Robyn tried to put on an easy smile but wasn’t sure she was successful. The back and forth, the push and pull was over. At least, it needed to be. Maxwell had made up his mind, and Robyn accepted it. Her voice was soft. “Okay, Transformers it is.”
Chapter 16
“Wow, this is a really nice office!” Eva walked around the open floor plan of the building.
Robyn was proud of her decision to make this her satellite office. She responded. “Thanks. I figured it was time. Working out of my apartment was getting old.” Robyn did a three-sixty turn around the room and placed her hands on her hips as she admired the space.
“I can only imagine. It’s going to be even more fantastic once you furnish it.” Eva nodded.
“That’s my hope. I can’t claim to know what I’m doing if I don’t hook up my own place.”
“I’m pretty sure your reputation would stand all on its own.”
Robyn sighed. “One never knows.”
Eva laughed. “Girl, stop it. My phone has been ringing off the hook in the six months since our first project.” Eva emphasized “first project.” Robyn rolled her eyes. She knew what Eva was doing. Robyn tended to tread lightly when it came to the entire situation that happened between her, Maxwell, and the House on the Hill. She had mostly closed herself off and didn’t really talk about what happened. She also hadn’t gone out on even one date since it happened.
Robyn was focused on an area where the windows overlooked downtown Romona. “I’m thinking of making this the conference room area. Now that I’m setting up a satellite office, my senior staff will be flying in a more.”
“Good. Will that cut down on the amount of time you have to spend in New York?”
“I hope so. I’d like to limit my time of having to travel there to once a month. Plus, it’ll just be nice to have my home back. That’s what I loved about it when I first moved back here. That it was an escape from business.”
“Makes sense. Well, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but if you need references, I can firmly attest to your skills—and so can Maxwell.” Eva didn’t know how to delicately bring the subject up because she was never good at being subtle. “So . . . have you talked to him lately?”
Robyn played dumb. “Who?”
“You know who. Maxwell.”
She shrugged. Robyn attempted to keep her voice nonchalant. “Not much. We’ve had a few phone conversations since he’s been gone, but not in the past few weeks.” Maxwell was never too far from her mind, which was what made Robyn throw herself back into her work.
Eva looked slightly disappointed. “Oh. I thought for sure you two would find your way back to each other.”
Robyn sighed and decided to open up—some. “He and I came to a resolution. I hated the way things initially went down, but it ended up being good for both of us.”
“Hmm . . . all that closure crap, right?”
“I wouldn’t call it crap. We both did what we needed to do to move on.”
“But you haven’t. You have not gone out with anyone since whatever happened between you two that day. And I don’t think he has either. Otherwise, he would put a for sale sign on both of those houses.”
Robyn was surprised. “He hasn’t? I thought for sure he would have done exactly that once spring arrived.”
“Nope. Jesse asked him about it.” Eva let that hang in the air to gauge Robyn’s reaction.
Robyn knew Eva was dangling the bait in front of her, and she couldn’t resist taking it. “Dammit! What did he say?”
“I knew it! I knew you were still hung up on him.”
Robyn threw up her arms in exasperation. “I slept with him the first time I saw him in nine years. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.”
Eva softened her tone. “But you don’t even talk about him.”
Robyn exhaled a long breath. “What is there to say? Ian . . . Maxwell . . . was the one that got away. He decided it was best to move on and while he’ll forever own a piece of my heart, I’m trying not to dwell on it. I’m just doing the best I can, and hopefully, I’ll wake up one day to realize, I’ve finally moved on. Honestly, it’s really the best thing for both of us.”
“You know what I think?”
“No, because you’re being selective with your information.” Robyn smirked.
Eva ignored her. “I think Maxwell feels the same way. He has no plans whatsoever of selling either of those two properties. He told Jesse they were great tax write-offs, but we know better. Once he figures it out, I think Maxwell is going to do the same thing you did.”
Robyn looked at her questioningly. “What’s that?”
“You came back to Romona in a roundabout way because of him, and he’ll come back here because of you.”
“I’m not going to hold my breath waiting around on Maxwell.”
*****
Robyn was leaving her office in Romona when her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number but answered it anyway. “Robyn Levy.” There was silence on the other end. “Hello? This
