On the Right Track
"Kind of like my partner, here. He has a one track mind. Catching criminals. That's all he cares about."
Bobby raised the tips of his fingers to his lips, a tangible way to remind himself to stay quiet, to let Eames work the perp.
"You don't care about anything but your work. You don't even care about the money you make, or else you would have spent some of it. It's the thrill you get from pulling it off."
"I'd like to speak to my lawyer," the man said.
Eames looked over at Goren, who nodded as he turned to follow her out of the interrogation room.
"You know that's… that's not true."
"Huh?"
"That I have a one track mind." He gave her the side-eye and continued. "I'd have thought you knew me better by now."
She turned her head to look at him fully. "Don't tell me that hurt your feelings. He was a perp! You say all kinds of things in the interrogation room and I don't-"
Bobby bit his lower lip, considering staying quiet, but immediately decided not to. "Yes you do. You get upset when I say things in interrogation. And that's not the point. I can't believe you really think that of me."
She looked up at the ceiling of the car and sighed heavily.
"If anything, I have a multitrack mind. It's..." He spun his finger around, but only once. "It's always going. I'm thinking about the perp, and the next question, and the fact there's a crease on his right shoe, and the way your hair is getting a little gray at the roots."
"What?!" She checked herself in the rearview, and of course he was right. "Damn."
"Well, that's not the point either, Eames."
"And so what is?"
"I just… I thought you knew me better."
The light changed, and she pushed the accelerator. "Bobby, despite the rumors, I can't read your mind. Sometimes I can tell maybe what you're thinking about, but most of the time I have no idea. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, all right?" She clicked the blinker on and changed lanes. "And you could have found a nicer way to tell me about my hair."
"Huh?" Now he was surprised. He really hadn't expected that to bother her. "S-s-sorry."
Eames turned on the directional again, but the other cars wouldn't let her over. "Damn, I missed the turn," she muttered.
"Just… let's go to Saggio's," Bobby suggested.
"And be seen with my gray roots showing? No, thank you."
"All right, your place, then. I'll take the subway home later."
Now Eames gave him the side-eye.
"I feel bad about the… the hair thing. I'll buy us take out or somethin', okay?"
"All right," she said, and she made a left.
Alex took a shower while Bobby left to go to the corner store and pick up some beer. The bell rang, and she saw he'd left the cash out on the table for her. She toweled her hair dry and held out the money to the pizza guy. He took it cheerfully and reached to get her change.
"Keep it," she told him, and the man's smile grew wider. He handed over the box and wished her a good evening.
The door hadn't closed yet when Bobby came up the drive, carrying the carton in his left hand. She let him pass, and they both headed to the kitchen with their dinner.
She was still nibbling at her second piece when she realized Bobby was staring at her. More accurately, he was staring at her hair. She turned a little red and put her pizza down, wiping her hands on her napkin.
"W-what's wrong?" he asked suddenly.
"I'm going to the hairdresser's in the morning. Tell the Captain I'll be late, okay?" She raked her fingers through it, right at the part.
"No, aw, don't-don't do that, Alex, I..." He stood, caught her hand with his own and carefully put the stray hairs back in place. Leaning closer to her, he looked at her hair and then into her eyes. "I like it. In fact, I was just wondering what your hair would look like if you let it go natural."
She huffed. "Well that's not gonna happen any time soon."
"Okay. That's okay. I was just… just wondering. I think… I think it would be beautiful."
"You and my Dad."
"He said that?" Bobby was grinning now. He sat back in his seat.
"He just seems to always bring up how beautiful Mom's hair was whenever I'm around." The blush had receded a bit, and her eyes were more animated. They stared at each other a moment. "See? This is one of those times," she said softly.
"Huh?"
"When I have no idea what you're thinking."
Bobby let a shy grin appear. He looked down at the tabletop and then back into her eyes. "That you're beautiful. No matter what color your hair is."
She dropped her head a little and blushed again, smiling.
"Alex," he called softly, raising his hand near her cheek.
As she looked up, his hand caressed her there. He leaned closer to her, and Alex waited in anticipation. She knew it was coming, and she didn't try to stop it. She didn't want to stop it. His lips were warmer than she expected, and surprisingly soft.
