1 Chapter 1
Winston Abernathy followed after his grandmother as she pushed her shopping cart up and down the grocery store aisles. So far she’d managed to load the cart with exactly four items. Milk, butter, ground chuck, and an apple. She’d crossed the store six times, often going down aisles she’d already been through once.
“Gran, wouldn’t it be easier to have a list and just fill up your cart during one straight trip through the store?”
She waved one frail hand. “This is the way I shop, dear.”
Win sighed and stopped next to her cart when she paused in front of the cereal boxes. “I thought you were buying food for your get-together.”
“I am, but I need a few other things, too. What do you suppose you’ll want to drink?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Who all is coming again?”
“My friend, Molly, and her gay grandson.”
He straightened. “What? Wait.”
She peered at him through her glasses. “Yes?”
“You didn’t tell me he was gay.”
“Didn’t I? Tsk tsk. Anyway, why should that matter? You’re gay yourself.”
Win opened his mouth to argue, but shut it. He was. How could be deny it? He’d come out seven years before when he was eighteen and just out of high school.
“All right, but, Gran, I don’t want you setting me up.”
Gran snorted and reached for a box of crispy rice cereal and put it in her cart. “I’m not setting you up, Winnie.”
He winced and quickly glanced around the aisle. “You aren’t supposed to call me that,” he whispered. “Not in public.”
“Sorry, dear. I’ve been calling you that since you were a little boy.” She paused at the top of the aisle. “Drinks, dear.”
“It’s just me, you, Molly, and this other guy?”
“Yes. Molly says he just moved back here and doesn’t have a lot of friends. Lived in New York for a while. I thought with you both being gay you could help him get situated.”
He frowned. “Situated?”
She waved her hand again. “You know, introduce him around, help him to meet men.”
“I’m not a dating service.”
“I know that. But you know lots of men, I’m sure.”
He didn’t. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he was something of a geek. Well, sort of. More of an introvert. Whatever.
“What’s he like? Did Molly say?”
“I thought you weren’t interested.”
“I’m not. I just meant I’m trying to think what he might like to drink. If he’s the rugged sports loving type we should buy some beer. That kind of thing.”
Gran started moving her cart again but in the opposite direction of the store’s liquor department. Gritting his teeth, Win traipsed after her.
“What exactly are you making?” he asked.
“I thought I might make shepherd’s pie, you know like my mother used to make.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I remember. You used to make it for us when we were kids.”
She smiled and stopped in front of the cheese section. “Then Molly told me her grandson is a vegetarian.”
“Oh.” Win grimaced. “That does sort of change things. Did she say if he’s a regular vegetarian or a vegan?”
“What’s the difference?”
“He wouldn’t eat cheese or any dairy if he were vegan. They don’t consume any animal products.” Which, of course, Win thought was weird. He could never be a vegetarian. He loved his meat. And the double meaning on that made him laugh.
“She didn’t say,” Gran said. “I thought I’d make cheese lasagna.”
“Hmm. Maybe we should ask Molly.” He fished his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans.
“That’s a great idea, dear. Her number is 555-8392.”
Win punched the number into his smart phone and waited through four rings before a soft-spoken feminine voice said, “Hello?”
“Hi, Molly? This is Win, Emma’s grandson.”
“Winnie? Hello. Is something wrong?”
He rolled his eyes at the horrible nickname. “No, everything’s fine. Listen, we’re at the grocery store getting some stuff for tonight and wondered about a few things.”
“Oh, yes?”
“Gran says your grandson’s a vegetarian so we wonder if he’ll eat cheese. She’s thinking of making cheese lasagna. Will that be all right?”
There was a slight pause. “He had pizza last night, so yes. But, well, he says it’s easier to say he’s a vegetarian, but he’s a pescetarian.”
“A what?”
“Someone who eats fish, but no other meat,” Molly explained.
“Excellent. Thank you, Molly. One more thing, what does he like to drink?”
“Oh. Well, he likes green tea.”
Win frowned. “Tea? No wine or beer or anything like that?”
“No, no. He’s very strict about that sort of thing. Well, you know he’s a dancer.”
No, he didn’t, but he supposed that did explain a few things.
