Nice n' Easy - Summer

[OLIVER SEBASTIAN WELCOTT]

Things had been crazy, crazy, crazy. And not a good crazy either. There had been the whole Valentine's Day tragedy in Hope Harbor. Many people had been injured and several lost their lives and the perpetrator was still out there. Summer and her family had been hurt in that whole fiasco and that had brought Summer and Oliver closer together. So at least that was something good out of it. But then Brooklyn's best friend, Kylie had been in an accident, a pretty severe one at that. She'd been pregnant and lost the baby in the accident. Aside from that challenge, she'd been in a coma for a few days and no one had been certain she'd even make it. Kylie eventually pulled through but that wasn't the end of her health challenges. Oliver wished he could have been her attending physician, but her parents had forced her to go back to Chicago with them, taking advantage of the fact that she was too weak to fight them on it.

Something else that had happened in the middle of everything, was Brooklyn and Tristan's engagement. It had shocked Oliver a bit at how quickly it had all happened. But it wasn't bad shock. He was happy and excited for his best friend and his brother. Brooklyn was loyal and Tristan would worship the ground she walked on. They were perfect for and lucky to have each other. The wedding was to take place this summer. For now the location was undisclosed, even to the family and friends. Tristan and Brooklyn didn't want any of this getting out to the media. They wanted it to be private and uncrashed by the media. If things went well between him and Summer, Oliver hoped to take her to the wedding. In addition to that, he wanted to try and go to London for a few days at least. It would be difficult for him to go there, but he needed to face this now. It was time.

Speaking of Summer, Oliver was currently preparing a supper for the two of them. It wasn't anything extremely fancy, just a garden salad and Chicken Alfredo. But Oliver was quite the cook, as was Tristan. Their Gran had taught them well. Oliver had laid out a wine red table cloth and white china plates. He'd put out a glass for ice water and wine glass for a fine Chardonnay he'd purchased. Then he took the dozen roses he'd bought from the flower shop and put them in a vase with water and the plant food like Haven had told him to.

Just as he'd finished, Oliver heard a gentle knock on the door. Knowing it was summer, Oliver rushed to the little mirror that hung in his apartment's narrow hallway. Quickly he straightened his bow tie, and ran his fingers through his hair, quickly before going to the door. Oliver smiled as he opened it. Hello, Summer! He leaned towards her and gave her a gentle, affectionate kiss on the cheek, then stood aside for her to step in. Supper's nearly ready. Have a seat. He hurried over and pulled the chair out for her. This was the first time they'd gotten together, just the two of them, since Valentine's Day and Oliver wanted to make it special. How was your day? He asked, as he moved to the stove to stir some things and drain the pasta. He hoped Summer liked pasta. He'd forgotten to check with her.

[/size]

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

Lately, Summer had been doing a lot of thinking. She'd been thinking about her brother and her niece, thankful that they were both alive and doing well, though Dom was in for some serious recovery time. She'd been thinking about her parents and what exactly justified them being taken from she and Dom so soon. She'd yet to come up with an answer for that. She'd been thinking about moving back home and wondering if it had been her best idea, seeing as she hadn't been expecting this crazy "Avery" person and all their antics. Then she thought about Oliver... she liked Oliver, and when she thought about Oliver, none of her "problems" mattered anymore, because he made her happy. Though he seemed a little strung out at the moment, and slightly stressed about his brother and Brooklyn's engagement, he still managed to make her laugh every day, which she loved.

Now, she was sitting in her car triple checking that she looked okay for that night. Her hair was curled and her make up was done in a soft but still noticeable way. She'd just found a little black dress in one of the boxes she'd been unpacking with Brooklyn and decided that she'd wear it to dinner that night. Her new black and white striped heels went perfectly with it and she topped it off with a silver dangling necklace and chunky silver bracelet. She let out a deep breath, took her keys out of the rental car, which she should really get around to returning soon, and put them into her black clutch along with her phone, lip gloss, and breath mints.

She opened the car door and got out, straightening her dress and closing the door behind her as she walked up to the door to his apartment. She stood there for one minute, trying to calm her nerves, which she shouldn't have been, seeing as she'd already gotten comfortable around him. She raised her hand slowly and rapped a few times on the door to let him know that she was there.

