I made it as far as the lobby before someone grabbed my arm from behind. Angrily, I yanked it away and mentally prepared myself for a fight.
"Robert, how could you--" I spun around, ready to rain fire down on him but was met with Tom's face instead and I felt a crying need to punch him. That beautiful, angular face deserved what I had to dole out, if not a punch, a healthy slap then. "You asshole," I croaked out, my right hand twitching at my side.
"Jennifer, let me explain," he held up both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"There's nothing left for you to say. Just leave," I shouted and immediately regretted it because now everyone's attention was on us, my mother included; I'd forgotten she was with me. I vaguely noticed Robert then, entering the lobby just behind him and I got even more angry. He'd deceived me again. I brushed past Tom and barked at Robert as I approached, pointing to a bathroom just next to us, "In there. Now."
In a wise move on his part, he obliged and when I slammed and locked the door, he jumped right into the explaining.
"Jennifer, please listen--"
"Robert! How could you do that to me...again? I know my life a mess but I can figure it out--"
"I can explain--"
"I cannot believe that after the stunt you pulled with my mother...you'd do this. You promised not to hurt me, Bobby."
"Jen. Please--"
"What were you two talking about? Were you exchanging notes? Comparing your Jen experiences?" a lump started forming in my throat but I swallowed it down and let my fire burn.
"Jen! Dammit! Can you stop flying off the handle for one second and let me explain?" he raised his voice and it shocked me; he'd never spoken to me that way before. I pressed my lips together, trying desperately to keep myself from verbally reaming him. "May I continue?"
I nodded, keeping silent.
"Thank you. If you must know, Jennifer Margery, he just showed up. I didn't prearrange it or ask him to come."
"So what the fuck is he doing here?"
"He just showed up looking for you. Literally five minutes before you walked in," he said as he leaned on the tile wall just next to me and I noticed a look of frustration pass over his face. No surprise there, I'd let my hot temper flare and jumped to the worst conclusion.
"I told him you were off for the day and thought he'd just leave after that. Nope. He sat down and wanted to talk to me about you."
My blood pressure started to rise with my temper so I clenched my jaw and waited for the rest of what he had to say.
"He said that he wanted to lay all of the demons to rest. He wants to talk, to make everything right. Isn't that what you want too?"
I snorted at the thought, crossing my arms over my chest. No fucking way, I thought.
"My head was telling me to tell him to fuck off and get out because he hurt you, then my heart started to do the talking because I care about you so much and I want you to be free of that mess. I told him that anything he said to me would be a waste of breath because you're the one he needs to reconcile with...that's when you walked in."
I narrowed my eyes at him, making sure I was reading him right. I could tell he was being honest.
"I didn't invite him and you should know I most certainly wouldn't deceive you again. I know better."
Another tidal wave of emotion crashed down on me and I crumbled under the pressure. I slid down the tiled wall and came to sit on the cold floor just next to the sink. I wilted and covered my face with my hands and the tears poured, I couldn't stop them.
"I don't think I can take much more of this," I whimpered into my hands. "I feel like I'm losing it."
"Hey," he said quietly as he sat down, facing me. "It's going to be alright, I promise."
"You don't know that, Bobby."
"What? You're just going to give up? Then what? Are you gonna go back to Seattle and live with your mom? Get a job at Starbucks again?"
I shuddered, "God, no."
"Then get up, brush yourself off and tell the world to go to hell. Who cares about anybody else, I've got your back, Marge. No matter what. We'll get through this. Together."
I let the last of my tears fall as he pulled me close, wrapping me in his arms. It's incredible how he can do something that makes me want to disembowel him, then in the next breath he can make me fall madly for him. That's real talent, if you ask me.
We emerged from the bathroom to find my mother sitting in an armchair, reading the newspaper, as if her melodramatic daughter hadn't just made a scene. She looked up and smiled when she saw us as if she knew everything had settled without even asking. Before leaving, Robert grabbed my hand and pulled me close for one last kiss, then sent us on our way, saying he'd see me back at home.
***
"Sad now that mom's gone?" Robert asked across the table as we ate breakfast and got caught up on the day's news. "I'm surprised at how quickly you forgave her."
"I am too. It's just too exhausting, you know...being mad at her all the time. I'm sure we'll still have our moments of strife but it's better now. I feel like things are in a good place with her--"
"See, it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" he quipped, clearly pleased with himself.
"No thanks to your brilliant baptism by fire," I said distantly as I looked at my computer, finding all sorts of pictures of myself online. Pictures of me being interviewed by Chrissy, pictures of my mom and I shopping, you name it. If I was out in public, it was documented by pictures. I began to realize why Robert never went in public without a strategic plan in mind. I glanced at him, with his adorable brow furrowed and his brown eyes narrowed and I knew he was up to something.
"What?"
"Let's take today off," he said as he swigged from his coffee mug.
"Off?" I shrieked. "Did you forget that we're leaving for a press tour in less than one month? There's only about one thousand things to do before that."
"So what? I have an idea. Call the office and tell them we won't be in today. You go relax, take a bath or whatever and I'll be back in a little bit," I didn't even get a chance to argue because he jumped up from the table and left my house without another word.
