to the ring?" He tried to work his charm.
I raised my eyebrow, I was just about to reply when Jack did. "What he means to say is you look really pretty." Jack walked to me and Brad rolled his eyes and walked away.
Don't look at his chest. Don't look at his chest. Don't look at his chest. Focus. "Can I get you anything?" My voice was squeaky and awkward.
Jack smirked, "are you okay?"
I forced out a nod. "Oh, Olivia. Want to come and rub baby oil on my back?" Brad suggested, obviously sensing my uncomfortableness.
"Brad. Stop that man, we spoke about that." Jack snapped.
I looked to the floor. Brad tutted, "I'm only having a laugh. Who called the fun police?"
"Just stop talking to girls like that, bro. It's not cool." Jack defended me.
I felt so uncomfortable. It must be this stupid outfit Beth made me wear and that's why he's saying all this. I knew it.
"Fine, since you ain't gonna rub some oil on me. Can you get me a water?" He sounded disappointed.
Remember what you're here for, Olivia. "Yes of course. Jack?" I made eye contact with him again. His eyes were soft and almost sympathetic.
"I'm good, thanks Liv." He replied and smiled.
I made my way out the room and towards the place where all the refreshments were. It was nice that Jack felt the need to defend me but it didn't make me feel any better about this stupid outfit.
I opened the cooler and grabbed a bottle of water and I spotted one orange juice left and grabbed that too.
When I went back in to the room the boys chatting as they sat on the comfy couches. "I got your drinks, guys." I smiled as my eyes once again met Jack's.
I reached out and handed them both their bottles. "You didn't have to, Liv." Jack smiled gratefully.
"Don't be silly, it's just an orange juice." I replied as I looked around the room. Knowing what I was trying to find. I spotted it hanging up on one of the hangers. "Is this someone's jumper?" I asked as I walked towards it.
"Yeah it's mine. Are you cold?" Jack asked.
I took it off the hanger, "freezing. Do you mind if I borrow it?" I asked nicely.
"Go ahead."
Brad scoffed, "how can you be cold? I'm sweating in places I didn't know could sweat?"
I wasn't cold. Just bare.
"Who knows? Anyway, I should go. Good luck tonight guys." I grinned as I walked towards the door.
"Thanks babe." Brad replied.
"Thanks Liv. We'll catch up with you at the flat after for some drinks?" Jack suggested.
I nodded at him, "yeah I'll give you guys a lift home." I pulled the jumper on over my shoulders and zipped the zip right up to the top.
I closed there door and leaned against it. Suppose that's what I get for trying.