CHAPTER 16 - TOMORROW

Earlier the next morning, Bobby got a call from Skip requesting him to come in to complete a couple of more forms. They agreed to meet in Skip’s office around 3:00. About mid morning Bobby called Alex but had to leave a message. As time drew close for him to leave he still had not heard from her. But he would try again later. He had completed the paperwork in about forty-five minutes and called again as he left the campus. Still no answer; he thought he would go by her place and make sure everything was okay.

When he stepped up on the porch he heard the familiar theme of Sesame Street; he smiled knowing she had her nephew over. He knocked and the little boy answered the door just as Alex rounded the corner from the kitchen. Bobby stood smiling at the boy and Alex invited him in. “I tried to reach you earlier,” Bobby said. Alex replied, “I went over to pick him up. His mom and dad needed a date night so I volunteered to baby sit.” “Need help?” Bobby queried. Alex raised an eyebrow, “Can you entertain him while I prepare dinner?” He squatted down and introduced himself. The boy studied him intently for a minute then looked at Alex. “Its okay,” Alex told him, “Bobby is a friend of mine.” The boy was smiling when he turned back to Bobby, “Want to play?” As Bobby straighten up the child grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward a mountain of toys. “Good luck,” Alex smiled as she turned toward the kitchen. “Please stay for dinner; there’s plenty,” she threw over her shoulder as she rummaged through the refrigerator.

Alex could hear the boy giggling with glee as he and Bobby raced toy cars with Bobby providing all the sound effects. A few minutes later she realized it had gotten quiet, very quiet. “When kids get quiet-” she thought as she took a peek she saw Bobby’s hulking frame sitting cross legged on the floor, the boy sitting across from him mirroring his form while both working intently on one of the cars. She had to smile.

When she called them to dinner, the child ran to her. She looked around and Bobby was ambling toward the kitchen; behind him toys were scattered across the living room. Alex could not resist the opportunity that was before her, “Bobby Goren, pick up those toys!” He looked at her and blinked. “Now!” she demanded. Looking back, he muttered under his breath, “Jeez!” By the time he was finished Alex had helped the boy wash his hands and he was sitting at the table. When Bobby entered the kitchen the child pointed to a chair next to him and demanded, “Sit here.” Bobby sat and making a face, leaned over to the child and whispered, “I think bossiness runs in your family.” Although he had no clue what it meant, the boy giggled uncontrollably. Alex crossed her arms and stepped over next to Bobby. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her innocently.

After dinner Bobby cleared the table while Alex readied the boy for bed. As soon as he got his pajamas on, he took off to the living room. After Alex tidied up the bathroom, she strolled to the living room to find the boy contently snuggled in Bobby’s lap as he read to him. She curled up next to the boys; watching the little boy’s eyelids grow heavy. In just a few minutes he was sound asleep. Bobby quietly closed the book; he and Alex watched the sleeping child. Finally Bobby asked, “Where is he going to sleep?” “Put him in my bed,” she said. Bobby looked at her, “Oh. Well, okay.” What was it she heard in his voice? Disappointment? Resignation? “His folks will be here in little while to pick him up,” she explained. Bobby cradled the sleeping child gently and carried him to the bedroom and laid him down carefully so as not to wake him. Alex covered him up and kissed him softly on the forehead. When she turned, Bobby was propped against the door facing with his arms across his chest. He smiled at her, “He’s a neat kid, Alex.” She nodded and they returned to the kitchen. They said little as they finished cleaning up. Bobby broke the silence, “Why don’t you come over Saturday evening? If you are game, I’ll cook.” “Sounds good. What can I bring?” Alex responded. He smiled and put his arms around her pulling her close, “Just you,” and he kissed her on the tip of her nose.

They heard a timid knock on the front door. Alex looked at the clock, “His folks are here.” As she gathered the boy’s belongings, Bobby carried the sleeping child to the car and strapped him in. He looked at his watch; it was getting late. He recalled she had told him she had an early day at NYC registering for classes. Mentally he signed deeply. When they returned to the house, he went no further than the door. Alex turned and slid her arms around him as he enveloped her in his. They stood holding each other; Bobby looked down at her, smiled, and kissed her, “Dress down Saturday. We are staying in.” Silently he added, “All night.” He kissed her again and headed to the car. Alex watched him drive away. She was smiling as she locked up and readied herself for the night. She crawled in to bed remembering how Bobby looked in tonight’s domestic scenario. “He is a good man,” she thought as she curled up. The last thought before sleep overtook her was, “I bet he has a king size bed.”

By Lynn.

