That stung like salt in a raw wound. “I am not in love, Grandma, and don’t you dare get on your hotline and start spreading that around town!”
“You can’t fool me,” she continued cheerfully, clearly enjoying herself. “Why on earth you would be ashamed of it is beyond me. He’s such a nice-looking man.”
“I mean it, Grandma—don’t say that!”
“Touchy, touchy,” Grandma said, and put her tea glass down. “All right, I’m not going to say anything. It’s your business. Mum’s the word.” She made the motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key.
Robin’s eyes narrowed. Grandma lifted her chin. “By any chance, did you mention something to Mom?” Robin asked, her suspicions shooting right up to high alert.
Grandma looked off in the other direction. “Raymond certainly does good work, doesn’t he?”
“Oh, great,” Robin groused and downed her tea.
Late that afternoon, after El had smashed his thumb with a hammer, Jake finally sent the crews home. They were almost finished with the upper floor and half of the bottom. There was some cleanup work that needed to be done—finishing out the archway they had just busted out, for one—but all that was really left was to move Robin’s increasingly large spread of office upstairs so they could complete the dining room. As he walked through the upper floors to check one last time, he paused at the bay window of the master suite to look at the little inscription carved into the wood trim.
It fascinated him, because he understood for the first time in his life what would possess a man to do that.
Speaking of which, he called Robin up, watched her bounce up the stairs, took her hand in his and led her through the various rooms, showing her what they had done.
“It’s so beautiful!” she exclaimed in every room. “I can’t believe this is the same house!” But when he walked her into the master suite, she caught her breath, twirled slowly around to take in the new wood floors, the ten-foot ceilings and new crown molding, the refurbished fireplace, the restored brick. And the large master bath had been remodeled into a den of luxury.
“It’s gorgeous.” She turned around to face him, her eyes sparkling with delight. “It’s all gorgeous, Jake.” She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Jake could feel himself crumbling into that lovesick boy again.
They wandered through the rest of the second floor, then made their way downstairs, Jake explaining that when they finished the kitchen, they would be close to done with the work. And then Jake convinced Robin they needed to make a trip to Paulie’s for a burger or he might very well expire. He promised to be back within the hour to pick her up.
Showered, shaved, and dressed in jeans and T-shirt, he was back by seven, pulling into her drive on his bike.
He let himself in and wandered to her bedroom. Robin wasn’t ready, so he lay down on her bed and admired the very feminine motions of putting on makeup and combing her hair as she regaled him with the tale of Zaney’s flirtation with Lucy. “He actually kicked a hammer at her,” she said. They were still laughing about it when they emerged from her bedroom at a quarter past seven, strolling arm in arm down the long corridor.
Robin was the first to hear the knocking, and as she quickened her pace to answer the door, it swung open, and in walked Slick, dressed in strange, baggy striped pants, a white shirt open at the collar, and leather loafers without socks. Behind him was a man dressed in similar fashion, and Robin’s friend Mia, who was wearing a little more than a pillowcase with straps.
“Evan?” Robin asked, walking into the entry. “What are you doing here?”
It was a miracle Cool Breeze even heard her—he was too busy staring a white-hot hole through Jake.
“I’m sorry, Rob,” Mia said. “We let ourselves in since you didn’t answer the door. You didn’t forget, did you?”
“Forget what?”
“Oh God, Robin,” Mia said impatiently. “I told you like five thousand times. We’re going out on the boat.”
“Well, you mentioned it, but I really don’t remember you saying when—”
Mr. GQ cut her off with a condescending laugh. “Robbie, it’s not a big deal. Sorry if we got our wires crossed. Mia and Michael and I are going out to the boat. I thought you were coming along. You and I were going to celebrate your success, weren’t we?”
Robin’s back stiffened. She pressed her lips together, looked at Jake, then at her three friends standing there like they were posing for some magazine ad.
Not one of them had deigned to acknowledge Jake.
Robin looked at Jake again, then her eyes narrowed as she swung her gaze back to Slick. “Sure. Jake and I will come along,” she said, surprising the hell out of him.
“Robin—” he started, but she was quick to interrupt his protest.
“No, really, Jake. It will be fun! Evan has a big boat he likes to show off. By the way, have you met my dear friends Michael and Mia?”
At least Michael had the decency to come striding forward, hand extended. “Good to meet you, Jake . . . ?”