Hi again! Thank you for your patience! I am slap-bang in the middle of exam season right now so finding the time to write has been a nightmare, but, alas, I have this little filler chapter for you, ready for the next one!
I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and although I haven't managed to thank everyone for their reviews on my previous chapter, thank you! They mean the world to me and I read every single one of them with a smile on my face!
Regina heads to work with a raging headache on the Tuesday morning; she's usually good with alcohol, it's just wine that gives her a pounding headache the following day. Why on earth did she think it was a good idea to drink red and white combined? Her heels click against the tiled flooring of her office building as she enters, and the sound is like a pair of cymbals being clapped against her ears with every stride.
The phone is ringing at reception. And it continues to ring… and ring, and ring, and ring, and ring. Regina is just about to scream at the damn intern to answer the device before she marches over there and throws it against a wall when finally the ringing ceases.
"Miss Mills you have a meeting with the art department at twelve," the head of reception announces as Regina heads towards the elevator, pressing the button perhaps a few more times than is really necessary.
"Yes, Ruby. I remember my schedule quite well, thank you," she snaps just as the elevator doors spring open and she steps in. She can't help being cranky. She has her good days and her bad days and being hung-over definitely falls under the category of a bad day. Besides, it's not the first time Ruby has taken the backlash of her bad mood. The girl must be used to it by now.
Regina rides the lift up to her and Kathryn's floor before making a B-line to her best friend's office. "Aspirin," she demands as soon as she pushes the door open and slips inside.
Kathryn is sitting at her desk, smirking at her friend. Smug, bitch. She didn't have half as much to drink as Regina did last night and therefore she is probably feeling twice as good. "There's a coffee and a packet of tablets on your desk waiting for you," the blonde replies simply.
Regina nods, turning on her heels (slowly—fast movements make her feel queasy and lightheaded) before heading out of her friend's office and towards her own. Kathryn follows.
"So how was last night?" she asks, "Is he still there? Did you get morning sex?"
"I didn't sleep with him, Kathryn," Regina groans in annoyance as she slips into her office and practically dashes towards the aspirin and coffee.
"What?!" is Kathryn's reply, making Regina wince as the sound travels loudly across the room.
"Kathryn, please," she practically begs as she brings her hand to her throbbing forehead. "We are inside, you don't need to shout."
Kathryn chuckles. "Oh you have got it bad," she says, walking towards Regina's desk and sliding into the chair in front of it. "I'm not surprised, you had practically the whole bottle of white to yourself. And two glasses of red."
"Yes, yes, you don't need to remind me," Regina huffs, knowing she should've stopped at the third glass, but maybe she was just a little nervous about having the man she adores in the same room as Kathryn. She sighs, popping back two painkillers before slurping at her coffee. Oh, that is exactly what she needed.
"So what happened with Robin?" the blonde continues, always eager for more information. Can't she see that Regina is most definitely not in the mood for Kathryn's interrogation this morning? Obviously not because she continues, "Did you send him home? Couldn't he get it up?"
"Kathryn!" Regina scolds. Her friend can come up with the most appalling things sometimes. And besides, Robin had definitely gotten it up last night. She smirks inwardly, making her way around her desk and sliding into her office chair, allowing her feet a rest. She aches everywhere.
"What? I'm your best friend," Kathryn protests, "If you aren't going to tell these things to me, then who are you going to tell them to?"
The brunette rolls her eyes, taking another sip of her coffee. The blonde has a point, but does she really have to be having this conversation when it feels like a ten-inch nail is being hammered through one ear and out of the other? She relents however, deciding the sooner she get this conversation over with, the sooner she can have a little peace and quiet. "He had a work thing at 5am in the morning so he couldn't stay," Regina explains and, although last night she had been a little disappointed by the rejection, his sweet text message this morning promising to see her soon after having such a good time with her last night made up for it.
"Oh," Kathryn pouts. "Well that's shit," she adds bluntly but Regina has to agree with her on that one. Not that she blames Robin one bit. "What time did he leave?"
"Not much after you," Regina replies with a shrug.
"You didn't even make out a little?"
"A little." A lot.
Kathryn smirks, wiggling her eyebrows at her best friend. "So when are you next seeing him?"
"I don't know yet, Kathryn, it's only been nine hours since I saw him out of my apartment." But she does kind of miss him. "Soon, I'm sure," she adds, her voice a little kinder and she hopes this answer will satisfy her friend enough to leave her alone.
"I hope so," the blonde replies, catching Regina off guard a little with her tone of voice. It's almost wistful. "You deserve to be happy and you two are just so cute together. The little touches, the way you smile at him, the way he smiles at you. It's so sweet."