CHAPTER 15 - GOOD NEWS

Bobby’s cheek was still on fire; Louise had left a very noticeable print. But in spite of the drama that had just transpired, Bobby was excited. As he sat in the car, he hit re-redial and rang up his previous caller, “Yes, this is Robert Goren. I just wanted to let you know my schedule has changed. I am available this afternoon if that is convenient for you.” He listened intently then replied, “Great, I will see you at 1:30. Thank you.” He looked at his watch, 11:30. Since he had time to kill, he decided to go to one of his favorite coffee shops. As he started in, he stopped at a sidewalk newsstand to pick up a morning paper. He ordered his coffee and found a place to hunker down.
He managed to stay put for about an hour then decided to head out. As he drove, he wondered how his name came to their attention; he would soon find out. As he entered the stately old building, a pleasant woman who introduced herself as Val in a very proper English accent greeted him warmly and motioned for him to follow her; they walked down a long corridor then stopped in front of double doors marked Conference Room. She smiled and wished him luck then stepped in the room and announced, “Mr. Goren is here.” Bobby stepped in and faced about a half dozen people seated at a long conference table. A distinguished looking man seated at the head of the table stood and shook Bobby’s hand then introduced his tablemates. He motioned for Bobby to sit. A middle age man, introduced as Skip, broke the silence, “Well Mr. Goren, as I told you earlier, you are being considered for a position here at CUNY.” Bobby smiled, “Please, call me Robert.” Skip nodded and continued, “You are, without a doubt, one of the top profilers in the country and we are prepared to offer you a position as an instructor in Criminal Profiling. That is, if you are interested.” Before Bobby could answer, one of the women interrupted, “Mr. Goren, I think it is only fair to let you know, we are aware of some of your difficulties in your past employment.” The man who had greeted Bobby rolled his eyes, “For God’s sake El, don’t be so dramatic!” Skip shook his head and grinned at Bobby, “I think we are prepared to make the offer to your liking.” Bobby replied, “Then I guess we should talk.” Bobby trotted happily to his car; he had just accepted a dream job. He could not wait to share the good news. He dialed Alex and tried to contain his excitement when she answered, “Alex, do you have any plans for this afternoon?”“No. Why?” Alex inquired. “I need to come by. I, I have something I need to tell you,” Bobby explained. Alex hesitated then asked nervously, “Sure. Is everything okay?” “I will tell you when I get there. See you in about an hour,” he told her. “Bobby. Bobby-” Alex was saying as he hung up. “Damn it!” she muttered.
He pulled in to Alex’s drive and willed himself not to run up the front steps. When he started to knock, she jerked the door open. As he pushed past her, he put on his best game face. “Do I smell coffee? I need some coffee. You’ve got coffee, right?” he asked as he headed to the kitchen. “Bobby, what is it? What do you want to tell me?” Alex asked as she followed. Bobby was having fun with this. “Talk to me Bobby,” Alex begged. He was struggling not to explode with excitement and his voice sounded strained, “Let’s sit down, okay?” Alex’s heart skipped a beat; he had his share of unhappiness, she didn’t think he could handle much more.
Bobby led the way to the couch and they sat. He felt Alex looking at him and he returned her gaze. She swallowed hard, “Bobby?” she whispered. He looked at her, “I have left the center but-” he hesitated, “I have accepted a job as an instructor of Criminal Profiling at CUNY.” Alex looked confused, “What?” Bobby repeated the news with a bright smile. “Get Out!” she exclaimed. Bobby happily reported the happenings of the day. “Bobby that is wonderful news,” she responded and before she gave it a second thought, she grabbed him and planted a kiss squarely on the lips. She glanced at him nervously when she pulled away. He sat quietly staring at her. She dropped her eyes and stared at the floor then felt his hand under her chin as he lifted her head to gaze directly into her eyes. He slowly, gently moved his hand across her cheek to the back of her neck and pulled her toward him as he leaned in, softly kissing her lips. They reluctantly pulled apart; neither said a word. Bobby leaned in and kissed her again. Once. Twice. Long. Lingering. Sweet. When Alex’s eyes fluttered open, she was staring in to those rich chocolate brown eyes. She shuddered involuntarily, her heart pounding, a blush flooding her face. Bobby smiled shyly, “I have wanted to do that for a very long time,” he whispered and rested his forehead on hers. Her only answer was a sharp intake of breath when he gently stroked her cheek. “Bobby,” Alex whispered. He nodded, “I know,” he replied in an equally hushed voiced. They pulled away from each other and sat in silence. It seemed to be an eternity. Bobby took a deep breath and stood and as he stood, he pulled Alex up with him. As he held her, he rested his chin on the top of her head while she rested it against his chest. Alex couldn‘t miss the quickening of his heartbeat as he said, “I should have done this years ago but I couldn’t-with us being partners and all-” he trailed off. Alex hesitated then whispered, “The other night, you told me you were only interested in the present. I, I feel the same.” Minutes passed then they walked to the door hand in hand. Bobby broke the silence, “See you tomorrow.” Alex wondered if it was a question or a demand. They kissed goodnight, both of them wondering what tomorrow may bring.

