"Eames!" She looked up from her desk. "Line 2."
She picked up the phone. "Eames." She listened quietly for what seemed like a long time. "You've got to be kidding me."
Goren looked up from what he was doing. He could see the storm building in her eyes. Something wasn't right and he would bet even money it had something to do with Ricky.
She slammed the phone down and swore. Without saying a word to anyone, she got up from her desk and left the squad room. Goren glanced over at Logan and Barek. Logan walked over to him and quietly said, "Go on after her and find out what's up. We'll cover for you. It's almost quitting time anyway."
"Thanks, Mike." He headed out of the squad room.
Returning to his desk, Logan sat down with a frown. "Think Ricky filed for another postponement?"
"I'd bet on it."
Since Eames had filed for divorce, Ricky had filed for postponement after postponement, dragging it out as long as possible, simply because he could. It had already been eight months, and Eames was fed up with the whole thing.
Goren had taken the stairs to the parking garage, so he caught her before she got into her car. "If you know what's good for you, Goren, you will step back and let me go."
"You know I can't do that." He took the keys from her hand. "You're way too upset to drive. So we'll go to my place, have some dinner and talk about this."
She was furious, and he was not helping matters any. "Damn you, Goren…"
He gently pushed her around to the passenger side of the car and opened it. She started to protest, but he pushed her into the car. Walking around to the driver's side, he got in and started the car. He looked at her, but she had her arms crossed in front of her and she was looking out the window. "You pout like Maggie does," he commented as he backed out of the parking spot.
She tried not to smile, but he saw her mouth twitch. "She always gets her way with you when she pouts."
"Not always."
"More often than not."
"She's almost three, Eames."
"And she has you wrapped around her little finger."
He smiled. "She always has."
She nodded. "And she always will." She was quiet for a moment. "Damn you," she muttered again.
"What'd I do now?"
"You started talking about Maggie. Now I'm not mad any more."
He smiled. "That's a good thing. I don't like it when you're mad."
"Just shut up and drive, Goren."
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When they got to his apartment, she sat on the couch while he went into the kitchen. "Not much here," he said. "Hot dogs, macaroni and cheese…"
"All the things Maggie likes to eat," she laughed. "Just order a pizza and get in here."
So he ordered a pizza and sat beside her on the couch. Her thoughts wandered as she looked around the room. Maggie's toy box was by the far wall, and next to it was a small bookcase filled with her books. She loved books. Whether she was here with Goren or at home with her grandpa, every night, Maggie would get one of her books and sit beside one of them, pretending to read. She would look at the pictures and make up stories about them. Once she was ready for bed, she would choose an adult to read to her. When they were at Grandpa's, she would choose him about half the time and her mother the other half. When they were at Goren's, she always chose him.
Eames moved closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. "Did he file for another postponement?"
"Yes. Now he wants paternity testing done."
"Why?"
"To cause another delay. He's running out of excuses to put it off."
"Why is he doing this?"
"Because he can. It's another one of his power trips."
He fell silent. He knew how he felt, but he wasn't sure what to say. So he kept quiet. He'd learned that was the best option when he didn't know what else to do.
He got up and went to the door when the pizza arrived, and after they were done eating, he asked, "So what do you want to do? We can go get Maggie and you can stay here, if you want. If you want to go home, that's fine, too." He could never predict what she wanted to do, so he'd stopped trying.
Since Ricky had gone to jail, Eames and Maggie had been staying with her father. They spent a good deal of time with Goren, but Eames was still annoyed that he slept on the couch, so she would let Maggie stay while she went home. She now looked at him with a frown. "Why do you want us here, Bobby?"
"Because I like having you around."
"Me or Maggie?"
"Both of you. Why do you have to ask?"
"Because you just seem uncomfortable when I spend the night."
He shook his head. She just didn't understand. Finally he shrugged. "I just..." Oh, hell, what was the use? He'd explained himself a hundred times, and she still didn't get it. "Never mind."
He started to get up, but she suddenly grabbed his shirt and pushed him back against the arm of the couch. Leaning her body against his, she held her face close to his. "I am fed up with this arrangement, damn it. I hate feeling alone when I'm with you. I hate kissing you, and having to stop before it goes too far. Stop reminding me that I'm married. If you love me, show me, tonight…now…and I promise I'll leave you alone until the divorce is final."
"I don't want you to leave me alone," he managed. "But I…"
"Stop thinking. Just feel for a change."
She pressed her lips and her body against his. She felt him tense, but for once she didn't let him get away with it. And when he finally relaxed, she knew she was going to get her way, at least for tonight.