First Kiss

Scene set up: Robyn, Tee and Joshua just got back from the ice skating rink where Robyn's ex-husband first met Tee and found out that he would be helping Robyn take care of his eight-year-old son. Joshua is Robyn's step-son and her ex-husband gave her full custody for health reasons. Her ex-husband is very jealous and doesn't like the idea of another man taking care of his son. He is also jealous because remarks had been made that Robyn was falling in love with Tee.
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Robyn's Castle  (13+) A beautiful woman with a powerful mind confronts love that is not on her terms. #794003 by Beth Barnett

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Robyn went to Joshua's room to tuck him in. She sat on the side of the bed next to him after pulling the covers up over his shoulders. "Robyn, why did Daddy say all those mean things to you?"

"It's hard to explain."

"He doesn't like Tee, does he?"

"He doesn't like the idea of Tee and I taking care of you together."

"Why?"

"He loves me still."

"You don't love him any more?"

"Not the way I thought I used to love him. Your father is a good man, but I live him more as I would a father than a husband. I made a mistake, a very bad mistake."

"He always yelled at you when I was there and you never yelled back."

"If I can get my point across without raising my voice, I will. Yelling back and getting upset means losing control and I can't afford to do that, especially in front of someone who knows nothing of my gifts. You saw what happened when you lost your temper. A little broken glass would be the least of his worries if I unleashed my anger. I can let loose with Tee a little because he knows of the gifts."

"Tee's different?"

"He has a very strong mind and I trust him."

"You love him?"

"Love is a very strong word. I like him. He's a good friend. Why do you ask?"

"Eric said that when you skated with Tee you looked into his eyes like you were lost, and he told Dad that you never even once were seen looking at him like that. That made Dad angry. Eric said that you didn't care that everyone was watching."

"Eric says a lot of things. It's time for you to go to sleep." She kissed him on the forehead. "Good night." She walked into her room and laid on her bed. Hugging the pillow, she let the tears flow quietly.

Tee got up from the couch and went to her bedroom doorway because he heard her sobbing. "Robyn, if you need a shoulder, I'll be here," he said in a soft whisper.

Robyn sat up, her face red and wet with tears. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"You're not made of steel. I know that. Come and sit with me on the couch and we'll talk." Tee reached out his right hand and she took hold of it. He pulled her out of bed and walked her to the couch. "Tell me what's on your mind since I'm not so fortunate to be able to read it."

She attempted to smile, but the sadness was too deep. "I nearly died saving his life just five months ago and he doesn't even trust me with his son right now."

"If he didn't trust you, Joshua would still be here, and he wouldn't have given you custody. And what do you mean when you say that you nearly died saving him?"

"When we first got married doctors told him that, because of his weak heart, he wouldn't live but maybe three months. Sure enough, he had a severe heart attack three months later. He was just pronounced dead when I heard God tell me I had enough power within me to save him if I truly loved him. I ran to him, placed two fingers on both of the side temples of his head and forced his eyes open. I stared deeply into his dark mind and found the part of the brain that controlled the heartbeat. I remember unleashing my anger of losing him all at once. I used all my knowledge of the workings of the brain and I forced his heart to beat again before I collapsed. The hopital now had another patient: me. No one ever talked about what happened I couldn't let them remember. I learned that day that if I ever find true love to become one with that almost anything would be possible. If I would have fully loved him as a husband, I wouldn't have collapsed and nearly died."

"Wow," Tee said, shaking his head. "I can see why you're upset. Why don't you just tell him what happened that day."

"He wouldn't believe me. I mean, he barely understood what I showed him at the rink, alone that fact that I could have saved his life. He believes I am young and naive."

"You need to tell him."

The tears streamed down her cheeks again. "For the first time in my life, I don't know what I'm doing. What if Daniel's right? I don't know if I'll be a good mother. I don't know if I can teach him the control he needs over his emotions. I see Joshua's thoughts, and I don't know if I can truly love him. I've never had to show love to a child for such a long time. I'm not sure I know how."

He laid his arm across her shoulders, and she leaned in close to him, placing her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll be a great mother. You know I'll help you. That's what friends are for. Cry it out if it makes you feel better. You don't have to hide from me." He looked down at her and realized she had fallen asleep whle he was speaking. Not wanting to wake her, he tried to take his arm away. She squirmed, but didn't wake. He leaned to the side and slowly laid her down close to him without moving his arm away. Her head used his chest as a pillow. Her right arm stretched across his waist.

Joshua opened his bedroom door and peered out. He went to Robyn's room and brought out a fluffly white blanket. "It is cold in here. She's shivering, see." He draped the blanket over them.

"Thanks," Tee said.

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine."

"Did I do something wrong," Joshua asked.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. She needed a good cry, that's all."

