Love with a Twist Ch. 12

Hello everyone, I know it has been a couple of years since I updated this story, and for that, I apologize, but life got in the way. To those that sent feedback both good and bad, thank you. It means a lot to me, and is fuel in my tank to keep writing.

If you have not, please read chapters 1-11, if you want any of this make sense. Chapter 12 is a new arc to this storyline, and I hope you all enjoy it. I have plans for two more chapters after this one, so more to come for sure.

Special thanks to my editor, CAM, for all your feedback and help :)

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Love With a Twist Chapter 12: New Beginnings.

Robert stood in a large air-conditioned room listening to the low hum of the large black server towers around him. A silver laptop sat on a rolling stand in front of him displaying ever-changing color graphs detailing the health of the server tower. Standing next to him, looking equally puzzled was his best friend and business partner Peter.

The server room was in the basement of the office building where Robert and Peter were partners in a start-up web hosting and server rental company. Peter had tracked Robert down while he was in Florida and asked him to come help him create this. While Peter had the business smarts, and money to do it, he had no real technical skill when it came to the servers. Robert had set up the staff, the servers, designed the website for their business, and once it was all established, he had stepped back and allowed the staff to work on it.

Reaching up Robert scratched his cheek, running his fingers through the thick beard that now covered the majority of his face. He quietly studied the numbers on the graph that was showing the upload and download numbers the large server was putting out. He had been staring at these numbers for the better part of six hours and could not find an indication of what was wrong. Grunting softly to himself, he closed the laptop and unhooked the cable that ran from the laptop to the server.

"Thoughts?" Peter asked, gesturing to the server tower.

"None. I think we need to rebuild it," Robert replied with a sigh.

"Well, let's wait til tomorrow. A bunch of us are going out tonight. You game?" Peter asked, turning towards Robert, "The hot secretary for the third floor is coming with us, and you know you want a piece of that."

Robert turned to Peter and saw the shit-eating grin plastered on his face, and rolled his eyes. "No," turning back to his laptop and unplugging it from the server.

"Dude, it has been three years. Time to get back on the horse," Peter exclaimed.

Robert ignored his comment while he was packing up his laptop, and grabbed a couple of tools from his tool bag. It sounded like Peter was going to say more but he was cut off by the notification chime from Robert's phone.

Reaching down Robert grabbed his cell phone from inside his bag and saw that he had an unread text message notification. Swiping the phone on, he navigated to his message and saw that it was from his assistant. He needed to speak with him as soon as possible. Shoving the phone in his pocket, he pushed his workbag aside and made his way back to the security doors that lead to the elevator.

"I need to head upstairs." Robert notified Peter, grabbing his laptop case.

"Alright man. I am heading out. I will call you later." Peter disgustedly replied.

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Robert got off the elevator on the third floor and walked slowly to the brown heavy double doors of his office. The floor itself was quiet; most of the employees had already left for the night, and only the soft hum of the many computers filled the silent void. He saw the desk of his assistant empty and the door to his office was open, with a faint light coming through. Robert had grown use to finding Jerry in his office, always sitting on his expensive black leather couch, with a laptop running and papers around him.

When Peter had offered him a partnership in the company, he had told Robert to hire an assistant to help him with the day-to-day stuff, so Robert could focus on other technological issues that might come up. Robert, not wanting to go through the process of finding an assistant, had found Jerry, an intern at the time, working on the copy machine. He offered him the job after asking him a couple of questions, and could not have been happier with the choice. Robert stopped in front of the blond haired Jerry, whose blue eyes shined with intelligence and wit.

Jerry glanced up from the laptop and smiled at Robert.

"Hey boss!" he exclaimed, digging through some papers he had on the couch. He pulled a sheet from the mess and held it out.

"A lawyer by the name of Jeff Dean called for you. He said it is very important you call him, no matter what time of day."

Robert examined the mess of papers scattered around Jerry, smiling to himself. He knew that the casual observer might think that this mess is an OCD's nightmare, but he knew that Jerry had everything in its place, and could get his hands on any one piece of information in an instant.

