Most people couldn't understand the concept of loving and hating somebody at the same time, but Robbie did. Sometimes he thought he was the only person in the whole world who really understood how the paradox worked. In reality it was much more common than he comprehended. Robbie tried to explain it once to a friend over some beers. He went on and on about the complex nature of the relationship and how careful he had to be about everything he said or did. His friend listened politely for an hour before interrupting him with the cold hard truth.
"So, you love her, and she thinks you're a good friend?" he asked.
Yea, that was pretty much it.
Noel was beautiful and popular. Other girls hung around her, copying her hairstyle and outfits. Women circled her inner orbit, while guys circled the outer orbit. Guys were always around, offering compliments, trying to get her attention. Any conversation could lead to an opening where they could ask her out. The success rate wasn't good, but good enough that guys kept trying. A chance to have her on your arm, or something more, would be worth getting shot down a few times in the process.
Noel was average height and weight, with great shoulders from her years of athletics. Her long blond hair swept behind her in feathered layers. Her larger than average chest fit nicely with her swimmer's shoulders and garnered plenty of attention on their own. The chest was nice, but it was her ass that was the best feature. It was fit, tight, and hypnotic. She wore jeans like most girls, but she wore them in a way Levi Strauss could never have imagined. The jeans fit her ass like they were custom made for her alone. They cupped her ass cheeks just so and made the perfect dent for a man's hand to rest. There was a lot of competition to be the man using that cheek rest.
Noel was nice to a point, but also knew how pretty she was. With this she also understood she was popular. That role came with responsibility and so Noel thought she needed to date the right person. Unfortunately, Robbie was not that person. Robbie was short. He was only an inch or so shorter than her, but she was considered average for a girl. Women could be short and still be considered cute or beautiful.
A short guy on the other hand was just that; a short guy. You could be nice, and you could be funny, but you were still judged and categorized the moment somebody looked at you. Robbie was all those things, funny and charismatic, but that didn't change his height. He was a good friend to most and had more girlfriends than guy friends. It didn't bother Robbie most of the time, but every now and then, the genetics pissed him off royally.
Robbie had asked Noel out last year, and he had seen the lines on her forehead before she could hide them. Noel told him he was sweet, and she liked him as a friend. She didn't want to do anything to screw up the friendship.
What she didn't say was that he was too short, but her face said it, and her eyes said it. Henceforth Robbie was a good friend. Truthfully, he was probably one of her best friends. He was the textbook definition of friend zoned. O how he hated hearing that label, but it was as true as oak.
Robbie loved her. Noel thought he was a really nice guy, and one of her best friends. He was like a brother to her. She could tell him anything. When she had a fight with any guy she could talk to Robbie, he was a good listener. So, Robbie also hated her.
November was slipping away and people were just starting to make noises about Christmas. It was taking over the tv and the radio, and soon it would be all anyone talked about. Robbie was fed up with his job and the weather was only part of it. He was working on a construction site framing a building. It was fun in July and August, where you could take your shirt off and enjoy the sun and the heat. It was less fun in November, with the cold and rain and the wind showing up. It felt like he was always wet, cold, and hyperthermic. He enjoyed the hard work and the definition he saw in his body, but he could work indoors for more money.
The other half of it was the danger. Two days ago, Robbie had nearly fallen off the roof after stepping on some early morning frost. The current project was a two-story building, so a fall was not just a minor hazard. A fall could lead to serious injuries, death, or an ass chewing from his boss. His boss often yelled there were no excuses. Any death needed preauthorization and you were still expected to work the remainder of your shift.
Robbie was already thinking about finding another job, but hearing the word snow on the radio made him speed up his timeline. He was definitely going to keep his eyes open and find something else before the snow and ice arrived. Toes with frostbite were almost as bad as falling off a roof.
Noel had called and asked if she could stop by on her way home from work. Robbie laughed into the phone and told her yes; she was welcome to stop by. It was funny on one hand because Robbie never said no to her. At the same time, it was sad because; well, he never told her no.
