"So what are you doing after this?"
You threw your head up at Carol's question; took in the sight of her reddened cheeks and parted lips. Her blonde hair was thrown every which way. Some of it tumbled over her should, falling to the side like a sheen of golden water. Most of it was windblown up in a rat's nest of stress and effort. When she threw the load she was carrying in the cargo bay to the side, she reached up in a vain attempt to tame the wild strands. You could not stop staring.
"Y/N?"
"What? Sorry." You shook your head. "I spaced out." Carol raised a suspicious brow and you felt the urge to curl into yourself, to hide your embarrassment. Had you been staring too long?
If you had, Carol didn't let on. Instead, she smiled, wiped sweat from her brow and gave you a smile. It was one of her full, bright smiles, one that you often saw when she and Maria had invited you along to a post-flight-treat. While you had imagined cakes, you got beers and the first time Carol smiled at you with all the hope of a sunrise.
"What are you doing after this?" Carol leaned against a pile of crates and crossed her arms over her chest. The tank top she was wearing showed off the strength in her arms and made it hard for you to swallow properly. You gripped your clipboard tightly and found your voice.
"I-I don't know," you choked out. You turned your back on Carol to read over the label on the equipment before you. You checked off the box on your inventory and moved to the next one. As you moved you felt a warmth trailing behind you. Before you could turn around, Carol's hand brushed past you and pulled your clipboard from your grasp. You turned to meet her eyes which held a mischievous glint within them.
"So you're free?" You gave Carol a questioning look before nodding slowly.
"I guess." Her smile widened and you felt your stomach twist. "Why?"
"I was going to stop by Pancho's and wanted you to come." You raised a brow and tore your nervous gaze away from Carol.
"The bar? I don't know. I have to...I get up early tomorrow and it's a long drive from there to my place so..." You could feel Carol's frown but, when you looked up, her eyes were still hopeful.
"You could crash at mine and Maria's. She's out with her guy until sometime tomorrow." You felt your gut tighten at the idea of sleeping over at Carol's. Before your face could give away the excitement you felt you nodded at your friend. Yes, friend. Carol was your friend; only a friend and you had to get the idea of anything else out of your head.
"Okay." Carol's expression lifted and a wide grin spread along her features. You had never seen anything so beautiful.
"Awesome," she threw your clipboard on top of the boxes beside her. "You wanna get your stuff and I'll give you a ride?" You hesitated at the idea of leaving your own car in the parking lot and Carol, ever watchful, seemed to sense your worry. "I can tell Jim about your car. He's head of security and we're like this"
Carol crossed her fingers and made a childishly funny face. Yet, that didn't unwrap the coils of jealous around your throat. The way Carol had made the gesture made you think she was joking. She did have a habit of getting into trouble with security. It wouldn't have surprised you if she had struck up some sort of rapport with the head of the department, but the thought made your heart sink in your chest in a way that you could not convey.
"Alright then yeah," you sighed, "I'll go get my stuff." Carol smiled and clapped her hand on your shoulder in a manner so friendly you left some part of yourself die inside.
"Meet ya out in the parking lot then!"
After you finished up your work and got what you would need from your car (a sweatshirt, brush, and a few work notebooks), you found yourself waiting. You rocked back a forth, shifting your weight back a forth on your feet as you watched for Carol. The setting sun was still hot, beating down on the pavement and your skin. You thought back to Carol tucked into her flight suit as she clambered in her plane. How hot was that?
