I arch an eyebrow as my phone rings from down the hall. Nobody calls me. Nobody apart from Elliot. It can't be him, though. He's sat next to me on my couch, staring at me as I sit there frozen in silence. My mind is working through the list of all the people I know that could be the potential caller.
"Robin." Elliot nudges my arm. "Are you gonna answer it or what?"
I peel myself away from the couch to pick up the phone. I swallow before I bring it to my ear and speak. "Hello?"
"Hey."
I instantly recognize the voice at the other end of the line. I feel a smile attempting to form on my lips, but I bite it back because it's kind of embarrassing how happy I get over the sound of his voice alone.
"Richard." I press my back against the wall, gripping the cord between my fingers. "How'd you get this number?"
"Let's see here," Richard clears his throat as if he's about to read something aloud to me. "Is this Miss Robin Ivy Reed, age twenty-one, from Los Angeles, California? Employee number 174920?"
I shake my head. He's obviously gotten his hands on the employee records behind the front desk. It holds all our staff details, including all our phone numbers.
There's no biting back my smile this time. It's too big to fight. "What are you doing, Richard?"
He ignores my question and continues, "Are you the occupant of room 405, Miss Reed?"
My heart feels like it rolls over in my chest after the way he just said my name. "Indeed I am, Mr. Ramirez." I say, my voice a few octaves lower.
"Great." I can hear his smirk through the phone. "Because you're just the person I need to talk to."
"Oh, really? I'm all ears."
"Be ready for nine tonight. I'm taking you out...again."
"Our re-do?" I'm smiling so hard at this point that my cheeks are starting to ache. "Where are you taking me?"
"It's a surprise."
"I hate surprises, Richard." I groan.
He blows out a short laugh. "Get used to it, Robin. I'm sure there's going to be plenty more surprises with me."
"Oh, lucky me." I tease. "Can you give me a clue at least? So I know what to wear?"
"I can't do that, I'm afraid." Richard laughs, "I think the guy behind the front desk is back from his bathroom break. A very angry-looking man is walking over as we speak."
I throw my head back as I laugh.
"Room 405, right? I'll be there at nin-"
Richard's voice gets cut off. All I hear is a struggle, and another male voice arguing before the phone gets slammed down abruptly.
Derek is working the reception today, and I must admit, he kind of deserves this. Ever since I started working here, Derek takes every opportunity he can to hit on me or make uncomfortable comments towards me. So I couldn't be more satisfied with what Richard just did. I'm still smiling as I place the phone back onto the hook.
~
I've changed my outfit seven times in the space of an hour. I don't have the slightest idea of where we're going, so I'm completely in the dark when it comes to what I should wear. I can't wear a cocktail dress if he ends up taking me fucking bowling, nor can I wear a sweatshirt to a five-star restaurant in Hollywood.
I'm sweating as I finally settle on the eighth option. It's a basic shirt, paired with a skirt and some small, simple heels. It's not too much. Now I can only pray Richard doesn't arrive in a three-piece suit and a bouquet of red roses, otherwise, I will feel severely inadequate.
