Disclaimer: Same as always

Chapter 6: Long Walks and Lollipops

"Uh, well," Stanley stuttered, "I know that we broke up and all, but, I was hoping that, maybe I could persuade you to change your mind."

Tara stared at him blankly. "Uhh…"

He seemed to notice what she was wearing for the first time. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Uhh…"

Bobby's car pulled up in front of the drive way and the Australian man appeared from inside the car, exotic flowers in hand. He came up the driveway and looked at Stanley.

Stanley's eyes flew from Bobby to Tara, and back again. "Oh. I didn't realize…"

Bobby offered, "How about I take a drive around the block a couple times? That okay?"

Tara looked at him, still with wide eyes, "Uhh…"

"I'll take that as a yes." He flashed a quick grin at Tara then gave a slight nod to Stanley, who was also speechless. "I'll be back in ten." Bobby walked back to his car. Seconds later he pulled away from Tara's house.

Tara force herself to meet eyes with the dark haired man again, "Stanley, uhh…"

"I'm sorry, I should've called or something."

"Look, Stanley, you're a great guy, really. But, umm, well I hate to say this but it wouldn't have made a difference whether you called or not. The truth is, that, well, we broke up because it wasn't working for us. I know we had a good thing, but, it just…I'm so sorry, Stan, I really am but-"

"It wasn't enough?"

Tara looked at him with pleading eyes, "No," she said, not even a whisper, "I'm sorry, but it wasn't. It was just too, normal. Like we were just friends." She frowned and added, "Who…kissed." She shook her head to clear her thoughts, "But I want to get butterflies in stomach when I see you, and have shivers run up my spine when I hear your voice, and get a tingly feeling that'll last on days end when you touch my skin. And when those feelings stopped coming…I knew something was wrong. I really am sorry. But I think it's time that you find a new woman to woo. And I know that she'll be a lucky lady, everyday that she's with you. There won't be a day that goes by that she won't stop to think about you and smile."

Stanley smiled friendlily, "Thank you."

"Your welcome. And I wish all the luck in the world."

Stanley gave her a quick kiss on the check and took Tara's hands in his, "I just want to let you know that I understand."

"Thank you."

Stanley nodded curtly and walked down the driveway, leaving Tara to her thoughts. She watched the car until it turned a corner and was out of sight. She slowly turned around, eyes wider than she thought humanly possible. Tara closed the door and walked into her living room, collapsing into the overstuffed couch.

Great, now how am I supposed to survive tonight? Tara groaned and stared out the window. "Okay, Tare, just breathe, that's it, in and out, in and out. This is just a detour, Bobby'll come back, we'll go on our date, we'll forget that Stanley was even here. It'll be like any other first date I've been on. Shoot, that means awkward silences and weird looks." She let out a whimper for what felt like the tenth time that evening. "Can this evening get any worse?" Tara said just as Bobby's car pulled up on her driveway. "Well, I suppose I'm about to find out."

Bobby's grip tightened on the steering wheel as he pulled off of the curb. "Relax, mate, everything's gonna be fine. No worries." He forced himself to breathe. "Besides, you heard first hand that Tara had no intention on getting back together with Stanley. Tara was telling Sue and Luce all about it. You got nothin' to worry about."

Bobby aimlessly drove around, all the while reassuring himself, and then reassuring his reassurances. He glanced at the flowers he had bought Tara on his way over, they were full of color, vibrant. Just like Tara, that's why he bought them.

"Okay, mate," Bobby pulled up on Tara's driveway, "this is it." He stepped out of his car, flower's in hand. Bobby rang the doorbell and seconds later the beautiful woman opened the door with an almost shy smile.

"Hi."

"Hey, Tara. We still on for tonight?" Bobby forced himself to speak with his usual cheerfulness.

"You bet," Tara smiled. "I've got everything I need."

Bobby handed her the flowers, "These are for you."

With a gentle grip Tara held the bouquet and put it to her nose, inhaling deeply. "They're beautiful."

"They reminded me of you."

Tara felt a slight tinge in her cheeks and knew that she was blushing, like it or not. "I'll put these in water," she stepped away from the door, "come on in."

Bobby gently shut the door behind, taking in his new surroundings. "You've got a nice place."

