Naya: Something who ends sentences with prepositions.
Jake: Nerd.
I set my phone down, a giddy uneasiness bubbling in me, because his texts had me making my own list about him, and it was growing longer by the minute.
Twenty-six
The board flashed as his flight changed from “delayed” to “arrived.” I looked down to find a text from Jake containing only a winking emoji, and I sniffled. What had started as a small tickle in my throat when I woke up that morning had blossomed into a runny nose, body aches, and a light head as I sat in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
I’d shaved, waxed, and plucked with care and packed my favorite lingerie for a sexy weekend. After two weeks apart, my body reverberated with the same bundle of nerves I had the first night we were together. Only this time, the onset of chills and a dull ache behind my eyes clouded everything. I’m nothing if not on-brand.
Jake strode through the small crowd and wrapped his long arms around me. His lightweight maroon sweater was soft against my cheek, and the closeness of his body felt right. The hug lasted only seconds, but the rest of the airport receded into the background.
“Hi,” he said.
I tipped my chin up, but soon my head whipped downward and bumped gracelessly against his chest. Not in a ladylike, dainty “achoo”; this was a wet, loud, humiliating honk.
“Bless you.” He looked down at me, and his expression turned to one of concern. “Are you getting sick?”
I tried to smile, shaking my head. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” I reasoned, fighting back the urge to sniffle and cough, losing both battles. “I was fine when I got on the plane. Now . . . this.” I motioned to my face.
We’d planned on a weekend full of steamy, naked activity. We’d discussed it, at length, and in a level of detail that made me pray Muriel from HR never happened upon our texting history. Jake held the back of his hand to my forehead and cheek, his skin cool against my face. “I think you might have a fever.”
I closed my eyes momentarily. “No time for that—we’re in Cincinnati and only for two days.”
“Uh-huh, let’s get to the hotel so you can rest.”
My heart sank, and I blinked slowly, slumping against him.
Jake linked his fingers with mine, steering me forward. “How was your flight?” He dipped his lips to kiss the top of my head, ignoring that I’d just sneezed all over him.
* * *
Our room was on the fifteenth floor with a view of Cincinnati. In the sunlight, the Ohio River reflected the blue sky, and the city’s skyline sparkled. I only took in the view for a moment before sinking gracelessly to the bed like a sack of potatoes. The fever seemed to have broken, but a chill coursed through me, and I wrapped my arms around my knees.
Jake touched the back of his hand to my face again, and his mouth formed a straight line.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, my words interrupted by sniffles. “I can get my own room. I don’t want you to get sick.”
“That’s ridiculous.” He shook his head and waved dismissively. “I’m going to get a bath going for you, then find a drugstore for some medicine.” He disappeared into the bathroom while speaking, and the water began running.
“I’ll be fine, really,” I called through the open door, rubbing my arms for warmth. My voice came out wobbly and strained. “Don’t go to the trouble. It’s just a cold or something.” I glimpsed his forearm over the edge of the tub, checking the water temperature. No one had drawn a bath for me since I was a child, and I felt simultaneously helpless and grateful.
“It shouldn’t take me long. Hopefully the steam will help,” he said, grazing one of those large hands over my shoulder.
As he stepped into the hallway, I cursed my body’s inability to be a team player. First, I’d thrown up while attempting a one-night stand, and then, with a whole sexy weekend available to us, I decide to host a germ party.
The bodywash provided by the hotel smelled like oranges, and I poured a little in the water until the heady scent filled the room. Sliding beneath the bubbles and resting my head against the edge of the tub, I breathed in the steam rising off the water. I rarely got sick, but when I did, it hit hard and fast, like today.
Closing my eyes, I inhaled the steam and let my mind wander. The previous two weeks had been quiet at work except for the barrage of rumors passed on with every colleague interaction in person or on social media. Have you heard they’re going to cut people before fall semester? A friend of a friend told me everything outside engineering and business is on the chopping block. Rumor has it that the consultants have been analyzing data for a while now and decisions are already made. I knew it was wrong to ask Jake about what I’d heard, but none of the rumors ever made me feel better about the situation. I found myself constantly stewing in anxiety, taking each piece of gossip for the realistic possibility it was.