Page 46 of In Sheets of Rain

16

We’ll Take A Break Then

He was down by the international foodstuffs, eyeing up a can of Mexican beans. He wore his suit and this time a blue tie. It matched his eyes. I think.

I wheeled my trolley around and walked in the other direction. I didn’t see him again until the liquor aisle. He surprised me by reaching out and picking up a South African red and offering it to me.

“Try this one,” he said, taking the Aussie shiraz I was holding out of my hand. “Much nicer.”

“And if I don’t like merlot?” I asked.

He sighed. It was exaggerated. “Then we can’t possibly be friends.”

“Says the man who likes Mexican jumping beans.”

He grinned. I tried not to notice how good he looked.

“Combine entertainment with nutrition, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.” He winked. “I’m merely rising to the challenge.”

“I tend to stick to Netflix and lasagne myself.”

“Maybe there’s hope for our friendship yet.”

He smiled, reached out and took another South African merlot off the shelf and sauntered off towards the checkouts.

I stared at the merlot and then reluctantly replaced it with the shiraz.

* * *

It wasn’t until I was halfway through my meal at dinnertime that I thought about him again.

Tomorrow, I promised myself; I’d try the South African red.

Sean scraped his knife across his plate just then, setting my teeth on edge. I picked up the shiraz and gulped it.

Some people simply weren’t made for South African reds.

* * *

“You’re not doing it right,” Sean said, taking the spatula out of my hands and flipping the pancake over.

“I’ve been making pancakes since I was ten,” I pointed out.

“There’s not enough grease in the pan. They’re catching. See?”

“I’ll add more.”

“No. It’s no use. I’ll do it. You’ve ruined everything.”

I stepped back from the stove and wrapped my arms around my body. It was several seconds later before Sean noticed I was still standing there.

“Go sit down, hon. I’ll bring these to the table.” He glanced over his shoulder and scowled. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m not crying.”

“You look like you’re going to.”

“I’m fine.”

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