Disclaimer: I don't own Trixie or the Bob-Whites. No profit is being made from their use.

A Little Snag

When Honey and Jim met their friend, Dan, at their favorite restaurant Honey was bubbling over with questions for Jim. Noticing the way she couldn't contain herself, Dan chuckled. The trio had spent their high school days together after Dan had started living with his uncle, Bill Regan. It had been a difficult adjustment for Dan, but the bond the three had formed had eased the sadness he felt after his mother's death. Dan still missed those early days, grateful that the Wheelers had allowed Regan to offer him a home in his small apartment above the stables where he worked. He had been surprised and pleased that such wealthy families welcomed him wholeheartedly into their home. He couldn't have asked for better friends than Honey or Jim. Now something was demanding Honey's attention. Dan grinned, a grin that was quite disarming when he wanted it to be.

"Okay, Jim," Honey demanded, "spill it. What's going on with Trixie?"

"Trixie?" Dan Mangan asked curiously. Grinning once more, he added, "Spill it, Frayne."

"Trixie is this little spitfire that came roaring into the building this morning," Jim reminisced with a smile. "You should have seen her. She barged right into me, and sent my briefcase and all of my files flying all over the lobby."

"And that was a good thing?" Dan joked.

"Maybe," Jim shrugged noncommittally as he took a sip of ice water. He wasn't prepared to discuss his feelings about Trixie, feelings that had him confused. He barely knew her, and yet, he found himself caught up in her spell. Jim couldn't quit thinking about her and that made him nervous.

"So she was cute, huh?" Dan asked knowingly.

"You should have seen them, Dan," Honey teased. "She's in the college scholarship program. When Jim brought us lunch, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and Trixie couldn't keep from blushing. It was so cute."

"Come on, guys," Jim pleaded, "give me a break here. She dropped her lunch during our collision. I couldn't let her go hungry on her first day."

"Sounds like I'm going to have to meet this Trixie," Dan remarked with a teasing glint of his own. "If you're really not interested, Frayne…"

"I didn't say that," Jim said with a warning glare at Dan.

Both Dan and Honey burst out into laughter.

"Oh, Dan, you will have to meet her," Honey said as the laughter subsided. "I've never met anyone like her. She's so energetic and curious. I bet she asked Daddy a million questions during orientation."

"How did he like that?" Jim asked cautiously. "Did he seem to like her?"

"It was fine, Jim," Honey assured him. "In fact, he seemed to be quite enjoying their conversations."

"I think your mom will be quite pleased, Jim," Dan chuckled. "Maybe now she'll stop trying to set you up with the lasted debutante."

"I'll make sure to steer her your way," Jim remarked drily. "Mom loves to play matchmaker, and as one of New York's finest, you'll make a great catch for some lucky girl."

"Hush, you two," Honey insisted and changed the subject. "Did you know that Trixie attends NYU? In fact, we have a class together. It'll be so great to have a new friend on campus."

"I saw that when I was looking over her file," Jim said, then flushed as his friends snickered. "What?" he demanded defensively. "I see all the college applicant's files."

"And do you remember where the rest attend college?" Honey promptly pointed out with an impish grin.

"What else do you know about this Trixie?" Dan asked and was rewarded with another warning glare from Jim.

Tactfully trying to change the subject again, Honey said, "Why didn't you attend the orientation session today? You dad isn't going to be happy that you bailed."

"Jim Frayne bailed on a commitment," Dan commented with feigned shock. "First, knocking down an unsuspecting female and now this. Your honorableness is taking a beating today."

"I was trying to be nice," Jim bristled. "I thought Trixie might feel uncomfortable with me there."

"You know, we do have a problem, Jim," Honey frowned. "If we want to remain friends with Trixie we'll have to tell her who we are. I don't want to keep lying to her."

"I did look at her file," Jim admitted with a worried tone. "She needs that scholarship. How can we convince her that being friends with us won't influence the judging panel?"

"She will turn it down if she doesn't feel like she earned it honestly," Honey rightfully concluded. After only one day with Trixie, it was like they had been friends forever. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt or humiliate her new friend.

"Hey, guys," Dan interrupted, "a friendship really wouldn't influence the judging panel, would it?" Seeing the shake of their heads, he continued, "Then just be upfront with Trixie. If you three clicked like you think you did, she'll understand your caution and that you don't want to be treated any differently than she does."

"You're right, Dan," Honey conceded. "We have our first class together tomorrow morning. I'll talk to her then."

"And I'll talk to her tomorrow afternoon," Jim agreed, definitely excited to see Trixie again.

Diana Lynch couldn't help but giggle when Trixie told her about her first day at work. She tried to remain sympathetic but the image that Trixie painted was just so like Trixie.

"So what did you do after you bowled over this gorgeous redhead?" Diana grinned at her friend. "You have all the luck."

"Yeah, right," Trixie snorted, "he was in a business suit and I'm sitting in the floor with my butt on a peanut butter sandwich. I even managed to drag him down with me. How lucky can I get?"

"Well, he did bring you lunch," Diana nodded calculatingly. "You must have left quite an impression on him."

"He saw it when he picked up my sandwich, I'm sure," Trixie forlornly replied blushing at the memory. "I wish I hadn't done that because now I feel all stupid around him."