He told me to relax and so I did. I filled my deep, soaking tub with hot, soapy water and topped it off with a handful of aromatic bath salt. I rarely think to take a time out for a bath but when I do, it's fantastic. I should do it more often. The bathroom filled with the scent of sandalwood and amber and I could feel my tensions melting away as I submerged my whole body, all the way up to my neck.
I turned on some music and let my surroundings take me somewhere else, somewhere without stress, without prying eyes and without gossip. Robert was always at the forefront of my thoughts though; anywhere I'd go, he'd be there with me. My mind went back to the night in Park City when I found out his true feelings, making me come to realize that I'd been feeling the same way all along. It was magical, that night of our first kiss and just the thought of it turned me on and I had to wonder if he had the same feeling about me.
I imagined what his naked body would feel like pressed against mine, what it might feel like to have his hands on every inch of my skin. What would he think of me, without all of the layers of clothes, bare and vulnerable to him?
Does he like to get kinky?
Does he like handcuffs and blindfolds?
Does he like to be on the bottom, or the top?
Just imagining those things made me squirm and I hoped he was having the same lascivious thoughts too.
I'd have him right on the kitchen table...or the counter...or the floor...location isn't an issue.
I wonder if he has a big--
"Marge?" he called out as he came back in the house.
"In the bathroom," I choked out. Suddenly, my mouth had gone as dry as a bucket of sand.
"Having a bath?" his voice was muffled by the closed door.
"Yes," I swallowed hard, trying to stifle my growing desire.
"Whatever you've got in there smells amazing--"
Just tell him you want him.
"Marge?" he asked again and cracked the door just slightly.
I stood up from the bath, letting the soapy water run off my naked body and back into the tub while he stood in the open doorway. His jaw went slack and he looked like he was trying to form words but couldn't.
God damn it he's adorable.
"Bobby, do you want to--"
Without another word, he started clumsily tugging all of his clothes off, piece by piece. It was my turn to ogle him as he crossed the room and my thoughts went wild as I took in the sight of him.
He's really buff right now...and hot. So. Effing. Hot.
I'm so glad I had a wax the other day...
When he got close enough, he ran his hands up the sides of my legs and wrapped his arms around me. Slowly and carefully he lifted me from the tub and kissed me urgently before carrying me to the bedroom.
I'll take that as a yes.
One giant resounding, yes.
***
She probably asked me fifty times where I was taking her and she'd get pissed every time because I wouldn't tell. I made her take the day off so she could have a break, a moment to catch her breath if you will. I wanted her to be able to just have a day to relax.
She never ceases to amaze me, that Jennifer. She's so ballsy and strong yet beneath that, she's thoughtful, forgiving and romantic, not to mention she's a total fox in bed. Bonus. I thought I knew so much about her before and now, daily, I get to see all these other parts of her that continue to blow my mind.
"Whatcha' thinkin about?" she asked as she slid nice and close to me on the car seat.
"This morning," I said with a smirk to which she flushed pink and smiled back at me.
"And?"
"I think that was one of the best surprises of my life. I was also thinking about cancelling this surprise and keeping you in bed all day."
"I would have happily agreed," she smiled, climbed atop my lap and proceeded to bombard me with sultry kisses that got me worked up all over again.
"Marge--" she ignored me and kept kissing me. I'm not complaining, don't misunderstand, I just wanted her to pay attention. I broke away from her and grabbed her cheeks and looked deep in her eyes. "Marge, I'm crazy about you--"
"I know, I'm crazy about you too," she smiled and halted my words with her kisses, just slightly less hot and heavy than before.
"Stop interrupting me woman! Close your eyes," I said as I tied a bandana over them.
"You know how I feel about surprises."
"Well, I'm hoping that this one makes up for all of the shitty ones I've been throwing at you lately."
"You certainly know how to keep me on my toes, that's for sure."
"Always have, always will, darling," I said, leaving a soft kiss on her cheek as our car came to a stop just where I'd told him to, at one-three-one-three Disneyland Drive. I helped her out of the vehicle and walked with her hand in hand to the perfect vantage point, "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready."
As I uncovered her eyes, she gasped and froze in place leaving me absolutely zero hints as to what she was thinking.
Maybe I shouldn't have brought her here.
What if she has some deep seeded hatred for Mickey Mouse?
"Marge, you've gotta say something. I can't tell if you're pissed or if I've--"
She cut me off by throwing herself at me, she pinned me to the SUV that had brought us there and peppered me with more kisses. This time it wasn't sultry or sexual at all, it was full of giddy, unbridled happiness and I felt it. Her happiness rolled off of her in waves and I relished in it. At least I can come up with a good surprise every once-in-awhile. Go me.
"Bobby--what--how--why?"
She stumbled over her words and my heart swelled with the joy of seeing her genuinely happy and excited. After so much bullshit, she deserved to be joyful about something and I was more than happy to have the privilege to share it with her.
"I rented it out. Well, not the whole park, just part of it. The really good parts. Have you been here before?"
"Are you kidding? There's no way my parents would have ever taken me here. I always wanted to...always. We just...I never--"
She started to choke up and my heart broke for the child inside that never really got to be a child. I wanted to give her all the things she didn't have before. I wanted her to be free. Freedom from the chains of her past and all of the things that haunted her. I wanted her to feel like a kid again.
She swiped a tear off of her cheek and wrapped her arms around my waist and said, "This is the best day of my life."
Ditto, Marge. Ditto.