I Got Stung

"I'm so glad! It was my mom's recipe, and I still love it. I just don't make it very often anymore."

As tactfully as he could Trey asked if that had anything to do with cooking for one.

"It does. It just isn't worth the effort to come home, make a full meal, then sit down and eat alone. I love to cook, but since it's just been me, I pretty much live out of cans or what I can microwave."

"Robyn? I'm really sorry for your loss. Even saying 'your loss' sounds so trivial."

"It's fine, Trey. And thank you. My husband's name was Kevin, and we had almost 12 wonderful years together."

"May I ask how he..."

"Cancer," Robyn said before he had to say 'died'.

And before he could ask 'what kind' she said, "Melanoma."

"That stuff is wicked," Trey said before taking another bite.

"Keith worked outside and his arms were exposed most of the year. We Floridians know the dangers, but somehow we both missed it. Until it was too late. It was in an odd spot on his upper right arm, and by the time he showed it to me, it had spread."

"Do you have children?" Trey asked just as gently.

"No. We uh, we never did. The funny thing is how serious we got about having one after we found out about the cancer. But in the end we both agreed that having a child to preserve a legacy isn't the right reason. We also knew that bringing a baby into a one-parent family wasn't fair to the child. So the long answer to your short question is 'no'."

"If I'm being too nosy, please tell me, okay?" Trey said before taking another bite of the delicious homemade soup.

"You're not bothering me at all, Trey. It's just so nice to have something to share a meal with and just talk."

"Does that mean you don't date a lot?"

"I really don't date much at all. I couldn't even think about it the first 18 months. Just the thought made me ill. Then I realized how lonely I was and I forced myself to start trying, and a lot of that was due to my mom gently pushing me to 'get back on the horse'. But so far, it's been pretty bleak out there."

"I hope you don't mind me saying, but when I looked at your driver's license, I could tell you were a very attractive woman. And when I saw you in the hospital, I realized the photo didn't do you justice. And now, with you sitting here right in front of me, it's even more obvious that you're a very beautiful woman."

"That is so sweet of you to say! And I most definitely don't mind."

Neither of them said anything for a good bit, so Robyn asked if he'd like some more.

"Yes, please. This is really good."

She got up and poured the rest in his bowl but knew it needed to be reheated.

"Do you have something I could cover the bowl with so it doesn't blow up on us?" she asked.

"Oh. Sure. Let me get it," Trey said.

He pulled some Saran wrap out of the pantry, and when he turned around to hand it to Robyn, she was right in front of him. As in right in front of him.

"Sorry!" she said. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that."

Trey was just a few inches away and smiled at her.

"It's okay. It was a very...pleasant surprise."

Robyn hadn't been looked at—or spoken to—like that since her husband was alive. It sent a pleasant chill through her and caused her to look away.

"Here. This should do the trick," Trey said as he waited for her to look up at him again so he could hand the Saran wrap box to her.

But she didn't. She just took it and turned around.

"I'm thinking maybe a minute on high? It's still warm, so what do you think?" she asked without turning around.

"That sounds about right," Trey told her as he looked at her from behind.

He definitely liked women and had no trouble meeting them. Jacksonville had thousands of young, single women, and he hadn't met one yet who didn't like Navy pilots. But he'd never once looked at anyone Robyn's age before let alone the way he was looking at her. His conclusion was that the back side of her 'tubby body' was every bit as nice as the front side, and the front side was very easy to look at.

The fact that she was also pleasant, easy-going, and someone who shared some of his interests made him wonder if there was any reason, other than her being 13 years older than him, not to ask her out.

He was still staring when she turned around, unaware that he was still there. This time she was even more startled than he'd been.

"You scared the life out of me!" she said after making a 'yip' kind of noise and putting her hand over her chest.

"Sorry. I think my mind was elsewhere."

"How are you feeling? Any better at all?" she asked, changing the subject as quickly as she could.

"You know what? It may be the antibiotics or maybe just wishful thinking, but I do feel a little better."

Robyn laughed then told him it was too early for the antibiotics to have done anything.

"So that leaves only one other alternative."

"Chicken soup?" Trey asked.