"Maybe it's not stupid, Trixie, maybe it's just raging hormones. Maybe that's what's really bothering you."

"Please," insisted Trixie, "even if it is, what is Mr. Gorgeous Business Man going to see in Miss Clumsy College Student? No, it's best that I just forget all about him. If there ever was a chance, I totally messed it up today."

Trixie tossed and turned all night, visions of a handsome redhead with a crooked grin haunting her thoughts. Once again, her sleepless night caused her to sleep late and she had to rush to her first class. Made it, Trixie sighed with relief. She could see Honey near the front of the class as she took her seat in the back.

Trixie was glad the first day of class only consisted of reviewing the syllabus and handing out reading assignments. She vowed to be more prepared and at the same time to push thoughts of Jim out of her mind. Happy when class came to an end, she made her way toward Honey. As Trixie neared, she saw another student grab Honey by the arm.

"Madeline Wheeler!" the young coed cried. "What are you doing here? I thought for sure you would be attending some Ivy League school."

"Hi, Kate," Honey acknowledged the girl. "Daddy wanted me close to home, and of course, Jim is here to watch over me. You know how protective fathers can be."

"Jim Frayne, the studly redhead, is attending NYU," Kate squealed with feminine delight. "I will definitely be looking him up."

"He's getting his MBA here," she explained. Then Honey felt an uneasiness settle over her, and turned her gaze away from Kate. Trixie stood a few steps above her with a stunned look upon her face.

"Trixie," Honey called out to her as Trixie turned away, "wait." Pulling her arm from Kate, she hurried after Trixie.

"Trixie," she called again as she left the building, "please, wait."

Slowly, Trixie turned around and said accusingly, "You're Madeline Wheeler and Jim is James Frayne. You both must think I'm some kind of idiot."

"I was going to tell you today," Honey insisted. "It just didn't come up yesterday."

"It didn't come up because you chose not to tell me," Trixie said with embarrassment. "Just call me Honey, it's a family nickname," Trixie quoted sarcastically. "And Jim, oh, my god, he was supposed to be in charge, wasn't he? He asked your dad to do it instead."

"He didn't want you to feel uncomfortable, Trixie," Honey tried to reason with her. "He didn't want to mess up your first day."

I really needed that scholarship, thought Trixie, tears of disappointment stinging the back of her eyes. Trixie had felt a connection forming with Honey, and even if it was silly, romantic feelings for Jim. The confusion showed in her eyes when she looked at Honey.

"Please, Trixie," Honey implored Trixie with her own tear-filled eyes. "I wasn't going to tell anyone in the program who I was. I didn't want to be treated any differently from the others."

"What about Jim?" Trixie asked quietly.

"He was going to talk to you this afternoon." Softly, she added, "He was hoping that you liked him as Jim not as James Frayne."

Swallowing her disappointment and suddenly more than a little excited about talking with Jim again, Trixie nodded in acceptance. "I do understand, Honey. I guess I was just stunned to hear it the way I did."

"You know," Honey admitted, shyly, "I've never really had a close friend before, unless you count Jim, and he's a guy and it's really hard to talk about girl stuff to a guy, and I was hoping we could still be friends, and…"

Honey paused to catch her breath, looking embarrassed from her rush of words, when she heard Trixie giggle.

"Oh, Honey, you'll fit right in," Trixie laughed, her good mood restored for the moment. "I think you'll understand Di and me absolutely perfectly."

"You will be coming into work this afternoon," Honey reminded her.

Sighing, Trixie nodded, "Though I seem to have a knack for making friends with millionaires, first Di and now you, unfortunately, I am not one. I will be delighted to work this afternoon."

"I wouldn't trade you for all the millionaires I know. Most aren't as nice as they pretend to be, family excluded, of course."

"Even Jim?" Trixie casually questioned.

"Jim's in a category all by himself," Honey smiled mischievously, "but I'm sure you agree with that, don't you?"

Jim paced back and forth across his father's office, occasionally glancing at the clock on the wall. What was it about that little blonde that had him tied up in knots? She was pretty and sweet, but he had always dated more sophisticated women. Was it her innocence that he found so intriguing? When she looked at him, he could hardly tear his eyes away from her. He was still pacing when his father walked in.

"How's your morning been, son?" Win Frayne looked curiously at Jim.

"Okay," Jim answered with a rueful grin, 'I haven't gotten much work done."

"I heard about that," his father commented. "It seems Matt had to step in for you yesterday, as well."

"Yeah," Jim grinned in remembrance, "I ran into a little snag."

"Oh," Win arched his copper brows, "what kind of snag? Anything important?"

Jim flushed as he thought about telling his dad about Trixie. Not yet, he decided, it was too soon.

"No, nothing I can't handle," he answered as honestly as he could.

"Just remember, Jim, you're still in college. You don't have to try to take on Wall Street by yourself."

"I think I'll leave Wall Street to you," Jim joked, "besides I've still got the college program to take care of."

As Jim started to leave his father called out to him, "Jim, about that snag."

"Yeah, Dad," Jim stopped in response.

"Be sure and ask her out to dinner sometime."

Thanks once again to Karen for her edits.