The golden arrows on the dark brown old clock in the cream colored office seemed to mock her. She had been staring at them for over ten minutes and it felt like they had not changed a bit. She started to look around the office for something else to distract her. The only none expensive thing in this office was the dark mahogany desk she had had shipped in six months ago after the old one had completely broken under weight of heavy files. She turned to the right and saw the blue crystal ball she had gotten him a long time ago. It made the room a little more lively.
The boss was taking forever to read through the proposals from the catering companies who had submitted their tenders a week ago. She was trying so hard to keep her foot from fidgetting. It was a Friday for heaven's sake! She wanted to let loose tonight. Her best friend and roommate Ella would probably be out with her on and off boyfriend Brett. The pig nosed loud and annoying Brett. She disliked that guy for some five reasons. One; he did not deserve Ella. Two; he was always taking advantage of Ella's kind heart. Three; he was a slob. Four; he smelled like glue and five he was Brett.
She glanced at the old clock again and saw that it was almost over twenty minutes. She could not stop the tapping of her foot this time.
"Robyn, do you have somewhere to be?"
"Ummm....actually Sir..."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Sir when we're alone?"
"Well Sir.... I mean Uncle Peter, Paps, today is Friday and it's almost half past four and you've been reading that tender for the past half hour..."
"Oh Friday, then why are you still here?!"
" I can't leave you alone here. We know what happens when I do...."
" That was one time..."
"One time? That was more than one and I do not want to find you here passed out from exhaustion again Paps!"
He looked at her with a smile plastered on his face.
" You're a wonderful young lady you know..."
" Don't even go there."
Uncle Peter chuckled at her.
" You know what, let's go now. I promised your Ma I'm taking her out for dinner. You need to let loose.Maybe you will stop abusing that poor guy Br..."
"Do not mention his name!" She said putting on a scary face.
"You look like an angry kitten, Kitten." He said packing the papers in a folder and almost laughing.
"You might be my favorite uncle and all, but I will not hesitate to stop bringing you coffee.
He put his hand on his chest and faked shock.
" You'd never..."
"Try me. Now let's go you old bull."
"I will drop you off the house."
"Thanks. By the way where are you taking Ma for dinner?"
"Noah's."
"Of course you're."
****
She let herself into the apartment. Ella must have just gotten out of the shower because the hallway smelled like cherries. Ella peaked her head from the bedroom.
"Robbie you're home!!!!"
Ella shouted running to hug her, dressed in an elegant peach knee length dress. She must have been going on a date with that thing...
"Okay, enough hugging. Where are you going?"
"Brett is taking me out to dinner. Maybe he will propose finally!"
"Ells, I love you I do, but I don't promise not to cut off his little finger or any of his parts. I do not like him."
"I know, but you promised to get along with him."
"No, I said I would act civil. Anyway,that dress would go great with the nude heels you got last week."
"Really? Thanks. Where are you guys going tonight?"
"We're meeting Beau at Neon, he is in the city."
"Ohh Beau your boo? You guys getting it on?" Ella said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"Don't be dirty, it doesn't suit you. And we're just friends."
She walked off laughing and murmur; yeah just friends.
"I'm out, say hello to Beau for me."
"Be home by ten young lady or else..."
She heard Ella laugh as she closed the door. She took a quick shower and served herself the chicken Ella had kept for her in the oven.
Around six she dressed in her tourquise jumpsuit that wrapped her amazingly exposing her not so big yet noticeable curves. She finished the look with her favorite leather jacket and black boots.
She looked at herself in the mirror and realised she forgot her lipstick 'dark and stormy' in the purse she took to work. She applied it just as the doorbell rang through the apartment.
"I'm coming! She yelled!"
She opened the door and let Layla her other friend friend.
"Girl!!! You look hot!"
"So do you girl! You're going to get some tonight!"
"You too. Speaking of, Ella already out with Mr Blurrrr?"
"Yes. Man I can't stand that guy."
"I know. Let's go before Neon gets more crowded and Deba gives our spot to other people."
The made a little detour to a yogurt shop. Robyn liked having some yogurt before and after drinking. It was rather odd but she claimed it helped her hangovers to be bearable.
They got to Neon and found a long line outside. Deba the bodyguard spotted them and called them upfront.
"Damn baby! I almost didn't recognize you! You stun!"
