Page 9 of Finding Tane
“Just like my aunty,” Tane nodded.
He had a really nice smile, it crinkled his eyes. His lips looked so soft, so full...
I was staring at his lips.
That definitely counted as weird.
I was losing the thread of the conversation. “Your aunty?” I managed to say, tearing my eyes from his lips. “You mentioned multiple aunties before I think?”
“Yeah, they’re not all my actual blood aunties,” Tane said. “Just like, women who’ve been there all my life, mum’s friends, that kind of thing. They love to know what’s going on and give their opinions freely.”
I chuckled. “My parents are both only children, so it was really just us. My folks, my sister and me.”
“Nice.” Tane handed me his card and I rang him up.
“Good to see you’re eating things with vegetables in,” I said. The need to take care of him flared up again. Maybe because he’d mentioned his aunties and I imagined him back in New Zealand surrounded by people? Maybe because I wanted to taste his lips? But it flared up and I asked him again, sure he’d turn me down. “The offer is open, if you want to come over for a home-cooked meal some time.”
Tane blinked at me. I ducked my head and bagged his groceries.
“Thanks,” he said. “But I couldn’t impose on you, I just bought all this, after all.” He was joking, but not in a nasty way. He was making a joke of it so I didn’t freak out over being rejected.
“Of course,” I said. “Well, you know where I am if you change your mind.”
“That I do. Take care, eh?” Tane gave me a little wave and left with his bag of food.
Ivy came in not ten minutes later with her vinyl of Whetu’s work.
“You just missed him,” I said. “The man himself.”
“Aw, boo.” Ivy stuck her lower lip out dramatically. “Can I leave this here for when he comes back?”
She made like she was going to slide it in next to the till. “No! Someone will want to buy it or something, besides it’s too big and it sticks out. Put it in the back if you really have to leave it.”
Ivy rolled her eyes and went in the back.
The next day Christian was on the till when Tane came in. Tane looked tired. More than he had been any other day. He looked worn out.
My heart went out to him.
I figured the third time might be the charm and intercepted him on the way towards the take-and-bake pizzas.
“Hey, Tane,” I said.
His face lit up when he saw me. “Hey Dillon, you’re like, always here, aren’t you?”
“Well, it is my business...” I said.
“No hobbies or anything?”
“Uhm, well... not really,” I said. “I’m kind of boring to be honest. I sometimes go jogging, and I like to cook?”
Tane’s eyebrow raised.
I felt like some kind of lothario but I couldn’t help myself, I wanted to get to know him better and the only way to do that would be outside of my place of business.
“I didn’t even mean for that to be a segue, but I did want to bring up the idea of dinner with you one more time. I know you’re just visiting but I don’t like, see you out and about a lot so I thought maybe you’re a bit lonely?” I remembered what he’d said the day before. “It’s no imposition. I’ll cook something healthy but delicious. What do you say?”
Tane sucked his lower lip for a moment, his expression unreadable, then he broke into a warm smile.
