I just want to say thanks to all of the encouraging and enthusiastic reviews I you have received for my first fic, it is truly appreciated.
This story still has a few more chapters to go.
(Remember Bobby still has to deal with Nicole)
Thanks again.
Read, enjoy and keep those reviews coming.
Chapter Ten
Bobby collects his mail and checks his phone messages.
Message one, his friend Andy.
In between is a hang up.
Message two, his friend Dave.
In between are two hang-ups.
Message three, Dr. Shimo, his Mom's doctor. He called this morning.
That's all I need now, terrific, maybe I should spend a few days up there.
Great, two screw-ups, mother and son, well it was bound to happen.
No, no fucking way I'm not like her.
He listens to the message.
"Bobby its Dr. Shimo, your Mom's been a little upset lately. Since you have not called in over a week or visited in almost a month, she's becoming a little depressed and she does nothing but sit in her room all day. Please call me as soon as you can, I really need to speak with you about this."
"I don't have the energy to deal with her shit now! Goddamnit!"
He feels anger toward her that he hasn't felt since he was a kid, he grabs hold of the phone and rips it from the jack and throws it across the room.
"Son of a bitch!"
He walks into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of whiskey and takes a drink, as he holds the bottle to his mouth for the next sip he sees the clock. It's 10:30 in the morning.
"Fuck it, who cares." He takes a sip.
He clicks on the TV and lies down on the couch, the doorbell rings soon after.
It's Alex, "May I come in?"
He looks past her, "Sure." He walks back into the living room and sits down on the couch she follows him.
"You said you were going to call me this morning. I guess you forgot, so I thought I'd stop by."
He looks as if he has been up all night, he needs a shave and he has the same clothes on he had when she saw him on Saturday.
"When did you get in?"
"About an hour ago."
"Have you been drinking?"
Sarcastically he says, "Goddamn you're observant."
She shakes her head and sighs.
I've been here for a minute and already he's trying to start a fight.
He looks down at the bottle on the table, picks it up and takes a sip, "Want some?"
"No, I'll pass."
She looks at the clock, "Bobby will you look at the time, it's not even noon yet."
"Where is it written, that you can't have a drink before noon, if it makes you happy I won't drink anymore till after 12. Oh by the way I called Deakins this morning and told him I was taking a few days off, for some reason he thought it was a good idea, why do you think he said that?"
"The Captain told me you called him."
She walks closer to the couch. "Well I must say you're a hell of a lot more talkative then you've been the past few weeks, but this is the wrong time to talk to you, I'd rather talk to you when you're sober."
"I'm not drunk."
"That's what they all say."
In a nasty voice, which she has never heard before, "I said I wasn't drunk."
The chime on the clock rings, he picks up the bottle, "It's twelve o'clock."
She turns to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving, you're in no condition to talk."
"Whatever."
She turns back to face him and her voice gets louder and angrier, "Whatever, that's all you can say, my god Bobby just look at yourself!"
"I'd rather not."
"You're a mess."
As she heads for the door the phone rings and she stops to listen to his conversation.
He answers the kitchen phone, "What."
"Bobby, it's Dr. Shimo."
"Yeah, what, what's the matter?"
"Did you get my message?"
"Yeah I heard it."
"Well her mood hasn't improved, she waits every day for you phone call which doesn't come. She just sits in her room looking out the window, no one can get her to leave her room and participate in the activities she likes."
Alex has not left.
"Am I supposed to feel guilty about that, because I don't. I' m having some problems of my own now, maybe you could explain that to her."
The doctor has known him for over six years now. He knows his devotion to his Mom, considering most of the residents have no visitors at all.
"I can make some time for you during the week, if you want to talk."
He is a little surprised by the comment. "What?"
"You sound as if you need someone to talk to, I'd be willing to listen."
"Oh man, I don't know, it's ok."
"If you have a chance to visit your Mom in the next couple of days please stop by and see me."
