I watched an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians before responding: “No, I’m okay. Thanks though :-)”
He immediately texted back: “What are you doing?”
If I texted back too soon, he would think I wasn’t doing anything and then he would probably try to come over. I watched another episode before texting him again: “Watching Kim K. shop for a dress. You?”
He texted back: “Standing outside your door.”
Shit!
I ran into the bathroom and pulled out my blow dryer. I held it over my forehead for half a minute. Then I held it over my chest. I took out some Vicks Vapor rub and rubbed it under my nose and onto my neck. I pulled my hair into a sloppy bun and splashed hot water into my eyes.
I threw on some silk pajamas and fastened my robe. I held the blow dryer on my forehead for another minute and rushed to the door.
“I said you didn’t have to cook me any soup,” I glared at him.
“That’s why I bought some instead,” he shook a brown paper bag. “What’s wrong with you exactly?”
“Are you a doctor now?”
“I played one once.”
I tried not to laugh. “I have a fever and um…it’s kind of hard for me to breathe.”
“So you got sick between six and eight this morning?”
“I’ve been feeling kind of bad for the past few days. It just got worse today.”
“What’s the blow dryer for?”
Chapter 20
Matt
“Ummm,” she looked around the room. “Um I—”
I stopped her with a kiss. “You’re a horrible actress. Is that Vicks Vapor rub on your face?”
She turned red and nodded.
I laughed. “You could’ve just told me you didn’t feel like a date today.”
“Would you have showed up anyway?”
YES.
“Probably.”
She shook her head. “I’m gonna put this up and get this stuff off my face. There’s cheese puffs on the couch in the living room. I made them myself.”
While she made herself “un-sick,” I took out the soup and bread. For some reason, being around her still made me nervous. I could still feel the unresolved tension between us.
“What type of soup is it?” she actually sat beside me.
“Chicken noodle. Since you’re not really sick, I figured we could share.”
We ate several spoonfuls in silence—she was blushing more than usual, and looked as nervous as I was.
“You’re early,” she muttered. “I didn’t have any time to put myself together so excuse how I look.”
“You look beautiful, Melody. You always do.”
She blushed and turned away. “Thanks.”
“Where’s your movie collection? Do you have one?”
“Of course I have one. What type of question is that?”
“Well where is it?”
“It’s in black boxes in two rooms to the right.”
“Of course it is,” I stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
I was convinced she was never going to completely unpack her things. The room was full of stuffed garbage bags, suitcases, and plastic bins. I climbed over stacks of books and held myself against the wall.
There were at least twenty black boxes in the corner alphabetized and separated by genre. I searched for the “romantic comedy” box and thumbed through the W’s.
“What’d you pick?” she looked up from her soup.
“When Harry Met Sally. Have you watched it this month?”
“Not yet…”
I popped it into the DVD player and wrapped my arms around her. “I’ve never watched this all the way through.”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I never finished You’ve Got Mail either.”
“We have to watch that next then,” she leaned against me and I buried my face in her hair.
“I cry at the end every time,” she wiped her eyes. “I can’t help it. I really like the way they spread the story out over the years.”
“It was really good. I should’ve watched it a long time ago.”
She looked up at me and smiled. I bent down and pressed my lips against hers.
She immediately broke away. “You’ve Got Mail?”
We really need to break that habit today…
“In a minute. Where’s your spa?”
“It’s down the hall.”
“Can you show me?”
“Sure,” she quickly moved away from me and stood up.
She led me through a long corridor and down a couple steps. The room was pitch—black until she clapped her hands and hit a couple switches.
“Wow,” I ran my hand against the grass and flagstone that surrounded the pool. As the room brightened, I noticed that there was a Jacuzzi, a sauna, and a small waterfall.
“I said the same thing when I first saw it. It reminds me of the lakes in Tennessee.”
“I’ve never been,” I pulled off my shirt and jeans. “I’ll take your word for it though.”
“You brought your swim trunks?”
“I told you I was going to,” I stepped into the pool and felt warm waves moving across my chest.
“Give me a second. I’ll be right back,” she slipped inside the sauna.