The following Monday, Robbyn went back to work. She still hadn't spoken to
Holly and felt uneasy speaking to Zach. She wasn't in the best of moods
when she arrived at the sports centre. The other receptionist Gina, was
already seated at her desk behind the plastic walls that separated them
from the customers. She was chewing gum and filing her nails. When the door
to the block closed she looked up and smiled.
"Hey Red." she greeted, not getting a chance to say any more because the
phone behind her rang.
At first Robbyn didn't know why Gina called her Red, until she explained it
was because of Robin Redbreasts and she couldn't go around calling her
breasts. Gina had red hair, wore a lot of make-up and talked a mile a
minuet, asking a million questions and never pausing for an answer. As soon
as she put the phone down she pulled Robbyn's empty chair up next to her's
and patted it.
"So, what happened? I heard you got into a crash. Was it a crash? Was it
bad? Where you in hospital?
You look fine to me."
"Yes it was a crash, I was in hospital but not for long and I'm almost all
healed up by now. Except for this."
She showed Gina her grubby cast which was peeking out from under her
jacket. Gina seized her arm, rolled up her sleeve and began reading the
various signatures and messages. She grabbed a marker off her desk and took
the lid off with her teeth. She scribbled a message as high up as she could
and then added 'Gina Loves Freddy '.
"Freddy?" Robbyn asked. Knowing Gina's taste in men it would probably be
Freddy Kruger and Gina would say "He's nice, likes kids, he can be a bit
violet and likes knives, he's got a skin problem, but I'm sure it'll clear
up.He's great, really."
"Yeah."
"What happened to Dan?"
"Dan's a jerk. A grade A jerk, he went off with a blonde floozy, I mean a
BLONDE! No offence Red. Anyway, now I'm with Freddy. He's nice, likes
kids....."
Robbyn could've laughed, but she held it in. Poor Gina, she always managed
to pick the bad one's. Ever since Robbyn had begun working at the centre
and year earlier, Gina had been with someone new approximately every three
weeks, all of whom left her. but she always bounced back.
"What about you? Are you with anyone? That's a stupid question really. You
haven't been with anyone since high school. What's with that? I mean, why?
It's not like you're a complete hag or anything."
"Does that mean I'm part hag?" Robbyn asked rolling her sleeve back down.
"No, just, you know. Anyway, when you where off....."
"I've met someone." Robbyn cut in. "Well not met someone like the way you
meet people, but we've been out, only three times but still....."
Gina smiled. " Really? Come on, tell me about him. What's going on with you
two?"
Robbyn shrugged and swung her legs up onto the desk. "I don't know."
Standing up to fix her skirt, Gina groaned. "What do you mean you don't
know? Do you like him? Has he kissed you? Have you met his parents? Has he
met yours?"
"Why can you never ask one question at a time?"
"Fine. Has he kissed you?"
Robbyn shrugged again.
"It's a yes or no question Red!"
"Well, yes, but he never mentioned it after that. I think it was a mistake
and then there's Stephanie and everything. Gina I'm confused."
"I'm not surprised." Gina replied. "You sound like an extra off Dawson's
creek. I'm not even going to ask who Stephanie is because no doubt you'll
go on forever about it. Take it from me, if you like him then tell him. It
sounds corny but if you don't someone else will and he'll think you aren't
interested. Do you really want to see him with someone else?"
"What is this? Talk time?" Boomed a voice from then doorway to the block.
Their boss was watching them. "Do I pay you to talk? No! I pay you to be
receptionists, so reception!"
Gina muttered something under her breath while Robbyn turned to the window
to see to the day's first's customers lining up. Gina was right of course,
she should just tell Zach. But everything seemed simpler in theory.