Robert took the piece of paper and walked over to his desk, dropping into the large leather backed black executive style chair, picking up the receiver of his desk phone.

"Did he say what it was about?"

"He said it was about a woman named Terri," Jerry replied as he collected up the paperwork on the couch and started to organize it into a stack.

Robert dropped the receiver of the phone back into the cradle with a loud crack, causing Jerry to jump in surprise.

"Are you sure, that is the name he said?"

Jerry slowly stood up and walked over to the desk, nodding his head. "Yes, I am sure. I asked him to repeat it twice to me. Is everything OK? You look very pale."

"Yeah. Why don't you go home, Jerry? I will finish up and am leaving soon," Robert replied without looking up, silently begging Jerry not to ask any more questions and just leave.

Robert could hear Jerry moving around the room, the rustling of papers, and the soft click of Jerry's laptop shutting. Glancing up he saw Jerry slowly slip out of the room shutting the door behind him. Jerry was a smart kid. He knew when to speak, and when to shut the hell up; another reason Robert had liked him from the start.

Robert took a deep breath, grabbed the phone, and dialed the numbers on the paper. He heard the tones ring through the earpiece. His hand trembled as it cradled the phone against his ear, and his right leg bounced in anticipation; his mind was a whirlwind of questions. What happened to her that Terri needed a lawyer? Did she get into trouble or was she hurt? Did this have anything to do with...?

Before he could finish his thought, the tones stopped and an older female voice answered the phone announcing the name of the law firm. Robert gave his name and requested to speak with Jeff Dean. The woman on the other end sadly apologized and he heard the click of the phone. Music started playing in his ear as he was put on hold.

"This is Jeff Dean. Is this Robert?"

"Yes, this is Robert. I was told you called."

"Robert. Yes. I am not sure how to say this, but you were mentioned in a will for Terri. Are you aware of what has happened to her?"

Robert's stomach clenched, his legs turned into lead weights, and his heart dropped when he heard Jeff ask him the question. Robert's mouth was an arid desert. Clearing his throat, he tried to keep his voice level and even.

"No, I have not, but I know Terri."

"Robert, I am sorry I have to be the one to tell you this, but Terri passed away."

"How?" Robert choked out, trying in vain to hold back the tears that were assured to come the moment he hung up the phone.

"She was struck by a drunk driver while driving home from work. I am truly sorry for your loss," Mr. Dean softly replied. "If you are able, I do need you to come to Florida. There is a matter of her will, in which you were named."

"For what?" Robert questioned, feeling his heart thunder in his chest, his whole body shaking with grief.

"Well, I am sorry, sir. It is not something I can go into detail over the phone. Terri's funeral is on Friday of this week. I will be doing a reading of the will shortly after that."

Jeff still sounded like he was trying to be sympathetic, but Robert got the sense that he was just trying to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

"Fine, I will be out there by Friday," Robert replied realizing that he too wanted to end this conversation just as quickly.

They exchanged e-mail addresses so that Jeff could send over the information for the funeral and the reading of the will. Robert slumped back in his chair, running his hands through his hair, still trying to come to terms with what Mr. Dean had told him.

Terri had been the last person he had spoken to as he left Florida. She had called him and tried to convince him to come back to the house to speak with her. She told him that Sarah had become very withdrawn, and realized she had made a mistake. Robert would not listen to her. He told Terri that he was not interested in fixing anything, and just wanted to return home. The final thing Terri had told him before he hung up on her was that Sarah was not the only one who cared for him and would miss him.

Robert remembered looking down at his cell phone as he heard Terri asking him if he was still there, just before he hung up the call and tossed his cell phone in the trash at the airport, making the choice to sever all ties with those he cared for. Staring up at the white ceiling tiles in his office, he felt a tear slip down his cheek. He knew he could not hold back the rush of emotions. Closing his eyes, he saw fluttering images of Terri laughing and smiling at him, as more tears followed the path of the first one.

