Chasing Mr. Carlton ( The story of a Shrew's Son)

Part 31

"Sorry- I can't talk." Bobby said into her cell phone as she stood pacing up and down the hall that led to the restrooms. 

Nick spotted her as he crossed into the breakroom. 

"Well I really don't care." She said, pulling the phone away from her face and shaking her head in frustration.

It hadn't been the best morning for Bobby. When her phone rang at 4 AM, she'd answered without looking, experience telling her that it would mostly likely be Matt. She'd never expected it would be him. Of course she'd hung up immediately, but in the course of the morning he'd called over and over, different numbers and now she'd finally answered. Nothing new to say either, the same things she'd heard for years.  With a sigh she realized she would have to change her number.  Now she looked up and noticed Nick leaning against the wall, watching her.

"What?" She asked, seemingly annoyed. 

"Nothing, sorry. Sheesh." Nick said, shaking his head and walking past the breakroom door. Bobby stared after him for a second, her arms crossed as she tried to convince herself to let it go but instead she walked towards the same door. 

"How much did you hear?" She asked quietly, looking around the room first to make sure they were alone. 

"What?" Nick asked, looking up from the fridge.

"Did you hear my call?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. 

"No, I didn't. You just sounded angry when you hung up and it surprised me." Nick said, looking her over. She was flushed and it was obvious that had been quite unpleasant for her. 

"I'm sorry, for being so rude. It was an annoying call." She said.

"Creditors?" He teased but she only sighed. 

"I wish- that would at least be something I could deal with." She said more to herself than to him. 

Nick looked at her for a second- what problems did Bobby have that were so bad? He realized he really didn't know much about Bobby, even after all these years. 

"Bobby- tell me, how was it that you got the job here?" He asked, suddenly interested in how she got to the company. "You're from Texas, right?"

Bobby stared at him for a second, her eyes peeled wide in surprise.

"Yes." She said, slightly frowning. 

"You must have been 17 when you started." Nick said and she shrugged. 

"18." She said. Nick had noticed that she had a tendency to give short answers when she spoke about her past. 

"And so how is it an 18 year old girl from Texas ends up in Manhattan working at one of the most sought after companies?" Nick asked, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. 

Bobby stared at him for a second- what was this, an interview for US weekly?

"Why are you suddenly so interested?" Bobby asked, moving to lean against the counter. 

"I don't know- just am." Nick said. 

"I moved to the city as soon as I turned 18." She said. 

"I know but how did you get here?" He asked. 

"I flew." She said simply. Nick sighed- she was being deliberately coy. 

"Come on." He said. 

"I flew- I saved all my earnings from my part time in high school, I packed my bags and flew here. And, as luck would have it, I met your mother less than a week after my arrival." She said, being as evasive as she could be. Nick nodded. It was obvious she wasn't going to speak about her life before New York.