As soon as the door opened, she relaxed and smiled easily and widely at the sight of him. "Hi, Oliver." She said to him before kissing him on the cheek at the same time he did. She then went inside and waited for him to lead her to where she was supposed to go. When he quickened his pace to pull out her chair for her, she couldn't help but smile at him. "Thank you." She said as she sat down and placed her clutch on the table beside her. Maybe she'd been so nervous because they hadn't actually gotten together alone since the "Avery" thing. She looked at the red table cloth and the pretty white china contrasting against it, loving how he had decorated. Then she noticed the roses in the vase and she grinned to herself before hearing his voice and turning her head to look over at him. "My day was good. I had a job interview at the elementary school this morning, and so I'll be waiting to hear back from them sometime this week. How was your day? Hopefully it wasn't busy?" She asked him, always afraid to ask about his job at the hospital. She never wanted to upset him by making him think about anything that went wrong, but she felt obliged to ask about his work day as well.

Outfit: here

[OLIVER SEBASTIAN WELCOTT]

[/color] After she specified her desired beverage, Oliver poured it for her as he listened with interested to her day. Oh you'll get the job...Nothing to worry about on that score I'm sure...Someone as competent and pretty as you?! Not a problem. He said encouragingly. Oliver had faith in Summer. She was, as he'd said, competent, she was responsible, mature, and beautiful. The ideal candidate. All I'll have to worry about is the male teachers hitting on you. He teased. Oliver had no doubt that Summer had admirers wherever she went. But he wasn't one to be jealous, unless he was given a clear and distinct reason to be. In fact, he was more of one to take it as a compliment if someone else hit on his girl.

It went well. Oliver assured her. It was slow...which is always good. Especially after the Avery attacks, he thought to himself. That had been a crazy time for everyone in town. A lot of people injured and some dead. There were still memorial services going on and fund raisers and vigils and the rest. It was to be expected, but sad and hard to see none the less. Oliver was thankful every day that Summer and her family weren't among the severely injured or dead. Speaking of, How are your Dom and Everleigh doing? Oliver inquired after her brother and niece. Summer's worries and concerns were Oliver's now as well. And your shoulder? Is it giving you any trouble? He checked up on that regularly. He was a Doctor after all.

Pouring himself a glass of wine, Oliver continued to cool the food for a few more minutes. [/ul][/size]

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

When she had settled herself at the table, Oliver asked what she would like to drink. She listened as she rattled off what her options were and responded grateful of the chance to have some wine and relax with him after a long day. "I'll have a glass of wine, thank you." She said to him with a smile. The moment he assured her that she'd get the job, she couldn't help but laugh lightly. He was always so complimentary, so kind and confident, that it was hard for her to ever doubt herself around him. She smiled and laid one ankle atop the other, crossing her legs by her feet, and rubbed her thumb across the table top in a slightly anxious way. Maybe it was the interview, maybe it was the thought of being here with him other than just hanging out after the Avery attack. She didn't know what it was, but something was making her nervous, and she tried to keep it hidden until she calmed down.

His joke about the male teachers flirting with her forced a laugh and a smile out of her once again as she shook her head. "No... not that many men talk to me, so I think you should be okay." She assured him with a nod of her head. It was true, at least in her mind, that she didn't get a whole lot of male attention, and if she did, only a few ever came up and spoke to her. She put up a fairly good front so it made it hard for most people to walk up and start speaking to her unless they really had to or had a question such as Oliver had. It was, in a way, a method of self defense for her.

As he assured her with news that the hospital was slow that day, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled. She hated to hear that more and more people were in the hospital, and so when his days were slow, it meant good things for the town. Especially after the Avery attacks, which had everyone on edge, it was nice to know that they'd lived another day without another incident. He asked about her brother and niece and she smiled softly, appreciating that he cared about her family as well. "They're doing well. Brooklyn is definitely taking good care of him for me. Everleigh is always there during the day, but that means her mother is as well..." She said quietly. She and Brooklyn both knew that Dom spending so much time with his ex-wife was not in his best interest. He was still somehow in love with her and she had clearly moved on with her helper in the affair. She let out a deep breath and shook her head, deciding not to mention anything else about it. "Well, it's the first day out of the sling, so it's a little sore, but overall it's been good." She said to him with a smile. "Thank you." She smiled to him.