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It had been a busy twenty-four hours for Robert. after finally pulling himself together, he had ordered tickets, rearranged his schedule, and been granted some vacation time by Peter to go to the funeral and find out what was going on with Terri's will. Peter had tried to talk with Robert about Terri, but Robert just ignored the questions knowing that Peter knew better than to ask about his time in Florida. All Peter really knew was that Robert had had a falling out with someone he was engaged to and that it nearly ruined Robert's life by driving him into a liquor bottle.

Peter had given Robert two weeks of paid vacation and assured him that he would only call if he had to. Robert told Jerry if any questions came up to call him. Jerry, being as intelligent as he was, only nodded and assured him that he would send him daily updates on Server 14, as well as any other issues.

Robert arranged to take the earliest flight to Florida, which had been at six o'clock in the morning. He rushed home to pack a few pieces of clothing, his laptop, and his best black suit. He tried to lie down before he had to leave for the flight, but sleep would not come. Unanswered questions rolled through his mind; why had Terri named him in the will and what could she possibly want to give to him after all these years? He wondered how he was going to go to the funeral and avoid running into or speaking with Sarah. Thinking about Sarah made his heart ache, but in his mind, he was still angry with her for sleeping with someone behind his back

In all of the issues that had risen with Sarah, his relationship with Terri had been an unwanted casualty. Terri and Robert were not romantically involved, but had shared a bed with Sarah, a time or two. They had grown close as friends while he was in Florida, which made her passing even more difficult.

Off the plane in Florida, Robert found himself standing in the middle of a congested airport; people swirled around him like a torrent river. He watched as people met with loved ones; men embracing women, women hugging their children, fathers and mothers, and friends meeting for the first time or just happy to be in each other's arms. Robert realized he was standing in almost the same spot where he met Sarah for the first time.

She had come up behind him, spoken his name, and tapped him on the shoulder. He remembered her beaming smile and the way she had wrapped herself around him in a crushing embrace, sobbing softly about how long she had been waiting to hold him.

Robert felt a longing in his soul that he had not felt since the day he left her. That void had been with him every day since that day, and as much as he tried to fill it with drinking and work, it never seemed to be enough. Shaking his head, he pushed away that empty feeling and made his way to baggage claim.

After spending what felt like ages at baggage claim and the car rental place, he was finally on the freeway heading towards the city. He got lost trying to find the hotel, but after the long process of check in and lugging his bags to his room, he finally had a chance to sit down and reflect on the last twenty-four hours.

Robert stripped off his clothes and stood in the shower, trying to wash the haze from his mind and the questions he was still mulling over. It was there, thinking about Terri, that he broke down again; kneeling on the floor of the shower he gritted his teeth, and felt his tears get washed away by the shower water. He knew it was not just the loss of Terri that had brought him to his knees, but also Sarah.

In Michigan he was separated by a distance far enough from her to forget her, or try to. Now he was in her state, and he knew he would see her at the funeral. Deep down he knew he still cared about her, and maybe even needed her in his life.

Shutting off the water, Robert rose from the floor and grabbed a towel from the rack. Wiping away the fog in the mirror, he looked at his own haggard reflection. His eyes were red from crying, but they looked tired and heavy. His dark brown beard hid his face, which he believed on an unconscious level that he grew to hide away from the world, and other potential love interests.

Peter was right. He had seen the look the secretary, Carol, had given him whenever they were around each other, but he would only ignore her, or seem uninterested. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Robert walked back into his room, and sat down on the edge of the bed. It was already noon and he was feeling exhausted. Grabbing his phone, he set the alarm app for four o'clock, crawled up to the head of the bed, and collapsed.

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Robert stood in front of the mirror in his hotel room. He had trimmed his beard back, was wearing a black suit coat, a white button shirt with a black tie, and black dress pants. He had spent more time than he cared to admit dressing this morning, even using a lint roller on his suit coat.

