Ryan could not believe what he had done. He knew he acted impulsively when he offered Livvy a job. He really should have talked to Scott first, and of course Mr. Penske. He was most likely going to have to do some serious ass kissing, but it would be well worth it if it kept Livvy around.

When he saw her yesterday, it was like seven years had never passed. He had never forgotten her. They say you never forget your first crush, and in his case it was true. When she left town to go off to college, he worried he would never see her again. He stuffed down all those feelings and went on with his life. Now she was back and all those feelings from the past had resurfaced and hit him like a Mack truck. He was in so much trouble.

For a while, he had secretly followed her on social media. He had checked her profiles often to see what she was up to, but unfortunately, she was not very active. She didn't post or tweet often and did not follow many people. Many times, he wanted to hit that follow button, but he held back. Some of his female fans were rabid and questioned every other female he was following. He didn't want to draw that kind of attention to her. Livvy was pure and sweet, and he had no business feeling what he was feeling for her and dragging her into his world, but he couldn't help himself.

During coffee, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He had watched as a lock of her hair had fallen across her face. His fingers itched to push it back. When she pushed it behind her ear herself, she smiled, and it literally took his breath away. She was so damn pretty.

She had given him a quick hug as they parted, thanking him for the job offer and for believing in her. He wanted to hold on to her just a little longer. She felt so good against him. He really wanted to kiss her. Instead, he promised to be in touch with her to begin her training.

He was curious about what had happened with her becoming a doctor. That had been her dream for as long as he had known her, and he knew what a determined person she was. All she had said was that things didn't work out and she had changed the subject. Maybe after they spent more time together he would ask her about it. Right now though, he had some ass kissing to do.

********

Olivia had been in a foul mood since waking up that morning, still angry over Ryan's outburst the night before, but now she had a spring in her step because of Ryan. Funny how her life had changed so drastically over the last twenty four hours.

Seeing Ryan again was a shock to her system. She had been so crazy about him, maybe even in love with him back when they were teenagers, but he had never gave any indication that he reciprocated her feelings, so she kept them to herself. She had thrown herself into her studies, determined to forget about him. She refused to look him up or find out anything about him, which was why she did not know that he had become a successful NASCAR driver at the top level of the sport, with one of the highest profile teams in the sport.

She was proud of him for achieving his dreams, and because of her pride for him, it helped her to put her own failures behind her. All she ever wanted was for him to be happy and successful.

She was excited to begin the next phase in her life. She never dreamed she would be working for a NASCAR team, especially having had no previous interest in the sport, alongside her longtime crush, the object of her affection, the main star in her nightly dreams. She knew she should put her feelings for Ryan aside since they would be working together, but she couldn't help but think that this could be a real turning point for them. She could not deny her attraction for him, and was a little surprised that the attraction was stronger than ever, despite the years that had passed.

She was really looking forward to her new job and her new future.

*********

It took some convincing, a little arm twisting and as expected, some ass kissing with management at Team Penske for them to agree to hire Livvy. Her lack of experience was a major factor, but Ryan had been pretty convincing, calling her brilliant, hardworking, level headed, eager and a quick learner. They had agreed on a trial basis, and Ryan decided he could live with that. He knew she would blow them away. Because of Scott's impending departure, she would be getting a crash course, no pun intended, in PR starting this weekend.

He called her number.

Ryan: Hey Livvy. Are you busy?
Olivia: (laugh) No Ry. What's up?
Ryan: You are going to need to go to the Penske shops office tomorrow. You need to fill out some paperwork and get your credentials before we fly out to Pocono Thursday.
Olivia: Thursday? As in two days from now I start?
Ryan: (laugh) Yes. I told you Scott was only going to be around two more weeks.
Olivia: Alright. I'll be there first thing in the morning. By paperwork, I'm guessing that's the standard new hire type forms?
Ryan: That's it. I actually have all the papers you need. Maybe we can have dinner tonight and I can give them to you. It'll save you a little time.
Olivia: Sure. That sounds great.
Ryan: Send me your address, and I'll pick you up at seven.
Olivia: Wait. What should I wear?
Ryan: Just wear something casual. I'll see you at seven Livvy.

Casual? Did he mean casual casual? Dressy casual? Business casual? Ryan Blaney had asked her to dinner. Ryan Blaney had asked her to dinner!!! She wanted to jump up and down and do a happy dance. Ryan Blaney had just asked her to dinner. Holy shit!

Calm down Liv. It's just dinner to talk about work, it's not a date. Still, she was going out to dinner with Ryan, and nothing could wipe the smile off of her face.

*******

"You look beautiful." Ryan said, looking Olivia up and down, taking in the dark wash jeans and flowy white top.

Olivia blushed. Ryan looked great too, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. Even after seven years, his presence left her tongue tied. He was just a boy back then. Now he was a man. A very hot, very attractive man.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked. She nodded.

"Applebee's or Olive Garden?" He asked once they got into his truck.

"Is that even a question?" Olivia giggled, now feeling a little more at ease.

"Applebee's it is. Have you found the perfect burger yet? Didn't you say that was your quest?" Ryan grinned at her.

"How do you remember all this from high school." She asked.

"I remember everything about you Livvy."

His words had her blushing again.

********

"These are all the papers you need to fill out. I thought you could get that all done before you go. Save you a little time."

"I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done. I really mean it." She didn't realize she had placed her hand on his until she felt his thumb lightly rubbing circles in the area between her thumb and index finger.

"Can I ask you something Livvy? You don't have to tell me if it's too personal."

"What is it Ry?"

"What happened with medical school?"

He couldn't miss the way her smile dropped and the shadow that crossed her hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry Liv. You don't..."

She cut him off.

"It's fine Ry. I... uh.. I never made it to medical school. I guess I just wasn't cut out for it. I blew my MCAT and never got in."

"I'm really sorry Livvy." He squeezed her hand. He wished he had never brought it up. She had looked so happy before, now she just looked sad.

"How's your burger? Looks pretty close to a perfect burger to me." He grinned at her.

She smiled back. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to distract her. Ryan was the only one who understood the kind of pressure she put on herself to succeed. He understood because he put that same amount of pressure on himself. The only difference was he had succeeded and she had failed.

They finished their dinner and Ryan told her funny stories about he and his friends Bubba and Chase, he talked about his podcast, and some crazy fan encounters. She laughed until he cried. Ryan had always known how to cheer her up.

Ryan insisted on paying for dinner, and she reluctantly allowed him, then they got back in his truck to head back home. Despite a minor hiccup in the night when he had asked about medical school, she had a lot of fun. In a lot of ways Ryan had not changed much from the boy she knew. In other ways, he had changed a lot. He was a lot more confident now, and that confidence made him even more attractive.

"Why don't I pick you up in the morning and we'll go to Penske together? That way I can show you around and introduce you to everyone." Ryan suggested.

"I would like that. Thanks Ry."

They had arrived back at her house, and Ryan insisted on walking her to the door. Olivia was torn between inviting him in or not. As she pondered it in her head, she felt his hand on her waist, then the small of her back. He was drawing her closer. He pressed his lips to hers, and her heart soared. After a moment, his tongue prodded against hers, and her knees went weak. As his mouth moved against hers, she felt weightless, like she was floating on a cloud. Her heart pounding in her chest, butterflies in her stomach.

She felt like a school girl and wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Ryan Blaney kissed me.