Clara had just turned the keys in her front door when her mobile rang. She was expecting a call from John and of course now would be the time he decided to call, when her hands were full with grocery bags. She quickly opened her door and stepped inside practically dropping the bags to get to her phone and answered it without looking to see who it was.

"You have the worst timing," she said, closing her front door and toeing her shoes off.

"Hello to you too," Jenny said on the other end. "Why is my timing so bad?"

'Damn,' Clara thought to herself.

She hadn't spoken to Jenny since John's visit a few weeks ago because she had been avoiding her calls. Clara was nervous about talking to Jenny, afraid that something might slip, but she knew eventually she would have to talk to her friend.

"Because you're always calling me when I can't talk," Clara replied, picking up her bags to take to the kitchen and thinking quickly.

"Yes, but you aren't returning my calls when you're free, so all I can do is keep trying."

"Sorry about that. But I did text you."

"Not the same as hearing your voice."

"I know and I am sorry. I've just been so busy with work."

"It's okay, I got you now, unless you can't talk."

Clara heard the disappointment in Jenny's voice and knew she couldn't brush her off again. "No, now is fine. I just walked in the door from shopping, so I'm putting my groceries away."

"Good. So what's new and exciting in the life of Clara Oswald?" Jenny asked.

"Oh not much really," Clara lied, knowing she couldn't tell Jenny what was really going on. "Same old boring life."

"Work really has you so busy that you can't have a social life?"

"I go out. Not a lot, but I go out."

"When was the last time you had a fun night out?"

Clara thought back to her date with John and smiled, remembering the good time they had in Niagara-on-the-Lake. "A few weeks ago."

"Gees, Clara. You're a young single woman. You should be out every night."

"Jenny, you know I'm not like that. Give me a good book and I'm happy as a clam in water. But enough about me. What about you? How's married life?"

Clara changed the subject and got Jenny off the topic of her social life, for now at least. The two girls chatted, Jenny catching Clara up on the happenings of London and their friends from uni, along with how she and David were doing at work.

"Oh, and here's a bit of news for you. My dad took off his wedding ring."

"Wow," Clara answered, trying to sound surprised. "That sounds like a big step."

"It is. I didn't want to pry too much, so I didn't mention it to him that I noticed, but I think it shows that he's ready to find love again."

"That's good."

"It really is. So I'm thinking I might try and set him up with the woman from David's work."

That was the last thing Clara wanted to hear. She didn't want John to be in a position where he would have to lie to Jenny to get out of her plan, but she had no idea what she could say to change Jenny's mind.

"Do you think that's a good idea? What if they go out and it doesn't workout? Wouldn't that put David in an awkward position?"

"I don't think so. It was actually David's idea."

This was frustrating. Clara just couldn't think of another reason.

"Maybe you should let it be for a bit."

"Why? Has he said something to you?"

"No," Clara quickly answered. "We don't talk about that stuff. I just think that you need to let him go at his pace. Let him do this on his own, if you know what I mean. Pushing him into something he's maybe not quite ready for isn't necessarily fair to the woman you want to set him up with."

"I hadn't thought of that," Jenny said and Clara internally gave a sigh of relief at her quick thinking. "Maybe you're right."

"Older and wiser, remember."

"You're a year older and I did better than you in school," Jenny replied.

"You did not, Ms. Party Girl."

"Well maybe in some classes."

"One class."

The two girls laughed and started talking about nothing in particular until Jenny had to go. They said their goodbyes and Clara promised to not let it go too long before they talked again. When Clara got off the phone, she sighed, relieved that she didn't let anything slip, but feeling like she and John needed to tell Jenny soon about their relationship. She knew it was likely too early still to do that, but she really didn't like keeping things from her best friend. Not to mention how insistent Jenny was getting at setting John up on a date, which was the last thing Clara wanted. Clara's mobile rang again, but this time it was a video call and she knew exactly who it would be.

"Hey!" She said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Hey!" John replied with equal enthusiasm. "Boy I've missed that face."

"We just video chatted a couple of days ago. Surely, you haven't had enough time to miss it?"

"I miss it the moment I hang up."

"Charmer."

"Not charm, truth. So how's your Saturday been?

"Fine. Did some shopping and just got off a call with Jenny."

Clara could see that John was lounging on his couch and she wanted to get as equally comfortable, so she got up from her dining table and moved to her couch.

"And what's new with her? I haven't talked to her in about a week."

"She's good. She wants to set you up on a date?"

"What? Why?" John asked, surprised.

"Because she noticed your wedding ring is gone, so she thinks that's a sign you're ready to start dating."

"Well she's not wrong, but I clearly don't need to be fixed up."

"Clearly." Clara smiled at him. "But she doesn't know that, does she."

"No, but still I don't need my daughter finding me dates."

