Alex Eames was bored. It didn't happen often; there was always case files to go over, Bobby to keep an eye on, or- if all else fails- never ending paperwork to complete. They had just finished wrapping up a case and Bobby was actually behaving himself (a feat unto itself) so that left only one option. Well, one available option seeing as how they were stuck at a meeting about expense reports.
Expense reports. Really, who's bright idea was this? When the memo had come around, Eames had fully intended to get them out of it, but then a big case came their way and by the end of the week she had totally forgotten about it until it was time to go. So, in order to make the meeting not a total waste of time, she grabbed a stack of paperwork and as soon as she was sure she wouldn't get caught, started filling them in.
Idly, she wondered why she and Bobby even had to attend. Expense reports were not an issue with them. They very rarely left the state and always took the same force unit car out on runs (the big SUV so he has room to stretch his legs, though she doesn't let him know that) so by now she has the license and tag number down by heart and can fill the release forms out with her eyes closed. The only real expense they have is when they put in for gas money.
Now, if there were a meeting on how it's wrong to publicly humiliate wealthy suspects, or what exactly accounts as police harassment of wealthy suspects, she would understand having to attend; though she'd probably be just as bored. She viewed those things as the more fun points of the job - only when they disserved it of course.
Alex felt Bobby moving around next to her and gave a mental sigh. She knew his signs well and so knew when he got antsy or bored enough that he'd fall back on his favorite past time- bothering her. 'Hey Alex, did you know this' or 'Eames, remember that case when such and such murdered whomever' or 'Guess what I saw on the discovery channel last night'. Alex did her best to pay attention to what she labeled as Bobby's Bored Conversations, even when she was distracted because Bobby of course knew when she wasn't and his feelings would be hurt. Not that she cared if Goren got upset because she wasn't listening to some stupid story of how the Dung beetle got it's name. Much. And anyway, a happy Bobby was much more pleasant that a melancholy one, so she smiled, nodded, 'Hmm'ed and 'Really?'ed in all the right places.
Suddenly, his arm came into view as he stretched and she fought back another sigh. 'Couldn't he do that in his own space? Was it really necessary to throw his arm in front of her like that? It's almost like he's going out of his way to-' Alex's mentally grumblings were cut short when she saw him drop a folded piece of paper on top of the form she was in the middle of filling out. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye but he looked fully interested in what the instructor was saying. She picked the paper up and unfolded it.
Care to share any of that?
Alex quirked her eyebrow automatically as his voice filled her head. She gave a mental shrug and wrote a quick reply, then refolded the paper. With a glance around the room to make sure no one was watching, Alex flicked the paper towards him and resumed filling out the paper in front of her, but glanced at him while he was folding the note back up. He seemed to hesitate, so she, while still giving the appearance of still filling out forms, nudged him from under the table. She felt his slip the note into her hand and pretended to pause to un-cramp her hand while she opened the paper.
A: Since when are you iching to do paperwork?
B: Since I've found something even more mind-numbing than it.
Alex had to grin at that. Then she remembered a meeting with Carver, where he chewed them out and began lecturing them on the proper and legal ways that they could do things and still get the job done. As they were walking out, Bobby mumbled that he had just found something more mind numbing then paperwork. Eames smiled at the memory, and then wrote a reply.
She glanced at Bobby to see he was still feigning interest in what the instructor had to say, but his right palm was open on his knee, waiting for her. She slipped the paper back into his hand, then went back to trying to finish the form she was still on. She heard a strained laugh come from him that he tried to cover up with a cough and smiled.
Alex finally got the form filled out and slipped it into her bag with the rest of the finished ones. Instead of starting on a new one, she put her pen down and leaned her head on her hand while staring through the speaker. Bobby slipped the note back into her hand and she eagerly unfolded it.
A: Isn't that what you said when you got us into trouble and we had to sit through Carver's Law 101?
B: I have since revised my list. Now it's expense meeting, Carver's lectures, paperwork.
Alex smiled at that, then chanced a look at Bobby. His brows were furred and he looked puzzled about something. No, not puzzled exactly; more like he looked when he was disagreeing with someone. She gave a mental shrug, then focused back on the note, wrote a reply, and handed it back to him. She watched as he read the note, nodded to himself, scribbled a response, then handed it back to her.
