Wonderful You
The atmosphere in the cab of the SUV on their ride home was…strange. Not bad, or tense--it was just a vibe that Alex was picked up from her partner. They'd completed two full weeks since Bobby's return to work from suspension. They'd been working well together, reading each other's minds, completing each other's sentences –just like old times. The team of Goren and Eames was back, apparently as strong as ever –and maybe even stronger for having suffered through so much adversity together. And maybe that was the key: "together."
So why is he acting so…funny?, Alex thought to herself, sneaking a sideways glance at her fidgeting partner.
As they pulled up in front of Bobby's building, Alex shifted the truck into 'park' and turned to face him, watching as he nervously fingered and unzipped his binder.
"Any big plans this weekend?" she asked.
"No," he answered, with a slight shake of his head, still distracted by the contents of his binder.
She smiled, amused at his typical fidgeting and preoccupation. He was back to being so --"Bobby."
"So, what'cha got there?" she asked, tossing her head in his direction.
"Oh, um, oh…jus…just a CD…something…a song I burned for you last night," he stammered nervously, as he pulled the case from his binder and handed it to her.
Before Alex could even reply, he had grabbed the door handle and already had one leg out of the vehicle.
She smiled at his boyish shyness, enjoying the brief brush of their fingertips as the case exchanged hands.
"Ha-have a nice weekend, Eames," he said. He flashed a smile as his eyes darted back and forth between her face and the CD, then quickly shut the door and headed up the front stairs of his building.
X X X
She laid the CD on the console, still smiling as she pulled into traffic and headed home. She intended to go home, get changed into something comfy and relax. Sounds like a perfect evening…the leftovers from Mom's house last night, a glass of wine and some relaxing listening.
Forty minutes later and still sitting in Friday night New York traffic, she huffed in frustration. Might as well listen now, she thought, as she reached for the CD and opened the case. A slip of paper lilted onto her lap. She slid the CD into the player and picked up the paper, reading it as she was stopped at yet another red light.
Dear Alex,
I had a lot of time to think while I was on suspension and a lot of that time was spent thinking of you –and of us. When I heard this song the other night I realized that it's everything I've been wanting to say to you for quite some time.
Corny? Maybe.
True? Absolutely.
Ever gratefully,
Bobby.
She smiled at the sentiment, eager with anticipation for the music to begin.
She recognized the tune at first note and her heart skipped a beat. It was an old song she'd heard hundreds of times –so many times, in fact, that she'd stopped really paying attention to it whenever it came on the radio. But now, knowing that it was a message from Bobby, her ears listened as intently as if she were hearing it for the first time.
When no one else can understand me
When everything I do is wrong
You give me hope and consolation
You give me strength to carry on
And you're always there to lend a hand
In everything I do
That's the wonder
The wonder of you
And when you smile the world is brighter
You touch my hand and I'm a king
Your kiss to me is worth a fortune
Your love for me is everything
I guess I'll never know the reason why
You love me like you do
Thats the wonder
The wonder of you
She swiped at the tears running down her cheek and blinked her eyes to clear the blurriness from the ones in that yet hadn't fallen.
X X X
Back at home, Bobby had gotten changed and was relaxing –and thinking, from time to time, about what Alex's reaction to his little gift might be.
He didn't expect her to be ringing his doorbell. His heart raced from a mixture of nervousness and excitement (and a little panic) when he heard the chime and looked through the peephole to see her standing there.
He opened the door and smiled. "Hi."
She saw the curiosity on his face –the way his eyebrows arched and his eyes scoured her, looking for a clue of why she had come back.
Alex stepped into the apartment and when Bobby closed the door behind her, she leaned her back up against it. She stood there for a few seconds, smiling up at him.
"How do you know my kisses are worth a fortune?" she asked, in a teasingly flirtatious tone she'd never used on him before. Her smile grew as she watched him turn red with embarassment.
"It…it's just a song…ju—just lyrics," he stammered, unable to look her in the eye. "Anyway, a man can imagine," he said with a bashful smile.
She reached out and took his hand, then headed towards the living room.
"You know what?" she asked, as they reached the sofa and sat.
Bobby shook his head, 'no.' "What?"
Alex inched closer until her face was just a few inches from his. Her fingers gently traced a pattern along his cheek.
His heart pounded from the closeness and her touch.
"Let's not leave it to imagination," she answered.
Fin.
Credits: The Wonder of You
Music & Lyrics by: Baker Knight