MidReal Story
Olivia MacDonald is enjoying a ferry ride with her friends
Scenario: Olivia MacDonald is enjoying a ferry ride with her friends when an annoying man with a cravat approaches her, but she manages to escape his company and join her friends at a table in the coffee shop, where they discuss their dislike for rugby players. Later, Liam Hayes meets up with his friends at a tavern and notices a stunning brunette named Olivia, but he has sworn off relationships and focuses on having one-night stands instead.
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I felt a man’s gaze on me, but I was too busy enjoying the sun to acknowledge it.
When the man sat down next to me, I decided to ignore him, assuming he’d take the hint and leave me alone.
He didn’t, though.
He just kept sitting there, smirking at me as if he’d won some great prize, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of arrogance and desire.
I decided not to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him as I opened my book, hoping he’d leave me alone.
He didn’t, though.
Instead, he shifted his body so he was facing me and propped an arm on the back of my chair.
I sighed, realizing ignoring him wasn’t going to make him go away.
“Do you mind?”
I asked when he nudged me with his elbow.
I like that.” He nodded at the pink mark on my arm.
“It complements your shorts and enhances the natural color of your skin.”
I didn’t think he was going to, but he finally looked up at me.
His eyes were a cool gray that made them appear almost silver against his tanned skin, their color a nice contrast to the shade of blue he was wearing.
“I’m sorry.” He grinned, dimples appearing on both cheeks.
“I’m not trying to be annoying, but you’re so pretty that it’s hard for me to stop staring.” He winked, his eyes dropping to my body.
“Especially when you’re wearing shorts that show off your long legs and a top that shows off your tight stomach.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was up to.
This guy was either really confident or really arrogant.
Either way, it wasn’t going to get him anywhere with me.
“Is there something I can do for you?”
“Don’t you want to know what my name is?”
“No.” I pulled down the brim of my hat.
What I wanted was for him to leave me alone so I could get back to my book and enjoy the sun in peace.
“I’m sure you do.” He plucked the brim of my hat, pulling it off my head and allowing my hair to cascade around my bare shoulders.
You seem like a girl who likes to chat.”
“And how is that?”
“You just seem like you want to talk more.” He grinned.
“Am I right?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little rude to bother someone who clearly doesn’t want to be bothered?”
“Not if I can get her to change her mind by continuing to bother her.”
“That’s a good thing, then, because I’m not going to change my mind.”
He nodded toward the side chair, his smile still in place.
This is the empty seat, right?”
I stood and moved around the table so he could have the chair.
“Thank you.” He sat and crossed his long legs, making himself comfortable.
“Have a nice day.” I put my hat back on and returned to the table where my friends were sitting.
They were all laughing when I arrived.
“What’s so funny?”
“Did you lose your new admirer already?”
“Looks that way.” I sighed and settled in next to Lucy.
“You should have let him stay,” Emma said.
“You could use a good lay before starting your senior year.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not in the mood for an annoying man with a cravat right now.” I motioned toward the jerk sitting next to me and then laughed with the girls.
“Well, if you keep turning down all your opportunities, you’re going to end up like me,” Lucy said with a pout.
“You should have married that guy from Costa Rica who asked your dad for permission last summer,” Emma said.
“I know, right?
What was I thinking?”
I sipped my water and laughed with them.
“You’re only twenty-one, Olivia,” Lucy said, narrowing her eyes at me and shaking a finger.
“You have to stop being so picky and find a man to settle down with before it’s too late.”
“A man?”
Emma laughed and grabbed my arm.
“You can’t even get a guy to stay past one night.”
“Come on, Olivia.” Lucy pouted.
“We graduate from college today and all of our boyfriends are moving away.” She held up a bottle of sunscreen and waved it around like a magic wand, the SPF 60 glistening in the sun.
“We need to find you someone to take care of your skin when we’re gone.”
I laughed at my dramatic friends and then reached for the sunscreen, applying it to my arms and legs and hoping they were wrong about needing to find a guy to take care of my skin once they left.
We’d been friends since we were kids, going away to college together and renting an apartment outside of campus so we could save money during the school year.
Now we were all graduating on the same day, and I was one of the few girls who didn’t have a ring on her finger.
After the ferry ride, I went back to my car to grab my book so I could read while the girls got ready for the graduation ceremony.
I went down to the lower deck where my car was parked and walked along the row until I saw it.
I unlocked it and was about to open the door when I heard a voice over my shoulder.
I dropped my purse on the ground and groaned when I saw him again—the annoying man with the cravat who had been bothering me earlier.
I spun around and looked up into his twinkling eyes, hating that I had to crane my neck to see his face since he was standing on the step above me.
“What do you want?”
“Did you follow me?”
“I’m parked right here.” He pointed to the car beside mine, which had an out-of-state license plate from Tennessee glued to the front bumper.It was a nice car but older than mine, with some dings on the side and bumper from what appeared to be years of use driving through the city.
