The Santa Barbara Sun Pt. 02

"His partner!" she screeched. Allie saw Maria in the doorway and started laughing and poking at Maya's ribs. "Please don't lose your mind over one email, Maya."

"Oh dear, I can't answer instantly, can I? That wouldn't be cool. How long should I wait?"

While Maya babbled on, Allie quickly dialed Jeff and said all hell was breaking loose and did he have Robin's cell number. Moments later, Allie dialed the number and heard Robin answer. In a very low voice, she said, "This is Allie, do you have a sec?"

"For Jeff's girlfriend? Of course, I have a sec. I suppose this is about my email. Am I in trouble?"

"No, not at all. Maya is walking on air. I am going to give her to you in a second. She is terribly excited about the project and can't wait to meet you. The rest of us too. What about a Face Time session? Tell her, not me."

Maya stopped talking and asked, "Who is that?"

Allie held out the phone, "It's Robin."

With a stricken face and trembling hand, the sophisticated senior woman said, "Hello?"

Allie and Maria walked to the kitchen, hugging and laughing. Maria whispered, "I've never seen anything like it." Allie answered, with a giggle, "She is sixteen and it is a first date!"

Soon, they heard another scream, and rapid Spanish. Maria said, "That Jeff! He didn't tell us Robin knows Spanish. There will be no controlling them."

Allie and Maria did not wait their own breakfast, and were almost finished when Maya came in, grinning from ear to ear. "He's very handsome, we exchanged pictures. He suggested a group video session sometime soon. He has wonderful Spanish that he picked up in Spain as a high school exchange student."

Allie said solemnly, "Do you think you can stand to work with him on the project and all summer too?"

Maya tried to get back, saying, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe." Followed by a hopeless cascade of giggles. Finally, she put her head down on the counter, shaking and saying, "This is so bad. Girls aren't supposed to lose it over guys, especially when they haven't even met." Maria hugged her and Allie went in back to call Jeff again.

"We have a basket case over here. I think we should fly her back there for a weekend with him."

There was a long silence before he said, "I have a better idea. All three of us fly. She can stay in his room or whatever they get away with these days. You and I will stay with the folks."

"You have the best ideas. Will I have a ring when I meet your parents?"

(cont'd in Part 3)