Promises, Rules and Their Breaking

"I've told him you do the best lemon meringue pie in the state." Ellie explained. It was the reason they were in this particular restaurant. Robbie had mentioned it was his favourite dessert and Ellie wanted to treat him.

"Aww! I'm sorry, Honey. We're all out of lemon pie tonight... Just kidding. One slice?" The waitress glanced at Ellie, "Or two?"

"Two please." Ellie quite liked lemon pie too.

"Two for me too." Robbie added with a grin.

"Honey, you didn't eat all your dinner. I'll bring you one slice of pie and if you leave so much as a mouthful, I'm gonna have to shoot that useless cook. Now you wouldn't want me to have to do that, would you, Honey? Because he's my husband and I look just terrible in black."

"I just can't take you anywhere!" Ellie contrived to sound exasperated. "He got into a bar fight on our first date." She explained.

"A bar fight?" The waitress clearly didn't believe her.

"In The Riverboat, last Monday. We got barred."

"I didn't start it." Robbie felt that was important.

"True." Ellie conceded. "He was defending me from my ex."

"Is that true, Honey?"

"Yes." Robbie must have sounded more sincere than Ellie because the waitress believed him.

"So the pie is on the house... But you still have to eat it all, or you'll be making a widow of me."

"Thank you."

"Two slices of lemon pie coming right up." She left with their plates.

"See, Robbie, everybody loves a hero." Ellie didn't even notice that she'd used the 's' word. Robbie noticed that she hadn't noticed and it pleased him. He hated people getting all politically correct about language around him. He always felt it made people sound vaguely uncomfortable in his presence.

"So it seems. Do you fancy a drink after? I know just the place." Robbie had visited the Phi Kappa Delta fraternity house while on campus and David, the President and one of B's occasional lovers, had mentioned they were having a party tonight.

"Sure. Where?"

"You'll see." Robbie said cryptically. Ellie failed to notice the 's word' again.

* * * * *

Ellie's first thought when Robbie told a cabbie where to take them was "Oh no." She had visions of a houseful of drunken college boys. For Robbie's sake, she kept her thoughts to herself.

When they arrived, the 'party' turned out to be David Barrio, Fraternity President, about a dozen frat boys who'd been decorating the house this summer, a handful of girlfriends, Robbie and her. It was a much smaller gathering than Ellie had expected... dreaded.

David made a brief speech from the staircase, introducing Robbie as one of next year's pledges, excused hazing by order of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed. Then he showed them around, making more informal introductions as the opportunity arose and explaining that during his term of office, he'd taken it upon himself to change the rituals and ceremonies of the fraternity.

"People refer to joining a fraternity as going Greek." He explained. "So I thought we should pay more homage to that heritage."

"So do you sodomize your pledges?" Ellie knew a bit about the ancient Greeks herself from high school history classes.

"Not exactly." David paused, looking for the best way to explain.

"Not exactly?" Robbie had a vested interest in knowing what exactly they did to pledges.

"Homosexuality is not disapproved of in this house. We had three openly gay pledges last year. We were the first fraternity to include gay rights in our charter. The furthest the other fraternities and sororities have gone is 'Don't ask, don't tell.' Our Pantheon wanted us to go that bit further."

"Your pantheon?" Ellie got the question in before Robbie managed to.

"Yes. Another nod to the Greeks. The Pantheon are alumni. Not all alumni, only those elected to it, but election to the Pantheon is for life. Robbie, your sponsor, B, is one. So are Eric and Helen."

"Let me guess." Robbie said. "Eric is Zeus?"

"No. That would put him in charge. He wouldn't take that job. He said he didn't get to rule his own house so there was no way he was going to rule this one. Eric doesn't crave power."

"Just notoriety?" Ellie suggested.

"That's about right. Anyway, it was a choice between B and her fellow alumnus Helen -- Have you met Helen yet?"

"Not yet."

"I have." Ellie had talked to her in the coffee shop, the same time she met B.

"Well, we decided that it wasn't right to vote for a supreme ruler of a pantheon so, instead, we counted up how many of the fraternity owed allegiance to each of them. B won."

"Owed allegiance?" Robbie asked.

"Those girls have a tradition of their own. They've spent three years trying to bed as many fraternity members as possible. If we owe allegiance to one them, we have their initial engraved on our pin." David turned his lapel to Ellie so she could see the small H and B engraved under the Phi Kappa Delta symbols.

"So you've slept with both of them?" Ellie wasn't surprised. It fitted with the rumours of Eric Kruppa's lifestyle.

