House Of Cards
Usual disclaimers still apply...characters not mine, just borrowed...
Chapter Seven-
Elizabeth clamped her hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence the painful hissing sound she made when her big toe collided with the corner of the bedside table. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the dark, but she saw no movement from Robert. He looked to be asleep, lying on his right side. It was quite late and she should have been back hours ago, but Susan had talked her into going for a 'quick' drink. She should have known better. Lifting up the corner of the duvet gently, she slid under the covers. The walk from the EL station had left her cold, but it was wonderfully warm under there, especially the part Robert was occupying. She snuggled closer to him hoping to leach off some of his body heat.
"Don't even think about sliding those icebergs over here," he grumbled.
Caught in the act she pulled her feet back. "Wouldn't dream of it," she said. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Nah, I was awake," he said quietly. Too quietly, she thought.
"Are you okay?" she ventured, knowing he'd probably had a nightmare. "Bad dream?"
He rolled over onto his back and turned his head to find her concerned blue eyes watching him. She was on her side, with her head propped up in her hand.
"Just the usual," he said, twirling his finger around in the air before rubbing his eyes with his hand.
She reached over and pulled his hand away so she could see his face. "Robert?"
"I'm okay," he said and smiled at her, but she wasn't being fooled by it.
"Really, I'm okay," he reiterated, and met her eyes looking her over properly. "You're late..trouble at'mill?" he asked in a really poor English accent and she laughed, despite herself, knowing he was changing the subject. He'd been practising English colloquialisms on her of late, with great comic effect.
"No, no trouble. But I did run into Susan on the way out and she talked me into going for a quick drink."
Robert smirked. "Oh-oh...how bad?" he asked, holding up four fingers.
She batted the hand away dismissively, and he raised a knowing eyebrow.
"Fine. I would say I'm squiffy."
"Is squiffy something I should be worried about?"
"Squiffy is fine. Tipsy is when you have to worry."
"I thought that was 'bollocksed?'"
"No, if I ever get bollocksed you should just run and never look back."
"Noted."
She smiled at him. "Susan said you treated her to lunch today?"
"If Susan thinks lunch at Doc Magoo's is a treat she needs to get out more...but yes, I did. I wanted to make sure she understood why Kerry was still in a job, and why I was now the new liaison."
"Worried she thought you were taking advantage of the situation?"
He nodded. "She says she gets it. I also told her that if there's any blowback from Kerry, I want her to let me know straight away. Even though her name was never mentioned, Kerry will have figured out who tipped me off by now."
"I still think you were a little soft on her."
He shrugged. "Didn't see any other option without exposing the hospital to a whole lot of negative publicity. That and no actual proof? Could have backfired big time on us."
"I know," she sighed. "It just feels like she's got away with it."
"She hasn't got away with it, Lizzie. It's going to stay with her forever."
"How do you mean?"
"She's going to see his face every night in her dreams...that's if she's lucky enough to actually get some sleep."
"I suppose. I can't believe you offered to let her talk to you either."
"Yeah well, its not like she can just go and chat about it with anyone is it?"
"She deserves to suffer for what she did."
"Some people said I deserved to suffer when this happened to me."
"Yes, and she was one of them Robert!"
"Maybe, but I have a slightly different perspective now. Some things are just too big and you can't keep them to yourself. If I didn't have you to hear me out, I'd have gone crazy long ago."
"This is a bit rich coming from you," she scoffed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Robert, you're still having nightmares. Not as many I know, but they're still plaguing you. Maybe you should take your own advice and speak to someone about it?"
He rolled his eyes at her. "I talk to you."
"Don't be obtuse Robert, you know exactly what I mean! Yes, you talk to me, but I also know you keep things back! It's not enough Robert! There's a massive difference between supporting and helping. I want to help you, I really do...but this is too much. I can be your friend, I can listen to you, but what I can't do is fix you and I wish I could! I wish I could take all of the pain away, but I can't!"
Robert stared hard at her and she reached over to touch his shoulder.
"Look, I know I've touched on this before, but I really think you should talk to someone...someone who is trained, who can actually help you."
