Chapter 1
Robin Locksley is the ultimate ladies' man. But who could blame him really? He had the looks, the high paying job, and always drove the most expensive cars. It was only natural that he'd have beautiful women by his side. And boy did he have many of them.
Last week he was seeing Melissa, or Mel as she liked to be called, a gorgeous former playboy playmate he'd met on his trip out to Cali. She was a green-eyed brunette and had amazing tits. And then there was Liza, the sexy wild blonde he met on his business trip out in the Netherlands. She taught him a little Dutch, well in the time they had in between their tongue action.
This week he had Marian, quite the contrast from his usual style in women but there was something about her Robin had just liked. She was beautiful with deep tan olive skin and deep brown eyes. On few occasions when he was away from her he'd think about how sweet those eyes were. They'd gone on a few dates within that month of April but as Robin grew to get to know her, he began to doubt they had as much in common as he had thought. She was a dreamer, and Robin had always been rational.
But then again was that really fair to say? Did he really have much in common with those other women he was with? He was really into it for the sex anyway, right? Maybe it was because his best friend Killian called him from the hospital that week with news of his new son. Or maybe it was because he was beginning to realize that he was in fact getting older, 35, to be exact. That week in late April he'd let Marian go. And oh god she didn't let him hear the end of it. She called about 20 times a day and left voicemail after voicemail. I guess she needed a more satisfying answer than the one he had given. Technically he deserved it though, I mean, he fooled yet another woman with his sweet talk and charm.
"The Break-Up in Late April"- it went a little something like this
"Marian, I think we should see other people."
He said simply, as he folded his hands at the dinner table. He always chose a public place to do his breakups, that way they resisted the urge to make a scene. She began to tear up, and ask the usual.
"But…I don't understand, I thought everything was going great. I thought we were happy."
She answered, typical, really. It scared Robin how easily he could detach himself from women but he decided not to read into it too much.
Then after Robin stated his famous "it's not you, it's me" line, Marian proceeded to stand, grab her $35 glass of wine and chuck it into Robin's face.
"ASS HOLE!" She yelled, making a scene.
He sighed grabbing his lap napkin to dry his face as the people around him stared. He even shed a tear, though not over his break-up with Marian but because the shirt he was wearing was a custom tailored Hugo Boss and it cost about the amount he paid a month for his Ferrari.
Luckily he'd bought a second just in case something like this would ever happen, although if he could have predicted the events that unfolded he probably would have bought a third.
May came shortly after. Killian, Robin's best friend and business partner, decided the two of them should take a trip, a getaway. They both needed a break what with Robin's recent break up and Killian's new baby. Killian always felt bad for leaving his wife but deep down he knew she would be in good hands with the help of her parents.
"So where to?" Robin asked, taking a sip of his Pinot Grigio white wine. Killian smirked.
"We, my friend, are going to Vegas!" He laughed as they made a toast.
Vegas. Robin didn't know why but for some reason he had a really good feeling about this trip. And best believe he'd be making some money out there too.
"Vegas huh. You know, I've got my eye on a property out there. I was thinking about opening a club." He smirked.
Robin was always a business man, constantly thinking of new ways to make money and succeed. This trip would finally give him the chance to look into it, a chance to invest in his future. Robin smiled at the thought, this would be the most significant year of his life, he just didn't know it yet.
They headed out on that fifth of May for a 4:00am departure and after a 5-hour flight from New York, he and Killian had arrived. They made a pit stop to their hotel, The Four Seasons in Las Vegas Nevada, to drop off their bags.
"Robby I can smell the money already…" Said Killian as he gave Robin a pat to the shoulder.
Robin sipped his Coors Light as he stared out into the sunset.
"Indeed, my loyal Irishman, indeed."
Two Months Later…
A loud buzzing came from Robin's pocket as he walked around the construction site, he answered his phone. As he read the caller ID he smiled.
"Hey buddy, what you do? Drop off the face of the earth or something?" he laughed
Killian's lips curled into a smile. "Just working my ass off as usual. I called to ask about the progress of the club. How's it going?" He asked
"Oh its going alright! You should see it, its huge! I'm calling it, "VIVID:" Robin smiled at the thought and looked at the becoming building before him.
"So when's opening night?" Asked Killian.
"Well let's see ugh, we've got a few more maintenance items and pipe installments to get and with paperwork and the investment company, I'd say about five months give or take a month." Robin checked his watch as if it would somehow give him the exact answer.
"Well listen, sounds great! Let me know when I need to book a flight out there to Vegas and well celebrate!" He laughed a bit.
"Sure thing buddy, kiss the wife and kid for me will ya?"
"I will. Take care." Said Killian as he ended the call.
Robin placed his phone back in his pocket and continued to check the construction site of his club. He checked around for any potential upgrades or faults in the construction, but to no surprise, his team of workers had done an excellent job of preparing it.
"Hey Juan!" He called for one of the workers.
"Yes Sir?" He asked.
"Where can I find some great Mexican food around here?"
He simply pointed in the direction south of there and gave the name of a popular restaurant.
"Ofrenda!" Yelled Juan.
"Ofrenda?" Robin repeated to be sure.
"Ofrenda." He nodded back with a smile.
"Okay thanks, I'll be sure to check it out." Said Robin with a smile.