Robbie went about straightening up his apartment, but it didn't need much work. He lived alone and never let it get too messy or cluttered. He liked to keep things neat and organized. OCD was a strong accusation, but he was very organized. If everything had a place, life just went smoother.
Robbie cleaned up and did the few dishes in the sink. When that was done, he just sat on the couch and waited. He didn't see Noel as often anymore, but they still tried to get together when they could. Robbie worked a day shift and currently Noel was working afternoons and evenings. She worked at a small boutique at the mall that sold an array of novelty products including jewelry. That got Robbie thinking, and he was going to ask her if she knew of any stores hiring at the mall. Working at the mall would be a nice change. It was indoors, warmer, and he would probably meet more women than the construction site. So far there was no downside.
When he heard the knock at his door he jumped up and rushed two steps before he forced himself to slow down. It would look better for him if he didn't appear too eager. He knew she was never going to date him. She had her chances and had been passing them up for years now. Robbie couldn't help himself. He was the puppy that kept coming back for more.
He opened the door and there she was, his Venus. Sparkling eyes and blonde hair flying everywhere in the wind. Robbie lived in the third-floor apartment and the walkway was exposed to the wind. She gave him a dynamite smile and hugged him as she came into his apartment. Friends hugged. She smelled great as always, and probably tasted better than she looked. Noel worked the cash register most days and dressed to impress. Today it was tight brown slacks with a cream-colored camisole top with a keyhole cutout. It forced you to want to look where you were not supposed to look.
Robbie took her coat and laid it over a chair as they passed. He invited her to sit down on the couch while he followed. The apartment was only 600 square feet and laid out in a long rectangle. The kitchen and dining room were near the door side, with the living room at the far side. Past the living room were glass doors leading to a small deck, with a lovely view of the parking lot. It wasn't much, but it was his.
Noel sat down next to him and put her hand on his knee, asking how he was doing. Robbie had to work to keep his concentration while they caught up. He tried not to think about how warm her hand was, or how hard she was making him. Her hand was less than a foot from his cock, which had been growing since she knocked on the door. He gave her the short version about his work, and even remembered to mention he was thinking about looking for another job. She nodded at all the right times, but he could tell she was waiting for her turn to speak. Robbie wrapped up his side of things and asked her what was new?
Work was busy and would only get busier for the next month. She wanted to move out on her own, but for now she still lived at home with her parents. Her boyfriend was an ass and didn't understand her. Robbie said nothing, he had heard that story more than once. Eventually she got to the reason for her visit.
"I was hoping you could help me with something. I bought this gold necklace at work, and now they won't let me return it. I could use the money this close to Christmas and was hoping you could return it for me?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Why won't they let you return it?" Robbie asked, taking the pretty gold necklace from her hands and looking it over.
"One I lost the receipt, and two, I bought it on sale. I was hoping that when you returned it, you could get me the full price," she asked with some blush on her cheeks.
So that was it, she was looking to sneak a few extra bucks out of her work before Christmas. Of course, he would help her, he literally couldn't say no.
"I'll stop by tomorrow and return it for you," he said smiling.
Noel made a squealing noise and leaned forward to hug him. Her body felt warm and delicious against him. He would have kept her there all night if he hadn't felt her pull back eventually.
"One more thing, if you could keep my name out of it, I don't want to get in trouble," she said, looking embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it, your secret's safe with me," he said.
They talked for another ten minutes before she said she had to go, and he walked her to the door. He got another hug at the door, but with her coat on, it was less warm than the couch hug. Robbie said he would call her the following night, and they said their goodbyes.
The next day Robbie drove to the mall and headed for her boutique first thing. Noel had the day off, so it was a perfect opportunity for him to make the exchange. He went up to the counter and thought himself lucky seeing the cashier was named Patty and her nametag identified her as the manager.
