ic Grand Prix

[Electra]

"Yeah right," she teased back, sliding her arms around his waist. "I know all your secrets. You just look like you anticipate everything because you're ridiculously good at reacting to the unexpected. But you can be caught by surprise. Actually, I kind of think that's the whole reason you keep Mark around." She stepped back a decorous few inches as the elevator opened to reveal a group of well-heeled tourists who looked like they were probably headed to the casinos. Erin felt a bit silly in her sarong and straw hat, but she reminded herself that she wasn't the one visiting a beautiful beach city just to spend the whole time in an airless, lightless room full of games one was bound to lose.

 

As they crowded into the elevator, Erin noticed one young woman in an entirely too-tight dress taking a couple extra glances at Trevor's bare back. Erin made sure to pin her with a meaningful glare. Suitably intimidated, the lady hurried off with her friends at the lobby, leaving Erin feeling quite pleased with herself. Maybe she was out of her element here among the rich and sophisticated, but she could still look after her own. "I guess security on the cars is probably pretty tight before the race," she remarked idly as they walked out the sliding doors and onto the path past the pools to the beach. "I wonder if there'll be a chance to see them, or if we have to wait till after." 

[Gizmo]

Trevor's stoic attempt to pretend he hadn't noticed Erin's exchange with the tourist in the elevator might have been more successful had it not been for a brief twitching at the corner of his mouth and a squaring of his shoulders that was a shade more imposing than the carefully nondescript gait belonging to his civilian identity. He'd have liked to return the favour but the auburn haired young woman was more than capable of dealing with any unwanted attentions on her own. "Will have to see. Still want to try windsurfing first?" There was certainly no shortage of activities and distractions in the city around them.

[Electra]

"Yep!" she agreed cheerfully. "You aren't getting out of the beach. Look, we're practically there already." The bright fabric of her sarong whipped around her legs as they wound around the swimming pool, teased by the same sea wind that was trying to steal her hat. A long, shallow staircase took them over the seawall and opened onto a broad expanse of white beach and blue ocean. It was busy, but Erin suspected that the cluster of luxury hotels had some sort of agreement that kept the beach semi-private to guests. A lot of the people here looked like they were vacationing from somewhere else. Some were even as white as she and Trevor! It was a lot of open space, a lot of movement, but visibility was high and nobody here looked like a threat. It was all okay, she reminded herself. They were on vacation! 

 

Erin was tempted for a moment by a game of beach volleyball forming up a ways down the beach, but then she caught sight of the windsurfing rental shed. The weather seemed to be right, because a few bright sails already dotted the water. Keeping hold of Trevor's hand, she all but dragged him along the beach, eager as a kid chasing the ice cream truck. She was reasonably confident of her ability to master this new sport, and figured if she could do this, it didn't matter so much if she was out of place during the fancy stuff tonight and tomorrow. "They have jetskis too," she pointed out to Trevor as they approached. 

[Gizmo]

Quietly letting out a resigned breath as they reached the crowded sand, Trevor picked up his pace to keep up with the enthusiastic Erin. They'd been extremely thorough with the sunblock but it was difficult not to feel paranoid caught exposed between the glaring rays and the pristine sand. Catching himself before he could reflexively release a cloud of midnight mist into the air, the tall American instead focused on the rental shed.

"At least they have engines," he remarked with a glance at the jetskis moored nearby, his tone half-joking. "If you're windsurfing, though, so will I. Can't be too difficult." There was bound to be some crossover between steering a motorcycle with one's knees and maneuvering a floating plank by leaning all about or so he attempted to convince himself.

[Electra]

There was, as they soon discovered, a bit more to windsurfing than met the eye, though Trevor's comparison to motorcycle riding wasn't entirely off. The three hour beginner's package came with an instructor, a friendly and very tan young man named Louis who spoke excellent English with a pronounced French accent. Conscientious Louis spent the first ten minutes giving them a safety rundown of dos and don't for windsurfing before even letting them near a board. Erin listened very carefully, tucking away all the information with the air of someone preparing for a life or death trial. Neither of them took the offered wetsuits or lifejackets. Erin figured they would only slow her down, and she didn't need to breathe more than once every couple minutes, in a pinch. And if Trevor should happen to get into trouble, well, she'd be right there. 