By Lynn.

CHAPTER 14 - MONDAY, MONDAY

Bobby looked at the clock. 6:30 AM. It was Monday morning. He rolled on to his back and stared at the ceiling. Monday. THE Monday after Louise’s designed encounter. He rubbed his eyes; he had not slept well. His dread growing, he knew the meeting Louise had planned was going to be unpleasant at the very least. Finally, he heaved himself out of bed and padded to the kitchen to start the coffee. As it brewed, he took a quick shower. He pulled on boxers and a tee then returned to the kitchen for his first cup. He sat down on the couch and sipped his coffee and his thoughts returned to the events that was fueling his growing dread. However, at the same time, he had a good chuckle when he thought about how Alex handled Louise. Alex could hold her own, that was one of her endearing qualities. He glanced at the clock and realized he could not stall any longer; he was going to have to get a move on to get to work. He poured another cup and returned to the bedroom to get dressed. When he was ready, he grabbed his briefcase, keys and headed to the car. He was already in a mood, a dark mood.

The commute to work was a nightmare. Construction, stalls, fender benders had travel time down to a crawl. Bobby’s mind kept replaying the encounter. Louise had shown her true colors, her actions speaking louder than words. His mood was darkening by the minute. By the time he reached the center, his sense of dread was practically overwhelming. However he was itching to get this whole thing over with, he just wasn’t sure how it was going to play out. Since he was a little late, the halls of the center were empty as all sessions were already in progress. He entered his office and checked his voice mail. There was only one-from Louise, reminding him that they needed to meet. As if he could forget.

Suddenly his cell phone rang. Bobby checked the caller ID and did not recognize the number. He was about to let it go to voice mail but curiosity prevailed and he answered. The call was a complete surprise. As he listened to the caller, he walked to the window and watched the morning hustle and bustle of the city. He was so engrossed that he did not hear Louise slip in to his office. She took a seat, quietly observing Bobby. His body language spoke volumes. Then she heard him laugh and say, “I look forward to it,” and clicked off. He was staring at the phone and smiling when he turned around. Louise realized he was very happy-no! excited about the call. Bobby still had not realized he was not alone. Louise broke the silence, “Well now, that must have been a happy call. I haven’t seen that bright of smile from you in a while.” Louise never took her eyes off him and she noticed his smile faded when she made her presence known. Bobby pocketed his phone and took his place behind his desk. “I didn’t hear you come in,” he explained. “I don’t imagine you did. You were pretty engrossed in that call,” Louise responded. Bobby recognized her comments for what they were-a fishing expedition. Moreover, he was not going to take the bait. He maintained a calm, almost aloof demeanor. Louise realized it was going to take more in order to get what she wanted from him. She took another swipe at him, “That phone call, judging by your level of enthusiasm of you reply- Oh, how did you put it? Oh, yes, that you were “looking forward to it.” I just bet it was your, um, lady friend.” Bobby chuckled softly but said nothing. Louise moved to his side as she regrouped then waded back in, “Bobby, please be careful. I just can’t bear the thought of you getting hurt.” Bobby choking on laughter answered, “Thank you but I don’t believe your concern is warranted.” Louise never gave up, “Women have a sixth sense about-”. Bobby stopped her by slamming his hand down on the desk, “Oh, please! You really know how to lay it on thick.” His intensity had Louise backing up a couple of steps. Bobby was on his feet now, “You know what you are Louise? Do you know? You are so full of yourself. You have to be the center of attention, the main attraction. The very center of the universe. They have a name for people like you-”. Louise’s next move silenced Bobby. Quick as a snake, Louise’s arm shot forward as she slapped him on his cheek. Hard.

The slap resonated through out the office. The anger was palpable. Louise stood shaking with rage. “How dare you analyze me?” she choked. As Louise paced back and forth, Bobby stood quietly with his hands in his pockets. The muscles in his jaws were twitching. That was Bobby’s tell. Louise caught it and went in for the kill. “Ohhh, I forgot. You were ONCE a hot shot profiler,” Louise said smugly. Bobby shook his head and laughed aloud. “Please! That is so lame, Louise!” he replied. He picked up his briefcase and dumped the contents on his desk. To top it off, he took his nametag off and dropped it. Louise held her head high and taunted, “You can’t leave. What will you do?” Bobby walked around his desk, slowly moving up behind her. Louise was rooted to the spot. Bobby stood quietly behind her for a moment then leaned in whispering in her ear, “I’m going to be-” he hesitated then slowly moved to the other side and whispered, “a hot shot profiler.” He stood absolutely still allowing Louise to absorb his words. Never looking back, Bobby walked out.

By Lynn.