ARTS - Scarlett's Apartment
A lot neater than the studio, the little apartment is cute, quaint, and cozy. A tiny bistro set is nestled into the kitchen nook, only enough room for two people to enjoy coffee or a meal. Though small, the kitchen is fully equipped with a small refrigerator, stove and microwave. The room acting as the living room-slash-bedroom consists of a large futon, at least twenty pillows of varying colors and sizes, and a large comfortable looking chair. A small television and entertainment system have been set up opposite the futon.
The days are becoming longer and the sun is shinning brighter. The temperatures are warmer and the birds are beginning to sing. This day should be a great day, but it isn't. Fresh off of a departing girlfriend, a fight with Ivan and now another visit to the hospital Robert has seen better days. It just so happens that the trip brings him close to Scarlett's shop, so he decides to pay her a visit. If he can get her to shun him then his cycle of bad mojo can be complete. Now in a new cast the man enters the shop, wondering if she's even around.
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The shop is hauntingly empty. The door is wide open, however, and several things are all askew inside. Noises can be heard in the back, as though someone is hacking away at something. With an axe.
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He's good with knowing the sounds of a fight, but not so much with the sounds of an axe. Still, it all leaves Robert extremely curious, especially as she's leaving the shop so unattended. Carefully he walks through, daring to enter that back room to investigate what exactly is going on. If need be, he's prepared to fight. This isn't the best part of Dallas, after all.
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West Dallas is probably the least best part of the city, the crime rate is high, the poverty rate higher. When Robert peers into the back room, he'll find a cute little apartment with a mad-woman inside it. Said woman is dressed all in black today, with a bright red apron, safety goggles, and a fireman's axe. With which she is currently mangling a coconut.
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At least he doesn't have to play the hero, He may not have it left in him at the moment. The sight is somewhat unusual and catches Robert off guard for a moment. He clears his throat before speaking, trying his best not to alarm the woman with an axe. "It must have really made you mad," he comments, ready to bolt if need be.
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The axe-woman spins around, a large chunk of coconut going flying toward Robert's head. Scarlett, axe wielded defensively in front of her, reaches her right hand up to slide the goggles off of her face. "Wasn't aware I had a customer. What can I help you with," she says, extremely business-like.
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It's something that he's not reacting. In order to save face, literally, Robert blocks the incoming object with his primary hand. Sadly this is the one that was just re-cast. He makes a face and actually turns away from Scarlett so she can't see the actual pain that he's in. "You probably shouldn't leave your door open," he says through gritted teeth. He doesn't answer her question immediately as his mind is now elsewhere.
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"I probably shouldn't do a lot of things, Slugger. For instance, talking to you? Likely a bad idea." Scarlett doesn't wince when the coconut piece crashes against the cast. She simply swings the axe around like a pro, then sets it against the small table. "What's with the new cast?"
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That causes him to make just as painful of an expression. Good thing that he's facing away from her. "Is it really that bad? I can leave. I just thought I'd see how you were doing." He's not angry at all, not in the least. Robert's good hand is pressed to the cast as he waits for the tide of pain to pass. "I might have recently re-injured my break." At least it wasn't on Ivan's face.
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The busybody in her starts toward him, trying to assess the injury. Scarlett stops a few feet away though, holding back. "I'm destroying coconuts with an axe as part of a new project. Welding wasn't doing it for me." That's how she's doing. "How did you reinjure it? You need to be putting that thing in a sling and not using it."
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If he realizes that she's approaching him he doesn't seem to immediately respond. "I'm really sorry." Yes, that's his response to the situation. "I didn't mean to do this to you." The good guy in Robert makes his words believable. It's because he's telling the truth. Eventually he turns to face Scarlett, his good hand still grabbing at the injured one. "I just might have to. Or I need a better outlet. Or to learn to use my left hand more. But it's nothing, really."
