AN: Well get ready for something kind of big. Read on to find out what it is, and tell me what you think of it, if you want!
"Oh, hi, love. Would you uh mind doing the dirty dishes for me while I take care of the front?" she requests and I shake my head with a fake smile and she leaves for the front as I grab the dish towel that is hanging on a hook by the sink. I move all of the dishes to one side of the two part sink and then I turn on the tap as I hear Marty and who must be Robbie exchange small hellos.
I grab the dish detergent that I squirt into the running water as his footsteps are heard behind me and I keep my mouth shut. I know that he apologized, and that I was maybe willing to forgive him but now that I'm back here and he's here things feel different. And not in a good way. I'm afraid again. I see the chance to leave for a moment while the warm water is taking its sweet time to fill up the deep sink and I find about the same customers sitting at the counter talking amongst themselves and I glance over to where Paul and I were just sitting; his spot is empty. The receipt and a bill sat on top of it as well as some change sits on top of it and I pick it up to place it in the cash register. Something written on the slip of paper catches my eye. I smile when I see it. There's a total on the bottom and most people write how much of a tip they gave and then the grand total. I'm not sure how much of a tip is the norm for this time and I don't really know the terms of money here in England, but Paul seemed to add a really nice tip along with this note:
"What a fabulous waitress! She must be the kindest one you have and she sure does do a great job working as a waitress. I'll definitely be coming back more, all because of her! You have delicious food too!" his somewhat familiar scrawling reads and I smile big and bright at his kind compliment that was nice to see, and of course he drew a little face next to the small note.
I stick the money in the cash register and I stick the receipt in the small basket along with all of the others before I return to the kitchen where I find quiet Robbie stirring dough in a metal bowl. I walk around him to the sink that is opposite of him, thank goodness, to shut off the tap and I stick my hands into the warm water that is full of bubbles. I find a slippery dish in the sink full of water that I proceed to wash with the clean washcloth I drenched with the hot water.
"Hey, Courtney." Robbie quietly greets me and I turn around with the dish still in my hands to see him standing there with his hands as well as cream apron covered in flour.
"Hi." I respond before returning to the sink full of dishes that I tackle with the want to have them clean and done with so I can get out of here.
I bided my time washing those dirty dishes with the coffee mugs, plates, plastic glasses and plenty of silverware too.
"Hey, long time no see. Do you uh think we could talk? There's some things I want to say to you." Robbie comments after he had walked up to me without my knowing as I fill salt shakers at the counter away from customers.
"I'm busy right now. I can't really talk." I excuse myself from enduring more awkward moments and I see him nod with a dull look before I hear his leaving footfall and I'm left with the boring task of pouring salt into the shakers. How fun.
When the clock struck four o'clock I hung up my apron and left without a goodbye to Pearl or anybody else for that matter because I didn't want to be in the same room or let alone building as Robbie. Those few words we spoke to each other were plenty enough for me. I didn't care that Paul or somebody he sent to pick me up isn't yet here, but I didn't want to be in there any longer and so I stepped foot outside to brace the fall air. I slip on the black sweater I brought along and I travel over to stand next to the closed door leading into the diner as I watch old fashioned cars pass by with people who look like they just walked off the set of Mad Men because of the way they're dressed and done up with their hair and choice of jewelry. The swoosh of the door opening meets my ears and I look to see Robbie walk towards me and I exhale a frustrated sigh. Can't he just give up?
"I know that you don't want to speak to me, and that it's probably the least thing you want to do right now, but I'm not going to leave until you let me speak." he announces as his shiny leather jacket is wrapped around his manly figure.
"Fine, speak then."
"I'm sorry for what happened the other day. And I really do mean it. I have a horrible temper and I regret how I took it out on you." he apologizes as the slight wind carries my still long hair to flap against my neck.
"Do you really regret it? Anybody can say sorry, but it comes down to if they do mean it."
"I just said that I do and I do." he insists and I look away from his sharp eyes to see a car pull up to the curb and I didn't look to the person driving and how I've sat in that car a number of times before.
"Can you forgive me? I'd like to be friends and maybe even more than that." he comments and my head snaps to look at him with a taken aback look. He must be joking with me.
"Court, lets-," Paul's soft voice calls out from the rolled down window of his car and he stops in mid sentence. "What are you doing here talking to her?" he demands and I look to see him turn off the car and get out to walk up to the two of us.
"I'm just trying to reconcile things, is all." Robbie explains as he holds up his hand in an innocent looking manner. Yeah because he's so damn innocent.
