Bobby sat at her desk going over her conversation with Matt.
In the end, she'd once again been too weak and terrified to say what she felt.
She imagined the different scenarios, the different words in her head but for some reason she couldn't find one where Matt would turn around and say he loved her too.
It was obvious that he was going to take things to a different level with Lisa and Bobby had chosen not to interfere.
Still, what in the world possessed her to commit herself to him indefinitely, while this whole FINA thing got worked out.
"Hey Bobby." She heard Nora say as she approached her.
"Hi." She said, looking up from her desk confused.
"Is Matt in?" Nora asked. Bobby looked at her blankly for a moment before realizing that Brian was there too.
"Yes." Bobby said, blinking several times. "He is and he is expecting you."
Bobby stood and moved towards the door like a robot.
"Are you okay?" Brian asked, noting she looked pale.
"Yes, I'm fine." Bobby said, trying to be normal as she knocked.
"Come in." Matt said, turning to the door and standing when he saw Bobby.
"Mr. and Mrs. Carlton for the briefing." Bobby said formally.
"Bobby- what did I say about calling me Nora?" Nora asked with a sigh.
"She enjoys making us feel old." Brian said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Thank you, Bobby. Would you mind sitting in and taking notes?" Matt said, making Bobby's eyes grow wide.
"Yes, of course. One moment." She said turning to her desk and grabbing her things.
"You can do this, you can do this. You can do this." She muttered as she turned back and closed the door behind her. All she had to do was act normal, after all- everything that the needed to say was said and there was no reason for her not to go about her business as usual.
"Bobby- Matt just told us you're willing to stay on until after the FINA account is settled." Brian said as she moved to sit down.
"yes, He pointed out how much effort we'd invested so far and he's right. No need to rock the boat." Bobby said quietly.
"I think that's a great way to look at it." Nora said, before turning back to Matt.
A while later, Bobby sat engrossed in what she was doing- trying to keep track of everything that was being said.
"Do you really think it's necessary to go to DC?" Nora asked as they moved to get up.
Bobby sat, going over her notes to make sure she got everything right.
"I think so. He knows if he comes here, we have the advantage and he's putting off a visit. Still, he said he'd like to have us up." Matt said. "I think in January."
"You can take Lisa- make it a bit more of a social gathering and that way put him at ease." Brian said, strategically. Matt nodded.
"I think that's a good idea. I'd also like to take Bobby." He said, making everyone turn towards her.
Bobby looked up from her notepad slowly- had she just heard right?
"Why me?" she blurted out.
"Because travelling in larger numbers makes us look like a more dominating force. Besides, we don't want to put him out more than necessary and you've been working with him closely as well." Matt said.
Bobby thought about this- it was true that every time Tyler Most called he liked to spend a good 15 minutes on the phone with her before she transferred him. He was a blatant flirt but of course, he'd never actually seen Bobby.
"I think it's a good idea." Nora said with a nod as she turned to Brian.
"Me too. Arrange the visit for January and let me know when you have dates." Brian said.
"Great." Matt said as his parents turned to leave. "Bobby, can you stay for a second?"
Bobby turned to him when she would have walked out after Brian.
"Sure." She said quietly.
"Close the door." Matt said and she turned with a nod to shut it.
"What can I do for you?" She asked, standing behind one of the chairs as if using it as protection.
"Sorry about springing the trip on you." He said but Bobby shrugged.
"No need. The trip really is a good idea and it will help us close this deal much faster than if we continue to work by phone and email." She said.
Matt nodded- it was strange to hear her to eager to end the work relationship.
"Did you get everything?" He asked.
Bobby looked down to her notepad and flipped through the pages.
"I think so." She said, reading through it before adding an "Ouch."
"What's wrong?" Matt asked, moving around the desk.
"Nothing." She said, looking at her finger. "Just a paper cut."
Matt looked as she held it up to him.
"Here." He said simply, walking around to his drawer and taking out a band aid.
Bobby stared at it for a second.
"Thanks." She said, moving towards him but Matt grabbed her hand and pulled her near.
Bobby's eyes widened as Matt slowly opened the band aid wrapper.
"Okay..." He said, wrapping the band aid around her finger and smoothing it out. "All better."
He looked at the finger with a grin and then impulsively kissed it lightly like you might with a child.
Bobby looked down to avoid him seeing her blush.
"Thanks." She muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Sure." He said, looking at her as she began to back away.
"Bobby- I just wanted to make sure we're okay." Matt said suddenly, making her look up at him.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Last week I said something cruel to an important friend. I hate knowing I hurt your feelings." He said softly.
