We needed the most items for the kitchen. We got dishes for four settings—the cheap ones that come in one box for about thirty dollars. We also bought silverware, mixing bowls, cookie sheets, a casserole dish, mixing spoons, an electric can opener, measuring cups and spoons, and an off-brand toaster.
I looked in the shopping cart and knew we were spending a lot of money. Wesley didn’t seem to mind, though. He teased me about being so excited to go shopping. But I couldn’t help myself; this was my first apartment with Wesley, and we started out with next to nothing.
“Oh, we should get another set of sheets too,” Wesley said, steering the cart toward the bedding department. “Or maybe two, so we don’t have to wash them every day.”
I slapped his hand playfully but agreed. I walked up and down the aisle, trying to decide on a color and pattern. There were a lot more choices than I expected, and I asked Wesley for his opinion, but he would just nod and say “sure.” I finally decided on a solid navy set and a white set. It was funny; I never had white sheets, but I always wanted some.
“Well, let’s get going before we spend any more money,” I said, leading the cart down the aisle. “Oh shoot! We forgot to get washcloths.” We had the bath and hand towels, but I completely forgot the washcloths. “I’ll run and get them and you can head up front.”
Of course, the towels were in the back of the store. On the opposite side of the same aisle were shower curtains and I paused after grabbing four washcloths. There was one curtain that I really liked. It was a dark royal blue with a square pattern woven into the fabric. I hemmed and hawed for a moment, then grabbed the curtain and shower hooks and ran to the front of the store.
Wesley had most of the stuff out of the basket and as I got closer, I recognized the cashier. My stomach tightened; I didn’t know Jen worked here. I slowed my pace as I neared the register and Wesley noticed me with a peculiar smile.
“Oh. Hi, Toren,” Jen said coldly, glancing back at Wesley.
I set the washcloths down on the counter and then the shower curtain and hooks.
“You went back for washcloths and came back with a shower curtain? I thought we—nevermind.” Wesley gave in with an honest smile.
“All right. Four seventy-six sixty-three,” Jen announced, putting the last of the things in a bag.
Wesley took his credit card from his wallet, and I pulled out my debit card too. I wasn’t going to let Wesley pay for all of this.
“What are you doing? Put that away,” Wesley said predictably.
I shook my head. “At least let me pay for half.”
“No,” Wesley answered decidedly.
“Put three hundred dollars on mine and the rest on his,” I told Jen, handing her my card.
“Toren….”
“It’s okay. Go ahead,” I said to Jen and she swiped my card through, glancing at Wesley and me suspiciously.
“God, you’re stubborn,” Wesley said. I smiled and took it as a compliment.
Jen slid Wesley’s card through the reader while I signed a copy of the receipt. “So, are you… roommates or something?” she asked.
I figured that she and Wesley had chatted while I was getting the washcloths. He must have told her about the apartment but didn’t mention me. Wesley hesitated with the question, but I didn’t.
“Oh no, we’re more than that. He’s my boyfriend,” I said with a satisfied grin.
Jen’s eyes widened and she stared at Wesley, but Wesley looked at me with a slow grin taking over his face. He put the bags in the cart and took my hand. I blushed and bit my lip. Jen stared at us with a disconcerted look.
“See you around,” Wesley said without looking back. I had to, though; the look on her face was priceless.
We filled the trunk of Wesley’s car with bags. I couldn’t lose the small smile I had on my lips. Wesley closed the trunk and looked at me.
“That was so cool,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t say anything ’cause I wasn’t sure if you wanted her to know, but… that was great.”
The last stop was the grocery store. We already spent a lot of money and I knew this was going to be at least another hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars. The only thing we had was coffee, so we really needed everything. We shopped according to my list, buying the basics like bread, milk, eggs, cereal, as well as toothpaste, dish soap, and laundry soap, and also what I would need to make dinner and lunch for the next few days. In the end, we spent a hundred and fifty on groceries.
We got home a little after six and we were pretty tired carrying all the bags up the stairs, but mostly because we hadn’t actually fallen asleep until five that morning. I let Wesley rest while I put the groceries away and I decided I’d put away all the other stuff tomorrow. I put in a kung fu movie, and Wesley lay on the sofa with his head in my lap. I never thought I could be this happy, but there was one tiny, nagging thought in the back of my mind.
Wesley fell asleep during the movie and I watched him more than the TV. He looked so sweet and innocent when he was asleep. As I watched him, the little thought in my head kept growing bigger and bigger. He woke up after the movie was over and smiled at me. My mind whirled and my heart thumped; that little thought was all I could think about.
“Wesley?”
“Hmn?”
“Um, the girl you slept with—” I said hesitantly, taking a deep breath.
“Hunh?” Wesley looked up
