Chapter Eight
Misgiving
They walk out of the building hand in hand. "Where'd you park the car?"
"There." He points. "I was lucky. Some guy was just pulling out."
"Where did that car come from?"
"It was in the garage that first day I met you. Since this past Wednesday it's been at the auto body shop."
"It's a thunderbird?"
"Yes it is. 1955."
"I like the mustang but this is beautiful. Wow."
"Thanks."
They wait to cross the street and she grabs hold of this arm. "I forgot to tell you something."
"Oh." He tugs on her arm as he starts to cross the street. "What's that?"
"My parents will be there tonight."
"What? Why?"
"My Dad's an ex cop and…"
He cuts her off. "I'm not in the mood to meet your parents tonight. Why couldn't you have told me before?" He says sternly.
"Kidding………… I'm kidding."
"That's not funny."
"Yes it is."
He opens the car door for her. "Alright it was a little funny." He walks around the car to the driver's side and as he gets in the car. "Now that you know that I have parents." He starts to laugh. "My brother is having a barbeque next Sunday and I would like you and the boys to go with me?"
"You mean meet your whole family?"
"Yes. What do you say?"
"Sure I'd liked that."
"Great."
They drive the twenty minutes to the restaurant and the valet greets them. Bobby hands the young man a twenty-dollar bill. "You'll take good care of this car for me, right?" The young man smiles as he accepts the money. "Yes sir I will."
As he opens, the door for her Mike comes up behind them. "Alex." He gives her a smile.
"Mike. You remember Bobby."
"Sure I do." He extends his hand and the men shake. "I saw that car you drove up in. I don't remember seeing it in the driveway that afternoon."
"It was in the garage."
"You just finished it?"
"It was finished about a week ago."
"Are you going to sell this one?"
"I have already gotten an offer. I might keep it, I'm not sure."
As they talk, they walk through the banquet room and sit at an empty table. Within minutes, Alex sees Megan and waves. "Megan, come over here." She smiles as she sees her new friend. "I've been here for about half an hour and I didn't see you. I thought maybe you changed your mind and weren't going to come."
"I, we got a late start, Megan Wheeler I'd like you to meet Robert Goren."
"It is very nice to meet you. Megan."
"It is nice to finally meet you."
Mike notices the drink in her hand. "Where's the bar?" She points to the right. "Over there."
"Do you what anything to drink, Alex?" He looks toward Alex and Bobby. Alex answers him. "I'll have a white wine." He turns to Bobby. "Would you like a drink?"
He answers. "No thanks."
"Are you ready for another drink Megan?"
"No thank you, not yet."
The guest of honor soon arrives and different speakers address the crowd.
Music is filling the room as the waiters and servers serve dinner. After their third dance, Alex says, breathing heavy. "I can't remember the last time I danced." She sits down. "My feet are going to be hurting tomorrow." The effects of dancing do not show on Bobby, he is not even breathing heavy.
The band starts to play, I Can't Help Falling in Love with You, as the waiters and servers serve coffee and desert. Their interpretation of the song is very close to the Elvis Presley version. Bobby stands up and grabs her hand. She stands and he escorts her to the dance floor.
Later that Night
Alex's Apartment
"Bobby do you want a drink?"
"No thanks. Do you have any water bottles?" Alex makes her way to the kitchen and opens the refrigerator. "Let me see. Yes I do. Here." She hands it to him.
"I hope you enjoyed meeting my friends as much as I enjoyed meeting yours?"
"Yes, I like your friends. Logan included." He smiles as he sits down on the couch.
She walks over to the couch and puts her hand out to him. "Can you stay the night?"
He nods. "Yes I would like that."
Alex puts on some music and they get comfortable on the couch.
Bobby suddenly sits up and takes his arm from around her shoulder. Alex looks up at him. "What's the matter? Are you ok?"
He tries to look her in the eye but he has trouble. Alex's patience is getting the better of her. "Jesus what is it?"
"You really don't know, do you?"
"No."
"I was so wrapped up in telling you what happened that I forgot something very important. Alex there is something that I need to ask you?"
"What is it?"
"Why…why couldn't you have asked me? Why did you feel you had to sneak around behind my back? Didn't you think I would have told you the truth?"
"I knew if I asked that you would tell me the truth, but part of me really didn't want to know."
He looks to where all the papers and photos were. "Then why didn't you throw it away? You left it on the table."
She has no answer for him. "Maybe you thought you could use it later to get rid of me. You want me gone. I am gone. Just tell me to go, and I'll leave."
She grabs a hold of his arm. "No, Bobby I don't want you to go."
He smiles. "I don't think that you will ever get over the fact that you're a cop and I'm an ex-con."
"I don't think of you that way."
"Yes you do." He says as he nods his head. "You put all this evidence together as if I was a suspect."
"No. It's just that I had all those thoughts going through my head and I had to do something about it". He sounds defensive. "I am a cop you know."
"Yeah I know that. I'm surprised you don't have it tattooed on your ass."
"That was uncalled for."
"You're right. I am sorry. However, that is when you should have talked to me. You had no right to do that even if you are a cop." He gets up from the couch and grabs his jacket. "Did you check out my income? To see if I spent more than I reported." She does not answer him she looks away. He nods his head. "I thought so."
He puts his jacket on. "You don't trust me. Do you?" He picks up his tie and stuffs it in his pocket. "You say you can live with this but I don't think you can."
"Oh you're telling me how to think."
He shakes his head. "I wouldn't even try. You know right now." He bends down to catch her eye. "I don't think I can trust you."
He turns toward the door. "I'd better go."
She sits in total silence as he opens the door and leaves.
TBC