Regina scrunches her nose up playfully, however. "I don't do cute."
"You do with him," Kathryn replies with a chuckle before standing from her seat. "I'll see you at lunch," she adds before making her way out of the room.
Regina sighs and starts up her computer. The painkillers are starting to set in and the headache has become slightly more bearable. At least if she keeps on top of those, she will be okay for the rest of the day. She wonders absently how Robin is doing at his work thing. She very much doubts he gets the same questioning as she has gotten from Kathryn.
Lucky bastard.
The pub is quiet on Tuesdays. There are a few familiar faces that Robin recognises from Monday evenings and figures that they must be the regulars—people with nothing better to do than sit on their arses and stare at a wall all evening as they sip at their lonesome beer. Robin prays he never reaches that stage of desperate in his life.
John is running late, he had called to say he had a last minute session at the gym and that he will be about ten minutes later than planned. Robin doesn't mind waiting; it gives him the chance to people-watch whilst he reflects on his busy day. He has only just got back from his trip and came straight here. The Lake District is a good four and a half hour drive away and when you're travelling that there and back all in one day, it takes it out of you. But it was worth it.
The Lake District National Park is one of Robin's favourite places in the country. He hasn't been since he moved to London, but he used to go there all the time on family holidays. It's where he learnt how to do archery. Today, with the morning frost still clinging onto the hilltops and the sun streaming low through the valley, across the sparkling lake, was a photographer's dream. He had been looking forward to the trip ever since he had found out he was selected to go, back in November. However, last night, for the first time, he wished he didn't have to go.
He has played the scenario over and over in his head on a loop and cringes at his reply, at turning her down, at the way he turned her down. That's not to say that he shouldn't have done it; honestly, thinking about it as much as he has, he thinks he still would've declined her offer even if he didn't have work the next day. Of course, he would've stayed to make out with her a little more but he wouldn't have slept with her; he would've felt as if he were taking advantage of her and he wouldn't have been able to face the guilt in the morning.
It's not that Regina was steaming drunk and had lost all sense of what she was saying, but she was definitely under the influence. And so was he. He could smell the wine on her breath as she whispered him a goodnight and he could feel the dizziness from his own few glasses begin to arise as soon as he was outside and surrounded by the fresh air.
So, despite his unsatisfied hard-on, Robin is relieved that he turned her down. Because it wouldn't have been right to sleep with her when she was most vulnerable. He wants to be sure that when they do first have sex she definitely wants it as much as he does. He wants to make sure that she is fully ready to take the next step, sober and honest.
Suddenly there's a hand clapping him on the shoulder and Robin almost jumps as high as the pub's ceiling. "Jesus, John!" he chastises as his friend comes to sit beside him. "You know, usually people just say 'hello'."
John chuckles heartily as he lifts two fingers towards the bartender who immediately goes to grab the usual pint of ale. The burly man smells of cologne and his thick dark hair is damp at the ends from where he has obviously just gotten out of the shower not twenty minutes ago. "I didn't realise that you would be away with the fairies," he retorts. "How're you, mate? It seems like ages ago since we had a good catch up."
"I'm good, great actually," Robin replies sipping at his beer. "What about yourself, how many women have you managed to land since we last spoke?"
John punches his best friend in the shoulder causing Robin to almost topple off of the barstool. Sometimes John doesn't know his own strength. "Just the one, actually," John replies with a raised brow, leaning against the counter. "I'm gonna see her again this weekend, as a matter of fact. She rides horses for a living… but that's not the only thing she can ride, if you now what I mean."
"I always know what you mean, John," Robin replies with a slight grimace, shaking his head.
"Speaking of, have you managed to get into Regina's knickers yet?" his friend asks, wiggling his brow.
Robin rolls his eyes; everything is about sex with John. He shakes his head, offering, "Not yet."
"Dude," John hisses, "Your dry spell would make a nun weep."
"Yes, well soon it'll be making me weep if you continue to remind me," Robin retorts, sipping at his beer. "I had the opportunity to last night. She invited me to stay but I had to be back at my place early for the taxi this morning."
"Mate, you always stay for sex. No matter what time you have to get up the next morning," John replies, looking at his friend as if he is another species. "Especially if she looks like Regina."
Robin sighs, shaking his head. "But she had a little too much to drink," he reasons. "Even if I could have stayed I don't think I would've."
John shrugs, sipping at his cool beer before wiping away the foamy moustache with the back of his hand. "Well, I admire your self control, mate, because, I tell you, all she would have to do is look at me and I would be stripping naked."
"Remind me to never introduce her to you."
