“Supermarket wine, yum.”
“Don’t knock it.” She dropped her bounty in the cart and grabbed a few more things.
“Good thing I have a big pantry.”
“A very good thing.” She patted my chest and ran down the aisle toward the refrigerated foods.
I just shook my head and chased after her with my cart with a squeaky wheel. I found her in the dairy aisle where she was trying to decide on two different kinds of cage-free eggs.
She’d found what she wanted for her original idea for ramen and about two hundred dollars in bonus groceries.
Good thing we had similar taste. She saved me from doing a run myself. I added a few more of my own staples on our way to the registers. We used the self-checkout and laughed our way through bagging groceries until the cart was overflowing with our purchases.
We loaded up the truck and headed back to the farm.
“How did you get away today, anyway?” She asked when we were a few miles from our respective houses.
“Once the foundations were poured there wasn’t much more we could do until they’re cured. Since it’s already so damn cold, it’s going to take a few extra days. My guys have been working their asses off, so I gave them a few days off.”
“Generous boss.”
“I try.”
“You are the nicest millionaire I know.” Her eyes gleamed in the dark. “I know a few.”
“I bet you do.” I pulled into my drive, the gate opening when my truck approached. “Do you need to check in with your folks?”
“No, I texted my mom to let her know I was out with a friend.”
“Is that right? Is that what we are?”
“For now.”
I pulled up close to the front door and turned off the truck. “Good to know.”
We both strong-armed our bags to do one trip and tumbled inside when I got the door unlocked. I hit the lights with my elbow and managed to get to the kitchen with only a little loss of circulation in my fingers and wrists.
I lifted my bags onto the kitchen island, and she set hers on the floor.
She jumped as Velma wound around her ankles. She crouched down and let the cat sniff her hand. Less than a minute later the cat was already headbutting her. “Well, hello there. Who are you?”
“Amber, meet Velma.”
She laughed and looked up at me. “No, she’s not.”
“I told you it was my favorite character. She has so many orange markings, I couldn’t resist the name.”
“You’re beautiful.” She stroked a hand down her back. “You know you’re beautiful too.”
Velma chirped her happiness and meowed then started circling between my legs.
“Sorry, I’m late.” I grabbed one of her cans and pushed the bags back so I could make room for her spot.
At the snick of the can opening she deserted Amber and leaped on the table.
“I see where I rate.”
“Where everyone rates,” I said with a laugh.
