Choices and Consequences Ch. 02

A few days after the incident at her parent's party, Lili found herself getting ready to go out again. This time it was a small dinner with the O'Neils. Her mother had forced it upon her, demanding that she apologize to the family, especially Ms. Olivia Braxton. Lili frowned at the thought of apologizing to her. Aidan's bride to be was far from polite, and Lili suspected she didn't have a forgiving bone in her body. Yet, the worst part of it all was having to do it in front of Aidan...and Dave. Her mother, Kathleen was insistent upon bringing Dave and once again she got her wish. Dave was not thrilled with the fact of having dinner with the O'Neils but he had finally given in.

She heard a car pull up and looked out her bedroom window. Dave stepped out, a frown lining his boyish face giving him the look of a pouty 12 year old. He wasn't unattractive, but that's exactly what he looked like. A boy. And he wasn't nearly as attractive as Aidan. She frowned at that thought, pushing it away.

A knock at the door shook her from her thoughts. She made her way down the stairs, mentally preparing herself for the night ahead. She opened the door, and Dave smiled grimly.

"Hello dear," he said flatly. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ready?"

"Yes, let's get this over with." He rolled his eyes at her response and Lili suddenly realized that her friends were probably right. Dave didn't seem to love her at all. And she knew she didn't love him. They would have a passionless, boring marriage always under the watchful eye of her parents. But why was he marrying her? Furthermore, why was Aidan marrying Olivia? Lili suddenly became nervous at the thought of sitting across the table from Aidan for hours. Olivia would surely be staring her down the whole night. But she really had no idea how this night would go.

----

Aidan waited impatiently for Lili to show up, drumming his fingers on the table. He wanted to see her again, but not for the same reasons as the rest of his family. He wanted to talk to her, get to know her, then do things to her that he shouldn't be thinking about at a dinner table....He certainly didn't want her humiliated in front of everyone by apologizing to someone who got what they deserved. He looked at Olivia who seemed equally as impatient, watching the doors and checking the time. She had changed since that night. Her sweet, naive side had vanished and now she was one hell of a high-maintenance bitch. She had become aggressive and borderline psychotic it seemed. She threw herself at him every time they were alone and tried dominating him in bed. That didn't go over so well. Needless to say, he was turned off.

Finally, he saw Lili come through the door with whom he assumed was her fiance. Aidan raised his eyebrows at the pair. Lili looked incredibly beautiful, with her hair neatly pulled back, her curve-hugging black dress pants, red blouse, and oh God - matching red high heels. Aidan almost began to drool at the sight of her. But she was engaged to a boy. He didn't look a day over 19, and the idiot didn't even realize how hot his fiance was.

As they approached the table, he noticed Olivia smile and stare directly at Lili. To his surprise Lili stared right back, but didn't smile. And then he had a feeling that it was going to be a long, long night.

They seated themselves at the table as everyone exchanged stiff polite hellos. Lili's parents looked nervously at her, as if waiting for her to make them look bad again. But Lili kept her composure, and she seemed to refuse to look at him. But even as they ordered their food, he kept looking at her. He couldn't help it, she was exquisite. He could tell she was getting nervous, but he wanted her to look at him. He needed to know if she really felt the same strong attraction as he did. She had her head turned to the side slightly but he could still see her eyes darting around the room. Finally her eyes landed on him. He thought he could feel the heat in her gaze, and a strong wave of desire washed over him. Then she looked away, looking a bit red in the face.

The dinner was running smoothly enough. Polite conversation about politics and her parent's latest vacation reached Lili's ears, but no mention of an apology was made. Did everyone forget? She thought the whole night to be very strange. She glanced at Aidan who was resting his head in his hand. He met her gaze and smiled. She smiled back a little and looked at Olivia next to him. Olivia was staring at her coldly.

"Are you ever going to apologize to me for ruining my dress?!" Olivia said, loudly enough for everyone at the table to hear. It became deathly silent as everyone turned to look between the two girls. Lili thought she might've heard a pin drop somewhere. Or maybe a leaky water faucet.

"I was going to wait to speak to you privately, Olivia," Lili said evenly. Her heart was pounding.