"Can we not do this now Lizzie? I'm tired and we have an early start tomorrow." He made to roll over, but she kept her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.
"Robert, please. Talk to me."
He shrugged her hand away and rolled back onto his side, showing her his back.
"Robert.."
"Sleeping now," he said.
She knew that was as far as she'd get on the subject for now, but at least he hadn't outright refused, and that in itself was progress.
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Robert had arranged to meet his sister on neutral ground, figuring Disneyland was as good a place as any. She was waiting at their pre-arranged spot when they approached and spotted him immediately. She waved and hurried over, and Robert moved forward to meet her.
Elizabeth stood on the periphery trying to contain an excited Ella, whilst they had their reunion. Tess was roughly the same height as Robert, with a slender build and she wore her blond hair shoulder length. She didn't appear to be wearing any make up and she didn't need it. Naturally beautiful, she drew looks from some passers-by, even though she was dressed in jeans and a light blouse. She watched the two siblings meet, then falter, take a step back, then grin and hug each other.
"Hey Rob!"
"Hi Tess. It's good to see you."
"Been too long, but you don't look bad all things considered," Tess said, taking a step back to look at him properly.
"Back at you." He looked over his shoulder. "Tess, this is Elizabeth and Ella, Elizabeth and Ella, this is my sister Tess."
"Pleased to meet you at last," Elizabeth said, holding out her hand.
"Whoa Rob!" Tess exclaimed, glancing quickly at Robert, then back to Elizabeth. "You never said she was beautiful!"
Elizabeth felt her cheeks redden, as they shook hands.
"And this must be Ella," Tess said holding her arms out wide. Ella looked up smiling and lifted up her own arms. Tess looked at Elizabeth, who nodded then bent down and scooped her up. "She's adorable!"
"Shall we?" Elizabeth said, eager to get inside and they turned heading for the entrance.
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The day went well, with Ella wanting to go on as many attractions as her little frame permitted. Around lunch they took a break and afterwards Ella 'dragged' Robert off to look in the gift shop. Tess came back to their table with a tray of coffee's and a juice carton for Ella.
"Thank you," Elizabeth said.
"You're welcome." She shook a sugar sachet and emptied the contents into her cup of coffee. Twirling round the wooden strip she looked at Elizabeth. "So what exactly has he told you about me?"
Elizabeth smiled. "Not an awful lot I'm afraid."
"That figures," she mumbled.
"Well, what's he told you about me?" Elizabeth countered.
Tess looked up at her and grinned. "Touché. I see why he likes you. My brother doesn't like to give much away, does he?"
Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee and lowered it. In a conspiratorial voice, she said, "Shall we fill in the gaps for each other then?"
Tess laughed and pointed a finger at her. "I like you. You're a straight talker. So, lets talk...what's the real deal with you two?"
Elizabeth placed her coffee cup on the table. "What you've seen is the real deal...we're just good friends who look out for each other. I'd not long lost my husband to illness when Robert had his accident. I was lonely and as you know Robert was struggling..."
Tess made a scoffing noise at that and Elizabeth stared at her, so she cleared her throat. "No, I didn't know that. I've never known Rob to struggle with anything his whole life. He's never had to ask for help. He's the one that swoops in and sorts out problems. In his head, hard work and determination heal all problems." She leaned forward. "Tell me, what was your first impression of Rob when you first met him?"
The unexpected question threw her, and she sat back to think. "My first impression was of an intelligent, talented surgeon with an ego to go with it."
Tess grinned and slapped her hand on the table. "There...right there, that's my brother! That's the version I know. I don't know yours."
"What do you mean?"
Tess leaned back in her chair. "Rob was always the straight arrow, you know? Switched on, even as kids. School came easy to him, straight A's all the way, and good enough at sports to stop him being bunched in with the nerds. Me? I was distinctly average at everything. He was always a momma's boy, so when dad walked out on us, it hit me the worst…Rob did what Rob does best. He stepped up…me? I derailed." She picked up her coffee cup and took a tentative sip.
Elizabeth waited patiently for Tess to continue.
