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Coco Interlude II
A man and a woman stood in the lobby of a department
store. She was small, blonde, and pretty, with high
cheeks and bright, smiling eyes. He was tall and ill
at ease.
"Oh, come on Oliver. Pleeeease."
"We have to go shopping."
"We can go shopping afterwards. We can go shopping
ANY time. We can only do this once a year."
"Sweetheart. We have a dinner party this evening,
and we don't have food. What are we going to do? Send
out for pizza?"
"But this will only take a minute. Honestly.
And I'll cook. I told you. Pleeeease!"
"You know we always share the cooking. Cooking
isn't your job."
"I know. But I'll cook today if you let me
do this."
"OK, look. Compromise. You go in there, I'll
do the shopping. We can meet here afterwards. Deal?"
"NO! That's no good. We have to go in together
otherwise it's no fun. We can shop afterwards. It's
twice as quick with two."
"Teri! Look at all the people ahead of us.
It'll take an hour to get in there."
"If you let me do this, I'll do anything you
want." She gave him a coy look that promised many
wonderful things.
"You know they sell out of fresh bread by 4
o'clock. And we still have to buy candles. And you wanted
to get a bottle of champagne. And? And?"
"And what?"
"It's childish!"
"What?" She was incredulous.
"It's childish!"
"That's what makes it so much fun, silly!"
Oliver sighed. He looked around the department store,
and then at his girlfriend, and then at the line of
parents and small children that stretched ahead of them,
all the way to an archway decorated with holly, over
which were inscribed two short words: 'Santa's Grotto.'
Unseen speakers played 'Jingle Bells', and a rather
appealing elf in a miniskirt collected the entrance
fees.
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