Disclaimer: Nothing in this story is mine!
A/n: Surprise! It's already time for the next chapter of Confusion! As always, please keep those reviews coming (and you know what I'll do with flames! :))!
It didn't take Ronnie very long to figure out that she and Willy had not only ended up sleeping in the Wintergreen Room all night, but they had managed to oversleep as well (since there was really no other reason for Mrs. Bucket deciding to go look for them!). "What time is it?" Willy suddenly asked (Ronnie knew then that he'd come to the same conclusion she had). "It's ten-thirty," Mrs. Bucket answered. Ronnie was shocked. She knew they'd overslept, but she'd had no idea they'd overslept THAT much! "No wonder you came looking for us," she said to Mrs. Bucket.
"At first we thought the two of you were just spending some time together before coming to breakfast and had lost track of time for a bit, but when nearly two hours had gone by, we knew that wasn't the case," Mrs. Bucket replied. Ronnie felt guilty. "I'm sorry we made you worry," she apologized. "That's all right. We weren't that worried, actually. It's not like Willy to be that late, but we knew that if something really bad had happened, an Oompa Loompa probably would have notified us. Charlie suggested that we ask the Oompa Loompas if they had any idea where you might be. So we did, and the Chocolate Room Oompa Loompas agreed to check with the Oompa Loompas in the other rooms to see if any of them knew where you were. And you can probably figure out the rest," Mrs. Bucket explained.
Then Ronnie realized something that made her feel even guiltier than she already did. "You guys weren't waiting for us for breakfast all this time, were you?" she asked. "Charlie insisted that we not eat until we find you guys, and the rest of us agreed that was what we wanted to do," Mrs. Bucket answered. "Sorry about that. We didn't mean to cause so much trouble!" Ronnie said. "It's okay, Ronnie. You don't have to keep apologizing. We know you didn't mean for this to happen," Mrs. Bucket assured her. "Thanks for being so understanding, Mrs. Bucket," Willy spoke up. "It was no problem," Mrs. Bucket insisted. Then she smiled and added, "So, would you like to join us for brunch? We decided that, since noon is only an hour and a half away, we'd just make breakfast brunch instead."
"We'd love to!" said Willy and Ronnie at the same time. Then Willy looked down at his bathrobe and added, "Do we have time to change first, though?" "Of course you do. I haven't even started making brunch yet. It will be ready in about half an hour," said Mrs. Bucket. "'Kay, we'll see you in a half hour," said Willy. "Sounds good to me. I think you're going to love the brunch!" Mrs. Bucket said as she left.
Not too much later, Ronnie was back in her room (after a non-eventful elevator ride, much to her relief!). Since Willy wasn't due to pick her up for brunch for 20 minutes (they figured it made the most sense for them to meet up after they were finished changing and go to brunch together. Plus, they didn't want to spend any more time apart than was necessary!), she decided to take a quick soak in the jacuzzi. She sighed with contentment as she relaxed in the warm water, while the bubble jets gave her back (which was a little sore from having spent the night sleeping in a sitting position!) a gentle massage. "I wish I had one of these at home!" she said aloud.
Ronnie had bathed in jacuzzis before, but this one was better than any of the others she'd tried. The strawberry bubbles smelled wonderful, the water was just the right temperature, and she swore the bubble jets somehow knew just the right amount of pressure to aim at her back! Then, just as she was thinking that she couldn't possibly feel more relaxed if she tried, she heard a loud knocking sound. That's when she realized that she had been enjoying the jacuzzi so much she had completely forgotten about the time!
"I can't believe I let this happen!" she exclaimed as she hurriedly drained the jacuzzi, dried herself off, and ran back into her bedroom.
There she about broke a speed record getting dressed and brushing her hair. Then she ran over to the door and yanked it open. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting! I was taking a bath in the jacuzzi and I completely forgot about the time!" she apologized to Willy. "Hey, don't worry about it," the chocolatier assured her.
After another uneventful elevator ride (Ronnie could hardly believe that they had managed to ride in the elevator twice in a row without anything embarrassing happening!) they arrived in the Chocolate Room. "Well, the two lovebirds have finally arrived!" Grandpa George commented as they entered the Buckets' cottage. "Dad!" Mrs. Bucket said warningly. Then she turned to Willy and Ronnie. "Don't mind him. I only just now finished fixing brunch anyway," she told them. "Well, whatever you made, it sure smells good!" Ronnie said as she and Willy took their places at the table.
Mrs. Bucket, who had started dishing up plates, smiled. "Thanks. I made egg bake and toast," she said. As soon as she had been dished up, Ronnie took a big bite of her egg bake. "Yum!" she exclaimed. "I'm glad you think so," said Mrs. Bucket. "Willy, Ronnie, before we forget, we were watching the news for a bit before you got here, and the blizzard is over now," Mr. Bucket spoke up. Ronnie knew what that meant: There really wasn't any excuse for her not to go home now. Besides which, she needed to go to work the next day. She sighed sadly. "I guess I should get going after brunch, then," she said.