 

Finally, finally, it was time to actually surf! The short, wide beginner boards were not as sexy as the long, sleek boards Erin had seen on display, but she couldn't fault their stability. It felt as though she couldn't fall off if she tried. Once she was actually in the water, it only took about five minutes before she was up and going, skimming across the water like a seagull, a look of intense concentration on her face. Her first ride lasted barely a minute before she misjudged the wind and flipped herself over, but at least she came up laughing. 

[Gizmo]

Much as he generally advocated preparation for the worst Trevor wasn't overly keen to pile on the proposed safety equipment before heading out. Fortunately it hadn't taken much to convince the instructor that the obviously athletic couple could handle themselves reasonably well if it came down to it and he was soon following Erin out onto the water.

It took the motorcyclist a little longer to catch onto the basics as he forced his body to accept what his brain was telling it, that there were no wheels and certainly no solid ground involved. Eventually he'd found enough control to catch up to where Erin had tipped over, skidding more conservatively around the surface. "Better than flying, at least," he called as she righted herself.

[Electra]

This was Erin's fourth or fifth tumble by now, and if nothing else she was becoming adept at water starts. "I want it to fly," she complained good-naturedly. "That's why I keep ending up in the water." Angling her body into the correct position, she raised the sail and let the wind pull her back upright on the board. "If I wanted to just run around on the water, I wouldn't need the board at all. Except for secret identity," she added conscientiously. The whole conversation took place at shouted volume, or as close to a shout as Trevor ever got, but the words were still stolen by the breeze long before they could reach anyone else.

 

"After this, let's go look at the cars!" There was a fancy party tonight, she knew, but she'd rather look at the cars than spend ages getting ready. That was another nice thing about being totally unknown, even fewer people than usual cared whether she got her hair and makeup quite right. Pulling on the sail with one arm, she tacked around to stay close to Trevor, their boards mere feet apart. It was more sedate this way, but also quite a bit dryer, and she didn't swallow nearly so much ocean. 

[Gizmo]

"Can see if Redbird's up for giving one a set of wings when we get home," Trevor suggested, sticking his arms out to mime such a thing and immediately regretting it as the board veered toward Erin's forcing him to hurriedly correct. The sudden tug on the sail started of a scrambling dance to regain his balance and ultimately ended with another calamitous splash. Trevor was left treading water with as much dignity as he could muster. "...look at cars. Good idea."

The rest of the day was filled with the same mad dash from place to place and activity to attraction. There were uncounted things vying for the vacationing couple's attention and they intended to cover as many of them as possible. Trevor managed to restrain himself from actually attempting to work on any of the cars they got to see, even if he remained convinced that he could have done a superior job on at least three of them. There were ample opportunities to sample more of the local cuisine and a wide range of performers were on hand for entertainment.

It was well into the night before they returned to the hotel, party attired somewhat rumpled after a series of increasingly extravagant soirées held on the massive yachts in the harbour. With his jacket hung over one arm and the other around Erin's waist, Trevor undid the knot of his loosened tie and let the silk hang freely around his neck. Once the door was closed behind them, he tossed his sunglasses onto the nearby endtable and gave her a tired smile. "So. Monaco, hm?"

[Electra]

Erin kicked off her shoes and dropped onto the giant bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Oh my god, Monaco," she agreed in a voice that was half laugh, half groan. Even with her metabolism, the hours of travel, exercise and partying had taken a hard toll, and she was amazed Trevor was still standing at all. "That was so fun, and I'm not sure I'm ever going to move again. Which is a shame because I really have to get out of this dress." Frank had outdone himself with the glittery green sheath, and it had been cool to know she could be at these parties and look like she belonged, but even through the lining the fabric was scratchy, and either the fire retardant or the bioelectric sensory net made it heavy as hell. "We don't have anything scheduled for first thing in the morning, do we?" 

[Gizmo]

Trevor had to lean against the wall to keep his balance as he slipped off his tapering shoes and undid the first few buttons of his deep royal purple dress shirt. "Vacation. No schedule," he promised with a note of a soft chuckle in his voice. There was so much to see and do in the city during the Grand Prix that actually trying to plan a detailed itinerary had seemed a futile exercise.

