A few words before you all begin: (if you're in a hurry, by all means, go straight to it)
First, new story alert. I have posted a new cobert story called Crimson, call me crazy, I am, but give it a shot, I might surprise you. haha
Second, this is just the first half of this chapter, and I already apologize in advance because it's WAY too long (and just the first half). I cut it in half, in hopes that I might not give you a headache. I'm hoping to get the next half up a few days later or a week, fingers crossed.
Third, last chapter I granted a prompt (Thanks Zaibi!). If you have one too, don't hesitate to put it in the comments or pm me. I'll see what I can do.
Fourth, I'm crappy, I update once a month and I'm sorry. Thank you for your patience, hope this makes up for that somehow. (Also, there's smut, so you know, take that as peace offering)
Lastly, I have been overwhelmed by the out pour of support. I cannot believe this piece of crap is a few reviews away from a hundred. Thank you. Thank you. I shall and will always be grateful because you actually give me the time of your day and actually await my updates. Thank you.
I'd like to briefly thank Anon Moose because her reviews have always managed to give me insight about this stories in a way and lift my spirits up, as much as all your reviews you beautiful people managed to bolster my confidence and made me actually enjoy writing this story.
ooh and as usual, mistakes are mine, I own them, back off. Just kidding, pardon them, they annoy me too.
On with the show then.
Chapter Ten
"Where are you spending your Christmas?" Cora hears Robert ask her as she brushes her teeth in the bathroom attached to her bedroom.
He had been ready for bed for a while, turning down her offer to watch Love Actually again in favor of lounging in bed and finishing some work so he would not have to deal with it through the weekend.
Cora's face screwed up in confusion, and she leaned down to spit the froth in her mouth before she rinsed it out with water. She was stalling, she knew that, but she was trying to figure out which way this line of questioning would turn. She took the towel next to her and wiped her mouth with it before she hung it back on the rack. She looked at her reflection on the mirror, making sure that she had gone through every single step of her night time routine before she went to bed. Satisfied that she hadn't forgotten anything, she made her way out of the bathroom, turning out the light as she went.
"So?" Robert asked once more, lifting his eyes from the documents he'd been reading to throw her a questioning look as she climbed into the bed.
She crawled next to him, cuddling to his side and throwing an arm over his waist. She laid her head on his chest, snuggling into him and he lifted one of his arms to wrap it around her shoulders.
"Well," she began once she was settled and comfortable in his embrace, "there is a Christmas party at the Castle on the 20th and the bar will be closed down for that. And one of my friends at the University will be throwing a party on the 18th, I think. Other than that, my calendar is basically empty."
He hummed, his chest vibrating with the sound. "Don't forget the office party on the 22nd," he said nonchalantly, as if they had talked about it before—which is technically truth, they had, in passing, in which he'd mentioned that there was an office party, but not that she was going with him. It was making her just a touch anxious, now that he'd mentioned bringing her, where everyone was bound to know that she was his girlfriend.
Not that it was being kept a secret, in any case, it wasn't exactly a big deal. It wasn't as though it was the biggest issue in London, but they hadn't been exactly forthcoming about it either, not really screaming it out from the rooftops, or at least she didn't feel like he was very eager to let everyone know about it.
"Cora?" she heard him say as he tapped her on the shoulder. She lifted her head and stared at him quizzically. "You zoned out. You are free on the 22nd, right?"
She nodded. "I practically have nothing to do nowadays," she told him, which was the truth because basically, by this time she'd be on her flight to New York. "But isn't 22nd a work day?"
Robert nodded. "Ys, but they get the 23rd free, sort of a Christmas Holiday weekend," he explained as his fingers lazily wandered up and down her arm. His attention, however, was on the document he was reading.
"Are you always this nice?" she asked teasingly, grinning at him as she pushed herself closer to his warmth.
"No," he chuckled, though she felt like it wasn't true. "But Christmas did fall on a weekend, so it seemed logical. Naturally, they all agreed with me." She hummed her reply, and he continued with a question. "Aren't you spending it with your family? Are you flying back to New York?"
She should be, but she'd been too stressed to even think about booking a flight that she'd totally spaced. Of course, she'd argued with herself that it had nothing to do with wanting to spend her Christmas with Robert, because she wasn't like that and if she even entertained that thought—well, that was terrifying.
It would be terrifying how willingly she seemed to just drop everything for him—because she felt like she really could, would, and actually did—when she'd never done that for anyone ever before.
"They're flying over, just after Christmas on the 26th, well, the 27th here and then through the New Year's," she answered finally, shrugging, "Without Harold of course, but mother and papa said that they would go on a Europe tour after so, I guess it's fine." She pursed her lips. "I guess I'd be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day by myself."
Robert kissed her forehead then and murmured, "Well, you could. Or you could spend it with me…and Rosamund." Her heart fluttered as he paused. He was asking her to celebrate Christmas with him and his sister—"And my parents."
And them.
The flutter in her heart turned into a full stop.
With his parents.
She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
Right.
Well, that…that was not scary at all.
"Cora?" he repeated, sounding almost hopeful and she couldn't answer him, didn't know exactly how. When she had thought of spending Christmas with him, that had been a thought extended to Rosamund and her fiancé, but he hadn't thought of his parents because…well, that seemed too far away from where they are now. That sounded so serious. Not that she thought they weren't serious now, because they are, kind of, pretty much, but—"You don't have to, if you don't want to," he said, taking her silence and hesitation as sign that she didn't want to. But he sounded so disappointed it almost broke her heart.
"No, no," she then was quick to protest as she pulled away enough to look at him in the eye. "I would love to spend Christmas with you and Rosamund." Then she paused and hesitated, biting down on her lip. "It's just that…it's just that spending time with your parents has me pausing is all." More like quaking in her boots, but she would not tell him that. She could give him the half truth, however. "I'm not saying that I don't want to meet your parents, it's just nerve wracking."
"I know," Robert agreed, seemingly very understanding of her predicament and her feelings, that had her sighing in relief, "But you're going to meet them anyway, sooner or later, so why not sooner?" Yes, that. he looked at her with concern in his eyes. "And I don't like the thought of you spending your Christmas alone when you can spend it with me and my family."
He's got a point, she'd concede, but it was just a little unsettling to have the idea of meeting his parents, his mother, mostly. She felt like she needed to prepare herself to meet the Violet Crawley.
It just seemed stupid for her to tell him that meeting each other's parents felt like leaps and bounds from where they stand, because she didn't really feel that way at all. And it would be silly for her to say it because they practically lived together—alternating between her flat and his house. But she didn't really know what to say, more specifically, she didn't know how to say that maybe she thought that way because she was being a coward. She knew what she felt, but she didn't know how he did, and she was afraid to ask. And until she knew, it seemed like light years away from meeting each other's parents.
"Alright," she finally breathed out, albeit reluctantly. "Okay, I'll go with you. We'll spend the Christmas together with your family." She bit her lip as she raised her eyes to look at him again. She raised an eyebrow. "But you know this means meeting my parents, right?"
She felt Robert stiffen, his hand falling away from her shoulder and landing on the bed beside her. She pulled away, feeling the shift in the atmosphere, and she stared him down. Of course there was no way she was letting him get out this. If she was going to brave meeting his parents, then it was only fair that he should meet hers though, all her fears and feelings be damned. She really wanted him to meet her parents, probably more than he wanted her to meet his.