"I went a bit wild and started hanging out with the 'cool' kids and getting into trouble, but it didn't matter because for once, I was getting some attention and I became something Rob never was...popular. Suddenly, I'm getting invited to parties and asked out and it went straight to my head. I started drinking, smoking weed, and my average grades became failing grades. Golden boy though? He's still shining brightly. Going to be a doctor so he can take care of momma, he says. I'll be honest with you, I put our mom through hell and I'm not proud of that...I get why he was annoyed at me now, but back then it just seemed everything came so easy to him, you know? I hated him for it some days."
"Have you ever told him any of this?"
She shook her head. "No. We've not had a real conversation since he left for college. Closest we got to one, was balling at each other at mom's wake. Something neither of us is proud of."
"Well, you're both here now."
"Yeah, and I think we have you to thank for that. Thanks for looking out for him."
Elizabeth smiled and sipped some more of her coffee. "Robert told me you have a daughter. Sarah, is it?"
"Yes," she smiled. "She's going to be starting her first semester at Berkeley in the fall, which I'm very excited about! It means I'll be able to see her more often." She narrowed her eyes. "Did Rob tell you anything else?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "Not really."
"Oh. Well, you might as well know everything. I left home too young, got pregnant too young and got married too young." She waved her hand in the air. "Dave was an airman I met in a bar. We dated, got pregnant so got married. We moved around a lot, base to base and I hated every minute of it. I started drinking more and more, until it became a problem. Cue divorce and that's where Rob's biggest problem with me is...he thinks I abandoned my daughter, but the truth is I couldn't look after her at the time."
This was all news to Elizabeth and she made a mental note to brain Robert for not being more open with her.
"After I lost custody of Sarah I really went off the rails for a few years, and I don't blame Rob at this point. The only times he ever heard from me was when I needed a hand out. Anyhow, eventually I got in a program, and came out here. Met some good people and found a job. When mom had her stroke, he wanted me to move back permanently and help take care of her, but it was mom who convinced me not to. She said she was fine, and I think now she was worried about me falling off the wagon without my support group. I kick myself everyday for not going."
A very familiar excited voice carried across the food hall and Elizabeth turned to see Robert approaching with Ella. He was carrying several gift bags, and she shook her head. "I do wonder if he will ever learn to say no to her."
"Save your breath," Tess said. "He was exactly the same with Sarah."
They grinned at each other and Elizabeth reached across the table squeezing her hand. She lowered her voice. "If you like, we can carry on with this chat later?"
Tess nodded and smiled at her. "Yeah, that would be good."
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Tess heard a noise coming from downstairs and lowered the book she was reading. She glanced at the clock and noted the late hour. They'd all retired to bed relatively early after a full, full on day, so when she heard it again, she climbed out of bed and followed the noise downstairs. A sliver of light was coming from the kitchen door, which was slightly ajar.
She opened the door and caught Robert closing a cupboard door, only to then pull open another.
"Look all you like Rob, you won't find anything," she said, failing to keep the hurt out of her voice.
He turned around, surprised to see Tess scowling at him from where she stood leaning against the kitchen door, arms folded.
"You don't have tea?"
"Tea?" she said, taken aback.
"Yeah, tea. Lizzie wants a cup. You have some or not?"
She walked past him, and opened the one cupboard he hadn't yet searched. She reached in and started rummaging.
"Tess?"
She stopped her search momentarily, to look back at him. "I was just looking for tea, okay?" he said quietly. "Wouldn't be leaving you with Ella tomorrow if I didn't trust you, would I?"
She gave him a grateful smile and nodded, then went back to moving things around, until with a triumphant flourish she produced a box of tea. "Hah, knew I had some somewhere!" She tossed the box over to him and he caught it. It looked old, and warily he sniffed the contents pulling a face. "How old is this?"
"I dunno...I'm not really a tea fan. Think that was there when I moved in."
Robert's face reflected disgust. "Okay then. How far is the closest store?"
"Seriously? Can't she drink coffee?"
He looked at her like she was an idiot. "Lizzie's English, tired and wants tea."
She walked over and swiped the box from out of his hands. "Oh relax, I'm messing with you. I opened it myself...admittedly, well over a year ago, but I can vouch for its origins." She filled the kettle with water and looked at him.
