[chapter sixteen]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please. ;-)
**
(the following January)
"God, I can't believe you're headed to Daytona next week. Seems like the off season just started." Alexa said as she nabbed another slice of pizza from the box between her and Robby.
"Tell me about it. Between going to Baja and testing and working my ass off at RCR all winter, I feel like the time has slipped away from me." Robby said with a small pout. "And like I haven't seen you nearly enough."
"I know…I'm sorry…I've just been trying to get myself organized, and with my research and all…" Alexa trailed off. "But at least I'll be around a little more now. I hope. And hopefully I can travel a little more with you this time, without having to invent an excuse." She said with a grin.
"Yeah, I hope so." Robby said with a tender smile. "Besides, you gotta be Phoenix's primary caregiver when I'm not around, now that I'm deserting him again."
Alexa laughed as she stared at the labrador, who was hungrily eyeing Robby's slice of pizza.
"And don't think he doesn't know it." Alexa teased, noting the fond look Robby threw at his dog before chucking a pizza crust at him.
"But I'll be seeing you more. I promise that." Robby said seriously. "I promise."
**
Alexa dumped her bag on the floor and wandered towards her bedroom, noting the sounds of a scuffle and Roger muttering "Ow! Fuck!" as something clearly fell from a height and hit him behind her bedroom door.
"Uh, hello?" Alexa grinned as she opened her door partway.
The door was blocked from opening fully by a large cardboard box. Looking around, she noted several more boxes and her things thrown about in disarray - clothes everywhere, books piled up, and sheets tangled in a heap on the floor.
"Hi, Lex." Roger said, hauling a box of photographs off one of her top cupboard shelves with determination.
"Uh…did we get evicted?" Alexa asked cautiously, trying to process what was going on.
"Nope. Well, sort of. You did." Roger said with a broad smile.
"What?!" Alexa shrieked. "I paid my rent last month - what happened!? If it was because of that fire you started in the kitchen cooking for Blake last month, I will kick your ass!"
"No, no…" Roger said soothingly. "Not evicted like that. But you are moving."
"Oh really. To where?" Alexa said, propping herself against the doorframe and raising an eyebrow curiously.
"Over to Gordon's new pad, of course." Roger said with a twinkle in his eye. "It was decided that would be best."
Alexa took a deep breath, counted to three, then spoke again, her voice low, menacing. "Decided. By whom, exactly?"
"Robby." Roger said proudly. "Though, I did facilitate the decision making process when he stopped by the other day…"
Roger's voice got gradually quieter as Alexa spun on her heel and marched back towards the front door. She grabbed her keys and ripped open the front door, slamming it behind her.
Roger shrugged to himself as he heard her slam the car into drive and squeal down the street.