What was the point of him even responding? It wasn't like he could understand a word he was saying anyway. Robin walked toward his Ferrari and sat inside starting the car. He drove on for miles to no music, thinking about his success and how lucky everyone had said he was. Sure it was great to have a hundred-thousand-dollar sports car and an upscale penthouse in the east side of Manhattan. It was even great to be nominated for New York's bachelor of the month last year, but somehow Robin still felt empty. He truly hated the nights he spent all alone in that huge place he called home. The place where at night the only sounds he would hear were from the cracks in the walls or creeping winds from the night. It wasn't really a home after all. It was a house, mocking him with its large and superior size as he stood inferior, swallowing him into a vortex of lonely. Thank goodness his sudden hunger crept in to distract him.
He arrived at "Ofrenda Restaurant" within the hour of nine and parked his car. It looked to be a bit shabby, but he decided not to judge the place for its appearance. He walked inside and grabbed a paper menu with the various choices as he took a seat in one of the bar chairs. The restaurant was booming with people and even a Mexican mariachi band. He asked for a shot of tequila before ordering the restaurant special, "Carlito's Way". The bartender slid the drink his way before he took the glass and held it to his lips. The dirty blonde Englishman raised his shot glass to make a toast:
"to change", He whispered inwardly before downing it in seconds.
The meal arrived within minutes and Robin began to quickly chow down the restaurant special. It consisted of white meat seasoned chicken, sweet coconut rice, and sautéed plantains. He had to admit, he would most definitely be coming back to this place if and when he had time. He would have even pondered on the thought a bit more if his brain hadn't been so clouded from the loud mariachi band and that loud mouth women on the telephone by the bathroom.
"Trever IM NOT READY FOR MARRIAGE! I mean love you but…not like that, and I really think we should see other people…" said the voice of the "loud mouth woman" as she spoke on the payphone.
Robin got up to stand in line for the bathroom as many began to stand behind him.
"Okay look I gotta go! My bladder is about to explode if I don't go pee!" she said, quickly hanging up.
The woman glanced over at the growing line and rolled her eyes with a sigh as she crossed her legs. An idea quickly entered her mind as she walked to the front, flicking her hair.
"Excuse me, but I was here…" she said.
(Yep. And that's how they met.)
Robin laughed sarcastically as his eyes grazed over the sexy brunette in the tight shirt and skirt.
"I think I would have noticed that…" He said.
"No, you see, I was on the phone and the line moved but I couldn't move with it because the cord wouldn't stretch that far."
She smiled cheekily, hoping to God that her cheesy-ass lie would save her just this once.
Robin smirked. "You see; I'd love to believe you but your nose is actually growing."
The brunette sighed as she did a little dance, trying her best to hold her urine.
"Oh come on, I thought that was pretty good." She smiled
He looked back at the load of bikers in the line and back at her.
"You realize that I could die for this." Robin's eyes grew wide.
"I pee really fast! I had tons of cousins and siblings in my house growing up and only one bathroom. I can pee faster than anyone." She said.
"Really a gold medalist huh? This I have to see." He smirked as he let her cut the line.
"Oh thanks!" she smiled.
Some of the biker guys yelled some inappropriate things to her in Spanish, though she could handle herself quite well. She quickly retorted something equally if not worse off than what he'd said, leaving his cheeks flushed red.
"What did you say?" asked Robin, as he found the scene to be quite impressive.
"Well to put things lightly, I told him to fuck off." She smirked.
Robin couldn't help the smile forming on his face. "Good, he deserved it."
"I'm Regina…by the way." She said, smiling up at him with her lusting brown eyes.
"Robin." He said shaking her hand.
He let a few seconds pass before deciding to speak to her again. Never had he ever been so nervous in his life.
"So ugh all that on the phone earlier, everything alright?"
Regina raised a brow. "Do you always listen to other people's conversations?" She asked with a smirk.
"Oh believe me I'm sure I'm not the only one who's heard." He said, a bit harshly though she hadn't caught on.
"Well you see, religion is very important to me and my family and I believe that your fate has already been decided. You just have to read the signs." She smiled.
Robin nodded though wasn't convinced. She caught onto that quite quickly however.
"You don't believe that?" she asked folding her arms.
"No…no I think if a guy gets hit by a bus it's because he wasn't paying attention not because it was his fate." He said, doing his best to rationalize without being offensive.
"So you don't think that it was fate that you were standing in this line when I got off the phone?" she asked tilting her head with a raised brow. Her voice began to soften as she slowly captivated his attention with the movement of her lips.
"Fate? No…I think it was more of a bladder thing." He answered.
She stared at him for a few seconds longer her eyes falling before slowly coming back up to meet his.
"Hmm, well that's too bad…because you see, I happen to think there's an explanation, beyond reason and all logic, that bought you right to this very spot…" She inched closer to him and rested her eyes on his.
Robin was frozen in that moment, hypnotized by lust, intoxicated by her beauty.
"…at the exact same time that I showed up at this very spot…"
"Y-you do?" He asked.
She smirked. "Absolutely."
"And why would fate go to all that trouble?" He questioned, still in a haze from her sight.
She smirked again and bit her bottom lip. "So that I wouldn't have to wait in line." She said, turning to the now open bathroom as she ran inside.
Damn she had a way with words, quite clever.
"Thanks." she said, giving him a wink before closing the door.
Robin turned his head back toward the bathroom and bit his lips. There was no way she was getting away with that.