Chapter Seventeen-Home Sweet Home
The days flew by and the girls were off on their grand adventure. They tried, to no avail, to pursuade Mary into joining them but she made it very clear she had absolutely no desire to pretend to listen to people she didn't care about blather about their former glory days. As far as Mary was concerned, most of their accomplishments were greatly embelished and she didn't have to patience or interest to endure people who did nothing for a decade. Mary enjoyed elements of her high school years and considered those years successful and productive, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to rehash her days as debate club captain or talk shop with her former year book associates.
Instead, she was in her apartment, for all intents and purposes alone if she didn't count her ever present security detail and army of painters, builders, and Lord knew who else. For such a minimal project, this remodeling required quite a few people. Mary was holed up in her bedroom, working from home as was her preference. She only went into the office for meetings or if new employees or interns required training. Mary was uncomfortably around people and luckily for her computers didn't quite very many interpersonal skills.
She was trying her best to concentrate, but the constant banging of equipment was giving her a headache and her throat felt scratchy from the saw dust. She was in the middle of designing her characters when there was a knock on her door. She ignored it at first, but the knock became more pronounced and that was when she heard voices. She sighed and stood from her chair, walking to her door. In gray capris, black tank top, and black house slippers, she wasn't dressed to impress. In fact, her hair, which was thrown into some sort of haphazard updo, looked even less interested than her outfit.
When she opened her door, she observed Bobby talking to, or rather interrogating, one of the workers. He was ascertaining why this particular gentleman was continuing to pester Mary when she made it very, very clear she wanted to be left alone.
"I'm sorry to disturb you Ms. Mayfield, but I just wanted to inform you my crew and I are getting ready to start painting. Before we get started, I wanted to go over a couple things."
"O...okay," Mary replied, stepping out of the room and following him towards the construction zone. When the crew noticed her presence they nodded their acknowledgement and she smiled shyly, lifting her hand in a short wave before crossing her arms tightly in front of her.
"Is this color to your liking?" the gentleman asked. His name was Dave and he was head of the crew.
They were currently standing in Maegan's bedroom, which was in the early stages of painting. Crew members were adding primer to the walls and Mary could see cans of opened paint. Free spirited as she was, Maegan was still a girly girl and loved all things feminine, so she had chosen rose pink with white trim. This color wasn't Mary's taste, but she knew her cousin would love it. Mary nodded her approval and Dave led her into what was to be Raziah and Malia's bedroom.
Stephen assured Maegan there was enough room for both girls to have their own bedroom, but Maegan wanted them to share. Maegan had chosen a sweet, cotton candy shade of her favorite hue, and also wanted the room decorated in a butterfly theme. Again, Mary gave her approval and Dave continued with his tour. They were about to discuss the playroom and office when Mary felt she had reached her limit.
"Dave, are we almost finished? I have work to do and the noise and smells are giving me a migrane."
"We are almost finished Ms. Mayfield. I'm sorry for the disturbance, but I want to make certain these rooms are done to your liking. Mr. Mayfield made it clear my crew and I are here to serve you and finish these rooms according to your specifications."
"Very well," Mary sighed, wishing Dave would hurry up so she could get back to more important things, such as the new game she was developing.
"As you know Ms. Mayfield, this is going to be the playroom," Dave said as he, Mary, and Bobby stepped inside the empty room. Cans of primer were open and the crew was about to get started. Dave opened a sketch pad and showed her a design of what the room would look like once it was finished.
"What do you think Ms. Mayfield? Do you think your cousin and her daughters would like this?" he asked. The room was to be painted pale pink and cream with vibrant flowers, butterflies, and trees on the walls. The room looked like every little girl's paradise and Mary was certain the girls would love it. Mary could also see designs for a small playhouse, indoor slide, shelves, and all the other things a playroom would need.
"The design is beautiful," Mary replied, her austere expression momentarily softening as she envisioned Raziah and Malia filling the room with laughter. "Maegan and the girls will love it."
"As for the office, you originally stated you wanted it to look exactly the same as the one you had previous. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that is correct," Mary replied. Mary and the girls had really enjoyed the look of their former office, which was now Stacee's bedroom, so making decisions regarding that room was simple.
"As for the other rooms..."
