17 Fair and Square

"Don't blame the beer, silly. I was just happy that I found 'Sir James' and now… I can hang them side by side," Olivia said while wiping the lone tear that smeared the light coat of make-up on her face with a finger.

"You have to thank me for letting you win." Olivia moved her gaze from the portrait to the "ten-year-old" beside her who had a smug look on his face. She playfully tapped his arms while saying, "I have won him fair and square. Why were you antsy to get your hands on him anyway?"

"I promised an old friend to collect it for her," Maxen replied, his voice almost a whisper. Olivia cocked an eyebrow with what she heard. She felt a sudden prick in her heart after hearing him mention a girl, which was totally not a sign of jealousy… so she coined it curiosity, that she couldn't help but ask, "Old friend… or old flame?"

"Old friend. Nothing else."

Maxen noticed Olivia's sudden interest that he gave her a small smile and decided to walk back to the sofa, picking up the beer cans they left on the floor. He didn't want to talk about that person, not after what she did to him that until now he still had to pay for something he shouldn't have to. He made himself at home, walking around the place like he's the owner as he looked for the recycling bin in the kitchen.

His retreating back told Olivia that he didn't want to talk about it so she shrugged her "curiosity" off and replied with an 'okay'.

"So how are you liking the country so far, Olivia?" Maxen asked, the smile on his face was different than what he showed earlier. This time it was not forced but a genuine, eager smile that reached the corners of his eyes.

"So far so good. I have a question though. Why do people here love to smile?"

Maxen fixed his gaze on Olivia and watched as she tiptoed from the living room to the bar stool by the marble kitchen island that he completely forgot to answer her question until he heard her call his name.

"Maaaax," Olivia singsongy called. It was like a piece of music to Maxen's ears that he even wished he could hear it upon waking up.

"I don't have a definite answer to your question. The closest that I can think of is… the weather? Have you ever seen a person who grew up in a tropical island sad?" Olivia tilted her head side to side like a pendulum. "No, right? Because it was always sunny. You always see the sun up there, smiling at you, reminding you of the bright day ahead and even if it was raining, we're still happy because we get relief from the humidity too."

Maxen's attention was caught by the clock on the kitchen wall. He almost forgot that he had a scheduled breakfast with his father tomorrow so he cleared his throat and had to say goodbye for now.

"Thanks for showing me Ophelia. She's lovely," Maxen said, pulling out the phone in his pocket. "But before I leave, would you mind me asking for your number?" Olivia curtly replied and watched Maxen's long fingers dance on his phone's screen. When he was done typing, he raised his phone and said, "Cheeeese!" Olivia was caught off guard that she was a hundred percent sure her photo didn't look nice.

"Hey. That's not fair. Change that." She hopped off the barstool and made her way to Maxen, grabbing his phone from him.

"Now say cheeeeeese," Olivia said and raised the phone over their faces, her smile was cheeky yet her beauty still breathtaking that Maxen was photographed staring at her. He checked the photo one more time, a devilishly handsome smile painted on his face. He saved the photo in his contacts and changed his wallpaper and homescreen with their photo too.

"This one's better. Thank you, Olivia."

"My pleasure, Max."

The two found their way to the lift and as the elevator doors opened, Maxen let Olivia step inside first, the back of their hands lightly brushing against each other.

Olivia felt as if her heart leaped out of her chest that her hand flew to her chest to try and catch it. She bit her lower lip when she started to hear the drumming of her heart in her ears. Once inside, she turned about-face only to crash on Maxen's toned chest, his strong perfume made her crinkle her nose.

Stepping back, Olivia bumped her back against the cold metal wall that she was thankful for as it was keeping herself from burning up. She decided to keep her eyes to the floor but the clank of Maxen's shoe as it took a step closer to her made her look up to the man who was a head taller than her. She knew the inevitable would really happen tonight and right inside the elevator of all places too. Her eyes never left Maxen as the two began their staring showdown.

"Are you going to kiss me?" Olivia folded her arms across her chest with her chin up as she taunted Maxen who gently released her arms from its fold, locking it with his own to her sides.

"Can I?" Maxen politely asked, pleading with his crystal blue eyes. Usually, he would not ask foolish questions like that before kissing a girl because girls loved it when he makes his move on them but Olivia was different. She didn't want to be used, she wanted to be respected and it showed with how she clearly drew a line between them.

It was now Maxen's turn to take a step back when he was captivated by the smile that was painted on Olivia's face. Noticing his distraction, she freed her hand from his hold and straightened her back before pushing Maxen with the tips of her fingers on his chest up until his back was against the elevator doors.

DING!

They both snapped their heads to the elevator doors that opened on cue. Olivia pushed Maxen out of the lift with gentle force yet he almost went off balance.

BEEP!

The sound of the keycard swiping against the machine broke Maxen out of his shock. He watched as the elevator doors closed in slow motion with Olivia smirking on the other side.

"Good night, Max," Olivia said just before the common elevator doors closed and her fingers waving bye like it was playing keys on the piano. A few seconds later, a burst of booming laughter echoed in the lobby. The royal guards who robotically stood guard all night by the elevators showed a hint of a smile.

"Have you seen what happened?" Maxen asked the men in black who stood by the sidelines. He shook his head when he could not help but accept the truth that he fell under her spell.

Her voice piqued his curiosity. Her blank hazel eyes stole his breath away and he didn't care if she would take his heart too. Maxen bit the insides of his cheek as the realization hit him: the inexplicable feeling at the instant when your soul made an irrefutable connection with another; your soul finally found the one that it had been searching so long for - a soulmate. [1] He'd been with countless women yet none of them gripped him the way Olivia did. But what was it about her which made her different? Well, it didn't really matter to him.

Maxen watched as the digital board displayed the fifty-sixth floor, letting him know that Olivia was finally home. And as the penthouse elevator door opened, Jack who stood behind his royal highness could hear everything that Maxen was uttering under his breath.

"Sure I'll let you have 'Sir James'… but you... you're going to be mine, Olivia."