Jenny took a deep breath as she moved up the steps of her apartment block, passing the litter which sat on them as she finally reached the second floor and dipped her hand into her bag, pulling her keys out and unlocking the door to apartment 20A. As soon as she was in, she threw the keys onto the small table which sat by the doorway and she ran her hand down her long, curly black hair, moving into the living room and finding out her small bottle of vodka from underneath the coffee table.
Why did she have to fall for a man like Robert Fischer? She loved him deeply. She cared for him immensely, but, he was too frustrating for her to deal with sometimes. The money he had made him arrogant and stubborn. But, there were sometimes when he showed a softer side, a rarity, she had to admit. But, she knew he was insecure. His father had made him insecure. She'd tried to show him that he didn't need to be his father. He could be anyone who he wanted to be. He had the brains to do it. He just lacked ambition.
Jenny walked over into her kitchen, pulling out a tall glass and filling it with a bit of vodka, downing the liquid in a matter of seconds before wishing she hadn't as the burning sensation filled her throat. She shouldn't have left Robert. She should have stayed with him and made sure that he was okay. He had just lost his father, for heaven's sake! She knew that they weren't close, but, she knew that he needed someone to be with him during his loss.
Before she could pick up the phone, she heard the ringing of the doorbell and she shook her head. She had a feeling that it would be Jeremy from work. She had been slacking recently, handing off clients to other customers as Maurice Fischer worsened and Robert needed her to be with him.
She drained some more of the vodka, holding it in her hands as she moved to the door and opened it, her eyes widening as she did so.
"It's five o'clock in the afternoon," his calm and collected voice informed her as he looked at the glass which she was holding. "Please tell me that you're not drinking vodka and that is just water?"
"It's water," she lied to him and he arched a brow in her direction, unable to believe that she was telling him the truth.
"If it is water then you should be able to drink it all without a problem," he informed her and she remained silent, pressing it to her lips as she looked at the remainder in her glass and sipped on it, unable to handle it as it moved down her throat and his lips quirked up slightly as she rolled her eyes.
"Fine, you win," she informed him and he chuckled once, rubbing the back of his neck as she held the door open for him to move into her small apartment. "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to swallow my pride," he declared and Jenny rolled her eyes, walking back into the kitchen and he followed her, his hands in his pockets as he did so. "In the car...I didn't think..."
"I know," she agreed with him, opening her fridge and pulling out the pitcher of orange which she had. Robert always drank orange when he came to her apartment. He'd first asked her if she had any earl grey tea. She had blinked profusely, informing him that she had tea bags. He'd smirked and said orange was just fine.
"I just don't think I can stay in Australia," he replied to her, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. "My godfather thinks the move would be good for me, too."
"I understand how you feel, Robert. You're confused and upset and want to get out," she informed him and he didn't argue with her. He remained silent, shrugging out of his jacket as he draped it onto the counter and adjusted the tie, his suspenders holding his trousers up as Jenny looked at him, realising he was the only man who she knew that could get away with suspenders. "I just think that you should consult me about things first. We're supposed to be getting married."
"Supposed to be?" Robert asked her, loosening the purple tie she had bought him for his birthday as he did so. "What does that mean?"
"It means that I think we need some time...Robert...things haven't been great between us..." she informed him and she could have sworn she saw fear rise into his blue eyes and she winced, unable to look at him for a second as she did so.
"Don't you love me?" he asked her and she rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her body.
"You know that I do," she replied. "I...I don't know if I can go to America with you...my family are here, Robert...and then you said that I'd come with you...controlling me..."
"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I never meant to do that to you."
"That's the thing," Jenny said back to him. "You do it and you don't notice. It drives me mad."
"Jenny," Robert sighed her name, walking towards her and allowing himself to wrap his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him as he did so. She rested her hands onto his shoulders, feeling the crispness of the white shirt which he wore as she took in his perfectly coiffed hair. It looked better than hers ever did. "I'm sorry. Just don't tell me that we need a break, okay? I don't want a break. I don't want to be apart from you."
"I know," she murmured, stroking his shoulders as he shook his head at her.
"Come with me to California?" he asked her. "We can sort things out there. Time apart would only make us drift and I don't want that."
"I can't just up and leave, Robert," she groaned. "I work in a business. I work in a business which deals with your accounts, to be precise." She reminded him.
"I am aware," Robert nodded. "That's how we met, remember?"
"I can hardly forget," she said and he smirked down to her, catching a glimpse of the smile which he loved on her features. "That's the thing...Robert...you're so wealthy and I'm not...you think that I can just up and go whenever I want to because you do...I can't...and the presumption that I can winds me up."
"You know that I have the money to look after you, Jen," Robert mumbled.
"I also know that I didn't put myself through years of training to have to give up my job," she replied.
"Please," Robert managed to spit that word out. "Come to California with me. I have the jet ready and waiting. I just don't want space at the moment."
"Robert," she complained as he bent down to her height and looked at her.
"Please," he said again and Jenny knew he was desperate. Robert Fischer never said please twice unless he really meant what he was saying. She nodded in agreement as he kissed her forehead and she sighed.
"Thank you," he said gratefully to her. "Do you want to stay here tonight or come back to mine?" he wondered and Jenny moved from his hold, taking her glass and filling it with water as Robert sipped on his orange juice.
"If I'm going with you to California then I need to pack," she informed him and he chuckled at her. He never needed to pack. He supposed it was the perk of having an apartment over there.
"I suppose you do," he responded.
"You can stay for a while if you want to," Jenny assured him and he arched a brow at her. "I mean...I don't have any food in the cupboards because I haven't had time to shop...but there's takeout that I can order..."
"As long as it isn't that nasty Chinese food which you ordered last time," Robert drawled, holding his glass in his hands as she glared at him.
"Hey!" she snapped. "That was good food!"
"It was horrible," he replied. "I'll choose the food and you start to pack."
"How long will we be gone for?"
"A few days," Robert said, pulling his phone from his pocket and playing on it as Jenny nodded once. "Not too long."
"Fine," she agreed. "And don't order any Thai food!"
"Why not?" Robert asked as she stood in the doorway and looked over to him.
"Because it is far too expensive for me to pay for."
Robert rolled his eyes, pulling his wallet out and opening it, checking the wad of cash in there as Jenny resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She bit down on her tongue as Robert allowed himself a rare smile.
"I'll pay," he spoke, moving to the doorway where she stood. "What type of gentleman doesn't pay for dinner?"
"I've met a few," Jenny mumbled and Robert tucked his finger under her chin, lifting her face up to look at him as he did so.
"You don't need to meet anymore," he assured her before kissing her deeply.
...
A/N: So, LindyLoveLoki sort of persuaded me with their review to actually give a Robert story a go. I have no idea how it will turn out so review so far are greatly appreciated!