Chapter Six

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.

Tony kept quiet about Beau the whole day. 

"How about I make her dinner at my house and we will watch the Nun..."

"Whoa! Ella does not do horror movies. She gets so scared she can't sleep for days."

"She does?"

"Yes. And that's an old trick anyway."

"What is?"

"The watch a horror movie with the girl so she jumps into your arms trick"

Tony laughed at that. "Did someone try it on you?"

"Yeah. Once. Except he ended up shaking and me soothing him."

Tony laughed more. "So you don't scare easily?"

"Nope."

"Fine. What do I do then?"

"You can make her dinner at your house on the third date. You can take her to a fancy restraunt."

"Like where?"

"Take her to Noah's. I have a friend I can call to get you a reservation."

"You do?" Robyn nodded. "Gee thanks.Lunch is over. I have to go make a revised list of employees."

"Yikes. I am pretty much done with the contracts for the new caterers."

"Good for you."

Work went smoothly that day. She had made plans to stock in furniture for Drew's new place. They agreed the weekend was a great time for that and he would move in the same weekend. It was luckily near Robyn and Ella's apartment. She decided to get him some bathroom items before anything else. That boy had terrible taste in bathroom color. 

She was sorting through  Peter's scheduled for the week when her phone rang. 

"Hello babe! You know I love you right? You're my favorite person ever."

"Oh no Ella, what did you do?"

"Nothing...." 

"Really? Your voice just went five times higher. What part of your body do I have to cut, saw or burn?"

"No silly." Ella laughed nervously. "I have to tell you something."

"Just tell me what you did so I can get mad at you and be over it."

"Yeah. Your mother  called me and.." Robyn tensed and she broke the pencil that was in her hands. She let the phone drop from her hand.

"RO? Robbie?" She heard faintly and realized she had not hung up the phone. She picked it and found the big red touch button and pressed it.

Her mother was calling Ella now? She remembered the email her father's lawyer had sent days prior requesting a meeting. What did they want? Did they not realise she did not want to be associated with them. Why were they making her day miserable when it had been fine?

The opening of the office door interrupted her thoughts. Peter walked out.

"Hey Robyn, you can close up we are done for the day. Cancel my ten o'clock tomorrow we're going somewhere till lunch." He said.

"Where are we going?"

"We have a meeting with the James Kasho the head of.."

"Head of Planar companies. I know. I thought you disliked that guy."

"I do not like him. But he has some information I need."

"Alright. I'm on it."

"Don't stay too long. Start closing now."

Robyn did as she was told and remembered she had to make a reservation at Noah's for Ella and Tony the next day.

She wanted to call her brother and ask him what their parents wanted so bad but decided against it. It was only a week to her and August's birthday and she would ask him then. She had had enough drama for the week. She did as much as she could to avoid Beau the rest of the weekend after that night. Maybe Beau was attracted to Layla somehow but did he not have a girlfriend back in Torch city? It was his life after all and she did not care about his love life. She told herself repeatedly.

She was leaving the office when she heard someone call her name. She looked up and saw Tony talking to Beau who was leaning on her car. What was Beau even doing here on a Monday?

"Hey Robyn! Beau is here."

"I see that Tony." She said sighing. "What brings you here Beau?"

"Did you forget? You agreed to come see my place today."

Robyn had hoped he had forgotten about that. Unfortunately luck was not on her side.

"Fine. I will follow."

"No. You're driving with me. Anthony can drive your car to your place. I will drop you after."

She rolled her eyes and tossed Anthony her keys. "If I find even a scratch on my car....."

"I will be careful."

"Tell that to the car you wrecked last week."

"I told you it wasn't me Robyn."

Robyn ignored him as she got into Beau's Ranger.  She sat in the passenger seat with a straight face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Beau asked her.

"I'm fine." She said looking at him straight in the face. "Can we go now?"

"Sure. How was the day anyway?"

"It was fine. How was yours?"

"It was okay. Have a meeting with a potential client tomorrow."

"Good for you." They talked about random things till they got to Beau's flat. It was spacious but with a homey feeling. He showed her the house till they ended up in the living room.

"Robbie, are you mad at me or something?"

"No.What makes you say that?"

"Because you just left  without a word on Saturday and you've been ignoring my calls and texts since."

"I was really busy these last days and I left because I had things to do."

"Without saying anything?"

"I just did okay. I'm not mad at you."

"Alright then. I will make some dinner."

He got up and went to the kitchen. Robyn followed a minute later and found him grabbing things from the fridge and cabinets. He looked like he had a lot on his mind.

"What's wrong?" She asked and he was startled.

"Why do you assume that?"

"Because you've been cutting on an empty chopping board."

He looked down and saw she was right.

"Oh. Just small things."

"Move I will do the chopping. What are we even making?"

"Chicken stew and baked potatoes."

"Cool. I will chop the vegetables while you peel and tell." Beau laughed a little at that. "So what's going on?"

"Lis broke up with me. Something about long distances and all that."

"Oh. I'm sorry Beau."

"It's alright. It hasn't worked in a long time. I think we were more of friends than in a relationship."

"Still, I'm sorry. But you're officially single and you know what that means?"

"What?"

"You're single and you are free to mingle." Robyn said giving him a high five.

They went on cooking and joking around. They had their dinner and Beau drove Robyn back to  her place. She let herself in and found Drew and  Ella watching a movie.

"Hey RT!"

"Drew, why are you here?"

"Mom and Dad went out and I was bored so I came here."

"Did you guys eat?"

"Yeah. We ordered in. I will be right back,I need water." Drew said excusing himself.

"Hey Ro, I'm really sorry I didn't mean to ruin your day earlier. I don't even know how she got my number."

"Sh. It's okay Ells. I'm not mad at you. I know how my parents  are."

"Wait auntie called Ella?" Drew said coming from the kitchen.

"Yeah. They did."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I think it's time I let them talk."

"When will you go see them?"

"After my birthday maybe. I have to prepare myself."

"I will go with you. Just tell me when."

"Thanks. I will. Now let's watch a thousand ways to die."

Robyn realized she had to talk to her parents soon. It would be good for her to move on. She did not agree with her parents and she was still hurt  but this had to be done and on her own terms. She hoped her parents were going to hear her out. Her life was  suddenly becoming more dramatic again, did she have the strength to cope with the changes that were awaiting her?