"Robert," she began when she was met with nothing but silence that stretched on for more than it was supposed to. When he continued with the silence and decided to pointedly ignore her by reading and re-reading the file in his hand. "You cannot ignore me." She took his chin and lifted his gaze to hers.
He sighed and moved to place the documents down on the table beside her bed. "I'm not ignoring you," he said, but sighed once more at the pointed raising of her eyebrow. "It's just that…Don't you want to spend time with your family?" He sounded so tentative and timid that she knew there was something more to it.
Cora smiled as realization washed over her like waves. She crossed her arms, watching as her boyfriend fidgeted in front of her, looking away every so often as she continued to stare him down with a smirk.
"Robert," she drawled, fighting the urge to chuckle at her boyfriend's actions. "Are you nervous about meeting my parents?"
Robert's eyes snapped towards hers and quickly back on the bedspread again, as though he was examining the patterns on it so seriously, making Cora laugh before she crawled over the bed to settle down on his lap.
"Hey," she said, tipping his chin up again to force him to look at her. She drowned in his beautiful blue eyes, and she'd had to swallow, had to tether herself back to reality. God, she loved this man. "There is nothing to be nervous about," she said as she slid her arms around his neck. She touched her forehead with his and nuzzled their noses together. "If I could find the courage to meet your mother and try the impossible feat which is to impress her, then you could do the same and meet my parents. After all, after your parents, mine would be easy peasy. You don't need to worry about it at all."
He snaked his own arms around her waist, letting out a soft sigh. "Except your father probably wants to make a target practice out of me for even dating you," he said with so much anxiety in his voice and expression, it was adorable.
Cora laughed, unable to stop herself really. She barely managed hen Robert shot her a look. "Baby, daddy won't want to do that," she assured him even if she was sure that his fears were legitimate, and not totally unfounded. She didn't mean to laugh at him, either, but he was just too cute to be real right now.
"You don't know that," Robert protested with a sigh. "You're his only daughter. His princess. I don't think he'd be particularly warm and fuzzy towards a man that might potentially steal his daughter away from him."
You already have, she wanted to say, but she bit down the urge and instead let out a laugh a fully belly one, her head falling onto his shoulder as her whole body trembled with laughter. She felt his arms tighten around her and she tried to compose herself.
"I'm perfectly serious," Robert told her, squeezing at her waist once, to get her attention and make her stop laughing, which she tried, stifling her laughter and biting her lip to stop from guffawing again. "Tell me he hasn't done it before." He sounded like he was almost begging and it only made Cora want to laugh even more.
Cora looked away then, earning a deep sigh of resignation from her lover. Of course her father had threatened to shoot someone with his gun before, mostly those who wanted to date her, but it didn't mean he actually had. The operative word there being threatened. There was no need to tell Robert that, however.
"He has, hasn't he?" Robert asked again, sounding more and more nervous. She remained silent, avoiding his gaze. "Cora, tell me. He has, hasn't he?"
Cora finally turned her gaze to him, hesitation clear in her eyes. "Well there were times—," she tried to say but he cut her off.
""Times?" he asked, incredulous and almost exploding. "You mean it wasn't just one time, but multiple times?"
"Calm down, baby" she soothed, rubbing her hand up and down his chest. "I admit that there were times that he threatened certain men but…I mean, you can trust my father not to be so primeval."
Robert sighed. She could tell that he was getting exasperated. "It isn't that," he said, and she could see his sincerity through his eyes. "I just know that if it were e, and if our future daughter looked anything like you, you'd be handing me the gun and I'd be aiming at anyone who wants to date her and make a target practice out of their bums."
She laughed, shaking her head at him. She wouldn't tell him, and he probably wouldn't understand, but when he'd said something about them having a daughter, regardless if he meant it or if it was a slip of the tongue, or even just a metaphor spun out of the circumstances, it did make butterflies to flutter inside her stomach. It meant a lot to her that quite possibly, at the back of his mind he thought of them together, with a future. And though there were still a lot of conflicting feelings inside her, about where they stand, this was like a beacon in the dark, the light at the end of the tunnel, a possibility waiting for them at a turn.
Feeling like her heart might explode right out of her chest from all the emotions, she was unable to do anything else but lean in and kiss him.
…
The eighteenth of December came by with surprising ease, and all too soon, Cora found herself in front of her vanity mirror, applying makeup to her face, particularly to the love bites peppering her pale skin. She smirked, hearing her boyfriend curse loudly from where he was getting ready himself somewhere in the flat.
They were running late, having been distracted by some other activities, coital activities to be precise, once Robert had seen her in matching red negligee. He'd stared at her with heart, crossing the little distance between where he was sat on her bed to where she was standing at the door to the bathroom. He'd taken her into his arms and lifted her off of the ground, prompting her to squeal and giggle as she wrapped her legs around his waist, protesting all the while that he should put her down. But he'd done nothing of the sort, only hoisting her up higher on his waist and walking them back to her Queen sized bed and laying her down on her back.
"Robert," she'd moaned as he crawled his way up her body, kissing every inch of her skin with purpose. His eyes were darkened with lust and his breath was hot, sending shivers down her spine. "We're going to be late," she said, making a half-hearted attempt to push him away.
He didn't answer, but it was obvious in the way that he moved up and kissed her on her lips heatedly that he didn't really care. She responded in kind, never minding the fact that they were going to be late, and only basking in the sweetness and ardour of his kiss. His tongue licked at the seams of her lips, and she, unable as she was to deny him anything and not that she ever wanted to when it brought her the same pleasure, opened her mouth under his, letting him make love to her mouth in the way she'd hoped he'd make love to other parts of her, too. She moaned, the sound reverberating and vibrating to his mouth, before he let her lips go and he began to line open mouthed kisses down her throat, sucking and nipping at her flesh until she's sure that he would leave a mark. She should protest, tell him no, tell him he shouldn't but she was enjoying this far too much to even think of him stopping, or to complain. She could always cover it up later.
She felt him snake his hand to her back, trying to unhook her bra, and she arched her chest to let him, as he moved back up to kiss her lips and wreak havoc to her consciousness. She couldn't help the moan that ripped through her throat when he'd peeled her bra off and lowered his mouth to the pebbled peaks of her breast, barely letting the cold air hit them before he's sucking and licking, biting and tasting. He wasted no time, using one hand to fondle the neglected pair, and using the other to peel away her panties.
"Robert," she moaned once more just as he abandoned her other breast in favor of the other, his fingers nimbly playing with the bundle of nerves down where she was hot and throbbing. She needed him, needed him now. "Robert, I want you…can't, can't wait."
Robert answered with silence as he started kissing down her torso, sucking on the flesh where her pelvis and thigh met, licking his way to her core and lapping up at her, tongue rolling and flicking against her sex until she was nothing but a mere mass of sobbing mess in need of him. He lapped at her even when she pulled at his hair, not stopping until she was coming under his skillful tongue, his name on her lips.
It didn't take long after that, she'd barely come down from her high before he was moving upwards once more. She felt his shaft against her thigh, he was already rock hard. She was dripping wet, her sex pulsating and she knew that there was nothing more that she needed at the moment more than his cock sheathing inside her and relieving her ache. She whispered his name reverently, pleading with him without so many words to finally just make love to her, make love with her, which he did, looking straight into her eyes as he entered her welcoming heat. He gave her very little time to adjust, not that she needed it at all—she was so wet and ready for him—and she'd sighed (more like a grunt, she'd admit if she wasn't so overwhelmed with arousal and if she was paying attention to her words and not on his cock pushing into her sex) when he'd started moving inside her. He groaned, forehead falling onto hers as he thrust deep into her. His fingers sought out for her bundle nerves now strung and tensed, begging for attention, while he kept himself braced up using his arm, careful not to crush her. It left her with no other recourse other than to moan his name and hike up her legs around his waist higher, allowing him more room and deeper penetration, which he seemed to take full advantage of, pushing and thrusting into her deep and hard, faster and faster, until the room seemed to spin, and her breathing came in and out more labored, and she wasn't entirely sure what her name was, only that she was being pleasured in the best way by the man she was undoubtedly in love with, and if this continued, she might spiral right into heaven and never come back.
