I surveyed the pile of food in a daze.
"I always wanted a huge family," she said as she directed me to put a giant can of nacho cheese and a big bag of chips in the cart. "With like a hundred kids. The best thing about it would be that you could buy these giant containers of food! My great-aunt would never let me do that."
"But it's all processed junk food," I protested.
"Everything in moderation. Besides, with the food co-op we belong to, there will be a ton of fresh veggies. I'm making ratatouille soon. Ernest says he's going to have eggplants here in another month."
"What food co-op?"
"Oh," she said, grinning. "One of Ida's friends runs it. I put the Svensson family down as members. I figured it would be a nice goodwill gesture with the community."
I looked at her in confusion.
"Because of your land deal," she prompted.
"I told you not to worry about that," I said, taking her in my arms.
"You've rubbed off on me. I'm worrying," she said.
"Just buy all of it," I said when we stood in front of the candy aisle along with a second cart that was quickly filling up.
"There are so many options!" Josie said. "I want them all."
I looked up at the shelves of candy. "Then you're going to be stuck in your tiny house with nothing but candy," I told her.
"I would be okay with that," she said after thinking a second.
"What if you put your factory somewhere else?" she asked as we pushed the carts to the front register. "Right now, you have to run a shuttle up to the research buildings."
"I can't move the factory anywhere else," I said.
"Why not? The train drives right through town. You could put the factory on one of those vacant lots," she suggested.
"We don't own a big enough lot in downtown. We have to have room to build a factory to produce medical devices along with lab space and data-processing buildings," I explained as I handed the clerk my credit card.
Josie winced at the total. "That's a lot of money."
"It's a lot of food."
"Maybe we should put some back," she said uncertainly.
"I refuse to go back in that store," I said, signing the receipt.
Josie argued with me about the factory location on the drive back to the estate house. I was tense and a little annoyed when we finally pulled up in front of the house. Josie looked at me guiltily.
"I didn't mean to make you aggravated," she said. "Actually, I was hoping you would loosen up or loosen me up, at least," she said, squeezing my bicep.
I rubbed my jaw.
"Not having second thoughts, are you?" She asked it flippantly, carefully.
"Never. Just, are you?" I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.
"Are you afraid of a sexual harassment lawsuit? I'm an adult professional," she said. "I don't let my feelings get in the way of my work. It's not like it's serious. We're not going to get married or anything. We can be adults, and you can stick your face in my candy jar, and I'll suck on your lollipop."
"I want more than to have you lick my lollipop," I said, staring at her hungrily. "I want to come in your candy jar."
39