"Well, of course. It's a secret family recipe, right?"

"Hmmm. Good point."

Robyn's laugh was so genuine it made Trey laugh. And whether it was the soup or just his imagination, his sinuses didn't feel like someone was in there with a jackhammer trying to get out. They still hurt. Just not quite as much.

"You know, you're pretty amazing, Robyn Crawford. And easy to talk to."

"You forgot funny and gorgeous!" she said with a laugh.

"No. I didn't forget," Trey told her in a way that caused her to look away again.

Trey noticed, so he changed the subject or at least went back to something he wanted to know more about.

"Is there some reason you don't date more often? I do understand needing to be ready, but you're the kind of woman any man would love to spend time with."

"Oh. Thank you. And you're right. I think a lot of it has to do with not being fully ready yet. I mean, even on the handful of dates I've gone on, I find myself wanting to talk about my husband. And while I'm sure a little of that is fine, what man wants to spend an evening listening to the lonely widow woman going on and on about how wonderful her late husband was?"

"The right kind of guy?" Trey suggested.

Robyn's eyes brightened and that let Trey know it was okay to smile.

When he did Robyn told him he was a very nice guy himself.

"If you were say...ten years older, who knows?" she said, the smile still there. "Or maybe I should say...if I was ten years younger."

"Good question. Who actually does know?" Trey said as he really looked at her for the first time. He thought he'd done that at the hospital and then again after she sat down at the table with him, but if he had he'd missed something very important that he was seeing now.

"You mentioned the airshow. Was that the only time you've been?" Trey asked.

"No. I went five years ago with my husband. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. I just didn't feel like going back and stirring up all those memories. But for some reason, I thought maybe I'd feel some kind of connection with him if I went last year, so..."

She looked at him then said, "Silly, huh?"

"No. That's not silly at all," Trey told her as they looked into each other's eyes.

When she looked away again, Trey said, "The airshow's back in town in a couple of weeks. Would you maybe like to go again?"

When she looked at him, he said, "With me?"

"What? With you?" she asked, not sure she understood.

"Yes. With me. We don't have to call it a...date or anything. But I really enjoy talking to you, and it might be nice to, you know, spend some more time together."

Robyn watched him for a couple of seconds then said, "Um, well, okay. On one condition."

Trey smiled and waited for her to name it.

"This can't be something you're doing because you feel sorry for me. Okay?"

"I do feel sorry for you, but that has nothing to do with the reason I asked."

Robyn looked at him briefly then said rather quietly, "In that case...yes. I'd...I'd like that very much."

"Okay. Then it's a d...an appointment!"

Robyn laughed that laugh he already loved as she covered his soup bowl and punched in the time.

They talked as he finished the second bowl, and once he was done, Robyn let him know she should probably be going.

"Oh. Right. Sure," Trey replied, knowing the disappointment in his voice was obvious.

"I could make you some more soup," she told him as she rinsed out their bowls and her empty casserole dish.

"You don't need to do that. It was excellent, but I'm not one to take advantage of someone's kindness."

She smiled at him then said, "No. I don't suppose you are," in a sweet-sounding voice that made him wish she would stay.

"Are you sure you have to leave already?" he asked, not sure how she might react.

"It's not so much that I have to as it is not wanting to take up all of your time. Especially when you're not feeling well."

Trey moved a little closer, waited for her to look at her, then smiled.

"It is my time, you know?" he reminded her. "And while it may be the chicken soup, there's something about your just being here that makes me feel better."

For the first time Robyn wondered if he might possibly be flirting with her. She thought it might be possible, but it seemed extremely unlikely. He was a very good looking man, a pilot, and a whole lot younger than her.

But stranger things had happened. Hadn't they?

Her short daydream was interrupted when she heard Trey tell her, "I have the movie Fargo on DVD. Could I interest you in watching it with me?"

Whether Trey was flirting with her or not, the thought of spending another couple of hours with him was far better than spending them at home alone, so she enthusiastically accepted.

"You're darned tootin'!"

Robyn's happy reply made him laugh.

"Great! I'll go pop it in if you'll pop some corn."

"Show me where you keep it, and it's a deal!" she told him.

