Spellbound

"How about some grilled veggies with dinner? I'll toss 'em on the grill, then sit on the deck while they cook. It's nice out there...maybe you'd like to come out, too. What do you think?"

A grunt is his only answer.

A patient man, he tries a second time.

"So, that's a 'yes', right? You do want me to grill the veggies? Maybe some eggplant. Peppers and onions. A zucchini--definitely a zucchini, right?"

No answer.

He sighs, then heads to the kitchen. After a few minutes, he returns, and sets a glass of iced tea on the table beside her.

"Thirsty?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you thirsty?" When she lifts her gaze, he raises his own glass to his lips. Swallows, then smiles. "See? Yours is beside you, on the table." He nods, then smiles when she picks up the glass and takes a drink. "Good. That's a step in the right direction, anyway."

She snaps the book closed. "A step? What're you talking about?"

Grinning, he points at the book in her lap. "You're been under a spell for the past three hours. I don't think you moved an inch. What is it that's got you so hooked that you don't even realize what's going on around you? And aren't you getting hungry? You didn't eat any lunch."

Now that he mentions it, my stomach is kind of empty, she thought. Pushing aside the book, she stands and stretches. Her back feels kinked and her shoulders hurt, but it's all worth it.

She takes his hand and pulls him toward the kitchen. "Come on, I'm hungry."

As they walk away, he glances back at the book. Heart and Soul. It's finally forgotten on the sofa, but he knows it won't be long before her nose is buried again.

Better fire up the grill--fast.