Bobby was making her lunch when she got the first text from Matt.
It was a simple: "I called you last night?!?"
She sighed, recalling the entire incident. That idiot.
"Yes, I picked you up, dropped you off. The Usual." She wrote, not wanting to delve into it again.
She refused to tell him that he kissed her in his drunken madness. She'd been furious at first- Bobby was hardly the type of girl who'd let anyone kiss her but after she'd slept it off... she was over it. Well, not completely, but her anger had subsided to slight annoyance.
When she thought about it now, she wasn't sure what she would have expected from a kiss from Matt. It had never occurred to her that they would ever kiss but she supposed it was a bit disappointing. Or maybe she was unable to enjoy it because of the circumstances. Whatever the case, the point was she was going to erase that kiss from her brain- and that was final.
"Sorry." He texted simply but Bobby didn't reply this time.
Instead she tossed her phone aside and focused on her cooking, after all it was New Year's eve and she was going to spend a long and comfortable evening on the sofa before falling asleep to the sounds of cheering.
----
"So how long have you two been together?"
It was one of the most typical questions that Matt hear coming from Lisa's friends- girls he'd known all his life and that Lisa only befriended when she moved to New York.
"Nearing on four months." Lisa said with a smile.
"Wow, that's nice. Still the honeymoon phase." They murmured but Matt wasn't so sure about that. The honeymoon phase? Lisa had returned from her visit home quite angry and moody. Everything seemed to set her off and Matt found himself annoyingly walking on eggshells to keep her pacified.
Like the night before- Lisa had stormed off during dinner because she found out that he'd invited Bobby over for the Christmas. It was outrageous! He'd explained that Bobby was going through some tough times and that he'd invited her so she wouldn't be alone but she wasn't hearing it.
It seemed she was more than ready to be jealous of the time he spent with Bobby and that was extremely irritating.
Then he'd spent most day today nursing a hang over before getting a call from her- cool as a cucumber- as a reminder for her New Year's Eve party. She was actually still expecting him to go after the little scene she'd just caused. It was the lack of energy his night of excess had afforded him that encouraged him to go to the party.
He didn't want to fight, he didn't have the energy to fight and all he really wanted was to relax and enjoy a calm evening.
Of course her party was flooded with people and about 90% of them knew him so it was a constant whirl of Hellos, how are you and we should get together sometimes.
It was exhausting and in the end all he wanted to do was sit on the sofa, watch television and drift off to sleep- of course, that was because he'd made the mistake of overdoing it the night before.
He shook his head when he thought of that- he couldn't quite remember most of what happened but he had this vague image in his head of Bobby getting after him... and maybe she'd been in his apartment. He was upset with himself, he'd promised he wouldn't rely on her so much and had even made up his mind to call Nick.
And somehow his fingers had dialed her. He chuckled to himself as he thought about his faithful little Bobby, always coming to save the day with her honest, straightforward, earnest and calm manner of doing things.
"What's so funny?" Lisa asked when she noticed Matt was smiling and chuckling to himself.
"Nothing, just remembering a few random things." He said. Lisa raised her brow and put an arm on his shoulder.
"I didn't realize you were so popular." She said. Matt nodded.
"I usually forget." Matt said, staring out her window onto the Manhattan skyline. Lisa frowned, she'd wanted Matt to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her close but he'd kept his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
"I'm glad you came- I was afraid that after what happened yesterday you might not be eager to see me." Lisa hated having to apologize but she knew she'd overreacted, she just couldn't help it. There was something about his relationship with Bobby that rubbed her wrong.
"It's New Year's Eve, people should put aside their differences and be together. " He said, still staring out. Lisa smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, prompting him to slip one arm to her waist lightly.
"I'm sorry." She said. "I'm a stubborn woman but I'll admit- I was wrong."
Matt looked at Lisa and a faint grin formed on his lips. It was nice to see her like this, more complacent and less beligerent. He leaned in and kissed her lips very lightly.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it before." Matt said and Lisa shrugged.
"You were just doing your assistant a favor." She said. "Now- come on, the ball's going to drop soon."
"Go ahead, I'll be right there." He said, watching as she turned to join her guests. She was a very beautiful and graceful woman and she made friends easily.
He looked back out onto the city and saw views from several windows and balconies. There was hardly one that wasn't blaring music and champagne. Then he thought of one window that wouldn't be open, where there wouldn't be any music except from the television and where champagne would be replaced by a warm bowl of soup or stew.
