"Well, he's not in his office." Emma said, making Bobby lift a brow.
"He just took off, in the middle of the day during the busiest of days?" Bobby said angrily.
"He probably realized that he was going to have trouble. I can't believe you didn't tell me about this sooner." Emma said, looking at Bobby who was turning bright red.
"I really didn't want to make a big deal out of it." Bobby said.
"Not a big deal? An executive at your job has been hitting on you, he kissed you AT A COMPANY even WITHOUT your permission, and then he faked a meeting to get you alone... not to mention on company time? How is this not a big deal? You just told me he was being physically intimidating." Emma said.
"I thought I could handle it." Bobby said with a frown.
"And how has that worked out for you?" Emma said.
"I'm sorry." Bobby said with a sigh, "I guess I screwed up."
"I'm not mad at you, Bobby. I need you to see this is serious and I'll have to bring up the matter with Matt." Emma said. Bobby's eyes widened.
"No, no! Please, you can't tell Matt." Bobby said.
"I have to. This is a serous complaint and it's against an executive. If we want to take action, Matt needs to know." Emma said.
"Why not Nora or Brian?" Bobby asked.
"Matt is acting CEO now, it's only appropriate. Why don't you want Matt to know?" Emma asked. Bobby looked down at her hands, trying to think of something to say.
"I know you two have had a strange year and your friendship might be a bit strained but I know Matt well, he'll handle this matter professionally." Emma said and Bobby shook her head.
"Isn't there any other way?" Bobby asked. Emma looked at Bobby, trying to understand what was wrong.
"What's going on? Bobby, I want to help you and you can be sure that anything you say stays in this office but I can't do anything if you don't tell me." Emma said. Bobby looked at her for a second. She knew that Michael needed to go before he tried something else.
"Matt and I... we complicated our relationship." Bobby said simply, unsure how to say it.
"What do you mean you..." Emma began with a frown but then her eyes widened as if understanding. "Oh."
There was some silence as Emma let it sink in. She looked a Bobby, beginning to understand they both had been acting over the last few months.
"Do you mind if I ask- What the situation is now?" Emma asked.
"Complicated... and over." Bobby said softly.
"Over?" Emma asked, seeing the pain in Bobby's eyes.
"Yeah." She managed to mutter, looking pathetic. Emma supposed she should be mad at Matt, Bobby was the inexperienced person here- he should have known better. Still, somehow she couldn't imagine Matt playing with Bobby. She had always been sure that Bobby was a very important person to him.
"I won't ask you for details but I appreciate you telling me. Given the personal nature of your relationship with Matt, I'll take up the matter with Nora and Brian. This doesn't mean they won't share it with him, however. Matt will obviously need to know if Michael is fired." Emma said and Bobby nodded.
"I understand." Bobby said with a sigh. There was nothing she could do to stop it.
"This has been a stressful few days, I really wish I could tell you to go home but..." Emma began but Bobby smiled.
"I think going home would only stress me out even more. There's so much to do and for now, it's just us." Bobby said.
"I know but, Bobby, how are we going to handle even the basic operations without any of the executive team around?" Emma asked.
"We just have to keep going." Bobby said, looking at the clock and noting the time.
"It's getting late, doesn't seem likely they'll show up today." Emma said. "Well, we'll get it done."
Bobby stood, moving towards the door.
"No time like the present..." She said, as she opened it but she fell over, tripping over Brian Carlton's shoe as he tried to move out of her way.
"Oh, Bobby, are you okay?" Nora Carlton said, sprinting forward.
"Sorry about that." Brian said, helping her up. Bobby smoothed out her dress, and tucked a loose strand behind her ear.
"I'm okay..." She said, looking at them.
"Especially now that you two are here." Emma said, leaning against the doorframe.
"That bad huh?" Brian asked, noting how Nora was continuing to fuss over Bobby.
"Really, I'm okay." Bobby said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention Nora was giving her.
"We have a lot to go over." Emma said with a sigh.
"Where's Matt?" Brian asked.
"I'm here."
The voice came from behind Bobby, making her jump for a second.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Nora asked with a raised brow.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Matt asked coldly, "Here."
She turned, noting that he was holding out the papers she had sent off to him earlier in the day.
"Thanks." She muttered, taking them but then she remembered. "Damn."
Everyone turned to look at her as she turned bright red.
"Sorry. It's just that these papers are for the CFO and... he's not here." Bobby said nervously, glancing at Emma.
"What do you mean he's not here?" Matt asked, raising his brow and staring directly at Bobby.
"He left." She said, looking down at the papers she was holding.
"Why?" Matt asked.
"I don't know." Bobby replied, becoming annoyed.
"How do you not know?" He asked.
"Jesus, Matt. She's not his babysitter- back off." Brian said, noting how uncomfortable Bobby had become.
"I'll take those." Nora said, reaching for the papers.
"I'd like to know why our CFO took off when he knew there was no one else around to handle the work load?" Matt asked, still staring at Bobby.