Five minutes later they were on the couch sharing a bowl of Orville Redenbacher's finest and laughing at the black comedy on Trey's 60" wall-mounted TV.

An hour and ten minutes later, the movie ended, and Trey nearly forgot how bad he'd been feeling, and the last thing on Robyn's mind was getting stung.

"I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!" she told him as they took the empty bowl to the kitchen and picked up her casserole dish.

"Same here," Trey replied truthfully as most of the time he spent with women was a few hours here and there with the main attraction being a bedroom. But with Robyn it was different. He genuinely enjoyed her company and told her so.

"Ahh! Thank you!" she told him, "and the same goes for me, as well."

"Thank you for staying," Trey said as he walked her to her car. "To eat with me and watch the movie."

Robyn smiled at him then said, "Thank you for asking me to."

She unlocked the car remotely, so Trey opened her door for her and told her he had a really nice time.

"Me, too," Robyn said as they stood facing one another.

There was an awkward moment as they tried to decide what to do. The awkwardness ended when Robyn hugged him in a polite, almost platonic way. Trey did the same thing, although a part of him wanted to actually really hug her, but he barely knew her so the quick, 'see you later' thing won out.

"I guess I'll see you again at the air show?" she said as she sat down inside the car.

"I'm looking forward to it," Trey told her.

"Okay. Well, thank you for everything," she said as he handed her the dish.

"And for that, too," she said with a smile.

She was waiting for him to close the door, but he was just staring at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Well, is there...is there any reason we have to wait until the air show to get together again?"

He watched Robyn look at him for a second or two before saying, "I don't think that's a rule or anything."

Trey laughed then told her he agreed.

"Can I maybe call you and talk about doing something before then?"

"I'd like that," she told him as she smiled at him again.

Trey was evidently unaware he was staring again when Robyn mentioned it.

"Wow. I apologize. It's just that you have this amazing smile, and I..."

He stopped talking then promised to call her soon.

"Bye, Trey," she said just before he closed her door.

On her way home, Robyn was trying to understand what had happened. On one hand, it was very simple. She'd been stung and a decent human being did the right thing and helped her out. On the other, it felt like something profound and maybe even life-changing had taken place that day, and there was one person she knew she could talk to about it as she picked up her phone.

"Mom? Hi."

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about you. Something happened today, and I wanted to discuss it with my best friend."

When Robyn started off by saying she'd been stung by a bee, her mom was noticeably upset. But as she explained what happened after that thanks to a kind, caring, Navy officer and pilot, her mother got excited.

"Please tell me you like him!" her mother, Carrie Pedersen, said.

"Mom, I just met him this morning!"

"You still believe in love at first sight, don't you?"

Robyn had fallen in love with her husband almost from the moment she met him and had said so many times.

"I...I suppose I do," she quietly replied.

"So...maybe love has struck twice?" her mother asked hopefully.

"Okay, I...I do like him," her daughter began, but got cut off before she could qualify her statement.

"That's wonderful, honey!"

"It's not that simple, though."

"If he's single, a pilot, good looking, and kind...and if he likes you...what's complicated about that?"

"He's definitely single. He is indeed a pilot, and he's very good looking."

"So...?" her mother asked as a demand for the 'but' she felt was coming.

"But...he's...he's quite a bit younger than me."

"Oh. I...see," her mom said. "How much...younger?"

"I didn't exactly ask, you know? We had such a nice time just talking and laughing that it never came up."

"So I take it he's closer to 30 than 40, right?" she heard her mother ask with mild concern.

"Um...yes. A lot closer."

"But he is over 30, isn't he?" her mom asked, this time with hope.

"That's kind of why I called you, Mom," her daughter admitted.

"Oh. I...see," her mom said again.

Neither of them spoke for several seconds before Carrie asked, "Are you going to see him again?"

"Yes?" Robyn replied making it sound like a question more than a statement.

"I see," came the reply—again.

"We're just going to the air show. You know, the one I told you about back when..."

"I remember. You and Keith went together."

"Yes," Robyn replied very quietly.

Her mother's tone of voice changed to something more optimistic as she said, "Well, one thing's for sure."