He pictured her- her pretty brown eyes staring from behind the ridiculous glasses, her pretty lips slightly opened as she watched the television- maybe in anticipation during a horror movie or perhaps in laughter at some comedy. She would most likely be in pajamas, nothing too fancy or glamorous and he smiled, thinking it sounded kinda wonderful.
Matt's eyes blinked and he suddenly looked down with a frown.
He brought a hand behind his head, scratching it lightly. That was certainly strange, here he was with his gorgeous girlfriend on New Year's Eve and he was thinking about his adorable assistant... his assistant.
Matt sighed. He was tired. It was just that- he was tired. That hangover had been possible the worst he'd experienced in a while and he hadn't slept well at all.
Sleep- he just needed to get home and sleep. He looked at his watch, realizing that it was close to midnight. After the ball dropped, he'd make an excuse and sneak out.
----
Bobby sat clinging to her blanket and smiling, her lips slightly parted as she watched the Exorcist. She liked horror movies, good and bad ones, but particularly she liked to be scared.
Maybe it was the adrenaline but it got her pumped up every single time.
Then she heard the cheering, prompting her to lower the volume as she paused her movie.
It must be midnight.
Bobby stood and walked to her window where she could see the celebrations in the street. The smile on her lips stayed as she stared and it was only the sound of her phone beeping that made her turn away. With a raised brow, she walked over to her phone, wondering who would have messaged her at this hour but she already knew the answer.
"Happy New Year!"
The message was short and it had been sent exactly at midnight. Bobby stared at it for a second, wondering if maybe he'd sent a message to all his contacts... but at midnight? Was it okay for her to think he'd literally taken the time at midnight, when everything would be drinking, hugs, kisses and celebrations, to type her a message?
Well, maybe just in case...
"Happy New Year."
Then she tossed her phone aside, feeling strangely satisfied. It wasn't much but like the bracelet around her wrist, it was everything.
----
Matt walked out to his car, it was close to 1AM and he was staring down at his phone.
"Happy New Year."
He'd texted her just as the ball dropped, not really thinking about the people around her, but just eager to let her know he remembered her.
Now the frown on his face grew- what the hell was going on with him?
If Lisa had seen him texting she would have killed him but she was so distracted, counting down and cheering that she didn't seem to see. He didn't even think about it- he just texted.
He'd quickly excused himself to Lisa, saying he hadn't been feeling well and she'd been very sweet, offering to send everyone home even. He'd told her it wasn't necessary and as he approached his car, it suddenly occurred to him how nice the crisp cold air was.
"Happy New Year, you gorgeous gifts from heaven!"
Matt burst out laughing- the group text came from his mother, who was probably a little more than slightly buzzed at this point.
Immediately, he and the others began to reply.
"Happy New Year!"
The messages kept coming through like crazy and he sat there laughing in his parked car.
Then the phone rang and he saw it was Nick.
"Happy New Year, Nicky!" Matt said as he answered.
"Happy New Year, Matty!" Nick's voice beamed through.
"What are you up to?" Matt asked, noting how the music in the background was playing softly.
"Nothing, we're just having a few drinks and engorging ourselves on food." Nick said.
"Happy New Year, Matt!" Matt heard Ryan's voice call out from the background.
"Happy New Year, Ryan." Matt said with a chuckle.
"What about you? It sounds much too quiet for a party." Nick said.
"I left early." Matt said simply.
"Why?" Nick asked.
"I don't know. I guess I'm tired. If I'm honest, I overindulged last night." Matt said with a sigh.
"Don't tell me you called her?" Nick asked.
"Yep." Matt admitted. There was some silence.
"You know, I'm going to throw something out there, just see what happens. I could be wrong, but our weird triplet thing is telling me... that the real reason you left that party... is because there's somewhere you'd rather be." Nick said slowly.
Matt frowned, realizing that he'd been heading in that direction without thinking.
"Wow." Matt said, turning at the next corner to head back home. "God."
"What?" Nick asked.
"Nick- I really do want to make things work with Lisa." Matt said softly.
"But..." Nick asked.
"I don't know. I'm confused." Matt said.
"About her." Nick said with a nod. "I know."
"I don't what's going on with me. Suddenly I can't get her out of my mind. It's... stressing me out." Matt said with a laugh.
"I can understand that." Nick said. "But don't stress. You're not in any rush and who knows, maybe whatever you're going through is a phase..."
"And if it's not?" Matt asked.
"If it's not, then what's so bad about it?" Nick asked. He briefly considered telling Matt that she never stopped thinking of him either.
"I just have no idea where all this came from." Matt said. Still, Nick didn't say it. Matt needed to finish figuring out his feelings on his own.
"Maybe you only think this is new... maybe it's always been this way and you just never noticed."