~ Mine ~

You're No Good

"Reba, what is it?" Elena, a Strackstruck front desk employee, asked eagerly, as she and the whole bunch circled around Reba. Giggling to herself as she pulled out a pair of bright red boxer shorts, Reba held them up for everyone to see.

"Santa Shorts!" She announced enthusiastically as she set the box, they had come in, down and proceeded to pull them on over her black jeans, causing the room to cheer in unison.

"I'm certain we have the best boss lady ever." One colleague in the back whispered to another as they watched in awe.

"Caroline's turn!" Reba enthused as she motioned for Caroline to be the next gift recipient. Once Caroline had taken her place and the attention of the room was on her, Reba headed for the back corner where an array of snacks lined the back wall. Narvel, who Reba hadn't noticed sitting in the back, cleared his throat, just as she was beginning to reach for a sandwich. Catching her off guard, Reba turned around, forgetting the sandwich, and focusing her attention to Narvel.

"Narvel!" She exclaimed in a hushed manner as she peered over at him, walking a little closer so that they wouldn't catch anyone's attention. She watched as he motioned for her to follow him to a more secluded area of the room. Biting the inside of her cheek, she sighed in annoyance, obeying as she followed him. They hadn't talked much, if at all, since their confrontation in Vegas. He couldn't possibly want to talk about that now, so what on earth did he want?

"I've been doing a lot of thinking and I think we should part ways at the beginning of the year." He managed to blurt out nervously, once they were securely far enough away from everyone else.

"Excuse me?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes back on his.

"I just think it would be best for the both of us if we didn't work so closely together anymore." He continued on, trying to keep any emotions he had on the subject hidden.

"You or SHE thinks it's best to drop me from my own company?" Reba snarled back angrily. He knew there really wasn't ever a good time to tell her something like this, but right now wasn't exactly a tactful time either.

"You still co-own the company and everything; it'll just be the RBI side that handles your endeavors." He quietly continued, sighing softly at her noticeably growing anger. Nothing he could say could possibly make this better.

"I really can't believe you." She mumbled, ignoring his obvious plea to keep the conversation purely business.

"Reba, what do you want me to say?" He questioned, shoving his hands into his jean pockets as if he seriously didn't have the faintest idea.

"I want you to say that you're lying." She answered back, staring at him as if he had two heads.

"That you're not actually dating a woman I confided in as a friend just two months after we divorced." She continued truthfully, causing him to shift uncomfortably.

"Maybe I want you to tell me that you didn't lie when you said we would continue to work together like grown adults and not let feelings or emotions get in the way." She added as she cast her eyes downward. She waited for Narvel to defend himself ... or say anything really.

"Picture time!" Courtney called out from the far corner of the room causing them both to look over.

"Fine," Reba stated, as they made eye contact once more.

"I'll talk to Carolyn and Justin at the first of January." She continued bitterly.

"Oh and Merry Christmas to you too by the way." She added with a weak smile as she headed off towards where the team had set up the chairs they wanted everyone to take the pictures in. Narvel pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing in deeply, trying to compose himself before he followed in Reba's direction.

"Narvel! Go sit next to Reba!" Leighton Reed called out as she waved around the company camera she was holding. For the last couple of shots, Narvel had been standing in the back with a few of the company's long-term employees.

"Front and center." She continued to instruct as she pointed to the empty chair next to Reba. Obeying her command he rounded his way to the front, swallowing hard as he watched Reba avoid his eye contact. He could feel the emptiness in the pit of his stomach from their conversation earlier. How was it he had let himself so badly hurt the woman he'd spent the last two and a half decades protecting? How he let himself get in this position was beyond him. He knew that agreeing with Laura's suggestion to ask Reba if they could go their separate ways was wrong but the control he was allowing his loneliness to have was almost an entirely new life force of its own. He looked at Reba once more before he took his seat, situating himself. He tried desperately to smile and pretend as if nothing was wrong. How was it that Reba made it look so easy to sit there and pretend everything was fine and dandy?

"What's wrong with your dad he looks like someone punched him in the stomach?" Kelly whispered to her husband Brandon, once all of the pictures had been taken and everyone had broken away once again, the party starting to wind down.

"I was thinking more constipated but yeah I noticed it too..." He whispered back as he reached out for River, taking her from Kelly.

"Whatever it is though... It isn't good." He added as he tilted his head sideways, watching as his dad stood awkwardly talking to one of Starstruck's newest team members. He'd never seen his dad so out of place at one of his own company gatherings.

"Time for some investigating then Batman," Kelly whispered back as she too looked over in Brandon's direction, catching a glimpse of Reba who was happily chatting up Caroline.

"Sure thing Cat Woman but first, Whiskers here needs a diaper change." He added while he lifted River a bit, feeling the weight of her heavy diaper.

"I'll let you handle that," Kelly said with a laugh as she patted Brandon's shoulder and quickly made her escape, walking over to Reba and grabbing a cup of punch on her way.

"I guess this two-part mission is all mine."

"And it looks like most of our ammunition is your diaper," Brandon said, crinkling his nose as he pulled River's backside away from his face. Setting her back on his hip he watched as she looked up and smiled at him; kissing her rosy cheek in return, he quickly headed for the bathroom door.