"Yes. Often." David looked smug until he realized that Ellie was scowling at him.

"But my allegiance is to Helen because she had me first."

"So She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed is B?" Ellie recalled David's speech.

"Exactly. Not a Greek title. We lifted it from Rider Haggard, but it fits her well. Let me introduce you to Lawrence.

Larry. Meet Ellie and Robbie. I've just been explaining our stance on homosexuality.

Larry was one of the three pledges I mentioned."

"No initials on your pin." Ellie leant forward to check Larry's lapel.

"Not yet. If David gets elevated to the Pantheon when he stands down, next year, I may submit to his repressed desires." Larry made eyes at David. Clearly, he wasn't bothered about being outed to strangers.

"In your dreams." David retorted.

"Every night, Mr President." Larry got the last word on the subject. "Can I get you guys some fresh drinks?" Larry turned his attention to Ellie and Robbie, noting their hands were empty.

"Thank you." Ellie spoke first. "I'd like another Michelob if there's any left."

"A cellar full. Robbie?"

"The same please. And could you show me where the bathroom is?"

"Sure. This way." Larry turned to lead, then remembered Robbie couldn't see him and turned back. "Sorry. Force of habit. Do you need to hold my arm or something?"

"Your arm will do just fine. Save your something for David." Robbie found the offered elbow and allowed Larry to lead him away.

"You're not having a good time, are you?" David, left alone with Ellie could see the truth of that.

"Not really. I generally make a point of not hanging out with college boys."

"Keep town and Gown separate? It's an old story. But I hope we'll be able to change your view of us. Robbie's going to spend a fair bit of time here and I'm sure he'd like you with him. We're not so bad, are we?"

"Not so bad." Ellie conceded. Actually, she thought, David had been quite charming apart from when he was gloating about fucking both those girls.

"Ritual and ceremony aside, we're about mutual support. We've already been charged with taking care of Robbie throughout his time at Harvard. Fetching and carrying for him is going to be a routine part of the Pledges' duties and we have a couple of cars available if he needs to go off campus. B takes his welfare seriously and we take her wishes seriously. It's not entirely frivolous to call her She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed."

"I guess I came here with a lot of preconceptions."

"People often do. Just suspend judgement and let us prove ourselves. Ok?"

"Ok, David."

"That's better." Robbie arrived back and smoothly transferred himself from Larry's arm to Ellie's. Larry handed Ellie her beer and left with a nod and a smile.

"Can I leave you two alone for a while? I have to talk to a few people before they get too drunk to talk back." David asked.

"Sure." Robbie said. He was quite happy with just Ellie's company.

"Later then." David patted Robbie's shoulder. "Ellie." He inclined his head in the briefest of nods then moved away.

"You're going to feel right at home here next year." Ellie spoke softly, just for Robbie's ears.

"Why?"

"Because its decorated just like your suite."

"Our suite." Robbie corrected. "Eric's pictures?"

"Yep."

"I'll try not to spend all my time staring at them."

"Ooh! You.... Just you wait until I get you home." Ellie turned herself to face him and stopped any more bad jokes by the simple expedient of kissing him.

"We mustn't stay too late anyway. You have work in the morning." Robbie pointed out.

"I know." Ellie had to be up about 6AM tomorrow for the early shift.

"What time is it now?" Robbie had a talking watch but generally asked Ellie instead because he had to let go of her to press the button his own watch.

"11:30."

"Let's make our excuses and call a cab?" Robbie had his own reasons for wanting an early night. Reasons? Reason. Singular. Ellie.

"Ok."

As they were leaving the frat house around midnight, Ellie admitted to herself that her misgivings had been misplaced. She'd actually quite enjoyed herself.

* * * * *

"Yes?" Ellie answered the phone beside the bed. It had woken her and the clock said it was 6AM.

"This is your alarm call." The receptionist's voice was impassive.

"Thanks." Ellie was about to cradle the phone but the receptionist had more to say.

"And you have two visitors. They asked me to mention that they're in your reception room. They had their own key card."

"Thanks." Ellie was puzzled for a moment. It was too early in the day for thinking. Then light dawned. Kelsey was due back. She noticed the receptionist had cut the line so she put the phone back down and dragged her ass out of bed.

She needed the bathroom first. Kelsey could wait a couple of minutes.

Two minutes in the bathroom to pee, splash some cold water on her face and grab a robe, then Ellie went to see who Kelsey had brought with her.

"Good morning!" Kelsey said brightly as Ellie came out of the bedroom.

"Morning." Ellie wasn't fully up to speed yet. She glanced at the sofa. The other visitor was B.

