don’t you think you’re taking on an awful lot considering
you’re also teaching full-time? You’re not going to have much of a life.”
What did he know? How dare he make comments on the way she
conducted herself. He was no model of appropriate behavior. “I have a good
life,” she said, glaring at him. “It will only be better now that I have a
chance of fulfilling my dream to be a writer.”
John faced off with her across the mangoes. “Do you go out?
Riley says you don’t. When was the last time you had a boyfriend?”
“When was the last time you had a girlfriend that lasted for
more than a month or two?” she shot back. He had no right to be chastising her
about her social life. If she went out too little, he went out too much.
“Leave my girlfriends out of this. We’re talking about you, not
me. Anyway, I’m not with anyone at present.”
“I’m sure that won’t last—” Katie glanced around, suddenly
remembering the reason for this conversation. “Where’s Tuti?”
“She’s with you. Isn’t she?” John swiveled on his heels,
looking behind him. “Tuti?”
“You’re her father. You’re supposed to keep an eye on her.”
Neither of them were used to watching out for a child. “Tuti! Where are
you?”
“She can’t have gone far. We only looked away for a few
seconds.” He pushed through the milling shoppers, moving past the tall fruit
bins toward the section of the store that shelved canned goods. “Tuti!”
A flutter of panic ran through her. A few seconds. Was it?
Katie hadn’t really been paying that close attention. She was used to dealing
with children in the controlled environment of a classroom.
She headed in the opposite direction to John, her gaze raking
the shop. Small dark-haired children accompanying their parents were plentiful.
But no little girl in a blue-and-white gingham dress with pigtails that stuck
straight out from the sides of her head. No little girl with a dimpled smile and
sparkling eyes.
“Katie!” John waved at her from the fruit and veggie section.
“She’s here.”
Katie hurried to join him. “How did we miss her?”
Tuti was squatting on the floor, her knees up around her
pigtails, industriously filling a plastic bag with onions. Beside her were two
more bags filled with a mixture of apples, oranges and lemons. Seeing John and
Katie standing over her, she smiled proudly and held up her bag to show
them.
Katie breathed out, relieved to have found the girl. But her
heart sank seeing the bags of mixed fruit and vegetables instead of the six
apples she’d asked Tuti for. The girl definitely needed her help.
The question was, at what cost to her, given that she would
have less time to spend on her writing? More importantly, how would she cope
emotionally with regular contact with John? She couldn’t spend an afternoon in
his company without getting either annoyed or feeling attracted, despite their
many issues. She wasn’t sure which emotion bothered her the most.
* * *
J OHN CHASED THE last few grains of
fried rice around his plate with chopsticks. Katie was gamely making her way
through a huge bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup. Tuti had finished her meal and
was dangling a toy cat for a baby in a high chair at a neighboring table.
His flare-up with Katie earlier bothered him. For the past half
hour they’d been too busy eating to speak. Now that the meal was over the
atmosphere had become stifling. But Tuti looked so happy he didn’t have the
heart to drag her away.
He poured more Chinese green tea into their tiny cups, nodding
to Tuti and the baby. “She must miss her niece in Bali. She used to carry that
kid around on her hip wherever she went.”
Katie took a sip of tea, holding the hot cup by the rim. “Maybe
you should go back to Bali and father another child to give her a brother or a
sister.”
He gave her a hard stare. “That’s unworthy of you.”
Katie blushed and grimaced. “Sorry. That was uncalled-for. But
you
you’re also teaching full-time? You’re not going to have much of a life.”
What did he know? How dare he make comments on the way she
conducted herself. He was no model of appropriate behavior. “I have a good
life,” she said, glaring at him. “It will only be better now that I have a
chance of fulfilling my dream to be a writer.”
John faced off with her across the mangoes. “Do you go out?
Riley says you don’t. When was the last time you had a boyfriend?”
“When was the last time you had a girlfriend that lasted for
more than a month or two?” she shot back. He had no right to be chastising her
about her social life. If she went out too little, he went out too much.
“Leave my girlfriends out of this. We’re talking about you, not
me. Anyway, I’m not with anyone at present.”
“I’m sure that won’t last—” Katie glanced around, suddenly
remembering the reason for this conversation. “Where’s Tuti?”
“She’s with you. Isn’t she?” John swiveled on his heels,
looking behind him. “Tuti?”
“You’re her father. You’re supposed to keep an eye on her.”
Neither of them were used to watching out for a child. “Tuti! Where are
you?”
“She can’t have gone far. We only looked away for a few
seconds.” He pushed through the milling shoppers, moving past the tall fruit
bins toward the section of the store that shelved canned goods. “Tuti!”
A flutter of panic ran through her. A few seconds. Was it?
Katie hadn’t really been paying that close attention. She was used to dealing
with children in the controlled environment of a classroom.
She headed in the opposite direction to John, her gaze raking
the shop. Small dark-haired children accompanying their parents were plentiful.
But no little girl in a blue-and-white gingham dress with pigtails that stuck
straight out from the sides of her head. No little girl with a dimpled smile and
sparkling eyes.
“Katie!” John waved at her from the fruit and veggie section.
“She’s here.”
Katie hurried to join him. “How did we miss her?”
Tuti was squatting on the floor, her knees up around her
pigtails, industriously filling a plastic bag with onions. Beside her were two
more bags filled with a mixture of apples, oranges and lemons. Seeing John and
Katie standing over her, she smiled proudly and held up her bag to show
them.
Katie breathed out, relieved to have found the girl. But her
heart sank seeing the bags of mixed fruit and vegetables instead of the six
apples she’d asked Tuti for. The girl definitely needed her help.
The question was, at what cost to her, given that she would
have less time to spend on her writing? More importantly, how would she cope
emotionally with regular contact with John? She couldn’t spend an afternoon in
his company without getting either annoyed or feeling attracted, despite their
many issues. She wasn’t sure which emotion bothered her the most.
* * *
J OHN CHASED THE last few grains of
fried rice around his plate with chopsticks. Katie was gamely making her way
through a huge bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup. Tuti had finished her meal and
was dangling a toy cat for a baby in a high chair at a neighboring table.
His flare-up with Katie earlier bothered him. For the past half
hour they’d been too busy eating to speak. Now that the meal was over the
atmosphere had become stifling. But Tuti looked so happy he didn’t have the
heart to drag her away.
He poured more Chinese green tea into their tiny cups, nodding
to Tuti and the baby. “She must miss her niece in Bali. She used to carry that
kid around on her hip wherever she went.”
Katie took a sip of tea, holding the hot cup by the rim. “Maybe
you should go back to Bali and father another child to give her a brother or a
sister.”
He gave her a hard stare. “That’s unworthy of you.”
Katie blushed and grimaced. “Sorry. That was uncalled-for. But
you
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