"Well, I would prefer you did it now. After all, you did ruin an expensive dress of mine you bitch," Olivia said, smiling. She loved moments like these! Lili clenched her teeth trying to hold back her anger. Her mother didn't hesitate.

"Of course Lili is extremely apologetic! Aren't you, Lili?" Her mother gave her a dangerous glare. Lili was furious that her mother simply ignored the fact of her being called a bitch. Maybe she agrees, she thought bitterly.

"In fact," Olivia began, "I've thought of a way that you can make up for being such a whore!" she feigned excitement, as if speaking to a child. Aidan turned to look at Olivia with wide eyes.

"Olivia. Seriously. Enough's enough," he said. He felt his own anger rising as Olivia just gave him a nasty look. There was no stopping her now, she was in her element.

"That idea is," she continued, "that you simply buy me a better dress. A few thousand dollars won't make a difference in your bank account," she stated as if it were the most reasonable idea in the world. Lili's mother clapped her hands.

"What a wonderful idea! Lili will buy you one as soon as possible! Better yet, make it two dresses!" she exclaimed. Olivia smiled smugly. Lili was visibly shaking and said nothing at first. She closed her eyes for a moment and Aidan held his breath waiting for her reply.

"No."

"Excuse me?" her mother and Olivia said simultaneously. Lili looked at both of them.

"You heard me. I said no. I'm not buying you a dress. And I'm NEVER going to apologize to you," she stated calmly as she stood up to leave. Dave looked pale and embarrassed and Aidan thought Mrs. Donovan might faint. "You are a selfish, spoiled, psychotic bitch. Not to mention, you're an attention whore," Lili continued. Then in her rage, she looked at Aidan's parents and asked, "Why in the HELL would you ever want your son to marry that?" She shook her head and left the table, leaving everyone speechless.

A few moments of awkward silence later, Aidan excused himself from the table. He wanted to find Lili but wasn't even sure if she was still here. His blood was on fire, watching her stand up...so angry, with her flushed cheeks and fire in her eyes. She was sexy when she was angry, so he assumed the saying was true. Because he was incredibly turned on.

He found her sitting on a bus stop bench at the end of the street. She had her legs and arms crossed and was staring absently down the street. She was still angry, he realized. He took a deep breath and sat down next to her. When she turned her head, she didn't even seem surprised to see him.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Hey...you alright?" He felt like an idiot.

Lili sighed loudly. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm really gona pay for that. Your horrid bitch of a fiance will make sure of that. Her and my mother will get together and plot something, I'm sure of it."

"You really think so?"

She looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to talk about your fiance like that. I'm sure you guys are really happy together. But yeah - " She stopped when he started laughing. "What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Hmm...um, I wouldn't say I was happy. I'm with her because my parents said so. They made me drop out of college and everything." He looked solemn now. "At least they're still having you go to college."

"HA, I'm only going because I'm paying for it because I have a job and I'm getting financial aid," she said irritably. He looked at her with surprise. "Yes, shocking I know."

Just then the bus pulled up and the doors slid open. Lili got up to board, turning around to say goodbye, but Aidan jumped up and waved the bus driver off. Lili frowned as the doors shut and the bus pulled slowly away.

"What did you do that for?! That was my ride home!"

Aidan smiled. "'Cause I'm giving you a ride home instead. I wouldn't let you take the bus," he said, leading the way to his car.

"But aren't they expecting you back inside?"

"They can wait. Come on, it's over here." He opened the passenger door to his '69 Camaro, and motioned for her to get in. As he revved the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, Lili found herself wondering what it would be like to fuck him in this Camaro. Maybe in a parking lot of a classy restaurant such as this. She smirked at the idea of her parents friends seeing her in the act.

"Nice Camaro you have here," she said cautiously. She didn't really know what to talk about.

He looked over at her and grinned. "Thanks, my dad and I rebuilt it together. When you meet my dad, you'll notice he's very laid back like me, but my mom's got him on a short leash," he laughed. Lili noticed he had said 'when' as if she were to be having lunch with his family tomorrow, but she said nothing about it.

She asked him to take her to her friend's house, and the rest of the way they talked comfortably like old friends. Suddenly they were in front of her friend Willow's house and Aidan felt disappointed.