"I can walk you home if you'd like," Willy said. Ronnie grinned as an idea popped into her head. "I'd like that. In fact, why don't you just stay at my place for a little while. That way we can visit some more, you can see where I live, and maybe later we could...you know, go out for dinner or something," she said. "I love that idea!" Willy exclaimed happily. "Are you sure you're not really asking Willy on a date, Ronnie?" Mr. Bucket teased. "Sure sounds like it to me," said Grandpa George. "Well...I...He's just coming to my place for a visit. That's what friends do," Ronnie replied. "See? She didn't deny that it's a date!" said Grandpa George. "I know friends visit each other...but it sounds like more than just that to me!" Mr. Bucket couldn't resist teasing.
"Dad, James! Stop it! Whatever Ronnie's reasons are for inviting Willy to her place are, they aren't any of our business! If she wanted us to know the reasons, she'd tell us," Mrs. Bucket scolded. "Sorry. Nora's right, I shouldn't have teased you like that," Mr. Bucket apologized to Ronnie. "That's all right," Ronnie told him.
Shortly after that rather awkward exchange, brunch was over. "Do you need to go back to your room to get anything?" Willy asked as he and Ronnie got ready to go. "No, I have everything with me. I may have been in a hurry, but somehow I managed to remember to grab my purse on the way out," Ronnie replied. She and Willy exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Charlie asked. "It's a long story, trust me," Ronnie replied. "Yeah. So, are you 'kay with overseeing things here again today?" Willy added. "I sure am," Charlie replied. "All righty, then. I'll be back sometime tonight," Willy told the Buckets. "See you tonight, Willy. And Ronnie, I hope we'll see you again soon," said Mrs. Bucket. "Thanks, Mrs. Bucket," said Ronnie. Then she turned to Willy. "Well then, let's go," she said.
A few minutes later, Willy and Ronnie were outside wading through the snow, with Ronnie feeling very grateful that she'd thought to wear her boots to the factory the day before! "We certainly got plenty of snow last night!" Willy commented. "Yeah, but it's so pretty," Ronnie said. "Uh, by the way, you know how Mr. Bucket and Grandpa George were asking if this was a...well...you know, a..." Willy stammered. "A date?" Ronnie supplied. "Yeah, that. Well, is it?" Willy inquired. Ronnie grinned. "What do you think?" she teased.
Willy grinned back. "This is what I think," he said as he started to lean towards Ronnie's lips. Then he remembered that they were outside walking on a sidewalk...in full view of any passing cars or pedestrians. He was pretty well disguised in his black overcoat and sunglasses, but he still didn't want to take any chances (after all, if it got leaked to the media that Willy Wonka was seen not only out and about, but kissing a woman, they would never leave him alone!). So he quickly stood back up. "I think yes, it a...well, what you said," he told Ronnie. Luckily Ronnie understood why Willy had changed tactics.
"I'd say you guessed right," she said, her grin getting even bigger. At that moment, they arrived at Willy's old candy shop. "This is where I live, right above this shop," she said, gesturing to the building. Willy's mouth dropped open when he saw where Ronnie was pointing. "I didn't know you lived above my old candy shop!" he exclaimed in amazement. By now, Ronnie was grinning so hard she thought her cheeks might break. "Well, you do now," she said. "So, what's your opinion on the candy shop that's there now?" Willy asked as they climbed the stairs to Ronnie's apartment. "I like it, mainly because they sell Wonka candy," Ronnie said.
"Yeah, I was glad the new shop owner agreed to continue selling at least some Wonka products here. I didn't want this to be a shop that sold anything but Wonka stuff," Willy said. Ronnie understood what Willy was saying, but at the same time she was a bit confused (it wasn't his shop anymore, after all, so it wasn't really up to him what was sold there!). She decided not to press the issue, though. Instead, she opened the door and ushered Willy inside. "Well, this is my place," she said.
"It like it...and you certainly do a much better job of cleaning than I do!" Willy commented. Ronnie laughed. "Believe me, it's actually rare for it to be this tidy. The kitchen especially is usually quite a mess, what with all the baking and candy experimenting I do," she said. "Hey, a messy kitchen is the mark of a good chef, you know," said Willy. "That's how I like to think of it," Ronnie replied. "May I see your kitchen? As you can imagine, I like looking at kitchens and other places food is made," Willy asked. "Of course! In fact, why don't I give you a..." Ronnie began. She was interrupted by the doorbell. "Ugh. Somebody WOULD have to stop by while I'm visiting with Willy!" she thought.
Then she realized that she was going to have find someplace for Willy to hide out (since his being in a woman's apartment would definitely arouse suspicion!). The problem was that her apartment wasn't all that big, and she knew she probably couldn't hide him in the kitchen or bathroom without it looking suspicious, and she thought sticking him in a closet would be rather silly. That left only one option, and she knew it was going to be a bit awkward for Willy. "I know this is a bit awkward, but you'll have to hide in my bedroom until this person is gone. It's right down the hall, first door on the left," she told the chocolatier. "'Kay," Willy said as he headed down the hall.