"Yeah...sure...thanks...bye."
"Hopefully I'll see you soon, goodbye."
He walks back to the couch and sits down. He looks up and sees Alex walking towards the door.
"Alex."
"Yeah."
She stops but does not turn around to look at him.
"Please don't leave."
"Why, why should I stay?"
"I need your help."
She smiles but he cannot see her face. She turns quickly around and walks towards the couch.
"Ok, I'll stay, but first, let's get rid of this bottle, you've had enough to drink."
She picks up the bottle and holds it out to him.
"Dump it out."
"That's a 40 dollar bottle of whiskey."
"Yeah well next time by the cheap shit. Dump it."
He looks at her for a few seconds trying to assess if she is serious, she stares back at him with a determined look on her face, and she is serious. He takes the bottle from her, walks into the kitchen, and dumps the whiskey in the sink.
"Ok Bobby, why are you sitting here feeling sorry for yourself?"
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself."
"If you're not going to be honest with me, I'm leaving, talk to me damn it!"
"Alright, alright let's just say I've had better weekends."
"You can do better than that"
He speaks but doesn't look at her, "I came home from a lost weekend and there's a message about my Mom. I just can't deal with her crap right now."
"Is that why the phone is in pieces on the floor?"
"Yeah it was annoying me, than I realized that there's one in the kitchen the bedroom and even a cell phone, do people really do that much talking that they need so many fucking phones."
She snickers and shakes her head in agreement
He hears her laugh and looks up at her.
"I know it was a stupid thing to do. Shit. I've been doing a lot of stupid things lately, haven't I?"
"You're not going to get an argument from me."
"Is your Mom alright?"
"She's fine, she's just been moping around because I haven't been to see her."
He sits back on the couch, "Like I don't have anything better to do, actually right now I don't have anything better to do, god my life sucks."
He lies down on the couch and covers his eyes with his arm.
"If I keep this shit up I won't even have a job."
"What, you can't believe that she just misses you?"
"I doubt that, all the fucking shit that's happened to me the last month and now I have to put up with this, I don't need this now, it's always something with her, do you have any idea what it's like?"
He sits up, "Oh wait, you wouldn't have any idea, coming from the all American family."
"You don't have to be nasty, Bobby."
"I'm not being nasty, it's the truth, and how in the hell could you possibly understand what I'm talking about."
"Do you want me to leave, is that what you want?"
He doesn't answer her, in a louder voice she says, "Is that what you want, because I have better things to do."
"Like what?" He says with a smile on his face.
She laughs as she sits down on the couch next to him, "You son of a bitch, shit, we are a pair, aren't we?"
They both laugh.
She takes his hand in hers.
"Was it so hard for you to say it?"
"It is when you're not use to asking for it. It is just that the way I grew up I learned to solve my own problems, but I couldn't do it this time and that really bothered me. But I must say that you are one stubborn woman, you know that?"
"So I've been told."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"I'm sorry, I am so sorry for the things I've said and done. I didn't mean for you to get caught in the middle."
"I understand. But if you could have just swallowed that male ego of yours for a minute and admit to yourself that there are some things you just can not do alone."
"That bad huh?"
"Jesus. You know Bobby you can read all the books in the world about psychology but you of all people should know that sometimes you just need someone to talk to."
"You're right."
"Of course."
"What was the doctor saying to you?"
"He said that he would make some time to talk to me, if I wanted."
"That sounds like a good idea, I think you should take him up on it."
He nods his head in agreement.
"I was hoping that you would bring this up but since it doesn't look like you're going to, I guess I will."
He looks at her with a puzzled look. "What?"
"Maryland."
"Oh, what about it?"
"You talked to the Captain this morning, right?"
"Yeah."
"Did you tell him?"
"No he doesn't need to know, it won't happen again."
"And you can be sure of this, how?"
He sighs and looks away.
"Well."
Silence.
