COUNTERPOINT
An original romantic serialFrom Alina Adams the author of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (DELL 4/00), "Annie's Wild Ride" (AVON 8/98), "Inside Figure Skating" (METROBOOKS 11/00 & 9/99), "Thieves at Heart" (AVON 12/95) and "The Fictitious Marquis" (AVON 6/95)
Available weekly by e-mail from http://www.AlinaAdams.com
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Dedicated to Helping Children All Over the World
CHAPTER 58
Robin swallowed hard. More than anything, he wanted to be able to snap back a sarcastic retort or a bitter rejoinder. But, he couldn't. Gabriel had trapped him.
"Please," Gabriel said.
"She was wonderful." Robin didn't say those words, as much as they said him. Or, rather, they said themselves. They were facts that needed to be said, and so they poured out of Robin, whether he wanted them to or not.
Gabriel's eyes lit up. He'd certainly never admit it to Robin, he barely admitted it to himself, but, as much as he'd wanted to hear the answer to his question, that's how much he was afraid of it.
"Really?" His question came out as breathless as a child's.
"Yes. She was wonderful. She had this way of listening to a kid, and taking him - me - taking me totally seriously. I never felt like she was ignoring me or dismissing me or making fun of me. She also had a great sense of humor. She was fun. She loved to do stuff like we'd ride horses, and we'd ice-skate in the winter and swim in the summer and she would read to me, especially Greek myths, and, when I was little we'd get dressed up in costumes and act them out and..." Robin's voice drifted. "I know, it sounds stupid, but when you're five -- "
Gabriel cleared his throat. "I don't think it sounds stupid."
"Oh," Robin said. It was all he could say.
"Thank you," Gabriel said.
"I loved her. I really did."
"I believe you."
"You would have loved her."
"Yes, well, water under the bridge, I guess, right?" Gabriel looked away, blinking hard.
"Gabriel?"
"What?"
"She would have loved you, too..."
Apparently, it was his day for visitors. No sooner had Gabriel left Robin's office, before he'd even had a chance to catch his breath and clear his head from the encounter, then Victoria was walking into it. And she was smiling.
That, honestly, surprised Robin. He wasn't used to women whom he'd just - well, was there a nice way to say 'blown off?' - women whom he'd just blown off walking into his office with a smile on their face. He was used to anger and tears and recriminations. Maybe a seduction attempt or two. (He wished he could say the seduction attempts were always futile, but that wouldn't be exactly accurate). Overall though, after the initial brush off, followed by anger, tears, and recriminations, he wasn't used to the women coming back at all. And Nicole really didn't count because anybody could see that there was something seriously wrong with that girl.
Except here Victoria was. In his office. Smiling.
She said, "I wanted to talk to you about next year's Elizabeth fund-raiser. I know it's early, but I like to have all my ducks in a row for something of that magnitude."
Robin said, "Oh."
"If it's okay with you, I think I'd like to try a different theme next year. The casino atmosphere worked great, but we don't want the event getting stale. I'd really like it to be something where, every year, people are wondering what we're going to do to top ourselves. I think that's the path to making it a really hot ticket, don't you?"
Robin said, "Victoria?"
"Yes?"
"Did I miss a memo?"
"About this?"
"Please don't play dumb with me. I hate it when intelligent women play dumb."
She nodded, as if she'd expected as much, and, just as brightly as she'd presented her fundraising idea, prodded Robin, "Remember the night you tried to take me to British Columbia?"
Robin nodded.
"Do you remember what I offered you then?"
"I remember it wasn't what I wanted most." He couldn't help it. He actually smiled. Robin felt like his entire world was collapsing everywhere he looked and yet, because he was in Victoria's presence, Robin actually smiled. Damn! the effect this woman had on him. And damn it, Robin wished he could stop himself from craving it so desperately.
"I offered you friendship, Robin."
"Oh, yes, now I remember. It was quite a letdown."
"I don't know. You accepted it."
"I hate to break it to you, Victoria, but it was really just a preamble to something else. I'm very devious that way, you know."
"Yes. I know."
He was still rather lost. "How does a conversation we had months ago - "
"I offered you my friendship, and you accepted it. Later on, we moved on to a more... a more... "
"Horizontal?"
"Romantic. Romantic relationship."
Why was she doing this to him? Here Robin was, doing his very, very best to keep things light, to stay off a subject he assumed was painful to them both, and there Victoria went, ripping off scabs that had barely started to form.
"Alright, have it your way."
"Yesterday, Robin, you broke off our romantic relationship."
"Well, technically - "
"Yes, I know, technically, I broke it off first."
It scared him how well she could read his mind.
"You know what I mean, Robin." She went on. "You broke off our romantic relationship. I didn't hear you say anything about breaking off our friendship."
"You still want to be friends with me? Are you out of your mind?"
"Which query would you like me to address first?"
"Weren't you listening, damn it? Did I not make it clear? Victoria, I'm poison for people, alright? I have screwed up the life of everyone who's ever loved me, wanted to love me, knew me, wanted to know me, or, for all I know, even brushed up against me in an elevator."
Victoria smiled. She said, "We'll see..."
And then she resumed talking about next year's fund-raiser, her eyes twinkling all the while.