3: Evening Entertainment

“Here’s to our beautiful ladies, and the way they enrich our lives every day,” said Fabian as he raised his glass, and all of them raised their own drinks and joined in the toast. He had changed into a blue cotton suit, and looked admittedly handsome in it. Next to him sat Isabel, wearing an elegant but casual saffron dress that complemented his look quite nicely. Robin felt slightly out of her league, but she honestly thought that David and her had cleaned up quite nicely, and didn’t pale by comparison. David was really looking quite dashing with a good shirt and his sleeves rolled up. This was nice.

They set down their drinks, and it wasn’t long before a small army of serving staff encircled them and presented them with the first course of the evening. It looked delicious, and Robin eagerly began eating, as did the others. 

“Oh my God,” Robin said after a few spoonfuls, “I didn’t even know I could be excited about soup, but this is amazing!”

“Reduced venison broth,” Fabian said with a smile, already taking another sip of his drink. He’d been nursing one kind or the other of alcoholic beverages the entire day. “Hunted just across the bay on the mainland. Poor thing was probably still alive when you boarded your plane last night.”

There was an awkward pause. Isabel cleared her throat, “–speaking of which, how was the flight for you, David? Did you get some sleep?”

David nodded. “Yes, and thank God for that. If we hadn’t, we’d be unconscious right now.”

“Good thing I bought you first class seats then, huh?” said Fabian. “Wouldn’t want to have to handle your unconscious bodies. That’d be awkward.”

“Yes, it’s really quite the upgrade,” David said. “Except for the hot towels. I don’t get those. But I don’t like seat heaters either. Go figure.”

Isabel smiled. “You know what I can’t stand?” she said with a smirk. “Leather seats. They’re made for men in suits that don’t have to feel their skin stick to it after two minutes. They’re less comfortable, harder, and you have those stitches running all over. Only good thing about them is that they can be wiped down easily after use.”

Robin chuckled, and she saw David blush uncomfortably.

“Some things are just nice because they’re well made,” Robin conceded. “Leather feels neat, sleek, and intentional. No easy way to hide imperfections.”

“Exactly!” Fabian said. “And besides, what most people don’t get: Not everything that’s top-quality is about being comfortable. Ever driven a hypercar? Bumpiest ride you can imagine. You feel every crack in the asphalt kick you in the taint like a motherfucker, but that’s not what it is about. It’s about power. It’s about the feeling of taking control of something that can barely be controlled and making it do what you want. It makes you feel alive. It makes you feel like a god!”

“While killing the planet and spending life-changing amounts of money,” David said with a smirk. 

Fabian shrugged dismissively “Yeah. Worth it, though.”

There was another bit of commotion as the table was cleared.

“Excuse me,” Robin said, “I wasn’t done…”

But before she could really follow through, a waitress in white had already taken her bowl and marched off with the other staff. Robin felt embarrassed. She looked at Isabel, who met her gaze with a sympathetic and apologetic expression.

“Dinner is on a pretty strict schedule,” she said. “Fabian–”

“–I hate it when a four course dinner takes as many hours,” he said, cutting her off. “Enough time to get hungry again. Also lets me fuck off way sooner if I’m not enjoying the company. Not talking about you guys, obviously. You’re family.”

No one said anything in reply. The awkward silence didn’t last long, however, as wait staff was already returning with another course.

“See?” Fabian said, finishing his drink and gesturing for another. “It’s like one big meal. Don’t worry, it’s gonna get a little slower to give us some time to talk and enjoy all the expensive flavors – but I’ve always fucking hated being served something to ‘whet the appetite’, and then having to wait for twenty minutes. Dig in!”

This course consisted of some sort of elaborately deconstructed fish filet with bechamel and impossibly fluffy and mysteriously spiced mashed potatoes. At least, that was what most of them were getting. There was no plate in front of Isabel.

“Isabel doesn’t like fish,” Fabian said off-handedly, and Isabel raised her eyebrows. She looked at him and took his wrist with a gentle smile. “Oh, sorry. You got that wrong, Fabian. That was just that one time. I just don’t like salmon. I–”

“Well, it’s too late now,” Fabian snapped while chewing the first bite of his course. “And you’re not getting any of mine. Hey. Robin? You girls want to share? That’s way too much for you anyway.  HEY! Servant! Can we get an empty plate for my girl?”

Robin blushed with embarrassment. She was speechless, and it was probably best that David decided to help her out at that moment. Otherwise she might have snapped.

“Hey, Fabian,” David said softly with a pained smile. “What the fuck?”

Fabian raised his eyebrows, and for a moment looked confused. “What? I– Oh. Shit. Did I really just say that? Fuck! Sorry! Sorry! Didn’t mean that, honey! Fuck me! Excuse me, Servant! Can we get another plate of fish… please?”

