Incorporeal by J.R. Barrett Page A

half a dozen oysters. Wow, where did that thought come from? I never eat raw oysters. Yeah, but I really want some. The oyster bar is right next to the restaurant. Helpless, her feet took her in that direction. Look, there’s one lonely seat at the bar, and it’s calling your name.
    Sara asked the hostess if she could have the empty seat. The woman nodded and helped her hang her bags from hooks hidden below the counter.
    “ Cool.” Sara stretched her legs out in front of her, balancing her high heels on the narrow foot rest.
    “ Can I bring you something to drink?” It was the hostess.
    Sara took a quick look around. Do I have time? Sure I do. She noticed that the couple next to her was drinking something bubbly and pink. She nodded at the pretty glasses. “What are they drinking?”
    The hostess glanced at the couple. “Oh, it’s their anniversary. That’s a red Tattinger.”
    So that’s what a sparkling red wine looks like, huh? “I’ll have a glass of that. Thanks.” Why not? Maybe I’ll have something to celebrate later tonight.
    “ What can I get you, Miss?” Two young men behind a short glass partition, worked fast, shucking fresh oysters right in front of her.
    “ Hmmm. I don’t have much experience with oysters.” Sara said, with a smile. “I only know I like them sweet and not too big. What do you recommend?”
    “ A novice, huh?” He grinned at her. “How about a combination of sweet and briny?”
    “ Sounds interesting.”
    The hostess handed Sara a tall glass of the lovely rose-colored Tattinger. Sara took a sip. Damn, that’s tasty. No wonder Leah Rosen asked for a bottle . She turned her attention back to the young man. “I only want a half-dozen, so you pick.”
    Without missing a beat, he began shucking her oysters. He arranged six on a platter filled with ice, stuck in a little bowl of mignonette sauce with a tiny spoon, a couple wedges of lemon, and walked around the counter, placing the platter in front of Sara with a flourish.
    “ These three are the Hog Island Sweets. They’re tender, sweet and they have a real fresh taste. These three,” he pointed to the round shells, “are the Kusshi. They’re deep water oysters, sweet with a briny finish. I think you’ll like both. They’ll mesh well with that Tattinger.”
    “ Thank you.” Sara tipped her glass to him.
    “ You’re welcome. Let me know if I can get you anything else.”
    Sara started with the Sweets. She spooned some mignonette sauce over the oyster, made certain it wasn’t stuck to the shell with her little fork, and with a delicate slurp, sucked it into her mouth. One chew and down the hatch .
    Oh, merciful heavens, I can’t believe what I’ve been missing all these years.
    You don’t like raw oysters, so what’s the deal? She sipped her wine. I don’t know what the deal is, but they sure are yummy with this exceptional wine. A little sweet, a tiny bit of salt, and a little sour from the mignonette. Triple yum.
    She tried the Kusshi. These tiny round oysters tasted so delightfully of the ocean that she had no choice but to close her eyes for a moment. The Kusshi reminded her of sex with Nathan. Bliss .
    Sipping the remainder of her wine, Sara finished the oysters. She had to get going. As she waited for the hostess to bring her check, she watched the couple next to her share their platter of oysters, all different kinds. When they touched their glasses together, Sara pretended not to notice. The young couple sitting to her left ordered two glasses of Tattinger too.
    Nathan would enjoy this scene . I’d love to share raw oysters and a bottle of wine with him. Afterwards we could walk along the water.
    Yeah, well Nathan can never be part of this scene; he’s not going to walk along the waterfront holding your hand, so pay up and shut up .
    The oysters suddenly turned to lead in the pit of her stomach. She looked around, uneasy, wondering if the problem was her worry about losing Nathan or her anxiety about