"Hey, I'm just being honest," John replies with raised eyebrows as he holds his hands up in surrender. "But honestly I am proud of you, mate. She seems like a great—and definitely patient—lass who is flawless in the looks department and obviously makes you happy."
Robin nods, looking into his beer and watching as the bubbles float to the top. "She does, John," he confesses with a small smile. "I haven't felt this way about a woman since I first started dating Marian." He shakes his head. "But Regina is different. Different in a good way."
"Good, it's about time you found someone," John replies genuinely, lifting his glass and clinking it with Robin's before taking a sip.
Suddenly Robin's phone chimes and for a moment he gets excited, thinking it may be Regina, but when he sees it's a social media notification, he can't help but feel a little disappointed. He opens it to be welcomed by an event page, inviting him to the work party at the office this Friday in celebration of the new sponsorship they have received. "Hey, John, what are you doing this Friday?" he asks looking to his friend. "Fancy coming to Arrowhead's party? There will be lots of women…"
"Ah shit," John grumbles. "I can't, I said I would go out with a few of the work lads for Jack's birthday." Suddenly John's eyes grow wide and Robin can almost see the light bulb go off above his head. "You should ask Regina to come!" he suggests before nodding at his own idea. "Yes, do that. Do it now, before she makes other plans."
"Woah, slow down, mate," Robin replies with a small smirk before shaking his head. "I don't even know if she's going to want to come," he adds, feeling doubtful. Is she really going to want to meet all of his colleagues? He worries it may be a little overwhelming for her. After all, he's pretty sure he gave her a heart attack at the mention of meeting his mother; though, that's different.
"Of course she is!" John encourages. "Besides, how are you going to know without asking her? Just see if she is free first."
"Okay," Robin replies, getting up his and Regina's messages from earlier on that day and clicking on the type box. He decides to keep his message simple by getting straight down to the point.
Good evening, Love. Have you had a nice afternoon? I was wondering if you were busy this Friday?
"What did you say?" John asks instantly, peering over at his friend's phone.
Robin quickly pockets the device sipping at his beer. "I asked her if she was busy, what else?" he asks with a shrug.
John shrugs one shoulder. "Tell her that you want her to be your plus one to your work party so that you can finally take her home and shag her 'til morning."
"Ah, yes, John. How could I not think of putting that?" Robin asks sarcastically, rolling his eyes as his best friend sniggers.
"I'm just pulling your leg, Robin. Stop being so…" he gestures towards Robin's hunched demeanour, "on edge."
"You're right, I'm sorry," the photographer replies, sighing as he sits up in his stool. "I just want to make sure I don't screw things up with Regina so I suppose I overthink things too much."
John nods. "That's understandable, mate," he offers, clapping his best friend on the back. "And, honestly, I know that if I was even a bit more like you I would be a better man. You're a good guy, Robin, and, despite my teasing, she would be lucky to have you."
Robin smiles genuinely; it's not often that John has these kinds of moments but when he does, it reminds him why they are the best of friends. They may not see eye-to-eye all the time but Robin could never deny that John is the best friend he could ask for. He knows that he would drop anything and everything for Robin if he needed him to. He's a good guy, really. "Thanks, John," he replies and then his message alert is sounding again from his pocket.
John simply raises a single eyebrow at his friend and Robin reaches down to fetch it. Sure enough there's a reply from Regina waiting for him on his screen. He tries to suppress his grin as he reads.
Good evening. My afternoon was good, thank you! I hope you're now back from your trip safe and sound? With regards to Friday, I am free. Would you like to do something?
"She's keen to do something," he reiterates to John, his grin well and truly out and proud as it spreads from ear to ear. Even if she doesn't want to go to the work party he could still take her out. He immediately types a response.
Yes, actually, I have a work party at 7:30pm this Friday. You wouldn't want to be my plus one would you?
Robin sips at his beer after pressing send, watching the three dots on his screen pop up to indicate she is typing before her response comes through seconds later.
An office party? Oh, I haven't been to one of those in years. Yes, I would love to come with you.
"She says she would like to come," Robin announces with another wide smile, his friend mirroring the expression as he lifts his pint glass to him.
"To finally getting laid!" he exclaims.
Robin rolls his eyes, lifting his glass. "To scoring another date with the woman of my dreams," he corrects and John smirks.
"That'll do," is his reply before their glasses are clinking and they are raising their beverages to their lips, sinking what's left of their pints in one swig.
As John turns to the barman to order another two, Robin types his reply to Regina, giving her the plan of action:
Great! I look forward to it. I'll swing by yours at 7:45pm and we will get a taxi into the city.
His second pint is being set in front of him when her reply comes through.
Sounds like a plan. I look forward to seeing you again, Robin.