"Do you think we should tell her?" Clara asked.

"No. Not yet." John sat up on the couch and brought the phone a little closer to his face. "I'm not ready for her to know. We've only been dating for a few weeks and during that time we've mostly been apart."

"I know, but I'm worried about how she will be when we do tell her."

"When that time comes, Clara, I'm taking full responsibility. But I want to be able to tell her with confidence that what you and I have is something good, something lasting, and not just a fling."

"You don't feel that now?" Clara asked, worried that John may not be on the same page as her.

"I do feel that we are on that path, but there's still a lot that we need to discover about each other and things that we need to work out. Can we at least get past Christmas, when we have a chance to physically see each other more, before I tell her?"

"Okay, you make very valid points."

"Thanks. Now on the topic of Christmas, would you like to go to a Christmas party with me?" John asked, wanting to change the topic of Jenny.

"I'd love to, but care to give me more details?"

"Cyber Canucks is having their holiday party the first weekend in December and Perry invited me to come."

"So you're coming here?" Clara questioned excitedly.

"I was hoping to. So you free?"

"For you, always. How long are you coming for?

"I was hoping to come at the beginning of the week. That way I won't be jet lagged for the party. If that's okay because I wasn't going to stay at the hotel."

"That's more than okay, but I'll have to work."

"No problem because I will too, but I can just work out of your place and maybe go into the Toronto office a couple of times."

"Oooh I can't wait! One whole week with you!" Clara exclaimed.

"Aye, hopefully you don't get sick of me." John winked at her.

"I don't think I ever could. Besides, it'll be very nice to wake up with you every morning and to come home to every night."

"That will be very very nice. Among other things as well." John wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, that too," she chuckled. "Which by the way I've made sure we're good to go next time the opportunity arises."

"That's good, because I'm sure it will ARISE."

Clara groaned at John's double entendre joke then smiled at how comfortable he had gotten with her over the past few weeks. She loved how they spoke almost every other day and always had something to talk about, even if it was nothing of importance. It was often in these less meaningful conversations that Clara found herself connecting with him in a way she never had with any man before. She was learning, not just about his likes and dislikes, but all his little idiosyncrasies as well, like how he would start running his hand through his hair when he was getting tired. She was also discovering he had a dry sense of humour, mixed with the occasional bad joke, like the one he had just made. It felt good to get to know him better and to know that they were both feeling more and more themselves with each other. They weren't so shy any more when it came to talking about intimacy and their flirting was moving to a whole new level.

"I can't wait to see you, John. I miss your kisses."

"Same, but I'm thankful for modern technology, and that I can at least see your beautiful face."

Clara smiled in the way that her eyes lit up and she wished she were with John right now. "Yes, it is nice to be able to see each other, but I do long for your touch."

"Two weeks, that's it, until we can pick up and finish what we started last time."

Both got a distant look on their faces, thinking about their night in Niagara-on-the-Lake and their little snogging session. Clara felt herself flush and knew she needed to change the subject because the last thing she needed was to start feeling all hot and bothered while an ocean separated the two of them.

"Okay, my mind is wandering now and I don't want it to go down that path until you're here."

"Ms. Oswald, are you getting some racy thoughts?" John teased her.

"I always have racy thoughts with you."

"Care to share?"

"You really want to know while you're a seven hour plane ride away from me?"

"True, save them until I'm there."

Clara laughed and the couple changed the direction of their call by talking about Clara's guitar lesson that they had both been putting off. They decided now was as good a time as any, so they got off their phones and set up for a lesson over their computers. They went through the song John had chosen, another Blue Rodeo tune called Hasn't Hit Me Yet, which was faster and a little more complicated for Clara to play. They practiced for almost an hour, when Clara realized it was almost dinner, which meant it was getting late for John.

"Thanks," Clara said as she put her guitar down.

"You're welcome. I can tell you're practicing because you weren't rusty at all. Keep it up and you'll be teaching me new things in no time," John replied.

"Well if YOU keep it up, I'm sure I can teach you some new things." She winked at him, not missing the opportunity to zing him with her own double entendre joke.

John shook his head and laughed. "Good one, and I will hold you to that promise, my dear."

"This is going to be the longest two weeks," Clara stated.

"It is, but just stay focused on the reward, one week of unlimited kisses, hugs and well…" John trailed off, knowing he didn't need to say what else they planned on doing.

"Yes, lots of that too, I hope," she smiled and John returned the gesture.

The couple said their good nights and Clara went into her kitchen to start dinner and to circle the date John would be arriving on her calendar. It was nice to have something to look forward to, and the thought of him staying with her for a week was even nicer. This relationship was definitely moving in the right direction, but she couldn't help the tiny voice at the back of her mind telling her that the longer they waited to talk to Jenny, the worse it was going to be for everyone.