Molly took the lid off the crockpot and pulled her head back from the moist heat that billowed up. She inhaled the delicious smell of beef and vegetable casserole for a second, savouring the wholesome home-cooked smell before ladling out servings onto three plates.
She added a couple of dumplings onto each serving and covered the pot again-she doubted that her plan to keep some for tomorrow would work. Dan and Mike were in the study and she called them out to the dining room.
‘Mmm, delish,’ Mike grinned, rubbing his hands with glee and taking a seat. ‘Which one’s mine?’
‘You get the big serving and Dan gets the daddy chair,’ she told him, taking a seat opposite him and reaching for the pepper grinder.
‘I think I’d rather have the big serve,’ he remarked, digging his fork in for a scoop.
Dan observed his own plate, and compared it against his friend’s. ‘How come he gets more?’
‘You get the big boys chair at the head of the table,’ Molly replied.
‘Yeah, but I’m hungry.’
‘And we’re watching your weight.’
‘We’re watching it are we?’
‘We are.’
‘Watching it go up,’ Mike commented through a mouthful, and Dan glared at him.
‘But it’s my house,’ Dan complained.
‘And it’s my kitchen, and my say-so,’ his wife said firmly, ‘so eat up.’
‘Don’t worry mate,’ Mike told him with mock sympathy, ‘one day you’ll be big and strong like me and then you can eat more.’
Dan shook his head sadly.
‘I can’t believe my own wife snaked me on my dinner. And called me fat.’
‘I didn’t call you fat; I said we’re watching your weight.’
‘Go up,’ Mike chipped in.
‘Shut up.’
‘Who?’ Molly and Mike asked simultaneously.
‘Both of you.’
Molly took a sip of her Riesling and smiled across the rim at Mike.
‘I meant to tell you, your application is with the court and Lisa there told me she’d get it through as quickly as possible. The Police end of it will go to Buck so it shouldn’t be a problem.’
‘Awesome, thanks Mol.’ He chewed with his mouth open, revealing globs of beef and carrot. ‘You’re a star.’
‘Yeah,’ she shrugged, ‘close your mouth when you’re eating.’
‘What about old Brian Marcus?’ Dan asked, ‘any dirt on him?’
‘The system went down at Baycorp, so the report should be ready in the morning. I did a full financial on him. He’s on the Electoral Roll, lives in Howick.’
‘Nothing on the networks?’
‘Yeah, he’s on a couple. Old Friends and Facebook. Lots of friends but it looks like he’s just a bit of a desperate older man trying to grasp at straws. He’s also on a dating site-Bashful Brian, 42 years old and single. Hetero, professional with a good sense of humour and fun loving.’
‘So 52, divorced, not getting any but would like some, and a dork,’ Dan interpreted.
‘So young but so cynical,’ Mike said sadly, shaking his head. ‘Such a waste.’
‘Huh.’ Dan chewed thoughtfully for a moment. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s why I’m a god among men.’