"Hello again." B stood and came towards Ellie as she closed the bedroom door to avoid waking Robbie.

"Hello B." Ellie allowed herself to be hugged. It felt a little odd but B was odd by anyone else's standards. Being gracious, Ellie hugged her back briefly.

"Sorry we let ourselves in but it's nicer up here than in the foyer." B drew Ellie along with her, back to the sofas. "I just wanted to check on how Robbie is settling in. Are you two having fun?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"So, its more than fun! Well I'm happy for you both. No management trouble? Parry said he'd sorted it out, but..."

"No... No trouble." Ellie noticed that B hadn't let go of her hand.

"Good. Robbie needs a proper relationship. It'll help him grow up. His life has been too sheltered in too many ways. I gave him what self-confidence I could, but you're much better for him right now." B didn't seem to mind losing her new pet.

"We're good for each other." Ellie felt it was only fair to Robbie to point out that she needed him as much as he needed her. Maybe more.

"As it should be." B finally let go of Ellie's hand.

"Ellie?" Kelsey had let B do the talking so far but spoke now. "What happened to Robbie's cane?" She'd noticed it on the consul table by the door and seen that the white lacquer was badly chipped a few inches up.

"He got into a fight." Ellie couldn't think of a more diplomatic way of saying it.

"A fight!" Kelsey and B said in unison.

"Defending me from my ex boyfriend." Ellie looked sheepish. It wasn't exactly the best example of how well she was looking after Robbie.

"But he's blind!" Kelsey stated the obvious.

"Did he win?" B asked.

"Sort of. Finn... my ex... was hassling us in a bar. He took Robbie's beer off him and told him to shut up when Robbie tried to stop him being impolite to me. Robbie hit him with the cane but the bottle got in the way so Finn got a handful of broken glass."

"Bravo Robbie!" B said with hushed admiration. "I always said he had a noble streak."

"But it very nearly ended badly. Finn's friends were fixing to give him a beating until the barman intervened and got us out of there." Ellie still shuddered whenever she thought about just how badly it could have ended for Robbie.

"But it didn't end badly. Robbie stood up to a bully, stood up for you and got the girl. It's like a fairytale." Kelsey put her spin on it.

"And that is why he got the girl, isn't it?" B's gaze held Ellie like a bunny in the headlights of a car.

"Partly... Yes." Ok, Ellie had to own up to that. Robbie's stupid heroics had definitely earned him a lot of points.

"We should go." B stood up. "We're still on European time and it's been a long flight. We'll get another room, freshen up, grab a couple of hours shut-eye and see Robbie later."

As Kelsey stood up too, Ellie made a decision.

"If Robbie had been alone..." No, she had to be more specific than that. "I mean, if Robbie and I weren't..." Ellie stalled. This wasn't easy for her to talk about.

"Weren't sleeping together?" B filled in the gaps.

"What would you be doing now?" Ellie figured she already knew but she wanted to hear it from B's own lips.

"Curling up with Robbie."

"Both of you?" Ellie knew the answer to that too.

"Of course!" B could see where this was going.

"I don't... don't want Robbie to ever regret the things he missed out on because of me."

"He won't." B took Ellie's hands in hers and spoke softly. "Robbie isn't like that. I've known him a long time and if he was ever going to start regretting might-have-beens it'd be his sight he was thinking about, not three-in-a-bed sex."

"I want to be sure of that." Ellie really did want to be sure. "If you love something, set it free." She'd had a poster of that on her bedroom wall since she was thirteen. Time to start living by it.

"Are you sure?" B looked concerned. She wanted to be sure of Ellie's motives.

"Sure I love him? No. Sure I want to know he's mine? Yes."

"It's a bit unfair on Robbie." Kelsey pointed out.

"Is it?" B asked. "Robbie's life hasn't been fair since he was born blind. This'll teach him something about himself that I think he'd want to know."

"I have to get ready for work." Ellie wanted a few minutes alone time to think about this. She was having doubts already.

"So, go and get ready. We'll wait here." B let go of Ellie's hands and sat down again.

Ellie changed her mind about a hundred times in the few minutes it took to shower and dress for work. She thought about that list of rules she'd written herself only... less than a week ago.

Thou shalt not date anyone for six months.

Thou shalt not go out with Robbie.

Thou shalt remember the hotel's policy on fraternising with guests and keep it wholly.

Thou shalt stay away from guys who're 'involved'.

Thou shalt never, ever, ever fuck on first dates.

Thou shalt avoid college guys.