"Robert, mmhmm, yes, ugh, yes, right, god, yeah, there," she moaned incoherently, words flying out of her mouth as her brain flew out of the window, too, thoroughly overcame by the pleasure she was feeling right now.
Robert seemed to heed her unintelligible string of directions and he changed the angle, one that allowed him to pound harder and directly onto that spot that made her certain she really was spiraling to heaven. He pounded into her, driving his shaft into her without apologies or restraints until she's coming, and coming, his name coming out with a strangled scream from her lips. He followed her right at the edge, coming with a deep-throated growl that, if she listened harder, resembled somewhat of her name.
He crashed into her, head falling onto her shoulder, as they both panted, coming down the high of making love. He lifted his head long enough to place a gentle kiss on her temple, her nose, then lastly on her lips, and she smiled, positive that she was falling harder and deeper in love with blue-eyed man in her arms.
…
Robert tried to focus on the road before them as he drove his way to the party one of Cora's friends was throwing, lest they get into an accident because of his recklessness. But he found it hard to concentrate when she was sitting on his right, a smile on her angelic face and a glow about her that he could only attribute to post-coital activities. Of course, that was crude and he was more than a hundred percent certain that Cora was a lovely woman, post, pre, during coitus, in and out of bed, but it made him proud to know that she wore their lovemaking well. If that was even a thing. Not that he cared. He was happy, for the first time in a very long time, he found himself happy again.
He took her hand in his and held it tight, giving it a light squeeze just after he made a turn, and he felt her turn to him, offering him a mega-watt smile that he would admit got her what she wanted more often than not. So, he was whipped, there was no shame in that, especially if the woman was as lovely as his Cora.
"We can leave anytime you want," Cora reassured him once more, having told him just a few days prior that she'd not want for him to be uncomfortable, and that she understood that some of her friends might not be totally appropriate, maybe sometimes even crude, and should he ever feel uncomfortable, in the very least, he shouldn't hesitate to tell her.
He smiled at her gently, appreciating the sentiment but more than willing to see this throughout, until Cora herself wanted to leave, because it was the least he could do for her. "I know, darling, thank you," he told her sincerely, looking at her quickly just because he wanted to, and really, it was hard to keep fighting the urge to. "It isn't the first time I've been to a college party. Besides, these people aren't that far off my age, aren't they? They are your age, you shouldn't worry."
She smiled at him again, nodding, and he saw her visibly relax, the tension gone as they pulled up at the venue. He parked the car and then rushed to her side to help her out. He held her hand all the way to the party. Upon entering, they were met by the music loudly blasting from the speakers and the bright lights coming in different colors blinding them.
He watched his girlfriend scan the room, her hand still in his, looking for someone, when she seemed to have spotted whoever it was, she tugged at his hand and without letting him go, they threaded through the throng of people already on the dance floor, having fun.
"Cora, hi!" A young woman with big brown eyes and a sweet smile greeted them, throwing her free hand around Cora who also wrapped the hand he wasn't holding around the woman. "I was beginning to believe you wouldn't show!"
Cora grinned. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said and then gestured to him. "But we had things to do. This is my boyfriend, Robert Crawley." She looked at him and then back to the woman. Politely, he offered his hand. "Robert, this is Phyllis Baxter. She's my first friend in this country. And these are Annie, Jackie and Emma—they're my friends too."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Robert said coolly, smiling at the young women who all shook his hand just as politely, offering him a sweet smile. He returned their smile.
"I hope you don't mind, but we're going to go get some drinks," Cora told her friends who nodded, before she was dragging him to the bar. She sat on the stool, once they have reached their destination, and looped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and forcing him to stand between her slightly open legs, not that he was complaining at all. She leaned up and rubbed their noses together. "Won't you buy me a drink?" She flirted as she traced a finger down his neck, to his chest, stopping at the button of his shirt, fiddling at it, threatening to pop it loose.
"What would you like, Your Ladyship?" he asked, teasing, lowering his head next to her ear, not because she couldn't hear because she could, perfectly, but because he wanted his breath to hit her warm skin and watch as shivers ran down her spine—which it did.
She moaned, softly, so softly he almost believed he imagined it, if she didn't squeeze his shoulder and pushed herself closer to him. He liked this, liked the flirting. They had a bountiful sex life, that was true, they couldn't quite keep their hands off of each other, they flirted quite a lot and he liked to believe that they were that and more, but this was nice, too. Sitting here on the bar, arms around each other, surrounded by a crowd and loud music but only having eyes for each other, knowing they were hot for each other and would probably show each other exactly how hot, well, he liked it too.
"Surprise me," she whispered on his ear, licking the shell, to which he pulled back and looked at her with raised eyebrow. She laughed, throwing her head back. "Buy me martini with three olives, please."
"Coming right up," he said, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips before moving to flag the barkeep down. "One martini with three olives and scotch neat, please," he told the barkeep who nodded and moved away to tend to their orders. He came back with their drinks, and Robert smiled, nodding politely. "Thanks, mate." He moved to his girlfriend and handed her the glass of martini. "Here you go, my darling."
She smiled, taking the drink from him, "Thank you," she'd said before taking a sip.
He nodded, taking a sip as well.
This was going to be a good night.
…
Cora glanced at the bar where her boyfriend was getting them both their third (or was it the fourth? Who knows?) drink of the night. He looked hot as he leaned against the counter, flagging the bartender down to order their drinks. Once he'd given the barkeep their orders, he turned to her and winked, giving her a smile that told her that he was equally just as hot for her.
She turns to her friends who are all chattering with each other nonstop, smiling at how natural this all felt. Robert was a hit with her friends, men and women alike, his intellect and the way he could easily hold a conversation with them greatly appreciated by all her friends. And Robert seemed to liked all of them enough, or at least, he'd been amicable with them and had nothing bad to say about them. Her friends had been gushing over him by her side, and even the quiet and reserved Phyllis had smiled at her and told her to hold on to him because he was a keeper.
"Penny for your thoughts?" she hears someone say from her right, and she turned, finding Phyllis staring at her with a smirk.
"They're worth more than that, thank you," Cora sassed, smiling at her friend as she watched her boyfriend walking up to where they were.
"You love him," Phyllis observed, saying it softly but with conviction, booking no room for arguments. Not that they were any.
Cora nodded shyly, unable to say anything else in the contrary. She did, does, love him, that was true. "Yes, I do," she answered.
"You definitely look like a woman in love," her friend mused, her smile growing. Cora watched with wonder as the other brunette lifted her glass and took a sip of her drink, willing her to continue (because if there was one thing Cora knew about who had become her sister, often times surrogate mother, since she'd come to this country, it was that Phyllis may look shy and reserved but she'd very intuitive and often had a lot of things to say). "Have you told him?"
