Sometimes It Is Rocket Science (13 page)

Robert’s arm shot out.  She stumbled out of reach.  She needed space before he could further destroy her equilibrium.  Daily exposure to his conceit would boost her immunity, but just one kiss had the power to crumble her defenses.  For the sake of her sanity, that would have to be their first and last kiss.

“Good night, Bobby.”  She paused in the doorway but didn’t turn around.  “ERIC will lock the door behind you.”

A sharp pain to her abdomen rescued Georgiana from a vivid nightmare involving Robert, Yvonne, and one of Robert’s blonde, fire-breathing, ex-lovers.  She squinted up at the form hovering over hers.  Though the room was dark, she could make out her brother’s nose and chin.  Tab shuffled forward again; his foot slammed into her stomach.

“Gigi?” he whispered, dropping into a crouch.

“Wha?”  She licked her lips and tried to swallow the sour tang of exhaustion coating her mouth.  She’d spent most of the night having second, third, and twentieth thoughts about her faux engagement to Robert.  She didn’t remember falling asleep on the floor beside Tab’s bed, but she must have. 

“What’re you doing down there?”

“Dunno.”  Georgiana flopped over onto her back.  Her body felt heavy, as if her blood had turned to lead and her bones to concrete.  Her sandpaper eyelids refused to stay open.  “Stop kickin’ me.”

“Hafta pee.” 

“Go.”  She winced when his toes grazed her ribcage as he stepped over her.  “Bigfoot.”

“Road block.”

Once he was out of the room, she let weariness drag her back down into blissful nothingness.  She wasn’t greedy; she just needed a few hours of uninterrupted, dreamless slumber to clear the cobwebs out of her head.  She didn’t have any meetings until ten, and she’d instructed ERIC to send all non-urgent phone calls to voicemail.  Not even the hard, round thing digging into her spine could keep her from the sleep she craved.

“Georgiana.”  ERIC’s modulated tone echoed in her ears before she could fully drift off.  “Georgiana.”

“G’way.”

“Georgiana,” the AI repeated.

“What?”  Too tired to mentally reprogram the computer, she entertained notions of flooding the control room on the first floor.  It would be worth the broken pipes and repair bill for a moment of peace.

“You have seven missed calls from Dan Norwood, two missed calls from Ms. Ruiz, sixty-seven unread email messages, and one appointment cancellation notice.  Robert Norwood is currently in the kitchen attempting to locate the coffee machine and Yvonne Ruiz pulled into the driveway ten seconds ago.”

Tears of frustration pricked the corners of her eyes.  She just wanted to sleep.  Was that too much to ask? 

“Tell Bobby about the coffee, make him a cup of something.”  With a groan she latched onto the corner of Tab’s mattress and pulled herself to her knees.  She yawned so wide her jaw popped and then rubbed the sore spot in the small of her back.  “Did he stay here all night?”

“Yes he did.”

Her nose crinkled.  Where had he slept and why had he stayed?  Both were questions she refused to contemplate until she had copious amounts of caffeine coursing through her bloodstream.  “Don’t let Yvonne in the house.  Text her and tell her to go to the office.  I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

“Done.  Once I have made the requested cup of coffee for Robert Norwood, I will prepare a cup of Pep blend for you.”

“Thanks,” she grunted, struggling to her feet.  “You’re the best.”

She staggered past Tab and into her bathroom.  When a splash of cold water on the face did nothing to make her more alert, she stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the large, frameless shower.  She bit her lip to stifle a screech at the first pinpricks of icy water on her bare skin.  By the time she’d rinsed off the last of her citrus body wash, she was more awake, but her teeth chattered.

After rubbing her skin raw trying to infuse some warmth, she pulled her dripping hair into a ponytail.  She didn’t bother programming in an outfit.  In the dark confines of her closet, she dressed in the first pair of jeans and first t-shirt her fingers hit.  Uninvited guests didn’t warrant coordinated outfits or makeup.  A quick peek in Tab’s room revealed that he’d fallen back asleep.  Jealousy swirled in her stomach. 

“Your coffee is ready, Georgiana.  Robert Norwood is currently in the kitchen reading the news on the main screen.”

“Gotcha.”  She kept a firm grip on the banister as she descended the stairs.  The last thing she needed was to take a header down to the next landing and bust open her skull.  There was no telling what decisions Robert would make for her while she was out of commission.  “You can call him ‘Bobby’, ERIC.  He likes it.”