"Do you think she's pretty?" he asked, swinging back and forth with his arms behind his back, smiling.

"She's gorgeous."

"Do you love her?"

"Are we playing twenty questions?" Tee asked, pursing her lips and taking a deep breath.

"No. I just wondered if you loved her."

"I've only known her for a couple weeks. All I know is that she's a kind-hearted woman who wants to give you a good home."

"She wants to be my mother?"

"Of course. You two share a gift that no other person I've known has been blessed with. She'll be a great teacher, if your father will let her."

"And, are you going to stick around?"

"As long as she will have me. Now go to bed. Good night."

"Good night." He started to walk away, then turned back around. "By the way, she can hear very well in her sleep, too." Joshua went to his room and slammed the door.

Robyn squirmed again and her eyelids fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. Grabbing the blanket, she peered beneath it, then looked into his eyes. "I've never done this before. I've never trusted anyone this much, especially a man. You are so stiff and tense, though. It's as if you were trying not to touch me, if you could avoid it. You're afraid of me."

"I'm not," he said, his voice straining. "Did you hear Joshua and I talking?"

"Yes, every word. Thank you." She grinned and laughed. Her smile straightened. " I had this strange dream. You were running away from me. You saw Ariel's spirit and you began walking toward me again. There was laughter coming from somewhere else and you turned away from me again. The laughed sounded as if it came from people carrying cameras, microphones, and notepads: media people. Who from the media would be laughing at you, and why?"

"The people I work with at the New York Daily don't believe me when I tell them who I live with."

"Yeah, you fashion editor probably knows me well already, or at least he thinks he does. Your boss and I go way back, but he doesn't know it yet."

"Excuse me? How come the people at work, especially as you said, the fashion editor keep asking me if I've kissed you yet and laugh when I tell them I haven't."

Looking into his eyes, she smiled. "You turn one gay man straight with a kiss and you never hear the end of it."

"W-w-what?"

"I couldn't make everyone forget because the media were there. They had a field day with the whole fiasco."

"How did it happen?"

"I had just done my first runway show and the crowd and cameras seemed to love me. I wen to show Eduardo Giovanni how happy I was that he had asked me to do the show. I was so elated that I gave him a peck on the lips. I didn't think anthing of it that both of our eyes were open or the fact that he was openly homosexual. I started to walk away from him and he grabbed me and sent my mind whirling with the most passionate kiss I'd ever felt up until that time. His hands roamed all over my body. When I pushed him away I remember that his knees nearly gave way. I still see the look on his lover's face. He was standing right next to us when all of it happened."

"You broke Eduardo's heart, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I mended it."

"I set him up with the woman who later became his wife. I received a Christmas card last year with a family picture. He was holding his baby daughter, Angelique."

"That's crazy."

"That was the beginning of the chaos for me in Europe."

"What about Daniel? Will you mend his heart?"

"I picked the nurse who takes care of him. Daniel's a work in progress," she said, nuzzling into his chest with a delighted grin spread across her lips.

"You're unbelievable."

"Thanks."

Tee rolled his eyes. "I see you're feeling better."

She gazed into his eyes. "Yes, but I have this feeling that's itching at me now. It makes me think of all the men who had told me that my kiss melted them and drew out their weaknesses. I wish just once that I could feel that, too."

"You never felt it?"

"Never to the same degree that they spoke of." She gently touched his cheek. "I'm curious. Your mind is like no other I've seen and I know I can trust you. Do you want to know what if feels like?"

"W-w-what feels like?" he stuttered.

"The kiss you're so often teased about, silly."

"You want to kiss me?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"More than I've ever wanted anything before."

His face turned three shade of red. "I don't think that is such a..."

She moved in closer, her breath tickled his lips.

"I don't even know why I'm still lying down with you. I'd better..." Tee started to sit up and she pushed him back down.

"Shut up," she said, as their lips touched.

His lips met hers and he pulled her close in a tight embrace. He sank deeper into the kiss. He would've held on for as long as his breath would allow, but she pushed him away, breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" He ran his fingers down through her hair.

Her frightened, wide eyes didn't leave his and she said nothing. She shook her head back and forth.

"I'm not either, He said as he kissed her again. He felt his body melt and his mind relax. She could do anything to him, and he would let her.

She pushed away from him, her tears moistened his face.

"I have to go to bed," she said. She sat up and started to run to her room, but Tee pulled her back down to sit beside him. She struggled. "Let me go."

"I just want to hold you."

She looked deep into his brown puppy dog eyes. "That's not all you want, she said, sobbing.

"Fine. You're right, but I do know what you believe about morals, and I respect that. I guess we were playing with fire."

"Yeah, and I lit the match," she said, standing up and walking toward her room. "Good night. I'll see you in the morning."