"Dave, you have your notes, your sketches, and whatever else you may need," Mary said, cutting him off. "you and your crew are professionals so I trust you not to turn my home into a dilapidated mess. Do whatever it is you need to do as expeditiously as possible so you can leave my house and I can finally take a breath without gagging."
"That brings me to my next point, Ms. Mayfield," Dave said, taken aback by her abruptness. He felt that someone with a bank account as large as hers could afford some manners, but he knew he couldn't afford to articulate that belief out loud.
"As you know, we are about to start painting and paint fumes can be pretty potent," he began. "it isn't advisable for anyone to be in close proximity to those fumes, but from what your father told me, your health cannot sustain much more of this remodeling. I think you should consider staying at another location until our work is finished."
"How long will that take? Maegan and her girls will be here next week and I would like the work to be finished by then," Mary replied.
At that moment her cat, Tally, slithered into the room. He looked up at Dave and hissed as he rubbed against his mistress's legs. Mary bent down and picked up her furry companion, kissing him on the head and stroking his fur as she looked at Dave. The contractor looked at the surly feline and realized there was in fact credence to the saying that pets take after their masters.
"Yes ma'am, the work should be completed by then," Dave said.
"Fine," Mary said, turning to leave the room. Tally turned his head and let out a final hiss and jabbed his paw in Dave's direction for affect.
"Have you given anymore thought to staying with Allyson and Brenden?" Bobby asked, watching as Mary headed into the kitchen.
She set Tally on the floor and refilled his food and water dish. Once her pet was satiated, Mary opened the refrigerator and pulled two bottled waters out, handing one to Bobby and keeping one for herself. Bobby took a drink, holding his gaze with Mary until she gave him her answer.
"I would really prefer to have some time to myself. I love my family and I love visiting them, but I was rather looking forward to having some time to myself. As much as I enjoy living with the girls, it's nice not having them around. I need time to decompress and living with my sister and Brenden for a week would drive me up the wall."
"What about staying at a hotel? You would have a room all to yourself, room service..."
"Yes, all while sleeping on used sheets, staff going through my belongings, noisy neighbors...hotels are nice for a day or two, but more than that is too much. I'm too much of a homebody to really enjoying staying away from home. Perhaps I could just open a window and wear ear plugs."
"You could do that, but there is another possibility you haven't considered."
Mary tilted her head slightly, her interest peaked as Bobby presented an idea that had never even occured to her. "We could stay at my place until the remodeling is complete," he said.
"Bobby, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. If I came with you I would have to bring Tally and I know you're allergic to cats."
"I'm taking medication to help allieve those symptoms, so your cat won't be a problem," Bobby assured her. Terra had left her parrot with a pet sitting service and Beth was allowing Jasmine to look after her hampster.
"Yes, for now, but once this security detail ends and you resume your regular job and life, you will still have cat fur to attend to. I'll tell you what: I'll stay at your place this week if I can make the cleaning arrangements."
"Done," Bobby said. He didn't the idea of her paying to have his apartment cleaned, but he also didn't want her living with paint fumes, so he figured he was choosing the lesser of two evils.
"Thank you, Bobby. I really appreciate this," Mary said sincerely.
"Absolutely. Why don't you get some things together for you and Tally while I pack my things?"
"Alright," Mary agreed.
Bobby and Mary went their separate ways and a few minutes later they were ready, their bags stacked by the door. Mary reached into her purse, but Bobby put his hand up to stop her.
"You don't need to call the front desk. I can carry everything."
"Really?" Mary asked, looking skeptical. "you're going to carry ten pieces of luggage by yourself?"
"Absolutely, and all at once. I bet I could carry Tally's carrier too."
"I absolutely believe that you believe that Bobby, but the fact remains..."
"The fact remains what?" Bobby asked, looking Mary right in the eye as he coolly and effortlessly held all of their bags, including a cage that held one majorly pissed off cat. Mary stood there, her mouth agape and Bobby spoke again.
"It's really quite simple. I placed our carry ons on each of my shoulders, the handles of our duffles in the crook of my arm, the handle of your toiletry kit and boarding tote around the handle of your upright, and I can pull the rest. There was even space left over to place Tally's carrier between your carrier and the handle bar. The cage and its lock appear quite strong, so even if I run over some bumps, the cage shouldn't fall and open."