"So, can't sleep then?"
He rubbed a tired hand over his face and shook his head.
Stepping away from the counter top, she pulled a chair away from the kitchen table and sat down. Lifting a foot she shoved the chair opposite so it pushed out. Robert took the hint and grabbed the back of it, pulling it out more and sat down.
"Nervous about tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Although, don't know who's more nervous. Lizzie or me."
"What will you do if its not the news you want?"
"Honestly? I don't know. Trying not to think about it until I'm faced with it."
"If I know you, you'll be okay Rob."
"Listen, at mom's…"
She waved a hand at him. "Let's not. You said some things, I said some things and we're both sorry. Yes?"
Robert nodded.
"There you go then. Water under the bridge. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
She pointed at his left arm. "I wish you'd told me though. I mean I get why you didn't...but still, you should have told me when it happened."
He looked at her. "Yeah, I know. Sorry 'bout that. Have you told Sarah?"
"I told her we'd buried the hatchet at New Year, but I haven't told her about the 'accident.' She was studying for her finals and I didn't want to stress her out, considering you seemed to be in a good place at the time."
"Fair enough.
"Plus, I really think its something she should hear from her uncle, himself. Don't you?"
"Also fair enough."
"So Elizabeth is nice."
"Yeah."
"And Ella is very sweet."
"Yep."
"So what's the deal with you two?"
"Nothing, just friends."
"You look more than that to me. And you're great with Ella!"
"Still just friends."
"Let me guess...its complicated?"
He shook his head. "Nothing complicated about it Tess. We're friends and Lizzie doesn't want anything more than that."
"But you do? C'mon Rob! That chopper sliced your arm off, not your..."
He covered his face with his hand, shaking his head. "Not having this conversation."
"I mean, you do still have a pulse, right? Rob? C'mon, she's beautiful!"
"Yes, I have a pulse Tess, and I also have eyes in my head...I'm well aware Elizabeth is beautiful!"
"So?"
"So what?"
He got up and grabbed a cup from the cupboard, then looked at her. "You want one?"
She wrinkled her nose and he shrugged, throwing a solitary teabag into the waiting cup, then turned back towards her.
"Look, I did actually ask her out once, and she turned me down. She wasn't interested then, and she's not interested now….it might have taken me awhile, but I'm okay with that. We're friends, nothing more. Got it? Capeesh?"
"Well, I think she likes you."
"Oh, look at that. Waters boiled already," he said reaching for the kettle and turned back to pour the water.
"So have you two never gone out 'as friends'? Like out together, for dinner or something."
"We've had lunches at work, picnics with Ella in the park."
"But never gone out to dinner? Like in a nice, fancy restaurant, all dressed up?"
He sighed heavily. "No Tess, because what you're describing is a date...and we're not dating."
"Okay then," she said and shrugged.
Robert's eyebrows drifted up his forehead. "Really?"
She grinned. "Yep...for now."
"I'll take that," he grinned back at her and finished making the tea.
"Well, I guess I should let you take that up to Elizabeth and we'll all try and get some rest, huh?" she said, rising out of the chair. "And don't worry...I have a good feeling about tomorrow."
He nodded gratefully at her and picked up the cup. As he passed her by he leaned in and give her a kiss on the cheek. "G'night, sis."
She grinned at him. "Been a long time since you called me that." He smiled back at her, then left.
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"So you'd have to visit with me for regular check-ups, but your day to day therapy sessions would be handled by one of my colleagues. Fortunately for you, there are a couple of good people who satellite for me, in and around Chicago. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great." Robert was grinning broadly and nodded. He'd spent the whole day in the clinic. He'd filled in stupid questionnaires, been poked, prodded, assessed and interviewed. He was sore and he was tired. But he'd also just been told that he, and his arm were in fact, not a lost cause and it was all he could do not to leap for joy. From the way she was tightly gripping his hand he knew Elizabeth was just as excited.
