Chapter 50: Chapter 50
"What was that all about, man?" Michael asked as he sat down on the ground in front of a lake.
Robbie slumped himself beside him and picked up a small rock, then threw it on to the lake.
"Is it true what Sasha said? Did you hook up first before hitting it off?" Michael asked.
Robbie nodded.
"Except we're not really hitting it off yet," Robbie replied. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"What do you mean?"
"We're not really a couple... yet."
"I'm confused. You mean to say, you and Alex had been doing stuff to each other and you're still not a couple?"
Robbie just kept staring on to the lake, not knowing if he should answer or not.
"So if you're not a couple, what are you then?"
Robbie sighed.
"I don't know.."
What are they really?
Robbie was not sure since until now, Alex still confused him.
"What do you mean you don't know? I saw how you two look at each other. Your eyes were so dreamy."
"Dreamy? Really?" Robbie looked at Michael, confused.
"Yeah, man. Any person could tell you love each other."
Love? Does Alex really love him? That would be his greatest wish.
"I would not really be surprised if you guys decided to go beyond."
"You think so?"
"Yeah... I saw how you liked Alex since we were kids, Robbie."
"How? We were so young back then."
"I remember you always talked about her."
Robbie creased his eyebrows.
"I do?"
"Yes, Rob. You never stopped. Every time we had an activity with the other boys in the camp, you used to keep commenting, 'Alex likes this', or when we go hiking, you make sure to pick up a shiny new rock for her and say, 'Alex will like this.' It was always Alex, man! I almost smack you in the head so you could stop."
Robbie laughed.
"I can't believe it was that long time ago," Michael added. "Last time I saw you was after your parents divorced."
"I know..." and Robbie sighed. "I didn't know you bought this place until I saw Toni at the office."
Michael smiled.
"You know how much I have always wanted to own a place like this. A friend of ours told my mom that this was on the market, and she told me about it. So I grabbed the opportunity before anyone else did."
"Well, I'm glad you did it, Mike. I love this place."
"Me too... so many memories."
A memory suddenly came to mind and Robbie grinned.
"Remember the night we went skinny dipping?"
Michael's eyes lit up remembering.
"Oh yeah! The girls caught us and took our clothes. We had to run butt naked back to our tents. Man, I was so cold and Mom was so mad!"
Robbie laughed.
"And those two mischievous girls used our underwears as flags running around their tents the next day. God! Alex and Toni, they're just little b-ches in the making."
They both laughed.
"Well, we both loved to tease them, too," Michael commented.
"That's true. It was fun though."
"Yes."
Then silence, as both men took deep breaths watching the ripple in the water.
After a few seconds....
"I missed you, man," and Michael wrapped an arm around Robbie's shoulders. "I wished we had stayed closer."
Robbie sighed and smiled. "I missed you, too, Mike."
He placed his arm on Michael's shoulders, too as they stared out into the lake.
"If we haven't moved, maybe we could still have those times together."
"I know..."
"Next thing I knew, you're on the paper."
Robbie stared at him.
"You read that?"
"Yeah. You're all over the news for a few years, man. Mr. Robert James Magsano, CEO of JM Cosmetics, had finally admitted he is gay."
"Right..." and he took his arm from Michael's shoulders suddenly feeling uneasy. He took another rock and threw it on to the lake.
"But I never believed the rumors, Rob," Michael assured him as he clamped his hand on Robbie's shoulder.
"Thanks. You're one of the few," he smiled.
"Is that why you and Alex never become a couple? Because she thought you're gay?"
Robbie nodded.
"Wow."
"And she was the one who spread the rumors about it."
"She did?"
"Yeah."
"Why would she think that? You never showed any signs."
"I know... but she said she saw me kissed a guy."
"Kissed a guy? Really? Did you?"
"Hell no!"
Michael sighed. "I believe you, man. Although I'm curious, why would you be a CEO of Cosmetics? I mean..."
"I know what you're thinking. It was her influence, too."
"Alex?"
"Yes. I made my very first lipstick because I'm obsessed with her lips."
Michael laughed. "Man, you got hit hard on Alex."
"Yeah... but I guess she's not."
"Maybe that's the reason why she thinks you're gay? Because you make lipsticks instead of other things?"
"I don't know anymore, Mike. She was just impossible to convince."
"You got her knocked up, Rob. Was that not enough for her to be convinced that maybe you're not gay at all? I have never heard of any gay guy who would have sex with a woman."
"Apparently that's not how she thinks. Did you know she even accused me of being bisexual?"
Michael laughed.
"Alex..." and he shook his head. "Man, if that happened to me, I'll have sex with her every night just to prove I'm straight, you know."
"I'm trying everything, Mike. When she left ten years ago, I thought I'd forget her and didn't even care if she came back. But when she came to my door with Sasha, I just can't turn my back on her... I realized I still have feelings for her despite of what happened to us."
"Did you guys do it again?"
"We almost did."
"Whoa, man! You're smooth."
Robbie laughed.
"Look, Rob, if you really want to win her, I think I just know what might convince her entirely."
"Really? How?"
"I got a plan."
**********
Toni and Alex watched as children of all ages scattered around the area where the scavenger hunt was being held. Two-by-two, each pair was handed a piece of paper where a list of objects to hunt for were needed to be collected, and a Camp Grizzly tote bag to put the items in. Whoever handed them complete to Toni, would have a special prize from the camp gift shop.
"So you and Michael, huh?" Alex asked as they sat on one of the picnic tables with benches, coffee in hand.
"Yeah. Who would have thought?" Toni replied, smiling. "How about you and Robbie?"
Alex chuckled. "I don't know..."
"What do you mean?"
"Sasha was right. We're not a couple."
"But you will be."
Alex shrugged her shoulders.
"Alex... do you love him?"
Alex sighed.
"I-I guess.... Have you ever doubted your feelings with Michael?"
"No. I don't have a reason to. Why, do you doubt your love for Robbie?"
Alex took a sip of her coffee then answered.
"Perhaps..."
"Why would you? I mean, Robbie seems like a nice guy, and you've known each other for so long."
She sighed.
"Alex..."
"I thought he was gay."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I saw him, Toni. I saw him kiss the guy."
"Are you sure?"
Is she really sure of what she saw that day?
Now she suddenly doubted herself. With the way Robbie was showing her, her thoughts suddenly bothered her.
She could have been wrong after all these years.
"Did you... do it again?"
"Which one?"
"Have sex? Kiss? I can see you in your eyes, Alex. You love him."
Alex lowered her eyes.
"But what if he decided to find a guy to love instead and break my heart?"
Toni was about to say something when the kids came bounding up towards them.
Alex set the cup down on the table as the kids went back to them.
Sasha and another girl came back with a whole tote bag of the things that they collected from the scavenger hunt.
"Mom, look what we found," and Sasha opened the tote bag to reveal the items. There were sticks, rocks and other items in the bag.
Sasha and the girl was so proud of themselves, beaming from ear to ear.
"So who is your new friend, honey," asked Alex.
"Her name is Viola," Sasha supplied.
"Hello," greeted the girl. "I'm Viola Crainshaw."
'Crainshaw... why does it sound familiar?' she thought as she stared at the girl.
"Nice to meet you Viola," Alex greeted. "Are your parents with you?"
"Viola!" called a familiar female voice from behind her.
Alex turned her head, eyes widened as she gasped.
Could it be....
"Elaine?" asked Alex as her eyes continued to stare at the woman.
Her former rival in high school...
The bully...
That stole Miguel's heart.
She's here.
What now?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Honey15
Honey15 New character: Elaine. Could she still be the same girl from high school? Read more to find out ;)
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