Rocket's Red Glare

To Invite Or Not To Invite

Joe spent the night at Holly's but she was right; she would've been fine. But still, she liked having him there. She didn't realize how lonely she was until she let Joe in. Now, she wanted to make as many opportunities to be with him as she could.

And that terrified her.

She's always been pretty independent, constantly on her own. Letting someone in has never been something she's been good at and now that she is, she's hesitant. She wants to let him in but she can't help but feel hesitant.

After the anniversary, Joe was constantly checking in on her. He stopped by before he left for work, called her at lunch, and stopped by on his way home. When he stopped by after work, he usually ended up staying the night.

Holly loved that she got to spend so much time with him. But a small part of her hates that it's because of her hospital visit and not because of something else.

Little did Holly know that Joe wasn't spending time with her because of the overdose. Sure, he started checking in on her more because of it, but he stayed because he enjoyed being around her.

This was new to Joe too. Unlike Holly, he's been in relationships before. Even those, he's never quite felt like this. He was constantly drawn to Holly. He thought of nothing other than her. All he wanted to do was spend time with her, talk to her, hold her. . . Kiss her.

Was he scared that he was feeling this deeply about Holly?

Of course not. He's always wanted to feel this way about someone. And now that he was, he didn't want to let go.

"You okay?"

Joe jumped out of his thoughts when Maya gently pushed him. "Yeah," he said, still a little foggy.

"You sure?" She laughed. "You look all love-sick. Oh, wait. This has to do with Holly. I knew it! You guys finally hooked up!"

"No," Joe instantly shot down. "Do you remember the day Holly didn't show up for lunch?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "You were freaking out."

"I had good reason," Joe said, suddenly getting defensive.

"You took the whole weekend off," she smirked.

"Holly was in the hospital." Joe's sentence wiped the smirk off Maya's face.

"Oh," she said under her breath. "Is she alright?"

"She overdosed."

"Holy shit," Maya mumbled. "Why did she. . . Did something. . . I guess those are questions I shouldn't ask."

"It was the five-year anniversary of her crash."

"Her crash?"

"The one her copilot didn't survive," he added slowly.

"Oh," she whispered. "I didn't realize. . . I'm sorry. How is she?"

"She's okay," Joe shrugged. "I stayed the night at her place her first night home just in case but she was fine. I've been trying to be around her more and she seems fine. I just. . . I can't help but feel like something. . ."

"When are you going to tell her?" Maya sighed. Joe opened his mouth but she continued, "I've seen how much you've changed over the past few weeks. Ever since you really started to hang out with her, you're so much happier. You're always smiling and laughing. She's changed you, Joe."

"I know but. . ."

"And you were just friends," she laughed. "Imagine how much good she would do you if you were more than just friends."

"I wish," Joe sighed, shaking his head.

* * * * *

After filming, Joe was ready to change and pick up some food before stopping by Holly's. Before he could leave Matt stopped him.

"I wanted to remind you all about the party Sunday night."

"What party?" Finn asked.

"Dude," Caleb laughed.

"The party that Matt and Ross planned to celebrate the end of the season," Joe explained.

"Exactly," Ross said. "Thanks, Joe."

"The party starts at 7," Matt started to explain. "Please be there by 6:30. We will be having a short red carpet we want you guys to walk on. We'll hang out and socialize before we watch the first episode together."

As Matt and Ross explained the time and place of the party and where they were expected to meet, Joe thought about his neighbor. He always thought about her.

Joe snapped back to reality as people started to walk away. He cleared his throat and headed back to his trailer. He grabbed his phone, hesitating. He wanted to invite Holly to the party, but he knew what he'd be asking of her. This isn't something that would be easy for her to handle.

When Joe got to his trailer, he had made up his mind. He pushed on her contact and listened as it rang. The minute she answered, he smiled.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," Joe greeted.

"How's work?" She asked.

"It's good," he said, clearing his throat. "Actually, I called to invite you."

"Really? To what?"

"Netflix is throwing a watch party Sunday night for the new season," he explained. "We're allowed to invite our family and friends and. . . significant others. I instantly thought about inviting you."

"A party?" Holly asked. Part of her was excited by the idea of going to a party with Joe and meeting his friends. The other part was nervous.

"I don't want to force you," Joe said quickly. "I just thought it would be fun to go with you."

"I'm honored you thought about me," Holly chuckled. Joe held his breath as Holly hesitated.

"Look," he added, lowering his voice, "I really don't want to pressure you. It's a work thing and I realized that I wanted you there. But I understand if you say no. I want you to know, Holly, that you can say no. This is just an invitation."

"I understand," she said softly. "Is it okay if. . ."

Joe's heart sank when she didn't finish her question. He knew what she was trying to say.

"Take as much time as you need," he reassured. "The party isn't for a couple of days. You can tell me an hour before if you want."

"It won't take that long," she chuckled. "I promise."