Taking a deep breath he whispered, "Stay calm. Keep it together, Robert."

Using the number Robert had gotten from Mr. Dean, he found that the funeral was scheduled to be at eleven in the morning, at the Mooring Side Cemetery. Terri had requested that it be a small affair with only a select group of friends and family present, Robert being one of those named. Grabbing the rental car keys and his wallet, he headed out.

Cursing himself again, he had gotten lost twice finding the cemetery, putting him ten minutes late to the funeral. After two missed turns, he finally broke down, turned on the GPS on his phone, and followed happy tones of the GPS girl as she directed him to the cemetery. Once he was in the park it was easy to find the procession and the small gathering of cars led by a black hearse, which parked along the sides of the road. Grabbing his sunglasses Robert climbed from the vehicle, holding a small red rose, and silently padded over to a small group of people that were huddled around a walnut colored casket.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he heard the quiet sobs of those standing around the casket. A priest in a white robe stood holding a book in one hand and sympathetically spoke about how loved and missed Terri would be. Stopping behind the group, Robert did not feel right standing among those that knew Terri better than he did, who had not thrown her away when she reached out. Bowing his head, he blinked away the tears that started to form in the corner of his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he raised his head and heard the priest ask if anyone had anything they wanted to say or do before they lowered the casket to its final resting place.

Robert quietly walked forward, fingering the small red rose in his hand, as he made his way to the casket. He tried hard not to look at the collection of friends and family, avoiding the looks they would give him for being such an ugly friend. He also did not want to look into her pain-filled eyes and know that some of that pain was for him.

Robert stood over the walnut brown casket; he could see her sleeping quietly inside the case. He knew she looked like an angel, just waiting for wings to take her away from this world. Placing his hand on the coffin he leaned forward, closed his eyes, and whispered softly to her, "I am sorry Terri, please forgive me..." He gently placed the rose on top of the casket, praying silently that she would forgive him for doing what he had done.

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Robert sat in his car, outside of the law offices of Jeff Dean. He had been crying again, cursing himself for not being able to hold his emotions in check. Taking a long drag off his cigarette and tossing it aside, he got out of his rental car. He stood looking at himself in the reflection of the vehicle's tinted window, taking the time to straighten his jacket and making sure he looked somewhat presentable.

Robert entered the building and got off at the tenth floor, which was the floor that the law firm occupied. When he got off the elevator, he saw a large desk that had a blond female sitting behind it.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, while shuffling around some paperwork on her desk.

"I am here to see Mr. Dean about a will reading," Robert replied, glancing around the large lobby.

"Yes sir, I am sorry for your loss. Let me lead you over to the conference room. If you will, follow me please."

She led him through a large glass door, into a larger office space that contained many rows of desks and several offices. Walking quickly, she led him to a wooden door at the back of the room. Robert glanced around noting that this office space was not unlike the one in their offices. Since their floor had access to more windows and natural light, this one seemed a bit darker in contrast.

As they were approaching the door, Robert noticed a small girl in a dark pink dress reclining in a chair. She looked to be about three years old. She was quietly brushing the hair on a small plastic doll, which she held in front of her. When they stopped in front of the door, the young girl looked up at him with a set of piercing blue eyes that made his entire mind and body come to a screeching halt. She had long dark brown hair and a small round face. She smiled up at him and turned her doll to face him. Robert tried to smile back at her, but he could only see Sarah in this young child's face.the thought of that pained him.

"This way, sir," the secretary stated, motioning for him to enter the room beyond the door. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you," he replied, entering into the conference room.

Inside the room was a large oval table lined with chairs, and at one end was a balding man bent over a collection of paperwork spread across the desk. He was wearing a gray suit with a white dress shirt and blue tie. Glancing up from his paperwork he quickly stood, and moved away from his chair and quickly walked over to where Robert was standing.

"Robert? I am sorry for keeping you waiting. I am Jeff Dean," he exclaimed, holding out his hand.