[chapter five]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please. ;-)
**
Robby was fuming as he stomped through the office area, heading for his office so he could lock himself in it for a while. If Harvick made even one more crack today…
Robby stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of a familiar profile in the hallway. Alexa was shuffling through several file folders as Robby walked towards her - her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her sweatshirt engulfing her, her face filled with confusion. She looked for all the world like a lost…a lost little girl.
"Alexa?" He asked, hardly daring to believe they were standing in the same office.
"Robby!" She said happily. "Hi!"
"What…what are you doing here?"
"Just ripping off these files for research. Okay, see ya." Alexa deadpanned, turning to walk away when he grabbed her arm to slow her. She smiled as she turned back around. "Just teasing. I work here. For the summer, anyway."
Robby's jaw dropped slightly. "What? When? Why didn't you tell me?"
Alexa took a small step back, her smile fading a bit. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't think…well, gosh, I haven't seen you. And I didn't want to bug you."
Robby's face relaxed into a smile. "Sorry, I'm just surprised, that's all." He said with a nod.
Alexa looked up at him. "Good surprise, or bad surprise?" She asked honestly, her eyes searching his.
"Good." He nodded and her smile widened. "How's the job so far?"
"Well, I'm really good at getting coffee and answering the phone." She rolled her eyes slightly. "The field stuff doesn't really start until next week - I'm just getting my feet wet right now."
Robby nodded again, hoping he didn't look like a bobblehead doll with all the nodding he was doing. "Have you…have you met everyone? Everyone pretty nice so far? You met Childress yet?"
Alexa's eyes widened. "Richard Childress? Noo…he doesn't meet intern types like me. I wouldn't even know what to say to him. I'd be almost as nervous meeting him as I was when I met you."
"You were nervous about meeting me?" Robby questioned. "Why?"
Alexa blushed and looked down with a noncommittal shrug.
Robby's heart soared slightly but he managed to bite his tongue.
Instead, he tried in vain to think of a good way to ask her out on a not-date.
But his brain shut down when she smiled at him again.
"So, uh…you going to the race this weekend?" He asked, sounding to his ears like a doofus.
"The Winston?" Alexa asked excitedly. "Of course!"
Robby grinned, happy she would be in the garage area - near him.
"My seats are in…Turn 3, I think." Alexa added.
"Turn…what? You aren't going to be in the pits, in the garage?"
"Robby." Alexa said firmly. "Intern." She said, pointing to her chest. "Garages. Pits. No."
"Well…I guess, I was just thinking…you know, if you want…it would be cool if we…you know, like, hung out. After the race." Robby stammered, his ears reddening in embarrassment at his so-debonair way of asking her out on a not-date.
"That'll be hard when you win it all, won't it?" Alexa said with a wide grin. "You'll be doing the hat dance for hours."
Robby ducked his head. "Uh…well, still. Come hang out in the pits during the race. I'd really…I need as big a cheering section as I can get. I'll make sure it's okay. Please?" He asked, his brown eyes pleading slightly.
Alexa met his eyes, her smile faltering at their message. "I'd…um…sure. Okay. Yeah. I'd…I'd like that."
Robby felt like he was walking on air when they parted a few minutes later.