At this, Cora looked down and fiddled with her thumb. She bit her lip and tried to calm her beating heart (why was she so nervous, anyway?). "No," she answered finally, drawing the monosyllabic word longer than necessary. "I haven't, no. I'm really just waiting. We've only been together quite a while, I don't want him to feel like he's being rushed."
In other words, she didn't want to ruin this by being overly eager and telling him she loved him too soon.
"Well, you'll both say it when you're ready," her friend said with a smile. "And by the looks of it, not too long now. He's smitten with you, I can see it in his eyes, the way he looks at you."
Cora's heart fluttered. Robert might not say it, and maybe he hasn't admitted it to himself, or he's not realized it yet, but there were other people, like Phyllis, who knew that he felt something for her, something like love, and that meant something.
"Hello, ladies," Robert greeted when he'd finally reached them. He offered Cora the drink she'd wanted, and Cora accepted graciously, giving him a soft smile.
"Thank you, baby," Cora said as she sipped her drink. She moved over, giving space so Robert could sit beside her. "What took you so long?"
He shrugged. "I just saw Joseph Molesely," he said, shrugging. "He's my butler's son. I went and said hi, we had a chat. I didn't know he went to the same University as you."
"He got in on a scholarship," Phyllis supplied, smiling fondly. And of course, Phyllis would know, she'd seen them joined at the hip as of late.
"You know him?" Robert asked, looking at Phyllis with wonder.
"Of course, she would," Cora teased, smirking at the other brunette. "He's her boyfriend."
"What are you, five?" Phyllis shot back, raising an eyebrow, to which Cora only rolled her eyes. "And look who's talking. Miss Smitten Kitten."
From her peripheral vision, she could see Phyllis smirking, and Cora shook her head ignoring her friend. Instead, she placed her glass down on the table and stood up, pulling the hem of her dress down from where it rode up on her thighs. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to the ladies room."
To her surprise, Robert stood up too. "I'll go with you, I'm afraid I really need to use the jon," he said, placing his hand on the small of her back and gently leading her out of their little booth to go to the comfort room.
It took a while, the throng of people now all drunk and sloppy blocked their way, but they did make it, just in time too, because Cora felt like her bladder might explode. Without a word to Robert, she made her way to the ladies room, dashing to an empty cubicle to relieve herself. Once she was done, she washed her hands and dried it, and then walked out to find Robert already standing there, waiting for her. With a smile and a peck to his lips, she slid her hand to his, and together they made their way back.
Only to be stopped by a scrawny man, with amber eyes and a smug expression.
Simon.
"Hello, Cora," the man greeted her, sounding all to familiar.
But they are friends, she figured, and so she gave him a smile and nodded. "Hi, Simon," she said, gesturing to her boyfriend standing beside her, "This is Robert Crawley, my boyfriend. Robert, this is Simon, Simon Bricker—a friend of mine from Literature class. He's majoring in Art History."
Cora watched as Robert smiled and offered his hand, which Simon took, shaking it gently but firmly.
For a moment, the air seemed to be enveloped with tension. It hung in the air like a bad fart, and for the life of Cora, she didn't know why.
…
Robert stared at the man before him, barely hiding his disdain. They shook hands, but both of them knew it was nothing but formality for Cora's sake. He's not interested in getting to know him, and he was sure as hell that the feeling was mutual. In fact, by the looks of it, the other man (carrot man, he's decided, basing it on the almost orange complexion of this strange man), he'd rather Robert was out of the picture.
And for once, Robert wasn't just basing this on his ego or something stupid like his gut. He was basing this on the fact that since the moment Robert had been aware of the presence of this man (and that had been hours ago, minutes after they got into the party, actually), this man, this stupid art salesman, had been eyeing his girlfriend, his gaze following her every move like some lost puppy. It annoyed the hell out of Robert, but he hadn't said anything to his girlfriend, pretty willing to give the other man a chance since it had been harmless staring.
Now though, Robert wasn't entirely so sure it was as harmless as he'd initially want to believe.
Robert took his hand from this Simon character's firm grip, and offered him a smile. With a gentle nudge to his girlfriend's back, he communicated silently that they should move, he doesn't really care much for this guy. Cora seemed to understand as she smiled sweetly up at the man (he was not too happy about that either, but he could not tell her what to do, and he wasn't going to), bidding him goodbye.
As Cora made a step, this Simon guy sidestepped, effectively blocking Cora's way.
What the hell was wrong with this guy?
"I was wondering if you'd honor me a dance, Cora?" Simon asked, completely without regard of Robert's presence. For the love of God, the girl has a boyfriend, and he was standing just right there, was he an absolute moron?
Cora looked conflicted for a moment, and she bit her lip in contemplation, looking sideways to have a peek of his face, no doubt. He struggled to keep his face neutral, whatever his opinion of this man was, he didn't want to alienate his girlfriend by just blurting it out, when she was clearly so oblivious of the torch this guy's left burning for her.
Robert's lips thinned into a line as he tried to get a grip of himself. He didn't want to come across as a cad, a jealous cad at that, who controlled his girlfriend's every move and told her what to do. After all, Cora had kindly passed of initial judgment of his ex girlfriend when they had met at a party. That was until he became a brooding, insufferable asshole who ignored her for hours on end. But he was getting away with himself now, and so he tethered himself back to the present and looked at Cora who was staring at him with concern.
"I don't think—," she began, looking at him but clearly addressing the other man, "My—Robert, he doesn't seem like he feels well, I think it's time for us to leave."
Robert shook his head then, it was time for him to show some trust to the woman he loved. "No, I'm fine darling. I think I'm going to get some water and sit down with your friends," he told her, smiling at her reassuringly, even when he wanted to punch this man's face. "You go enjoy a dance or two, and I'm going to go and rest awhile, you can come and get me when you want us to go back home."
Ha. That should do the trick right? For the other man to know that she was going home with only one man in this whole entire room, and that was him—Robert.
Apprehensively, Cora nodded, squeezing his hand and reaching up to place a soft kiss on his lips. She turned to the man before them. "One dance," she told him, giving him a smile. "I'm kind of beat."
The man nodded and led her away from him, but she turned back to look at him and give him a wink. He smirked, shaking his head before he made his way to where her friends were sitting. A waiter passed by, and he was tempted to order another glass of scotch, but decided that he shouldn't, since he was driving them home that night. He didn't want to get involved in an accident on the way home, he had a much too precious cargo.
And so he sat there, brooding, nursing a glass of lemon water, trying to tell himself that being a sober was the way to go, when his girlfriend was just twirling in the arms of another man at the moment. It wasn't like she hadn't asked him, she had plenty of times, but he hadn't wanted to, not really comfortable with dancing around the bunch of them, slow dance or otherwise.
And this little episode wasn't going to change that, only he wished that she didn't dance with anyone else either. Very selfish, he knew, but still.
"There's no need to brood," he hears someone say and he turned to find Cora's friend, Phyllis, looking at him, a glass of drink in hand. "She wouldn't give him her time of the day." Ah. "She's really crazy about you. She talks about you, a lot."
Robert sniffed and cleared his throat before shaking his head. He wouldn't admit it to her, or anyone else for that matter, but it warmed his heart to know that she'd been talking about him. Of course, it didn't really eradicate his totally founded and rational hate towards carrot man.
"I trust her," Robert said with soft sigh. It was the truth. He did trust her, it just that—"it's him I don't and cannot trust."
Phyllis shrugged. "Between you and me, I don't either," she confided with a smirk. "But he's really harmless, he's nice to Cora, and she likes him," At Robert's darkened look, she chuckles, "In a friendly way. Anyway, it's nothing to worry about, but something to watch out for, if you are uncomfortable."