Rolling one stiff shoulder, the dark haired young man sat on the side of the bed and finished untucking and unbuttoning his shirt. "Sit up and I can probably be convinced to help with dress," he offered, raising one eyebrow.

[Electra]

Erin huffed disagreeably at that, debating her choices, but eventually rolled to a sitting position next to him. She swept her hair aside with one hand to give him access to the zipper, dislodging pins and crinkling hairspray in the process. "You're lucky you're cute," she muttered. He did look pretty cute, sort of rumpled and relaxed but still elegant, and even though she was very used to his sunglasses, it was always nice when he took them off at the end of the day. That thought was pleasing enough for her to press a kiss to his cheek, leaving a faint lipstick mark. "You know," she decided, "I think you did get a little bit of a tan today. The beach is good for you." She cracked a smile. "How about me, see any freckles?" 

[Gizmo]

"I'm lucky you're cute," Trevor corrected in the perfect deadpan that meant he thought he was being awfully funny. He'd gotten a second wind sometime during the last party at which they'd made an appearance when the syncopation of the five piece band performing there had demanded a trip to the dance floor and the scent of Erin's subtle perfume layered over her own was burning away the cobwebs of weariness. Smoothly pulling down the zipper a touch more slowly that was really necessary he returned the kiss on Erin's exposed shoulder. "Think that might be a freckle there," he hypothesized gravely, leaning in to trail a line of kisses toward her neck. "Best to be sure."

[Electra]

"Mmmm, stranger things have happened," she agreed, sounding somewhat abstracted. The feeling of his lips on her neck, plus the loosening of the constricting dress, had her sighing with pleasure as she began tugging her arms free of the sleeves. "If there are some, I think I really ought to know about them." She pulled one arm free of the glittery green bodice and ran her fingers through his hair, tilting her head at the same time to give him better access for counting. "You know, those parties were actually pretty fun. I was hardly nervous at all, even when people started talking to me." Trying to make small talk at fancy parties was not a strong suit for her, but tonight all anyone had wanted to talk about was cars, so it was basically perfect. "And the dancing was good, too. It's fun to surprise people." 

[Gizmo]

Trevor made a murmured sound of agreement as he slipped his shirt from the back with a quick, contained motion, dropping it to the floor beside the bed before placing a hand on Erin's hip. Continuing his methodical probing for sun spots just above her collarbone, his lips curved slightly against her skin. "Got a few looks." There was always an undercurrent of competition at high society parties and their unexpected display on the dance floor had had the satisfaction of a decisive victory. "Glad you enjoyed yourself. Happy belated anniversary."

[Electra]

"And you too," Erin agreed with a soft chuckle. "You sure know how to make them memorable." Pulling her other arm from its sleeve, she wriggled her way free of the dress and kicked it onto the floor. Thanks to Frank's great vigilance, the structural garments that went under the dress were concealing enough to fight in if necessary, even as they pushed and lifted and squeezed everything around. It was sort of like a much more uncomfortable version of her swimsuit from earlier. "You know, speaking of memorable, I wonder if we go to these things long enough, our reputation will start to precede us. Like I don't think swing dancing is too common at these parties, most of the people are too drunk or too old or too out of shape. People could invite you to parties just to liven things up." She paused to consider that for a moment. "Though half the time, a supervillain or a monster or something would attack, and that's probably too lively. We maybe should keep to the low-profile thing."

 

Suiting actions to words, she pulled him back on the bed till they were both laying flat, bodies just a few inches apart. Tracing her fingers along his collarbone and down his sternum, she mused, "Now that I think about it, just going to sleep would really be a waste." 

[Gizmo]

Allowing himself to be pulled down from his seated position, Trevor sank slightly into the hotel bed's exceptional mattress. "Hate to be wasteful," he agreed with a serious face, turning halfway toward Erin so that his chest moved to meet her palm. "Know how I feel about efficiency." Craning his neck to kiss the muscular young woman with an urgency that belied his casual tone he endeavored to live up to his reputation for memorability.