"In my opinion, your initial care had major failings, and your PT has been too aggressive and unrealistic...too much, too fast, all geared towards you getting back full use of your hand to let you perform surgery again. They should have made it understood from day one that that was never going to happen. The fact that you've now recognised that and come to terms with it, is an excellent starting point, in how we approach your treatment. The first thing we need to do is improve the circulation in your arm, so I'd like to get you into surgery as soon as possible for that. It's a relatively simple procedure and you should be up and about after a couple of days. Joint rotation is good and I still see plenty of growth in both sensory and motor nerves. Now your accident happened ten months ago, so you shouldn't really have expected any sensation in your fingers, however in as little as four months I believe you will start to see sensation coming back in your hand too. You've recently encountered a problem manipulating the thumb...its why you dropped the coffee cup... I can fix that that by re-routing the tendon from your index finger to your thumb."
Robert glanced at Elizabeth and grinned. She squeezed his hand tighter in response.
"I'll need you to wear a sleeve like this over your arm," Symons continued, passing an example to Robert. "It will help protect you from knocks, but also help manage pain due to poor circulation, especially during the winter months. I'll be honest with you, you're going to suffer poor circulation for the rest of your life, and Chicago is a pretty hostile environment. At some point you may want to consider moving to a warmer climate. I believe you have family out here?"
Robert nodded. "My sister."
Elizabeth sneaked a look at him. Would he consider moving? The very idea had never crossed her mind and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. In the short time they'd started their friendship, he'd been a constant in her life, Ella's too. She shook her head and tried not to think about it, instead refocusing on following the rest of the conversation.
"Look, if we sign you up to this programme, I can guarantee you a better, long lasting result than what you have right now. I think you're looking at recovering 60-70% use. You may have hoped for more, but that's a huge figure, and you can do an awful lot within that range...I'm happy to take you on, but only if you take on everything that goes with it. We're going to focus more on occupational therapy...I want to know what you enjoy doing. Elizabeth tells me you're an excellent cook?"
Robert shrugged with feigned modesty.
"Tell me something you miss, besides surgery, that you've lost?"
Robert thought of the many things. He used to play golf but realised he didn't actually miss it. It had been more of a networking thing and he'd just fallen into that click like so many others.
"I'm a black belt in karate...haven't been near a dojo since, this," he said, looking down at his left hand.
Doctor Symons smiled at him. "Have you considered learning Tai chi?"
Robert looked thoughtful, then a small smile played across his face. "I hadn't, but yeah I guess that's something I'd be able to do."
"Good. What else?"
"I lost music. I play...played guitar, piano."
He caught Elizabeth staring at him. This was news to her and he knew he was in for the third degree afterwards.
"Okay. Do you sing?"
Robert looked embarrassed, but admitted softly. "Yeah, I can sing."
"Okay, so you can sing and you can hear, so music is not in fact, lost at all. And regarding the piano, I see no reason why we can't work that into your therapy. The point I'm trying to make, Doctor Romano, is that you have to think laterally and look for solutions. And if none can be found, then find something else. New hobbies, new challenges. Its time to start putting positives back in your life. New goals that you can achieve that will improve your life or just make you happier in general."
"Sounds good," Robert said.
Doctor Symons leaned forward and locked his eyes on Robert's "But it's not just about doing PT everyday. Because all of that, can only come about from healing up here too," he said pointing at his head. "Emotional recovery is just as important as your physical one, and to achieve that you need to agree to talk to a therapist."
Elizabeth felt the pressure on her hand increasing as he gripped harder, and she glanced nervously at Robert. She'd broached the very subject several times with him, and each time he'd always shut her down, refusing to even consider it.
"Part of the recovery programme I will structure for you, will involve you seeing a therapist. That helicopter didn't just slice your arm off Doctor Romano...it left you traumatised, and it's why you don't sleep well. In all likelihood you're suffering from PTSD on top of your physical injury, and all of that has had a negative impact on your recovery. Both treatments are essential and I must stress…you can't have one without the other. Do you agree?"
