Cruz began to feel the wear of the day as she headed back to her trailer. Her driver was waiting patiently for her to return from Victory Lane.
"Hey, Paul." she yawned as she passed the old Dinoco hauler. "Ready to go?"
"Whenever you are." he replied with a friendly smile.
She circled to the back of her trailer and waited for the ramp to lower. Her eyelids were growing heavier and heavier. A full day's worth of racing, interviewing, and socializing was exhausting.
Out of nowhere, there was a whoosh and rose petals started to fall around her. Cruz jumped back, startled. The sound of an engine revved from the dark interior of her trailer, and Danny emerged from hiding.
"Hey, babe." he winked at her. "Good run today!"
"Danny, what are you doing here?" she asked him, still tired, but happy to see him. They hadn't gotten a chance to interact before the race.
"I couldn't leave without seeing my girl first." he drove down the ramp, coming nearer, and planting a small kiss on her fender.
She smiled, but gave him a suspicious look. She knew him too well. "Mm-hm."
"No really!" he insisted, nuzzling her. "We haven't had a whole lot of time alone here lately. I wanted to catch you before you left. I have a little something for you."
"What, the rose petals?" she asked, gesturing around her. "Those were a nice touch."
"Something better! Hey, Paul, hit the lights!" he yelled to her driver.
Her trailer lit up. Everything seemed the same at first glance, but she was very organized and noticed the difference almost immediately. She drove up the ramp to look at the new picture frame that was hanging on the wall.
"Just a little something to commemorate." he explained.
"Oh, right!" Cruz remembered. "Today makes half a year, right?"
Danny nodded and let her examine the gift. It wasn't just a picture in a frame, but a collage of pictures, all arranged perfectly. One from her first win in Florida where they'd had a photo taken together before they started dating. One from his first major win in Texas - of course he would choose the picture he looked the silliest in. He was making a face, likely mid-sentence, and she was looking at him like he was the greatest thing she'd ever laid eyes on. There were some from little trips they'd gone on together - them parked on a bridge in front of the waterfall at Piston Peak, their first Splash Mountain photo, and several others.
"Wow, did you put this together?" she asked incredulously. "It's wonderful! I didn't know you were artistically gifted."
"You like it?" he asked.
"I love it!" she squealed, backing down the ramp again to face him. "I- I'm sorry I didn't get you anything, it totally slipped my mind. Does that make me a bad girlfriend?"
Danny laughed and shook himself. "Not at all. Everything's hectic around here, I don't blame you at all."
"Yeah, but you remembered." she pointed out.
"I happen to be the hopeless romantic." he countered. "It's no big deal, I promise. I just wanted to give you something to look at for when we're away from each other."
"Aww." she couldn't handle how sweet he was. He was one of the most thoughtful guys she knew. "You know, maybe I do have something for you."
Danny looked at her, opening his mouth to ask what she was referring to. She unabashedly moved in and planted her lips on his. He melted at her touch. For someone as spunky as her to put up with someone like him was more than he'd ever bargained for. It was paradise.
"Get a room!" they heard a voice come from several trailers down, followed by laughter.
They moved apart and turned to see Chase and his crew watching them. The other racer just winked at them, smiled, and disappeared into his trailer. Cruz and Danny laughed as well. At this point, they couldn't be shamed.
"Alright, well I'll see you in a few days, Cruz." Danny backed to go towards his own trailer. "Love you."
Cruz winked at him and backed into her trailer. "You too, Mr. Romance."
She raised the ramp to her trailer and settled in for a nice nap. Before she closed her eyes, she glanced at her new decoration. She smiled. They still had such a long way to go in their relationship, but they could take their time. If he was like this now, there was no telling how good things would be in the future.