The Kidnapper's Wife

4. Before

My favorite thing about Wednesday's are the 'Winesday' events that Whole Foods puts on. For that reason, I always go grocery shopping on Wednesdays. 

My friend Cara and I always meet at 6pm and go through the wine tastings and food pairings, catching each other up on our lives as we go. When we're done drinking, and our wine induced tipsy-ness has worn off enough that every sentence no longer produces fits of giggles,  we grocery shop. Sometimes we walk down each aisle together, sometimes, when one of us is in a rush, we split up to shop faster. Wednesdays are our weekly tradition, we only miss them if one of us is traveling or deathly ill. 

It's probably pathetic that Wednesday's are one of the highlights of my week. But then I've always loved grocery shopping. Something about the potential to find new foods (yeah...I'm a total foodie), combined with the clean, well lit aisles and the bustling people rushing to the pasta aisle. It comforts me. 

Today, I'm running late, and Cara has already texted me twice to ask where I am. It's 6:15. Patience has never been her strong suit. Rattling off a text that I'm parking, I almost slam into an old lady crossing the parking lot with her shopping cart as slowly as one can humanly walk. I try to cut her a break since she's old, but I find myself tapping my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel anyway. 

When she finally moves, I swing into a parking spot and practically run into Whole Foods to meet Cara, who is standing self consciously in the entryway. 

"You know how I hate being in public alone!" she hisses at me as we walk up to get wine glasses. 

"I know, I know, I'm sorry! It's just, a client meeting ran over and then Ed stopped me-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Cara rolls her eyes, "You have a delightfully dramatic work life, we get it" she shakes her hand dismissively.

Cara is a teacher at the local elementary school, and is forever jealous of how exciting my work is. She always says she wishes she had gone into something in business so she could feel the rush of winning a deal, or a case, or a client. I think Cara is best suited as a teacher though, she loves kids, and I've seen how patient she is with her small charges. 

"Well how was your day?" I ask her, smiling.

"Relatively uneventful." she shrugs, "The Principal is insisting that I join the PTA next quarter, as if I need more work in my life." 

"Ugh, that's ridiculous, you already do so much for that school!" I commiserate. 

"I know! And Tom always complains he doesn't see me enough as it is, now I'll barely ever be home." she's exaggerating but I play along.

"Yeah seriously, parents are so needy too, I'm sure it'll be annoying having to deal with them even more."

"Exactly!" she sighs, "Oh well, what can you do."

We grab the first tasting course, a red wine paired with a nutty biscuit.

"That's good." I comment.

"Mmmm." Cara agrees, the biscuit still in her mouth. 

Cara swallows, "So what about you missy? What else is going on in your life besides work?" she pauses for dramatic effect, "Gone on any more dates lately?"

I laugh, "No Cara, I told you last week, I'm over the online dating scene! And honestly, I just don't have time for it these days! Work has been so busy, between that and my friends and family, I can barely find time to go to the gym, let alone date!"

"Excuses, excuses! You have to keep putting yourself out there!"

We maneuver around two soccer moms to the second station, this time a white wine with a quinoa side dish.

"I'm only twenty six Cara, it's not like I'm a grandmother!"

"No and you never will be if you don't find a man to make babies with!"

"Touche" I laugh, "But seriously, I'm enjoying being single right now. I can do whatever I want, without having to always answer to somebody."

Now Cara laughs, "Answer to somebody, Jade you make it sound like a prison sentence!"

"Well it kind of seems like one!" 

We continue our increasingly giggle laced banter through the final three courses, finishing off with a delectable cheesecake that I grab the recipe for. Finally, after Cara regales me with a story about her student who came to class in a spider man costume and spent all day jumping at the walls, I look down at my watch and gasp. 

"Oh my gosh, it's 8:30!"

"What! No it's not!" Cara pulls out her phone to see for herself. "Oh my gosh! I told Tom I'd be home by 9! I better go grab my groceries and get going!" she looks back up at me.

"Yeah same, I need to be up early tomorrow!" I lean in for a quick hug, "See you next week?"

"Always!" she smiles and scurries off to the bread aisle. 

I walk over to the salad section to pick up some kale.

"Please tell me you aren't going to eat a salad of that stuff." a handsome man addresses me from my left, indicating the kale.

I laugh, "No, no I use it in smoothies, you can't even taste it. I don't know how people eat it in salads," I shudder, "Gross."

"Right! Or the ones that make those 'kale chips'. I mean, those things don't deserve the word chip attached to their name!" his attractive face takes on an expression of disgust.

"What? No, you're wrong about that! Kale chips are actually good! I have a friend who makes amazingggg ones!" 

"No way. There is no way those can even be considered edible."

"I'm telling you, you just haven't tried the right ones yet!" I laugh.

He echoes my laugh, then says "Well, I do know of a place that serves them nearby. I don't suppose you'd ever consider trying those ones with me?" he waits for my response.

"Oh! Well, yeah sure that could be fun," I smile, feeling more shy now.

"Awesome!" his grin lights up his face, "If you give me your number, I can plan it!"

I recite my number to him as he types it into his phone. 

"And I'm Jade." I add, as I watch him pause over the "name" box on the New Contact form. 

"Nice to meet you Jade," he smiles, "I'm Connor."