What I'd Give
Same episode but a different scene and a different twist.
She watched him eat yet another piece of garlic bread. As he licked his fingers he caught her watching. "What?"
Looking down at the bread, "I see you're on a pull tonight."
"Every man has his weakness."
What a ridiculous weakness to have, why couldn't she be his weakness? Smirking she recited a list of better weakness, "Yeah, fast cars, single malts, nurses with starched white cotton but garlic bread?"
Robbie looked at James who has been watching the exchange with amusement. "And she calls herself a woman of the world."
A thrill ran through her at the extended eye contact. Surely he knew she was flirting, knew she'd allowed herself an extra glass of wine in hopes he would offer a ride home. A ride which she hoped would end with breakfast in the morning.
Innocent tapped her glass, ending the moment as they all looked down to her. She yammered on about a promotion someone was getting. Laura looked away, taking the moment to watch Robbie. It wasn't Robbie who kept her eye though.
A strange look on James' face drew her attention. Turning her head slightly, she followed his gaze. He was staring at the person in question. She knew that look, James had feelings for Fiona McKendrick. As the idea of it being unrequited passed through her mind, Fiona looked back at James. No, definitely not unrequited. She wondered if Robbie knew.
As quickly as she thought it, she discounted the theory. Of course, he didn't know. If he hadn't sussed out how much she cared for him in over all of these years, he would never figure out James.
Dinner was over, everyone was gathering to leave. In the past, she had always been the first to leave, not daring to linger. The pain of him not inviting her on for drinks was too much. Tonight though, she had decided to force the issue.
She'd almost laughed when he'd commented on her last glass of wine. Hoping he'd offer to take her home. He hadn't at that moment, so here she was, lingering, making small talk with Innocent of all people.
The woman of the hour approached him. Was he really leaning over kissing the woman? In all the years she'd known him, he'd never kissed her, even her cheek. Even through her annoyance, she'd noticed the odd interaction with James.
She was just about to step forward, give Robbie another chance to offer a ride. But he turned away, a quick word to James and they were gone. It hadn't even occurred to him to see how she was getting home.
Shaking her head as she pulled out her mobile to call a taxi, she wondered when she'd become this pathetic. A few years ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about Robbie Lewis. She wouldn't have cared about getting a ride home from him, wouldn't have been so desperately plotting.
Now all she wanted in life was for him to notice her as more than a colleague, as more than the girl Friday who brought him his reports. She wanted him to notice her as a woman. She wanted him. It was that simple. And somewhere along the way she'd decided to play it safe and wait for him to come to her.
As she slipped into the taxi, a tear slid down her cheek. She hadn't known it would be this difficult. The problem with knowing what you wanted was that you wanted it right now. She'd give anything to have him right now. Closing the taxi door, she gave the driver her address and closed her eyes. She could see it all when she closed her eyes, all the things she wanted for him, from him.
What I'd give to bring you flowers
What I'd give to get you alone
What I'd give to bring a smile across your face
What I'd give to take you home
What I'd give to make you coffee
Find out how you like your eggs
Wrapped around you in the mornin'
A tangled lace of arms and legs
What I'd give to let you love me
Find out everythin' that brings you joy
Wake up to your face above me
I'd be that girl and you could be that boy
Find out why that feelin' is
Oh, what I'd give, what I'd give
What I'd give to take you dancin'
What I'd give to make you mine
If you got questions, I got answers
And my answer's yes to you every time
I've filed away the idea of Robbie being in love with Laura for another story. What I'd Give - Sugarland