Dee was down by the patio cutting flowers when Max called out, “Dee love, come up it’s here.”
“The fridge? Oh wonderful,” she said and quickly climbed the stairs.
“What do you think?” Max asked proudly
Dee looked at the behemoth occupying the space for the fridge without an inch to spare. “It’s rather large for the two of us don’t you think?”
“Bigger is always better, you’ll soon fill it up, look I’ve emptied the cooler into it.” Max opened the door displaying a few items lost in the interior.”
Dee slipped her arm around his waist, “its lovely Max,” she smiled giving him a tickle under his ribs.
Max jumped, “we’ll have to do a big fridge shop now and fill it up.”
“Where are we going to do this shop you said there wasn’t much here?”
“I’ll take you ‘round today and show you the sights in Little Timor and Port Auckland. Put your flowers in water and we’ll be off.”
Max took her to Little Timor where they walked up and down the streets dipping in and out of the little shops there. There was a grocery store where they stocked up on butter, milk, yogurts, fruit and other things. Dee bought a wind chime at Keisha’s shop to hang on the balcony. At the variety store they bought two folding beach chairs and beach towels.
In Port Auckland they found a man selling fresh caught fish down by the docks and bought some for their dinner.
Dee was captivated by the quaint village of Port Auckland, “I love it Max you didn’t tell me how picturesque it was.”
“I didn’t know it was,” he smiled, “looks a bit run down to me, quaint you say?”
“Yes darling, I can see its going to be wonderful once it takes off.”
“It’s going to need people for that, Jurd Campbell says they will come. How he knows this is beyond me.”
They stopped up the street in front of Max’s bank, “how long before it opens?” she asked.
“Um well as soon as it’s finished.”
“It looks nearly finished now,” she observed from the sidewalk.
“Yes well inside is a bit of a toss- up at present,” Max commented.
Dee gazed fondly down the street toward the docks and took Max’s hand, “we should get this fish in the cooler.”
Max was skeptical about the fish,”I hope we won’t be poisoned.”
“They look fresh and clean to me,” Dee answered.
Max had been amazed that Dee knew what to do with all the food he had bought. He hadn’t a problem shopping for it especially as he always found someone in the market to tell him what to buy and what he needed to stock a kitchen. He had no idea Dee could actually cook. In the two days she’d been there she had prepared several meals which they ate at the kitchen island standing up. His kitchen in London had never been used to prepare a meal. It was where the coffee pot was located and the electric kettle. The fridge never held anything except milk for tea and juice and soft drinks.
“You can cook fresh fish like this Dee?”
“Of course I can, a southern girl like me I’m surprised you’d ask.”
“I don’t know what southern girls know Dee, only what you’ve shown me you’re capable of and I love what I’ve seen.”
Dee laughed, “You ain’t seen nothing yet mister.” She got in the passenger seat and buckled up for the drive home. “I love it Max, this whole area I really do.”
“I’m happy you do, I had a few misgivings when I first got here. I was afraid you’d be lost without London.”
“You forget darling, London hasn’t been my whole life. I actually come from a very small town in North Carolina.”
“I’m glad you found your way to London.” Max took her hand and kissed the palm.
“So am I, so am I and to think I didn’t want to go out to dinner with Paula and Anthony. Do you know I had to pick up the tab for their dinner as well as mine? They left in such a hurry arguing. Then there was you at the bar.”
“You didn’t like me at first did you?”
“No I thought you were an arrogant prick particularly the next morning,” she grinned, “but I’ve come to understand you a little better.”
“Just stick with me love, I do try.”
“I know you do and I love you and all your quirks.”
“Quirks, I have quirks?”
“You’re full of them Max, isn’t that our drive?”
“Oh, heh, so it is.” Max used the remote to open his garage door and parked.
“We have chairs,” Dee said opening up the folding chairs and placing them in the lounge area.
“Have you looked for furnishings yet?” Max asked carrying the bags to the kitchen.
“I’ve not had time, I may do that tonight,” she said looking around the empty room. She had an idea of the look she wanted, no clutter since she would be cleaning just a bright clean open area.
“Bollocks!”
“What is it dear?” Dee answered the rather loud declaration.
“Water, all over the floor!”
Dee hurried into the kitchen finding water spreading across the floor. “Where is it coming from?”
“I don’t know,” Max said pushing his glasses up his nose.
“It’s the fridge Max.”
“The fridge, it doesn’t have water, it can’t be.”
“It is darling, there’s an ice maker, probably wasn’t connected properly. Turn the water off.”
Max walked to the sink looking at the faucets, “it’s turned off.”
“No darling there should be something under the sink.”
“There are all kinds of things under the sink,” turning knobs he finally found a valve that went to the fridge. “That’s got it,” he said standing up.
“Max do we have a mop?”
“A what?”
