Timeless(28)

Twenty minutes later, her basket filled with fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, Mindy stood in the checkout area, waiting for Andrew. Ten minutes later, she was walking up and down each aisle, searching for him. She didn't find him. She did however, find Andrew's white wicker basket, containing a chicken, a carton of milk and a stick of butter, sitting on the supermarket floor.

She looked along the vacant aisle. "Oh, this can't be good," she said. She waited for another few minutes, hoping that he would return waving a tub of ice cream above his head. When he still hadn't returned five minutes later, she picked up the basket and headed briskly to the checkouts. Thankfully, no one else was in line at the checkout, so she paid the girl for her groceries and had everything packed in a cardboard box, all within ten minutes.

Taking the change from the woman behind the cash register, she said, "If you happen to see the young man I came in with, would you be kind enough to tell him I'll be waiting in the car for him."

The woman looked at her for a moment, then frowned. "Do you mean the guy in the black Guns N' Roses t-shirt?" she asked.

"Yes. That's him."

"He left," the woman said over the clang of the cash register drawer closing.

Mindy couldn't hide the surprise in her voice or on her face. "He did? How long ago? Was he with anyone?" she asked, gathering up the box of groceries and resting it on her hip.

The woman shrugged. "Bout fifteen minutes ago or so," she offered, nodding to a woman who had just walked up to the register with a basket full of groceries and a howling child tugging relentlessly at her denim skirt. "Sorry," the woman said over the din. "But that's all I know. I don't recall anyone else leaving with him."

"Okay. Okay. Thank you," Mindy said, turning her head to glare at the child, who ceased howling in an instant.

The cashier and the mother both looked at Mindy in open-mouthed surprise.

"Please. You have to tell me how you did that," the mother pleaded, grabbing hold of Mindy's arm.

"Trust me. I wish I could tell you," Mindy said, shrugging apologetically.

Once outside, Mindy looked up and down the sidewalk on both sides of the street. No sign of Andrew. When she reached the car, still deep in thought about where Andrew may have gone, she set the box of groceries on the roof of the car, rummaged in her bag until she found the keys then inserted them into the lock and pulled open the door. She sprang backward as something large tumbled out of the car door and landed on the ground at her feet.

"Andrew. What the hell is going on?" she screamed, waking the sleeping boy lying in the gutter.

Andrew sat bolt upright in the gutter, then stood up, brushing himself off. "Shit. Sorry. I must have fallen asleep on the ride. He turned and noticed the groceries on the roof of the car. "You should have woken me up. I would have gone with you."

Mindy looked at him in mute horror, then said. "I should have what…?"

"You should have—"

"Get in the car, Andrew."

"Right," he said, beginning to climb back in the door he'd just fallen out.

Mindy grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back out of the car. "Oh no you don't, mister. I may not have a current license, but there is no way you're driving anywhere. Not in the state you're in."

Andrew shrugged, wiping his hands on his trousers. "What state? All I did was fall asleep, which was not against the law the last time I checked. Anyway, I'm fine now."

Mindy put her hands on her hips and looked at Andrew with increasing suspicion. "Oh, really? Just fell asleep? Then tell me, Andrew, what were you doing asleep in the driver's seat?"

Andrew spun around then looked back at Mindy, a worried expression on his face. He swiped a hand across his mouth and shook his head.

"Check your pockets," Mindy instructed.

Andrew's heart was thumping loudly in his ears, panic quickening his pulse. He shoved both hands deep into his pockets and dragged out a piece of torn paper with writing on it. He read the words out loud. "Free range chicken, tub of butter, carton of milk, vanilla ice cream…" his voice trailed off. "I didn't get the ice cream, did I?"

Slowly, Mindy shook her head. "No. No, you didn't get the ice cream. Get in, I'm driving."

Silently, lost in his thoughts, Andrew stood on the sidewalk like a ghostly statue.

"Andrew," Mindy said, pulling him from his frozen reverie. "Get in the car, sweetie," she said, softly this time. "I have to get you back to Witchwood."

Crestfallen, Andrew nodded submissively, dropped his head, and walked silently around to the passenger side of the vehicle, opened the car door, and fell in.