I followed Olivia up the stairs and into the living room. She released my hand and ventured into the kitchen to help my mom.
I walked into the living room to find Thomas and my dad both frowning over the chess game. Neither one was moving.
“Isaac, son.” My dad said. “Young Thomas here is one hell of a chess player! He’s already beat me three games out of three.”
“I know.” I answered. “That’s why I won’t play with him. I know better.” I replied, plopping down on the sofa.
Dad chuckled delightedly. He was content to have a worthy opponent to play chess with.
Thomas moved one of his pieces. “Check-mate in six.” He announced proudly.
Dad’s smile faded into a deep frown.
I smirked. “Good job. Thomas, want a coke or anything, man?”
“No thanks.” He replied distractedly.
I glanced toward Taylor who was distractedly munching on cheesies from a bowl. He was watching a lame movie. He had a sinister smirk on his face.
I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking into the kitchen. I found Olivia leaning against the kitchen island with a cookbook open in front of her. My mother was basting a turkey.
“Mom, a turkey? You know Olivia doesn’t eat meat…” I rolled my eyes.
Before my mom could argue, Olivia smiled up at me. “It’s okay.” She insisted. “I’m going to make a vegetarian alternative. You’ll try it, won’t you?”
I nodded. “Of course, Liv.” I smiled at her.
When my mom turned back to the turkey, Olivia stood on her toes and nestled a silent, private kiss against my cheek. I moved my arm around her and hugged her to my side for a brief moment before releasing her. “Do you want anything to drink, Olivia?” I asked.
“I think I’m okay. Your mother made tea.” She smiled.
“Cool.” I opened the fridge and removed a can of coke. I popped open the tab and plopped down at the kitchen table. My mother had placed out a tray of veggies and dip, and I chewed at a piece of celery.
I watched Olivia pick through her book of recipes, frowning.
“You could make your vegetarian lasagna. It’s delicious.” I suggested.
Olivia smiled up at me.
My mom laughed softly. “I find it hard to believe that you would eat anything vegetarian.” She turned to Olivia. “My boys would eat steak with cereal if I’d let them.”
Olivia laughed softly.
“Her lasagna is amazing. I can’t even tell I’m not eating meat.” I shrugged, reaching for a slice of green pepper.
“It doesn’t really go well with turkey, though… I could make a vegetarian chili, but that doesn’t really go well with turkey either…”
“Honey, you can make whatever you want to. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t go with the turkey or not.” My mom insisted. “Make whatever your heart desires.”
Olivia moistened her lips, and the urge to kiss her resurfaced.
“You could make a vegetarian pizza. That’s good too.” I suggested, trying to be helpful.
“We had that the other night, though.” Her perfect lips pushed out into a pout.
She turned the page in her cookbook. “Oh! I could make these. They’re stuffed peppers with chickpeas and feta cheese… do you have many green peppers?”
“Hmmm… I have a couple.” My mom mused. “But there’s a grocery store down the street, Isaac could go with you and direct you.”
Suddenly this seemed like the best idea on the planet. “Yeah, sounds great.” I stood up from the chair.
“Are you sure?” Olivia asked. “You don’t need any help with anything?”
“Oh, honey, it’s okay. I have everything under control.” My mom smiled.
“Can we bring you back anything?” Olivia asked.
“I don’t need anything, but thank you for offering… I’ll pay for whatever you need at the store, let me get my purse.”
“Oh, no. It’s okay, Diana.” Olivia smiled sweetly. “It’ll be my contribution to dinner.”
Her smile was so sweet and unwavering, my mother was convinced, and didn’t argue.
I took Olivia’s hand and led her out of the kitchen. I helped her with her coat and yanked on my shoes and jacket.
I stopped her on the porch. “Wait, Liv. Just one thing we have to do before we go.”
I cupped her face between my hands and kissed her.
She returned my kisses deeply. After several seconds, I broke the kiss slowly.
Olivia smiled. “So that’s why you were so eager to get out of there.” She beamed at me.
“Uh-huh.” I grinned, bending and kissing her again.
Olivia laughed. “Okay, let’s go to the store and get back before Thomas notices that we left him. And before any of your family come out and catch us.” She smiled sweetly and pushed past me.
I smirked, following her out to her father’s car.
She unlocked the doors and I climbed into the passenger’s seat. Olivia climbed into the driver’s side, and started the car before fastening her seatbelt.
“How far is the grocery store from here?”
“Three blocks, I think?” I mused. “It’s not far.”
I squinted, and tried to remember the last time I drove to the grocery store. I was sure I’d driven this distance a million times, but everything was simply a blur.
Olivia backed from the driveway. “Left or right?”
“Left.” I replied, hoping I remembered correctly.
I did vividly remember driving to this particular grocery store at four in the morning after a bad trip and a severe case of the munchies.
“It should be just up here on the right.” I said after a couple of minutes.
Olivia pulled into the grocery store parking lot, finding a space near the door. The place looked relatively deserted.
I followed her into the store, watching as she immediately went to the produce section and reached for a plastic bag.
“Any color of peppers or just the green ones?” I asked.
“Any color.” She smiled up at me. “I also need brown rice, and feta cheese… zucchini, garlic—fresh not the packaged one.” She ticked off the items on her fingers from memory. “I need a couple of tomatoes, and… oh, two cans of chick peas.”
I frowned. “Okay, to be honest I only know what about half of those things are…” I began.
Olivia laughed softly. “Okay, how about you get the tomatoes, green peppers, and garlic. I’ll go and get everything else, okay? She said with a laugh.
“Sounds good. That I can do.” I mused. “How many green peppers?”
“Umm… ten.” She decided.
“And how many tomatoes?”
“Four.” She smiled.
“And garlic?”
“One.” She laughed. “Just make an executive decision, okay?” She stood on her toes and lightly kissed my cheek. “We’ll meet at the check outs in five minutes?”
“Deal.” I smirked.
Leave a Reply