Fire In The Hole (Part 3)

The Manipulation

Over the next few weeks Hazel’s bad feelings went away. She reduced the feelings to maybe it was just a bad day for Oliver. James had come home twice in the last few weeks, so they had the apartment to themselves. It was nice, being in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Oliver doted on her and treated her well. Until one night when Hazel came home and parked the car. As she ascended the stairs to the apartment there was loud music and a smell of weed permeating the hallway. She passed her neighbors doors and could tell the noise was coming from her door. She opened the door to the living room. There were four of Oliver’s friends sitting there. They had a shocked look on their face when she walked in as if something was wrong. She said Hi to everyone and walked through to the bedroom and put her things down and closed the door and proceeded to start changing her clothes. In the middle of standing there in her underwear the door opened and Oliver walked in. Startled looking at the door still cracked open she grabbed the closest clothes she could and hurried to put them on. Now in sweats that were four times to big for her.

“Oliver, could you please close the door so I can change.” He walks up to her and reeks of alcohol and weed.

“Oh, why do you have to be such a stick in the mud, what I have is theirs too.”

“I am not theirs too.” “You will be, if I say you are.” He said with an angry tone.

“Excuse me, I don’t think I heard you correctly. I am no one's property and will not be talked to with this kind of disrespect.” She snapped back. He very quietly went out into the living room and closed the door. She settled on the bed and turned on the tv as she didn’t want to be part of anything going on in the other room. She had a gut feeling things would only be getting worse. She started to get hungry, so she opened the pocket door and started to go through the living room where the music was pounding. As she was walking past Oliver’s friend named Red, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled him on her lap. He fell back with a shocked look on her face and snapped up and said, “That’s it party over, everyone can see yourselves out.” She made her way to the door and opened it, turning the music off on the way. They all just looked at her as if what she did was wrong. “I don’t care what you do with Oliver when I am not here. But I live here now and will be respected, if you can’t do that you are not welcome back here. Good night.”

They slowly looked at Oliver and then got up and quietly left. As Red was walking out the door he said, “I can’t believe you let your woman talk to us like that.” Oliver said, “I’ll fix it, good night.” He closed the door quietly with Hazel between him and the door.

She turned to Oliver waiting for him to move from by the door. He stayed and looked her in the eye, the anger was seeping out of him. Neither spoke for a moment, then to break the silence Oliver banged his hand on the door scaring Hazel to jump. “It’s a good thing I like you so much because I do not put up with the shit you just pulled from anyone.” Hazel looked back at him and said “I will not tolerate your friends trying to touch me. You are drunk, now please move.” He still had his eyes locked on hers, slowly he stepped back and let her out of the doorway. She slowly walked into the kitchen and made some dinner. “I made some extra if you are hungry.” Then she continued into the bedroom to continue watching the show she started. The night went by slowly and eerily quiet, both Hazel and Oliver were angry but didn’t want to stir the pot. Hazel wanting to wait until Oliver was sober and clear headed. Oliver passed out on the couch and Hazel had cleaned up dinner and the apartment as she was the only one keeping the apartment clean.

