Max and Ess exchanged glances. Ess silently inquired on how this had come about, but Max could only shake his head in wonder. A lot had happened recently, and while this was completely unexpected, it certainly wasn't the biggest surprise to either of them.
Manda's bold move did bolster Max's own courage. "So, Ess. If you don't hate me for creating a bunch of art after you, which resulted in bringing you to the attention of a madman, not to mention the fact that I kidnapped you - for your own good, may I remind you, but maybe I should have left that whole part out - anyway, would I be remiss in asking you if you'd like to go out on a date sometime? You know, just dinner, a movie . . . nothing dramatic."
"Well, I can't believe you actually finally asked…" Ess smiled, and there it came, that infuriating blush. "A very undramatic date sounds rather appealing. I can't possibly say no to my hero."
She took him by the hand, and they continued walking away, leaving Manda and Roden behind to continue their own display of newfound affection.
EPILOGUE
"Hmmm, interesting."
"What?" Ess looked up to see the inquisitive amusement on her companion's face.
"Well," Max observed, "I've accompanied you to this grocery store several times now, and I have to say, I've noticed that you seem to make a sort of ritual out of your shopping errand . . . Until now."
"Oh?" Ess found herself curious. "So, you are still watching me so closely? Should I be worried?"
Max laughed. Three months ago, he would have felt ashamed at such questions, but his guilt faded as he got to know Ess more intimately. Besides, she teased him so often about his rather besotted manner, that he had become fairly desensitized to her jests.
"Just an anthropological observation," he casually defended. "Typically you enter the store, and grab a basket, rather than a cart. I've deduced that that is because you have to carry your load home, and the basket keeps you from overdoing it." Ess's smirk confirmed it. "Then you browse through the entire produce isle, but only ever select apples and carrots. After that you run through the meat, and then – this is my favorite part – you actually turn your head away as you pass the junk food isles so that you won't be tempted."
"And what's wrong with that?" Ess feigned offence.
"Absolutely nothing. Just an observation. However, you do seem to have deviated from your normal pattern."
"And how's that?"
Max grinned. "You skipped the ice cream."
Ess laughed, but turned red with embarrassment. Oh crap, he noticed her ice cream fetish. "Well, I figured it was time to cut back."
"Cut back? What for?"
"Well, I don't exactly have the metabolism of an eighteen year old any more. It's time I started watching my weight."
"No way." Max looked genuinely bewildered. "You look great. You don't really think that enjoying ice cream is going to turn you into a blob, do you? Especially when you have multi-grain bread and baby carrots to counteract it." He pulled the bread out of the basket to emphasize his argument, but Ess grabbed it back, trying not to smile at his scoff. "Besides," Max continued, "I'm thinking this pistachio ice cream might be worth trying."
"Pistachio? That's for amateurs. Wouldn't you rather try this?" Ess pulled a carton of ice cream from the freezer, and read the description: "Chocolate covered toffee and peanut butter cookie dough wrapped in a caramel swirl and enveloped in coffee flavored ice cream."
Max raised an eyebrow at that. "You're right. I am an amateur, because that sounds way too complex for my inexperienced palate." He smiled at Ess's feigned frustration. "How about we get both, the pistachio and the ooey gooey peanut butter toffee thing?"
"It's called 'Ultimate Coffee Break'." Ess corrected. "Fine, but if I can't fit into my pants by the beginning of spring, I'm blaming your influence."
They headed to the checkout counter. "Oh, please. You'll look fine. In fact, I can totally picture you in a bikini on the beaches of Santorini."
"Santorini?" Ess handed her debit card to Mr. Baksheesh, and waited for him to begin filling the grocery bags. Max had already learned the hard way the first time he went shopping with Ess, that you do not help Mr. Baksheesh with the bags. "I've always wanted to go to Greece."
"I know. I got that impression from your three coffee table books on ancient Greece, the Peloponnesians and the Greek Isles. Not to mention the travel book and the old text books that are in your book case; and you always order the gyro or the spanakopita at the cafe down the street."
"I am completely transparent to you, aren't I?'
"Not at all." Max assured. "You are simply fascinating to me." He smiled at the blush on her face. "In fact, I'd love to observe your reaction to the Greek lifestyle."
"And I would love for you to observe my reaction to the Greek lifestyle, too." Ess replied, grabbing one of the bags, as Max reached for the other two.
"Well, then, after the trial is over, what do you say we go find out?"
"You can't be serious." Ess gave him a doubtful grin.
"As a matter of fact, I can." Max countered. "It just so happens that eighty thousand dollars hit my account a little while back. We have the means, the vacation time, all we need is the desire to go."
"Oh, I have the desire." Ess affirmed heading for the door.
Max couldn't have been happier to hear that. "Great." He followed her out. "Let's start planning."
Just before the doors of the grocery store closed behind them, they heard, "Thank you, come again."
* * * *
Copyright © 2014 by Jack Parker