“I...I think it might have been,” Robin murmured, concentrating on the task in front of her. The one she should’ve finished hours earlier. The one she couldn’t seem to focus on, even now.
“Aha!” Angela cried, pointing her index finger at the ceiling, like a detective in a comic spoof.
“What?” Robin cried.
“If Cole took you to the Cliffhouse, he did it for a reason.”
“Of course he did. The food was fabulous. By the way, you were right about Frank, he’s exceptionally nice,” Robin said in an effort to interrupt her friend’s line of thought.
“You already told me what you think of Frank, remember?” Angela said. “Cole took you to dinner at the Cliffhouse,” she repeated slowly, as though reviewing a vital clue in a murder mystery.
“To be honest, I think his choice of restaurant had something to do with Frank,” Robin inserted, tossing her sleuth friend a red herring.
“So Cole was jealous?”
“Not exactly,” Robin said, leaning back in her chair. “Well, maybe a little,” she amended, knowing Angela would never believe her if she denied it completely. “I mean, Cole did invite me to dinner as soon as he learned I was dining with Frank, so I guess you could say he was a little jealous. But not much. Cole’s not the jealous type—he told me that himself.”
“I see.” Angela was frowning as she walked back to her desk. Her look remained thoughtful for the rest of the morning, although she didn’t question Robin again. But when they left for lunch, she showed a renewed interest in the subject of Cole.
“How’s Jeff?” she began as they stood in line in the employees’ cafeteria.
“Fine,” Robin said as she reached for a plastic tray.
“That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What more do you want to know?”
“I ask about Jeff once a week or so, then sit back and listen for the next fifteen minutes while you tell me about the latest craziness,” Angela said heatedly. “It never fails. You’ve told me about him running away with a frying pan and an atlas. You’ve bragged about what a fabulous pitcher he’s turning out to be, and you’ve given me a multitude of details about every game he’s played. After you tell me all about his athletic ability, you generally mention how good he is with animals and all the tricks he’s taught Blackie in the past week.”
Robin tried to respond but Angela ignored her and kept talking. “Today I innocently ask how Jeff is, and what do I get? Fine. All right, Robin, tell me what happened with Cole Camden before I go crazy trying to figure it out.”
“It’s something I need to figure out myself,” Robin said. She paused to study the salads before selecting a mound of cottage cheese and setting it on her tray.
“What are you doing now?” Angela cried, throwing her arms in the air. “You hate cottage cheese. You never eat it unless you’re upset and looking for ways to punish yourself.” She took the small bowl from Robin’s tray and replaced it with a fresh fruit salad, shaking her head the entire time.
The problem with Angela was that she knew Robin all too well.
They progressed a little farther down the line. Robin stood in front of the entrées, but before she chose one, she glanced at her friend. “You want to pick one of these for me, too?” she asked dryly.
“Yes, I do, before you end up requesting liver and onions.”
Angela picked the lasagne, thick with melted cheese and spicy tomato sauce. “If you’re looking for ways to punish yourself, girl, there are tastier methods.”
Despite her thoughtful mood, Robin smiled.
Once they’d paid for their lunches, Angela led her to a window table that offered a certain amount of privacy. Robin busied herself arranging her dishes and set the tray aside.
Angela sat directly across from her, elbows braced on either side of her lunch. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else you’d care to tell me?”
“About what?”
“About you and Cole, of course. I can’t remember the last time I saw you like this. It’s as if...as if you’re trapped in some kind of maze and can’t find your way out.”
The description was so apt that Robin felt a tingling sensation along her spine. She did feel hopelessly lost. Her mind was cluttered, her emotions confused. She had one foot in the present, one in the past, and didn’t know which way to turn.
“I talked to Frank on Sunday afternoon,” Angela continued, dipping her fork into a crisp green salad. “He said he enjoyed the evening you spent with him, but doubted you’d be seeing each other again because it’s obvious to him that you’re in love with Cole Camden. In fact, Frank said you talked about little else the entire evening.”
“He said all that?”
Angela nodded. “He’s right, isn’t he? You are in love with Cole, aren’t you?”
“I...I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Angela persisted. “It’s written all over you. You’ve got that glazed look and you walk around in a trance, practically bumping into walls.”
“You make it sound like I need an ambulance.”
“Or a doctor,” Angela whispered, leaning across the table. “Or maybe a lawyer... That’s it!” she said loudly enough to attract the attention of several people at nearby tables. “Cole took you to bed, and now you’re so confused you don’t know what to do. I told you I’d stumble on the answer sooner or later.” Her eyes flashed triumphantly.
“That’s not it,” Robin declared, half rising from the table. She could feel the color crowding into her cheeks as she glanced around the cafeteria. When she sat back down, she covered her face with both hands. “If you must know, Cole asked me to marry him.”
A moment of shocked silence followed before Angela shrieked with pure delight. “That’s fabulous! Wonderful! Good grief, what’s wrong with you? You should be in seventh heaven. It isn’t every day a handsome, wealthy, wonderful man proposes to you. I hope you leapt at the chance.” She hesitated, suddenly still. “Robin? You did tell him you’d marry him, didn’t you?”
Robin swallowed and shook her head. “No. I asked him for some time to think about things.”
“Think about things?” Angela squealed. “What’s there to think about? He’s rich. He’s handsome. He’s in love with you and crazy about Jeff. What more could you possibly want?”
Tears brimmed in Robin’s eyes as she looked up to meet her friend’s avid gaze. “I’m afraid he’s more in love with the idea of having a family than he is with me.”