The Firefly by Laury A. Egan

Author:Laury A. Egan [A. Egan, Laury]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Spectrum Books
Published: 2023-08-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Alice and Michael left first, then Robby, who gave her a hug and departed before Robin could produce her business card. She was tempted to ask Charles for Robby’s phone number but decided to wait and see how she felt in the morning, in case the disappointment that had just settled in because of his fast exit was only a product of the wine and the gloomy thought of returning to her empty apartment.

At the door, she told Charles and Clara that the evening had been a pleasure.

“I’d hope it would be,” Charles said.

Was he implying she needed a break? Certainly seemed so. And, of course, Charles was right. She did.

Robin entered the elevator and was relieved when it reached the ground floor without lurching to a stop halfway between levels. As the door opened and she stepped into the lobby, Robby was waiting by the entrance. He gave her a mischievous smile.

“I thought you might like company…to walk home.”

She made no effort to hide her delight. “Thanks! That would be lovely.”

He held the door, and once outside, Robby removed a clam-shell case from his pocket and donned a pair of tortoiseshell glasses. Although Robin made no comment, he added, “I see better with these.”

Robin nodded.

Robby laughed. “I didn’t wear them earlier.”

“No, you didn’t. Why not?”

He chuckled. “Vanity.”

She liked that Robby was able to make fun of himself, with such gentle humor. How different he was from Simon!

“We all suffer from vanity. You should have seen me trying on clothes before tonight’s dinner.”

They descended the steps to the street. The night was warm; the contrast from the air-conditioned interior was stark. Robin’s linen shirt and pants suddenly seemed to wilt with the humidity, which also coated her skin with a glaze of dampness. Even so, she was happy to be outdoors and to be with Robby. After walking a short distance, she noticed he was trying to disguise an uneven stride, which was slightly longer on the right than on the left. Robin tactfully kept pace, wondering if his disability was due to an accident, an operation, or a congenital condition.

They spoke more about their histories. Robin learned that he had been born and raised in Minneapolis before attending schools in the northeast. His parents were still in Minnesota, as were two brothers and a sister, or as he described his siblings, “we’re a standing mixed-doubles team—three good players and me.” She explained about her New Jersey roots and mentioned her parents’ divorce, to which Robby inquired about her relationships with her father and mother after the separation and to the present. His questions provoked Robin to give thoughtful responses rather than the usual rote answers. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they passed the entrance to Robin’s building.

She placed a hand on Robby’s sleeve. “Here it is.”

At that moment, rain began to fall, pelting their heads. They both glanced upward and then rushed up the steps. Robin fumbled with her keys, opened the door, and they entered the lobby.

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