Robyn rolled her eyes smiling. They turned to go in and Deba whistled as Robyn gave him the finger and he laughed.
The two women made their way through a mass of sweaty, drunk bodies to the upper floor where it was less crowded. They got to the bar and ordered a few shots and beers. Layla was asking the bartender about a nix she liked when someone blindfolded Robyn with their hands. She felt an odd warmth settle in her as she gasped and elbowed whoever was behind her.
Layla looked back shocked as the individual choked a little. Robyn turned and saw Beau clutching his stomach.
"Oh my goodness Beau? Are you okay?"
"I'm good. Whoa! You have a mean elbow." He said to embracing her in a warm hug.
Layla could not hold in her laugh anymore.
"Serves you right for sneaking behind a woman in a club." She said lightly hugging his side.
"Oh shut it. You ladies look amazing! I must be ready to keep flies off you."
Robyn zoned out a little as they all laughed and took a good look at Beau, he looked even hotter now than before. She shook her head to stop her mind from going sideways.
After a few more drinks they made their way to the dancefloor. At first it was fun till Robyn started feeling like a third wheel. She excused herself to go to the bathroom which the others seemed not to notice.
After she got back she saw Beau and Layla dancing in a rather intimate way and she turned away to the bar and ordered another shot. She debated herself on whether to keep being a third wheel or just leave before the voices in her head started whispering nasty things.
She left without saying goodbye to the front of the club to hail a cab home. She was almost out when someone called out her name and grabbed her hand. It was Beau.
"Robbie, you're leaving?"
"Yeah, I have to get some rest. I'm going to the parade tomorrow with Ella."
"So you wouldn't say goodbye?"
"You looked rather busy and I didn't want to disturb." She said looking anywhere but at him.
"Oh come on Robbie, wait here I will be back." He went back inside and came back a minute later with Layla in tow.
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah Lay, I sent you a message."
"Oh sorry I didn't see. Alright I will see you tomorrow at the parade then, little Debbie is in it so I'm her ride."
"Alright. You will be safe in there Lay right? I have to make sure she is okay."
"No it's okay, you guys have fun I will be fine. I will text you when I get home."
The grin on Layla's face was so adorable and prominent she wanted to smack her. She did not know where these thoughts were coming from so she smiled instead and hailed a cab waving at her friends as she got in.
She got into the the apartment and sighed. What a night! She noticed the light coming from Ella's room and heard sniffling.
Why was Ella home and crying? Who had died?
"Ells? What's wrong?"
She said opening the door wider and going in. Ella turned to her, eyes red and puffy as she flung herself to Robyn.
"Hey hey, it's okay Ells,I'm here."
Ella sobbed some more and Robyn knew she was going to have the jacket cleaned into the morning. It did not matter though, her best friend needed her. She was making the list of people she had to murder for making Ella cry like this. Brett at the top of course of he was responsible for these tears.
"Brett said we should take a break." Ella said between hiccups.
"He what?!"
Robyn woke up to a buzzing sound of her phone and realised she was not in her room. She quickly scanned her surroundings and saw that she was in Ella's room. She must have slept off while trying to comfort Ella.She picked up the phone without even bothering to check the caller ID."Hello?'" Good morning to you. Are you guys getting ready for the parade yet?" She heard Layla's chirpy voice on the other end."We'll be there....""You sound like I just woke you up.""Of course you did. What time is it?""Well right now it's almost after nine. And the parade starts at a half past ten""I forgot this one was for the children. We'll meet you there.""Is Beau going too?" She had forgotten about that part."Oh I don't know. I didn't ask him."Why would Layla need Beau to be there anyway. She was not going to ask him considering they may have clicked after she had witnessed their
Robyn was massaging her temple feeling a migraine creeping its way in as she sat on the stool in the kitchen. Ella was standing beside her, facing her as she drummed her fingers on the counter which just seemed to make the rising migraine worse. Beau, Layla and Debbie were in the living room giving the two best friends a little privacy."Will you stop that?""What the hell is wrong with you Robyn? Did you have to hit him? You probably broke his nose..""Are you seriously worried about Brett right now? When are you going to open your eyes?""Open my eyes to what?""That sucker does not love you Ella. He was with another girl for crying out loud. Was I hallucinating it?""They are just friends.""No they are not. Gosh Ella, what do I gotta do to make you see?""Well you do have three months to prove it to me.""Yeah. You got it."They sat there looking at each other and then burst
The rainbow lights swirling on the dancefloor at Neon were bouncing off perfectly on the cream colored dress Robyn was wearing. She was easily swaying to the music not far from the bar, keeping a safe distance from Tony and Ella. She had told him to just take it easy with her, no pressuring her. She told him not to bring up his hobby in collecting band T-shirts and plant seeds. Not that is was anything weird, some people collected teeth. From dead people! Creepy right?Tony was surprisingly doing fine carrying a conversation with Ella. She was giggling now and then and Robyn was a little proud of Tony for that. As they went on to the dancefloor, she was even more proud that he was not a terrible dancer. That would have been a disaster because Ella was a great dancer. They had both attended dance classes as adolescents at Ella's mother's studio."You're so proud of how this is going aren't you? The smile on your face is so obvious."