He nodded. Definitely. If he had a say in the matter, that man would not even be anywhere near his girlfriend, not even with a ten foot pole.
Completely irrational and insanely jealous, but with a woman like Cora…well, he wouldn't really expect himself to have a level head (even as Cora would certainly want for him to). Phyllis only patted his arm.
Before he could run away with his thoughts, Cora appeared before him, that carrot man in tow, and both of them panting and grinning. Robert fought to keep the groan from escaping his lips, trying to smile at his girlfriend, he was happy to see her happy anyway, but he couldn't, not when he just spotted right then that the carrot man was holding her hand.
"Are you ready to go home?" he asked curtly. They should never attend parties, it always ends up in a disaster.
Cora seemed to notice the change in his demeanor, and she frowned, taking her hand away from Simon and nodded slowly. "Sure, let me grab my purse," she said.
"I'll go take our coats. I'll wait for you at the exit," he said, and nodded at Phyllis who only smiled understandingly at him. He stalked off, leaving his girlfriend behind without another word. He checked out their coats and wore his before standing there and waiting for Cora, her coat in his arms. When she got there, he didn't say a word, and had only helped her shrug it on, before he took her hand in his and all but dragged her to the car.
"Robert, slow down. What's wrong?" she asked once they were in his car. He stood by her side, waiting at the door while she climbed in.
He didn't answer, only slamming the door shut, making her wince. He jogged over to the other side, trying not to let the anger get the better of him, lest he said something he'd regret and could not take back later. So he kept his mouth shut. He could feel that she was fuming now too, and she was always quiet when she was mad, so all in all, it made a great recipe for very little talk.
He was intent to just drive her back to her flat and leave, go home himself and settle himself down, and so when they arrived at her flat, he'd left the engine revving and waited for her to climb down the car by herself. He really didn't want to start a fight, out of him being petty.
"Aren't you going to come up with me?" she asked, her voice small and her expression nervous as she turned to face him.
He clenched his jaw and sighed, reaching over to turn off the engine. He really could not deny her anything. "Let's go then," he said, might as well talk about it now while they were here. Always better sooner rather than later, wasn't it?
They took the lift and stood beside each other in silence. The day had been going well, until this and he could just about kick himself for being so stupid. Really, he shouldn't have acted that way and he realized that now, but he really couldn't help it. That Simon Bricker was a guy, and Robert was a guy himself, and for the love of God, he knew exactly what every guy wanted in front of a beautiful woman.
Cora unlocked her door and walked in, knowing he would follow, which he did. Once the door had been shut, she whirled in on him.
"What the hell is your problem?" she asked angrily, her hands clenching at her side. She looked at him with anger in her eyes, and if he hadn't screwed this all up by the end of this, he would really try not to get on Cora's bad side. "I get that you're angry, I just don't have a blithering clue why."
"You don't know why?" he exploded because she was being dense. He thought he was the guy in this relationship, why was she being the one who's insensitive? "You go dancing with another man and return holding hands with him and you don't know why I'm angry."
Her eyes widened and hurt bled through her expression. "I tried to get out of that, you were the one who all but pushed me to him!" she exclaimed, and it was true, but he had expected her to not agree.
God this was a mess.
"I didn't want you dancing with him!" he said angrily. "You should have known that!"
"I should have known?!" she asked, her voice rising and rising. "I couldn't read minds Robert. You promised you weren't going to shut me out anymore!" He did, and he was trying, but old habits die hard. She continued, "And you didn't want me to? What makes you think you had the right to tell me what I should or shouldn't do, or could and couldn't do?" She huffed and her nose flared. "Just because you're my boyfriend doesn't mean you get the right."
He didn't mean it like that, but he didn't really want to argue anymore. So he raised his hand up in surrender and shook his head. "I never meant that!" he said. But the image of that arts salesman holding her hand crossed his mind again. "But he's a man, Cora, and I've seen the way he looks at you! He doesn't want anything more than to lay his hand on you!"
Cora's eyes widened in pain, and he wished he could take his words back, but he couldn't. And anyway, it was the truth.
Cora sighed, tears pooling at her eyes and he hated himself for it. "Not every man wants a woman for that reason only!" she exclaimed, clearly distressed by his insinuation.
"You're a woman!" he said loudly. "What do you know?"
The breath that his girlfriend sucked in was enough to sober him up from his anger, and she sighed, straightening her spine even as the words that have escaped him have deflated her noticeably. He opened his mouth to apologize, he didn't mean it, but she held up her hand.
"Look, I don't want to argue with you anymore than you do with me. And I'm sure if we let this go on, we'd say things to each other that we don't mean and we'll hurt, and I don't want to do anything I might regret or that I can't take back, Clearly, you already have and I don't want to add more to that," she said, and he understood, he wanted the same thing. "Let's just think and calm down right now, and then maybe we could talk when we're both no longer angry." She walked to the door, and he followed. She opened it and sighed. "You should go home for now. I'll call you."
He didn't want to, afraid that this would mean the end for them, but he had to respect her space and her decisions and the only way to do that was do exactly as she asked and go home. So he nodded and made slow steps out of her apartment. He turned when he was at the door and leaned in to place a soft kiss to her lips, which she deflected, landing to her cheek instead. He sighed. That hurt, but there had to be a reason.
"Not now, Robert," she said. She kept her gaze away from him. "You've said what you wanted to, and I understood clearly. I need some time alone now."
"For what it is worth, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean them."
She sighed. "Anyhow, there is some truth to it, and I just don't want to talk about it," she said, looking like she was physically struggling to hold on to the last strains of her calm. He needed to get out before she was left with no choice but do something drastic.
He nodded. "Still, I'm sorry," he said. If he could just shut his mouth, for once, god, he was so fucked up, and to think it had all started so well.
"I know," she said, nodding, finally looking him in the eye. "But right now, it's not enough."
…
Cora's heart ached. She wanted to call him, wanted to tell him she's forgiven him, but that wasn't entirely true, and though she missed him so badly, it had been three days—she could not just forget the words he'd said. They hurt, they hurt that he'd insinuated that men thought she was only good for sex. It made her think of him. Was that all that he was with her for?
Shaking her head to keep herself from crying again, she tried to get herself up enough to get her makeup done. She applied the last coat of mascara on her lashes before applying some red lipstick. The party at the Castle today, and she wanted to be there. Since she had not called Robert yet, she wasn't sure if he was going to show. And what was worse was that she didn't know which she preferred, that he would or that he wouldn't. She was still hurt, yes, but she had calmed down considerably.
With a sigh, she stood up and took her coat which she had hung on the door of her closet. She shrugged it on over her green dress and smoothed her hands down the front, a nervous habit.
Robert hadn't called her either, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She did tell him that she'd be the one to call him, but now, well, now she wasn't so sure. She'd hoped he'd at least try to leave a message. But then again, she knew Robert, after the things he'd said, he'd want to give her a bit of space, would want to respect her need for it.
She made her way to the Castle, still pensive and still a bit upset, but mostly, she missed Robert. It wasn't hard to admit that she did, and really she admitted it freely. What she hated was that she didn't feel so angry anymore when he'd insulted her, but that she felt longing to see his face again. It shouldn't be that way, should it?
"Cora?" she heard someone say as she exited the tube, and she whirled around to find Robert standing at the gate of the station, looking at her pleadingly. He had a bouquet in his hand, and his blue eyes told her he was really sorry.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. So he did come. What now? She didn't really know. "Are you—," she couldn't seem to finish her thoughts.
