Chris & Roberts - S01 E09

3 years ago

Chris & Roberts - S01 E09

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 9

★★♪ ♪★★

Robert had made a perfect plan for the evening for himself and Amanda, at least he could show her that he can be romantic and fun to be with, he had planned to take her out for dinner and maybe any other place she’d want to go.

He was smartly dressed in a fitted black jeans pant, a white Timberland T-shirt and a white sneakers, he looked different today, he wanted to present another side of himself to Amanda.

But it was a bad day for Amanda, she just lost a very important patient, a pregnant woman who was suffering of anaemia. The thought of Mrs. Augusta’s death had drained the last of her energy, leaving nothing but a fierce headache. Tomorrow might have been a good day for whatever Robert had planned, because today she needed to mourn and accept that she had lost a battle.

She came out from her office complex and saw Robert standing beside his white Mercedes 4matic, he smiled on seeing her, but she couldn’t muster a smile.

”Amanda”

She nodded in greeting, still unable to speak, her hand gripped her bag strongly like she was using the bag to support herself.

”I was wondering if you’d have dinner with me tonight” Robert’s voice was vibrant, on a normal day she would have found his enthusiasm contagious. Today, it only added to her fatigue. ”I thought we could go to Shadys restaurant, then maybe from there we can….”

”I’m sorry. I can’t” even saying those simple words took so much energy.

Robert looked puzzled ”is something wrong?” He asked

Slowly Amanda nodded, ”I can’t talk about it” she told him ”I just need to be alone” and he wanted to protest, she said simply ”please…’

With obvious reluctance, he said ”how about a ride home?”

”Thanks, but I’ll walk” she said and slowly paced down the road and Robert stood still and watched as she marched down. What a bad day for him.

She was almost home when a man greeted her ”you’re just the person I wanted to see, I got two tickets for the….”

”I’m sorry Chris, but those tickets are the least of my worries today”

Chris took another step towards her ”what’s wrong?” He asked. His voice was low but fervent, those two simple words telling Amanda how much he cared. Suddenly the dam that had been holding emotions crumbled

”Oh Chris” she said as tears began to roll down her cheeks ”one of my patients died this afternoon” her voice broke as she pronounced the words, her anguish pouring forth ”it shouldn’t have happened, I should have been able to save her”

Chris reached for his handkerchief ”I’m so sorry” he said as he gently wiped the tears from her face ”I wish I could help you, but believe me Amanda, I know that at a time like this, there’s no one who can help” he touched her cheek again ”just know that I’ll always be here, whenever you need me”

He had stopped halfway to his house. What was wrong with Amanda? He had never seen her so quiet, so withdrawn, that wasn’t like Amanda, she was never cold and quiet. Was it something he had done? Robert thought back trying to remember what he had said or done that could have upset her, whatever it was, he couldn’t just leave things to fester.

Maybe Ella would have some answers, he would go to their house and ask her.

Maybe he would be lucky and Amanda would be there, by now, Maybe she would be talking again.

Maybe whatever it was had passed.

Robert drove down slowly, pleased with his plan, if he was lucky, maybe he could still convince her to go out with him.

And then he saw them, there was no mistaking those statures.

Shameless fools! There they were in broad day light right in front of Ella’s restaurant where everybody could see them. They stood so close that they can kiss without moving and he was touching her face, right there on a major link road, and she was letting him.

Damnation! She had lied to him, she had told him she wanted to be alone, when what she wanted was to be with Chris, and he was busy thinking about what might have been bedeviling her. The answer was plain, she didn’t want to bee seen with Robert in public that was why she hadn’t wanted to go to Shadys with him. But she was willing to stand there in the middle of the road and let Chris paw her.

He should have expected it, the lady doctor had already made her choice and he has little or no chances at all. He was but just a friend–just a friend!– but she allowed him kiss her, who does that?

He reversed and drove home, thanks goodness Stephanie was already waiting for him at home. The petit blonde welcomed him with a radiant smile on her face.

This was what a man needed, a woman who wasn’t ashamed to be with him, a woman who always tells the truth

”I need you Stephanie” he said putting his arm around her waist and leading her to the room

When they reached the room, Stephanie turned to him ”I’ll always be here for you, always!”

An hour later, they both lay naked on the bed exhausted, her head resting on his bare chest, Robert closed his eyes ”I wonder where Amanda is spending her night” he thought.

**♪ A WEEK LATER ♪**

She was a fool, Amanda told herself as she crossed the road to flag down a ‘keke’. She shouldn’t miss him, she had her job to keep her busy and dinners with Chris satisfied her needs for a polite conversation and masculine companionship. There was no point in craving something she could never have.

There was no reason to look for Robert each time she’s going home and yet she did. Each day as she comes out of her office complex her eyes would search the horizon half-hoping to see any of his cars at his favourite parking spot, and each day she felt disappointed because there was no sign of him.

On a second thought she was a fool to want to exchange her weekly dinners with Chris for a boring time with Robert, listening to his different business schemes, even a fool wouldn’t do that. But she did.

He was a fool. No doubt about it, he had let his anger over rule his common sense, and what had it gotten him? Seven days of pure misery. It had been a week since he had seen Amanda and Chris, a week of making sure their paths never crossed, a week of refusing to think about her, when the truth was, he could think of nothing else.

He was a fool, worse than that, he was a coward. Only a coward will give up so easily, he had experienced so many falls in the stock exchange market, so many challenges but he was persistent and overcame it all

Why should this be any different, just because his heart not his money was at stake? Was he going to let Chris take the woman of his dream? That would be the prize of the decade

”I know exactly what to do” he soliloquized as he picked up his phone.