Never As It Seems

Chapter 35

Rob was waiting right where he had left them earlier that day. He was looking much less sweaty and Amber smirked at his attempt at trying to blend in with the general public. Surely the sunglasses and baseball cap would have the opposite effect he was aiming for. Jay voiced Amber's thoughts as he flicked the peak of Rob's cap.

"You know you look like a celebrity trying to blend in."

Rob frowned. "I'm not hiding from them" He gestured toward the general public.

"Yeah well there's a reason security are on you like stink on a pig."

Rob ignored him and started walking, muttering under his breath something about pushing thirty and not needing his hand held everywhere he went. Amber and Jay walked a few steps behind.

"Is it really still that bad?" Amber asked Jay.

"What? The security thing?" He nodded. "Well they seem to think so. They're worried about some letters and past behaviors. They can be a bit over the top but it's their job to keep him safe."

"Hmm." Amber responded. "The same girl?"

Rob dropped his pace so he was walking with the others. "Yes. Same girl. It's stupid. Back in the day there were thousands doing this kind of thing and nothing too scary happened. This is just one weirdo and her sidekick. What's gonna happen?"

Amber and Jay agreed by their silence and Rob changed the subject.

"Ok we might as well shop around here. Harrods anyone?"

Jay sniggered. And Amber frowned at him as she looked up at the store.

"I've never been in here." She said.

"Then the lady must have tea!" Rob grabbed her hand and left Jay in their wake.

He led her through the decadent departments and although it was an experience, Amber couldn't imagine anyone shopping here on a regular basis. She guessed there were probably some though. They finally arrived at a little tea room in what seemed like the back corner of the gigantic store. Jay caught up with them when they sat and Rob ordered tea all round.

"Ok then you two. I want to know everything." Rob leaned in over the small table as though ready for a story.

Amber and Jay looked at each other and then back at Rob, neither offering him anything to go on.

"Ah come on kids. I need to know how one day Grumpy here," He gestured toward Jay "is in the depths of despair and now... well..."

"Depths of despair hey?" Amber raised her eyebrows.

Jay glared at Rob and then at the teacup in front of him.

"I wouldn't put it quite like that..."

"Ah come on!" Rob interrupted. "You've been walking around like a lost puppy for weeks."

Amber smiled at Jay's discomfort and the new knowledge that he had been as lost without her as she had been without him.

She touched his leg under the table and they exchanged eye contact. Jay squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

"Err ok... I should probably leave you two alone." Rob jested.

Jay chuckled, "Yeah, you could have said that this morning."

Rob faked a rejected expression. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. I kept telling him that you're a keeper and finally he's got the message."

Amber expected some sort of sarcastic retort or reprimand from Jay but instead he looked at her again and said with a very serious expression, "Yes she is."