It was a few days after the birthday party and except for a few very short replies to his texts, Bull hadn't heard from Ashton. On Monday, Benny had told the psychologist about the weekend and how Ashton's brother sent him to intervene between her and Matthew Wagner. By mid-week Bull was still receiving only a word here or there prompting a call to Ashton as he left the office for the evening. As he heard the ring on the other end, Bull hoped she would answer.
"What are you doing?" Bull inquired after hearing her voice.
"Walking. Why?" Ashton replied nonchalantly.
"I'm leaving the office and thought I'd stop by. Don't you miss me?" he told her.
"I'm not in the mood for company," she responded shortly.
"You need company. Meet me at the café," Bull stated. He knew Ashton well enough to realize that she was mulling over the weekend's events, preferring to keep her thoughts to herself instead of sharing them with someone.
"Fine," she immediately agreed surprising him. Ashton knew he was right – company would do her good and take her mind off of things. She turned around and headed in the direction of their favorite café.
Bull was already seated at a table and observing the people around him with interest when Ashton walked into the café. A smile broke out on his face when she walked through the door.
"It's a little late in the day to be doubling up on caffeine, don't you think?" she said as she sat down. The table held two cups and two plates. There were cookies on one plate and the other held a half eaten raspberry pastry.
"That's yours," he said and gestured to the cup opposite him. "Chai and cardamom shortbread."
"Lovely pairing," Ashton told him as she picked up a cookie and took a bite. "Want some?"
"I don't like cardamom," Bull reminded her.
"You're still on that? You just think you don't like cardamom, just like you think you don't like merlot. Just try it already," she replied.
"How was the party?" Bull asked ignoring Ashton's comment. He was more interested to learn exactly what had transpired over the weekend and he intently watched for her reaction to his question.
"Everyone seemed to have a good time and Cameron said it was the best party ever. He really liked the radio-controlled truck you sent. It was nice of you to do that," she said calmly. Ashton knew what Bull was up to and did her best to remain impassive.
"He's still my godson, even if your brother doesn't like that fact," he told her sincerely.
"I'm pretty sure Alex's issues have to do with your relationship with me and not with Cameron," she replied.
"So, you've spent the last few days walking and thinking about the best party ever?" Bull probed. He decided to get straight to the point and forgo any small talk.
"One conversation…just one. This is me, Jason; I didn't think I had to ask not to be analyzed every time we talk," she pleaded in a hushed, cross voice.
"Benny filled me in about Matthew," he told her as he leaned in towards her side of the table.
"He got me a bit upset," Ashton said without further elaboration. She knew the subject of her conversation was bound to come up but she wanted to discuss in her own time.
"You're still thinking about it days later – it must've been good. I thought I was the only one who could get you that angry," Bull said with a slight smile as he recalled being the recipient of Ashton's temper on various occasions.
Instead of Ashton relaxing and laughing at his comment as Bull had hoped, his words had the opposite effect. Ashton shook her head slightly, pushed her chair back from the table and stood up. "Thanks for the tea," she said.
"You don't have to keep it all to yourself. I'm right here," Bull said and grabbed her hand before she got past him in the hopes of preventing her from leaving.
"Talk to me, Quince," he implored her.
She looked quickly towards the door and then back at Bull. He kept his hand on hers and tilted his head towards the chair she had vacated. With a sigh, Ashton relented and sat down.
"Why you would get upset over being told you're not keeping in touch with him? You stopped seeing him after your first year at college," he asked her using what he knew of Ashton's past and what Benny had told him to discover what was truly bothering her.
While Bull spoke, Ashton sipped her chai and stared intently at him over the top of her cup. Her eyes spoke volumes without her saying a word.
"O-o-o-kay. Didn't see that coming," Bull said and let out a long exhale and gulped down some coffee. He leaned back in the chair and his shoulders sagged a little. Bull hadn't seriously considered the option that her silence seemed to suggest.
"When our divorce was finalized, I went back for a bit. A couple of weeks turned into six. While I was there, Matty and I went out," she told him. "Didn't you ever do stupid things when you were upset?"
