Bobby’s “Psych Eval”
Chin tipped up to give himself a better view, Bobby fastened his tie, leaving it loose around his neck and gelling his hair. Even though his life wasn’t what it once was, every now and then he liked to remember what things were like when he was 35, surrounded by his married friends, who always wondered when he would get married. Just as he was heading to the zen garden for his much desired quiet time to reflect, an email notification dinged from his laptop.
He rolled his eyes. There was really only one reason someone would email him on a Sunday--psych eval.
Bobby never understood why such things were done over email, especially for a covert agency. Nonetheless, he walked over to his desk and sat down. He did not want to do this, and he strongly considered ignoring the eval altogether just like he had the last couple.
As far as he was concerned, the psych department guys were the ones who needed a psych eval the most. It seemed that every questionnaire got weirder and weirder, and Bobby often found himself wondering how the department was still functional. He would have to remember to ask Trish the next time he saw her.
Just as he moved his mouse towards the red “x” on the top right corner of the window, there was a knock at his door, and he turned his attention to it immediately. Who could possibly be at his door?
He knew Rafael and Charlie lived just a few doors down, but he barely knew the new guy, and he hardly considered Charlie a close enough friend for Sunday morning visits. He got up and walked over to the door, looking through the peephole to find Trish standing with her hands on her hips, and Bobby arched a brow and smirked.
She always had looked extraordinary in white. Such was the color of the tanktop she wore with painted-on jeans, her typical lazy Sunday get-up. God, I wish I could see her out of them, he thought to himself, biting down on his lip and trying to suppress the little lift of the corner of his mouth as he opened the door.
“Top of the morning, boss,” he teased. “And to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“The psych department hasn’t gotten your last three evals,” she said, eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Bobby was one of the few agents who toyed with procedure enough to annoy the crap out of her. Often times she thought he did things like ignore psych evals or disregard mandatory training sessions just to get under her skin. It worked.
“If you don’t complete this one, Bobby, you’re benched,” she growled with clenched teeth. “I am not vouching for you anymore.”
He looked amused at her words and leaned against the door frame as he allowed the smirk he’d been fighting to finally show.
“You vouch for me?”he asked.
“Did you hear me?!”
“Yes, yes, complete the evaluation or you’ll bench me. Not that there’s an assignment to bench me from,” he answered.
“Are you seriously trying to be a smart ass?”
He pouted at her, nodding his head after a minute. “Okay, I understand. In fact, I was just about to fill it out when you knocked on my door.”
“Uh huh,” she replied. “So you won’t mind if I come inside, just to verify that you actually do fill it out.”
“You’re going to watch me?”
“You bet your ass,” she replied.
Bobby rolled his eyes, letting a heavy sigh pass through his lips as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His visible annoyance only lasted a few seconds before he curled the corner of his mouth again.
“Do you enjoy watching me, Trish?” he purred softly, and she arched a brow at him as her head tilted to one side.
“Are you flirting with me, Bobby?”
“Maybe,” he answered, smile widening.
He couldn’t be sure of course, but he could’ve sworn he’d seen the beginnings of a smile before she cleared her throat and tilted her chin up. Not waiting for an invitation, she moved past him into his condo and pulled up a chair beside the one at his desk.
“Look, I don’t like these things anymore than you do, but we all have to complete them before we’re technically allowed out in the field,” she said.
“The psych guys are out of their minds, you know that. The Galvanizer didn’t care who he assigned to that department,” he argued softly, sitting beside her.
“That may very well be--”
“--Then replace them,” he said, one side of his mouth stretching towards his eyes.
“I will. Now, how about I read the questions, you answer?” she suggested, and again he rolled his eyes, groaning and gesturing for her to begin. How do you take your coffee? Bobby: Why do they need to know that?
Trish: I don’t know, just answer the questions
Bobby: Black. How do you take your coffee? *he looks at Trish*
Trish: *Looks back at Bobby* Why?
Bobby: Why not?
Trish: *smiles* Black. Do you believe in ghosts? B: No. T: Sometimes.
B: *furrows his brows* How you sometimes believe in ghosts?
T: some occurrences are more convincing than others that ghosts exist. Smooth or crunchy? B: Smooth T: Smooth as well Is your belly button an “innie” or an “outie”? B: Innie. T: I’m not answering that one.
