Page 18 of Robbie (Confessions 1)

“I don’t even know what is next.”

Julien leaned over and put his finger on the seatbelt release. “Dinner,” he said, and then pressed down, and as it unclicked and retracted, Robbie narrowed his eyes.

“Just dinner?”

“Patience, princesse. One thing at a time. Come to dinner and let us all see how it goes.”

“You’re almost as bad as he is, you know? You’re just nicer about it.”

“Non.” Julien put a hand to his chest. “Say it isn’t so.”

Robbie rolled his eyes, reached for the door handle, and then shoved it open.

“I hope we see you later,” Julien said, and leaned over to kiss Robbie’s cheek. “It’s been a pleasure.”

Robbie shut the door and stared through the window at one of the most handsome faces he’d ever seen, and when Julien winked at him, Robbie knew there was no question of whether or not he’d be going tonight.

After all, it was just dinner, right?

“IT’S ABOUT TIME you called me back. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

Felicity, Robbie’s youngest sister, had been calling him nonstop ever since he’d gotten in the car with Julien, and as he walked down the hall of his nonna’s house, he looked in each room to make sure his nonna was nowhere around.

It had just turned nine thirty on Thursday morning, and luckily the house was empty right now—Nonna was probably next door at Betty’s for her morning game of canasta. Otherwise, he would’ve been bombarded with a hundred and one questions the second she’d seen a strange car dropping him off at the curb—and she would’ve seen it, too. One thing you could always count on about Italian grandmothers: they heard and saw everything.

“Oh, please,” Robbie said, and walked into the small bedroom he’d claimed during his stay. “I don’t have time to reassure you that I love you best. I have to talk to you about something while Nonna’s not here.”

“Ohh, gossip?” Felicity said. “Wait, is this about Penny getting knocked up? Because if it is, I already know that.”

Robbie’s feet came to an abrupt halt at the mention of their oldest sister’s name, and he held a hand up. “Wait. What? Penny’s pregnant?”

“Oh. Shit,” Felicity said, and Robbie could picture his baby sister twirling the end of her braid. “That’s not what you were talking about?”

“No, that’s not what I was talking about, but it’s what I’m talking about now. Penny is…with child? To who?” Robbie shut the door to his room and leaned back against it.

“Wait for it,” Felicity said, sounding a little bit too pleased at their sister’s delicate situation. “Jack Paulson.”

“Nooo, she didn’t.”

“Yes, she did.”

Jack Paulson? Robbie had some very fond memories of watching Jack swim at the lake every summer in his white board shorts and not much more. His family had had a house next door to theirs, and the last he’d heard he was… “Back up a second.”

“Isn’t that your specialty?”

“Yeah, but we aren’t talking about me. We’re talking about Prim and Proper Penny. Isn’t Jack Paulson married?”

Why he was getting on his high horse about that right this second was beyond him. Especially when he’d just come from a home where a married couple had invited him to dinner and their bed.

“He is.”

Robbie brought a hand to his mouth as he walked over to his bed and flopped down on it. “This gets better and better.”

“Right? But Penny swore me to secrecy.”

“Yeah, okay. Is she stupid? You can’t keep a secret to save yourself. You probably already told Val.”

“I did not,” Felicity said, and then laughed. “I figured you’d want to.”

“Oh my God. Mom is gonna freak. She doesn’t know yet, does she?”

“No way, are you kidding? You would’ve heard the sobbing all the way from Nonna’s house. Not to mention the lecture. Good girls don’t have babies out of wedlock.” Felicity paused and then added, “Neither do good boys. Remember that, Robbie, the next time you take some random hottie home.”

“They take me home, and I always make sure they wrap it up,” he said, making Felicity laugh.

“Good. I’m just making sure you’re safe. We all know you’re a horny little boy. Don’t want you to end up like Penny.”

He still couldn’t believe it. Penny…pregnant? She was so gonna get shit the next time he saw her. “I mean, out of all of you, I figured you’d be the first one to get knocked up. You’re a bigger whore than I am.”

“Hey, that’s not true. I’m just seeing what’s out there.”

“Mhmm. Sure you are.”

“I am. And anyway, why is it so bad for a young, attractive female to date a lot but not a—”

“Date?” Robbie said. “Who’s talking about dates? I’m talking about the hot, sweaty men touring your bed, young lady. Don’t even try to tell me you haven’t had as many men as me. And you’re younger.”

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