Featuring Hugo and Livvy

November 4, 2005 (part 2)

present day

The man she was marrying was Luke Carter, from all those years ago.

When he walked into Tia's, Hugo looked at him, and then at her, and then at him, and at her again, before he said a resounding "noooo freaking way," which was the only thing he could think to say, really.

She smiled sheepishly, but she was not ashamed.

Luke Carter was not the same scrawny kid from 10 years ago. He had grown into his face and his body, and switched out his old circular glasses for ones that suited his face better. He lost his slouch, and walked with purpose, dressed as if he'd come out of a meeting, in a blue suit and slacks. He looked good, even Hugo had to admit. Turning back to Olivia, he saw the most love sick look on her face. He'd seen that look on Olivia's face before, but never was it directed at anyone else but him.

"Luke is a good guy, Hugo. You were right to tell me to give him a chance."

But he was only joking at the time, surely she knew? She waved at him from where they sat at the corner, and he pointed to them and laughs.

Before he came over, he ordered something in the counter, and brings it to Olivia. The first thing he said to them is, "Of course you both would be sitting here." His voice, too, was different. He pulled a chair next to Olivia, and kissed her on the top of her head before sitting down and talking to her in a hushed whisper. What he said made her giggle.

"Shut up, I like you NOW!" she hit him playfully on the arm, as he took a sip from her drink. Butterscotch latte, he notices. Since when does she drink that?

Until now, Hugo just watched them. Olivia turned to him with her eyebrows raised and said, "oh! Oh yeah," she motioned at the both of them with her hands, "Hugo, Luke. Luke, Hugo. Celebrity, my fiancee. My loving fiancee, Oscar nominated celebrity. We know which one of you is the luckier one," she joked, nudging Luke with her shoulder.

Quietly, Hugo said, "yeah, we do."

Luke and Olivia both turn to him, and then to each other. Hugo stirred his coffee and Olivia laughed the fake-est laugh he's ever heard in his life. He cleared his throat now, "How are you? How's Lola?"

"Lola's good!" He beamed, "Just had a baby girl. Her second child. I'm an uncle of two kids now."

"She's the most adorable baby in the world," Olivia interjected, her eyes bright as she turns to Hugo, "When Luke and I have kids, I just hope they're half as cute as she is."

"Nah, no way I'm betting on that, if you're their mom." She laughed again.

That's the memory that kept replaying in his mind that night. The rest of the time spent at Tia's was just him barely able to hold on to the conversation they were having, speaking of times past. He didn't know what to feel.

A part of him wanted to punch Luke, and the other part of him wanted to cry until the bitter feeling in his chest went away. If it could go away.

He did neither. Instead, he slurped up the remainder of his cold coffee quickly, and excused himself from the table, saying he had to go home and discuss something with his manager, "something about a multimillion dollar movie deal, you know how it is."

He realized he said that in hopes that Olivia might be impressed. Suggesting by the way she looked at him, it didn't have the effect he thought it would. She just said, "Showing off, are we now?" with a laugh, before hugging him goodbye. The hug was a second too short.

Hugo shook Luke's hand more roughly than he should've, but Luke's smile did not falter. He wished Hugo the best for his meeting, and there and then he resisted the greatest urge to sock the guy in his nose.