B: Aw come on…
T: Absolutely-fucking-not What’s your favorite drink? B: Bourbon. T: Hot chocolate
B: *snorts*
T: *glares at Bobby, who lets the smile fall off his face immediately* What has been the highlight of your week? B: Seriously, Trish?
T: Bobby-booby--
B: *clenches his jaw* Don’t. Call me that.
T: Then answer the question.
B: I suppose getting to spend this time with you
T: *smirks* Is your desk messy or neat? B: Neat. Clutter makes me feel anxious. T: I know where everything is.
B: *mumbles* That means messy When you stir drinks, do you stir clockwise or anticlockwise? Both: Clockwise. How do you like your eggs cooked? B: Scrambled
T: I prefer an omelette Do you like turtles? B: I have nothing against turtles. T: I’m not so much a fan.
B: What’d they ever do to you?
T: Nothing, I’m always afraid they’ll bite my finger off What time did you wake up this morning? B: Six am T: Five.
B: *mumbles with a smirk* Overachiever What’s getting on your nerves right now? T: Robert, Darling.
B: Ugh, pleeeeaase, don’t call me--
T: Bobby, baby
B: *glares at Trish* You are getting on my nerves right now. Zodiac sign? B: You know, I honestly have no idea.
T: Really? Everyone knows their sign.
B: Not everyone. I, for example, do not.
T: I could look it up for you if you’d like.
B: Pass. Do you have a crush on someone? B: That’s a terribly personal question.
T: Bob--
B: Don’t! Fine, no.
Is there one person you want to be with right now?
B: No.
T: No one in particular Did you sing today? B: *groans and rolls his eyes* Yes
T: You have a lovely singing voice
B: Do you sing?
T: That’s classified
B: Hm.
If you could go back in time, how far would you go and why? B: As far back as I would need to to be in Miami again.
T: *sincerely* Was she really that special?
B: I’ll never know. That’s the point.
T: You just can’t stand not knowing?
B: Yes. For all I know, she could’ve been the one.
T: You think so?
B: Probably not, but she had amazing breasts.
Trish rolled her eyes and sent his filled-out questionnaire back to the psych department. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”
Bobby smirked at her, moving to place his arm along the back of her chair. “So what are you doing this morning? Besides riding my ass about some silly questionnaire?” he asked as his thumb stroked the skin of her shoulder.
“Making sure everyone has replied to their email from psych, and now I’m going to start putting all of our intel together for our meeting tomorrow morning,” she answered, looking down at his thumb on her shoulder before she brought her gaze back up to meet his. “And Bobby…”
“Yes?”
“If you’d like to keep your thumb, you’d better rethink touching me,” she said with a sweet smile. “I’m your boss now. Whatever happened when I first recruited you--”
“But it didn’t happen,” he reminded her softly.
“Almost happened then,” she replied. “It can’t ever happen again.”
He sighed softly, thumb still drawing lazy circles over her skin as his gaze fell to her mouth and he licked his lips. “Are you sure about that, Trish?” His eyes met hers again, lips curled into a smirk.
Her chest was slowly rising and falling evenly, lips parted as she stared back at him. As if the slight age-gap hadn’t been enough to begin with, the fact that she was now his boss would further complicate an already complicated coupling. They simply could never go there, despite the way one smouldering look from him would make her knees buckle.
“Absolutely sure,” she whispered, forcing herself to get up and walk to his front door.
Bobby let out a breath as he watched her walk away, turning slightly in his seat so as to not lose sight of her. Older woman or not, his boss or not, the fact that he couldn’t have her made him want her that much more, though it would in fact make for a very awkward situation when after he wouldn’t make a promise to be hers. He would no doubt break her heart in fact.
“Last chance to go out on a recruitment mission,” she said from the door, the steel barrier shielding most of her form from his hungry gaze.
“I work alone,” he answered, corner of his mouth quirking upward.
She nodded once, and once again he was alone as the door shut behind her. There was a time in his life where he much preferred alone, and then a time where he wanted never to be alone again, and then he came so close, so unbelievably close before fate decided to play a cruel joke on him. Being alone wasn’t what he wanted, but it was safe. It was predictable, and that was enough for him...for now.