MIO FIORE

POTATO CAKE AND HEAVEN

"Never mind," Aiden said hastily and turned around, the light hitting my face making me close my eyes.

“Wait," I called out.

I  shielded the light with my hand and placed the empty wine glass beside me, "Yeah sure."

“What?”

"Food," I said standing up slightly swaying, "I am hungry"

Aiden looked at me for a second, a very long second before he cleared his throat rubbing his forearm, his eyebrows knotting. "Uh yeah, okay Sure." He said in an unsure voice.

I gave him a glance, wasn't he the one who proposed this idea? Pulling up the hem of my dress so I don't trip over I started walking as it took him a second to follow after me, I just had to sneak out to get food and sneak back in before the auction finished for the final goodbye ceremony hosted by my own father.

“Where are you going?" Aiden asked as I started to walk.

“To get food?" I replied, “wasn't that the plan?

“We can take my car."

I shrugged, "There's a take away shop a street away,"

Aiden raised an eyebrow, "You want to go to the fish and chips shop."

I paused turning around to look at him confused, "Isn't that food?" I asked. I mean chips were heaven, the fried potato was good any time of the day, hell potato raw would be great. No, that was just the wine talking, potato would not be good.

"I just didn't take you as a person to eat that stuff," he replied.

I raised an eyebrow shaking my head as I turned around, "You don't know a lot about me."

“I’m starting to realize," he said as he fell in step with me easily, which wasn't hard seeing the long somewhat tight dress and high heels were making it hard for me to walk on the uneven gravel, and the wine wasn't playing a factor as well.

Why did I choose to wear heels when my ankle still hurts from the fall.

I didn't even like wine, why the hell did I keep drinking. I turned around the corner and I could almost smell the delicious chicken salt and hot fries, or maybe I was just dreaming. But soon the small dingy takeaway shop came into my view and I hurried over, my stomach was growling.

I already knew what I wanted, a potato cake and fries, but I read the menu anyway to give Aiden some time to decide what he wanted. Aiden looked around the small place leaning down to whisper in my ear, his hot breath fanning over the side of my face.

“You really want to eat here?"

“What's wrong with here?" I asked.

“It's...dirty and there's no waiter and are the glasses even clean?"

I rolled my eyes taking the menu back to a small table in the corner and sitting down, "Well I'm eating here, up to you if you stay or not." I crossed my legs flipping it over, I just had to decide on a drink, and that was the hard part.

I wanted a milkshake, but if I got that it would make me too full to finish my fries. But if I got water, well, that was boring. Maybe a soda, to cut down the grease.

My eyes nearly exploded six bucks for a soda.

What the hell was this, god's soda? There was no way I was paying six bucks for a soda, hell the chips were half that price.

I’ll stick to tap water. I wrinkled my nose, would tap water even be good, well, it would have to do.

Why waste more money?

“I’ll stay," Aiden said.

I shrugged, "I’m ordering."

“Don't they come to us?" Aiden asked his eyebrows furrowing as he looked confused.

“This isn't a Michelin restaurant," it was a simple takeaway shop. I walked over to the counter taking out the note from my bag, "Can I get small chips please, extra chicken salt. Oh, and a potato cake with no salt."

The old man smiled at me nodding, giving me my change as I filled up a glass with the water from the dispenser, at least it looked nice with pieces of lemon and ice in it. I hope it tasted just as okay.

I walked back to the table as Aiden was still reading the menu, "What did you get?" he asked.

"Fries."

"Just fries?" he frowned at the menu.

"And a potato cake." I sighed leaning down slipping my heels off, oh god that feeling was heaven, I wriggled my toes, content washing over my face,

“What?" I asked as Aiden looked at me.

“What the hell is a potato cake?"

I would have been surprised if this was anyone else but Aiden, the man who spent hundreds on fish eggs. "It's heaven"

“I’ll..pass. Do you think the fish is fresh here? They do debone it right? I don't want to choke."

“Just order something," I said irritated as he scrutinized everything on the menu. If he took this long to order, I wonder how long it took him to eat it.

With the permanent scowl I always see on his face he walked over to the counter and when he turned the menu to question the man.

By the time Aiden came back to our seat my food had already arrived and I wasted no time to dig in, the hot potato scalded my tongue but the taste was worth it.

"What is that disc?"

"Potato cake," I watched his face stare at it like it was some type of magic, "It's soggy." he commented.

"No, it's not." Well, a bit, but it's still crispy. I held up my half-eaten potato cake, "Try it."

"No." he leaned back.

“It's good."

"It doesn't look good." he shook his head.

"Just try the f*****g potato cake Aiden." He blinked at me, his grey eyes scrutinizing me for a moment before he reached over, taking the piece from my hand. He turned the lukewarm potato cake in his hand before hesitatingly putting it in his mouth, and chewing. It was watching a baby eat food for the first time, and by the small lift of his lips, I knew he liked it.

"Oh, that's good" he nodded.

“Told you," I said as I grabbed a fry and his order came.

***

“We should head back," I said as I watched Aiden demolish his fourth potato cake, how did he pack so much food away. He ate all his fish and chips, my leftover chips, and four potato cakes.

Damn it, why wasn't he fat. I could already feel the oil blocking my arteries. I had to go for a very long run tomorrow.

"These are so good." he moaned, licking the salt off his fingers.

I looked at my watch and saw the man clean up I knew he was waiting for us to leave. We still had an hour left before the closing ceremony, but I better go show my face.

“Come on fattie." I grabbed my bag off the ground slipping my shoes back on wincing.

Aiden raised an eyebrow as he raised much more gracefully from my seat, "Who are you calling fat?"

“No one.”

Because now that I thought about it, I was sure my little pudgy self was more fat. Maybe I should have gotten the cucumber tuna salad, no, that sounded gross.

"Are we going back already?" he asked.

“Yeah, where else is there to go." I started to talk. 

"The beach."

I paused looking up at the man walking beside me, "The beach?"

"Isn't there a beach next to a fish and chips shop?"

I rolled my eyes, "Not necessarily." and that was a first, he didn't seem like a person to go to the beach. Neither did he seem like the person to wear a suit but here he was in one again, that was neatly ironed, unlike his rumbled blazers he wore to parties.

I had to admit, this suit was tailored to near perfection. Near perfection, because I was sure he paid for that expensive suit with my money, which I didn't appreciate.

"f**k," I tripped over a rock and before I could fall flat first on my face two arms steadied me.

“We don't need you getting another concussion now," Aiden said laughing.

"Stupid pavements moving," I said. I was walking fine.

"Are you sure you just didn't drink too much?" I scoffed, placing one hand on the streetlight and stepping away from him to take my shoes off, no one's going to see me walking barefoot.

“It's been ages since I had wine." even though it takes much longer for the alcohol to get out of your system.

“What are you doing?" I took the other heel dramatically, dropped ten centimeters off my height, my long dress covered the fact I wasn't wearing shoes and I started walking.

"What if there is glass on the ground, put them back on."

"Nah. I've walked like this plenty of times. Plus I would see if there was glass on the ground,

shouldn't it "Shimmer"?”

“Where are you going?" Aiden called as I crossed the road.

"Back to the party, I have to be there for the closing ceremony." I didn't get very far as he caught up,

"Right, of course." He nodded.