The next morning came around Hazel opened her eyes and heard Oliver talking on the phone. She sat up and looked around the light and airy bedroom. She morning light coming through the window and catching the prism she had hung from a few of the windows. Showing the little rainbows bouncing all over the room. She saw that there was a note on the chair by the bedroom door going to the living room. She got up and made her way over to read it. She opened the piece of paper. It had a picture of two roses intertwined on it that Oliver had drawn. Inside it said “I’m so sorry baby, I am not sure of everything I did last night but please let me make it up to you. Get up and take a shower, I am taking you out on a pampering day.” She smiled and thought maybe he has fixed things. Maybe we will talk about it while we are out and fix it together. She got up and picked out her clothes for the day and made her way through the living room, and kitchen to get to the bathroom. Looking around as she went through the mess that was left from the little party was cleaned up, but Oliver was nowhere to be seen. She got in the shower. She heard the front door closed while in the shower and thought nothing of it. She got out and finished getting ready. She came out and looked nice. She had done her hair and put on a little makeup as she didn’t know what they were doing she didn’t want to go overboard. She had dressed in a nice top but casual and some jeans. She opened the bathroom door and saw on the kitchen table there were flowers and a twelve pack of her favorite soda with another note. She smiled and read it “I have been waiting for you in my life I do not want to lose you. You mean everything to me.” She put the flowers in a vase and put her clothes in the hamper. Looking around she still didn’t see Oliver, so she called out “Oliver” and heard nothing. She came into the living room where there was another note on the coffee table. “Meet me downstairs.” She grabbed her jacket, shoes, and purse and set for going downstairs. Just out the front door in front of the store that they lived over was Oliver with a single perfect red rose and dressed in her favorite teal button down shirt and some nice jeans. He was smiling from ear to ear.

“There is my girl! I am so sorry for last night do you think you can forgive me.” She smiled but said “We really need to talk about it but I am liking the effort you made this morning. I don’t know If I can forgive you just yet but I’m working on it.”

“He said let’s see if this helps.” He pulled out a small box and told her to open it. She handed him the rose he had given her to hold and opened it. Inside was a beautiful gold heart pendant with rubies and diamonds on it.

“It’s very nice, thank you. I don’t deserve it.” He looked at her and said “Anything for my favorite lady. Now let’s go and get this day going. We don’t need the car everything is close.” They walked a down the block to the salon and spa. He said, “I have taken care of it, we are getting a couples massage and then you are getting your hair done.” Hazel looked surprised and said, “what did I do to deserve all this?” “You put up with me.” Oliver said. After the amazing massages where they talked about the prior night, Oliver had booked dinner at the restaurant down the street. He looked at her before they went in and said, “I hope we are ok again; I don’t want to lose you.” She smiled and said, “As long as we don’t repeat anything like last night, we are wonderful.” She then walked in the door he had held open for her. Their dinner was nice. They talked some more, and Hazel was put at ease. As they were leaving Oliver grabbed her hand and they slowly walked home together.

Another month went by Hazel had to work a double. She was tired, she pulled the car into her parking space, on the back side of the building, she slowly made her way around the building to the stairs for the apartment and a familiar sound was coming from upstairs. Loud pounding music. As she got to the top of the stairs, she heard all kinds of laughing coming from the apartment. Jake the next-door neighbor heard her coming in and said “Hazel, I am sorry to bother you I know you are tired and been workin all day, but can you please do something about the music. I have company over, and we can’t hear the tv.” “I will take care of it; I am sorry about this.” Hazel walked in and she saw Oliver at the kitchen table with his ex. She turned the music down and was fuming. She said “The neighbors complained about the music, and you have got to be kidding me! Why is she here.” Oliver replied, “She is getting a tattoo I drew up for her.” Hazel looked shocked given the pasted that she was told about and her dealings with her. Hazel didn’t like Bridget. Bridget smiled and said “what’s wrong Hun, my sloppy seconds are your dream, aren’t they? Oliver, we will continue this another time somehow the mood has been ruined.” She let herself out. Oliver walked up to Hazel and once again the alcohol smell was more than she could handle. She but him off and said “I am not talking about this again with you when you are like this. “Oliver said “What the hell are you talking about? That was money.” She replied, “That was not just money you and I both know that.” They continued to argue over the next few hours. They both went to bed angry. The next morning Hazel got up early and went for a walk downtown to get clear her head and grab some breakfast. She had tossed and turned all night. She had gotten back to the apartment and Oliver was at the kitchen table. He asked her to sit and talk. He complimented her and said that she was right about last night. He said “I was wrong I need to be more choosey about who I do tattoos on, I also need you. I love you and do not want to lose you. On another note, James stopped by while you were out and got his things and said he would not be back.”