"Stupid things," Bull repeated. When Ashton opened her mouth to speak he quickly cut her off, "You and Matt have a history, it makes sense you'd turn to him."
She tried again to say something and he told her, "Ash, I don't want to hear about it."
"Jason, nothing happened…aside from me telling him I wasn't ready for anything serious and that it wasn't going to work even if I was," she stated. Ashton's grey eyes filled with amusement as she realized the conclusion he had jumped to.
"What you told him doesn't have you out walking around playing things over and over in your head," he stressed to her.
"Matthew thought I'd be home more often because of my dad's health," Ashton explained.
"Ashton, technically that hasn't been your home since you moved to the city for grad school," Bull told her.
"Don't argue semantics with me," she bristled.
"Don't try to change the subject. What else?" he pressed. Bull was determined to get to the heart of what was bothering her even if it resulted in Ashton getting mad at him.
"He pointed out that I can work anywhere and have no real reason not to be there," Ashton said.
Bull's face brightened as everything suddenly became clear to him, "You're upset because you thought the exact same thing. Everything Matthew said, and didn't say, was already echoing in your head."
"Jason, I know it's hard but pretend you're not a psychologist," Ashton suggested sharply.
"I like being a psychologist. It's part of who I am," he told her enthusiastically before turning serious. "Ashton, I'm not going to placate you. That's not how we work."
"But he's right; I can work there as well as I can here," she responded.
"Just because you're not tied to a desk or an office with your job is no reason for you to think yourself sick and fall into a pit of self-imposed guilt," Bull said compassionately.
"I'm not…," she began to protest, but stopped when she saw him looking at her with raised eyebrows.
"Ashton, listen to me," Bull instructed her firmly. "Coming back to your home and your life does not make you the callous and indifferent daughter. What did Jack say before you left Sunday?"
"Dad told me to have a good week, try to get some sleep - not study and work all night, and to tell you hi," Ashton admitted slowly.
"Mmmm. Sounds like he's doing okay on his own," Bull grinned with satisfaction.
"You made your point. I could do without the smug smile," she said with mock annoyance.
"Would you like another chai?" he asked as he pulled out his phone and ran his fingers over the screen.
"No, thanks, I'm good," Ashton answered. "Are you sure you don't want this last half of cookie? It's good."
Bull shook his head at her question his face solemn, although his eyes twinkled behind his dark-rimmed glasses. "Shall we?" he asked and stood up.
"Why are we at your office?" she inquired as the Uber pulled up in front of a hi-rise office building.
"I forgot a file and had I asked if you wanted to come along, you would've said no," he told her with certainty as they walked into the office building and stopped at desk where a security guard sat. After exchanging some pleasantries with the guard, Bull got Ashton a visitor tag and they proceeded to the elevator.
"Why am I here again?" Ashton asked she watched Bull sit down at his desk, switch on a desk lamp, and flip open a manila folder.
"If you're here, you're not working and studying all night, and if I keep talking I may get you to stop thinking for a bit, too," Bull answered smoothly.
"You can't talk, read, and analyze at the same time," she retorted and looked out the window.
"I can multi-task," he declared solemnly.
"Not as well as you think," Ashton told him with a wink after turning away from the window.
Bull thought about voicing his objections with her opinion but decided against it since Ashton's mood seemed to have lightened a bit.
"You really went out with Matthew Wagner again?" Bull asked suddenly a few minutes later. He had been engrossed in reading through the file in front of him and his voice shattered the silence of the office.
Ashton looked up from the chair she was sitting in. She had taken to reading a book on her phone as she waited for Bull to finish up. Her eyes glinted as she gazed over at him. "I think we already established that," she finally said. "Jealous?"
"Not at all," he protested. "I'm still trying to figure out what you manage to see in him."
"First you moved out, then the divorce. Matty being around was familiar and easy…and it was nice to feel wanted," she explained.
"I never stopped wanting you," Bull replied sincerely.
"It didn't feel that way," Ashton told him. "In any case, a couple of dates in I realized he hadn't changed. I only seem like a good idea to Matt when I'm right in front of him. Anything else is unacceptable."