As he stayed with the food to let it cool off before they began to eat, she leaned forward slightly, bracing herself against the table with her elbows and looking down at her fingers before looking back up to him. "How is your brother doing? I've gotten to see Brooklyn pretty much every day, but I've yet to catch him around. He went back to England, right? Or did he stay after the party?" She asked him.

[OLIVER SEBASTIAN WELCOTT]

[/color] Oliver teased, then kissed her on the cheek. Her skin was so smooth and soft ad she was so beautiful. It made him quite nervous being near her, and even more nervous touching her. Oliver felt he had been reduced to a silly school boy. But he really didn't mind that in this case.

Oliver listened intently to what Summer had to say about her brother and niece. He was glad to hear they were doing well. He couldn't help but smile at the mention of Brooklyn, the beauty he would soon have the privilege of calling his sister-in-law. He wondered at the way Summer mentioned Dominic's ex wife. There seemed to be some tension there. He nearly refrained from inquiring, but decided not to refrain. He and Summer were trying to get to know each other and that meant discussing small things and large things and sensitive things. She didn't have to answer if she didn't want to, but Oliver was going to ask. And...his ex wife being around is a bad thing then? That may have seemed a strange or ignorant question to ask if one was completely ignorant of the situation, but Oliver wasn't...at least not completely. He knew, just from some conversations he'd overheard at the hospital, that Dom still liked...if not loved, his ex wife and seemed to want her back...Though the ex wife seemed opposed.

Oliver nodded about her shoulder. It's bound to be, for quite some time...But physical therapy and all that will help it to heal more quickly. Often times, people opted not to do the physical therapy because their insurance didn't cover it. Oliver understood that people couldn't always afford to spend the extra money, but he often thought they didn't realize what a benefit it was and how much more quickly they'd be able to get back to a normal life if they did it.


As Oliver began to serve their food, he smiled at the mention of his brother, Tristan. Nodding he began to answer Summer's questions. He's doing very well... I think he and Brooklyn are going to be very happy together. Oliver concluded. He stayed for a few days and then had to head back...rehearsals for his shows and all. He explained. Whenever Oliver did bring himself to go back to London, one of the first things he wanted to do was attend one of Tristan's shows. It had been years and he missed hearing him sing and seeing him act. Tristan was London's brightest and most talented. Oliver couldn't have been more proud of his younger brother. One of these days, we'll have to go to one of his shows. You'd love London and Gran and Tristan would love to meet you.

Oliver brought the plated food to the table, setting one in front of Summer and one in his spot, before sitting down. He waited for her to take the first bite, then took one himself. It had turned out nearly as good as he had hoped, which made him happy. [/ul]

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

She thanked him as he set down her glass of wine and she gently raised it to her lips, sipping slowly as he went back over to finish preparing their food. Everything was so easy, so comfortable, so calm, that it scared her. She loved being so relaxed around him, but at the same time, she was always ready for something to go wrong, and it made her jumpy. She shouldn't ever think that something would happen, but from what she'd known from the past, the way the town was being attacked by the invisible vigilantes, and her lack of fear slowly turning against her, she was on edge.

As she heard his laugh, so deep, sweet, and truthful, she forced herself to relax. She was safe here, they both like each other, and they were moving at a pace which was perfect for both of them. "Maybe so..." She laughed quietly as he teased her, saying she didn't want to make him jealous, which was of course true, but so was the fact that most guys she saw or met never bothered to speak with her. He was safe in that department, but she'd let him think it was just to keep him from getting jealous, because it was pretty cute now that she thought about it. When he kissed her on the cheek for the second time that night, she smiled and blushed lightly, knowing that he was just as nervous as she was.

