Chapter 11
"Robin?" Patrick opened the door to her office and poked his head in. "May I come in?"
Robin was surprised to hear his voice – Patrick had been off for the past two days and she had not even received a text from him since her dinner with Matt and Maxie on Sunday. She kept her focus on the file she was reviewing. "I'm kind of busy…"
"Please Robin, it's important." Patrick entered her office and shut the door behind him.
She finally looked at him and found herself caught off guard by the look on his face. There was no smirk or self-satisfied grin, he was serious. "Patrick, what happened? Is everyone okay?"
He was not surprised that, even though she was mad at him, she still had enough compassion in her to put those feelings aside and worry about him. He sat down on her couch and patted the cushion next to him. "Please come here Robin."
Robin jumped up and went to his side. "Patrick, what's wrong?"
Patrick took a moment to just take her in and get caught up once again in her beauty. She had her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was without a hint of makeup but she was still stunning. He took a deep breath. "About the other night…"
She tried to stand up and was surprised when he grabbed her arms and kept her on the couch. "I don't have time for this."
"Yes you do." He sighed. "I owe you a huge apology – I didn't mean what I said the other night to Matt. I was angry and trying to get him to back off and if I had known you were there I wouldn't have said it."
She could hear the sincerity in his voice but it she wasn't sure she was ready to forgive him just yet. "Patrick, I get it. You have a loyalty to Roger to protect me and I appreciate it. Not only that but…"
"Let me finish please." Patrick reached over and took her hands in his. He had spent the last day and a half working on the right things to say to her, trying to make sure he made his feelings clear without scaring her off completely. His father and Matt had both encouraged him to be honest with Robin. "You are an amazing woman and any man would be lucky to have you in their life. You are beautiful, compassionate, and intelligent with a wicked sense of humor. Every day I find a new reason to be impressed with you."
He took advantage of her stunned silence to scoot a little closer to her on the couch. Matt and his father had also told him it was time for him to quit hiding and face his feelings or he would lose Robin forever and Patrick knew they were right. "From the day I met you I have been completely enchanted with you. I saw you with Roger and I just couldn't believe that he found you first. I saw you with him and I wanted what you two had."
He shook his head. "That's not true – I wanted to be him. He was the luckiest man in the world because he had you. When I walked into Alan's office and saw you standing there I was thrilled because you were back in my life. I have spent the last month watching you, working with you, spending time with you and seeing just how wonderful you still are. The way you love with your whole heart, the way you embrace being a mom and a grandmother, the way you have created a wonderful life in spite of your HIV status, I could list a million different things about you that impress me."
"Then why did you say the things you said?"
A tear trickled down her cheek and reached over and gently wiped it away. "Because I was scared."
"And you're not now?"
"I'm more scared of losing you because I was an idiot. Robin, I didn't say anything all those years ago because you were in love with Roger and you had a family but Roger is gone and I have a second chance. For once I am going to get out of my own way and embrace it." He leaned over. "I am absolutely crazy about you Robin and I will do everything I can to prove it to you."
"Patrick…"
The door opened and Keith walked in. "Ready to go?"
Robin instantly stood up and walked over to him, needing to distance herself from Patrick for a few minutes. A few pretty words, even spoken with complete sincerity, were not going to erase the pain Patrick had caused her. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and shook it out. "I just need to finish with Patrick and then I'll be ready."
"Going where?" Patrick went into protective mode. "Isn't it a little late for a consult?"
"Not that it is any of your business but Robin and I are on our way out for dinner." Keith looked at Patrick and gave him a little smirk. "We had a lovely dinner last night and I couldn't wait to do it again."
Robin shook her head at the men's posturing. "Give me a couple of minutes and I will meet you out at the nurse's station." She kissed him on the cheek as she pushed him out the door.
"Okay but hurry up – wouldn't want to miss our reservation." Keith glared at Patrick one last time before he left.
Robin turned to Patrick. "He had been wanting to have dinner and…"
"After I hurt you the other night you decided to say yes." Patrick could kick himself for unintentionally pushing her towards another man.
"It wasn't like that." Robin's protest was weak at best – it was exactly like that and they both knew it.
He shook his head and stepped closer to her. "I made a horrible mistake out of fear – don't do the same thing. Tell Keith that you have changed your mind and come with me to dinner. Give me a chance."
Robin shook her head. "No."
"No?" Patrick could see how much she wanted to stay with him.
"Patrick, two nights ago you were telling people that I wasn't someone you wanted to be with and now you want me to dump my date for you." Robin decided to tell him the truth. "I let myself believe that you had feelings for me and then you…"
"Robin I have already said I'm sorry."
"But what happens the next time you get scared?" Robin's eyes welled up with tears but she blinked them back before they started flowing again. "I think it is best for now if we just remain friends and colleagues."
"Robin…"
She wiped her eyes and headed to the door. "I need to meet up with my date. I will see you tomorrow for the Tomlinson surgery."
As much as he hated it, Patrick knew that he needed to back off for tonight. Robin had been hit hard by his revelation and needed time to digest it. "Fine but this conversation is not over. I know we have a chance to have something amazing and I am not going anywhere."
"What are you saying?" Robin was confused.
"I'm saying Dr. Soltini that I am crazy about you and I will do everything I can to prove it to you and no one, not even Keith, is going to stop me." He leaned over and kissed her on her cheek. "I have never felt this way about another woman in my life. Robin, you matter to me more than you can even understand and I know you feel the same way about me." He kissed her other cheek. "No matter how much you want to deny it."
Robin shivered at the touch of his lips on her skin. "Patrick…"
He stopped her with a kiss on the lips. She threw up her hands between them in a brief protest but they slowly moved around him, pulling him closer. She felt his arms wrap around her and one of his hands made its way into her hair, gently caressing the back of her head. The kiss lasted a few minutes before he pulled away and smiled at her. He headed to the door but took a moment to give her one last smirk. "Have a nice date Robin."
