'I can't believe she actually admitted to having sex with one of the contestants before the fantasy suite." Toby says as they drive past an ABC billboard advertising Monday night shows.
"What are you talking about?" Happy asks as they keep going on the highway. Paige had asked them to go shopping for office food supplies.
"Making topical discussion about the billboard we just passed." Toby says easily.
"You mean the one with that girl on it." Happy inquires.
"Yes, the TV show, the Bachelorette." Toby responds.
"Never watched it." Happy curtly answers.
"You probably shouldn't, it's not really your thing. It's a great show to bet on. I have won thousand dollars betting on it. Of course I would promptly go to the same booky and lose everything on baseball. Don't have Sylvester's head for probability, or the patience to do the math myself." Toby replies lightly.
"Well I guess betting on reality TV isn't uncommon." Happy remarks.
"I'm twenty five for twenty five. The whole trick is to see the shows as you were the producer and know the end result." Toby says, he pauses to see if Happy would respond to his comment and then continues talking. "My ex used to watch it; both the Bachelor and Bachelorette. I started watching with her and got into betting on it, would have placed a bet on the last few seasons except I really haven't had the time with all the work we've been getting, plus there isn't really anyone I hang out with right now watching it." Toby cautiously shares. Happy nods, trying not to think too deeply about Toby's casual mention of his ex.
"A lot of drama about the show is how they manage to make normal people crazy and have relationships that don't last. I never understood why people complained about that. The show is set up to have those things. Contestants have no other family or outside contact with people during filming. And, people put in unusually close environments are prone to have feelings of love they may not ordinarily have. It isn't uncommon for people to develop romantic feelings for people due to circumstances, hence the crazy jealousy and lack of lasting relationships." Toby says as they pull up to a grocery store. At Toby's remark about how people in close circumstances have extraordinary feelings of love, Happy wonders if this is Toby's way of saying he's done with trying to make 'them' work, whatever 'them' was because it was just circumstantial.
"Given how proximity can breed un-naturally close romantic feelings, it is possible that you had romantic feelings for Mark or Walter and Sylvester in the span of time we've been together." Toby comments, breaking into Happy's thoughts as they walk from their car to the store. Toby was fishing for information.
"Why would I have had any of those type of feelings for them when I…" Happy starts but stops herself.
"When you what?" Toby says as the automatic doors of the store open in front of them. The door is gaping open, just like Toby, waiting for her response.
"I, nothing." Happy replies as she busies herself in getting a cart for them. "I'm trying to do shopping." Happy says helplessly as Toby correctly jumps to conclusions.
"Really? All that time?" Toby persists, humbled and flattered that Happy had thought of him that way.
"Not all this time. It was at the beginning, it was short-lived and …" Happy attempts to finish as Toby cuts her off and kisses her.
If she had showed an iota of indifference, dislike or contempt Toby would have stopped. But she didn't. So Toby deepened the kiss and continued to kiss her, right there in front of automatic opening and closing doors.
"And just physical based." Happy stammers breathlessly as their lips part. Toby looked at her expectantly."It ended when I found out you were an attached asshole." Happy finishes begrudgingly. She walks away as if kissing in grocery store lobbies was a common occurrence to her when in reality she couldn't bear having to deal with the fact she had kissed him, again.
Toby remained where they were and saw Happy making her way through the produce section pulling fruits and vegetables from Paige's list in her cart. Despite himself, Toby had to admit that her single- minded efforts to forget their kiss from a minute ago stroked his ego; one wouldn't spend effort forgetting a kiss unless it was worth remembering. Toby grinned and started to walk briskly to catch up with her.
"Happy, I'm sorry. Not sorry we kissed but sorry I initiated it at an inappropriate moment." Toby say as he stands next to her in the cereal aisle.
"Do you recall Paige mentioning an alternative to Honey Bunch." Happy asks in response.
"I'm sure any other high fiber granola will do." Toby offers.
"That's general and unhelpful." Happy answers.
"Why do I have the feeling you're angry at more than just cereal." Toby asks.
"Cause you're a Harvard trained genius shrink that knows better?" Happy answers rhetorically as she randomly picks a granola and dumps it into the cart.
"Hearing you say that you had a thing for me from when we first met had me feeling humbled but unhappy at the thought we were wasting more time. That's why I kissed you. I'm sorry it was in bad timing." Toby says as he follows her to the bread section.
"I didn't have feelings the whole time and... I kissed back." Happy says shaking her head, dismissing that as the reason for her mood.
They continued shopping wordlessly, picking and loading the cart in their inherent complementary fashion. Toby watched Happy. She still seemed a little sullen and wondered what else was the matter. As they drove back they passed the billboard again.
"Happy, can you tell me what's upsetting you?" Toby asks.
"The stuff you were saying about the show when we were driving to the store. If everything about us is purely because of our close proximity, then it's all fake and unreal." Happy replies.
"Happy, we're not trapped in some California bungalow with no outside communication. And yes, we spend a lot of time together but we don't spend time together just to try to fall in love, we work together. With the exception of Sylvester, we've all dated people, while working in Scorpion, that weren't part of Scorpion. And I take that back, Megan isn't technically part of Scorpion either. How I feel about you has nothing to do with proximity but everything to do with who you are." Toby answers.
"Yeah, because, smart, capable and fun are completely unique things." Happy retorts.
"They are to the person saying it. And, you forgot to add 'that personality happens to be is wrapped up in a nice little package". All those things together are the reasons why to me you are unique and so attractive." Toby says, tickled that she brought up their conversation in Bosnia. "Happy, you are so sure of your skills, your abilities, why are you so uncertain that someone loves you?" Toby asks.
"It's never happened." Happy answers. "That boyfriend I had, the one I had the fake blood pack for, he was just using me to help him do work. That's why I'm so loyal to Walter. He's the first person I've met that recognized my abilities and never tried to claim credit for it." Happy finishes.
"You had a rough time growing up, just because something hasn't happened before doesn't mean it can't happen. You know that." Toby says.
"Toby, I haven't been trying to be difficult on purpose. I just don't know what it would take to be in that kind of relationship with you and have it not end." Happy states.
"Well I don't know either. And maybe that's okay. I know we're used to knowing stuff but maybe this time we can't know and if don't go through it, we will never. Can you give me another chance to take you on a date?" Toby requests.
"Yes." Happy answers.
"Soon?" Toby follows up to ask, realizing he had not put a time frame on the earlier question. Happy grins at Toby attempt to cover up the loophole in his earlier request.
"Possibly." Happy replies.
"You'd be worth however long it takes." Toby says because he knows that Happy is going to be it for him. He isn't sure how it supposed to happen but he knows it's going to.
When they reach the garage they get out and start grabbing grocery bags to take in. Just before they enter Toby has to asks,"When did it start again?"
"Start what again?" Happy evasively asks back.
"Oh come on Happy, don't leave me hanging, you know what I'm talking about. You thinking about me." Toby responds more vulnerable than Happy expects.
"Why don't you go first." Happy answers back.
"The fake fight we had to cause a distraction while working on the governor's daughter's case. The fight was more real, constructive and hotter than some of the real fights I've had. Kinda made me think, if this was fake fighting, what would real loving be like." Toby answers. Happy lips turn up a little at his bold and honest reply. She turns to head in when she realizes she didn't answer.
"Made you look." Happy says as she turns to back to Toby.
"You read it." Toby says smiling.
Happy replies with a nod and goes in.
Didn't indicate who was driving and which car was being driven because honestly, I wasn't sure how it would be. Let me know who you imagined it to be, I am interested to know who you think it was.