Chapt. 4

CLAIRE

Before she shut down her computer for the night, Claire sent a message to Caranno. "If you could please get me the working and interview files for Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (respectfully Colby Lopez and Jonathon Good). Thank you very much." She hit send and closed the computer and rose to pack up her bag. Before she left her office she sent Nic a text message.

NIC

He felt his phone vibrate and pulled it from his back pocket. He smiled seeing it was Claire. "Where are you? I'm all done for the night."

He was right outside of her office, so instead of a text reply he eased open the door and walked in. "Finally! I'm starving to death! Come on woman!"

Claire laughed softly and flipped the lights off as she followed him into the hallway. "I'm pretty sure you're a long way from death."

"Oh but I am not!" He lifted the hem of his shirt to expose his sculpted abs and tanned body. "See! Look, skin and bones! I'm wasting away here!"

She threw her head back and laughed straight from her gut. He caught himself watching her, as though seeing her for the first time, hearing her laughter for the first time. She was beautiful, he thought. She was so innocent and wholesome, she was just plain good. He resisted the urge to brush his thumb over her cheek and instead smiled. He loved how her nose would wrinkle up when she laughed this way, how her eyes squinted shut with it.

He shook his head to clear it and wondered where those thoughts had come from. Claire was his best friend, so why was it he wanted to know how her lips would feel pressed against his, why did he long to discover the flavor of the chap stick she wore. He liked her, not just as his best friend, but as a woman who needed to be treated with love and compassion. That thought somehow took root in his mind and he knew that with no doubt it was there to stay.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at the scuffed toes of his old Converse. Lightly rocking back and forth he said, "So are you done? I'm getting all sorts of emaciated over here."

She only laughed harder and louder, but the sound was so beautiful, and he was so glad that it was he who had brought it from her. Maybe the laughter could help her to set aside the heartache she was feeling, if only for the moment.

"Fine, fine," she said through her gasps for air, in her small attempt to contain her giggling laughter. "Let's go eat. I want a big old fat, juicy, ten pounds on my waistline, cheeseburger. OH! And bacon. I want bacon on it."

It was his turn to laugh then. "I think I can manage to find you a place that can serve that up for you." He took his hands out of his pockets and let one fall to the small of her back as he led her out of the arena to the rental car.

Two hours later they were leaving Applebee's, both of them full and tired. "So, did that burger meet your requirements kiddo?"

She groaned aloud. "Why are we talking about food? I am never eating again! I'm going to explode Nic. Prepare yourself."

He laughed and opened her car door for her. Closing it he walked slowly around to the driver side and climbed in. It was only a matter of minutes before she was singing along with the radio, and only a few more minutes until she fell into the silence of sleep.

At the hotel he didn't want to wake her so he carefully unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her from the car. Closing it with his foot he carried her into the hotel and into the elevator. When they reached their floor he got his key, somehow, from his back pocket and opened up his door. He eased in and laid her down on his bed, gently removing her shoes and socks, covering her body with a sheet. He stood there staring down at her for a minute before he turned and walked over to the sofa and sitting down to take his shoes off. He slipped out of his shirt and managed to find a comfortable position and closed his eyes for the night.