"Matt, we don't know. He left but, I do have to talk to you two when you have a moment." Emma said, not liking the way he was speaking to Bobby. She turned to Brian and Nora.
"Ummm sure." Nora said, "Why don't you come with us? I feel like we've missed some important details here."
"Yes, let me just grab my computer." Emma said, disappearing into her office.
"Shall we?" Nora said to Brian, motioning towards their office.
It was then that Bobby noticed she had been left alone with Matt and so she quickly and nervously, turned on her heel, moving as fast as she could to the safety of her own office. It didn't help, she'd forgotten that Matt's legs were much longer and he was easily keeping her pace. She could hear him, right behind her... could feel his eyes on her back. Why was he so angry with her? She just couldn't understand. Why now?
"Is there something I can do for you?" She asked, when he followed her into her office.
"I want you to call Michael and tell him to get his ass back here." Matt said with a fake smile on his face.
"Why don't you ask your assistant to do that?" She asked, raising her brow.
"He might be more willing to listen to you." Matt said. Bobby stiffened.
"It's not my job to call in employees. That's yours or your assistant. I have other things to do." Bobby said and Matt shrugged, turning to leave.
"Suit yourself. I just thought you might want to warn your boyfriend is in trouble." Matt said, walking out.
Bobby stared at the door for a second. Had he just... did he say...
"Boyfriend?" She said aloud, walking around her desk and out the door. She found Matt getting his messages from Kevin but he didn't bother to look up as she approached.
"Boyfriend?" She repeated. "BOYFRIEND?"
Kevin looked at Bobby with a raised brow.
"Hold my calls. Excuse me." Matt said simply, ignoring her as he walked into his office, closing the door behind him. Again, Bobby stared.
"Hell no." She muttered, storming into his office and catching him by surprise. Bobby didn't even bother knocking, she just slammed the door behind her.
"Boyfriend?" She repeated, a hand on her hip as she moved towards Matt who was taking a seat calmly.
"I'll ask you not to slam doors around here, Ms. Darling. It's unacceptable." He said, turning on the computer.
"Cut the crap, Matt. You don't get to tell me what's unacceptable after everything we've been through." Bobby said, angrily. "Need I remind you how inappropriate all your snide remarks are?"
"What do you want? Or don't tell me you decided to call your boyfriend after all?" He asked.
"There's that word again. Boyfriend. I'll ask you to stop repeating it or people will start to talk." She hissed.
"What does it matter? Something like that is bound to get out sooner or later." He replied.
"It's not true, that's why it matters and even if it was, it's nobody's damned business." She said.
"Ha. Right, you can fool others with your innocent girl act but I'm done falling for that shit, Bobby." He said. Bobby stared at him, wondering what the hell could possibly be going through his head.
She took a deep breath, smoothed the hair back out of her face and sighed.
"Matt." She said in a lower voice, "The last time I saw you... well, you remember. Why in the world would I allow any of that to happen if I had a boyfriend?"
"Bobby, I have a lot of work to catch up on." He said but Bobby shook her head.
"None of this makes sense. Did you forget what's been going on? When in the world would that have happened? Michael? Are you serious? After everything you and I have been through..." She began and he cut her off.
"Exactly. Tell me, Bobby, just how long ago did you and Michael start dating? All that time I was trying to work things out with you, and you... you had already moved on." He said bitterly. Bobby stared at him in complete disbelief.
"How in the world was I going to move on when I have to see you every day?" She replied. "I don't know where you go these stupid ideas, but you should have asked me instead of making assumptions. Besides, I'm not the one having a baby with someone else."
"I'm not." Matt said, making Bobby's eyes widen.
"What?" She asked, her voice caught in her throat.
"Here. Read yourself." He said, pulling out the letter from Lisa and holding it out to her. Bobby stared at it for a second before reaching out. She read it once, then again... a giant frown on her face.
"Matt... I..." She began, unsure how to feel.
"Well, I guess I'm everyone's fool." He said, running a hand through his hair.
"Matt, what she said about Michael and I... it's not true. It's just an empty assumption." Bobby began, about to explain what happened but he cut her off.
"If it's an empty assumption then why was Michael wearing your bracelet?" He asked, glancing and her naked wrist. "The one I gave you."
Bobby instinctively brought her hand to her wrist, grazing it lightly. She hadn't worn that for a while, in fact, she'd refused to look at it ever since she put it away. It was too painful to bear.
"I didn't..." She began but he just slammed his hand on the desk.
"How can I believe anything you say?" He said, "Even your friend is just like you."
"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.
"Who do you think is the reason that Nick left Ryan?" Matt said. "I suggest you talk to him yourself."
Bobby stared at him quietly, unsure what to say.
"I guess it's no use trying if you can't trust me." She said, turning and walking out of the office. Bobby closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a second, before turning in the direction of Eddie's desk.
"Eddie, my office. Now." She said, walking away.