He looked at Isabel and made a profusely apologetic gesture with his hands wiggling in the air. “Isi, I… you should slap me for that, you know?”

Isabel scoffed, and rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to slap you,” she said, and reached out across his plate – and took his drink. “But maybe you should switch to sparkling water, don’t you think?”

He nodded thoughtfully.

“Nah, don’t think so. I can handle it, promise.”

“Please,” Isabel said sweetly. “For me?”

There was a tense moment, and for a second Robin thought that she saw a glint in his eye – and what she saw made a shiver run down her spine. For a moment she was sure he was going to do something inexcusable.

Instead, he smiled. “Of course,” he said, and faced the rest of the table. “And… like, all of the apologies. Please tell me that we’re good? Isabel? Robin?”

Isabel simply nodded. Robin cleared her throat, and looked at David – but they both knew this wasn’t something that David could help her out with, nor would David ever presume to patronize and speak for her like that.

Robin took a deep sigh. “Is that offer to slap you transferable?”

She said it like a joke – and it thankfully landed like she’d hoped. Fabian laughed, and so did David and Isabel. Fabian apologized once more, and it wasn’t long before Isabel had some fish of her own, and everything was back to normal.

The peace lasted half an hour.

They were in the middle of talking about smart devices versus pens and paper when Fabian suddenly interrupted them after not speaking for a long while. Robin had noticed him nervously fiddling with his cutlery but hadn’t paid it no mind until now, but when he started speaking there was obvious tension in his voice.

“Can I just say how incredibly beautiful you look, Robin,” he said, and looked at David. “Sometimes I catch myself thinking that you’re the lucky one, little brother.”

David forced a smile. “Thanks,” he said, voice strained with dread about where this might be going.

Fabian seemed utterly oblivious to David’s tone, and it was glaringly obvious that switching to water hadn't helped. He was drunk. “You deserve her, you know,” he continued. “You’re a good man, and you found such a good woman!”

“Fabian…” Isabel said carefully.

“What? Oh come on, Isabel, I don’t mean it like that! Of course not! Guys! I don’t mean it like that! Can’t I just tell my brother what a lucky guy he is to have such a beautiful and smart woman to share his life with? I’m just saying it like it is! It’s a compliment! Robin, you’re amazing. You’re so fucking hot.”

“Stop it,” Robin said. But Fabian didn’t stop.

“You know, it’s a shame I don’t get to see you more often.” He shook his head. “I’m glad that’s going to change soon.”

Robin blinked, and looked at David, who in turn was looking at Fabian.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked. His voice was quivering with disappointment and disbelief. “Why are you like this?! I… first of all, don’t fucking talk about her like that, even if you’re truly just trying to make compliments! Second of all – I said that I would consider it. That’s it! I didn’t make any promises.”

Fabian chuckled humorlessly. “You’re going to come to L.A.,” he said with a patronizing sigh. “Trust me, you will. And Robin will come too – and you’ll finally have a life that’s worthy of my brother. I give it one week, and you’ll never think back to that pathetic apartment and that pathetic school full of dead-end losers.”

“Fabian, stop it,” Isabel begged, laying her hand on his arm - but he brushed her off.

“Shut up. I’ll show you how wrong you are,” he said with a sudden intensity that belied just how much he’d been holding himself back. “I can finally make you happy! Why the fuck can’t you see that?! God, you’re such idiots, both of you! Doesn’t matter. You’ll see! You’ll fucking see!”

Robin’s heart was racing in her chest, and something acidic was rising in her throat. It was now horribly obvious that this was something that had been brewing below the surface the whole time, and she didn’t know whether to be disappointed or vindicated to see Fabian not only dropping the relatively civil behavior that he had been keeping up all day – but to actually be an even worse asshole than he’d ever been. Her brain was actually having difficulty computing what was happening in front of her. This was just so utterly out of line.

She shook her head, unable to find any words to express how disrespected she felt.

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” Isabel said, voice tight, somehow managing to keep a polite smile on her face. “Maybe you and your brother want to discuss this. Robin, would you like to join me?”

Robin didn’t have to be asked twice. She looked at David, and found understanding and sympathy in his expression, and stormed out with Isabel.

“I…” Isabel began, eyes wide with disbelief. “I… don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. He's drunk... he didn't mean --"

She caught herself. "No. We both know better. He meant it, and I'm sorry.”

Robin swallowed hard. A million things were going through her head as they were standing there, on the beautiful marble porch, the sound of cicadas in the air as the stars twinkled in the night sky. The air was still warm, but a light breeze had begun blowing, and Robin felt a shiver run down her neck as it rippled across her back.

