Page 94 of Awestruck at Dusk
“I—thought you were in South Africa,” I tossed in. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” I was so nervous about talking to him. And his attitude wasn’t helping at all to soothe the tension.
Deja vu.
“I was. But Lily said they were ordering take out from Mockinbird’s a few days ago, and I can’t allow that,” he said with a laugh. He grabbed a couple of empty food containers and placed the vegetables in there. “Besides, family comes first. I realized it would be the first Midsummer I’d be missing out on. Can’t allow that either.”
William rinsed his hands and dried them off with a small towel he grabbed from over his shoulder. He tossed it and said, “Make yourself at home. And—could you keep an eye on the potatoes?” He walked away and left me sitting there in the kitchen with my coffee staring at the huge boiling pot of new potatoes.
I peeked over my shoulder and saw him sitting on the wooden bench in front of a digital piano in the living room that I failed to account for the last time I was here.
William placed his headphones over his ears, and started playing the piano, so I turned around and sipped on my coffee, wondering what song he might be playing. I’d never actually heard William playing the piano in the same room as me, although I’d heard him numerous times through the wall.
That wall.
After a few minutes of me listening to William’s soundless song and me staring at the potatoes as instructed (not that I would know when they’d be ready), Tobias rushed down the stairs.
“Hey, Billie!” I was glad to see him being his usual self with me again.
“Hey, Tob. What’s up?”
“Nothing much. Just done with a few calls, so I’m officially open forMidsommarbusiness.” He pulled the refrigerator’s handle and scanned the contents of it when I heard William dropping his headphones over the keys with a thud. I tensed up as I listened to his footsteps approaching behind me.
“Drop the gravlax. And the cheese too,” William said to Tobias. “That’s for later.”
He turned around and met William’s gaze. “Don’t start with the moody chef thing,” Tobias replied, ignoring William and pulling out a large Tupperware with cheese. “Where’d you hide the bread?”
“I don’t hide things. It’s in the oven. You can grabonepiece.”
Tobias popped up a beer out of the fridge, and I instinctively looked at my watch.
“It’s almost noon, Billie,” Tobias said to me.
“I didn’t say a thing.”
“You didn’t have to.” He laughed. “It’s already 5:00 p.m. in Sweden.”
“Well, in that case,” William joined in, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer for himself. He twisted the lid with the kitchen rag, and I heard his beer fizz open. I was still working around my coffee and couldn’t fathom the thought of drinking a beer right now.
Tobias grabbed a plate and poured a few cubes of cheese on it.
“I’ll make you eggs or something. Just put the damn cheese away,” William said to Tobias, seemingly stressed about the cheese situation.
I couldn’t help but laugh, as much as I tried not to. I thought it was cute that William wanted everything to be perfect. Tobias opened the oven door, pulled out a piece of bread, and took a bite. William looked away and rubbed his nose. He then took an angry sip on his beer with the most annoyed look on his face.
Tobias placed the cheese Tupperware back in the fridge and said, “Ah!Smultron.” He took out another bigger Tupperware filled with strawberries. “Want one, Billie?” He offered as he opened the lid.
William glowered at Tobias but didn’t say a thing. His death-threat-filled stare should’ve sufficed, but Tobias didn’t seem to care. He took a strawberry to his mouth and chewed away.
“Thanks, but I don’t like strawberries,” I replied to Tobias, draining my coffee and dropping the cup on the counter.
Tobias stopped chewing and stared at me with a grimace. William grabbed a strawberry and said, “That’s impossible. You must try one of these. We fly them in from Sweden every year. They’re handpicked to be perfect.”
“Ah—sure,” I replied, sticking my hand out. I feared their reaction if I refused to try one. William placed the small strawberry in my hand, and I inspected it between two fingers. “Is this like a different type of strawberry? It’s um—prickly. Seedy.”
“Just take a bite,” Tobias said to me. They both stared at me, waiting for me to try it as if they were the creators of this fruit, and wanted so desperately to know if I approved of their conception.
I took the strawberry to my lips and took a bite. It was sweet but less juicy than a regular strawberry. The texture of the seeds in my mouth made me shudder. I closed my eyes and stuck out my hand as I swallowed it. Tobias placed his beer in my hand, and I took a sip.
“Ah! The seeds,” I said, my mouth twisting to the side. Maybe I didn’t get enough sensory stimulation as a child. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I really don’t know what it is.” They shook their heads with disappointment, and I couldn’t help but laugh at their genuine frustration on the matter.