---

The next morning Trevor awoke as sunlight reflecting off of the water shone through a gap in the window's curtains. Stretching slightly and shifting the bedsheets about his feet he brushed a few dark strands of hair from his eyes, his metahuman eyes adjusting almost immediately from sleep. He was a little stiff and had to admit he probably could have used a few more hours of sleep but nevertheless he found the corner of his mouth turning up into a smile.

[Electra]

Next to him, Erin was asleep on her stomach as usual, completely unbothered by the light since her face was buried in the pillows. She woke instantly when he stirred, though, her momentary hyperalertness fading quickly back into sleepy comfort. She was looking a bit worse for wear this morning, her unremoved eye makeup smeared into shadows, her hair an auburn fright wig from the effects of  seawater, hairspray and vigorous activity. The overall effect was slightly clownish, though it would perhaps be better to let that go unremarked. Shoving a hand through her hair to at least keep it off her face, she blinked owlishly at him. "We're on vacation," she reminded him, then shoved her face stubbornly back into the pile of pillows.

[Gizmo]

Evidently either not bothered by the aftereffects of Erin's makeup from the night before or too tactful to mention them, Trevor bent over and kissed her on the shoulder before lying back down his one hand behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Sorry. Blame the sun." He closed his eyes momentarily but he knew despite a silent yawn there wasn't much chance of getting back to sleep. He'd have felt worse if they didn't both know that Erin needed barely half the sleep an average person did but he understood the appeal of finally getting a chance to sleep in. "Mmh. Lots to do today. Could stay in bed for a while, though." Propping himself up on one elbow just enough to trail the fingers of his other hand along Erin's spine. "Want breakfast brought up?"

[Electra]

"Somebody's frisky this morning," Erin grumbled, rolling over to study Trevor through slitted eyes. In an instant, she snaked out one strong arm, grabbing him around the waist and reeling him in. "Well if that's the way you want to play it..." Breakfast ended up being somewhat delayed, but Erin was in a much more cheerful mood by the time they finally got around to ordering breakfast. She took her shower first, so that by the time the waiter knocked on the door, she was clean and in her bathrobe, trying to chase the last knots from her hair. Since Trevor was in the shower, she padded over to the door barefoot and answered it, giving the waiter a blandly pleasant smile as she held the door open for him to wheel in the food. 

 

This was a very fancy hotel, so the waiter set the table and put the plates out and everything while Erin just stood awkwardly at the door, wondering if she ought to close it or just wait or what. The food looked and smelled really good, making her realize she hadn't really eaten much but appetizers since the amazingly slow lunch yesterday. She gave the waiter a nice tip and shooed him out the door, and was just about to close it when movement caught her eye. The guest across the hall was also engaged in morning routines, picking up the newspaper off the floor by the door. As she straightened up, Erin realized that it was the woman from yesterday, the old-Tricia woman. Still a bit morning-bleary, Erin stared at the woman a few seconds longer than was polite, wondering what could be going on here. Could those looks really be coincidence? 

[Gizmo]

The raven haired woman across the hall noticed Erin's stare immediately, picking up her newspaper with an immaculately manicured hand and tucking it under the arm of her sleek, daringly cut black dress before returning the look with a cool confidence. "Can I help you, young lady?" she asked in a crisp, precisely enunciated English, lips defined with dark lipstick and set between high cheekbones turning upward very slightly as though anticipating an amusing response. Perfect posture brought her level with Erin to look her in the eyes and the toned outline of the body beneath the dress did nothing to dissuade the vacationing security chief of the perceived resemblance.

Ears pricking up from around the corner of the suite's foyer as he exited the bathroom, Trevor slid on his sunglasses with one hand while securing the towel around his waist with the other. Coming around behind Erin and into view of the open door, the taciturn young man was left without words momentarily as he saw their fellow hotel guest, his mouth hanging barely ajar while his hair dripped over his bare shoulders.

The older woman blinked twice with her own look of surprise, raising a hand to the side of her face while otherwise retaining her composure. "Trevor?"

There was a beat before he managed to reply is a strained voice, "...Mother?"