Robert did not agree. He did not agree at all, and he hated the idea of having to see a shrink, but the pragmatic side of him told him this would likely be his last chance at recovery. He could feel Elizabeth's eyes on him and flicked his own towards her, seeing the deep look of concern within them. 'Please don't fuck this up, they screamed.' This woman who was his rock, who desperately wanted nothing more for him than to get better and be happy. He smiled at her and nodded, and the relieved, proud smile he received back filled his heart with joy.
Robert leaned forward, and offered up his hand. "Whatever I have to do Doctor Symons, I'll do it."
Doctor Symons smiled and stood. He reached down and shook his hand. "Excellent."
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Tess opened the front door as Elizabeth walked up the driveway. She saw the smile on Elizabeth's face and relaxed. "Is it good news?" she asked, looking past Elizabeth at Robert who was still paying the cab driver.
Elizabeth nodded excitedly. "It's very good news. He's going to have to have some minor surgeries to help with circulation, but the outlook is very positive."
"Oh, thank God!"
"See Lizzie brought you up to speed already," Robert said, as he caught up to them.
Tess grinned and nodded. "I'm really pleased for you, Rob!"
"You say that now…but it means you're gonna see a lot more of me," he said, and smiled. "Think you can cope with that?"
She stepped forward and hugged him in response.
"Was Ella good for you?" Elizabeth enquired, when they broke apart.
"Of course! She was an angel. We spent most of the day at the beach and I think I may have tired her out I'm afraid. I put her down for a nap about an hour ago."
"Oh," Elizabeth said, disappointed. "I thought we could have all gone out to an early dinner to celebrate."
"We can order something in," Robert offered.
"Rob, don't be an idiot!" Tess snorted. "You can't celebrate news like this over a pizza! Plus Elizabeth's never been to Malibu before. You guys should go out for dinner, and I'll watch Ella."
Robert shot his sister a warning look which quickly disappeared when he saw an excited smile forming on Elizabeth's face.
Elizabeth looked at Robert. "Could we?"
Robert couldn't believe the day he was having. First, good news regarding his arm and now Elizabeth was asking him if he wanted to take her out to dinner? His eyes shot a quick thank you at his sister, and he smiled back. "Sure, why not," he said trying to sound cool. "Anywhere you can recommend, Tess?"
"Nowhere too posh mind," Elizabeth said. "I didn't exactly pack with dinner in mind."
"I'll call in a reservation at 'The Sunset' for you...it's a great place just off the beach, nice and casual, beautiful views and the food's really good!"
Elizabeth clapped her hands together. "Brilliant. I'll go lay claim to the bathroom then."
Robert and Tess watched her retreating back, then turned to face each other.
"You're welcome," she said and winked.
"Still not a date," he said, following her in.
She turned towards him while reaching for the phone. "Well Rob, I guess it's what you make it."
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"Well, I'll hand it to Tess. She picked a good spot," Robert said, putting the last forkful of steak in his mouth.
Elizabeth smiled over at him and finished off her glass of wine. She couldn't remember the last time, if ever, she'd seen him looking so relaxed.
He caught her staring. "What?" he said, self-consciously.
"Nothing. It's just nice to see you relaxed for once."
"You've seen me relaxed plenty of times."
"Not like this," she said and waved her hand at him. "I don't know, maybe it's the sea air...or maybe its the positive prognosis, but you seem different...a little lighter. Does that make sense?"
"Not after the size of steak I just put away," he said, and reached for his own wineglass. He drained the contents and placed it back on the table. When he looked back up Elizabeth was looking at him expectantly with her arms folded across her chest.
He rolled his eyes at her. "What do you want me to say, Lizzie? You want me to wax lyrical about how for the first time since this happened, I actually feel optimistic...that I'm beginning to think I may actually get through this relatively intact? Because I do. But what I really want to do, right now, is just be a regular guy, who by some freak luck happens to be out having dinner with an incredibly beautiful lady."
She beamed back at him and uncrossed her arms.
"So on that note, would you like to share another bottle of wine?" he asked.
"Depends. Would you like to see me go from squiffy to tipsy?"
He leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Lizzie, that is something I would pay to see."
She put her hands together and leaned forward placing her elbows on the table. Resting her chin in her hands, she smiled a smile that took his breath away. "Robert, you are paying."
