Chapter 2 - Retrograde

"Is everything okay, Alex? You've been awfully quiet tonight."

"I'm fine, Dad," she replied without much enthusiasm. Using her fork, Alex pushed a piece of meatloaf into her mashed potatoes then moved it back to its original spot on her plate. After her mom passed away last year, her father had eventually dug out her recipes and was faithfully trying to learn how to make a few of his favorite dishes. Alex had to give him credit, tonight's dinner was almost as good as mom's, judging by the few bites she had been able to swallow.

"You never were a good liar, Alex."

Abandoning the pretense of eating, she sighed and gave her father a small smile. "You know me too well." Alex bit her bottom lip and stalled before deciding she might as well tell him the truth. "I ran into Bobby today."

"Bobby Goren?" When Alex nodded, her father gave her a huge grin. "How is he?"

"He looked good."

"Didn't you talk to him?"

"Yeah, we talked."

"And?"

"He's doing good, Dad," Alex hesitated. She was surprised her father was so excited, although she supposed she should have expected it. He always did like Bobby. "He said he'd call."

The smile dropped from his face as he became suddenly serious. "Good. I hope he does," her father abruptly stood up from the table and picked up his plate. "You need to make things right with that man." His perceptive eyes studied her intently before he turned to walk into the kitchen.

Alex sighed again and speared the piece of meatloaf. Halfway to her mouth, she realized there was no way she could swallow any more food. Dropping her fork onto the plate, she picked up her wine glass instead and drained it.

You need to make things right with that man. Did he think she didn't know that?

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"Now who would be calling this late?" Her father sounded annoyed that someone would dare interrupt his favorite television show.

"Dad, it's only 8:00." Alex was mildly amused. She knew that during his last years on the job, her father had worked the early shift. To this day, even in retirement, he stayed on a schedule of rising at 4:00 a.m., bed by 9:00.

Frowning at Alex, he reached for the phone handset on the table next to his overstuffed chair and pressed the call button. "Hello?" Her father immediately grinned. "Bobby! How are you?" Alex's heart tripped then hammered in her chest. Her eyes flew open wide as she turned to look at her father. Leaning forward, he grabbed the television remote and turned off the set. "It's been way too long. Alex told me she ran into to you today. She said you're looking good."

"Oh Christ," she groaned. God, Dad…did you have to tell him that?

"Hey!" He tilted the phone so he wasn't' speaking directly into the mouthpiece. "Watch your language in this house. You know your mother wouldn't approve."

Great. Now Bobby heard her being scolded by her father like some wayward teenager. This day was getting worse by the minute.

"Yeah, she's right here," her dad pulled himself up out of his chair. "Stop by sometime soon, Bobby. We'll have a couple of beers and get caught up." He paused as he listened to Bobby then smiled. "You too. Talk to you soon."

He covered the mouthpiece with his fingers as he handed the phone to Alex. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed." Leaning down, her father kissed the top of her head. "Good night, baby."

"Night, Dad," she called after him as he retreated down the hallway. Waiting until his bedroom door was closed, Alex shot some nerve into her spine and finally raised the phone to her ear.

"Hi, Bobby."

"Hey, Alex. I, uh…I hope I'm not disturbing you…" his voice trailed off with that same tentative note she'd heard earlier in the day.

"Not at all. Although you may have to apologize to my dad since you interrupted his favorite show," Alex tried to joke and hoped her voice sounded a lot calmer than she felt.

She could almost hear Bobby smile into the phone before he responded. "Well, tell him I'm sorry…I'll make it up to him."

"And how would you propose to do that?"

"I, um…I could get you out of his hair for a couple of hours the rest of tonight."

Stunned, she wasn't sure how to respond. As the awkward silence dragged on, Bobby abandoned the teasing approach. "Alex, I'd like to see you again…tonight."

"Bobby, I…" Alex choked on words. She wasn't trying to be coy – she really didn't know what to say.

"I won't be able to sleep," he pleaded softly. "I need to see you."

She still hesitated. Alex hadn't expected to see him again so soon and she didn't know if she was prepared to talk with him – really talk with him.

"Let me come and pick you up. We'll…go somewhere…for a couple of drinks." Something in his voice was almost desperate.

"I don't know, Bobby…" she was about to decline when she heard a gust of breath, as if someone had punched him in the stomach. After a brief pause, Alex started again. "I don't know about drinks. How about coffee?"

"Yeah, anything," he quickly responded. "Coffee would be great."

"And you don't have to drive all the way out here. I'll meet you halfway." Alex quickly dredged up her knowledge of the New York geography and local joints. "How about Bailey's? Right there by the bridge."

"Yeah, I know the place," Bobby sounded relieved. "Okay…Bailey's it is."

"I'll see you there in about twenty minutes." It wasn't until Alex hung up the phone that the panic really set in.

TBC…

A/N – This is turning into A LOT of dialog, which I don't think is my usual writing style so this may just be total crap. Hard to tell from this side of the keyboard.