He shook his head, handing her the bouquet, which she accepted, bringing it near her nose to smell it. It wasn't going to buy her forgiveness, but it was a sweet gesture nonetheless. "No, I'm not. Not unless you want me to," he told her. "But I came here to apologize. I know you wanted your space, and I wanted to give you that, but I…I just miss you is all, and I'm sorry."
Tears pricked at her eyes and she looked away for a moment to compose herself. She sighed and then looked back at him, pulling him closer to her and making him lean down so she could rub her nose with his. "I miss you too," she confessed, closing her eyes when he pressed his lips against hers. "But don't think you can just get out of an argument this way."
"I know," he sighed, arms wrapping and tightening around her. "I'm really sorry."
She nodded before pulling away slightly. "I know you are," she said. "I'm sorry too." He shook his head. "No, don't say anything, it always takes two to tango." She smiled at him. "Come on, we have a party to attend to."
He seemed surprised, but he didn't say anything, only followed her to the Castle.
..
The atmosphere inside the Castle was certainly jovial and festive. Most of them had already been drinking and out on the dance floor. Cora wasn't late, not by any means (mostly because she didn't have Robert to distract her), but of course, by the moment they entered the bar turned into private party venue, everyone got a drink shoved into their hand. By the time everyone arrived, half of them were most probably drunk off their ass.
Cora spotted Elsie Hughes and Mrs. Patmore first, and she walked over to them, Robert in tow. He was mostly silent, smiling and greeting the staff he already was familiar with.
"Hello," Cora greeted the two women, beaming at them. Beside her, Robert nodded at them with a smile, lifting his bottle of beer in hand as a form of greeting, to which they reciprocated. Cora smiled softly as she fished for something inside her purse. Presents. She handed the two boxes to each woman. "I was going to wait till Christmas, but hey, no's a good time as any, right?"
"You needn't have," Elsie said as she shook her head shyly. Mrs. Patmore echoed her sentiment, but Cora adamantly pushed her presents their way. "Thank you," Mrs. Hughes said when she finally accepted it.
"Yes, thank you, Cora," Mrs. Patmore repeated, taking hers and beaming at the younger woman.
"My pleasure," Cora said with a smile because it really was her pleasure to give them those presents. They were like second family to her, the people who believed in her and her ability, who gave her the time of the day to pursue the things she wanted to do and didn't judge her when they'd found out about her, and had not kicked her out, too, come to think of it.
"It's a pleasure seeing you again," Robert finally spoke up next to her as a response to a question Mrs. Hughes asked that Cora totally missed. "I've been good. Work's been busy, but all has been well." He looked at the room and gestured to their surroundings. "You've really done a good job sprucing up the place."
Mrs. Hughes beamed and nodded. "Oh yes, everyone pitched in. It is quite lovely isn't it?" she asked and Robert nodded.
"And the food, Mrs. Patmore," he complimented, reminding Cora exactly just how charming he was. "They looked good. I have only tried the raspberry meringue yet, but everything else looked delectable."
Mrs. Patmore chuckled. "I should hope so," she countered, smirking quite cheekily. "I didn't slave in that kitchen for hours to serve you rubbish!" She laughed, indicating that she was mostly teasing—that and that she was already halfway tipsy-ville.
Cora excused herself for a moment, leaving Robert and the other two women to their conversation as she wandered off to her band mates. They waved at her and smiled when they saw her approaching, and she waved back, really genuinely happy to be celebrating this night with them. She took a seat on the empty space and chatted with them for a while. Halfway through the conversation, however, she looked up, and from across the room she saw her boyfriend looking at her. She smiled, sure that blush was rising to her cheeks. He smiled back and winked, raising his bottle of beer and tipping it to her direction slightly.
She could only beam at him. She'd never been happier.
…
Robert spotted Cora at the other side of the room, chatting with some of the waitresses. He'd seen her a while ago talking to her band mates, but she had apparently made her rounds and had moved along. Unlike the other party two nights ago, he didn't feel all that uncomfortable gallivanting of on his own. Though he'd clicked with some of Cora's University friends, there were times when things had been awkward too, here however, here in the Castle, he'd had less trouble. These were people he spent some days with already, most of them knew him so well by now after all the nights he'd spent here, waiting for Cora. It didn't feel like he was a fish out of water.
But even so, he was still unable to be separated for too long from Cora, considering it had already been a few days since they'd been apart (and ever since they'd started dating, they hadn't gone far too long without seeing each other somehow). He moved across the room and walked to where she was chatting with Anna, one of the waitresses. He laid a hand against the small of her back when he'd reached her, and placed a soft kiss against the crown of her head. She turned to him and smiled with surprise.
"You two are adorable," Anna said in her heavy Northern accent, a kind smile lighting up her face. Her eyes lit up just as the lights bounced off of her blonde hair.
Cora turned to her and smiled shyly, shaking her head, but Robert only chuckled. "Thank you, Anna," he'd told the blonde girl. "We are rather adorable, if I'd say so myself."
Cora chuckled and playfully slapped his chest. "Robert," she laughed, trying to sound indignant but failing miserably.
"What?" he asked, turning to his blushing girlfriend. "You don't think so?"
Cora shook her head as Anna laughed. Robert kept his gaze on Cora, just a familiar song started to play.
"If you'd excuse us, Anna," he told the other woman, to which the blonde only nodded, before he turned to his girlfriend and offering his hand to her. "Care to dance, your Ladyship?" he asked, teasing her with the moniker, knowing she hated it, but at the same time, in a weird way, she liked it too.
She shook her head, smiling, but took his hand anyway and let him lead her to the dance floor. He took her into his arms and held her close as the first beat dropped and the song continued to its beautiful rhythm.
I'm very sure, this never happened to me before…
I met you, and now I'm sure…
This never happened before…
Robert pulled Cora close as Paula McCartney sang to them in his crooning voice, the song blasting from the speakers.
"I'm sorry," he said again, wanting her to know exactly how sorry he was. "I never meant to say it, and you're right there was some truth to that, but not in the way you must have thought. I only meant to say he was a man, and I know what a man would like to think, and you…" he pulled away just a bit so he could stare at her mesmerizing, blue eyes, "you, my darling Cora, are so much better than that. You deserve only all the good in this world."
He watched as she bit her lip and inched closer to him, her arm now fully wrapping around his waist as she used the other to hold his head near hers.
"I'm sorry, too," she said, though she really had nothing to be sorry for. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusion, and I shouldn't have tried to…I know my reaction goaded you too. I shouldn't even have danced with him in the first place. I didn't want to." She sighed. "I just didn't want to be rude."
"Careful, darling, you're turning British," he teased, wanting to lighten the moment, and it worked because she laughed. The sound of her laughter was like music to his ears. He pulled away to rub his nose against hers.
"I'm always polite, if that is what you're getting at," she said, pulling back and sticking her tongue out at him. She smirked at him. "Although I admit, I do like your jealous face."
He huffed. "I wasn't jealous!" he lied, sounding too indignant to be honest. She knew it too.
"Sure, baby," she said with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Fine," he sighed, "I admit I was a tiny bit jealous, but not of him!" He jutted his chin, making Cora chuckle. "Oh, but I am not lying, my darling. I can never be jealous of that Art Salesman! I'm merely jealous of the thought of you with another man…laughing, dancing…"
"Perhaps, then, next time, you'd keep me occupied, hmm?" she asked, teasingly.
