Chapter nine: Robert and a fake romance


I run inside the club, looking a mess. Everyone looks towards me as I head straight towards the mike. It's on and I clear my throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" I bite my lip and gesture towards myself. "As I'm sure everyone's observed that, I'm rather…wet." Everyone laughs. "Unfortunately, two friends of mine were kidnapped and held hostage this evening." Everyone gasps in shock. "But fortunately, a friend of mine was there and he really saved the day and they were caught. Due to red tape, I cannot reveal details about anything, but everything's fine and a group of villains are behind bars. Well, I could have done without crawling on my stomach in a wet tunnel, but outside of that it was enjoyable! Now, everyone has been so patient that…I'm allowing everyone to have a 10% discount off their check!" everyone gasps as I hold up my hands. "Now, I'll try to be out within fifteen minutes and then…on with the show!"

Everyone applauds and I turn and hurry towards my dressing room. Dave is waiting in the hall for me. "Tammy, there's a Robert Robertson here to see you."

I stop dead in my tracks. "There is?"

He nods. "Yes, he says he's your fiancé?"

I frown. "He was, but now he's my ex."

"Oh, shall I get rid of him."

"No." Robert comes around the corner, holding a bouquet of white roses. His brown hair is slicked back and his suit is tailor made for him. He's handsome all right, or at least, he used to be handsome in my eyes. Now, I realize that the Superman/Hercules types just weren't doing it for me. "I prefer to take care of this myself. Thank you." I walk towards him. "What are you doing here?"

His tone is dark, seductive as he extends the roses to me. "Looking for you."

I never realized what an idiot he was until that moment. What was it about me that didn't scream 'angry' or did he just happen to miss it? I push past him. "Stay away from me from now on." I enter my dressing room and slammed the door behind me, unfortunately missing him. I reach for the back of my dress just as the door opens. I whip around to see Robert in the doorway. "Get out of here. Now!"

He closes the door behind me. "Tammy, let me explain!"

"I need to get dressed." I hiss at him. "I don't need to hear any more lies!"

"Tammy, I was set up!"

"Ho? And I suppose what you were doing with her on the desk was…an accident?"

"Tammy, it was an accident."

"And you getting back into my life is going to be an accident as well!" I grabbed the roses from him and smacked him with them. "Take these….bribes and get out of my life!"

At that moment, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. I instantly jerked my head to the side as I pushed at his shoulders. For some reason, I felt as if I was betraying someone. The worst part was, I felt the pain of betraying somebody who didn't really, even know that I existed. Worse of all, we could never, ever have a future because that man I cared about wasn't interested in that sort of thing.

His lips continued their disgusting assault on my neck and I was able to bring my hand back and slap his face. "Stop it! Stop it! I thought you would have the decency not to force yourself on me like some animal."

His lips stilled and he frowned. "It seems you were hurt more than I anticipated."

"I never let you kiss me like this, what made you think I'd allow it now?" I rolled my eyes as I pulled away from him, wiping the places on my neck where his lips were. "Oh, you're disgusting."

"There was a time when you hadn't thought that way."

"That was then, this is now." I cross my arms. "And what was your clue that you'd hurt me? Was it the fact that I threw a ring at your head or was it the fact that I was gone the next day? How did you find me?"

"Your lawyer."

I groaned. "I should sue him."

"I told him it was an emergency. And it was, I needed to speak to you."

"I thought that it was obvious that when I didn't leave my address that I didn't want to speak to you!"

"I swear, Cynthia set me up." I frowned. "Think about it, she had her hands on me."

"I'm not an idiot. I was standing there a lot longer than you realized."

"Ask Cynthia."

"Why should I do that?" I glowered at him. "I terminated my friendship with her. Why should I contact her?"

"It took me weeks to get her to agree to tell you the truth. Please," he begged. "just call her."

"No." I said firmly. "It may surprise you Robert, I didn't cry when we broke up. It hurt, but you just weren't worth crying over. Maybe that's a clue that I wasn't really in love with you. In fact," I crossed my arms and turned my back to him. "I'm certain now that I wasn't in love with you."

