Chapter 8 #2
“Talk to me.”
She lifted her shoulder then wiped her mouth with a crumpled napkin. “Earlier that day, Joseph stopped by B most were acquaintances.
Robyn was different. There was more at stake with her.
I couldn’t risk ruining the bond between us over sex and miscommunication.
“I got something for you,” I told her, standing to retrieve my phone from my pocket.
Robyn watched as I opened my music app and pulled up the playlist I made for her.
There was no way I could compete with her cooking.
Music held a special place in my heart and there was nothing more special than a custom playlist. I sent her the link and watched her face light up as she scrolled through the songs that reminded me of her.
“This is so cute,” she gushed. “No one has ever done this for me. You have every one of my favorite Brandy songs on here.”
My smile broadened.
There wasn’t an artist she listened to more than Brandy. She’d been to every concert, had her albums, and knew every episode of Moesha by heart. I had to include her music too.
“Thank you.” Robyn wrapped her arms around my neck, drawing me close. “This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Now I have to make another cobbler.”
“Nah, I deserve something better than that.”
“Oh, please.” Robyn rolled her eyes before looking past me, her eyes landing on the food trucks in the distance.
“I’ll let you get back to Adrienne. Mel is probably looking for me anyway,” I told her. “We’re about to go by the lake and watch a few performances then call it a day.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m leaving soon to start packing. My flight leaves Friday morning and my exam is Saturday morning.”
I had all the details on my calendar already.
“You got this, Goldie.”
She blew out a breath. “We’ll see. I’m excited to listen to my new playlist tonight though.”
I smirked. “Let me know what you think.”
“I’ll be texting you the entire time.”
We started our walk back to our friends; my arm draped over her shoulder as she pressed into my side.
“How are you liking the festival so far?”
“I love it. Hopefully, B&B can have a wine tasting or a food truck next year. Seeing all these businesses and the people enjoying everything… This is pretty cool.”
“You know I’m cool with the committee members. I can get your application pushed through, no problem.”
“Okay, Mr. Roseville,” she teased. “Can you get me some discounts or free food today?”
“Anything you want.” A sudden wave of sadness hit as I thought about not having Avery here with me. Robyn looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Avery. The last two festivals, she was with me, spending all my money.”
She laughed, but sadness glimmered in her eyes. “Aw, my darling.”
“I’ll be okay. The feeling will pass.”
We changed the subject, talking about Angel & Geneva’s performance. Robyn wanted to see their show but got caught up with all the food options. By the time we reached Adrienne, she was seated on a bench with two trays of food: one in her hand, the other on her lap.
“Sorry, I was starving.”
Adrienne’s skin flushed when she saw Robyn’s scowl.
“Whatever,” Robyn said, rolling her eyes. She took her food from Adrienne’s lap before sitting beside her.
“Mel was looking for you,” Adrienne said between bites. “I told him to wait with me, but...” She shrugged. “I think he went to find a spot at the main stage.”
“Cool. I’ll see y’all around.” My gaze landed on Robyn who was already staring at me.
“Maybe we’ll join y’all once we finish eating.”
Adrienne agreed. “Yeah, definitely.”
I stared at Robyn for a second longer before forcing myself to walk away. When I glanced over my shoulder, she was still watching me with a smile. I winked at her before turning and continuing toward the main stage.