A Flight's Desire

Chapter 46: Higher Stakes

Robin was fixed to the place where she stood by the window. The rumours were spreading faster and much sooner than she had anticipated them to. Her family was already facing the consequences with the falling of the dominoes. If people were smarter than she gave them credit to be, they would connect Mila Anne to this too. Sweta and David will be ambushed and the firm will have reporters waiting in the hallway.

"Robin?" She forced herself to look up from the fixed spot on the ground. Ben walked towards her and was about to pull her into a hug when her phone rang once again, making her jump backward.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Hale? This is Andrew Chen."

"Andrew, hey."

Andrew Chen was a world famous director who was going to be directing Out Of the Blue along with many producers that Robin had always looked up to, being a movie buff. Paige had sent him the script on Robin's request and he was extremely sweet on calling it "an opportunity that he wouldn't dare miss", because he was going to get to play with the Psychological Thriller genre.

"I don't know if you know yet, but there are a lot of articles with your name being mentioned in it."

Robin held her forehead with one head. "Yes, I got the news only a minute ago myself, Andrew. Listen-"

"The producers are having some concerns now."

Her heart stopped beating for a moment. "What do you mean? I don't think this has to change anything. If you just let me explain-"

"Robin, I'm not the one to judge anyone in the first place. But they are concerned about your personal preference in the casting panel." Robin gulped. Personal preference. She was definitely going to faint. She walked over to the sofa and sat down, resting her head in her hands. "I'm trying to talk to them but I have a feeling that you should come here soon and talk to them yourself."

"Yes, my flight has been moved to the day after tomorrow. I'll be there soon." Her phone buzzed, indicating that she was getting another call. She saw that it was none other than Paige. "That's my agent on the other line. I think she would want to have a word with you. I'm going to add her in."

When Robin picked her call up, Paige was filled in on the situation. "Great! Andrew? Andrew, honey, listen to me. I don't care what happens with the producers. No one is allowed to talk about this until Robin comes to Los Angeles. I've spent every minute of my life trying to make this movie come true and if the producers have a problem with it, fire them!"

"But-" Andrew started.

"I don't care! Deal with it! You're a potential Academy Award Winner next year and I don't need to hear excuses. I've already been disturbed by notifications when I'm currently on my long honeymoon with my wife. She is talking to the producers and all I need is for all of you to work this together."

Robin started to breathe again but she had forgotten that even Paige would be affected by this. So would Karen, and the two of them were on their honeymoon! Robin really did not know what she would do without Paige. She so wished that she could be at home then, but Ben having an arm around her was just the same.

There was silence for a few seconds, which then turned to a minute. "Alright, Watson. We'll work our differences out. I'll get them to stop spreading the rumours as well, because Robin is right. Summers is Caleb and I would really like to work with him. But I need them to sign the non-disclosure agreements that the movie will not be affected by what is going on-"

Robin couldn't listen to him after that. His voice toned out as the blood rushed to her brain. As soon as Andrew cut the call, Paige swore under her breath. "Don't you worry, Rob. They are simply intimidated by powerful women like yourself. Don't let them get to you. The producers are a bunch of idiots. If they want to leave, let them. We can find another way. Karen is talking with them right now. We'll figure this out. I'm coming home-"

"No no no! Don't! You need a vacation as well and-"

"Don't you dare say that you are sorry."

Robin managed to smile. "Thank you so much, Paige. I owe you one. Seriously."

The call cut down and Robin rested her forehead on her knees. Her eyes were tearing up at the possibility of the change in the talk that she and Ben were supposed to have. "I can't do this."

Ben's head jerked sharply in her direction. "Robin?"

She looked up at him, her eyes all red. "I can't do this, Ben." She stood up and walked away from him. "The movie people are finding a problem in the personal preference that I have somehow shown since the beginning. I knew that our jobs would always be contradictory."

Ben stood up, knowing where she was going with this. "Robin. Don't do this." He walked towards her but she shuddered.

She shook her head. "My family is not like yours, Ben. Lincoln and I have been through a lot since the accident. I cannot do this to him after everything that he has done for me. You don't know certain things about me and it seems that...." She inhaled sharply. "It seems that even though I wanted you to be the one who knew about them, the world will not let us be together."

"Robin." He took her hands in his and looked directly in the eyes. "Don't do this. We can figure this out. I get that you don't want anything to do with the fame that comes with the movie industry. But we cannot let this break us apart. I'm not gonna let you go through this alone. We can get past this!"

"And what if we don't?"

Ben didn't have an answer for that. The future was always insignificant but this was him and Robin that he was thinking about. He couldn't imagine a future without her being a part of it, but how could he tell her that? "We won't. I know that we won't. We are stronger than this."

"I haven't lived a life like you, Ben. My life will change completely and I don't know if I can put my family through that." She looked at the floor and broke her own heart. "Maybe we shouldn't do this."

Ben gasped. Her words were echoing in his ears. Had he heard her right? Did she really want them to stay apart after all the time that they had spent together? He cupped her face with his hands and saw the pain in her eyes. "Are you really going to let them stop us from happening?"

She looked back and forth between his eyes. She owed her family better than the toxicity from the articles, which would only increase if she didn't do anything about it. "I don't know."