THE SET-UP

Bobby found himself plopped down between Mark and Gina, looking across the table at Cheryl. Cheryl didn't look like she needed his help. She looked to be having a pleasant conversation with Mark. .

Gina leaned over and whispered, "He showed up about half an hour ago and has gone from standing next to the table chatting her up to what you see now, sitting at our table, joining our party.

Bobby casually looked around the bar, but kept his attention focused on Mark and Cheryl. "She doesn't seem to mind."

Gina looked at Bobby and stared at him fixedly, "Bobby! You really need to get out more." She shook her head. "You may be able to read a witness or a perp or whatever it is you do at work, but in straight up social situations, you suck."

"You're not the first person to point that out." Where the hell was Lewis? He needed a drink. He leaned forward to reach around Gina and grabbed Lewis' half full mug of beer.

"I ... I bet… I bet I'm not." Gina stuttered as she watched Bobby stare into the amber liquid, watched as he hesitated, watched as he finally raised the glass to his lips and watched as he swallowed several large gulps.

"Look, ah, maybe when Lewis gets back you could kind of let Mark know it's time to go. We told him we were waiting for someone, and well, you're here now and you need the chair. You could stand to let Lewis have his chair back and, I don't know, politely suggest to Mark that he get lost.

"Politely suggest that he get lost… right." He wasn't yet regretting his decision to come down to the bar, but he thought he would be soon. He picked up the mug again and drained the last of its contents.

The band started warming up, playing an old song he remembered, "Oh God," he thought, "Lady in Red", that brought back memories of easier days. Mark leaned over, Oh here it comes… He saw her smile and nod yes. Then she was standing and following Mark as he led her out to the dance floor.

As Mark held her hand and pushed his way through the crowd, she turned and caught him watching her.

Several songs later, the two returned to the table as Lewis was pouring another round. When Lewis came back, Gina had given him the task of getting rid of Mark, Bobby was just supposed to sit there and look intimidating. Bobby was now sitting in the chair that Mark had been sitting in earlier.

Cheryl quickly sat down in her chair. Bobby noticed that Gina flashed the A-OK signal with her fingers as she reached for her drink.

"Um, Mark. Sorry, but it doesn't look like there are any empty chairs, dude." Lewis stood and appeared to be looking around for a chair in the crowded bar as he walked around the table and put his arm around Mark's shoulders to steer him away. "And you see, well, we were waiting for Bobby… Gina kinda set this whole thing up as, well, as a..." Lewis lowered his voice, "blind date for Cheryl and…" Lewis relished resuming his "wing man duties" – from back in the day, looking out for his buddy – when he and Bobby spent their days and nights in search of hot cars and hotter girls.

"And … and what? Him? You've gotta be kiddin' me."

Bobby thought what Mark really meant was, "No way. This guy looks like he's gone down the rabbit hole."

"No, no… how 'bout we ask Cheryl what she wants." He turned to Cheryl and leaned down, blocking Bobby's view and whispered, "Look, I can get you out of this. We can get some dinner at the restaurant upstairs and…"

Cheryl shook her head, and pleaded helplessness, "I … I can't. Gina went to all this trouble and …" Does a house have to fall on the guy before he gets it?

"Now, you're kidding me, right? Look…"

Cheryl shook her head again and offered him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry. I can't leave Gina hanging." Yes, it was going to take a house falling on him.

Mark straightened and nodded, his jaw muscle working. He looked down at Bobby who had set his beer mug down and was looking up to meet his gaze. The stare down didn't last long, Bobby knew what Mark saw in his eyes, something dark and…empty. He saw Mark break, just before he averted his gaze. Touch down. The house has landed.

Bobby thought that if this had really been a set up, he'd be beating up on himself pretty good right about now. He looked over at Gina out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't a set up… was it?

Mark pulled out a business card and handed it to Cheryl saying, "If this doesn't work out, you give me a call."

"Thank you Mark. I… I will." She took his card and made sure he saw her put it in her purse. She smiled up at him as she said, "Good night Mark. It was nice to meet you." Finally.

As they all turned to watch him stalk off into the crowd, Cheryl breathed a sigh of relief as she said, "Ohmigod, I thought he was going to hang around all night." She reached out and put her hand on Bobby's arm, "Thank you for showing up when you did. If you could have gotten here about an hour ago, but better late than never …"

"Glad I could help." Bobby smirked. As he glanced down at her hand on his arm, she slowly lifted it and picked up her glass.

"umm…" she felt her face flush, "… at least my whole night isn't ruined."

Steve shouted out a question to Bobby and he got up and went over to his table for a minute saying, "... right back."

Cheryl grabbed Gina's arm and pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. "Please tell me you weren't trying to set me up with your friend Bobby." That would be an added complication.

Gina grinned. "I wasn't even sure Bobby was going to show up. No, it's not a set up, but…

"Don't say it Gina. Please, don't even wish say it."

Bobby heard every word they said.