Cravings
27th story in the Angel Girl series.
Characters: Nathan, Raine
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made, no infringement intended.
This is just a very short snippet. Feedback is welcomed (alright Craved <BG>).
Nathan pulled his jacket a little tighter around his body and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. The air held a distinct chill as the tall man made his way across the nearly deserted parking lot into the all-night grocery store. Nathan stifled yet another yawn as he stepped toward the glass doors that automatically swooshed open at his approach and he grabbed a shopping cart from the line stored by the front door; fighting a moment with the reluctant basket before managing to pull it free and head it down the grocery store isle.
It was three o´clock in the morning and Nathan groaned to himself thinking about how he had to be at work in only three hours. These late night trips to the grocery store were really starting to wear him out. He had been making these trips with increasing frequency ever since his lovely wife, Raine, had gotten pregnant. Cravings for outlandish combinations of food (combinations that of course they never had the ingredients for at home) had become the norm. To date he had gone out to find cantaloupe and chocolate sauce one night; bananas, peanut butter and sour cream on another; caviar, grapefruit, and pineapple preserves on still another, just to mention only a few. His current mission was to find M&Ms, pickled herring and watermelon. He almost shuddered to think what was next.
Nathan guided his cart through the nearly empty store, picking up the items that he had crawled out of a warm bed to retrieve, and headed for the single cashier who was thumbing through a magazine at the check out stand.
“Morning, Nathan,” the smiling elderly man said, “How´s your wife doing?”
“She´s well, thank you, Mike.”
“That´s great. How much longer ‘til the baby gets here?” Mike asked as he scanned Nathan´s purchases and totaled them up.
Nathan glanced at the amount shown on the register and pulled the cash from his wallet and handed it to the clerk with a smile that stopped just short of a grimace.
“Four more months,” the big man informed the waiting clerk.
“I bet you can´t wait for the day when that baby gets here,” Mike grinned as he handed Nathan his change.
“Oh, yeah!” Nathan agreed with feeling, “I´m so ready for these midnight runs to visit you every other night to stop.”
Mike laughed as he handed Nathan a plastic shopping bag with his items.
“You be careful now, and have a good night.”
“Thanks, Mike,” Nathan returned as he grabbed his bag and headed home.
Nathan entered his house and made his way into the kitchen. He set the grocery bag on the counter and started pulling the items from it when he heard Raine enter the kitchen.
“Hi,” he said.
He turned to face his wife who was leaning against the refrigerator watching him with an amused smile on her face as she shook her head at him.
“Nathan, why is it that I´m the one who´s pregnant, but you´re the one with the cravings?”
The man sheepishly looked at his wife as she broke into laughter and stepped closer to hug him. He could feel their unborn child kick against the distended stomach that his wife had pressed against him.
“It´s okay, love,” she told him as she managed to contain her amusement.
Raine placed a soft kiss on his lips, put her arms around his neck, and intertwined her fingers behind his head, “I think it´s very sweet.”
“Sweet…yeah, sure,” Nathan sighed. “Just what every man wants his woman to think about him.”
“Aww, now be nice, love,” Raine giggled.
Nathan smiled at her in return, seeing the humor in the situation, but not wanting to let the game end so quickly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
“So what are you going to do about it if I don´t?” he asked with a mock growl as he lowered his head to take a gentle nip at her neck.
Raine thought about it for a moment then gave a grin that sent chills up the spine of her suddenly apprehensive husband.
Raine removed her arms and pulled back from Nathan before answering, “I guess I´d just have to tell the boys about the reason for all these late night trips to the grocery store.”
“You wouldn´t!” Nathan stared at his wife in horrified disbelief.
A laugh was his only answer as his very pregnant wife beat a strategic retreat.
“Raine! Tell me you were only joking,” he called as he took off after the laughing woman, “Come on, Raine. You were only joking… weren´t you? Raine…Raine!”
THE END
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