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"For what? Being engaged? Don't be." Scarlett waves it off, but she keeps her distance. She's really trying to not let his appearance here bother her. "I knew you had a girlfriend, the flirting was my fault." Despite what Ivan will say to the contrary. "I just don't want to be my brother." The telepath's words have maybe gotten to her a bit more than she'd like to admit. "Sling it is then." At least a makeshift one for now. She maneuvers carefully past him to a small closet, which holds a dresser where she begins tossing things out of it. Finally, she finds a black accessory scarf and moves toward him with the intention of slinging his arm up. "Or punch a softer surface, Slugger. Otherwise, you're going to wind up with a permanently damaged fist."
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His good hand finally moves away, if only to rub at the back of his neck. "Don't try to take any blame. Harmless flirting is just that. I made it awkward, even if we really didn't do anything. Even Hope knows it, even if she still moved out." At a time like this, he really just needs someone to talk to. Scarlett is his only option at this point. "You'll never be your brother. I'm trying really hard to not dislike him but his general attitude is making that extremely difficult." Hence the injured hand. Robert watches her as she moves closer, but not in a creepy way. It's like he's trying to decide what he needs to do next. "If this doesn't heal correctly, I'm sending him the bill. I really just don't want to lose my cool around him. I feel bad enough for what I've done already."
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Scarlett makes quick work of tying on the sling, like she's done this before. Once the final knot is tugged tight — maybe just a little too tight, she exhales a sigh. Her arms quickly fall away from him though. "Who said it was harmless? Obviously it harmed someone." If not his girlfriend, then himself and his stupid hand which feel the need to punch everything. "You need to take a yoga class," she says calmly. "Or get laid." She may never be her brother, but she can tell anger and frustration when she sees it.
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He is good the entire time that she's so close to him. In fact, Robert even looks away, making sure that she doesn't become even more uncomfortable. The final knot is almost recognized to be a point and it only makes him sigh. "Well, that's what it was. Unless it harmed you, and if it did then I really should be apologizing." When she offers him advice he actually turns red in the face and laughs. "I think I've heard that before somewhere. As much as I might enjoy the therapy, I'm extremely picky."
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There is no uncomfort, which is why Scarlett doesn't want him around. "I'm a big girl, Slugger. I repeat, I knew you were in a relationship. Therefore? My bad." She's going to take all the blame, if it kills her. "Yoga does wonders for my frustration. I've yet to punch anyone." Mangle a few coconuts, though? Why not. "You could always try retail therapy, but I somehow doubt that buying more jewelry here is what you want. Seems to me, it got you into trouble last time."
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"Yeah, and I knew that your brother is an ass and I still almost…" Yeah. So perhaps he still wants to, which is why /he/ isn't getting any closer. "I'm not sure how well I can do yoga like this. And I have a feeling that I'd make myself look like a fool if I tried." Even as she mentioned not hitting anyone, he looks to the axe. "I don't know. You slugged that psychic pretty good. How's your wrist?" He laughs at the comment about retail therapy and shakes his head. "Only a misunderstanding, one that's been cleared up, I believe. I just literally have no one left to buy jewelry for. I sure as hell am not going to start giving things to Ivan."
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"I would have stopped you," Scarlett replies, even though she's pretty certain she wouldn't have. "You can at least learn the breathing techniques. Those can calm you just as much as the exercises can." Her eyes drift toward the axe too, and she adds, "Coconuts are not people." Then the eyes fall to her wrist, and she sighs. "Sprained, not broken. Tensored. I'll live." Makes it a bit harder for her to work on more difficult pieces, but it doesn't seem to be stopping her. "How's the sling?"
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That brings his eyes right back to hers. "Would you have? Would you have wanted to?" He doesn't look hopeful but there's that part of him that is. "I'm not going to pay for a yoga class to learn breathing techniques. I'm still waiting on my first tango class." Yes, that's to note that he did show up and was stood up. When she mentions that she is indeed injured he takes a step towards her, as if he's going to somehow make it better. Instead of taking her hand, though, Robert simply stops. "You sure, or are you playing that down?" Yes, he's concerned. "It's alright." His arm shifts in the sling to readjust it. "It's just different. I'm used to actually using two hands."
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"Yes." … "No." … "I don't know," Scarlett says finally, throwing her hands up into the air. "I just thought it better to not put that temptation into your path again. You know what the tango is, right? How close the dancers have to be for it?" Dangerously close. "You can likely look the breathing techniques up on the internet, or at the library." Her good hand comes up to brush through her hair, and she knocks the goggles off of her head. "I had it checked, it's not broken."
