Things I Hate About Him

Weekend 1. This summer I've finally got my own stall at the beach market: Marisa's Fish Tacos. It's small and hot, but it's mine. Unfortunately, the stall next to mine sells waffles, and it belongs to a tall, annoying man called Hamish. I've decided to keep a list. THINGS I HATE ABOUT HIM: 1. He sings while he cooks. Badly. 2. He's far too cheerful at seven in the morning. 3. He has given away free waffles to MY customers while they wait in MY line.

Weekend 4. The list is getting longer. 4. He knows the name of every dog on this beach. 5. He has never been late, not once, which makes me look bad when I am. 6. Last Sunday, when the wind blew my napkins all over the sand, he picked up every single one. He didn't even say anything clever. I hate that.

Weekend 7. Disaster. My gas bottle ran out at noon, at the busiest hour of the busiest day, and I almost cried in front of forty hungry people. Hamish came over without a word, carried his own spare bottle to my stall and connected it. Then he went back to his waffles and his terrible singing. 7. He has made it impossible for me to stay angry with him.

Weekend 10. I've read this list again tonight, and something is wrong with it. Number 1: he sings badly, but he sings for the kids in the line, and they love it. Number 3: the free waffles keep people waiting happily in my line. Numbers 4, 5 and 6 aren't complaints at all. I think this has stopped being a list of things I hate. My sister read it over my shoulder and laughed so hard that she fell off the bed.

Weekend 12. The last weekend of the summer. Tomorrow we pack up the stalls until next June. I've started a new page. THINGS I HATE ABOUT HIM: 1. He hasn't asked me out yet.