He grinned. "Well, in that case." Looking around for their waitress he spotted her and waved his hand to attract her attention. "Can we get another bottle of your finest, please."
The woman nodded and Robert turned back to see Elizabeth grinning at him with a look he couldn't quite pin down. It was somewhere between flirtation and bemusement.
"Trying to get me drunk?" she purred in a silky voice.
"I thought we'd just established that already with the whole squishy to tipsy transition?"
The bottle arrived and Robert picked it up to pour, but stopped, the neck hovering over her glass.
"One condition," he said.
"Yes?"
"To be clear, I'm paying for tipsy...not bollocksed. There is no way I'm carrying you back to my sisters."
She snorted and waved the glass at him. "A, you couldn't carry me even if you tried to, and B…"
"B?"
"Pour the bloody wine already, Rob,b,b,b,b!" she said, smacking her lips as she sounded off each 'b'.
He grinned and refilled both of their glasses shaking his head. "Wondered how long it would take you."
"So, tell me then Rob, do you prefer Rob? Or maybe Robbie? Or Bob even? Bobby? No, I don't think you look like a Bobby. Which is it to be?"
He shook his head in amusement and grinned. "None of the above."
"So, why does she call you Rob then?"
"Two reasons. First one being she's too lazy to overuse syllables."
Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. She crossed her arms and smirked at him. "Oh really? Lazy, you say?"
Robert opened his mouth, thought about it, closed his mouth and grinned. "And the second reason E-Liz-A-Beth,' he enunciated slowly. "Is she started calling me that when we were kids, basically just to annoy me."
"Just to annoy you, you say? Imagine that." She smirked. "So, did it work?"
He returned her smirk and laced it with a shrug of indifference. "She's my little sister, everything she did annoyed me."
"Mmhmm." She put the glass to her lips and sipped some wine. "So which one are you then? Lazy or just trying to annoy me?"
"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie," he said, shaking his head. "What, you don't like Lizzie?"
She shook her head, bemused. "Don't turn this back on me."
"Is that what I'm doing?"
"Do you always answer questions with a question?"
"Oh, you noticed that, huh?"
She rolled her tongue around the inside of her cheek. "Yes. I've also noticed that you're stalling."
"I am not stalling, I am simply thinking."
"Well, I am thinking that you are simply stalling, so answer the question."
He smiled cheekily and brought the wineglass up to his lips. "What was the question again?" he asked, innocently.
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Another round of quick fire questions later, they'd finished dessert and polished off the bottle too.
"Seems weird, to think we'll be back in Chicago tomorrow," Elizabeth sighed.
"Way to bring the mood down. Gotta say, I'm feeling a little short changed with 'tipsy Lizzie.'"
She raised her eyebrow and followed it straight up with her hand. "Check please."
Robert cursed himself, wondering just what the hell he'd done. "Sorry," he said.
"What for? You haven't done anything wrong." She smiled the smile that always made him smile as the waitress arrived with the check. He took his wallet out and threw down enough to include a generous tip. When he looked back up, Elizabeth was already stood up, her hand outstretched towards him.
"Come on."
"Where to?"
"I want to dip my toes in the ocean."
He grinned and shook his head in wonder. "You're crazy," he said, but nevertheless slipped his hand into her waiting palm and let her pull him up. They left the restaurant and walked towards the beach. As soon as they hit sand Elizabeth kicked off her shoes, squishing the sand between her toes, feeling like a little girl once again. She looked up into the night sky, admiring the bright full moon and the clear rippling, path it cut across the ocean. She reached down to pick up her shoes and then started running straight towards it.
Robert stroked his cheek and shook his head amused, then slowly set off after her, catching her up as she played chicken darting in and out, of the retreating tide.
"You know, I'm no expert but I think you have to actually get in there to dip your toes."
She turned smiling to face him, and he felt his breath catch in his throat as she stood there against the backdrop of the moon.
"Ha-ha," she said.
"Not scared of a little cold water are you, Lizzie?"
In answer she walked backwards wearing a big smile. "Coming in?" She purred, and stretched out a hand towards him, beckoning him like a siren.
