Chapt. 5

Claire's toes curled as she stretched out her body the next morning. She gave a groan, not wanting to give in to waking up even a wee bit, yet her body and the annoying blare of the alarm seemed to have other plans. Finally, after stretching her whole body, one muscle at a time, she gave in and began to crack her eyes slowly open. The sun was pouring in through the cracks of the hotel room blinds, and she could hear birds singing in the distance. She reached to slap the alarm into silence but even after her hand connected with it the blaring noise continued. What in the world, she thought. Then it hit her. She wasn't hearing an alarm. No, it was snoring.

She bolt upright in the bed, pulling the plush comforter up around her chin and leaned forward just a little. She could see the door, locked securely, but that gave her no comfort. Someone was still in her room! Leaning forward a bit more she could see the form of a man sleeping on her sofa. Her eyes widened and she wondered could she get out before he noticed she was there and awake. Just then the form shifted and she caught sight of a blond curl. Nic! That shit. He had scared ten years off of her life. She leaned back against the headboard and let out a huge sigh, choking back a laugh.

Flinging the covers off of her she silently lowered her feet to the plush, carpeted floor and took a fat, soft pillow into her hands. She eased off the bed and tip-toed over to where her friend lay sleeping. She raised the pillow above her head and like a small kid would do she silently counted in her head. One, two, three! On three she swung downward with the pillow, connecting with his head. He tried to sit up and his arms and legs flailed about with no direction as he sputtered and attempted to speak. Claire stopped that noise with another well placed hit of the pillow.

"Claire! My God woman what in the blue damn hell are you doing!" Her only response was laughter, a rich bubbling laughter that sounded out of place in the relative morning quietness.

"Choose your weapon sir, you have three seconds. One… two…"

Before she could say three he had pillow in hand and was swinging. His laughs melted into hers and they were both slinging pillows. It was a few short minutes before one of the pillows, she wasn't sure if it was hers or his, exploded in a cloud of down feathers. That made them only laugh harder and she collapsed on the sofa beside him.

"You are so paying for that pillow," she said.

"ME! Oh no, YOU started it. I was trying to sleep and BAM! This is on your bill," he laughed.

"Well in my defense you scared the living hell out of me. I wake up and hear this awful sound and thought someone had broken in with a pack of wild dogs they were about to release to attack."

That sent his laughter spiraling out of control. "Oh, oh," he said between gasps to control the laughs. "That has to be the best thing I've ever in my life heard!" He clenched his stomach as he rolled with his laughter, tears wetting his smiling face.

"Laugh it up jack ass," Claire giggled. "Just be glad I grabbed a pillow and not a knife." She laughed as she stood and walked back to the bed. Glancing at the clock she gasped. "We slept way late. It's already after noon." She sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her cell phone.

"Damn, I have to shower and get to the arena. One more reason to hold me back for those guys I guess. I can't believe I slept through the alarm."

Claire looked up as he headed toward her shower. "Wait, you're using mine?"

He turned with his natural smirk. "Well, yeah. Try to not think of all this hotness in there all wet and stuff, k?" He winked and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Claire burst out laughing and went back to her text messages. Matt had text earlier that morning. "I haven't heard from you much kinda worried I think. I figure it to mean things are really well or you've landed your ass in jail for killing him. Get in touch scraps."

Instead of texting him she leaned back against the pillows on her bed and called him. He answered on the second ring. "Well, at least it wasn't collect from jail," he laughed. "You okay Claire?"

"I'm wonderful. Nic has been wonderful and funny company so I've not had time to think on too much I guess. On top of that Caranno has had me loaded up with videos and such working up a new gimmick for this guy coming up soon. My mind is well distracted."

"That's good then. Have you seen him at all?"

"Eh," she said with a shrug, as though he could see it. "Only in passing. He didn't even notice me I don't think. But ya know, it's okay. Really. I've dealt with worse in this life."

"I know, it isn't something I like to think on though."

"That makes two of us. So, anyway. I miss you! How's Florida?"

"It's Florida, haha. Hot and humid and rainy. Typical shit ya know. Found out today they won't be renewing my lease when it's up in a few weeks. Got to start apartment hunting."

"Or just move your things into my place," Claire said with no hesitation. "I mean I have room, and I love your company. You can start moving now…"

There was a pause on the other end and he finally spoke. "Are you positive Claire?"

"Mhmm."

"Well, okay then. I do like how it sounds."

They chatted a few more minutes until Nic exited the shower and she had to go take her turn at it. She was actually singing in the shower and could feel her world lightening up. Her relationship had ended. Her life hadn't and she had to accept that. She had to pick herself up and make the decision to move on and make it count. She wasn't getting any younger and stressing over this whole situation wasn't going to add years on. She knew that Shea loved her, she believed it to the bone, but she also knew that maybe they were meant to be something, but that something wasn't a couple. In time she'd have a friend who would never leave her side, and until then she'd smile and be thankful that he had taught her to love again, to know that all men aren't out to inflict pain. For that lesson in her life she would always be thankful, and maybe that was the reason he had crossed her path after all. To teach her that love was there for her, and it wouldn't hurt.