All of it felt poisoned now, and strangely clinical. The colorful parasols had been folded away and covered with white sleeves at sundown, and now looked like spindly dead trees in the dim light of the outdoor lanterns. The trees beyond the ground were lost in the gray of night.

“I’m going to be fine,” Robin said finally. “I… hate his guts, and we’ll probably never be able to have him out of our lives, but at least we’ll be going back to Lansing at the end of the week.” 

She looked at Isabel. “What about you?”

Isabel chuckled humorlessly. “Fuck, I don’t know. I knew what I was getting into. I’d be lying if I told you that this was the worst I’ve ever seen him, but he’s not usually that bad, though. If he was, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Do you still think that I’m stupid for not accepting his money?” Robin asked.

“Never said you were. Only ever said that you’d deserve it.”

Robin thought about that for a moment. If she deserved it, Isabel definitely did for putting up with him all the time. “How long before he writes you into the will?” she asked, and Isabel chuckled.

“Heh. Never. That’s not how it works. I’ll be here for four or five years before he’ll find someone younger to suck his dick. More than enough time to build a business or two with his money, and get out with a nice portfolio with my name on it.”

“Just business, then?”

Isabel sighed and looked out across the dark castle grounds with an air of detached contemplation. “I won’t suggest that there aren’t intermittent periods of fun to be had,” she said with a wistful smile. “And as I said: If it was all bad, I wouldn’t be here. I know what I’m worth.”

Robin felt a strange sense of conflicted awe. She could never imagine selling herself like that -- but Isabel had obviously chosen this for herself, fully knowing what she was getting into. Some part of her couldn't help but respect and admire it, no matter how much the idea rubbed her the wrong way. She asked: “Any tips for getting through the next six days?” 

Isabel raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, honey. I’d usually say: ‘Take it like a good little bitch and think of the money,’ but I’m afraid that doesn’t apply – unless you change your mind and do take up his offer to become a Belmont subsidiary like yours truly. But you’re not going to do that now, aren’t you? Not anymore.”

“No. Not anymore.” Robin said. The thought that she had been actually considering becoming part of Fabian’s rotten life sent shudders down her spine. 

Isabel nodded, and for a little while they looked across the castle grounds in silence.

“Maybe that could be the thing that keeps you going,” Isabel eventually said, a coy little smile on her lips. “Whenever he’s being the worst kind of person, you just think about how fucking close he was to reeling you in. He almost had you – and then he ruined it. Look him in the eye and think: ‘Say whatever you want. You’ll never have me.’”

Robin chuckled softly. “Yeah, that might work.”

And just as she finished she heard footsteps approaching, and they both turned to look who was coming. It was David. He looked livid. Their eyes met, and they gave each other a meaningful look of exasperation as he stopped and took a breath.

“Well,” he said. “That went poorly.”

He looked at Isabel. “I’m so sorry about him, Isabel. I tried to talk him down, but… I might have made it even worse, and now you’ll be the one catching all of that flak, and…”

Isabel raised her hands with a soft nod. “David, thank you. I know how difficult he can be, but I know how to handle it. It’s gonna be fine. He knows to be nice to me.”

David gritted his teeth, and looked at Robin again with an air of apology. “I… I told him we were going to leave tomorrow. I wanted to ask you first, but–”

“No. You’re right. Let’s do it.” 

Robin said without hesitation, and David smiled softly. She took his hands, and took a deep breath. “Well,” she said, and looked back at Isabel. “I guess we found an even easier way to deal with it.”

Isabel smiled at her and was just about to say something when her gaze went over Robin’s shoulder, and her expression deflated. Robin’s heart sank as she heard the angry footsteps.

“Oh come on, really?” came Fabian’s voice across the patio. “You’re having a little conspiratorial meeting over there?! Come on! Just calm down and get back to the table. There’s dessert! Do you know how much that cost me? You know I didn’t mean it! You were just–”

“–You know what?!” Robin snapped. “This right here proves everything I’ve ever thought about you, you piece of shit!”

She turned to face him – and found him actually taken aback. Good. 

“Years and years and years you’ve been trying to buy us – because you just can’t accept there being someone you don’t have power over! All those little digs, all those little insinuations, just harmless enough to pass as regular douchebaggery – but no! Now it’s out in the open, isn’t it? The very moment that you have us on the hook for more than just new plumbing or an overpriced visit to the clinic, you drop all of your masks! The moment we actually enter your kingdom, you think you’re the king! The powerful exact what they can and the weak endure what they must! Right?!”

She stepped up to him, right in his face.

“But I won’t - because that’s not what we are. We are not something you can buy! And you – despite all your fucking money – are nothing but a sad, insecure little man.”

“You done?” Fabian asked tonelessly.