"What are you trying to say?" Robert asked. "What do you mean you're certain now?"

"You don't fit in my life anymore, I met someone else Robert." I spun around and smiled in what I assumed was a convincingly, happily-in-love smile. "I met him the very same day that I got off the plane and we've been inseparable since." The look of shock on his face was well worth the lie, but for some reason it doesn't feel like a lie to me. "He's a very, very good man. He's exceptionally clever and he's a very special man."

"You're lying." He ground out. "It took me months to get you to agree to go out on a date with me."

"That's because you're 'you' and you're clearly not him." I said. "He's a unique and very special man. In fact, we got along so well that we went out on a date the first day we met." This technically wasn't a lie. Sherlock and I kinda did have a 'date' of sorts the first day we met. Robert doesn't need to know the details. "I love him." Speaking those words with Sherlock on my mind was really unusual, for a second, I almost believed the words coming out of my mouth.

"You can't be in love with someone else in only a few weeks."

"No one tells the heart whom to love."

"Who is he?" Robert demanded.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please."

"I want to know!" He demands angrily. "Who is he?"

"Do you really expect me to tell you that?" I laughed. "Honestly! Do you know how much you sound like a spoiled child?"

"What does he do?"

"He's a detective, and that's all I'm going to tell you."

I don't know why I decided on using Sherlock as an example. Maybe it was because he and I had all these mind battles together, that now, after going up against Sherlock in a battle of the wits, Robert would be a pushover! Or on the other hand, was it because I couldn't get that man's face out of my mind at this instance?

"You're making this up. I demand to see a photo of him."

"No. I'm not going to." I said. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of degrading him."

"Because you've made up this mystery man just to make me suffer!" He shouted. "I dare him to walk through that door!"

To my complete shock, the door to my dressing room did open and Sherlock walked into the room. I gulped nervously as he walked towards me with a broad smile. "Tammy, darling," he pulled me into his arms and gently nuzzled my neck with his mouth. I was shocked, but I played along with him. He must have been listening outside, for he had no other reason for such a performance. "I missed you so much." He breathed in my ear. "Play along."

"Gladly." I whispered back as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "Oh Sherlock, I was so afraid you wouldn't make it."

He laughed lightly, running his hand tenderly down my cheek, as if he were my lover. "As if I'd miss your debut for anything in the world." He tilted my chin up, his eyes dancing. "You're looking deliciously, sexy at this moment." Oh, I almost melt in his arms at those words. I flush and tremble as my stomach stirs with desire. "More so than you usually look." With that, he leans forward, pulling my face towards his and our lips meet for the first time!

My heart jumped in my chest and I trembled at Sherlock's show of affection. But it was a game, one that my heart wasn't playing along with. I ran my hand up his shoulders, running my fingers through his hair. I could sense that Sherlock liked that, I felt his body react to my touch. His hands slid down my waist to my hips, pulling me closer towards him. I whimpered as my hips aligned with his. He gently nudges my mouth slightly open, asking for a deeper kiss, which I grant to him. Oh, I wanted more of this! I needed more!

"Are the two of you aware that I'm still in the room?" Robert shouted. "Tammy?!"

I pulled away, letting out a moan of disappointment. I actually had forgotten that he was in the room at this point. I'm afraid that I looked as if I'd gotten the best kiss of my life and I had! I'd never, ever been kissed like that before! This kiss made me feel complete and I was satisfied deep inside. No one had ever completed me with a kiss like that.

Sherlock smiled briefly at me before turning back towards Robert, whose face was turning red. His veins bulged and he had the appearance on someone who'd drunk a gallon of gasoline. Sherlock was smiling that smile that I'd dubbed, 'I'm getting ready to show off' smile. "You must be Robert, her ex-fiancé. Oh well, one man's loss is another man's gain." He wraps his arm around my waist. "You did the greatest thing, kicking her to the curb like that."

