Peachy Keen

Chapter 20

Before Tony and Jayden reached the house Holly and Harley were already standing on the porch
looking at them curiously. Tony opened his mouth to introduce Jayden, but he had to stop and think.
He'd seen Jayden's last name when he contacted him for the share a ride, hadn't he? Or had he?

Jayden took the awkwardness out of the situation. "Good evening, Mrs. Keener. My name is Jayden
Washington. I don't know if Tony asked if you mind me dropping in like this. I hope you don't mind.
I brought pizza!" He held out the S.I. hot box.

Harley peered around the corner. "New York pizza? Is that better than Big Daddy's?"

"Wash your mouth out," Tony said, "This is RAY'S."

Holly took off her apron. "Good looking young men who bring dinner are always welcome. I was
just going to make burgers, they'll keep."

Harley went to bring Charley down from her room while Holly put the burger patties back in the
freezer and set out a tablecloth on the large table in the dining room. Tony had almost forgot that
room existed, since they hadn't used it since he arrived. They always ate at the small table in the
kitchen. He had a feeling that was because the dining room was for guests, and they'd never treated
him like a guest. He hadn't thought about it, not really. He'd been tired of analyzing motives and was
just glad to accept a chance to rest. He was quiet, absorbing that revelation, but again Jayden took up
the burden of conversation.

"Ray's pizza is the best, don't you let anyone tell you any different." Jayden glanced around as if
someone might be listening. "My grandma can make any other kind of pie you want, but her pizza...
no, man, it's not pizza."

"I think you need a special oven," Harley said. He got out a stack of paper plates and lots of napkins.
They both had logos from the diner.

"Very hot," Charley said as she entered the room. She was looking halfway between Jayden and the
pizza box, so Tony had no idea what she meant. Jayden was hot. So was the pizza. So were pizza
ovens. For that matter so was the S.I. hot box.

"That's right," Holly said. "It's hot. Be careful! Does anyone want a salad? I could throw together a
green salad."

"No, thank you, ma'am," Jayden replied. "I promised grandma I'd be there as soon as I could." He
grinned. "She's baking apple turnovers. That kind of pie she does real well."

"Take the hot box with you," Tony said. He hadn't thought about it, but that made sense. Not only
was it better for Jayden to stop over and get a night's rest before returning to New York, this way the
journey could be easily covered by the visit to his grandmother even if someone was suspicious of
S.I.'s new hire. "Give it to grandma with my compliments." The S.I. hot box was due for consumer
testing anyway. "Maybe next time she'll send us some pie."

"It's a deal." They shook hands and then consumed pizza. Tripod wandered in, and then wandered
out again. He didn't like pizza.

After they ate and Jayden made his farewells, Tony gave him the box with Rhodey's bio-enhanced
leg braces. It wasn't secret technology or a weapon, and didn't have the S.I. logo on it anywhere, so
even if by some fluke it went astray it wouldn't be a disaster, just inconvenient.

Tony watched the Hyundai's taillights out of sight and thought of Rhodey. Rhodey was strong. He'd
be all right. But wow, Tony missed him. Pepper was right, he couldn't stay in Rose Hill forever, no
matter how comfortable he was here.

He wasn't ready to go back and face the bright lights again. Not yet. But eventually he would have
to.