Chapter 2-1
437 Words
Chapter 2
Before Christmas, we’d arranged for our friends Tom and Cliff to spend a few days around New Year with us. So we spent the rest of the morning getting the loft bedroom ready for their arrival.
“The bed won’t be long enough for Tom,” I told Mark as we changed the sheets.
Tom was both tall and broad. Cliff, on the other hand, was a fairly small man. They made for an odd pair, but there was no denying the love each had for the other.
Mark smoothed down the sheet on his side. “I’m sure it isn’t the first standard-sized double bed he’s had to sleep in.”
I nodded, just wanting everything to go off okay. We didn’t get that many visitors. I had had even fewer before Mark had come into my life. I knew I was worrying unnecessarily, but even accepting that didn’t stop me. I was the kind of man who would worry if he didn’t have anything to worry about.
“Come here,” Mark said, walking around the bed and giving me a hug. “It’ll all be fine.”
“I know.” I sighed, wondering if we had enough bacon in the fridge and would there be time to go to the supermarket to get more? Tom had a huge appetite to go with his huge frame.
“What time did Tom and Cliff say they were coming?” Mark asked, releasing me and sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Sometime after lunch I think. Why?” I hoped he wasn’t creasing the duvet cover.
“I want to go down to the pet shop and buy Noel some toys, proper feeding bowls and the like.”
“Okay.” I readily agreed because the supermarket was just down the street from the pet shop and I’d be able to get more bacon. I should probably pick up another packet of sausages, too. Does Tom prefer pork or beef? Should I ring them up and ask?
“Stop it,” Mark said, reaching out to take my hand.
I smiled and let out a breath. “Sorry.”
* * * *
As the weather was still quite mild, we decided to walk. It would help to burn off some of the calories we’d been piling on over Christmas, too.
“Aw, isn’t that cute?” Mark pointed to a furry, igloo-type bed. “That would keep him nice and snug.”
“Yes.” I nodded, realising this shopping trip could turn out to be an expensive one. Did I care? “We ought to get him a scratching post as well.”
Mark walked down the aisle. “This one has a bell attached to it.”
The scratching post followed the igloo into the trolley.
“Don’t forget we’re walking home,” I warned just before Mark was about to pick up a jumbo economy-sized bag of cat litter. “And it would take him about three months to crap his way through that lot.”
Mark smiled and chose a more manageable bag of litter.
- Writer
