Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

15. Pizzaria

CHAPTER 15
Pizzeria

5 May 2010

"I've really missed your pizza," Cassia commented, leaning over the counter top as she watched her boyfriend and sister work in the kitchen.

"Well, if there was one class I enjoyed in high school... home economics, yay," she faked cheered, rubbing the flour along the rolling pin to stretch the dough out.

"It's your best skill set," Cassia commented with a shrug, leaning forward on her bar stool to slip some grated cheese to snack on.

Claire froze, slowly looking up to stare at her sister in disbelief. After all, between the two of them there was only one PhD.

"Let's speed it up!" another voice joined the conversation, a greying woman shouting from her couch, a wine glass in her delicate hands as she watched the TV with disinterest. "Why are we watching the Grand Prix again?"

"Tony told me I had to watch it," Claire replied, pulling the bowl of cheese across the table and out of reach of Cassia's sticky fingers, before continuing with her rolling.

"Just because he's watching?" The mom questioned.

"Something about him having a chance to be featured on TV," Cassia replied, swivelling around in her chair after sending her boyfriend a firm wink. Her hardworking elbows rested on the counter top, leaned back, relaxed and happy to have her family together again.

"Isn't he always on TV?" James, Cassia's boyfriend, asked the women around him.

"Yes," Claire replied, not affected by that piece of information. Any time Tony was on TV, it was Tony time, and Claire was forced to watch him. She should be flattered, really, to know him in person.

"Why is this any different?" Cassia asked, a little squeak in her voice so she cleared her throat, eyes glancing up to her boyfriend as her delicate fingers stretched out in front of Claire to teasingly grab more cheese.

Claire flicked her sister away, ignoring the hard metal that brought pain on her finger, and continuing on with her tomato paste, mumbling about how unappreciated she was in this family.

"That him?" James asked, raising his glass to point to the television.

The tube of tomato paste squeezed out onto the dough, Claire's jaw dropping at what she saw on the TV screen. Happy, climbing out of the slick black car with the Iron Man briefcase, Tony helping Pepper out and smiling to the cameras as he fixed his suit buttons on the way to the door.

A Red-Headed, unapproved secretary, standing there, greeting them as they entered the building, as she wore a gorgeous, smart-casual orange dress.

"You know her?" Colleen O'Connor, the mother of the lunatics, asked her upon noticing the shocked reaction.