[Electra]

Erin half-turned in the doorway, looking between Trevor and this familiar stranger. "I guess that explains the resemblance," she murmured awkwardly. She kicked herself inwardly for not making the obvious connection earlier; she'd always known that Trevor had two living parents and it was certainly more sensible that they'd run into his mother than some time-displaced alternate self vacationing on Earth Prime. Well, except that she'd met plenty of alternate selves and time displaced folks in the last few years, and Trevor's mother had always been something of a mirage. Travis and Trevor were so much like father and son, it was easy to forget the generation between them. 

 

Forcing a smile to her face, Erin adjusted her bathrobe slightly and hoped she'd managed to wipe off all the makeup from last night. She realized suddenly that she had no idea how much Trevor had told his mom about her. "I was just thinking how much you look like Trevor," she told the immaculately groomed woman across the hall. "You must be Janet Pryce-Hunter. I'm Erin White, it's nice to meet you." The banal pleasantries sounded incredibly inane in her own ears, but there was really nothing to say right now that would probably sound just right. 

[Gizmo]

"Really?" Janet gave Erin an unconcealed look of assessment tinged with some surprise. She seemed to pay the most attention on the younger woman's face but wasn't shy scanning the rest of her, bathrobe not withstanding. "I hadn't realized you were still around, dear. Lovely to finally meet you, then." There was something of Trevor's restrained mannerisms in the smile she gave Erin but it was genuine enough.

Trevor for his part was having his stoicism sorely tested as he looked between the two women, trying to intuit the correct course of action with little success. It had been years since he'd actually stood face to face with him mother, though they'd spoken over the phone or even video calling marginally more frequently. He certainly hadn't anticipated her appearing during the time he and Erin had set aside away from other people and distractions. And consideration he'd given the scenario of the two meeting had definitely assumed they would all be wearing pants.

Janet turned her level, analytical gaze on her son. "I would have said he looks more like his father every time I see him," she told Erin. This time she sounded more like Alex, wryly gossiping to a close friend about a cute boy. It was easy to imagine her quickly slipping into any social circle and becoming the center of attention. "Perhaps I don't need to know quite how much, though, hm? Shall I give you a moment to dress before anything else?"

"Yes," Trevor answered immediately, hand already on the hotel room door, closing it as quickly as could be construed as polite. "That would be good." Shutting the door with the audible click of the automatic lock, he turned to lean against the foyer wall and spread his hands outward to Erin in a silent gesture of helpless disbelief.

[Electra]

Erin stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, then dissolved into helpless laughter. There didn't seem to be much else to be done at this point. "I guess it's a good thing I put on a robe," she quipped, glancing towards the closed door. "I think that would've been the only thing that could've made that more awkward." She walked back into the living area, pulling the lid off her plate and sampling a warm cinnamon roll. "Your mom is pretty intense," she commented. "Generally when someone checks me out like that, I'd be expecting them to try and either punch me or kiss me. What do you think she's doing here?" she asked, her words slightly garbled as she took another bite of breakfast. 

[Gizmo]

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Trevor took a quiet breath. "Intense. Yes." Picking up a carafe of a dark, fragrant roast from the room service cart he rummaged about for a cup without attempting to conceal his agitation. "Here for Grand Prix, too, I assume. Vacation? Could as easily be hosting art exhibition or running for office this week. Hnnh." Taking a long pull from his coffee as he walked over to their partially unpacked luggage, he began hurriedly laying out an outfit for himself on the bed. "Sorry. Blindsided. No exit strategy. ...besides window."

[Electra]

Erin pursed her lips and tucked her tongue in her cheek as she watched Trevor's discomfiture. Very little rattled him, either as a seasoned superhero or a polished and well-trained high society scion, so it was always interesting to see him be rattled. Especially in a situation like this, where she suspected there was no actual danger involved. "There is always the window," she agreed, attempting to look serious as she went to her own suitcase. "If we jumped now, we could rush the gate at the parking garage, get to the airport and charter a private plane. Fly to some out of the way country, change our names, and try to lay low for a few years. It could work," she deadpanned, before returning her thoughts to the earlier conversation. "She seemed surprised that you and I were still together."