Robert looked right at home in her kitchen with his elbows propped against the counter and his finger casually sweeping across the touch screen to flip through the day’s headlines.  She ignored the tiny twist her heart gave at the sight of a sleep-rumpled, relaxed Robert and hip-checked him away from the coffee machine.  No man, no matter how good he kissed or how edible he looked, stood between her and her first cup of coffee.

“Funny, I remember you as a morning person,” Robert said, massaging his hip.  He took note of the dark shadows under her drooping eyes and the slight tremor in the hand reaching for the coffee mug.

She glared at him over the rim of her cup.  Pep was a bitter, potent blend, but she always drank her first cup black.  She didn’t like having anything between the caffeine and her bloodstream.

“I assume you have Tab enrolled in some sort of homeschooling program.”  He tilted his head towards the stack of textbooks on the round table tucked in front of the bay window.  He waited for Georgiana’s nod to continue.  “Is he still interested in programming?  If so, I’d like to have a look at the curriculum.”

“No.”  The nearly empty mug clattered against the counter.  She stalked forward and jabbed a finger at his throat.  “You aren’t going to play big brother to Tab for as long as it amuses you and then dump him like he’s one of your blondes.  He’s been through too much already; I won’t let you hurt him like that.”

Robert squared his shoulders, scowled down at Georgiana. “Don’t be so quick to relegate me to the role of villain.  I am genuinely fond of Tab.  I would not be
playing
at anything.”

“Tab worships you.  He has copies of every interview you’ve ever done.  He refuses to hear anything negative about any program you’ve written.  He’s made it more than clear that he wants to be just like you.”  Georgiana whirled away from Robert and slammed her coffee mug under the spout in the machine and pressed the button for her Pep blend.  “I just don’t want him to be disappointed.”

“I am not a monster, Georgiana!”

She froze, still as a statue, for a moment then deflated.  Unable to meet Robert’s furious stare, she squeezed her itchy eyes shut.   “I know.”  She rubbed the back of her neck and bounced her toes off the bottom of the cabinet.  She hated apologizing, especially to Robert, but she’d been unpardonably rude.  “You’re right.  You’ve been nothing but wonderful.  A bulldozer, for sure, but a wonderful one.  I’m sorry.”

As soon as her second round coffee finished brewing, she stirred in a spoonful of artificial sweetener and took a quick sip of the hot beverage.  “It doesn’t matter, anyway.  We’ll never convince Dan or Tab that we’re wildly in love.  They’ll see right through our ruse.”

“Any man with a functioning pair of eyes and a brain will have no problem believing that I have fallen under your spell.”  Robert’s grin revealed a mouthful of gleaming, straight teeth and dimples Georgiana wanted to dip her tongue in.  “You are an intoxicatingly beautiful, intellectually stimulating, generous and caring woman.  Anyone would be honored to have you at his side.”

Georgiana inhaled the steam wafting off her mug and willed her heart to slow.  When had she become so susceptible to pretty words?  Hadn’t she learned her lesson already?  “And everyone knows your reputation.  It’s a little hard to ignore.  Are we supposed to expect Tab and Dan to believe I’ve lost my mind?”

“Surely they’ll understand the power of a childhood crush.”

“Yeah, sure.  Just one problem with that.”  Georgiana paused to ensure she had Robert’s full attention.  Her smile was equal parts apology and amusement.  “I never had a crush on you.  Not even a teeny one.  Not once.”

Robert’s jaw dropped.  He tugged on his earlobe, hoping something had obstructed his hearing and he’d misunderstood.  Not have a crush on him?  She’d grown up with him!  They’d been paired together at all family and society functions.  He’d danced his first waltz with her.  How could she not have had a crush on him?

“What?  That’s impossible!”  His gaze narrowed suspiciously.  “You’re lying.”

Laughter burst from her lips.  “Am not.”

“Are, too.”

“Am.  Not.”  She drained the rest of her coffee.  “Look, don’t take it so personal.  I just, I don’t know.”  She shrugged, rinsed out her mug.  “I knew you too well.  There wasn’t any mystery or anything particularly irresistible.  You were just Bobby.”