A: Wow, paperwork is getting pretty high on you list, huh? Wait- you think these meetings are worse than a lecture from Carver?
B: Of course. At least with Carver I'm aloud to speak.
This was certainly true. From the beginning there was never any love loss between Goren and Carver. They have since been on better terms, but neither were shy about letting the other know when they disagreed. It wasn't like Alex always agreed with Carver either, but she always felt like she needed to defuse Bobby while Deakins worked on the ADA.
She wrote a reply, then went to pass the note back to Bobby, except he was zoned out with that look back on his face. She looked around the room to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then nudged Goren with her foot. He startled like she knew he would and looked over at her apologetically before taking the note.
Bobby read it, then looked back up to meet her gaze again. Alex gave him a small smile, which he returned full-fledged. Her stomach did a little flip like it always did when he looked right at her with the smile on his face. She had assessed long ago that it was perfectly natural to be attracted to someone you saw on a daily basis, whom you trusted completely and whom you got along with completely.
They were great partners, in sync with one another so much that they could read each other's expressions and react accordingly. But they were also great friends, had the same sense of humor and enjoyed each other's company. So, having rationalized away the feelings she got when he smiled like that ha her, she equally ignored when her stomach had annoying reactions like that.
Bobby's eyes snapped back to the piece of paper in his hands, seemed to right without thinking and handed it back to her.
A: Ah, of course.
B: I'm hungry.
Alex couldn't help but roll her eyes. So what else is new? Bobby was always hungry, except when they were deep in a mystery, in which case he never ate until Alex forced him to. She was ready though. Having learned long ago to have some sort of snack on hand in case of emergencies such as these, she carefully reached into her bag and pulled out the half empty bag of skittles. Or was that half full? Either way, she had been snacking on it since she missed breakfast for this stupid meeting. Hmm. That gave her an idea.
She scribbled a reply and first handed over the bag of candy, then slipped the note in front of him. Bobby, no doubt expecting a small piece of paper, looked surprised when she pressed the bag into her his hand. He first looked down at it, then met her gaze with a grateful smile. She almost laughed out right at the picture he made, trying to stealthy slip the small candy into is mouth. Then, apparently sighting the note, he opened it and read what she wrote.
Alex looked away to the instructor to see if he was any closer to winding this meeting down. Nope, still going on about the correct way to file things and how much better life would be if we could just get it right. Bobby passed the note back to her as she noticed the one time she pays attention is when he's explained the one form she's most knowledgeable on. Oh well. Further proof that this is a complete waste of time.
A: That will hold you over til you treat me to lunch after this
B: My treat?
Alex smiles at his predicted response and is ready with a reply. She refolded the paper and was in the middle of handing it back to him when the instructor called on Bobby. Instinctively, she dropped the paper in her hand and covered it with her foot. Bobby, seemingly unaware that everyone in the room was staring at him waiting for the answer, started to reach down to retrieve the note but her hand shot out to stop him and he realized something was wrong right away. Faking a cough, he straightened and scaned the room with a deer caught in the headlights look on his face.
"The…Uh,…" he stammered, obviously stalling for time. Alex thanks whomever's out there that she had chosen that moment to pay attention and mumbles the answer so only Bobby can hear. He immediately repeats her and the accountant looks pleased.
"Very good. Nice to know at least some of you are still with me." He smiles before resuming the lecture.
As soon as all the attention was off of them, Bobby threw Alex a grateful look. It was no big deal and she lets him know with a shrug. Then, lifting her foot of the fallen paper, she looks down at it. With a swift move, Bobby knocked his own pen down, then bends to retrieve them both. He read her reply, nodded, then wrote a reply of his own.
A: Of course, payment fro stiffing me with all the paperwork all the time.
B: Did you hear about that new place that opened up? Cardello's? In the mood for Italian?
Alex's eyebrows show up in surprise when she read what Bobby wrote. She had, in fact, heard of Cardello's from a friend who had a date there. She said it was a great atmosphere and the food was wonderful, even if her date wasn't. Date. Shit. Did Bobby know he just asked her out on a date? Well, okay so technically she told him her owed her some food- but he picked the place. Usually when they ate it was at O'Malley's down the block. Not a dive by any standards, but nothing like Cardello's. 'Okay' Alex reasoned with herself 'Maybe he just wants to cash in on one big dinner instead of a couple small ones.' She nodded to herself and wrote a reply asking to be able to change first.