"Well, thanks for the ride home. Not such a bad ending to a shitty night," she joked. He had his head turned away slightly, so Lili leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. But Aidan turned his head to face her, when she was a mere inches away and they suddenly found themselves too close for people otherwise engaged. Lili caught her breath as they just stared at each other for a second. Still, neither made a move. Aidan felt his breathing quicken as his eyes looked down at her lips. He wanted to be faithful...he really did. But, oh what's the point?!

Without thinking any more, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. It was tentative at first, giving her the chance to pull away and slap him but she did no such thing. She froze for a moment, but then began to kiss him back. Her hand moved to the back of his head and her tongue darted out to take the kiss deeper. Aidan groaned and willingly complied, shifting in his seat. As if his sudden movement startled her, she hastily pulled back looking embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry. I should go....Um, thank you again," she stuttered. She opened the car door and began to climb out but Aidan put a hand on her arm.

"Lili, wait. I'm not sorry for that," he said huskily. "I wana see you again."

Her eyes widened. "Aidan, you know that's not a good idea. We can't just - "

"Why not?" he cut her off. "I wana talk to you , and get to know you. We can be friends at least."

"I- I don't know...."

"Please?" He thought he sounded desperate. Maybe he was!

Lili sighed a little. "Alright, when?"

He grinned. "How about tomorrow?"

"Sure, tomorrow sounds good." She couldn't help but smile.

As she got out she couldn't believe that she had just made plans for lunch with Aidan O'Neil. Life was strange.

----

The next day Lili found herself waiting at the local cafe downtown. It felt good to be out in a T-shirt, jeans and flip flops. She hadn't dressed comfortably for a while. Aidan walked through the door just as she was wondering if he was gona be a no show. He spotted her sitting near the corner and made his way through the busy lunch crowd. He too was dressed comfortably, looking as if he came straight from the gym. He wore a sleeveless shirt and basketball shorts, giving him an entirely different look than the night before.

"Hello there," he said as sat down across from her. "Did you order yet? I'm starving."

She chuckled. "Umm, no. I waited for you."

"Oh how nice. You're looking beautiful today, by the way," he replied. It startled her.

"Oh. Err...thank you. So....what are we getting?"

The conversation flowed easily through the afternoon, both finding they had much in common. He was surprised to find out that she was a football fan and they agreed to go to a game sometime. He then asked about college and she seemed nervous.

"Well, college is hard. Getting financial aid was next to impossible because of who my parents are. But once they realized that I was on my own, I got partial aid. I still pay for books and anything extra."

"What's your major?"

"History."

"Really? What do you plan on doing with that? I'm guessing not a teacher."

She laughed. "How'd you know? No, I'm planning on working in museums and being a curator. Which is why I have a job interview for the museum down the street. If I get a job there, it'll help me get into graduate school. So it's extremely important to me, and I'm also extremely nervous."

"Well, when is it?"

"Um, tomorrow."

Aidan's eyes widened. "Really? Well that's great! You have nothing to worry about, you'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure about that. But we'll see."

The afternoon was slowly winding down into evening and they decided to part ways. But not before Aidan asked to hang out again. She agreed and exchanged numbers with him and he told her to call him after the interview. They walked to her car in a comfortable silence. Before she left, Aidan put his hand on her arm and turned her towards him. He put his hands at the base of her neck and planted a soft kiss on her lips, not caring who saw.

"Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't but I can't help it," he said quickly. "I'll see you later?"

She nodded slowly.

"Ok," he replied. And he gave her another kiss on the forehead before leaving.

----

Lili flattened her skirt and blouse nervously as she stood outside the museum. The surrounding buildings seemed impossibly larger than normal, making her feel insignificant. She knew it was just her nerves. Her future, her success, and her dreams were counting on her landing this job. If she were to be hired as an assistant curator, she knew the possibilities were endless after graduate school. She could go anywhere.

Lili took a deep breath and walked up the steps to the entrance. She hesitated as she reached for the door handle, contemplating turning around and bolting for the safety of her car, but she knew what she had to do. She opened the door and slowly stepped inside.

The front lobby area was relatively quiet, with a hushed group of young students being given a tour. Other than that, Lili could see no one.