Thou shalt not tolerate infidelity.

Thou shalt stay well away from that ass hole, Finn.

Ok, thought Ellie, so she'd broken them all, except the infidelity on and she was about to break that. She must be every kind of fool.

When she went back into the reception room, B and Kelsey were naked.

"Ok." Ellie nodded to them. "It's a dirty trick to play on Robbie but I have to know..."

"I know, Sweetie." B came to her and hugged her again. Ellie was surprised that she didn't mind being embraced by a naked girl. Somehow, B's skin didn't matter. Maybe because there was so much of it depicted on the walls. "Let's go wake him up."

* * * * *

"Mmm... Good morning." Robbie woke to the sensation of the tip of a tongue tickling his earlobe.

"Good morning, Sleepy head." B whispered in her most seductive tones.

It was like an ice-cold facecloth: Robbie was instantly wide-awake.

"B?"

"In the flesh." B chuckled and proved just how 'in the flesh' she was by pressing a considerable amount of it against him.

"But... but..." Robbie looked panic-stricken.

"I know I should have called you more, but I didn't want you getting too much of a crush on me." B nibbled his ear some more. Robbie tried to push her away, unsuccessfully. "And I did send you Kelsey. You liked that surprise, didn't you?" Her voice was beguiling and in spite of his panic, his penis was responding of it's own accord.

"B..." He pushed again, gaining a few inches grace between their bodies. "I can't do this. It's a lovely surprise that you're here, but you can't be here. I have a girlfriend now."

"I know. Ellie. She's really cute." B closed the gap that Robbie had opened.

"B! No." Robbie escaped, clambering out of bed, hard-on waving in front of him. There was a giggle from by the bedroom door. He turned towards it. "Ellie?"

"Guess again." That soft contralto voice was unmistakably Kelsey.

"Kelsey?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I told you I was coming back today." She crossed the room and ambushed him with a kiss, pressing as much of her skin to his as she could. His erection got briefly pinned between them.

"I need to get dressed." He pushed her away too and groped for his pants. "Did Ellie see you arrive?"

"I'm afraid so. We saw her in the coffee shop. She told us you were still sleeping." Robbie found his clothes and started pulling them on.

"Come back to bed, Robbie." B said. "I haven't seen you for weeks. I want a proper welcome."

"B, you're not listening to me. I can't. I have a girlfriend now. Don't you have rules about that?"

"Where are you going?" Kelsey squeezed his erection through his pants as he made for the bedroom door.

"To find Ellie and explain, before she hears any of this from anyone else."

"What's to explain?" Ellie broke her silence.

Robbie turned towards her, a look of relief on his face. "Ellie. What's going on?" He felt Ellie move close and embraced her. His arms were tight around her. There was desperation in that hug.

"B just lost a bet." Ellie said, not trying to hide her relief. She'd bet everything they had together on this and she'd won.

"Ellie said we couldn't tempt you." B lied just a little. She'd followed him out of the bedroom and was watching him hug Ellie. She was smiling at Ellie as if she'd known all along that Robbie would do the right thing. Her face was a very eloquent study in 'I told you so'.

"But you were tempted, weren't you Robbie? Just a bit?" Kelsey asked, playing Devil's advocate.

"No." Robbie asserted, pressing his face into Ellie's hair and trying to get his thoughts straight. He'd only just woken up, after all.

"Fibber." Kelsey again.

"It doesn't matter anyway." B said. "Ellie won, fair and square."

"Because I know how dumb Robbie is." Ellie said, still holding me tightly. She punctuated this slur with a brief but meaningful kiss.

"Excuse me? Dumb?" Robbie mumbled, not really caring as long as Ellie was in his arms.

"I knew you'd get it wrong, just like the other night when you were trying to say ' lets just be friends'."

"And you said thank you... And I thought you were agreeing..."

"Which I wasn't." Ellie was waiting for the penny to drop.

"Then... after..."

"After we'd fucked?" Ellie prompted.

"After we'd fucked, you asked about B and Kelsey..."

"Ah-ah!" Ellie stopped him there. "I never asked."

"That's right. I knew you were dodging the question so I answered it anyway."

"And I said?"

"And you said 'thank you.'"

"Which means?"

"Which doesn't mean you agree..." Robbie found himself being kissed again then Ellie continued the conversation for him.

"I didn't ask about your other girls because I didn't want to. You really shouldn't put words in my mouth... And you really need to listen to the answers." Ellie led him to the sofa and sat him down next to her, She held onto his hand tightly. She'd made a decision in the last five minutes but she still couldn't believe it herself.