Pizza Delivery

Karen lit the last candle and surveyed the room. A soft glow illuminated colorful shawls and throws covering the rescued furniture. She checked the clock, Steve would arrive at any time.

Every Saturday night he made his regular pizza delivery and took time to talk to her. He asked her how her week went and shared funny stories about some of his deliveries. He delivered pizza for DelRay’s at night and delivered mail by day. His stories made her laugh. She'd wait for the doorbell to ring and pretend he brought her a surprise. He left with a generous tip and gave her a smile showing his white teeth with a hint of a dimple in his cheek.

She teased him they'd been having this date for two years. If the night was busy, he'd apologize, give her a quick kiss on the cheek and wave as he leaped down the steps of her brownstone townhouse to his car.

Last Saturday night he'd arrived in a hurry. “Karen, I can’t stop to talk, this is a very special night.” His eyes were shining with excitement. “I'll stop by later, I have something special to ask you.” He'd kissed her cheek and she watched him get into his car and burn rubber away from the curb.

She smiled and shut the door. Taking her pizza to her little kitchen table, opened the lid. There was a pizza but it was what was perched in the center that made her gasp.

It was a small jeweler’s box wrapped in colored cellophane. There was a note taped to the lid. The words were encircled with a heart.

“You have made my day's a joy to look forward to. I love you and want you to spend the rest of your life with me.”

Shock made her grasp her chest. Her heart beat faster. Steve had proposed in the most wonderful manner. So romantic! She hurried to the door to see if he had come back a was waiting there for her answer, but the porch was empty.

She lusted over Steve’s perfect body. One Saturday night when there was a blizzard she'd made him hot chocolate,. He hugged her and told her she was his best woman. Maybe it wasn’t all one sided. She ate her pizza and hugged herself. Then remembered he said he would come by later. She'd hurried to her bedroom. Throwing off the sweats, she put on a long flowing skirt and one of her favorite tie-died smocks.

Glad she'd washed her hair that morning, she braided it, and let it hang down her back. She liked the braid; it hid most of the grey changing its color over the recent years.

She rutted through her closet until she found red shoes with the little bows on the top. She stared at her reflection, then at the picture next to it. It was a picture of her and her best friend. They wore flowers in their hair and peace signs on their blouses. It was the end of an era, and she moved to Oregon to be with people who didn’t want to leave that life behind. She looked a little different than the girl in the picture. She remained thin, and had the same length of hair, and the style of clothes she wore was similar. She grinned at her reflection. She was a rebel at heart, ready to take on a cause if need be.

She was a cougar, over twice Steve's age, but he was mature and appreciated an older woman.

Three hours passed as she sat in the chair where she could see from the bay window, anyone who came to her door. Two figures climbed the steps to her porch.

She recognized Steve but not the woman beside him. She frowned, why would he be bringing another woman to this engagement party?

The doorbell rang and she moved slowly and deliberately to her foyer. She twisted the lock and opened the door. Steve stood there alone. She looked for the woman she has seen.

“Karen.” Steve began and stopped then continued, “I am glad you're still up. I delivered your pizza to you tonight.”

“Yes.”

“AH-um-“ cough, “was there something in your pizza that you didn’t order?” He was trying to smile.

“What would be in my pizza I wouldn’t want?” Her body slowly turned cold. She saw a movement behind Steve and a girl stepped beside him. A cute little thing with short brown hair sticking out all over her head.

“Can we come in?” She opened the door wider and let them pass her into the foyer. Reality slammed into her mind and she knew the ring in the box was not for her.

She didn’t remember everything Steve and his little friend said, but she must have responded positively. She brought him the box she'd taken from the middle of the pizza. Steve proposed right there on one knee and the girl cried and kissed him. He told Karen his mother had passed a few years ago and would she honor him by standing in for her? Somehow she had answered him and they both hugged her and left.

Tonight she had a surprise for Steve. She had not been raised in the late ‘60’s for nothing. He would stop for a soda and conversation while she ate her pizza. He'd never make it home. No one makes a fool of Karen.