Robert stalked forward until he had her trapped between the sink and his chest.  “Just Bobby, huh?”  His hands settled on her waist.  He didn’t miss the flare of her nostrils or the way her eyes widened and darkened as he leaned in to press a kiss to the curve of her jaw.  “Am I still Just Bobby, doll?”

Georgiana couldn’t have answered if her life depended on it.  Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen and her brain had gone AWOL.  The counter at her back and her grip on Robert’s shoulder were the only things keeping her upright.  The feathery brush of his lips against her skin was setting her blood on a slow boil.  It was like she was the oxidant, he was the fuel, and the spark between them created an exothermic reaction that could only lead to…

“Combustion,” she murmured.

His fingertips dug into the waistband of her jeans.  His lips stopped an inch from her lips.  Through his eyelashes, he met her lust-glazed gaze.   “Did you just say ‘combustion’?”

She nodded, wondered how rude it would be if she grabbed his ears and forced his head up an inch.  “’S a chemical reaction.  Used in lots of things… rocket engines…”  Her hand crept over his shoulder and traced the shell of his ear.

“I know what combustion is, Gigi.”

“Oh,” she sighed, “why are we talking about it then?”

“You brought it up.”

Resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to kiss her properly, she dropped her hand to her side and nudged him away with her shoulder.  She wasn’t about to tell him
why
she’d been thinking about combustion.  “Your father has already called me seven times.”

“Lucky you,” Robert scoffed, returning to his corner of the kitchen.  “I got an even dozen.  Want to bet he’s already heard about our engagement?”

“Oh, I’m sure of it.  I’m sure Missy Galvan didn’t even wait for dessert to call him.  She never could keep her mouth shut.”  Georgiana was equally certain Yvonne had heard the rumors, as well.  It was the only explanation for her assistant’s attempted early morning visit.  “I hope he won’t be too cross at not being the first to know.”

“He’ll grouse for a few minutes and then he’ll get over it.  His wayward, rouge of a son is finally settling down.  His surrogate daughter will be his daughter-in-law.  You and Tab are moving in and the house won’t feel so empty.  It’s like Christmas for him.”

Doubt wriggled in Georgiana’s stomach.  If their engagement was going to make Dan so happy, how upset would their inevitable breakup leave him?  Even if the parting was amicable, he’d be disappointed.  Was bringing him so much joy worth the eventual pain?

Unaware of her turbulent thoughts, Robert glanced at his watch and then up at the ceiling.  “We need to see Dad and talk to Doctor Flores.  If you want to make sure Tab doesn’t find out from a third party, we should go up and tell him now.”

“Together?”

“Together.  We’ll tell him together.”

“Tell who what together?” Tab asked, trying in vain to smooth down his spiky hair.  His bloodshot eyes darted from Robert’s warm smile to Georgiana’s plastic grin.  The thrill of seeing his idol was tempered by fear for his pseudo-father.  “What’s going on?  Is something wrong with Dan?”

“Oh, of course not, sweetheart.”  Georgiana rushed forward and yanked her brother into a quick, tight hug.  “Dan’s doing just fine.  Matter of fact, he’s going home shortly.”

“That’s great!”

“Yeah, it is.”  She kissed his cheek before stepping back and reaching for Robert’s hand.  Somehow, the feel of his fingers twined with hers gave her the strength to put their deception in motion.  She had to do this for Tab.  Much as he loved Dan, the older man had never been his role model.  Tab needed someone to confide in and look up to.  She adored him, but there wasn’t enough of her to fill every void in his life.

“And what’s even better is that we’re going to be moving in with him.”

Tab’s eyebrows knit together.  “We are?”

“Yes, we are.  This afternoon, if we can.”  She faltered for a moment.  “Dan needs more than just NORA or ERIC, you know.  He needs someone to cook for him and people to cheer him up and talk to him.”

“Gigi,” Robert purred, lips at her ear, “don’t keep your brother in suspense.”

“Bobby and I are engaged.  I know it’s out of nowhere, but we’re not getting married tomorrow.  We haven’t discussed dates, but we’ve spent so much time together lately and we just… we reconnected and couldn’t deny the sparks.”  She braced herself for Tab’s reaction.  Would he be happy for them or would he call her on her lie? 

She was unprepared for the mass of teenage flesh that hit her like a freight train and sent her falling back against Robert.  The three of them ended sprawled on the kitchen floor. Tab’s bony elbows jabbed her ribs while he shifted to wrap his arms around her neck.