"Robert, you can't...!" Mary stopped herself, thinking better of continuing this arguement and instead came to the conclusion is was best to simply acquiesce.
"I'm carrying Tally's cage," she said finally. She tried to grab some of her bags, but Bobby held up his hand, rebuffing her gesture. "Robert, I need to at least carry the cage. If I don't, Tally will throw a fit and maul my bag all the way to my car and considering how much this luggage set cost, I would rather not have it damaged."
"Fine," Bobby said, allowing her to carry Tally's cage, as well as her purse and three jackets. It was still summer in New York, but Mary liked to be prepared. One jacket was lightweight and gray with quarter length sleeves and upright collar. The next was black taffeta with ruching and a built in belt and the final one was black and quilted with a high neck.
"I told Dave I would be staying elsewhere until the remodeling project was complete," Mary replied. "he has my cell number so he can inform me when the apartment is ready."
Bobby nodded and they began walking down the hall. Mary almost lost it when she realized he was leading them to the stairs.
"Robert, you have made your point, but there is no way we are walking down all those flights of stairs with all these bags and a cantankerous cat. We are using the elevator and that is final."
"You are beginning to remind me of someone," Bobby said as they stepped onto the elevator. Mary set down Tally's carrier and she was rewarded with a hiss and the swipe of a paw.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Mary said, doing her best to appear innocent, but not doing a very good job. Bobby cast her a sidewise glance and saw a smile slowly creep across her face.
It wasn't long until they were in the parking garage and they were on their way towards Mary's car. Bobby looked around, marveling at all the amazing, obviously expensive vehicles safely tucked in their assigned space.
"Do Terra, Beth, and Stacee have cars of their own?" Bobby asked.
"Yes," Mary replied. "we love each other dearly, but we don't travel well together, so when we need to drive somewhere we drive separately."
Bobby looked at her curiously, so she continued. "The girls and I just have our share of quirks," she said with a shrug.
Bobby and Mary approached her car, which was a black BMW. She lifted her key ring so she could automatically open the doors and trunk. Bobby loaded the luggage into her trunk and Mary placed Tally's cage in the backseat. Tally didn't like traveling in the car, so she placed a throw blanket over the cage. Mary liked being prepared for anything, so she had a blanket and other essentials in the backseat. She slid into the driver's seat and looked over at Bobby, who was running his hand across the car's smoothe interior.
"Wow, this is nice. This is the 2011 5-series?" Bobby asked.
"Yes. Daddy gave it to me as a birthday present this year. He likes to replace my cars every few years and decided I was overdue for a new one. I don't think my old car needed replacing, as I don't drive very much, but he was insistent."
"Storage must set you back a bit every month. A thousand dollars a month, right?"
"Right," Mary replied. She was now long used to his psychic profiling abilities, so his correct assumption didn't render her shocked.
Mary pulled out of the parking garage and merged with traffic. Actually, cutting off three cars was a more accurate description, but what her friends and law enforcement called cutting off, she called merging. It wasn't her fault the rest of the city couldn't drive. Bobby watched as she leaned her head out the window and engage in conversation with a fellow motorist.
"Learn how to drive you useless piece of fucking shit!" she hollored, using one hand to blast her horn while using the other to demonstrate her displeasure.
"Why the fuck are you yelling at me, lady?" the motorist demanded. The motorist was a male who appeared to be in his thirties or forties. "*You* cut *me* off, you stupid fucking c***! You're fucking lucky you didn't hit my car!"
"I wouldn't have cared if I did! You're an asshole!"
"And you're a bitch! I hope your fucking kids die on fucking Christmas!"
"Ha, I don't have any kids so the joke is on you, bitch!"
"*I'm* a bitch? *You're* the bitch! I have half a mind..."
"Oh, don't flatter yourself!"
"Would you like to pull over and see who the bitch really is?"
"Would I? Fuck yeah!"
The motorist moved his car towards the curb, obviously expecting Mary to follow suit. Instead, she merged to where his car once was, flipped him off, and continued driving. She laughed and looked over at Bobby, who was silently observing her.
"You're not going to profile me again are you?"
"I suppose not," Bobby said. "I will say that if you didn't want me touching your radio, all you had to do was tell me."
