Rey unlocks and opens the front door, and a dog shoots through the crack. He rolls around between her legs, sniffing and snorting at her ankles before he zooms towards me, topples around on the gravel but bounces right back up and runs into my shin.
Jesus, I wasn’t entirely honest about wanting to meet the dog, but now I need to pretend, if anything.
“Hey, Beanie,” I say, and kneel to scratch him behind his ears that seem entirely too big to be standing straight up.
The dog snorts and sniffs my hands, wagging hisstumpy tail so hard his whole backside moves from side to side. “Looks like you’re smiling,” I tell him, scratching under his chin, and he does a snort-sneeze. “Thank you,” I say, wiping my wet hand on my trouser leg, and keep petting his soft fur with the other. Maybe I do like him a bit.
“He’s going to drool all over you. I’m sorry.”
I look around and take in the house she lives in. Rey, as Alice, told me she lives with her brother. It’s a pretty high-income neighbourhood this side of Victoria Park, but she said her parents live across the park near Mile End. That’s where she grew up, I learned today.
I want to know everything about her, more about her painting past and why her mother pressed her to paint something she didn’t want to, which she revealed to me on our first encounter. But I’ve not dared dig too deep today, knowing she sees me as her CEO, not as someone she trusts with the truths of her private life.
Not as Robin.
Beanie snort-huffs again and turns away. His mission of covering my hands, shoes, and knees in saliva is complete. Then he kicks off, nearly knocking Rey over as he zooms back into the house.
“Whoa,” Rey says, laughing. “They should rename the breed to French Bulldozer.”
“So it’s a common thing? He’s not just happy to see you again after a whole day out?”
“A bit of both, but he reacts the same way if I’ve been away for five minutes.” She smiles. “It’s nice being greeted like that.”
“What does he do all day when you and your brother are out?” I don’t know what I’m doing, asking all these questions; I just know I want to keep looking at her. Keep hearing her voice.
“Mostly he sleeps, or sits in the window, staring.”
As if on cue, the dog shows up in the bay window to my left, and I chuckle at the sight of him panting against the glass.
I meet Rey’s eyes, and a small line appears between her eyebrows.
Does she realise she was meant to meet me all along? Have I revealed too much? I did my best not to show what she might recognise, although I’m not sure what she’s latched on to from Robin. And I’ve steered the conversation away from me today to learn more about her.
The main thing I’ve learned is that she’s nothing short of amazing. She’s been so sweet and kind, despite presumably fearing me; her demanding, brooding CEO.
I wonder if she knows I was myself with her today. As much as I dared allow myself to be. She brings out the best side of me, even when she’s holding back.
“I don’t know how today happened,” she says, putting a hand on the doorknob. “But it was fun.”
“I thought so too.”
“Hope you learned enough to decide about your investment.”
“My…? Oh yes, my investment in the market … thing.” I want to tell her that I meant my time. With her. “Yes, I believe it can be a good one, but it’s not just my decision.”
“Well, I hope it works out.” She’s inching away, and her face is in the shadow of the doorway. I can’t see her expression.
I breathe out, wanting to say something.
I’m your Robin.
Do you still want him? Me?
Fuck, what am I thinking? I can’t.
“I can’t have anything change in the office,” I say and immediately regret the harshness of the tone.
Bloody idiot, Mark.