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It may not be for the best, but he does smile. Not one of those offered to everyone else, but one a little bit more compassionate. "Don't worry about me. But I can understand if you don't want to be that close. I /am/ pretty irresistible, after all." Despite the pain he does seem to be feeling fine. Robert shakes his head, though, even if he is still smiling. "So that means no dancing? No anything? Like I shouldn't be here?" That just doesn't seem to suit him fine at all but he's not going to say anything just yet. His eyes move to the goggles shortly before he instinctively bends down to reach for them. "You really don't want to end up like me, you know. If you're going to throw a punch you might want to practice before doing it again."
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Scarlett crouches down at the same moment to take hold of the goggles. Which leaves them both holding the goggles; her crouched, him bent down. It leaves Scarlett looking up at him. "It's just dangerous, Slugger," she says quietly. "To your relationship, and to me. I don't want to be the woman that falls for a guy she can't have." None of the rest of it is responded to, though her hand starts to drift away from the goggles.
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At this point she should be glad that she put his arm in a sling. Robert looks to her as they're so close, his smile fading as he just watches her. "My life is full of danger." It isn't a cheesy pickup line. He honestly feels as if everything he does is considered dangerous. Even as she begins to move her hand, he slides his down the goggles, reaching for hers. "Would it really be so bad? I mean, if we did get together." He's not meaning in a sexual way, either. "And no, not like what your brother does."
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His hand touches hers, and still she tries to pull away. "Robert, no. Just no. I like you, and it's not fair to me to even consider being with a guy that's engaged." Scarlett looks away from him, knowing that if she doesn't one of two things will happen.
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He doesn't know what she's thinking, what two things might happen, even if he can take a guess. "I'm not engaged." It isn't said in any tone other than one of explanation. Robert doesn't pull away but he's not the type to force her not to. That doesn't mean that he won't continue to hover dangerously close. "I'm just not. You can call me all the things that your brother did but I don't see why we can't find out just how we feel about each other. If we don't, then we'll never have known." He has been given a week to figure things out, after all.
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"Ivan saw the ring," Scarlett points out. Her desire to back away so great that she winds up falling on her rear end on the floor not far from the goggles. "You're with his girlfriend's sister." Her words are quiet, her eyes shutting just to try and make it all go away. "I have a date with that guy at the bar," she blurts, quickly. Even though nothing is set in stone with it yet.
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"Ivan does a lot of things. If he knew you better, he should have seen that it came from you." It isn't meant to be rude but it's true. "And you know what happened, and since then we've talked about it." Robert isn't a complete idiot, though. He can see that his very presence is actually harming her. So his voice goes soft as he looks down. "I'm sorry, Scarlett. I shouldn't be here, especially not if you don't want me to be. If you're looking elsewhere. I just thought…" His head shakes slightly. "… it's not important what I think. I shouldn't be making you uncomfortable."
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"It's not that I don't want you to be, it's that I do." Scarlett doesn't want to hurt Hope, even if Ivan has nothing nice to say about her. Plus, she doesn't want to wind up getting hurt either. "The problem, Slugger, is that I'm not uncomfortable, and I should be."
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His good hand reaches out for her again, this time just so that he can help her up. Robert doesn't force contact this time but rather allows his hand to dangle in the open air. "Here, let me help you up." If one were to ask Ivan, this is just some evil plan to get closer to Scarlett. It, in fact, is not; he is just that kind of man. "Then why can't we just see? You can't help who you're attracted to."
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"You are a devil sent to tempt me from being the good person I am," Scarlett says, taking his hand. Drawing herself to her feet, she stands in her kitchen, staring at him. "You have a girlfriend," she points out, still trying to be the better person.
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"No, I'm not. I'm really not like that." That isn't his intention, at the very least. His hand falls from hers as soon as Robert is convinced that she's standing on her own two feet. "She told me to find out how I really feel. I think it's a smart idea, but it's not my place to pressure you." That is why his hand is staying at his side even if it could be on her shoulder, or her cheek. Bobby's not moving, though, as his eyes lock on hers. "So in the end that's basically the same thing."