Mary looked over and realized her hand was resting on the dials. She hadn't meant to convey that message, but he was correct in his assessment. Mary absolutely hated it when anyone touched anything in her car: radio, heat, air...in fact, if there was a way in which she could have passengers in her car without their butts touching her seats that would make her day. She began surfing through the channels, listening to a song for a moment before continuing her search. This went on for about ten minutes until she finally settled for sliding one of her mixed tapes into the cd player.
"I like this music," Bobby said. "I find Jim Brickman soothing."
"So do I," Mary replied. "not only does he have a beautiful voice, his piano playing skills are spellbounding. In the past I didn't much care for instrument only music, but now I have come to appreciate it."
"If you enjoy piano playing that much, you should meet one of the detectives at Major Case. His name is Zach Nichols and he is musically inclined. He plays with a jazz band on his off time and they are pretty good if you like that type of music."
"I do. I didn't like jazz for years, but about a year or two ago I really came to appreciate it. Do you play an instrument?"
"No I don't. Do you?"
Mary nodded. "I play piano and violin. I started playing at an early age-around the age of five-and I have been addicted to music since. I'm no where near as good as Jim of course, but there is something so magical about music. When I am playing an instrument I feel as if I am transported to another world. It's just...I cannot even describe it..."
"I think you are doing a fine job. Since you have the piano and violin mastered, have you considered moving onto another instrument?"
"Hmm...well, let me think," Mary said, pondering for a while before speaking. "after listening to Clarinet Concerto, I fell in love with the clarinet, so if I were to take music lessons again I suppose that is the instrument I would choose. If I had the nerve I would consider taking voice lessons, since I so enjoy listening to singing and wish my own voice was more pleasant. I haven't shattered any windows, but I'm no Mariah Carey."
"I'm sure your voice is fine, Mary. Your speaking voice is soothing, so your singing voice cannot be too far off."
"How do you amuse yourself during your off hours? Surely even a detective as impressive as yourself needs some form of distraction."
"What makes you think I am a great detective?"
"Surely you must find some way to put your psychic abilities to use."
"Profiling isn't the same as being psychic, Mary. Criminal profiling is a behaviorial and investigative took that is intended to help investigators to profile unknown criminal subjects. Profilers go to a crime scene, examine the evidence, and use what is found, or not found, to form a more thorough image of the individual or individuals who perpetrated the crime. Once the profile is created, it can be used to narrow the list of suspects. Psychics, on the other hand, use a series of techniques, such a cold reading, to analyze a subject's body language, age, clothing, gender, race or ethnicity..."
"What's your point?" Mary asked, glancing at Bobby before turning her attention back to the road.
"My point is criminal profiling is based on scientific research and facts, whereas psychics more or less are just playing a more sophisticated version of twenty questions."
"So do profilers," Mary countered. The truth was she did see the merits of profiling and thought most psychics were con artists. She just enjoyed poking at him and trying to get a reaction out of him. "psychic ability may more or less only be a version of twenty questions, but profiling is no more than fitting together the pieces of a puzzle and the pieces don't always go together."
"Profiling isn't an exact science," Bobby conceeded. "but it still has its merits. I can tell you from personal experience it has helped solve many cases and save countless lives. In fact, my profiling abilities are telling me you actually agree with me, but you are simply provoking me into an arguement for your own amusement."
"What inspired your interest in profiling?" Mary asked. "was it part of your training once you joined the force or did you study it in college?"
"I majored in Criminal Justice when I attended college, but I didn't start studying profiling until I joined the army and was stationed in Germany. I was working for the CID, Criminal Investigation Division, and it was there I ment Declan Gage..."
"Yes, I have heard of him," Mary interjected. "he was one of the first profilers in the world-he helped establish the Behavioral Analysis Unit."
"You've heard of him?" Bobby asked, feeling excited that she actually had an interest in a subject that was so close to his heart. "you've read his books?"
"I love true crime novels!" Mary exclaimed. "I have read all of his books and attended his lectures and book signings. After the first few encounters he started to remember me, until the end of course when his dementia settled in. It's almost poetic how Declan spent his entire career chasing criminals and in the end he and his daughter became the very thing he was trying to destroy."
"There is more to Declan and Jo than that," Bobby said, wanting to defend the people who at one point he held so dear. "they...they were like family to me."