Heading into work the next day, Robyn found Drew's smiling face by the entrance and instantly smiled too. It was unnerving how her cousin who liked being called her big brother and her real big brother brought different reactions to her.Whenever she saw August she wanted to run away and hug him at the same time. When it came to Drew she just wanted to be around him. She did not blame August in any way. He was a good son and a good brother too.When he found out his parents had kicked Robyn out of the house, he played the mediator. He tried to get their parents to reconsider but it fell on deaf years."She just disgraced this family and ruined her future and you want her to go unpunished?" Their father had said."I can't believe she was sleeping around." Their mother chimed in."Ro is not careless. She must have an explanation. And who is the father anyway?"
After house hunting at lunch with Drew, Robyn sat in the coffee room of the office with Tony. She was telling him more of what Ella liked or disliked. She was really going for the win."So Ella does not like classical music?""No. She does not.""Why not? She seems like she could.""She just does not okay.""Alright. Calm down." Tony said sighing. "By the way what I'm I wearing on the date tomorrow?""Clothes would be good.""Don't be sarcastic. Last time you helped me and your boy toy arranged most things.""Did you just say boytoy?" Robyn laughed out loud. "We are just friends."Tony looked at her with disbelief tainting his face. "Are you sure? You looked pretty cozy the other...""Shut your cake hole Tony. We're friends nothing more and if you want to get Ella, you will stay in my good books and to do that you need to stop talking about such nonsense." She said huffing.
Riding up the elevator at Planar industries office building with Peter, Robyn had a feeling she was about to have a really awkward meeting. For one thing her uncle disliked James and the feeling was mutual.They were directed to the conference room and as they walked in they saw three more people already in and one of them was Beau."Robyn? What are you doing here?""Could ask you the same thing.""He called me here." Beau said making horns with his fingers.Robyn knew for sure this was going to be more than awkward. James was Beau's stepfather and they did not get along very well. That was why Beau lived with his father and not his mother. He partially blamed James for his parents' divorce. His relationship with his mother Lea, had only gotten a little better when he turned twenty.As they asked each other why they were all here James walked in with a smug look flanked by his other son Colin&
Staring at the cream and gold wallpaper in the kitchen as the kettle was being filled with tap water, Robyn wondered why she had chosen these colors in the first place. She had made a good choice because it all looked really good in the kitchen.Her tummy had started hurting again and she thought if she drank warm milk it would be better. She did not particularly like powdered milk, but that was all they had left since Ella had forgotten to buy fresh milk again.She switched it on and waited. She could not help think back to Beau. He seemed a little troubled with the breakup from Liz the girlfriend. Is that what loving someone meant? Being sad when it goes wrong? She thought he should be relieved since there was no one holding him back.She had experienced that before, a long time back before she almost lost her own life. Before she believed that certain people were meant to be together. Before she grew and woke up. Maybe she was a
The man sitting across from her oozed confidence and a high temperature of arrogance that she had only seen in her father. She wanted to rip that balloon of ego into tiny pieces and let them fly into the wind to be whisked away. Never to be found."Please don't do that Robyn.""Do what?""Look at me like that.""Sure. Tell me why you wanted to have this time with me.""You don't like me at all do you?""I don't dislike you. I just wish you and your father would stop messing with Beau.""I don't mess with my little brother.""Yeah right." Robyn scoffed.Colin clenched his jaw a different emotion clouding his eyes. "I will only tell you this once, I'm not my father.""If you say so.""If anything I envy Beau, even when we were little. You always had his back. You always worried about him. Never me. I was always the bad guy. He always had you."