Smile

13 Chapter

Dear readers, I want to thank everyone for all your enthusiasm for my #TeamRobert story. I appreciate every comment very much. Please keep writing feedback, ClaudiaCleland

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Still reveling in the memories of Rory's visit this morning, Robert traces the outline of his lips absentmindedly with his thumb. He already misses kissing her. Holding the paper with the latest clue of the scavenger hunt in his right hand, he wonders which moment of the many LDB gatherings he wants to recreate today.

The brigadiers held many crazy events, but Robert also took countless trips with Finn, Colin and Logan. Their adventurous journeys included jumping off cliffs and bungee jumping from famous bridges. He wonders if Finn would be any help choosing one of these adventures, he chuckles thinking of Finn's impulsive brain. It would probably get too hot like an overheated computer while jumping from one idea to another.

During the last couple of years, Robert had been on a lot of photoshoots where customers recreated memories from their past. He enjoyed recreating these events for his customers. He would find the clothes that would set the scene. This was always a big part of creating the right image. He sometimes would have them dress in similar clothing articles and colors or find the vintage clothing items that would help him recreate the memories that the customer wanted to save.

Robert sat in his office in the club for about an hour looking through the old pictures on his laptop. He decides the ideal throwback picture would be one of Rory's first Life and Death Brigade experience. Robert grabs his cell from his desk and calls Finn.

"G'day, Rob," Finn greets immediately after just one ring, sounding a bit annoyed with his thick Australian accent.

"Hi, Finn. What plans does my favorite Aussie have for today?" Robert asks.

"Well, mate, depends, according to my old-man's schedule or mine?" Finn questions while grinning a bit to himself, because Robert only calls him his favorite Aussie when Robert knows his father has called. It's a code word for them.

"Your father called again," Robert states rather than asks, knowing the answer due to Finn's passive aggressiveness in his voice when he answered the phone.

In addition Finn tends to shorten his name like all Australians after talking to fellow Australian countrymen. Robert is no fan of shorten his name like Finn did and Finn only forgets that when his father has called shortly before.

Before Finn can respond, Robert continues, "Ready for another adventure?"

"Sure, mate, in Omnia Paratus," Finn proudly shouts, as he leaves his office.

"I need you to be a target for my newest clue," Robert whispers conspiratorial. Finn always loves being a part of secrets.

"Awesome, I want to be a target," Finn smiles. The mysterious girl and her scavenger hunt seems cheer him up as well as Robert.

"I want to recreate the shooting with paintball guns on living targets like we did in our LDB events," Robert explains.

Finn dramatically shouts, "Your girl is a lifesaver, I am dying here from boredom this is just what I need to brighten up my day."

Robert laughs at Finn's response. Soon Robert should tell Finn who this mysterious girl is.

The two friends discuss their plan together for this next clue on the phone.

Ending his conversation with Finn, Robert rides the subway home to change of his clothes. He takes off his dark designer jeans and the dark blue shirt and puts on a black tuxedo with a black bow tie and white shirt like the one that he wore at the LDB event a long time ago. Standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom, he looks at his reflection. He wonders if Rory is attracted to him now that he no longer has the boyish look that he had in the old photograph.

He grabs his photography equipment and the paintball gun and ammunition. His personal driver escorts Robert in his town car to the newest hotel Finn's family owns in Manhattan near the Four Seasons Hotel.

Robert steps out of the car and greets Finn who is wearing a similar outfit. They then walk inside a very old building.

Finn had suggested that his family's latest purchase would be the perfect place for their plan, since they had purchased this old hotel and plan on demolishing it to build a new hotel on the same property.

Walking inside Finn teases, "Robert, my friend, with all your equipment you look like a professional photographer."

Robert smiles, because none of his friends know about his photography business. He likes Finn, but if his crazy friend found out what type of photographs he takes and who his clients are Finn would probably never leave his side.

"Just a hobby Finn, we need a camera with an external autotimer that I can shoot, and you can jump," Robert replies feeling guilty about lying to him about his secret.

Finn and Robert walk through the hotel searching for several mattresses. They ask Robert's driver to carry them into the ballroom to protect their clothes.

Robert looks around the elegant ballroom with his dusty maple floor, despite being neglected for such a long time. To add more light into the room, they open the once golden tapestry curtains. Looking around the room, Robert sees the dust dancing in the daylight in this once elegant ballroom that has been left neglected for many years. The maple floor shows scratches and many of the light bulbs of the antique chandeliers are broken. The golden walls with the richly ornate columns between the large windows provide proof of elegance of the former luxury hotel.

Finn told him that for many years the owner of this grand hotel refused to sell it for sentimental reasons. Upon his death his children sold dividing up the profits and moving away.

While Robert gazes around his surroundings, Finn shouts while excitedly jumping up and down, "Get ready, Robert, I miss being a target."

Robert positions his equipment, the gun and the camera inclusive autotimer, in the proper places in the room and finally hollers, "Okay, I'm ready. Shout pull and jump. I will try my best to get an image at the right moment."

Finn climbs on a ladder he found in a room and shouts," Pull," before he leaps off the ladder to land on the piled mattresses.

Holding the trigger button on the extern autotimer in his left-hand Robert aims and shoots at Finn with his paintball gun. He checks on the display of his digital camera to see if he succeeded and likes the result. What an amusing idea, he smiles.

Finn ambles over and, looks at the picture and pouts, "Oh no, figures you got the shot the first time and I thought we can repeat it."

Chuckling Robert replies, "Nobody is here stopping us, Finn. We can repeat until my paintball is empty."

Happily, Finn sprints back to the ladder, and climbs to the highest point before he leaps shouting, "Pull."