Page 55 of The Side Road
‘The kitchen is that way.’ She pointed to her right. ‘I’ll meet you in there. Open the wine if you like.’
The table was set. A cheese platter with olives. A salad on the kitchen counter. He opened the wine. Filled two glasses and took a large sip. After cutting himself a slice of cheese, he was about to eat it when Snood sat on his foot. Oliver glanced down at the dog. The animal appeared to be pitifully hungry.
‘You’ve nailed that look,’ Oliver said to the dog. He fed Snood a piece of cheese.
When Mia entered, Oliver was feeding Snood his third slice of cheese.
‘Your dog is starving.’ Oliver looked into Snood’s soulful eyes. ‘Aren’t you?’
‘He’ll eat anything, and I mean anything,’ Mia said. ‘Once, he ate a block of butterandhalf a carrot cake – not at the same time. Different days, but still.’ Her cardigan was over the back of the chair. After slipping it on, she wrapped it around herself. ‘When he first came home, he was scared of doorways and gates. Sometimes, he’s still scared of gates, especially if they squeak, but he’s doing great with doorways. If you leave your car door open, he’ll jump right in.’ She paused. ‘I might have told you that… before.’
They considered the dog, who was licking remnants of cheese off the slate floor.
‘He has kind eyes,’ Oliver said.
‘He’s kinder than any human I know.’ She picked up a glass of wine and took a large sip. ‘Are you hungry? There’s so much food. I over-catered. I forgot to ask if you have any food allergies. Do you?’
‘No.’
‘Good. That’s good. We can eat here or in the garden. I don’t mind. You choose.’
She was so nervous that her hands were shaking.
He chose the garden. An outdoor setting might be more conducive to relaxing. It took two trips to relocate the food, the wine, and the place settings. Travelling back and forth, they almost bumped into each other. Instead of relaxing her, this had the opposite effect.
Lunch was a baked dish of beans, vegetables and sausages, which Mia called cassoulet. She said it was French. She served it with salad and a baguette.
‘I heard you liked sausages,’ she said.
He didn’t care how she knew; he was in culinary heaven.
‘There’s dessert,’ she warned. ‘I like to cook.’ It sounded like a confession. ‘What about you, do you cook?’
‘I like to burn.’
‘How do you survive?’
‘Vegetables, salad, meat.’ He put his cutlery down. ‘This is the best meal I’ve eaten all year.’
With a deep crease in her forehead, Mia nodded. ‘Does Tash like to cook?’
‘She has no interest.’
‘Probably for the best. Did she tell you about the orange pork surprise? It put two people in the hospital.’ Mia pointed to the olives. ‘Try these. They’re from my friend; she makes the marinade herself.’
Oliver plucked an olive from the dish. ‘Is this your friend, Holly?’
‘Yes, she saved my life.’
‘Really? How?’
‘That’s a story for another time.’ Mia stood up. She started stacking the plates and cutlery. ‘I’ll…I’ll be back with the dessert. It’s a chocolate thing.’ She waved a hand, almost dropping the plates.
After heading inside, she returned a few minutes later with a chocolate cake. She sliced it and served it with cream.
When Oliver finished, she offered him another piece, but he declined. ‘Well, it’s right there,’ she said, pointing to the cake. ‘If you want more, just help yourself. The cream is, it’s right there, too.’ Her hand went to her neck.
A long silence followed. Under the table, Oliver fed Snood a crust of bread.
