And there's so much at stake, I can't afford to wait.
(Temptation Waits – Garbage)
She knocked twice. Bobby sprang to his feet at once and strode over to the door; a moment later Alexandra Eames was standing inside his apartment. Smiling, she shook her head slightly and then yawned, stretching her arms out as if she had just woken up. Bobby considered her carefully, tilting his head to the side. There were shadows below her eyes and she looked sleepy; still, her eyes were bright. She didn't look angry at him for calling her, either. That was good.
"Hey there." Alex walked over to face her partner, her tone light, cheerful. "It's nice to see you again so bright and early in the morning," she continued sarcastically. "What's up?"
"Not much." Bobby stared back down at her, eyes alight. It wasn't frightening anymore, now that she was here; instead, the nervous tension that had so troubled him before immediately transformed itself straight into a tremendous, almost electric excitement. They were going to go driving. They were going to go driving, Bobby thought to himself, and they were going to be able to watch the car headlights stream down the streets until they formed a long river of light. He had always found the sight interesting, but as he considered it now he would have sworn it was transcendent. "Are we going to go?"
"Sure," Alex replied, watching as he headed for the closet and pulled out his winter coat. She was glad she had come. He'd sounded so strangely confused over the phone; between that and his behavior at work lately, she'd been scared on her way up to the apartment. Alex glanced at him again, sighing. He was slowly buttoning his coat, eyes glimmering. She'd had no reason to be worried. He seemed fine – excited, even. Alex brushed back her hair, zipping her jacket all the way up. "You ready?" Bobby nodded in response.
"Let's go." After pulling on a hat, he hurried over to the door and held it open for his partner.
"Thanks." Alex strode out of the apartment, waiting for Bobby to quickly lock the door before following him down the stairs to the lobby. Save for a single security guard, the place was deserted. Outside, the streets shone slick with rain under the streetlights. Bobby swung open the door once again, holding it until his partner walked through. Alex shivered. "Damn, it's cold out here."
"What?"
"Never mind." She watched as Bobby scanned the street for the car. "Over there," she added, pointing him in the right direction. Alex watched as he hurried up to the car. Bobby usually moved slowly. Except when he sensed danger, he was usually content to walk a few steps behind her, his gait uneven, awkward. Lately, he'd been taking the lead. Alex smiled. The way he ran up to the car reminded her of her nephew.
"Let's go, let's go." Bobby leaned against the car, waiting for Alex to unlock the door. He didn't want to be outside. Tonight, every sound seemed surprisingly loud; every movement felt vaguely threatening. Bobby tilted his head, scanning the street. Except for the cars that occasionally cruised through the nearest intersection, they were alone. The apartment windows were dark, their shades drawn down; only a few were illuminated by the glow of computer screens and television sets.
"Bobby?" In an instant, the tall detective whirled around.
"Eames!" Bobby felt his heart thudding in his chest. Lately, he'd come to hate unexpected noises. That's why he usually stayed in the apartment with all the lights off. There was nothing unexpected, that way; he was in control.
"Who else would it be?" Alex opened the door. "So, ready?" Alex climbed into the driver's seat; Bobby slid into the seat beside her and slammed the door shut. "All right, then." Alex turned the key in the ignition; the car coughed out a cloud of exhaust. Bobby watched as his partner spun the steering wheel around and slammed down on the accelerator. "Let's go."