Ronald's diner

chapter 24

Kim doubled and checked everything. Bueno Nacho bags full to the brim. Extra sauce. Two liter of Ron's favorite soda. Lots of napkins cause those are a must when that man eats. Oh, and the most important thing... the courage to tell him about her little talk with Ronald.

Well, almost everything was ready, Kim thought with a little grimace. The sound of the front door brought her out of her thoughts. Now or never.

"Babe, does my nose deceive me, or is that Bueno Nacho!" Ron called out from the living room.

Trying to sound as nonchalant as she could, Kim lifted her voice. "In the kitchen. Better hurry before it gets cold."

The whirlwind of food doom that was Ron Stoppable appeared as if by magic beside her. "You are the best wife ever!" kissing her square on the lips with a loud smacking sound before taking a seat at the table and digging into one of the bags.

Kim had wisely set aside her own food already lest she find herself going without. She'd known her husband's eating habits far too long to allow that to happen. Opting to just stand by the counter, she picked at her taco salad, not really hungry herself.

"So how did the meeting go?" she asked, hoping to stave off her own dreaded topic of discussion for at least a little while longer. "Barkin didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

One extra large naco had bravely given its life already, and Ron was well into vanquishing another, but her question made him pause. He chewed the bite of naco slowly while his mind sorted out just how to approach telling Kim about his trip to Lowerton today. The one he'd taken instead of going to a meeting that he'd fabricated in order to make that happen.

Oh boy, this was so not going to be fun. Better just get it over with, he thought.

"Yeah, about that..." he began as he set the remainder of the naco back in its wrapper. "See, the thing is, well... there, ah . . . well, there wasn't a meeting today."

Kim stopped her fork halfway to her mouth. "No meeting?"

"Yeah." Ron gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he did.

"So they canceled the meeting and didn't even tell you?" Talk about inconsiderate, Kim thought to herself. She had half a mind to call up Barkin and let him have it. He always worked Ron too hard and never gave him enough praise if you asked her.

Ron saw that she was getting the wrong idea and was just about to head off her train of thought when Kim suddenly switched rails on him.

"Hold on." Sitting her food aside on the counter, Kim crossed her arms and leveled her husband with a shrewd look. "So if there was no meeting, then where have you been all day?"

Gulping hard. "Well, I went to get a burger."

"Took you all day to get a burger?" Kim felt like something just wasn't adding up here.

"Yeah, well, it was in Lowerton." Ron amended sheepishly.

"Why would you drive all the way..." Then it hit her.

Seeing that his wife had just put two and two together, Ron stood and moved towards her. "Now, Kim, before you fly off the handle, let me explain."

She held up a hand to silence him. "Tell me you didn't try to find Ronald." Oh, that would so be a bad idea if he had. Those two couldn't even be in the same room together without wanting to throttle each other.

Rubbing the back of his neck and looking off to the side, he didn't present the most innocent looking visage. "Thing is I didn't have to try and find him." Offering a little grin that said please don't be mad.