Finding Her Time

Claire ran down the street to the Pizza Palace. She ran inside and met Tracy, the girl who always answered the phone when Claire ordered take out. “Large Pizza, half hamburger and half Hawaiian with no cherries?”

“Not today,” Claire panted, “Where’s Mitch?”

Tracy looked at her oddly. She did not like being breathed on. And Claire looked frantic. Tracy stared at her oddly and wondered, was there such a thing as a pizza emergency?.

Claire’s blonde hair was in her pink face. Her face was of course flushed from the exercise and her eyes were panicky. Tracy took ages didn’t answer

Nancy popped her head into the room. “Tracy, could you please call the people who ordered number 24, they still haven’t arrived to get their take out.” She turned and jumped slightly when she saw Claire, “Oh, hello, Sweetheart. If you’re looking for Mitch, you just missed him.”

Claire slumped slightly, “Okay, I see.”

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Nancy went behind the counter and looked through a book of recent orders, “Here, he left only ten minutes ago to make a delivery at this address.” She
pointed to the address she had written down earlier.

“I know where that is,” Claire smiled and ran back at the door, “Thank you.”
Claire ran with more energy than usual. She passed several very slow cars and pedestrians walking their dogs. She ran up a hill and saw that at the stoplight was a big rusty truck that could only belong to Mitch. She laughed and followed it down the road.

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Mitch was humming along mournfully to the music on the radio. The stoplight turned green so he turned left and made his way down the street looking for the correct house number. He made a short glance in his rearview mirror and looked back at the road.

Then he looked back again curiously. Claire was chasing his car down the road like a dog. Mitch hit the brake and pulled over to the curb. He turned off the ignition and got out of the car.

Claire saw him and waved, laughing as she ran faster to reach him. He called to her, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m staying,” Claire said as she accidentally tripped the last step and fell into Mitch’s arms. He held her in his strong arms, and steadied her. She looked up at him. “Mitch, you love me?”

Cautiously, he loosened his grip on her. He was nervous and embarrassed. And his heart rate increased. Blushing, he replied, “Yes.”

Claire reached up hesitantly and ran her hand along his cheekbone. “Mitch,” she whispered as she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his.

Their first kiss sent goose bumps up Claire’s arms, and sent shivers down Mitch’s back.
Her lips were soft and slightly hesitant against his. Likewise, he was shy, yet he lifted his hand to run it through her blonde hair.

When their lips parted, Claire’s cheeks reddened and she looked down. Mitch looked away also, feeling slightly embarrassed. He felt Claire’s arms tighten around him as she hugged him, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

“So this means that you aren’t leaving me to go find your Mr. Darcy?” Mitch asked uncertainly.

“I’ve already found what I was looking for,” Claire replied happily, “I don’t need Mr. Darcy or Connell Brandon or Mr. Rochester or any of them. I found it in you. You aren’t some fantasy.
You are my best friend. I’d rather be with you. So I’m staying.”

“You prefer me to some fantasy,” Mitch didn’t sound like he believed.

Claire squeezed his hand, “Honestly, Mitch, I love you.”

“Well, that’s great!” Mitch exclaimed, “Now let’s deliver this pizza and bring you home.”

“Umm, sounds good to me?” Claire rounded the truck. Maybe this ‘love’ was too much for Mitch; after all, he suddenly broke the emotional atmosphere.

Claire sat in the truck and waited for Mitch to get in too. When he climbed in, he turned to her and grinned. Then he grabbed her hand over the shift. He kissed her fingers and wrapped his fingers with hers. He held her hand to his face and breathed. “I’m sorry, Claire. I’m nervous is all.”

“It’s me,” she whispered, “You can be yourself with me. We can be the same as we always have been.”

“With some minor changes,” he smirked as he looked down at their intertwined hands.

“Well,” she giggled in return, “except that.”

They drove away. When Mitch got out again to deliver the pizza to the customers; he looked back at Claire and smiled. “If we’re going to my house tonight, you can explain everything to my sisters.”

“Aright,” Claire said happily as she pulled out her cell phone, “But it’s not like they don’t already know.”