A few seconds later she realized what she had said, "You did that on purpose."
Bull shrugged, "I really don't know what you see in him, but sometimes it helps to hear yourself say the important words out loud instead of thinking them silently."
"Do you ever listen to what you tell other people and take your own advice, Doc?" Ashton inquired with a probing glance.
"Are you almost finished? I'm tired," she continued without waiting for a reply.
"Go lie down. The bed is still is the same place it was," he told her and received an irritated look in return. "There's the couch here if you prefer but I'll warn you it isn't comfortable."
"I can just go home," Ashton stated and ran her fingers through her hair. "My bed is there; it is comfortable."
"Ash, it's late. Just stay here. I'd feel better if you did," Bull replied with a half-smile.
"Are you going to sleep at all or just read all night?" she asked boldly.
"I'll get there. T-shirts are in the same place, too, if you want one," he said as Ashton lingered in the doorway.
Ashton ambled down a short corridor to a small converted office at the end of the hall. Instead of a desk, the room held a bed and makeshift night table with clock and lamp. Against the wall was an open closet with some of Bull's shirts and suits hanging. Ashton shook her head as she looked at them and came to the realization he probably slept at the office quite often. Had she been less tired, she would've went and asked her ex-husband about it.
On her second attempt, Ashton managed to find the filing cabinet drawer that held the t-shirts. She pulled one out and changed into it. She then folded her clothes and placed them neatly on top of the cabinet and crawled under the blanket. Minutes later, she was asleep.
Early the next morning, Bull walked into the room fully dressed and with a smile on his face. Ashton looked up at him with bleary eyes. She had no recollection of him getting out of bed and apprehensively looked at the clock. Relief flooded her face when she saw it was still very early in the morning.
"Good morning," he said as Ashton sat up and rubbed her eyes. Bull watched attentively as she pushed back the blanket and got out of the bed. She accepted the mug of tea he offered and blew on it a bit before taking a sip. Ashton then placed it on the night table and went to get her jeans off the filing cabinet.
"Morning," Ashton finally replied. She slid her jeans on then tried to tame her hair with her fingers.
"Feel free to use the shower. There should be more than enough clean towels left," Bull told her and handed her a toothbrush still in its packaging.
"I'll shower at home, thanks," she told him and looked at the toothbrush. "You just keep these lying around?"
"Not everyone starts their day thinking they are going to spend the night here," he said with a sly look.
"That's something I don't want to hear about," Ashton responded evenly. She was not going to start her day by giving him an opportunity to analyze her reaction.
"My team is very dedicated to our clients," Bull said seriously after realizing Ashton was intent on remaining even-tempered.
"And you don't expect anything of them that you wouldn't do yourself. Where have I heard that before?" she asked lightly before exiting the room.
Bull was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting when Ashton returned. The hair that framed her face was damp from being splashed as she washed her face and a few unruly strands clung to her cheeks. She grinned and presented him with the toothbrush.
"In case you have a toothbrush recycling bin," Ashton said.
"I'll just keep it with mine for the next time you stay," he said.
"Staying here will not be a regular occurrence for one of us in this room. Care to guess?" she replied with a sideways glance towards his clothes. On a quick scan of the room, Ashton spied a rubber band near the alarm clock and used it to pull her hair up in a ponytail. She then put on her coat that Bull had brought from his office where she had left it the night before.
"There's a football game on tonight. Do you mind if I stop by and watch with you?" Bull said.
"As long as you aren't stopping by with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, fine," she answered as she walked into the hallway.
"You're usually asleep by then," he said with a smile as he followed her.
"We're on the same page. Great," Ashton replied. "I can find my own way out. See you later, Doc."
"I have a car waiting for you outside," Bull said and basked in the smile she gave him before turning away.
Ashton waited for the elevator, idly playing with the visitor badge. When the door opened, she was startled to see Chunk standing in front of her since it was still quite early. The stylist was surprised as well as stared for a second or two before managing to get out a good morning.
"Good morning, Chunk. Have a good day," Ashton replied with a wide smile as the elevator door shut.