Alex refolded the paper and turned to pass it over when he caught and held her gaze. She took a quick breath at the hopeful look in his eyes and realized what she should have realized right away. Bobby knew perfectly well what he was asking when he proposed Cardello's Bobby, who was so confident in the interrogation room, or out in the field and so fearful of rejection when it came to Alex took a big step in asking her, whether they considered it a date or not.
He reached out to take the paper from her and she let her hand liger just long enough so he'd notice the difference before pulling back. By the spark of confidence that came to his eyes, she knew he did. Bobby read the note, then let his eyes sweep over her apperance. She knew, bu the look she saw from him, that he didn't see anything wrong with what she was wearing. Alex was happy to note that, after sitting in one place and effetely wrinkling her suit, not to mention her smeared make-up, he thought she looked fine.
Alex watched as he posed his pen over the paper, prepared to write when he hesitated, cocking his head to one side slightly. She turned back to that accountant just in time to hear they were being set free. Grabbing her papers together and shoving them unceremoniously into her bag, she headed for the door with Bobby hot on her tail. Just as they stepped through the door, she felt him lean over with a touch to her shoulder to speak into her ear.
It used to irk her how much he got into her personal space when they were first partnered together, especially when she heard what a lady's man he was rumored to be. Then, when she saw he sis the same thing to suspects in and out of the interrogation room, she thought he was trying to intimate her, which only fueled her desire to prove herself worthy of going toe to toe with the great Bobby Goren. Then finally, when she got to know him, she realized it was just who he was and that he had a way of making it intimidating, or friendly, or endearing, depending on what he was trying to accomplish.
"If you want to." Bobby said, continuing their conversation as if there had been no interruption. "I have a bag in my car I can change into so we don't have to… go to two places." Alex smiled to herself and couldn't help but give voice to the retort that came to mind.
"Bobby, I hear this place is kind of nice. I don't think they'd let you in if you were just wearing a bag. Though it might depend on the color of the bag." Alex tried to keep a straight face as she mentally added 'Or depend on the sexual preference of the hostess.'
Bobby shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry. Dark green. Goes with my eyes." He said, gesturing towards them. Alex grinned at his reply. He usually just laughed and continued the conversation, but she as always happy when he chooses to play along. "I wouldn't want to embarrass you." He added, returning her smile.
'Oh Bobby,' Alex thought to herself 'you are many things, but embarrassing isn't one of them.' She couldn't tell him that, of course so instead settled with "You? Embarrass me? Never." He threw a mock glare at her and asked,
"Has anyone told you that sarcasm doesn't become you?" he opened the door to the garage while she pretended to think about it.
"No. Never." She finally answered with her most innocent look as they reached her car.
Bobby, who was parked down further, jogged to his car to retrieve his bag while she got into hers to wait for him. A minute later, he opened the door to the backseat, threw his bag in and then joined her up front. As Alex steered the car out of the garage, it hit her that they were really going out on a almost date. While they passed notes, it had a sort of unreal feeling to it; but now he was in her car with a change of clothing and they were on the way to her place to change for dinner at Cardello's.
"You really want to go to Cardello's?" Alex asked suddenly uncertain.
"Sure, don't you?" Bobby asked, sounding worried and Alex could have kicked herself.
"No, I do." She hastened to assure him and saw him relax a little. "It's just not one of our usual hangouts." She explained.
"Yes but…it's…a nice change. Don't you think?" he asked, looking at her.
Change. Alex didn't see it coming, but Booby had very subtly started to change their relationship.
"A very nice change." She answered truthfully, then met his gaze. They shared a smile, both knowing the other caught the underlying meaning.
"So, Cardello's?" Bobby asked, needing confirmation.
"Cardello's." Alex nodded and again shot him a grin, which he eagerly returned.
Endnotes: Woo hoo! Stayed up late and copied the whole thing from my notebook to the computer! I didn't think I'd make it, but I was determined to update tonight. Well, this morning I guess. Anyway, hope you liked it. I am still planning on continuing to their dinner, and also am probably going to write another persons POV on this story. Thanks sooooo much for you great reviews! I really appreciated the nice feedback I got and it's encouraged me to keep this up, so thanks again and I hope you liked this one as well.