Poison

[ 13 ]

"Forget I asked," he retorts as he rests one hand in his lap and the other on the wheel. It only makes his relaxed posture more attractive.

"Can you make me a grilled cheese when we get back?" I request as I risk a glance at him.

"You can't make it yourself?" he bites back with slightly wide eyes as if he's shocked I'd ask such a thing of him.

"I can but you're such a good cook," I compliment him with a tilted head. He gives me an irritated look out of his peripheral so I figure the flattery isn't working and decide to just shut up.

When we reach Food Mart, I hurry to get a cart and Asa watches with his hands on his hips. I wheel it over to him with a toothy smile on my face. "Vroom, vroom," I greet him as I pretend to rev the handlebars. I make a guttural engine imitation as I continue to roll my wrists.

He stares at me and sighs but I can see the smile peeking through his lips. "Can I drive the cart?" he requests while tying his long fingers through the metal bars.

"No," I say defensively as I grip the handle tighter. I need to ensure we don't zoom through the aisles too quickly; besides, he always has cart duty. "My car...t."

"If you hit me with it or clip my ankles, I'm hitting you with my car," he informs me as he leads the way inside. I feel a slight temptation to ram the metal bars into his back but fight it when I realize he seriously will try to hit me with the truck.

I tail him as we make our way through the aisles, picking out the staples. Occasionally, he'll ask if I want something but I always turn him down. He does, however, pick up cheese and bread. "Is that for what I think it is?" I sing to him as he places them into the cart.

"If you think it's bread for meals that require bread and cheese for meals that require cheese, then yes," he rejects while striding ahead of me.

"Put them together," I suggest while wiggling my shoulders excitedly.

"Bread and cheese?" he answers as he peers into the freezer for ice cream. I make a noise signifying that his answer is wrong so he inhales and exhales pointedly. "Cheese and bread?"

"Add some grilling," I continue to press.

"Grilling, bread, and cheese?" he corrects himself as he opens the freezer.

"Asa," I whine and he ends the conversation by holding up two containers.

"Which one?" he wonders while tilting his hands like scale. I stare at the two options: chocolate chip cookie dough or red velvet.

"Get both," I insist as I push the cart back and forth patiently.

"I won't be able to eat both," he responds before narrowing his eyes at himself . "Who am I kidding? Yes I will."

Thoughtlessly, he tosses them both into the cart and continues on down the aisle. "Asa..." I trail in an attempt to revert back to our previous conversation. He comes to a slow halt in front of the milk and I bounce the cart against his legs twice to emphasize each word. "Grilled cheese?"

It takes him two steps to reach the my side of the carriage and multiple for me to fearfully scurry off. He grabs the handle of the cart while I watch from a few feet away. "So you're just going to take it from me?" I ask with crossed arms.

"You'd prefer I hit you with my car?" he pesters as he leans against the handlebars in a relaxed fashion.

"Yes, actually," I confirm as I walk behind him.

"You're starting to sound like me," he notes as he nods at the chocolate milk. "Get your baby drink."

"Don't patronize me," I bite as I grab a carton and put it into the carriage. We hit the last stop, which is the toilet paper aisle, and he nods at the top shelf. I look from him to the highest shelf in slight disbelief. When it doesn't click in his mind, I vocalize my emotions. "You expect me to reach that?"