Tag: storms at sea

The knock came just as she was serving dessert.

Actually, the knock came after she had navigated the one step down to the dining room from the Vrbo’s kitchen, a tray of warm crème brûlées balanced in her hands. She had just cleared the table— two large dinner plates awash with steak drippings, stained red globs of uneaten mashed potatoes— and had given them a quick rinse before moving on to the final course. Tony had remained at the table, leaning back and scratching his belly. He had even let out a soft belch, which made her smile. She pulled the tray out of the refrigerator, but not before checking the freezer for her emergency stash, her “just in case” stores. Then she had gotten to work torching the custard with her little portable blow torch. When she finished, she paused for just a second to admire the crusty layer of toasted sugar, then hoisted the tray and headed for the dining room. She went deliberately, putting one foot in front of the other. When she reached the table she set the ramekins down at their places, and that’s when the rapping had started.