"You don't have to keep checking up on me," Ashton said as she let Benny into the apartment.
"I'm not checking up on you," he said.
"Then I hope you brought some brownies," she said. The remark garnered a surprised look from the lawyer. "He didn't send you?"
"I thought you might like some company. Bull's cranky the past few days and I wanted to escape before he asked me to go for a drink," Benny told her. He didn't tell her that everyone had taken to leaving TAC as soon as they could manage to avoid dealing with the psychologist's recent moodiness.
"You know how he gets during trials," Ashton said.
"This is excessive."
"He's the one on trial this time."
"I don't know how you put up with him. Now. Before," the lawyer said with a shake of his head.
"I don't work for him," she stated.
"It can't be that easy."
"It isn't – wasn't," she agreed but refrained from going futher.
"Are you doing okay?" Benny asked sincerely.
"So…you are checking up on me," Ashton countered.
"Ash, I'm concerned. This has gotta be rough," he said settling on to the couch. "I heard that you might be called to testify in the next day or so."
"You know more than I do," Ashton answered as she sat down across from him. "I told Attorney Lindsay that she could call me and I would get over to the courthouse."
"I bet she loved hearing that," Benny replied.
"I don't really care. I have a job and don't have time to be sitting around waiting while she and Bull play out this chess match."
Before he could reply, Benny's phone rang. He looked at the display and hesitated before answering.
"It's Bull," the lawyer said.
"Answer it," Ashton said and walked towards the kitchen to give Benny some privacy while he spoke to Bull.
The lawyer accepted the call and spoke in a low voice to his boss. He was putting the phone back in his pocket when Ashton returned.
"He asked if I could stop back at the office," Benny grumbled.
Ashton smiled indulgently before replying. "Go. I'm fine…really. He needs someone to talk to."
Benny found Bull sitting sprawled with a bottle of beer in hand in one of the rolling office chairs. He faced the large bank of computer screens. Most of the monitors were dark aside from one in the center that had a football game on. A pizza box was open on a nearby table displaying a pepperoni pie with three slices missing and an empty bottle of beer sat sideways on the floor next to Bull's chair.
"I didn't realize there was a game today," the lawyer said.
"Replay. Thanks for coming back," Bull replied. Benny noticed he was wearing the same clothes he had worn to court earlier that day, except now his tie had disappeared and his shirt was untucked and rumpled.
"What's so important that I passed on real food for your leftover pizza?" Benny asked as he accepted the beer Bull handed him and tossed his coat on an empty chair.
"Aside from the case you're working on? Do I need to remind you that's what pays the bills –including your salary?" the psychologist said shortly.
"I left a folder on your desk with everything you could possibly need and there's also a copy of my notes in your email. I bet you've read both. Why am I really here?"
Bull stood up, exhaled slowly, and took off his glasses. He watched the monitor displaying the game for a few seconds before explaining why he had called Benny back to the office. "Diana Lindsay was at my apartment few nights ago."
"Diana….Lindsay. Do you realize how unethical and improper that is? What the hell were you thinking?" Benny almost yelled.
"She showed up at my door."
"And you promptly shut the door?" Benny said. When Bull didn't answer he continued, "You didn't shut it?"
The lawyer then took a long gulp of beer and began pacing. "Let me get this straight. You won't see or speak to Ashton – who continues to stand by you, but the person who wants to ruin you professionally, you invite over."
"I didn't invite her over," Bull said putting his glasses back on and returning to the chair.
"Bull, if this gets out you could lose everything."
"I know that. I got rid of her as soon as I could."
"I'm pretty sure I'm gonna regret asking this, but – what did she want?" Benny asked.
"She wanted to know if I would consider settling," Bull replied.
"She should be asking you that through your legal counsel."
"I know that, too."
"And Ashton?" Benny inquired after some consideration.
"Ashton?" Bull asked.
"Do you think Ashton's going to understand that the attorney who is more or less responsible for you not seeing or even speaking to her, was at your place? Oh, and did I mention that you used to date said attorney. Or doesn't Ash know that?" Benny said.
"Yes, Ashton knows I was involved with Diana. However, you aren't going to tell her what happened. Ash doesn't need to know this now," Bull said.
"Not tell her. Doesn't need to know," Benny repeated incredulously.
"Benny, I will tell her."
"When?" the lawyer pressed.
"I'll tell her," Bull repeated.
Ashton spent the time after Benny left for TAC attempting to read. Even though she had picked up one of her favorite books, it couldn't hold her attention. After reading the same two paragraphs for ten minutes, she put the book down and decided to make something to eat. Dinner went as well as the book, and Ashton ended up pouring some cereal into a bowl topping it with vanilla almond milk. She settled down in front of the television bowl in hand and began flipping through channels hoping something would catch her eye and keep her interest. Nothing did. Knowing that trying to work would be fruitless and instead of sitting mindlessly in front of the television Ashton decided to take a hot shower and try to relax.
When she returned to the living room, she found a voice message waiting on her phone from Matt. Ashton listened to the message and debated calling him back just to hear a familiar voice and talk with someone who knew her. Even though she had assured Benny that everything was fine, not being able to contact Bull when she wanted was frustrating. It was only since they had begun seeing each other again that Ashton realized how much she had missed Bull being a part of her life. After turning over the options in her mind for longer than she would have liked, Ashton decided to put her phone down on her desk. She then made herself a cup of tea and walked into her bedroom without another glance at the desk or anything on it.
