Chapter 1 The Date.

While Olivia deftly managed a flurry of drink requests behind the bar, she found her mind slipping into thoughts of her date with Chuck. She was eagerly looking forward to it, and her enthusiasm was hard to miss.

As Olivia filled the shot glasses, her eyes lit up with excitement. She and Chuck had been gearing up for this night for weeks, and she was set on making it one to remember.

Before anything else, she had to finish her shift. Olivia checked the time, hoping the minute hand would hurry up. She was so close to being done, and then she could finally head home and prep for her date.

In a rush, Olivia snatched her phone and called Chuck's number, but all she got was voicemail. She left a message, aiming for a light-hearted and playful vibe.

Olivia hurriedly snatched up her phone for what felt like the millionth time and dialed Chuck's number, her heart pounding with anticipation. When it went straight to voicemail, she left a message, doing her best to sound cheerful and fun.

"Hey babe, just wanted to let you know that it's crazy busy here at the bar, but I'll be home in a few minutes. We can finally go out and catch up. Don't change your mind, okay? I've been waiting all week for this. You promised me we'd spend some quality time together, and I'm holding you to that. Love you, bye."

While still on the phone, Olivia's boss, Kevin, approached her with a playful glint in his eye.

"Olivia, no time for phone calls, okay? All hands on deck!" he said with a chuckle.

Olivia rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Okay, boss."

Kevin winked at her. "Come on, Olivia. We need all the help we can get tonight. It's chaos out here!"

Olivia ended the call, feeling a thrill of excitement. She couldn't wait to see Chuck and start their night together.

Kevin approached Olivia with a wide smile on his face, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I told you, no boss from you, especially from you, it's Kevin," he said jokingly, almost like a whisper, clapping his hands together.

"Yeah, come on, come on, come on! Oh, come on, come on, let's go!" Kevin exclaimed, his voice booming through the bar. "We still have plenty of customers to attend to!"

As the clock ticked away, the customers began to leave one by one. Kevin, at the other end of the bar, was busy bidding farewell to the departing patrons. He made his way over to Olivia, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Time for me to head out," Kevin said, glancing at his watch. "Chloe's mom is waiting for me at home. We're having dinner together."

Mm, dinner by this time.. kevinnnnn.. she called out stretching the name.

Olivia nodded sympathetically, checking the time on her own watch.

Honestly, I could've managed things here on my own tonight, it's really not that big of a deal. You would've just gone home for dinner a bit earlier, uh? she said with a hint of worry.

Kevin chuckled. "I know you could've, but I wasn't going to leave you to deal with this chaos alone. Besides, I didn't want to leave until I knew you were okay."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "You weren't worried about me going home alone, were you?"

Kevin shook his head. "Nah, I knew you could take care of yourself. But I did want to make sure the bar was closed up properly. It's been a crazy night."

Olivia laughed. "You're just saying that because the bar was packed and you didn't want to leave me to handle it alone."

Kevin grinned. "You caught me. Yeah, it was a madhouse tonight. But next time, I'll make sure to leave earlier and let you handle things. You're a pro, after all."

Olivia smiled, feeling a sense of appreciation for Kevin's consideration. "Thanks, Kevin. I'll keep that in mind."

"You'd better get going, then. Give Chloe's mom my best, and say hi to Chloe for me. It's been a while since I've seen her."

Kevin chuckled. "Will do. I'll make sure to pass along your greetings. And don't worry, I'll make sure to freshen up before dinner. I'm sure Chloe's mom wouldn't appreciate my, ah, 'distinctive' bar scent."

Olivia laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, probably not. You don't want to give her a heart attack."

Kevin grinned. "Exactly. So, I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bright and early."

Olivia smiled. "Bright and early. Don't forget."

Kevin winked at her. "I wouldn't dare. See you tomorrow, Liv."

With that, Kevin headed out, leaving Olivia to close up the bar. She watched him go, a smile still on her face.

After Kevin left, Olivia poured herself a shot and tossed it back, feeling the liquor warm her chest. "Wow, now I'm back to life," she said to herself, smiling.

She closed up the bar, locked the door, and began walking down the street towards her home. As she strolled, she noticed a dog on her street, its tail wagging excitedly as it barked at her.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "You're such a friendly pup," she said, reaching out to pet the dog.

When she arrived at her apartment, she opened the door and was greeted by her mirror, which reflected her tired but happy face. She smiled, remembering the conversation she had with her mom earlier.

("Hey, Mom, I'm going on a date with chuck, so you should be happy for me," Olivia said to herself, mimicking her earlier conversation.)

She walked over to her closet and pulled out the red long dress she had bought for the occasion. It was a purchase she had been saving up for, using her last paycheck to treat herself.

As she slipped into the dress, Olivia felt a surge of excitement. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. "I look beautiful," she said, feeling confident and ready for her date.

With her red dress perfectly in place, Olivia felt a sense of excitement and anticipation. She grabbed her phone and dialed Chuck's number, her heart racing with expectation.

As the phone rang, Olivia couldn't help but smile. She was really looking forward to this date, and she hoped that everything would go perfectly.