about it.
I went back downstairs and started digging through the kitchen.
Karen had every kitchen toy imaginable. And none of it looked like it got much use. The pantry barely held the basic staples such as flour and sugar. The refrigerator held evidence of leftover take out food and a few old bottles of condiments. In one cupboard I found an extensive collection of tea. There was a coffee maker but I didn't find any coffee in any of the cupboards, the refrigerator or the freezer.
I texted Karen again. "Goldie Fox slipped into the bear's home but all the cupboards were bare."
Her reply came. "LOL. Goldie Fox, hmm? Fill the cupboards, keep receipts." A second reply came. "Buy things you know how to cook. I don't."
I wrote back, "What was your old girlfriend's name?"
"Jessica. Difficult subject. Busy now."
I took the hint. I snooped through her office and found a pad of paper. I did an inventory of the cupboards and decided the only thing she didn't need was tea. It took me an hour to prepare a list. I used my computer to find the local grocery store.
By the time I was done at the grocery store, I was pulling two carts around with me. I basically bought everything, including fresh meat and produce for three nights' worth of meals. I accepted an offer to bring the groceries to my car. The total was a little over three hundred dollars.
I got home and organized the pantry and the refrigerator while putting everything away. It was four PM. Dinner at seven. That means the chicken in the oven at five-thirty. I did the rest of the planning, then prepped everything and put it in the fridge, ready to go.
Finally, I had a chance to sit.
Karen said she wanted a girlfriend without the sex and the complications. But she wanted her house to be warm and inviting. I decided fake girlfriend who had been running around all afternoon and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt wasn't quite what she had in mind. I took a shower and primped for a date. I put on a skirt, nylons, and blouse, then did my hair and very light make-up.
Promptly at five-thirty the chicken went in the oven. Everything else could wait until Karen got home. I set the dining room table for two, complete with candles and linens then curled up on the sofa in the great room, book in hand.
At seven, the timer went off for the chicken. Karen wasn't home. I lit the candles anyway.
At seven fifteen, I turned the chicken down to the lowest setting in the oven.
At seven forty-five, I turned the oven off entirely.
At eight fifteen, I took the now dried out chicken out of the oven, cut it up, retrieved the salad from the refrigerator, served myself a salad with chicken spread over it, then bagged up the rest of the chicken for the refrigerator and washed my dishes.
At nine-fifteen, I heard the garage door open.
I got up from the sofa, setting the book aside, and waited for her in the kitchen. She came in, shedding things in the foyer, and stepped into the kitchen. She looked terrible.
"I'm sorry," she said. "This is why I don't do well with most girlfriends."
I nodded. "Did you eat? Dinner isn't quite what it would have been two hours ago, but it's not ruined. I'll need to heat some of it up."
She looked at me. "You dressed for a date."
"Thank you for noticing." I looked at her. She really looked terrible. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. Legal emergency at work. I can't talk about it."
"Did you eat?"
"No. Anything you have would be fine. A sandwich?"
"I can do better than that." I walked over to her and took her purse away from her, setting it on the island, then took her hand and pulled her to the dinette table. I pulled a chair out and pushed her into it.
From the formal dining room I retrieved the candles, still burning, and set them on the dinette table. I set her place setting in front of her but kept her plate.
She stared at everything then looked at me.
"You prepared a romantic meal."
"You said you wanted a welcoming home. You said the holidays were a stressful time
I went back downstairs and started digging through the kitchen.
Karen had every kitchen toy imaginable. And none of it looked like it got much use. The pantry barely held the basic staples such as flour and sugar. The refrigerator held evidence of leftover take out food and a few old bottles of condiments. In one cupboard I found an extensive collection of tea. There was a coffee maker but I didn't find any coffee in any of the cupboards, the refrigerator or the freezer.
I texted Karen again. "Goldie Fox slipped into the bear's home but all the cupboards were bare."
Her reply came. "LOL. Goldie Fox, hmm? Fill the cupboards, keep receipts." A second reply came. "Buy things you know how to cook. I don't."
I wrote back, "What was your old girlfriend's name?"
"Jessica. Difficult subject. Busy now."
I took the hint. I snooped through her office and found a pad of paper. I did an inventory of the cupboards and decided the only thing she didn't need was tea. It took me an hour to prepare a list. I used my computer to find the local grocery store.
By the time I was done at the grocery store, I was pulling two carts around with me. I basically bought everything, including fresh meat and produce for three nights' worth of meals. I accepted an offer to bring the groceries to my car. The total was a little over three hundred dollars.
I got home and organized the pantry and the refrigerator while putting everything away. It was four PM. Dinner at seven. That means the chicken in the oven at five-thirty. I did the rest of the planning, then prepped everything and put it in the fridge, ready to go.
Finally, I had a chance to sit.
Karen said she wanted a girlfriend without the sex and the complications. But she wanted her house to be warm and inviting. I decided fake girlfriend who had been running around all afternoon and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt wasn't quite what she had in mind. I took a shower and primped for a date. I put on a skirt, nylons, and blouse, then did my hair and very light make-up.
Promptly at five-thirty the chicken went in the oven. Everything else could wait until Karen got home. I set the dining room table for two, complete with candles and linens then curled up on the sofa in the great room, book in hand.
At seven, the timer went off for the chicken. Karen wasn't home. I lit the candles anyway.
At seven fifteen, I turned the chicken down to the lowest setting in the oven.
At seven forty-five, I turned the oven off entirely.
At eight fifteen, I took the now dried out chicken out of the oven, cut it up, retrieved the salad from the refrigerator, served myself a salad with chicken spread over it, then bagged up the rest of the chicken for the refrigerator and washed my dishes.
At nine-fifteen, I heard the garage door open.
I got up from the sofa, setting the book aside, and waited for her in the kitchen. She came in, shedding things in the foyer, and stepped into the kitchen. She looked terrible.
"I'm sorry," she said. "This is why I don't do well with most girlfriends."
I nodded. "Did you eat? Dinner isn't quite what it would have been two hours ago, but it's not ruined. I'll need to heat some of it up."
She looked at me. "You dressed for a date."
"Thank you for noticing." I looked at her. She really looked terrible. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. Legal emergency at work. I can't talk about it."
"Did you eat?"
"No. Anything you have would be fine. A sandwich?"
"I can do better than that." I walked over to her and took her purse away from her, setting it on the island, then took her hand and pulled her to the dinette table. I pulled a chair out and pushed her into it.
From the formal dining room I retrieved the candles, still burning, and set them on the dinette table. I set her place setting in front of her but kept her plate.
She stared at everything then looked at me.
"You prepared a romantic meal."
"You said you wanted a welcoming home. You said the holidays were a stressful time
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