"Robin?"
She turned and saw Patrick walking up the street.
Cruz said, "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."
"I can handle it."Robin said, her eyes still on Patrick.
"I'll go get the car, and give you a few moments. All right?"
Robin focused on her date, the kindness on her face made her feel like they were a team, in this together and he would not hate her just because she still had issues with her ex.
"Thanks, Cruz. I'm sorry."
He whispered, "Stop saying that. You don't have anything to apologize for. Okay?"
"Okay."
Cruz walked past Patrick and left.
"Who was that?" Patrick asked
"Lucky Spencer's partner, Cruz Rodruiguez."
"Right, right. I've spoken to him before, the tux threw me off. Anyway, I am glad I caught up to you. Can we go somewhere and talk?"
"About?"
"Listen, Robin, I just had a terrible day. I should be in surgery right now but my patient arrested about five minutes after I got him on the table. A kid, not even twenty five. And most times, I can accept that this is part of my job, the loss. But today..." Patrick broke eye contact with her and looked away "that guy wasn't married, didn't have any kids. His parents live across the country and no one was in the waiting room ... there was no one there for me to tell he died. That could be me one day. I push my dad and you away enough times and I could end up all alone."
"No, you'll never be without the attention of some kind of female." Robin crossed her arms over her chest. The faces of all the women he had been with since they broke up, five in two weeks, went through her mind.
She felt like she had been so easily replaced. Too easily.
Patrick looked back at her. "Robin..."
Just then a woman climbed out of one of the cars in the valet parking line.
"Patrick! You decided to come. What a great surprise. I changed my mind too."
Robin clenched her teeth as she stared at Bimbo number five.
Patrick said, "Well, enjoy the ball." he nodded at the blonde.
The blonde asked, "Aren't you coming in?"
Robin didn't wait for him to answer she said, "Go, Patrick. Because I can't do this with you right now. You might have had an awakening tonight, I don't know. Maybe you do miss me. But you won't turn into a monk if you can't have me. You will move on. And that is what I want to be able to do too...to treat you like you treat me."
The blonde looked at them both, a smirk on her face.
"So you're done with me?" His voice was tired, his eyes held a hint of fear.
Robin saw the look in his eyes, but ignored what it meant. She only wanted some space, and to not feel this hurt, this bad, this much... for a little while.
But she couldn't honestly tell Patrick yes.
Cruz pulled up and, leaving the car running, he stepped out of the drivers door and looked over the car at them. "Ready, Robin?"
"More than ready." she said and turned her back on Patrick.
She opened the door to the car, and then turned and caught Patrick's eye one more time.
What a mess, she thought, climbing in the car.
Cruz started to drive. He said, "So where to? You don't have a work emergency, right?"
"No. That was a lie. You must be wondering what kind of crazy woman you are on a date with."
"You are a little... emotional." Cruz smiled "But, think about it, I know more about you after a few hours than it would take me months to know about a different woman. I know you don't fall in and out of love easily. That you can be feisty and tough, even though you look sweet and innocent. I know you stick up for what you believe in. That speech you gave was inspiring, Robin."
Robin smiled. As soon as they got to the ball, the opening remarks were being given by Carly, who thanked everyone for coming. Then she introduced Alan, since the Quatermaine family was sponsoring the ball. He said a short speech and then it was Robin's turn. She briefly discussed what having AIDS meant to her life, to Stone, to the patients she treated and how desperately a cure was needed. When she left the stage, Cruz had taken her hand and led her to the dance floor.
She said, "Well, there is no cause more important to me than AIDS research. It might just save my life."
"Your uncle has told been quite a bit about your philanthropic work. Mac is very proud of you."
"So you know all about me. But I still don't know about you. Tell me something about your past."
"There isn't anything interesting to tell."
"That can't be true. Have you ever been married? Have any kids?"
His face softened, in a way Robin knew all too well. She had seen that look on her own face, when she looked in the mirror. Grief.
He cleared his throat, "Um..I..."
Robin quickly said, "You don't know have to answer that. I shouldn't have asked."
"No, no. It's fine." He paused, turned a corner so they were heading toward Robin's apartment, then said " Yes, I used to have a wife and son. But I don't anymore. They..." he cleared his throat "I lost them both in an automobile accident."
"Oh, Cruz," was all she said. She skipped the normal cliched phrases, she had heard them all too many times to ever use on him.
He heard the soft words she murmured but didn't respond to them, didn't want to get lost in talking about what his life used to be like. "I work, and the rest of the time stay home. I'm a pretty boring guy, actually. You know other than the chasing around mobsters all day."
Robin felt immediately closer to him. He knew loss as intimately as she did. And he was still here, like her, trying to move on.
"If I haven't completely made you want to run away yet," she said "I have an idea of where we can go."
"I'm not running anywhere, Robin. Things were just starting to get good before Mc whatever showed up." They pulled up to a red light.
"Mc whatever?"
"Don't all you ladies call the guy doctors you like Mc Steamy, Dreamy, Hottie, Sexy whatever?"
Robin laughed. "You watch Grey's Anatomy! That is my favorite show."
"Well, what can I say," Cruz looked at her and winked. "I've always had a thing for cute doctors."
She couldn't help but blush. The night had been filled with up and downs so far but she didn't want it to end anytime soon.
Because even if it only last for a minute here and there, with Cruz Rodriguez she was able to forget anything but him, and just linger in the moment, not thinking of what she lost or what she wished she could have held onto.
Just thinking about a cop who made her laugh, smile, blush and feel protected.
And for now, that was enough.