Page 14 of The Billionaire's Romance

AARON

I sat there in silent disbelief of the things that Robyn was saying to me. She thought I was only trying to assuage my own guilt? She thought that I’d rather be closing a business deal than spending time with her? She thought that I thought of catching this guy as a business deal? She was wrong! I felt guilty, yes…but I wasn’t trying to purge my own guilt. I truly wanted the man who had hurt her…put her life in jeopardy, to pay for what he’d done. I honestly wanted to rip his head off, but at least I hadn’t done that. I’d gone about it the right way and I had truly thought that would be what she wanted as well. How could she not know how much I care about her? How is it that she can’t see and feel that when it’s just the two of us alone that the last thing on my mind is business…or guilt? Is it that she expects me to tell her that? Isn’t show better than tell? I rented out a restaurant for her….I celebrated Christmas…for her. All that somehow seemed to make her believe that I was embarrassed to be seen with her. That wasn’t true….but was I too worried about how she’d fit in? Was I so worried about it that I’d made her feel like I thought she was less than?

I sat there at my desk with my head in my hands. I was so confused. No woman had ever affected me the way she did. The rational side of me kept saying that she was everything I didn’t need…she would never fit in with the men and women I was obligated to spend time with in order to make my business a success. Yet, for the first time in my life I was thinking that maybe…just maybe, making my business a success wasn’t what was most important after all.

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CHAPTER SIX

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ROBYN

I left him sitting there, with nothing to say…I suppose. I don’t know, maybe he had a lot to say, but as usual, he wasn’t saying it. How had he ever expected to have any kind of relationship if he wouldn’t loosen up? Maybe he didn’t expect to have a relationship…maybe that had all been in my mind. I sat at my desk, staring at websites I was supposed to be upgrading on my computer with all of that running through my mind.

I shook it off and got back to work…for about five minutes. Was I just fooling myself? Wasn’t what I saw in his eyes the same affection I felt for him? Could I have been that wrong? With that thought, Gary walked into my office….great.

“Hi Robyn! How are you doing today?”

“I’m good, Gary, how about you?”

“I’m doing alright. I’ve just been so worried about you. It’s so good to see you back. Did they catch the guy who did this to you?” Leave it to Gary to open the wound without even realizing it.

“Yeah, they did.”

He looked relieved, “Good. I was worried that he had your information….Anyways, I’m glad. Did you get to have any fun before that, I hope?”

“Robyn?”

“Oh shoot! I’m sorry, Gary. My mind is wandering today. My New Year’s Eve was good up to that point. I spent it with some dear friends. I also enjoyed my time off. How about you?”

“It was okay. I went to a party that Dan in accounting threw. Good party…good people. But, Robyn….”

Damn it! He was going to say something that we would both regret, I could feel it. I couldn’t deal with this today. I’d already broken up with one guy…the one I really wanted. I didn’t want to have to hurt this one’s feelings.

“That’s great!” I told him. “Dan’s a fun guy. I’m sorry, Gary. All this time off has really gotten me behind in my work. Do you mind if I get back to this?”

He looked disappointed. He had to know I was avoiding whatever it was he wanted to say and I felt bad about that. I wondered how long it had taken him to work up his nerve and come in here so that he could say it. I felt like a terrible person, but wouldn’t it be worse to lead him on….Kind of the way I felt that Aaron had me?

“Sure Robyn, let me know if you need any help.”

I smiled at him, “I will, Gary. Thank you.”

He left and I tried to refocus on the task I was supposed to be working on. My mind drifted back to that day Aaron didn’t show up at the restaurant and Gary had taken his place. I had never asked him why he didn’t show up….was that the beginnings of him not wanting to be seen out with me? A man in his position, with his amount of money was under constant scrutiny. His photo was taken at least a dozen times a week and I wondered…was he worried about a photo being taken with a co-worker…or just a woman not in his social circle?

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