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Dinner was enjoyable. Clark ordered shrimp. I hope he didn’t see me shudder. I’m not a seafood person. Deep fried cod that tastes good, but doesn’t smell like fish is as close to fish as I want to get. Okay, I will eat white albacore tuna, but that’s it.
“You love chicken,” Clark said when I ordered the Chicken Parmesan.
“Yes, I do and pasta. You can’t go wrong with either.” I picked up a piece of the warm bread from the basket the waitress set on the table. I slathered it with soft butter and took a bite.
Clark grinned at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, I just enjoy watching you. Do you have a secret to eating butter and umm staying healthy?” His face turned a bit red.
Good save, Clark. Were you going to mention my weight? Saying thin instead of healthy. He’s squirming a bit; this is cute.
“Walking,” I said when I took another bite of my buttered bread. “When the weather is nice, I like to walk to and from the store. It’s an easy twelve to fifteen minute stroll. I like to make it in seven or eight. I also love to swim at the high school pool. It’ll be back open after repairs. I’m hoping soon. I like to go three nights a week. For cold weather, I have a treadmill in the guest room.”
“It’s working,” Clark said. “You look very healthy.”
We both laughed and then I felt the laughter leave me when I remembered Detective Berg looking in my store windows.
Clark reached over and took my hand. “No sad or worrisome thoughts. Remember. Only two of us are on this date. Berg and Claudine are somewhere in nasty land.”
I giggled, “Nasty land. Is that a real place?”
“If it were, I would buy them both a ticket,” Clark said as our meals arrived.
I agreed and did my best to enjoy the meal. A few times my mind wandered, and I think it showed on my face. Each time Clark would say something funny to pull me out of my momentary glum mood.
#######
Grocery shopping was an eye opening experience. It is amazing what you can learn about a person when you shop together.
Clark frowned at me when I put several red delicious apples in a bag as he was filling one with Granny Smith. We repeated the process while I looked over the bananas, and he put several plums in a bag. I like extra chunky peanut butter and Clark prefers creamy. I grabbed a jar of strawberry preserves, and he picked up one of apple jelly.
I looked into the cart and then at Clark. “Well, so far I’m surprised we can eat the same meal ever. Also, do you intend to eat all your meals at my house?”
He laughed. “I already eat dinner and breakfast. I might as well take a lunch along from your house. My tiny apartment above the hardware store only has a mini-fridge.”
An elderly lady shopping next to us stared, shook her head, turned her cart, and headed in the opposite direction.
“Gee, Clark. You scared off a customer.” I frowned at him.
He laughed so hard he had to hang onto the grocery cart to keep from falling over.
I whispered, “I don’t think I can take you anywhere.”
He laughed harder, and I tried to stifle a laugh, but it didn’t work. There we were laughing like two kids in the peanut butter section.
Finally under control, we were able to continue shopping. We were doing fine until we saw the little lady again in the frozen foods aisle, and she glared at us. Clark broke out laughing again. It took us over an hour to shop, but I can’t remember ever having this much fun in a grocery store.
As we waited for our turn at check-out with an overflowing basket, I looked at Clark and shook my head. “Look at all this food, I never buy this much.”
“That’s because it’s for both of us. I’ll pay for half since I’m there to eat all the time.” He countered.
We heard a quiet “tsk” coming from behind us. It was the little lady with only a few items in her cart.
Clark smiled his most endearing smile at her and asked, “Would you like to go ahead of us? You don’t have much.”
She glared daggers at him and moved to another check-out lane.
He shrugged, and I held my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing again.
Clark loaded our grocery haul into the back of his SUV, and we began our trek home. We saw a gas station/convenience store offering homemade ice cream.
“Would you like a cone?” Clark asked.
“Yes.”
He pulled in and we entered looking for ice cream. A cute teenager asked what flavor we would like. I chose chocolate and vanilla and Clark chose strawberry.
Once in the car I asked him. “You don’t like strawberry preserves, but you like strawberry ice cream. You confuse me.”
He replied, “I don’t see you eating strawberry ice cream, and you love the preserves.”
“I don’t like strawberry ice cream,” I answered.
“There you have it,” Clark said. “The reason we get along so well. We’re both odd.”
We laughed and talked the rest of the way to my house. I was in a wonderful mood until we pulled onto my street, and I saw a police car in front of my house.
“They’re going to arrest me this time,” I stammered trying not to cry.
Chapter Fourteen
Clark pulled into my drive, and I looked over my shoulder to see Officer Bill Todorov leave his vehicle and walk over to my side of the vehicle.
“I’m glad you’re home,” Bill said as he handed me some papers. “This is a search warrant for your house, the bookstore, and the Explorer. Detective Berg and another officer will search your store and vehicle since it is parked behind the store. Chief Elroy is on his way over to search the house with me. I’m sorry, Annie.”
Clark unloaded the groceries by the time I spoke with Bill. “Annie, you need
