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“Your aunts told me you were getting a tattoo and looking at a design in a magazine in here. Are you thinking that would look good on your shoulder?” He pointed at the cake decorated with a green dragon.
“My aunts like to cause trouble, as I’m sure you know.” She didn’t look at him, just turned the page to a display of cakes covered in what looked like rose petals.
Leaning closer, he breathed her in. It was her hair; she must wash it in something that had roses in it.
“I didn’t get a chance to speak with you before, Mandy.”
“I needed to get in here before it closed.” She was still focused on the magazine.
“And the shop is so far away from where you work that you can’t come back here anytime?”
She didn’t speak.
“I smell avoidance.”
“No. I apologized and then came here.”
“I’m sorry too, Mandy. I shouldn’t have gone at you like I did.”
“That’s okay, I understand.”
“What do you understand?”
“That you were worried I could have fainted at your gym.”
“You think that’s the only reason I was worried?”
He watched as she closed the magazine and then turned to face him.
No longer pale, she had soft color on her cheeks and gloss across her lips. Her eyes seemed darker, lashes longer.
“It doesn’t matter why, I just need you to know it wasn’t a deliberate decision on my part not to tell you I’m a diabetic, Ted. I’ve just never told anyone about it.”
They were close enough that he could see she was still nervous.
“Because you didn’t have people to share confidences with, so you’re used to flying solo?”
She nodded.
“But that’s no longer the case, is it, Mandy? You’ve decided to let people in, and with that comes other stuff. Personal things, like what’s your favorite color and any disease, life-threatening or otherwise, that you may have.”
“I’m coming to this late so I’m getting stuff wrong.” Her smile was small. “I hurt a few people today, namely Rory, because of that.”
But not him.
“And I guess I need to be a bit more open.”
“Are you feeling okay now?”
“Sure. And I ate again before I left the house.”
“Do you carry things with you in case you need them?”
She nodded, then did something that surprised him. Climbing to her toes, she kissed his lips softly.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Ted. I hope we can still be friends.”
“Sure.” He jammed his hands into his pockets. “Friends.”