Bobby looked down again- Matt was being extremely gentle with her. Of course, she knew he didn't want her to trade with Kevin- she knew he wanted her to stay as his assistant but still... the words were very kind.
"I'm fine and don't worry about it anymore. We all say things we don't mean sometimes." Bobby said, making him smile.
"Good- because we're going to be putting in some long hours from now until that trip and I'm counting on you." He said.
Bobby nodded. Of course. Of course. Of course. He was counting on her- his stupidly devoted assistant.
"You can count on me." She said, turning to leave the office.
"oh." She stopped, remembering the cards in her pocket. "Here."
"What's this?" Matt asked as he took the card and looked at it.
"It's your ticket for Saturday." She said.
"I see- open bar." He said with a chuckle. "I'm glad you secured the most important detail."
"Yeah, well you know me, party animal." She said, rolling his eyes and making him burst out laughing.
When Bobby left his office and finally sat in her chair, she put her hand over her heart once again... it was beating frantically.
God, even his laughter was too much for her at this point.
----
"You look... terrible." Eddie said, making Bobby sigh.
"You're so charming." She said sarcastically, handing him two small cards.
"What's this?" He asked, looking them over.
"Tickets for the Christmas Party on Saturday." She said. "Open bar."
Eddie chuckled.
"You say that like if you were going to actually drink." Eddie said, rolling his eyes.
"I think I'm finally understanding the whole "I need a drink" thing." She muttered, shaking her head.
"Anytime you want someone to take you drinking... I know some good bars." Eddie said with a smirk.
"No thanks." She began, "I don't drink." Eddie spoke in unison with her and they both laughed.
"Okay, okay. Listen- would you mind giving one to Lisa. I saw Matt go in there earlier and the last thing I need is to walk in on them again." Bobby said.
"Sure." Eddie said, looking her over and knowing automatically that it was the whole Matt thing that had her down.
"Are you really just going to let it go?" Eddie asked.
Suddenly Lisa's office door opened and they both turned away quickly, inadvertently catching a glimpse of a goodbye kiss.
"I'll see you later." Matt said, smiling at Eddie and Bobby as he went back towards his office.
They were both quiet until they heard the click of both doors.
"Yes." Bobby replied, her voice low.
"Ouch. I'm sorry." Eddie said, "But if you ask me, giving up without even trying is cowardice."
"Then I'm a coward." Bobby said in resignation. "Changing the subject, are you going home for the break?"
"Yep, I won't be back until the 2nd." He said and Bobby sighed. "Why?"
She shrugged.
"Just wondering if I would order Christmas pizza for one or two this year but... more for me." She said with a grin.
"You could come home with me." Eddie said but Bobby shook her head.
"No." She said firmly. "That's not my home anymore."
Eddie nodded knowingly. It was a dumb suggestion anyway, there was no way that Bobby would be able to go to Texas without seeing one of her family members.
"Speaking of- My mother spoke to your mother the other day." Eddie said and Bobby scoffed.
"That woman doesn't speak... she mumbles incoherently." Bobby said bitterly.
"Well, she told me something I think you should know." Eddie began but Bobby put her hand up.
"I thought we agreed if you came up here the mention of them would be on a need to know basis. I don't want to hear it." Bobby said.
"But this is something I believe you need to know." Eddie said seriously.
"What is it? If someone got arrested, I really don't care." She said and Eddie shook his head.
"Just the opposite- Robbie is out." Eddie said and Bobby shrugged.
"So?" Bobby asked. She hated talking about them.
"He told your mother he was going to go find his baby sister." Eddie said, leaving Bobby a bit speechless.
There was a few minutes of silence before she shrugged as if it was no big deal.
"He could mean Ruth." Bobby said.
"Ruth lives at home, he has no need to go find her." Eddie said.
"That bum will be lucky if he makes it San Antonio." Bobby said, shaking her head. "I doubt he can get to New York and even if he does, he'll never find me."
"Don't get cranky, I just thought you ought to know. I don't trust Robbie as far as I can see him, especially after everything that..." Eddie began but Bobby let out a sigh of exasperation.
"Can we not talk about this anymore? Whatever did or didn't happen in Texas and whoever those people are- it has nothing to do with me now." Bobby said. "And that's the last I want to hear."
"Fine. I'm sorry." Eddie said with a sigh. Bobby relaxed.
"No, don't be. I'm sorry- you're just the messenger, I know but please... in the future, just refuse to be." Bobby said, turning on her heel and walking away.