As soon as she heard her bedroom door close, Ronnie opened the outside door...and was surprised to find her landlady standing there. "Hello, Mrs. Jones. Come on in," she said. "Thank you," Mrs. Jones said as she stepped inside. "Would you like something to drink?" Ronnie asked once Mrs. Jones had taken a seat on the couch. "No thanks. I can't stay long. I just had to come and tell you about some unfortunate news that may affect your renting of this apartment," Mrs. Jones said.
Needless to say, that did not make Ronnie feel very good! "What news?" she asked. "Well, basically, I have to close down the candy store," Mrs. Jones said. Ronnie hadn't had any idea what Mrs. Jones was going to say, but she definitely had not been expecting that! "Whatever for? I mean, I don't mean to be nosy, but the shop seemed to be doing so well," Ronnie said.
Mrs. Jones sighed, and her blue eyes looked sad. "It's not because the shop isn't doing well. It's a family issue. Some of my family members are having a lot of trouble. I'm going to be moving closer to them to help out. Because they live several hours away, that also means I have to close the shop," she said. "I'm sorry to hear about your family troubles," Ronnie said. "Thank you for your support. Now, the reason I'm telling you all this is because my moving might mean you can't live here anymore?
"What do you mean, might?" Ronnie asked, utterly confused (after all, if the landlady left, of course Ronnie couldn't live there anymore!). "Well, I don't actually own this place. As you know, this used to be Willy Wonka's candy shop. He still owns the building, but as you know, he has an extreme dislike of going out and dealing with people. So when I rented the shop, we agreed that he would write up the terms for renting this apartment, and then I would take care of finding a renter and collecting payments and such," Mrs. Jones explained. Ronnie could hardly believe her ears. "Willy Wonka still owns this building?" she asked. "Yes, he does. So it's obviously up to him as to whether or not you can keep living here. I've already notified him, and he should be getting the letter very soon if he hasn't already," said Mrs. Jones. "Well, thanks for telling me," Ronnie said. "No problem. Now, I best get going," said Mrs. Jones.
Once Mrs. Jones was safely out of the apartment, Ronnie ran back to her bedroom and yanked open the door. "Why didn't you tell me you still own this place?" she asked. "Well, it's kinda embarrassing, but I had forgotten you didn't know," Willy replied. "That's all right," she assured Willy. "I assume I can keep living here?" Ronnie said. "Of course you can! You didn't even need to ask," Willy answered. "Do you think you'll rent the building out again?" Ronnie asked. "I don't know. I was sort of thinking I could use it for something...but I'm just not sure what."
"Have you ever been interested in expanding your candy line to include baked goods?" Ronnie found herself asking. "You must be a mind-reader! I've gone back and forth about whether to add some sort of bakery to the factory for years, and..." Willy said, stopping in mid-sentence. Ronnie knew that he had just had the same thought she did. "You could use this place for a bakery," she said. "Hey, yeah! And you've you said you'd love to bake. Would you be at all interested in going into the baking business?" Willy said eagerly. "Would I? Willy, I'd love that more than anything!" Ronnie replied just as eagerly. Willy grinned an ear-to-ear grin. "Well, then, welcome to Wonka's Chocolates!" he said.
Ronnie now wore a grin to match Willy's. "I'll give Slugworth my 30 day notice right away!" she said happily. But then she thought of something that made her hopes fade a bit. "Wait, is it really right for me to be working for you when we're dating?" she asked. "Well...nobody has to know we're dating, and if you don't have a problem with it, I sure don't," Willy said. "I don't, either," said Ronnie. "Besides, it'll take awhile to get the bakery opened," Willy pointed out. "You're right. I guess we can cross that bridge when we come to it," Ronnie said. "That's the spirit!" Willy agreed.
Ronnie, still feeling giddy with excitement, jumped up and grabbed the phone off her night table. "I know I suggested going out for dinner earlier, but what do you say we celebrate here, just the two of us, take-out style?" she asked. "I say yes!" said Willy, sounding every bit as giddy as Ronnie. "How about pizza? I know this really good pizza place," Ronnie suggested. "Sounds good to me," said Willy. So Ronnie dialed the pizza place and placed their order. Then she started to laugh. "We seem to be on an Italian food kick. Spaghetti yesterday, pizza today," she said. Willy laughed, too. "I guess we are!" he said.
Ronnie and Willy didn't waste any time. The moment the pizza arrived, they dug right in. "Delicious!" Willy commented. "I'll say. I always love their pizza," Ronnie said. Needless to say, it did not take them very long to polish off the pizza! After having ice cream sundaes for dessert (Ronnie happened to have ice cream and sundae fixings in her freezer and fridge), Willy reluctantly left (it was already evening by that time, and he knew he should probably try to get some work done that day). But he wasn't too sad, because he and Ronnie had already set up another date for later that week!
Chapter 16 Preview: It's been a little over a month since Willy and Ronnie's date, and plans for the bakery are going very well. And as Easter nears, Willy asks Mr. Bucket and Grandpa Joe for advice on a very important decison he has made!