Usually Mary would counter his comment with one of her own, but the vulnerability that crept into his voice and eyes tugged at her heart. "I...I'm sorry. I...didn't know. I read Profiler Profiled, an autobiography discussing his downfall...I mean, life after his career and it was, well, fascinating. You were mentioned in the book, but your name was changed, so I didn't realize it was you to whom they were referring."
"Don't worry about it," Bobby replied.
"Other than Germany, where else were you stationed?" Mary asked, changing the subject.
"I was in Germany from 1983 to 1987 and after that I did a six month stint in South Korea."
"Were you ever in combat?"
"No. My job with the CID was an office position, so I wasn't in combat. Your father, on the other hand, I'm sure saw his fair share of war zones. I know you lived in four different states before moving to New York, but did you ever life outside of the country?"
"No. Daddy thought I was too delicate to leave the country and wanted me to have access to American hospitals and doctors. When Daddy left the country I would stay with Aunt Linda. Daddy fought in Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Just Cause, and the Gulf War. When he returned home in 1991 he retired and we moved to New York."
"The invasion of Grenada was in October of 1983. You were only eight months old when he was deployed?"
Mary nodded. "Aunt Linda and Uncle Mark said he was overwrought at the idea of leaving me, but duty called. He took time off after...after I was born, but given his position, he was needed immediately. He was only away for four months, though, so that wasn't so bad. The war ended in December, but he was required to stay longer as prt of Operation Island Breeze. He returned home in February."
"As...close as the two of you are, I imagine his deployments became more and more difficult."
Mary nodded. "I tried to put on a brave face, but the Invasion of Panama was the most difficult because he was deployed three days before Christmas. He returned home at the end of January, but was deployed to Iraq in August. I was so relieved when he retired because I was always such a wreck when he left. Aunt Linda did her best to shield Terra and me from the news coverage, but still, we weren't in a bubble, so tidbits did make their way back to us."
"I know you think my father is overprotective and a bit obsessive," Mary continued. "but it's only because he feels guilty about leaving me during deployment and he feels as though he has to make up for lost time. My father is an amazing man and an even better father."
"He certainly is...attentive," Bobby said, his suspicions of Mary's father still lingering. The General's actions compounded with Mary's reoccuring dream left Bobby with a lot of unanswered questions and he intended to have them answered.
Mary continued driving with Bobby interjecting ever so often with directions. It wasn't long until they pulled up to a small, brick single story house with a wooden gate enclosing the modest yard. The lawn was carefully mowed, but the space was devoid of flowers or kooky ornaments. The only embelishment the yard possessed was a cluster of bushes near the porch. Mary pulled into the driveway and Bobby climbed out of the car so he could open the garage door.
Bobby had driven his car to Mary's apartment building and it was parked in the visitor's section. In exchange for Bobby's services, The General agreed to pay the parking fee and any other expenses that were occured during Bobby's security stint. They stepped out of the car and Mary unlocked the trunk before opening the back seat to retrieve Tally's cage. Bobby removed all of their luggage from the trunk and after he shut it, Mary locked it, as well as the car doors.
She placed her keys in her purse and reached down to pick up some of the bags. Bobby opened his mouth to protest, but she would hear none of it. Bobby pulled a key out of his pocket and they walked to a side door that led into the kitchen. Bobby unlocked the door and allowed Mary to enter first. She set down her bags and looked around as Bobby turned on the lights: the kitchen was simple and nondescript with dark wood cabinets and standard kitchen equipment.
The kitchen was tidy, although it was screaming for an update. As she stood in the kitchen, Bobby opened the front door to retrieve his mail. He had a small, metal mail box attached to his house and after collecting his small bundle of envelopes, he shut and locked the door. He walked back into the kitchen and found Mary still in the kitchen, looking a bit ill at ease. This was the first time she had been to his home and since he wasn't family, she didn't feel comfortable enough to simple wander through his home.
Tally, on the other hand, wasn't shy in expressing his feelings of displeasure. He thrust his paw from the carrier, hissing in indignance at being trapped in a carrier like a common housepet. He carried himself with an air of superiority and super kitties were above such entrapment. Mary knelt down beside the cage and stuck fingers inside, gently stroking her feline companion and murmuring soothing things Bobby couldn't quite make out. Tally simply growled and sulked to the back of the cage, plotting revenge/escape.
