"You looked a bit sad awhile ago when we were watching the sun go down. I thought you might be homesick."

     "Me?"

     "You haven't been home for two days, so I thought..."

     With her wine glass in her hand, Rinko smiled faintly and said, "I was worried about my cat."

     "Your cat?"

     "He didn't look very well when I left. I was wondering if he was all right."

     Kuki knew that Rinko had a cat, but it was a bit of a letdown to learn that it was her cat she was thinking of as they watched the sun set.

     That thought was quickly replaced with that of a man feeding a cat.

     He wondered if Rinko's husband was home alone with the cat now that his wife was gone.

     In all honesty, he wanted to know more about Rinko's husband and her home, but he could not bring himself to ask. Deep down inside he wanted to know, but he was afraid of knowing too much.

     Learning that it was the cat she was worried about after two days away from home made him all the more interested in hearing about her husband.

     "What's the cat doing for food?" he asked.

     "I left him some cat food. He should be all right."

      He wanted to ask what her husband was doing for food, but thought better of it. They were enjoying dinner, and he figured it was probably not an appropriate topic of conversation at the moment.

     The sommelier came and poured more wine. The waiter brought the abalone. The steak was done to a turn. The lightly fried abalone was adorned with sliced citrus fruit.

     Kuki liked simple French cuisine that accentuated the ingredients. Rinko apparently did too.

     "I'm famished," she said with a smile.

     Evidently their lovemaking made her hungry. As always, her use of the knife was elegant and efficient.

     "Very tasty," she said.

     Rinko displayed a childlike innocence when she ate, concentrating solely on her food. As Kuki watched her, his thoughts returned to the scene of their lovemaking not long ago.

     Rinko was the "very tasty" one, Kuki thought, though he could not come out and say it. She was soft yet firm to the touch. A body which could only be appreciated by a connoisseur. A delicacy among delicacies.

     Rinko continued eating, oblivious to the thoughts of her companion. Kuki joined her, digging into his steamed abalone.

Copyright (C) 1998-2010 Jeffrey G. Stocker