"Can I help you?" Lili jumped at the sound of the voice. A woman was sitting at the reception desk to her left, looking at her curiously. She hadn't even noticed the woman when she walked in.

"Um, yes. I'm here for a 1 o'clock interview...?"

A look of understanding passed over the woman's face. "Ahh, you must be Ms. Donovan. Nice to meet you," the woman said, holding out her hand. "Mr. Ashford and his associates are anxious to meet you," she added, smiling. "This way, please."

Associates?! How many people are interviewing me? Lili screamed inside her head. The receptionist led her down a long hallway and opened a door to the right.

"Mr. Ashford? Lili Donovan is here to see you for her interview."

"Ahh! Send her in, send her in!" he exclaimed. Lili thought he sounded...old. And with her heart thudding in her chest, she stepped inside the room smiling, and nearly fainted. Perhaps 12 or more men and women sat around a long oval table, staring at her intently.

----

The days after the interview were going by agonizingly slow. Aidan called her nearly every day to check if she got the job. She wondered how he found the time with Olivia prowling around the house. She reminded Lili of some man-eating tiger. The thought almost made her laugh, but then the phone rang again. Her heart started pounding as she picked it up hastily.

"Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak to Ms. Donovan please?" The voice sounded professional! Lili almost had a heart attack.

"This is her," she managed.

"Ah, hello there. It's Mr. Ashford. Well, we promised to call you to let you know our decision either way..." he said, slowly. Lili's heart sank, preparing for the worst. "And I have to say you are definitely not at our standards."

She felt like crying! "Oh....ok. Well, I understand..."

"Good, I'm glad you do. Because you are exceedingly far above our standards and are more than qualified for this job," he said.

She paused. "What?" Was she hearing him right?

"Welcome to the team, Ms. Donovan. I hope to see you on Monday," he stated.

"Yes, sir. See you then." She hung up the phone, feeling happier than she could ever remember.

The first couple weeks of her new job was amazing. Her coworkers and even her bosses were friendly. She was getting extensive training was even put in charge of a few artifacts and documents. Everyone complimented her on her skills. Then her paycheck came in and she was ecstatic.

With this kind of money, I can afford my own place, Lili thought to herself. It's now or never. She needed to get away from her parent's world. She was in her 20's! It was time to start making decisions and supporting herself. It was time to grow up.

Aidan called her that night. She filled him in on how the job was going and about her plans to move out. He seemed surprised.

"Really? That's great. Are you sure though?"

"I'm positive. It's time to be on my own and away from them."

"But what about Dave?"

Silence. She hadn't thought about him. "I don't know," she said finally, sighing.

"Well, you don't have to think about that right now. Let me help you find a place and move in."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. It's gona be a pain in the ass trying to find a place."

"So? Let me help please. It's a good excuse for me to see you again. We haven't hung out in a while."

She smiled even though he couldn't see. "Alright I was planning on going today, I saw some new apartments for rent. I'll pick you up?"

"Yes, please," he answered.

Finding a place wasn't the hard part, it was moving all of her stuff. She spent a lot of time over the next week or so with Aidan as he helped her move in her belongings. He helped her decorate the apartment, even buying her paintings and knick-knacks.

He was helping her unpack boxes one afternoon as they chatted. They had been spending a lot of time together over the last month or so, getting to know each other and they had become good friends fairly quickly. "So, how did your parents take it?"

Lili rolled her eyes. "They took it exactly as I expected they would. Dad could care less, while Mom flipped out, screaming and yelling. She told me not to expect her to help me with anything anymore. Then when I laughed she threw a glass at me. I told her she's never helped me a day in her life, and I left."

Aidan stared for a moment. "...You said that?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I dono...I didn't expect it I guess. But then again you have an infamous way of standing up to people. Dumping trays of food on them, calling them selfish psycho bitches...you know, the usual," he said, laughing. She glared at him and threw another box to him.

"Keep working, slacker."

"Fine! I will- oh..." He stopped mid-sentence as he opened the box. He was looking down at a box full of bras and panties. The see-through thong caught his eye. He wondered who had seen her in it. The thought made him a little jealous. Lili looked over at him when he made a strange noise.