"Tally doesn't like his carrier very much," Mary said, stating the obvious. "I packed his play pen in one of my suitcases, so if would kindly indicate where you would like it set up, I can put it together. It shouldn't take long and having his own space might make him less surly."
Tally let out a long, resounding hiss as if to say "Not likely!" Mary turned to the cage and continued trying to soothe her fury friend and Bobby couldn't help but smile. Despite having just entered a strange new environment in which she felt less than comfortable, her first thought was of her cat's comfort. Tally felt less than appreciative: he swatted at Mary's hand with his paw, his claws leaving slight indentations on her fair skin. Her hand retreated, injured, but not enough to produce blood.
"Mary, I appreciate your consideration in packing the play pen, but it isn't necessary. I want both of you to feel comfortable in my home and I don't think Tally would enjoy being enclosed in a play pen for a week. He is used to having free reign of your apartment, so such small living quarters would be quite an adjustment for him."
"He does hate the playpen," Mary admitted. "but you are allergic to cats and I don't want you having to contend with pet dander after we are gone. You cannot keep getting injections forever."
"I'll simply have the house cleaned after the two of you leave," Bobby said with a shrug. "my allergies aren't life threatening, so cleaning up after him shouldn't be a problem."
"If you are going to let my cat run loose in your home the least I can do is pay for the clean up," Mary insisted. "I want to assume responsibility for any costs related to clean up or repairs. Tally isn't a descructive cat anymore, but on the off-chance he does ruin something, I will have it fixed or replaced."
"Very well," Bobby agreed, deciding it was easier to agree than argue with his temporary roommate. Mary let Tally out of his carrier and he immediately ran into the living room, claiming Bobby's armchair as his vantage point. He sat proudly in the chair, his head tilted up, as if looking down on the humans he so kindly graced with his presence. Mary looked at Tally and simply shook her head.
"Good luck getting that chair back," she said, opening one of her suitcases and pulling out Tally's food and water bowls, as well as cat food and bottled water.
"I'll add it to my tab," Bobby said, watching as Mary combined Whiskas wet food with dry cat food, which was Tally's preference. Once his food bowl was filled, she filled his water bowl with Evion water and stood up to open Bobby's freezer. She pulled out his ice tray and took three ice cubes out of the trap and placed them in Tally's bowl. She put the ice tray back in the freezer and placed Tally's food supply under the sink. She placed the water bottles in the refrigerator and walked back over to her stack of bags.
"Do you mind if I place his litter box here?" Mary asked, gesturing to a space between Bobby's stove and the wall. "this is what he is used to and I don't think he would know where else to look for it."
"That's fine," Bobby said. Mary set the box in the desired spot and filled it with fresh litter. She placed the left over litter under the sink beside the food. Bobby couldn't help but raise his eyebrows as she took a miniature magnetic curtain rod and placed it between his stove and the wall and used it to hang a purple curtain.
"Tally likes his privacy and I like not having to look at the litter box," she said with a shrug. "besides, since he is used to the purple curtain he will have an easier time finding it, especially since this a new environment for him."
"Would you like a tour of the place?" Bobby asked. "I thought you might want to unpack and see where you are staying. I...I want you to feel comfortable here, so try to make yourself at home."
"I'll try," Mary said, picking up her bags and following Bobby as he showed her around.
There was a space against the wall that housed Bobby's washer and dryer, as well as laundry supplies. A table and chairs in the kitchen served as his dining room, so his dining room was the largest room in the house. The hallway was to the left and Bobby showed her the bathroom and three bedrooms. One was Bobby's room, one was a guest room, and the other was an office. The rooms were modest in size with Bobby's room not much bigger than the other two.
They were simply furnished and decorated, nothing like the oppulence of the apartment Mary shared with the girls. They were currently standing in the guest room, which was painted sage with cream trim. The carpet was neutral and there was a twin bed, dresser, and nightstand, which were made of light brown wood. Bobby helped Mary bring her bags into the room and set them on the bed, which had two pillows in white cases and a forest green, sage, and cream floral comforter.
"Would you like to unpack now or later?" Bobby asked. "At some point today we are going to need to go to the grocery store, so whenever you're ready is fine."
"We can go now," Mary said. "I don't like to unpack right away, so going grocery shopping gives me a good excuse to procrastinate.
"Alright," Bobby agreed. Mary grabbed her purse and they headed out again.