“Yes, we’re done,” said David, his voice tight. “You know, I always thought that Robin was being too harsh with you – but she was right all along. I can’t believe how fucking blind I’ve been!” He took a breath. “So what is going to happen is this: Robin and I will be leaving tomorrow morning – and you won’t be there to make any fucking remarks. Do we understand each other, brother?”

“And who’s going to pay for the flight?” Fabian said.

David stared at his brother, speechless with utter disbelief. 

“I will,” said Isabel. “I’ve got an allowance, and I’ll do with it whatever I feel like.”

Robin looked at Isabel, and in that moment she loved and respected her so fucking much. But the fact that she had just undermined Fabian so openly felt like she had just pulled the pin on a grenade.

There were five solid seconds of silence. It felt like an hour.

Finally, Fabian sighed. “No,” he said, his voice tight and restrained. “You won’t have to. I’ll pay. First class. Have a layover in Paris if you want. You took your vacation days, and I want you to spend them somewhere nice.”

David scoffed. “You know what’s the nicest place in the world?” he said. “Our apartment in Lansing. Because that’s where we’ve built our life together.”

Fabian pursed his lips and nodded. “Sure. However you like. Whatever. Good night. Have a nice trip.”

Robin folded her arms around David. “Let’s go,” she said, and David nodded.

As they walked away, she looked back at Isabel – and their eyes met as they both understood that they had probably seen each other for the last time. Some part of her wanted to stay, thank her, and say goodbye – but Fabian was still there, and his presence was pure poison. 

They kept walking instead – and as they turned a corner, Isabel was gone. 

After they were back inside, they took the elevator and walked across the hall to their beautiful and luxurious suite overlooking the dark garden. Staff had apparently visited in the meantime. The glass balcony door was closed – and the air was stuffy and warm as the living room fireplace had been lit in their absence. 

There was no way they were able to deal with that right now. They simply slumped onto the bed, and held each other. For a while Robin simply cried. Now that they were alone, all the pressure and tension released itself, and it felt horrible, and cleansing, and sad, and yet also strangely hopeful. David held her tightly, comforting her, breathing deeply with his body against her own, warm and loving and understanding and supportive. She let herself fall into him, into his embrace, into his protection and care, and for a while she didn’t have to be anyone but her own raw emotions dissolving into tears and sobs.

“I love you,” she said eventually, and in that moment she suddenly realized just how true it was. She realized just how much she had asked of him. He had been forced to choose between his own brother and her, and he had chosen her.

“I love you too,” he said.

She snuffled. “Are you gonna be mad if I don’t want to talk about it yet?”

He chuckled softly. “Oh thank God!”

She kissed him tenderly, and even in this difficult situation her heart fluttered with adoration and appreciation to have found someone so wonderful.

“By the way… whose idea was it to turn this room into a sauna?”

Robin laughed nervously. “It’s sooo warm!” she said with a gasp. David got up, and walked over to the living room to inspect the fire in the fireplace.

“Damn. No way we can put that out. It’s roaring!”

“Open the windows then!”

A pause. “They don’t.”

“What?”

“They’re antique or something. Twenty-four panes and zero hinges.”

“Balcony door, then.”

“Way ahead of you.”

A minute later, he returned, yawning, and Robin was immediately yawning as well. She was so incredibly tired, and the crying and hugging had burned her out even more, and the heavy air wasn’t moving one bit.

“Smells kind of nice actually. Are they burning sandalwood or something?”

David yawned again, and laid himself down in bed next to her. “Dunno, not a connoisseur of fine woods.”

Robin sighed. Her limbs felt so heavy. She hadn’t even noticed how heavy until now.

“Maybe we should get out of our clothes and get some water before…”

“Yeshh… sounds sensible.” 

They clumsily pulled off their clothes until they were in their underwear, and sighed as they laid on top of the sheets of their king size bed. There was barely a breeze coming in from the open balcony door but without clothes, it felt almost cozy now. The bed was so soft and warm and after such a long day, it felt so good to finally come to rest and close her eyes and let herself sink into the warmth. The calming, heavy smell of the air was like an invisible blanket, heady and dense and cloudy and… soft… so… soft.

…what a day…finally in bed… finally over…finally

…sleep.

–

The masked servants of Casa Bianca entered the room and carried Robin’s unconscious body out fifteen minutes later.

“She’ll be ready in about an hour, Sir,” said one of the attending servants as they placed her in a wheelchair and pushed her into the elevator. “You can join us downstairs then, or we can deliver her to your room, ready to use.”

“No. No. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Don’t start stripping her without me, understand? Don’t even touch her. I want to be there for every fucking minute of it. Get it, Gabriela?”

The servant nodded with a dutiful smile.

“Yes Sir, Master Belmont. As you command.”