She loved to see his reactions to the people she spoke of, mostly the ones they both knew, this time being Brooklyn. He always had a caring look in his eyes when she spoke of her, which made it clear that he already considered the woman his sister-in-law. That was something she liked about Oliver, how easy it was to be accepted by him and how true his friendship was once you earned it. When she mentioned Dom's ex-wife, however, he seemed slightly confused by her tone. "It's not bad because she's a horrible person... It's just that it's not a healthy situation for him to be in right now... He's still madly in love with her and she's engaged to the man she cheated on him with. It doesn't even seem to upset him when I try and point it out." She sighed to Oliver as she played with the edge of the table cloth and took another sip of her wine. "I'm not just being closed-minded, right? It makes sense that I'm annoyed by her?" Summer asked him. Sometimes she wondered if maybe she was too quick to judge when it came to her brother's ex-wife, even though she had reason to.

He mentioned that Physical Therapy would help her to get back to normal with her shoulder and she nodded. "I just have to get this job and then double check I have the right insurance... Gotta start wearing my big girl panties, I guess." She laughed quietly. "I'm so used to having someone else take care of my medical issues for me, whether it was Mr. McLaughlin or the University Athletic Trainers... I just have to figure out how it all works." She said to him with a shrug, trying not to move her left shoulder as much.

He answered all of her questions about his own brother and listened intently. She loved to hear about his family, just as much as she liked to talk about her own. When he mentioned Tristan's shows, she tried to remember what it was that he did, either from a conversation with Brooklyn or Oliver. "Right... He's a musician, right?" Summer asked, hoping she had the right person in mind. If not, she'd feel very silly... but wouldn't admit that she was wrong. It was then that he suggested they go to one of his brother's shows. He spoke of seeing London and meeting his Grandmother and brother. She smiled brightly, her stomach clenching tightly for a few moments, but she didn't show the nerves she was feeling. "That sounds like it would be an amazing time." She said to him with a nod. In all reality, she would love to meet his family, but the possibility of messing up their relationship by doing something stupid was still very heavy and real in her mind, and truthfully, she'd never gone anywhere with a boyfriend unless it was to the beach with a large group of people that her boyfriend just happened to be in.

She thanked him as he set down her plate of pasta and when he sat down across from her she waited a few moments, watching him to see what he'd do if she didn't eat right away, and finally stopped dawdling and took a bite of the food. She wasn't expecting it to taste as good as it did, her previous boyfriends having set the bar fairly low when it came to cooking. She raised her eyebrows and finished chewing before she spoke. "This tastes wonderful!" She complimented him before taking another bite.

[OLIVER SEBASTIAN WELCOTT]

[/color] Oliver shook his head lightly. It makes sense that you'd be concerned. It's your brother and this woman wronged him....I can see why you'd be hesitant to have her around.

When Oliver heard about people getting divorced, it made him "glad", if that was the word for it, that he and Lilian had been separated only by death, like they'd promised in their wedding vows. "Till death do us part" was a beautiful commitment. However, it still ached that Lilian's death had come far, far too early. She had had hopes and dreams and aspirations. She did so much, yet she would have done so much more. Oliver thought the world in which he lived, was cruel one indeed. Has Dom tried to talk to her about fixing things, do you know? Oliver certainly wasn't trying to pry. He was simply trying to contribute, whatever little help he could, to the situation.

Oliver smiled wryly as Summer talked about a job and standing on her on her own two feet and figuring out insurance and all. Well my dear, it's a good think you're dating a Doctor then. Maybe things worked different here in the United States, but Oliver knew all the basic goings on and inner workings of the medical industry. He could surely help Summer figure it out. See? I am useful for something! He winked teasingly, knowing that Summer didn't view him as useless. At least, he hoped she didn't.

Oliver nodded at Summer's question. Yes....Well sort of. he replied. Tristan sings and dances in the West End, which is basically Britain's Broadway...Only better....as I am biased. Oliver laughed a little. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was biased. His brother was on West End in his home country. He had an excuse to believe it was al better than Broadway, especially since his brother was one of the best.

Oliver smiled when Summer said the trip sounded like an amazing time. That seemed an open invitation to plan it as far as Oliver was concerned. But he wouldn't plan it without checking dates and all that with her. The idea of traveling with Summer made him both excited and nervous. Oliver wasn't quite sure he'd be ready to handle it yet. It would be embarrassing if he had a break down over Lilian, in front of Summer. Well good...we'll have to plan it sometime.

