23 Olivia is not going to drop the topic

Sunday

8:58 AM

Olivia arrived on time, as usually. Liz likes that. Olivia is punctual.

"What have you been up to?", Olivia asked cheerfully after taking a sip of her coffee.

"Mmm…", Liz thought for a second while looking at the steaming cup of coffee in her hand. "Other than work, yesterday I went to a riding club. It was fun."

"Waah! Rich people's pastime.", Olivia could not stop herself from saying.

Liz likes that Olivia speaks her mind, even if it's not pleasant to hear sometimes. She will take the unpleasant truth over sweet lies anytime. Thinking about the riding club, she remembered Max and the snake-incident.

Olivia noticed that Liz smiled mysteriously. "Something happened there?"

"Yeah.", Liz had no intention to hide it. "I've met my neighbor."

Olivia's eyes shined from excitement. Gossip! "Max freaking Anderson! Tell me about it!"

Liz didn't want to say how Max is afraid of snakes, or that she was on top of him in the bush, but other than that she summarized that the snake spooked the horse and he fell down… and she ended up going with him to the hospital. Liz didn't realize that she removed Claudia from the story as well.

"Mmm…", Olivia mused. "You two are getting closer."

Liz laughed. "Neighbors. We are neighbors. Unless one of us moves his or her toothbrush across the hall, this is as close as it gets."

Olivia thought about Liz's words. "So, you are saying that unless you move in together, this is it?"

"Smart.", Liz praised Olivia.

Olivia shook her head in disapproval. "There are many other ways to get close."

"Like?"

"When you spend time together, you share experiences and you learn about each other. You said that you are not dating, but the bond between you two is getting stronger. Both of you are attractive, don't tell me that you don't see how handsome he is. In my personal opinion, it's only a matter of time before you two end up together.", Olivia nodded knowingly.

Liz made a face. She thought that if Olivia knew that Max is with Quentin, she would get those ridiculous ideas out of her mind and focus on something useful. Talking about useful… "I'm going to get ready for my day", Liz said while keeping the half-finished coffee on the table. "You can help by tidying up this place."

Olivia looked after Liz and then through the apartment.

"Tidy up?", she mumbled while looking at the spotless living room. There is nothing to tidy up other than two coffee mugs.

…

"You had a man here!", Olivia exclaimed as soon as Liz exited her bedroom.

Liz frowned. "What makes you say that?"

It's not that Olivia is wrong, Max was here last night. But the way Olivia said it sounded like Liz was hiding it and she got found out.

"Two wine glasses in the sink.", Olivia victoriously announced her find.

"What makes you think it was a man?"

"Are you going to tell me that it was a woman?"

"No.", Liz laughed. "Max was here."

"Max freaking Anderson?"

"Can you stop saying 'freaking' with his name? If you repeat it few more times it will get embedded in my mind like his middle name or something... And I will end up calling him like that… Yes. He was here. We had dinner and watched Jeopardy."

Olivia patted her chest dramatically. "Really? How long did he stay?"

Liz narrowed her eyes at Olivia. "Don't get crazy ideas. Nothing happened. We shared a meal, watched television, and he was a perfect gentleman. He went to his place… around midnight."

"You met in the riding club at lunchtime, spent the afternoon in the hospital, had dinner and watched the television until midnight... And you are not dating?", Olivia asked sarcastically.

"No." Liz responded matter-of-factly, slightly irritated that Olivia is pushing for this topic.

The doorbell rang and Liz wondered, who could it be? Shouldn't receptionist call to announce a visitor? But those were fleeting thoughts because Olivia's scrutinizing gaze was distracting Liz and she wanted Olivia to stop talking.

"How about you answer the door?", Liz said with a forced smile.

"Fine." Olivia knows that Liz is trying to distract her, and she will show her that it's not working. When whoever is at the door leaves, she will go right back to the topic!

"Oh, God!", Olivia exclaimed when she opened the door and saw Max. 

Max directed his killer sly smirk at Olivia. "Some call me by that name... Is Liz here?"

Olivia was nonresponsive. Max freaking Anderson was right there! Too close, too suddenly… and Olivia's brain became a mush due to his proximity.

"Max?", Liz's voice came from the back. "I thought you said noon…", she glanced around the room while trying to find a clock. Her phone was in the bedroom, charging. Liz realized that she has no clocks in the visual range and took a mental note to buy a few.

"Yes. I'm planning for the afternoon, so I stopped by to ask if you prefer indoor or outdoor activities.", he clarified.

"I prefer outdoor…", Liz responded and quickly added: "But I hate rain. So, if it's going to rain, then indoor."

He chuckled in amusement. "You hate rain? And you came to Seattle?"

"I came for the work, not for the weather.", Liz responded with a small giggle.

Liz is not a giggly person, but Max makes her feel relaxed without trying, and giggles are coming out of her involuntarily. Well, she does not mind. Laughter is good for the body.

"I hope you like Italian, because that is what we are having for lunch.", Max informed her.

Liz shrugged. "I'm not picky."

"OK. I will not take more of your time now. I will see you noon-ish." He told Liz and glanced at Olivia before heading to his apartment.

Olivia looked at his back, and she was still staring that way even after the door of the apartment from across the hall closed.

"When you come back to Earth, you can close the door.", Liz teased Olivia.

Olivia closed the door and turned to Liz robotically. "You are having lunch with Max freaking Anderson, and then you will spend the afternoon with him?"

"And dinner.", Liz added with a smirk.

Part of Liz enjoyed seeing the range of Olivia's shocked expressions. At this point, it looks that Olivia's eyes will pop out of their sockets and her mouth is open.

"And you are NOT dating?", Olivia asked after she processed the information that Liz spent her yesterday's afternoon and evening with Max, and they will do the same today.

"We are having a good time together. His day is free, and so is mine. I don't see a problem in spending it with him.", Liz responded flatly.

"I never said it's a problem. But you do know that IS called dating. Right?"

Liz thought for a second before responding. "Normally, yes. But this is not normal."

"What makes it not normal?"

Liz reminded herself not to mention Quentin. She needs to find another way to tell Olivia that nothing is going on between her and Max. "Olivia, we are friends."

Olivia's expression showed that she is irritated. And she is. How can Liz treat the hottest guy on the planet who is hitting on her like a friend? Max freaking Anderson is hitting on her! He even went to the length of spending an evening in her apartment without making any moves on her? Wait… doesn't that mean that Max likes Liz? Really like-like? Based on the information Olivia has related to Max, he is not the one to court a girl. All girls come to him, and he has no need to be gentlemanly.

Olivia told herself that it does not matter if Max really likes Liz or sees her only as another conquest. If Liz does not see it coming, she is a sitting duck! Olivia needs to open her eyes…

"Elizabeth, Max freaking Anderson does NOT have friends who are girls. Or do you believe that you are the first one? I remember us talking about him last time and you said something like: don't think that you are the one who will make him change his ways because those things don't happen in real life."

"You don't know what you are talking about.", Liz brushed her off.

"There is only one thing I don't know, and that is: are you deceiving me or yourself?"

Liz frowned and didn't want to continue this discussion. "Go clean up the kitchen."

"It's clean."

"Make some food."

"I thought you are going out for lunch.", Olivia said flatly.

Liz took a deep breath to calm down and slumped into the sofa.

Olivia had a victorious smile on her face and sat on the sofa chair. "So… you are having a good time with him?"

Liz rolled her eyes. Olivia is NOT going to let it go… she gave up. "Yes. I am…"

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