He found his feet involuntarily propelling him forward as rational thought abandoned him. Only as he got closer and his brain registered the beguiling delight on her face, did he realise his error. He watched helpless as she swung her leg back suddenly and kicked up a spray of seawater at him.
He looked down shocked at the now partially wet front of his shirt and jeans. "Jeezus Lizzie, how old are you?!"
She giggled and he looked back up, just as she kicked some more, laughing as instinctively he turned his back to her.
"Quit it!"
He laughed at the sound of her laughter, and turned towards her again. She moved to kick once more but misjudged, losing her balance and stumbled backwards, arms flailing trying desperately not to fall. Robert moved quickly and reached out catching her by the waist before she fell, pulling her towards him with a bit more force than he thought. "I've got you," he said, just as their bodies bumped into each other, causing them to stumble backwards. Several steps later they fell unceremoniously in a heap, Elizabeth landing heavily on top of him. Robert felt winded as the air rushed out of his lungs, and he tried desperately to suck more in.
She could feel his heartbeat thumping against her chest as he breathed hard, and turned concerned eyes on him. "Are you okay?
The weight of her body pressing against his, plus the proximity of her face made Robert gulp. "Yeah. Are you?" he rasped.
In response she grinned and started giggling again.
"So, this is what tipsy looks like," he asked, managing to find his voice again.
"Oops," she said. "Still feel short- changed?"
His eyes flittered down briefly to her lips, and he forced them back up to her eyes. She was so close he could feel her breath, warm against his skin. "Right now, tipsy looks pretty good," he said, his voice husky. He smiled and reached his hand up from where it lay on her hip, to brush some wayward curls away from her face. "In fact, it looks even better now."
Elizabeth watched his face light up as he smiled, revealing dimples so deep she suddenly felt the urge to touch them. Her hand reached up, touching his face and she saw his eyes close briefly. She let her fingers trail down his cheek, marvelling at how soft the skin was. When her thumb brushed against the corner of his lips, she hesitated wanting to explore further. His smile faltered and she felt his jaw tightening beneath her light touch. The small amount of air between them seemed to charge as they lay there, momentarily rooted to the spot. She brought her eyes back to his and found curiosity staring back at her. When the cold water lapped at their feet, curiosity gave way to shock and they found themselves spurred into action, scrambling back up the beach. Laughing, they helped each other up and started to brush themselves off.
"Well, that's certainly one way to sober up fast," Elizabeth said.
He grunted and carried on patting himself down. When he was finished he looked up to see Elizabeth watching him. "You want to head back or walk on a little?" he ventured.
She closed her eyes briefly and inhaled sea air deep into her lungs. This place was a world apart from Chicago and she wasn't ready for it to end just yet. "Walk on, I think," she said softly.
He grinned and nodded. Still feeling giddy and wine-emboldened, he held out his hand to her. "Wouldn't want you falling in...again."
She smiled and slipped her hand into his. "No, that we wouldn't."
They set of walking again, holding hands, wading through the water. They walked for a few more minutes and then wandered over to a nearby dune and sat facing the ocean, watching as the moon snaked across it, slicing a shimmering path. Clouds would roll over, temporarily planting them into darkness, then move away just as sudden, for silver light to spill all around them once more, casting shadows. "It's breathtaking, isn't it?" she said.
He glanced his eyes towards her face, as a cloud gave way again, and the moon peeked through, bright and shining, lightning up her face, radiating her.
"Yes," he said, never taking his eyes away from her the whole time.
"God, it feels like a whole different world," she sighed, and hugged her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. The temperature was beginning to drop and the ocean breeze skipped up chilling her skin, especially where the wet clothing clung to her. Elizabeth let herself lean against him, and he wrapped his right arm tightly around her, hugging her closer to him.
"Sorry, I'm heat thieving again, aren't I?" she said.
"Anytime," he said, resting his head against hers and they continued to sit together like that, watching the waves. He took a deep breath of sea air into his lungs, and closed his eyes, listening intently to the sound of the waves, to her breathing, to his breathing, to the distant music, voices and laughter of others. This was a moment he never wanted to forget.
TBC