Tempted

"Right. The kid is looking at me," he said, turning firmly to gaze into his book. I looked to my left, spotting a 5 year old with short hair, giving me an innocent expression.

I raised the chocolate bar in my hand towards her, and she shrugged, a little more vigorous than I imagined. I offered the chocolate to him again. "The kid is looking at me," he said, this time with a sense of finality in denial.

I sighed, and bit into the bar. On the screen ahead, the master batsman of Indian cricket was poised to play another shot. I looked moodily across the room, with a bunch of mid-aged men glancing every now and then at the television set.

The technician called me back inside. By the time I returned, the chocolate was gone. I looked through the purse, but finding no traces of it, I was certain he had it. I looked for the kid. Not there.