Tara stuck her head from out of the kitchen, "I try my best, nice to know it paid off." She disappeared again, Bobby was left to wander and wonder. A few minutes later Tara came out of the kitchen again, black clutch purse in hand. "I'm ready."

"Great." Bobby led her to his car and opened the passenger door for her, watching her every move. He walked around the car and got in, starting the car.

"Tare?" Bobby asked. When she continued swirling the food around in her plate he asked again, "Tara?" He touched her hand.

The blonde head jerked up, "Huh? Oh, sorry." Tara sighed. "I'm not a very good date tonight."

"Care to share?"

"I just thought that everything was clear. My life wasn't a tangled mess for once in my life and then-"

"Stanley came back." Bobby finished.

"And now everything is muddled together, and I don't know what I have to do to fix it."

"My Mum always said that long walks and huge lollipops help." Bobby suggested.

Tara smiled softly at the suggestion.

"Am I expected to finish this?" Tara asked Bobby, staring at the huge lollipop in her hand. "It's almost the size of my head."

Bobby popped another chocolate covered raisin in his mouth. "I'd be surprised if you did."

They walked down the sidewalk for a few minutes, both content with the comfortable silence that they had found. The warm weather made it the most perfect stroll either of them had experienced. Tara licked the 'Minnie Mouse' lollipop again. "Do you ever feel like no matter what you do or say it won't change how screwed up you feel inside?"

Bobby frowned, "What do mean?"

"I'm not supposed to be going out with you, especially not on a date. I'm supposed to be concocting a plan to win our little war we've got going on. And then there's the whole thing with Stanley," Tara continued. "Ugh, what is it with men that keeps them from understanding that when a girl breaks up with she has her reasons. We can't and won't just change our minds overnight?"

"I don't know, Tare," Bobby said, "men are blokes fifty percent of the time, try to be romantic 15 percent, and the other thirty five we're clueless."

Tara smirked, twirling the lollipop around in front of her, "Sounds about right."

"Hey, you were supposed to disagree with me," Bobby scowled, "reassure me that we're really better than that."

"Tough luck, Bobby. The only encouragement I'm giving you is that women aren't perfect either. We're in love a quarter of our life, conceited ten percent, confused twenty percent and confusing the rest of the time. I think humans altogether are pretty messed up."

"Can't disagree with you there." Bobby chuckled. "I wonder what everyone else is gonna think when they find out that we're actually having a good time."

"I don't know but I can't wait to find out." Tara admitted with a mischievous grin.

Bobby changed the subject. "You mentioned our little war earlier."

"Yeah?"

"I was hoping that you'd agree with me if I said that I wanted to end it."

Tara licked the sweet candy and raised her head, meeting with Bobby's eyes. She shrugged, "I dunno, I sorta like beating you at something." Tara joked.

"Seriously."

"I thought you'd never ask. It's getting exhausting and I'm already showing symptoms of paranoia."

Bobby laughed, "And Jack said that I was the only paranoid one in the group." They finally made it to Tara's home and walked up the driveway.

Tara shook her head. "Nope. Jack's info must be faulty."

Stopping at the front door Bobby held out his hand. "Truce?"

Tara looked at it, "Truce," and shook it, sending tingles throughout her entire body.

Bobby held onto Tara's petite hand longer than usual. Tara swallowed a lump that had once again formed in her throat. She watched as Bobby slowly leaned in, closer to Tara's body. He stopped, giving her enough time to back away. When she didn't Bobby lightly brushed Tara's lips with his. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he pulled back and said, "G'night, sheila."

"'Night." Tara whispered as she watched Bobby walk down her driveway, the down the sidewalk.

With a brain turned to mush Tara twisted around and walked back into her house. She found the phone and dialed a number. "Hello?"

"Hey, Luce. It's Tara."

"Hi, how'd it go?"

"Bobby totally bought it that I bought it." Tara smirked, touching her lips, the ones that still prickled with excitement.

Bobby spoke into his cell phone. "Jack, mate, how's it going?"

"Good. Sooo…"

"Tara totally bought it that I bought it that she bought it." Bobby ran his thumb against his lips, they still shivered with awakening.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! please keep it up! thanx again :)