I'm glad you're enjoying it! Can I get you anything else? Oliver offered, wanting to make sure she had everything she needed and was comfortable. When they had finished their dinner, Oliver cleared the plates and placed them in the little dishwasher. Would you like desert now, or later? Oliver was neutral on the subject, so he hoped that Summer wouldn't feel pressured one way or the other. Oliver didn't have a whole lot planned for the evening. He had picked out a few movies and a couple of boardgames, but what they did, was really up to Summer. Oliver was always polite and let the ladies make the choices.[/ul][/size]

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

She sighed and nodded her head, glad that she wasn't completely insane for the way she felt about Nicole. She'd been protective of her brother for as long as she could remember, whether it was when he and their father had an argument, if he wasn't listening to a sitter and she got angry with him, if their crazy aunt tried to yell at him for anything, or when there was a girl that didn't deserve him, she was always defending him, fighting for him, protecting him... They did the same for each other, but sometimes she took it too far and she never wanted to intrude on his life because of it.

She knew that there were lots of thoughts running through his mind... most likely about his late wife. She often caught herself wondering who she was and how they met, but she never let her mind wander much farther than those questions, knowing that with too much information about her, she'd surely have a hard time facing Oliver and knowing what woman he had to part with too soon. When he asked if her brother had tried to fix things with Nicole she shrugged her shoulders and looked back down at the table cloth. "I'd be lying if I said I knew. I would think so, but from what I've heard, Nicole is less and less responsive now-a-days." She said to him, shaking her head. She always wanted what was best for her brother, and now that she had to worry about her niece as well, she didn't feel like Nicole was fit for taking care of her daughter. It wasn't that the woman was a bad mother, it was the fact that she seemed so detached from everything around her.

He seemed to be humored by the way she spoke about growing up and being independent. Her eyebrow raised as his mouth curved into a sly smile. "I don't know... It may just be more motivation for me to be careless and accidentally hurt myself." She said to him with a wink and a smile. "I knew I kept you around for something." She laughed to him, taking another sip of her wine.

Her face lit up when Oliver said what it was that his brother did back in London. "He stars in musicals? That's incredible!" She said to him with a large smile on her face. She'd been to one musical, on her class trip to New York, actually, and she had adored it. She saw Wicked and every part of it just sent chills through her body. "Well maybe if we go see one of his shows I can tell you if it truly is better than Broadway." She said with a coy grin.

The idea of going somewhere with him made her smile, but she wasn't sure if it was the distance, the location, or the fear that she'd be the one to mess up, like always, that held her back from being truly excited. She was nervous, but honestly, it hadn't been set in stone and it wasn't even a sure thing that they'd be going, so she decided that all of her doubts, fears, and worries could wait until later.

When he offered to get her something else, she shook her head with a small smile. "I'm fine, thank you." She assured him, loving how he was always trying to make her comfortable. It was a nice change. His intentions were pure and it made everything sweet instead of suspicious. When he cleared their dishes, she stayed in her seat to wait for a clue as to what to do next. He asked about desert and she knew that she couldn't eat anything else just yet. "Let's wait a little bit for dinner to sink in." She said with a smile.

[OLIVER SEBASTIAN WELCOTT]

[/color] Oliver said sympathetically. I hope she does come around for Dominic's sake, but especially Everleigh's...It's difficult for children to cope with parents who are separated. Oliver knew not by his own personal experience of course, but that of some of his closest friends. Divorce and Separation were also two very difficult realties to deal with in life.

Oliver smiled as he observed Summer's mannerisms. They way her lips curved when she smiled and how they separated and touched her glass when she sipped her wine. How they worked with her tongue to form words and how her head inclined to one side and her hands sometimes waved in the air when she laughed or got animated about something in their conversation. She was angelically gorgeous not just on the outside, but on the inside too. Summer had a beautiful heart and soul, full of love and good will and care for those around her. These traits were truly rare these days, making her all the more desirable. Well...we just couldn't allow that Miss Banes. Oliver winked, having caught her meaning about being careless and getting hurt. He was sure that as their relationship progressed, there would be many more "doctor" jokes ahead of them...many with...double meanings.

