cooking together

we should cook
together one night, gina
says, jumping up and down
in her new
chef's apron
with embroidered
loaves of baguettes
down the front.
she slaps you playfully
on the head
with a new pink spatula
she picked up at home goods.
sure, you tell her.
that might be fun.
whoo hooo, she says,
spinning around
like a top.
i'll start making a
list, we can do it at
your house, okay?
why not. what are you
thinking? burgers,
fries, I've got some
frozen drumsticks
in the freezer.
oh fiddle dee dee,
she says.
we can do better than
that. do you have
a garlic press? no.
how about a milk frother,
or a digital
candy thermometer?
ummm, nope. a rotary
whisk, or a potato
ricer? nope, not
the last time I checked.
cheese grater, you
must have a cheese
grater? for what,
I just peel back
the plastic from the
slice of cheese and put
it on my sandwich,
why would I want
to grate it?
food processor?
what's that?
I see she says
sadly, so, does
your oven work?
of course silly.
okay, okay she says.
let's have burgers then.
fries, i'll make
a nice chopped salad.
do you have any
mixing bowls?
voila, you say
pointing at the floor.
I'm not a cave man
for god's sake.
it's right there
on the floor,
I use it sometimes
when the dog needs water.
you can fit a lot
of lettuce in that bowl.