The words seemed so simple, and so stupid at the same time. If she just came out with 'I like you' it would feel like she was ten years old again, she racked her brains all the way up until Thursday night when she saw Zach again. They went to the movies where they where playing 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' due to the release of 'Freddy vs. Jason '. When it came to horror movies she was a wimp and she was sure she had mentioned it to Zach before. She wasn't looking forward to it and decided to buy the biggest bucket of popcorn she could to distract herself. "Are you really going to eat all that?" Zach asked as she ordered. "I'm going to try." she replied ordering a drink too. When the guy behind the counter told her the price, Zach paid. and took the popcorn off the counter. "You didn't have to do that." Robbyn told him as they headed towards their screen. "You paid for my ticket." "I thought that's what guys where suppose to do, pay on dates." "Yeah but.........,it's the 21st century. Girl power and all that." The screen was relatively empty when they got inside and they sat down near the back. They talked for awhile, Robbyn becoming increasingly more nervous about the movie and Gina's advice. It started and Robbyn snatched the popcorn off Zach, looking down into the bucket with sudden interest every time a remotely creepy part came on. She knew she looked like an idiot and she could see Zach looking at her out of the corner of her eye. "Are you alright?" he whispered. "No." she confessed. "I hate horror films, especially this one." She had suddenly remembered Gina's new boyfriend and was no having images of him chasing Gina around with a knifed glove. "We can go if you want." Robbyn shook her head. "No, I have my popcorn to hide in. I should be fine." Deciding to be brave, she looked up at the screen, just as Freddy Kruger slashed a women repeatedly. She turned around and buried her head in Zach's shoulder. "If you don't mind, I'll watch the movie from here." She muttered. Now she felt stupid.
All the way during the walk home and during the time she'd spent hiding on Zach's shoulder, Robbyn tried to think of the perfect way to tell Zach she liked him. But it was impossible, her brain was refusing to work and every time she got a remotely good way of saying it, she imagined standing in a school yard. "You've been really quiet all night." Zach said when they stopped at the gate to Robbyn's house. "Makes a change doesn't it." Robbyn joked. "I guess I'll see you next week?" "Yeah, I'll call you." Robbyn nodded then paused, the words where now surging through her brain and hung on the tip of her tongue. "Zach," she said suddenly. "There's something I have to say and it sounds stupid but........" She stopped. He was looking at her, his brown eyes fixed on her's. "What?" "I.........I........I really like...liked being at the show last week. It was great to see what you do first hand." "Great." he replied. "I could get you tickets to the next pay-per-view if you want?" She nodded. "Sure. I'd like that." Then she kissed him on the cheek, said goodnight and went inside, wondering what Gina would say to her tomorrow.
The words seemed so simple, and so stupid at the same time. If she just came out with 'I like you' it would feel like she was ten years old again, she racked her brains all the way up until Thursday night when she saw Zach again. They went to the movies where they where playing 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' due to the release of 'Freddy vs. Jason '. When it came to horror movies she was a wimp and she was sure she had mentioned it to Zach before. She wasn't looking forward to it and decided to buy the biggest bucket of popcorn she could to distract herself. "Are you really going to eat all that?" Zach asked as she ordered. "I'm going to try." she replied ordering a drink too. When the guy behind the counter told her the price, Zach paid. and took the popcorn off the counter. "You didn't have to do that." Robbyn told him as they headed towards their screen. "You paid for my ticket." "I thought that's what guys where suppose to do, pay on dates." "Yeah but.........,it's the 21st century. Girl power and all that." The screen was relatively empty when they got inside and they sat down near the back. They talked for awhile, Robbyn becoming increasingly more nervous about the movie and Gina's advice. It started and Robbyn snatched the popcorn off Zach, looking down into the bucket with sudden interest every time a remotely creepy part came on. She knew she looked like an idiot and she could see Zach looking at her out of the corner of her eye. "Are you alright?" he whispered. "No." she confessed. "I hate horror films, especially this one." She had suddenly remembered Gina's new boyfriend and was no having images of him chasing Gina around with a knifed glove. "We can go if you want." Robbyn shook her head. "No, I have my popcorn to hide in. I should be fine." Deciding to be brave, she looked up at the screen, just as Freddy Kruger slashed a women repeatedly. She turned around and buried her head in Zach's shoulder. "If you don't mind, I'll watch the movie from here." She muttered. Now she felt stupid.
All the way during the walk home and during the time she'd spent hiding on Zach's shoulder, Robbyn tried to think of the perfect way to tell Zach she liked him. But it was impossible, her brain was refusing to work and every time she got a remotely good way of saying it, she imagined standing in a school yard. "You've been really quiet all night." Zach said when they stopped at the gate to Robbyn's house. "Makes a change doesn't it." Robbyn joked. "I guess I'll see you next week?" "Yeah, I'll call you." Robbyn nodded then paused, the words where now surging through her brain and hung on the tip of her tongue. "Zach," she said suddenly. "There's something I have to say and it sounds stupid but........" She stopped. He was looking at her, his brown eyes fixed on her's. "What?" "I.........I........I really like...liked being at the show last week. It was great to see what you do first hand." "Great." he replied. "I could get you tickets to the next pay-per-view if you want?" She nodded. "Sure. I'd like that." Then she kissed him on the cheek, said goodnight and went inside, wondering what Gina would say to her tomorrow.