But oh, that was the plan. He smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Well, this is just the first of many, your Ladyship," he said, making her shake her head at him and mutter 'incorrigible' under her breath, but with a certain degree of affection that it was meant more as an endearment than an insult.
I loved you, and I' sure this never happened before…
"I don't know if there is any truth to us having more than one life," he began as he swayed with her, the song continuing to play on the background. "But I do know that in any other life, or time, I am sure that this has never happened before…I have never felt for anyone the way I feel for you."
She stared at him, her eyes glossing over as tears seemed to prickle at them, but she held it in with a sniff and deep breath. For a moment, he thought she'd ask him what he felt, and internally he panicked for he knew not the answer to that (better yet, he knew what the answer was, he just wasn't ready to let her know yet). But she'd only smiled at him and nodded.
"I know," she said, reaching up to kiss him softly, prompting him to pull her closer into his embrace, making him want to never let go.
And just like that, he was sure he'd found the beauty poets always wrote about in their sonnets, the landscape artists painted…he'd found love.
…
They'd arrived at her flat just a little after two, and by the time they got through her door, Cora had managed to rid Robert off of his coat and his shirt. She threw it haphazardly on the floor as Robert shut the door, whirling her around so she was pressed against it right after. He kissed down her neck and nipped at her skin, unbuttoning her coat as he went and then, wasting no time, pulled her dress over her head.
They had been itching for this since they'd left the pub, and he'd been whispering salacious statements in her ear all the way to her flat, going as far as pressing her against the walls of the lift and kissing her senseless. She'd let him, having missed him so much during the three-day draft between them.
Now was not the time to think about that though, she realized, as Robert wedged his leg in between hers, putting pressure right where she was hot and throbbing for him. He inched his hand up and cupped her breasts, groaning when he was met by satin. He flicked his forefinger against the hardened nub of her breasts, and then pinched it softly, making her moan.
It didn't really take long before her bra was on the floor, his patience now clearly wearing thin, and to be honest, so was hers. And it was with relief when he'd carried her off, wrapping her legs around his waist and hoisting her a little higher so he could keep kissing her while he kneaded her derrière. He walked blindly towards the bedroom without letting her lips go, and she couldn't help but rake her nails down his scalp. He threw her on the bed gently, making her let out a yelp, but he didn't give her a second before he was crawling all over her, kissing every inch of her skin.
"Robert," she mumbled as she reached for the clasp of his belt, fumbling with it until she freed it at last. She didn't hesitate to undo his trousers next, throwing it on the floor without second thought.
Robert, meanwhile, busied himself with her breasts, sucking and nipping, licking, flicking his tongue against the hardened peaks. One of his hands massaged the other breast while his other hand inched down her navel, right where she needed him most, where she was hot and dilating for him. When he touched her, he threw her head back and groaned, his touch warm and fiery to her already heated core.
"More," she half-pleaded as she got rid of his boxers and opened her legs further. Robert did not need any more encouragement after that as he filled her with her fingers first, and not too long after, he filled her with his rock hard cock, thrusting inside her with purpose until they were both coming, coming, and coming, shouting each other's name.
…
The thing about the holiday seasons was that there were way too many parties. This holds true for both Cora and Robert as they got ready for another party, a few days later, this time at Robert's office. Robert watched his girlfriend fidget as she stood near the bed, wearing nothing but a red silky robe, with her black negligee underneath that he only had a peek of when she'd dashed out of the bathroom. Her outfits were laid out on the bed, and she had been at it for hours—not counting the hours she spent the day before in her flat, trying to narrow down her choices.
Her forehead was scrunched and she bit her lip as she tried to make a choice. Robert moved from where he was standing, putting on his cuff links, to where she was and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his chin falling onto his shoulder.
"You look beautiful in whichever you choose," he said, turning his head so he could place a kiss on her neck, making her shiver involuntarily. He loved the effect he has on her. And if he was honest, she had the same effect on him, too. He inched his hand forward, meaning to undo the tie of her robe, but she knew what he was about to do, anticipated it even, and she swatted his hand lightly, making him chuckle. He moved his hand back to her waist and squeezed. "I do love that black one though. You look quite beautiful." He turned her into his arms, continuing with, "But to be honest, you look quite beautiful even in rags so I suppose it doesn't matter," and then leaned in to kiss her.
He fumbled with the ties of her robe, this time successfully opening it. He pushed it down her shoulders, and then leaned down to kiss her neck.
"It's not going to happen, Mister," Cora said then, backing away from him and crouching down to pick up her discarded rope. She donned it on again and shook her head at him. "We're not having sex when we have," and then she glanced at the clock, "less then forty minutes to get ready."
Robert groaned. "Well, then, just pick a dress then," he said, trying not to sound frustrated. Cora bit her lip. "What's the matter, dear?"
She sighed. "I just don't want to screw this up, alright?" She looked genuinely worried, that he couldn't even contemplate laughing, even if he felt like it.
Why would she be so worried? She wouldn't screw anything up. In his eyes, she was as good as perfect.
Without saying a word, he walked to the bed and took the black dress he knew she'd look divine in. He handed it to her with a smile.
"I'm no master of fashion," he started, "But I do know beauty when I see it. I think you'd look quite lovely in this. Please, wear it." He held her hand. "You are perfect to me."
She smiled and took the dress from his hand. Shaking her head, she reached up to place a kiss against the corner of his mouth before she shuffled away to put on her dress.
He shook his, watching her with a fond smile.
…
Cora was nervous. She fidgeted in her seat as they drove down to Robert's office. She kept her hand on her lap but fiddled with her thumbs, all the while keeping herself occupied with watching the view outside as the car sped by.
The streets were decked with Christmas lights and decors, lighting up the road. It was beautiful, she was sure and she would appreciate it, if only she could focus on it and not on her nerves and twisting stomach (more like doing impressive cartwheels, to be honest).
She felt Robert's hand slide into hers and she snapped her head to his, throwing him a curious look.
"It's going to be fine," Robert consoled, smiling at her softly. It brought back memories of the time he brought her to that party over at his friend's, and look how that turned out (and well, she supposed it turned out well in the end, but before they got to the good part, things had to happen first, shitty things). "You're marvelous, and they will love you. If they don't, they'll tolerate you for my sake." He chuckled, to let her know he was just kidding.
She sighed, letting a smile tug at the corners of her lips. "I suppose—out of the fear of being fired," she shot back, making Robert laugh harder, telling her probably.
It relaxed her a little, the somersaults in her stomach letting up a little, although not completely, and by the time they have reached the offices, she was full blown jittery again. Robert opened her door for her and took her gloved hands in his, squeezing it for good measure as he handed the keys to the valet.
"Good evening, Mr. Crawley," the young man greeted, giving them a smile and soft nod.
"Good evening, William," Robert greeted the young man, he gestured to Cora then, "This is Miss Cora Levinson."
"Good evening, Miss Levinson," William said, tipping his head in her direction and offering her a soft smile, one that she returned, offering him a warm hello and Merry Christmas, although a little bit prematurely. He grinned. "Happy Christmas, Milady, Sir."
At Robert's nod, William then disappeared to the car. Robert led Cora inside, his hand firmly parked at the small of her back, and she was grateful for it, for the steady support and warmth his hand gave her. She needed it, she thought, biting down on her bottom lip.
Cora leaned in, "Do you guys really have valets?" she asked, eyes widened slightly. She didn't think they did.