"She left me!"

Sherlock shook his head. "No. You kicked her to the curb when you showed you couldn't control your carnal nature enough to respect her."

I thought I was going to fall in love with Sherlock at this defense, even if it was a play game. Robert was going to blow a fuse. "And who the hell are you?"

"I thought it was obvious, I'm her boyfriend, the consulting detective." He stated, studying Robert. Sherlock then took off on one of his deductions. "You just flew in this evening. You must have known exactly where she was; otherwise you wouldn't have come straight here." Robert's face began to pale. Most of the time, I felt sorry for Sherlock's 'victims' but tonight; I relished watching Robert squirm. "The waitress fancied you and you two had a quick shag on the back wall outside the French restaurant 'Chardonnay.'"

"Robert!" I shouted at him. "How dare you!"

"I swear," he shouted back at me. "none of this is true!"

"Really?" Sherlock said. "There's a faint trace of lipstick on your neck and mouth. Your clothes are wrinkled and again, we have lipstick on your collar. You smell of 'Casaba Nights,' Tammy prefers 'Elizabeth Taylor's' line of perfumes. There's a phone number, written on a napkin, peeping out of your pocket. The handwriting shows it's a woman's and a lipstick kiss on it shows that there's definitely a romantic attachment involved with that number. The word 'Chardonnay' is printed on the napkin and the restaurant is just next door. Not to mention, you forgot to zipper your trousers up. Honestly! Are your sexual desires so great that you have to shag an unknown woman? Probably got her pregnant and she doesn't even know your name!"

"Sherlock, love, please hold off for a moment." I asked him as politely as I could through my teeth. "I believe you, but I want to get this…thing out of my sight!"

"Tammy, I swear-"

"Oh shut up! You get out of here!"

"Wait a minute!" He snapped. "I flew all the way out here from LA! You can't throw me out now!"

"Really?!"

Sherlock rubbed my shoulders. "Calm down, your vocal chords. And you've got an opening show to do, remember?"

I inhaled deeply as Robert continues talking. "Why would I destroy all my chances within a day of seeing you? I bought you roses for your opening night," he shot Sherlock a smug look. "which is more than your so called boyfrienddid!"

"Wrong!" Sherlock reached into his pocket and handed me a fake rose. "I brought her a rose."

That really took me off guard. I smiled as I accepted the fake rose. It was a deep red, painted with red and silver glitter. The leaves were velvety, also painted with green glitter. It was an unusual present, but I'm certain Sherlock had a reason for it.

"Thank you Sherlock." I stretched up and kissed his the corner of his mouth. "I shall treasure it always." I really mean that, it was one part of the game I wasn't lying about.

"It's a fake." Robert spat. "I spent fifty pounds on those roses you trampled."

"Actually ten," Sherlock said. "you bought them off the street corner."

"Shut up!" Robert shouted. "I swear, I'll kill you if you don't shut up!"

I rolled my eyes. "That's big of you Robert. Sherlock," I patted Sherlock's chest. "is unkillable."

"Don't bet on it."

"I can't stand this anymore; I've had enough time dealing with toddlers." I said, pushing the button I'd installed in my dressing room for security. The hurrying footsteps signaled they were coming. Moments later, two guards and Dave enter the room. I pointed at Robert. "Escort him out and make sure he isn't admitted back here again." I turned to Sherlock. "And you better make it up to me this evening!"

Sherlock laughed loudly, to disguise his barely veiled shock at the implication that came out of my mouth. "Be patient!" He slid his hand down to my lower back, to Robert; it would look as if Sherlock were actually groping me. "All good things come to those who wait." His voice drops to a murmur. "I always make it up to you, don't I?"

Robert shouted as he was pulled out of the room. "I'll get you for this Sherlock Holmes! I swear it!"

"Good evening!" Sherlock slammed the door in his face and turned to face me. "Well, that was interesting."

"Indeed, I was thinking more tedious than fun." I exhaled and shook my head as I stepped away from him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you."

"About what?"

"You."