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"Do you love her?" Scarlett isn't asking it to be mean, but because he's still sending off mixed signals. Her eyes are locked onto his face, her hands at her sides. The look like two, really stiff cardboard cutouts at this point. "I mean, obviously that's the point of this little game, right? To realize you love her and go back." So how is that fair to the Fontane twin again?
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It's a fair question and one that he does not hesitate to answer. "She's the first real girlfriend that I've ever had. She told me that she loved me when I showed up, beaten and battered and drunk on her doorstep. On the day of my father's funeral. I care about her. I'm just not sure if it really is love or just me caring, since I've never really cared for anyone else." Finally Robert moves first, his good hand looking for her shoulder. "Until now. I barely know you and I'm already this attracted to you. That makes me doubt."
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"So you don't know if you love her, and since you're physically attracted to me, it puts you in doubt as to your relationship?" Scarlett doesn't flinch when he touches her, but she doesn't make a move toward him either. Her eyes shift to his hand, then back to his face. "And since your physically attracted to me, you want to see if it's something more?" Again, how is this fair to her?
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He immediately shakes his head. "It's not physical." They haven't been physical and he didn't exactly think about things until long after they met. "It's not like that. It's you, Scarlett. I'm interested in you, who you are as a person. It isn't right for Hope or even me to continue without addressing the fact that I have feelings for you, the person." Just as it appears that he might move his hand he decides not to. "I'm not a man who is motivated by physical attraction."
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Why? Why do men have to be so damned difficult? Why does he have to make her feel like there could be something when there can't be a thing? Scarlett closes her eyes, a deep sigh issued. A step is taken toward him, a hand placed gently on the back of his neck as she draws him toward her for a short, but sweet kiss.
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It isn't as if he's out to guilt her, or to lie to her. From his standpoint he is being as honest as possible. Robert is being completely open. As she moves the hand on her shoulder does as well, falling to the small of her back. The intention was not to get a kiss from her; he's just trying to figure everything out. Still he doesn't push her away but rather kisses her back. Short and sweet.
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Sweet as the kiss is, Scarlett totally feels like Ivan. When she draws back from it, she just looks at Robert, saying nothing. Not moving, not talking, just staring at him, and feeling awful for kissing him when he's in a committed relationship.
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She is not the one who should feel guilty. At this point his relationship is over no matter what. He won't be able to face Hope the same way even if he does care for her. Robert reaches out, moving his hand from her back to her cheek. "I'm sorry. I really am. I…" The man sighs, already imagining the many different ways that he's going to get hurt.
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The spell is broken as he speaks. Scarlett blinks, and then shakes her head. "No, I should apologize. I shouldn't have done that." Guilty, guilty conscience now. "You should go before it's too late…"
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He shushes her as she apologizes, his hand moving back to stroke through her hair. "It's already too late." Robert hates to ruin a moment and he's not trying to use a pick-up line either. "I know what I have to do no matter what happens. I know that you don't want this and I won't force you into anything. Just know that it wasn't my intent to hurt you. I'll be around for whatever you want." Or not around if that is her choice.
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"Slugger, it's never too late." But when it seems like he's wanting to get cozier, rather than own up to the fact that he has a girlfriend, and when he seems like he's going to go ditch that girlfriend for her, she pulls back. When he goes on about hurting her, Scarlett looks at him for a moment, then swings her tensored arm forward in a poppy punch aimed at his face.
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That's not exactly what is going on. Exactly. "Do you honestly think that I can just forge…" Bam! Right in the kisser. Bobby stumbles back, his good hand going for his nose. It catches him by surprise but is rather hot, as well. "You could have said no," he says through a pinched nose and a smile. "But I see the point. I'll go now."
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"Ow!" Scarlett gives her hand a shake, yelps in pain and then bites her lip. "Yeah, I've got a get a cab to the hospital. I think I just broke my damned wrist…" With her good hand, she's trying to untie the apron. Once that's done, she sort of runs out of the shop, leaving him there to deal with locking it up before he goes.