"Oh, is that so? I'm sure that's what you're trying to bloody do. Leave her alone. She doesn't want to speak to you and I don't want you to either," Paul addresses him with a bold voice accompanied by his stern look. "I can't believe you still have a job here, and even more that you have the nerve to speak to her again."
"So she told you then?" Robbie asks then with a straight face, not in a sarcastic manner or anything. I suddenly realize that my stomach has grown tense and is filling me with a wave of nausea.
"Yeah, she did. We are together after all, if you didn't already know." Paul remarks and I look from him to Robbie who share a hardy stare and I see Robbie's pale hand curl into a fist. No, this isn't going to happen again and I'm not going to let Paul get hurt; because of me.
"Paul, lets just go, okay? Shouldn't we be going somewhere?" I gently grab his arm that I give a pull, but he doesn't move an inch.
"I swear if you-."
"The both of you, just stop it! Please can we leave?" I plea with Paul as some fear leaks from my voice while my stomach continues to bother me and give me a bad feeling. I've only seen a little of what hot-tempered-Robbie can do, but I don't want to put this man who I deeply care about in harm for this other guy to potentially swing a fist at.
Paul snaps his head to look at me and I see his tense face soften and he slips his arm from the grasp of my hand and takes my hand in his. I look down to our intertwined fingers as a lady with a dog and a little kid pass us and I see her glance to us with a puzzled look showing on her aged face before she looks away to tend to the little boy who is talking away about something. Paul looks to Robbie once more, "You better leave her alone. I don't wanna hear anymore about you speaking to her or bothering her." he declares and then he turns to walk over to the car with me behind him and we file into the automobile.
I don't bother to look at Robbie who I know hasn't moved from the spot where his feet are firmly planted and Paul brings the car to a smooth start and he leaves the curb as we both are silent. By now both of his hands are on the wheel and I pick at the hem of my skirt and I feel the nausea in the pit of my stomach fade as we get farther and farther away from Robbie. We stop at a light behind a few cars as my stomach still doesn't feel right; I had that stomach feeling that something bad was going to happen and I'm glad that we got out of there before anything could. The light turns and Paul speeds down the street and I glance over to see his right elbow sitting on the car door as his hand is pressed to his cheek and he does not look pleased. I look away and I rest my head against the cool window that gives me some relief as he drives and the silence is no comfort to me. We soon pull up to Abbey Road Studios where I've been before, very briefly, and I follow Paul inside and past the hysterical fans who are causing my ears to ring. We enter to find the place buzzing with the ringing of phones, people walking around and I find that I can't ignore my heavy stomach that I feel as if will turn on me any second.
"Paul, I need to use the bathroom. I feel like I'm going to be sick." I announce as he walks next to me with a silent manner about him and I notice his eyebrows fall before he takes my hand and hurries me down the hall where I see two doors beside each other with the little figures on them; the left shows the stick figure in a dress.
I push that door open and my clammy hand lets go of his, "Do you want me to come with you?" his words spill from his lips and I reply with a sudden 'no' as I enter the first empty stall. I sink to my knees and gag into the dirty toilet boil that revolts me at the thought of how many women have used this stall. I gag once more as I hear the hum of a dryer for wet hands and then it's silence and I'm resting my back and head against the partition separating the stall I sit in that I didn't bother to lock and the one that is behind me. I look to the toilet and I push down the lever without looking at the damage I did and I push the bangs that were matted to my sweaty forehead back. I reach forward to rip off a couple of squares of the toilet paper and I wipe my mouth with it. How disgusting. I toss it in the trash in the back corner and I bring my knees to my chest to wrap my tired arms around them as my head feels heavy, but my stomach now feels normal even though it's empty. I tilt my head to the side and rest my cheek on my bare knee and I feel the need to cry, but no tears come.
"Court?" Paul's voice penetrates my silent thoughts and I hear a knock on the closed door of the ladies room I sit in and I huff. I let go of my legs to get up from the dirty floor and I walk over to the old sinks and I splash the coldest of water I could get from the tap on my warm face. That's a little better. I carelessly wipe my wet face with the sleeve of my sweater and I walk over to the door to find Paul leaning against the wall a few steps away with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Oh, love, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" he asks in a hurried manner and I shrug my shoulders loosely before he pulls me in for a hug whether I want one or not, but I do. I let my head nuzzle into the crook of his neck and I exhale a tired sigh.