I wasn't sure what he meant, and I was just about to ask him when a sudden recollection made me pause. "So, where was it?"
"The waffle maker?" He shrugged. "That's for me to know."
"And for me to find out?"
He made a show of grimacing. "Not ifIcan help it."
I tried not to laugh. "Hey, that's not fair."
"Yeah, well, fair's for pussies." He flicked his head toward the nearby cupboard. "Grab a couple of plates, will ya?"
I didn't move. "I'm not sure I should."
"Why?" He grinned. "You chicken?"
"Oh, please," I said. "You think I'm gonna fall for my own trick?"
"Sure, why not?"
I took a tentative step closer. Next to the waffle maker was a serving platter loaded up with fresh waffles. I gave them a long, careful look, but saw no discoloration or mysterious blobs.
I asked, "What's the catch?"
"All right, you want the truth?"
I nodded.
He smiled. "I'm bribing you."
The smile made me just a little bit nervous. Or maybe I was simply unsettled by the flutter it caused in my stomach. "Technically, you'realreadybribing me."
"A bribe and payment aren't the same thing."
I wasn't so sure. "So you're bribing me with breakfast?"
"Not just breakfast," he said. "Lunch, too. I'm thinking someplace downtown."
Now, I had to laugh. "Well, that changes everything."
Ignoring my sarcasm, he said, "Here's the deal. Last night, I got ahead of myself."
"What do you mean?"
"The stuff I told you, it wasn't the whole story."
"So what is?" I asked.
"Ask me in a week."
I was intrigued in spite of myself. "Why a week?"
He shrugged. "Why not?"
"But that's no kind of answer."
"I'm not offering you answers," he said with a secret smile. "I'm offering you waffles." He pointed to the serving platter. "See?"
"But that doesn't make any sense at all."
"Gimme a week," he said. "And it will. I promise."
