"Tony." I hear a voice in my dream. "Tony."
I open my eyes to see Kate looking down at me from where she's standing at the side of my bed.
"I want Red velvet ice cream and Ruffles Potato chips." She states, as if that's a perfectly normal thing for her to ask me for in the middle of the night.
I've read enough about this to know that this is the weird craving stage.
"Kate, you know I'm not supposed to leave you alone here, and we're not supposed to leaveā¦" I groan.
"I want red velvet ice cream and potato chips Now." She snarls, looking very, very murderous.
"Yes, ma'am." I hurriedly say, hopping out of bed, throwing on a sweatshirt and shorts, grabbing the car keys and heading to the nearest 24-hour market.
I run through the aisles, until I find original Ruffles potato chips and Blue Bunny red velvet ice cream.
When I check out, I make small talk with the only cashier, a man about my age.
"Hey, what's your name?" I ask
"Phil. Yours?" he responds, happily
"Tony. Do you work here every night?" I ask
"Every night from eleven to six." Answers, cheerfully Phil
"Then I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends." I say as I pay for the chips and ice cream.
"Why?" he asks, baffled
"My g-...um my friend is pregnant and she just hit her craving stage." I answer, wryly, gesturing to the interesting food assortment I just bought.
He winces for me.
"That's unfortunate." He sympathizes
I am about to agree when my phone rings.
"Hey, Kate, I'm about to leave the stor-" I answer, when I see it's Kate
"Hurry up! I'm starving and I want my ice cream and potato chips!" she yells into the phone "Or you're a dead man."
Then she hangs up.
"And that is my cue. See you soon Phil." I nod goodbye, and he waves, before I hurry back home.