Robert shook his head. "Makeshift valet," he answered, leaning in closer to her now too. She could smell his musky scent so fully, it overwhelmed her senses. He always smelled so good, even more so now that all her nerves were high strung and her senses on full alert. "He's one of the utility guys. They will be joining the party later."
It surprised Cora that they should be joining the party. She wasn't elitist by any means, and she thought it wonderful that they would be, but she just wondered. Some executives wouldn't be partial to having the other people joining the party, people that they deemed beneath their station—their employees in America would certainly protest it.
As if he sensed her surprise, Robert smiled and said, "It's Christmas." He gently nudged her when she seemed to have lost control of her faculties and halted just at the door. "Everybody should be allowed to be Merry."
She smiled, touched by the simplicity of the logic behind his answer. But the truth and sincerity warmed her. He may be the boss, but he was no slave driver.
"Now chin up, my darling," he said, moving close to her and whispering in her ear, just as they entered the parlour, "And enjoy the night."
And enjoy, she did. Despite her initial misgivings, she did try to warm up to everyone, and to her good fortune, everyone seemed to welcome her with open arms. Robert made rounds, introducing her to everyone as his girlfriend, making her nerves tingle and her heart flutter. She knew he referred to her as that often, knew how serious they were quickly becoming, but it was nice to hear it coming from his lips. She smiled widely, and greeted each and everyone that he introduced her to, trying very hard to keep up and remember all their names.
By the time they reached the bar, she was exhausted and her brain was about to melt. She was about to excuse herself, when Robert pulled her to another corner, where a man with a cane stood by, watching them approach with a gentle smile.
"John, my friend," Robert said, a little exuberantly (Cora had seen him take down drinks as they made their rounds, and honestly, she'd lost count). He pulled her gently to his side, and gestured over to the man. "Darling, this is John Bates, my most loyal mate, and most cunning VP for Accounting. We went to University together at Oxford."
Cora smiled and offered her hand. "How do you do?" she asked politely.
"Bates, this is my darling, Cora Levinson," Robert continued just as John Bates took Cora's hand and shook it. "She's the Angel of Mercy sent from heaven who managed to look past my deathly good looks to see my charming personality." He chuckled loudly, no doubt taking a dig at himself through that statement, even if it was the truth for her.
"Glad to meet you, Miss Levinson," John Bates said, letting go of her hand. He took a drink from the waiter passing by and raised it to her direction. "Here's to your patience and ability to tolerate this man." He cocked his head towards Robert's direction.
Cora shook her head and let out a little laugh. "He's an acquired taste, I suppose," she said. She craned her neck and tried to locate the ladies room, and then turned her attention back to her boyfriend and his best mate. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I'm going to the ladies room."
John nodded at her, while Robert took a hold of her hand and pulled her close for a peck on her lips, which she granted quite gladly before she scrammed to the ladies room.
When she turned back to check on Robert, she saw him talking quite seriously with Bates, and she smiled.
…
"She's beautiful," Bates commented once Cora had gone, and Robert whipped his head to his mate with a questioning glance. Bates held up his hand in surrender. "It was just an observation."
Robert, placated that his friend held no interest over his lady-love, nodded and smiled. "She is," he said. "And she's positively amazing too, in many, many ways."
Bates shook his head. "I'd rather not be privy to your bedroom escapades, Robert," he teased, chuckling. Robert threw him a look before rolling his eyes. "You look smitten."
"I wouldn't really use that word," Robert argued, hating the thought of using such a paltry word for what he felt for Cora, not that he was ready to admit it to her, though.
Bates took a long look at him and pursed his lips. "She's a Levinson," he said, pointing out the obvious fact. "She's loaded."
Robert stilled. He hated the notion. "I'm not with her for that," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not in this for the money. And neither is she. She knows who I am, and by god, that isn't what she cares about."
"Well, I'd admit she's so much better than the other one," Bates said. He was never really known for tact or sugar-coating things. He was rather blunt and said what he thought, point blank.
Robert knew what he meant, and he closed his eyes, trying to put the less than stellar thoughts that popped in his mind over that particular woman. Adeline. "Let's not even go there," he said. "That is ancient history."
Bates nodded. "Be careful then," he warned, and it sounded so foreboding that it had Robert snapping his head to him, expression laced with curiosity. "History has habit of repeating itself."
And good god, Robert hoped not.
…
Cora returned minutes later, and found that Bates had moved on to another corner, chatting to some of Robert's other staff. Robert sat in front of the bar by himself, flagging down the barkeep for another glass. She made her way to him and tapped his shoulder.
"Darling," he said, turning to her and opening his arms and legs so she could step in between them, much like their position in the other party, only reversed. She looped her arms around his neck. "Glad you're back now."
She chuckled, running her nails down his scalp and tousling his hair. "I wasn't gone for long," she said, watching as Robert's expression darkened for a moment. "Is everything alright?"
He nodded. "Everything is fine," he said, pulling her closer to him.
She wanted to believe him, really she did, so she nodded and then turned to the barkeep to ask for another drink as well. It was served to them quickly, and she took a generous sip before turning around again to face her boyfriend.
"So, your sister," she began, hoping this conversation would help dispel some of the bad cloud that seemed to hang all over Robert. She knew they promised that he wouldn't shut her out again, and she wanted to see if he would stick to that promise. "She does like jewelries, right?"
It seemed to work in alleviating tension, as Robert chuckled. "I believed for a long time that they were her best friends," he said, his eyes twinkling with the merriment. "Why?"
Cora shrugged, "Christmas present," she said. Before Robert could protest, she rushed on. "Wait, how come they aren't here? Or your parents?"
Robert shrugged. "Mama doesn't like making frequent trips to the city, and with Christmas so close, she's busy preparing at the Abbey," he explained. "Papa doesn't like arguments, so he stays there with her and helps with the feast, in short, he lets mother run around for a while and do what she likes, tries to stay out of her way for the most part too. Rosamund and Duke were supposed to attend, but Duke had to go away for something business related, Rosamund decided to go with him. They'll be back in time for Christmas, and will be heading down the abbey directly."
She nodded, feeling more terrified of Violet Crawley the more that Robert talked about her. Robert seemed to sense this because he tipped her chin up and kissed her softly.
"Hey, don't worry about that tonight, hmm?" he asked her, and she nodded, wanting more than anything not to fret over it. "Let's just enjoy for tonight."
And she did enjoy her night. She enjoyed watching her boyfriend work the room, converse with his friends and staff. He was a people-person, and he was kind and genuine and everyone seemed to like him, despite the fact that he was the boss. He danced with her and kissed her, twirling her in his arms, and laughing with her.
She saw another side of him—a side of him that she liked, a side of him that only made her love him more.
And when they got back to his house that night, settling next to each other in bed and cuddling against each other's bodies for extra warmth, she kissed his lips tenderly and rested her forehead against his, nuzzling her nose with his, with her eyes closed and her heart full.
"Thank you, Robert," she whispered in the dark and against the loud silence where only their synchronized heartbeat could be heard.
"For what?" he asked, his hand soothing up and down her back.
"For being you," she said simply, making it sound like it was of little consequence, "For being the Robert Crawley that I know," but it meant more to her heart than she could ever explain to him.
A/N: What did I say about the length? Not nearly done with Christmas though, after all, Cora's still got to meet the Matriarch of Downton Abbey, and Cora's Dad needs to make a target practice out of Robert's behind hahaha. Let me know what you think, if i gave you a headache or what. Thanks for reading!