"Don't you think he has the right to know?"
"Everything's been cleared away, no paper trail, nothing, it's like it never happened."
"No paper trail? Paper trail for what?"
"Shit I didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"That I," He stutters. "We, we got arrested."
She chuckles at his comment. "You're kidding me right? Just to see my reaction."
Almost in a whisper he says, "No, I'm not, it's the truth."
He has trouble looking her in the eye and she can see a look of embarrassment on his face.
"Jesus." He gets up and paces around the room. "The more I think about it, oh man this is so embarrassing. Even when I partied all night long when I was a kid I never got arrested."
"Who is she? What did you get arrested for and what the hell where you doing in Maryland?"
"Do you want me to answer them in that order or can I jump around?"
She smiles at him and wants to smack him at the same time.
I met a very sweet woman on Saturday night and we drove down to Maryland, Linkwood Maryland. My Grandparents use to live. My brother and I would spend two weeks down there every year during the summer. Anyway we got arrested Sunday morning for being drunk in public and vandalism."
"Vandalism?"
"Yeah I trashed some furniture at a motel and then I threw a chair through a window which made the alarm go off, which woke up everyone at the motel and then the police came and arrested us."
He pauses waiting to hear if she has anything to say, Alex is sitting there in total amazement.
"The sheriff was very cool he made an arrangement that if I pay for the damages then he would make it disappear."
"You are one lucky bastard, you know that."
"Yeah I know he could have put my nuts in a sling."
He elaborates on the story about Nicole being his inspiration for his anger; she doesn't find that hard to understand.
Alex feels that she has him in the right state of mind to ask him. She blurts it out.
"What did she do to you?"
He doesn't answer.
"Did she hurt you?"
Shaking his head, "No, not really, she just fucked with my head."
He has that defeatist sound in his voice again.
"Well you're pretty good at that."
Shaking his head, "No, not like that, not like her, I could ever be so cruel."
He gets very quiet and she doesn't say anything.
He wants to hold her and kiss her but his mind is coming up with reasons not to.
I've been wearing the same clothes for three days.
I need a shower.
She thinks I'm drunk but I'm not, not really.
His movement off the couch startles her.
She was deep in thought also.
Maybe I should make the first move but what if he's one of those guys that doesn't like when a woman makes the first move.
Damn it.
He's not even looking at me.
He picks up the cell phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"Rocco's, I'm hungry, what would you like?"
"Get me a chicken parm sandwich and a salad with creamy Italian dressing."
He orders lunch for them and then excuses himself to take a shower. Alex sits back on the couch and closes her eyes. She feels as if a huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She is not foolish in believing that this is over, he still has some major issues to deal with, but it's a start.
He startles her as he comes back into the room.
"Does anyone know where you are? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
When she looks up at him, he looks different, but not sure how.
"I just said that I'd be back later, anyway what am I supposed to do there all by myself?"
"Maybe they'll bring back Lawrence Bollar again." He smiles as he raises his eyebrows.
"That's not funny, Goren."
"Could you do me a favor?"
"What?"
"After lunch could you drive me into the city? I have to pick up my car."
"Sure."
The doorbell rings, he pays for the food and they enjoy each other's company while they eat lunch in the kitchen, their conversation in light.
They finish their meal and then they leave Brooklyn and then they drive to "Shorty's Pub" to pick up his car.
"Thanks for the ride."
"What are your plans for tomorrow?"
"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. I think I need a day just to hang out, maybe catch up on some sleep."
"That sounds like a good idea, I'll call you tomorrow."
He gets out of the car but before he closes the door, he turns to talk to her.
"Alex."
"Yeah."
"I………….I just want to say thank you again for everything."
"I would like to say no problem but……….."
He starts to laugh and so does she. He closes the door and she drives away.
I love that woman.
He wanted to say something else, I know it. He had that shy look on his face.
He looks so cute when he gets like that.
I love that man.
TBC