Research: Romance

the four pt.2

The remainder of the exercise is easy, and considering Robin hasn't stopped staring at me with burning cheeks and slightly narrowed eyes, I feel confident that we made a real breakthrough as Robert and Liza. Of course, his glaring was entirely brought on because I refused to stop looking at him with a victorious smirk.

Despite it being a romantic exercise, Robin and I turned it into a competition of How severely can I make him/her blush with as few words as possible? It was all fair game, to say the least. A game Jack adored observing more than anyone. Each time he stopped by us to see how we were doing he would smile merrily and all but click his heels walking away.

Robin had a few honorable mentions, and one zinger that truly made me choke on my own spit. That one almost won. Almost. However, after I stopped coughing up my lungs, Robin stopped laughing, and both of us took a moment to pray for our souls, I knew there was only one thing to be done. I had an arsenal of words given to me by romance writers that should never be said aloud if one can help it. I promptly unloaded all of them upon the threat of losing.

Leaving Robin a rosy shade of embarrassment and me the winner.

"It seems I have some reading to do." He finally responds, breaking our stalemate with a obstinate fold of his arms. "This isn't over"

Laughing heartily, I shrugged, "When you want to lose, you know where to find me." I tip my head up playfully and sigh with a regal tone, "On my throne of innuendo, tucked away happily in my palace of verbal indecency. Queen Leah of Lewdland."

Robin snorts, raising his eyebrows, "Your parents must be so proud."

"They are." I sigh, shrugging as if it can't be helped, and smile at him brightly.

He presses his lips together, smothering another chuckle before scratching his head and saying, "I still want to talk to you... about what you asked me earlier."

The humor is gone from his voice, and I sober at his sincerity. "Me too."

We're still chest to chest, a detail that both of us realize simultaneously. Passing each other polite smiles, we step back into our own space. Robin exhales before clearing his throat, "Well, um. I should start by saying that there are things about that night I won't be able to t--"

Jack's voice booms out again, butting into Robin's explanation. "This is our last exercise so let's make it count!"

Passing him an apologetic smile, I turn from Robin to face Jack who is back up front. "Everyone remember airplane?"

There are some laughs and groans from the group which make Robin and I chuckle. Jack rolls his eyes dramatically and tosses his head from side to side, "Yes, yes, that one is always a big hit. Well, I think you'll like this variation better."

There's a note to his tone that makes Robin and I flash a look at each other in question. What other variation of airplane is there?

Jack senses the confusion and grins, "Oh, not so pouty now, huh?" Everyone laughs and he chirps, "Well, you know how to do 'flying airplane' Now, it's time to land."

"Land?" Robin echoes, his eyebrows pulling down. "What does he mean la-- Oh. Oh, no."

"What?" I look at Jack, then briefly back at Robin. "You don't think he means..."

Jack claps his hands, "Same partner positionings as before. Partner one on top and partner two on bottom. Let's land this plane and get sensual!"

Robin responds with a reconciled look on his face as the couples around us start to move into position.