Robyn bit her lip as she asked what that one thing might be.

"You know he's not after your money."

The comment was so unexpected it made Robyn laugh. When she did, her mom joined in, too, even though she far from okay with this Navy guy who was so much younger than her daughter.

"No. He's definitely not a male gold digger, that's for sure. Seeing as how I'm making a house payment, a car payment, have almost nothing in savings, and an ER bill I'm too afraid to look at, he better not be looking for money."

"Robyn? You know you're still a beautiful girl, right?" her mother said encouragingly.

"Thanks, Mom. That means a lot. But I'm almost 40 years old, and well...he's not."

She paused then said, "So while guys my age might still say that about me, I can't imagine a man his age looking at me and thinking anything like that."

When her mom didn't say anything Robyn asked what she was thinking.

"You know how much I worry about you. I've worried since the day you told me about the PET scan and how the cancer had already spread."

Robyn remembered that call like it was yesterday.

"And I've been trying to gently push you back into the dating world for several months."

"Yes. Yes, you have," her daughter agreed with a little laugh.

"But now I'm worried about you...getting hurt. By making a very big mistake."

"I suppose the good news is that this isn't serious. At all," Robyn offered.

"Honey? You wouldn't have called me if you didn't think there was something more going on than spending a few hours with someone with whom you had a nice time."

Robyn sighed loudly then asked her mom if she thought she really was making a mistake.

"I can't answer that, sweetheart. Only you can. All I can say is that you need to be careful. The money/gold-digger thing aside, you need to watch out for getting in too deep when he may just be looking for...well, you know."

Robyn hadn't been with anyone since her husband, and while the thought of a purely sexual relationship didn't appeal to her, if she was going to have one, she could do a whole lot worse than Trey Donovan. That wasn't something she was going to tell her mother, but just the thought of making love with him was very appealing.

"I don't think that's the case here, but you make a good point," she told her mom instead. "Which is why I called you. Because you always make good points."

"There's a fine line between being helpful and meddling, Robyn. I try and be the former and do my best not to be the latter. But as a concerned mother, it's sometimes difficult not to blur the line."

"You're not, Mom. As always, I love having someone I can talk to about anything without judgment."

"And I love that you trust me enough to ask me for my opinion," her mom replied.

"How's Dad?" Robyn asked, hoping to move on, for the time being, at least.

They hung up a couple of minutes later, and as Robyn pulled into her driveway, she had to ask herself if there was any chance of this getting serious. She turned the car off then sat there for a few moments trying to answer that question and couldn't. For now, she would take things a day at a time and let them unfold. But she would heed her mom's advice and be careful. Then again, she'd do that with any man. So why did this particular man, this...much younger man...seem so different than any other she'd ever met since the passing of her husband?

The following day, Robyn was back at work. She was an assistant manager at JC Penney in the Orange Park Mall, and her days off varied. She didn't hate the job, and while it paid enough for her to get by on her own, it wasn't enough to be able to get ahead. And now, with the ER bill she still hadn't looked at looming in her future, she was just that much further in the hole.

A few miles away, Trey woke up feeling quite a bit better. The two doses of antibiotics he'd taken had begun working their magic, and although he still wasn't ready to fly, he no longer felt like he wished he could somehow cut off his head and find a new one. Even better, as he lay in bed realizing the pounding was nearly gone, he remembered the beautiful, older woman he'd met less than 24 hours ago and smiled.

He threw the covers off, sat up in bed then laughed when he thought to himself, "Robyn Crawford. The future Mrs. Trey Donovan."

When he stood up, the blood rushing to his head brought a sharp pain that wiped the smile off his face, but only for a couple of seconds as he slowly walked to the bathroom while trying to decide what to do with the next 48 hours he had off.

After a hot shower, a cup of coffee and some toast, Trey found himself wanting to talk to Robyn again. She mentioned working at the mall, and he even knew the store. But just showing up seemed inconsiderate if not rude. He thought about his options and decided to text her.

"Hi, there...beautiful. I wanted to let you know what a great time I had with you yesterday and let you know the chicken soup is doing the trick."

He put in a smile emoji then continued.