Oliver smiled and nodded. He's one of the West End's best and brightest. He said proudly. Oliver was of course Tristan's biggest supporter next to their Gran. He wished their parents had been alive to see what their sons had become. Oliver a successful surgeon, and Tristan a famous singer/actor/dancer moving in the height of London society, respected, sought after. Oliver knew they would be proud of them both...more then proud. Somehow knowing that, made him miss them a little less. I'd like that. Oliver told her, with a smile, and took another sip of his own drink.

Oliver thought to himself for a few minutes about how fun it would be to take Summer and show her around London. He'd never really shown anyone around before. Lilian and all his friends had been from Great Britain and knew all there was to know about the place. Summer likely knew very little and he could impress her by taking her to all the local places that the tourists rarely ever found out about. This idea was growing on him more and more.

Oliver nodded and smiled when she said they could wait on dessert. He was glad she had chosen to wait as he'd eaten far to much of the main dish and really couldn't fit another bite in his stomach. Alright then, what's it to be? A game, a movie? A walk, a drive? He threw a few suggestions out there, really neutral on what they did next. All that mattered to Oliver was getting to spend time together, it didn't matter to him what they were doing. Lady's choice. He insisted politely.[/ul][/size]

[SUMMER LILA BANES]

She could never stop thinking about just how lucky she was to have found Oliver. The fact that there actually was someone out there who wanted to take things slow, enjoy someone else's company rather than their body, and let a relationship grow was nearly too good to be true. She'd spent the last 12 years wondering what it would be like to not feel pressured when she was with a boy, to not have to exploit her body in order for someone to love her. Oliver cared about her for who she was, not for what she looked like. That was clear to her and she could not have been more grateful to have found someone as amazing as him.

Ever since she had started dating, her view on men slowly became more and more twisted. She knew them as manipulators, as snakes, as lust driven animals whom either used her for her physical appearance or simply wanted another conquest. She'd never really met someone whom she connected with on an emotional level, and in a way it was scary to have finally done so, even though that was a strange thing to admit. She was so used to being manhandled and bossed around that she wasn't sure how to respond to a genuinely nice person. In the back of her mind, she was still waiting for him to be just like the rest, to break this charade and show her exactly what she knew to be what men were.

Besides her fear of the unknown, she was still reserved in relationships because of her family history. She and Dom had lost their parents at a young age. She hadn't really known what a mother was, only having had her's for five years. At the time of her mother's passing, she'd never fully understood what had happened. She must have taken it the best out of all of the Banes. It was when her father was taken from them that she truly understood how hard her mother's death had hit him, and how much she missed them both. She was, in a way, afraid to get too attached to anyone else. The only person she'd ever made a bond with was her brother, and until very recently, she thought she was safe in caring about him. Then the Avery attack happened and he could have very easily been taken from her. Now that she had Oliver to worry about as well, she was beginning to draw back into a shell of emotion, so she was constantly fighting it, wanting more than anything to be able to care about him, while she also fought the evil thoughts that forced her to wonder if he was truly as good as he seemed.

She nodded her head slowly as he wished Dominic and Nicole worked things out. She did as well, but she was not optimistic about it at all. Divorce and separation were two things she knew little about, but she knew that her brother was someone she wanted the best for, and in her mind, Nicole was not it.

She noticed the way his eyes seemed to soak in every movement she made, which at first made her a bit hesitant to move at all, but after a few moments she discouraged any fear of his observations and simply moved along with her words. She liked that he paid that much attention to details, instead of looking at other places on her body like most did. She let out a soft laugh as he winked and her shoulders raised in a small shrug of innocence.

The way he spoke of his brother even managed to make her feel proud of Tristan, and she'd never met him. Oliver was truly admiring of his brother's talents and achievements, which made her smile. Both brothers seemed perfect: driven and successful in what they did. She was always proud of Oliver, even though they weren't technically an "item" yet. His career and passion for what he did always brought a smile to her face, no matter where she was. When he smiled, saying that he'd like to go see one of his brother's shows with her and let her be the judge of which company was better, she gave a small smile in return and reached for her own glass of wine, taking another sip.

When he offered ideas for what to do, she thought them over carefully. A movie might be a good idea, a game could be fun, a walk was somewhat inviting, but a drive sounded like a very nice idea. She loved just riding around without a destination in mind. It was relaxing for her. "Let's go for a drive." She said to him. It was still light out so they had some time.